Honda signs Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge for its factory WorldSBK squad
Honda has announced that it has reached an agreement with Spanish riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge to compete on its official World Superbike Team in 2022 aboard the factory Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade.
Lecuona, 21-year old rider from Valencia, made his debut in the Moto2 World Championship in 2016 and is currently completing his second year in MotoGP.
Iker Lecuona has shown glimpses of brilliance on the Tech3 KTM MotoGP bike this year, particularly in the wet
24-year-old Xavi Vierge was born in Barcelona, and is concluding his sixth season in the Moto 2 World Championship.
Xavi Vierge is currently 11th in the Moto2 World Championship standings and has only scored one podium this year, a third place
The Bonovo action BMW Racing Team will expand its involvement in 2022 and run two BMW M 1000 RR motorcycles in the series. In the saddle will be two well-known WorldSBK riders: Eugene Laverty (IRL) and Loris Baz (FRA).
35-year-old BMW works rider Laverty has been racing in WorldSBK since 2011 and enters his third season with BMW Motorrad Motorsport in 2022.
Eugene Laverty
“I’m very happy to continue with BMW Motorrad and join the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team for the 2022 World Superbike season. It is fantastic to remain in the BMW WorldSBK family. The past six months have been tough for me as a rider and so I’m very grateful for the continued support and belief from everyone involved in this project. I’m very motivated to repay that faith in my abilities and I feel confident that following a solid winter testing campaign we can arrive ready and competitive at round one.”
Eugene Laverty
Baz also comes with plenty of WorldSBK experience: The 28-year-old Frenchman rode a BMW S 1000 RR in WorldSBK in 2018 and made his Superbike World Championship debut in 2012 and started in the series for three years, before switching to MotoGP from 2015 to 2017. He then returned to WorldSBK. In the 2021 season, Baz has been riding in MotoAmerica but has also impressed on a number of outings in WorldSBK. His WorldSBK record to date: two wins and 20 podiums. Baz will now be a BMW works rider in the 2022 season.
Loris Baz
“I am really happy to be back in WorldSBK so I want to thank BMW and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team for giving me this opportunity. I think that I have shown during these two rounds in Spain and Portugal that I have the pace to fight at the front in this championship. BMW is the brand that grew the most in the second part of the season. I have closely watched how the bike was improving. I have been racing with BMW before so I know a lot of people there and also, I have been competing with MGM Racing for one race back in 2012. I am really happy and really excited about this opportunity and am looking forward to trying the bike and to starting to work together with the team and BMW. Thanks again to all the people involved in this project.”
Loris Baz
Jonas Folger (GER), who lined up in WorldSBK with the Bonovo MGM Racing team in 2021, will be looking for a new challenge after what has been a difficult season for him. The cooperation in the WorldSBK has been terminated by mutual consent.
Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
“The course is set for a successful second season together for BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team in the WorldSBK. The team and we have gained a lot of experience in the first year of our cooperation, and that now forms the basis as we continue to move forward together. The two riders starting for the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team also underline our ambition. We are very pleased that Eugene Laverty remains a part of the BMW works rider family and lines up with us in his third season. Although the 2021 season was not always easy for him, he showed a lot of fight and was very committed to our project. At the same time, we are pleased to have Loris Baz on board. Having spent a season on the BMW S 1000 RR in 2018, he is now part of the BMW works rider family. Loris has more than impressed on his WorldSBK outings this season. We are confident that, with their skill and experience, Eugene and Loris will help move the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team forward. We would like to thank Jonas Folger. It is a shame that his debut season in WorldSBK did not play out as we were all hoping. However, he and the team never gave up and always worked hard. We are very grateful to him for that tireless commitment.”
Jürgen Röder – Team Owner Bonovo action BMW Racing Team
“I am overjoyed that we are heading into the next year as a strong BMW Team and that two top riders like Eugene Laverty and Loris Baz will be in the saddle of the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team bikes. The goal is for the two BMW teams to cooperate even more closely. It is great for us to have two strong riders on board. Particularly Eugene, who has been on the BMW for a few years, is an extremely analytical rider, and provides feedback that can be excellently incorporated in the further development of the bike. He knows all the structures at BMW, and who he needs to contact and when, and is obviously a great addition to the team. I think 28-year-old Loris is a great young rider. We have seen what he is capable of. He has done well in MotoAmerica, has returned to World Superbike and has achieved some very impressive results. It is a real godsend for me to have someone like him in our team. I think we have a real chance of consistently finishing in the top ten with both riders next season. That is obviously a real asset for the whole BMW family. At this point, I would like to thank Dr. Markus Schramm and Marc Bongers again for integrating us so closely in the BMW structure. We will do everything we can to live up to this privilege that has been bestowed upon us. At the same time, I would like to thank Jonas Folger for his commitment. He showed great character when came to me and said that he would not be able to add anything to the team in 2022, and that he would not be taking up my option of continuing together in WorldSBK. I find that incredibly impressive. We still have a very good relationship, and that will remain the case.”
Michael Galinski – Team Manager Bonovo action BMW Racing Team
“We are pleased to be able to take this step together with Jürgen Röder, and are very proud of our two riders. In Eugene Laverty and Loris Baz we have two excellent riders. Loris has started in many classes, such as MotoGP and Superbikes, on many different manufacturers’ bikes, including BMW and Yamaha. He recently showed what he is capable of at the race in Portugal: two third places as a reserve rider is no mean feat. We are very pleased to have him on board. Eugene has been slightly below par this year, as he was unable to ride for a long time. He is a great development rider and will help us to develop the bike together with BMW. All in all, we are now on equal footing with the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. They also have two tall riders on the bike, in Michael van der Mark and Scott Redding. Loris, as the third tall guy, will be able to contribute to the development in this regard. Eugene is not quite as tall, but nevertheless we are all moving in the same direction together. We are looking forward to the coming season!”
2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Round 12 – Circuito San Juan Villicum, San Juan
Superpole Race
The 10-lap Tissot Superpole Race was decided by a drag race to the finish line at the Circuito San Juan Villicum with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) dicing it out for Superpole Race honours.
Toprak Razgatlioglu narrowly beat Scott Redding to the line in the Superpole Race
Toprak Razgatlioglu claimed the lead of the race into turn one after leap-frogging pole-sitter Scott Redding while Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was straight into podium contention from fifth on the grid and immediately battling with Razgatlioglu and Redding.
At the end of lap three, Redding lost ground to Razgatlioglu after running wide at the final corner, allowing Rea to put pressure on the Ducati rider while the Turkish star was able to extend his lead at the front of the field.
Redding was able to spend a few laps recovering the time to Razgatlioglu before putting pressure on the race leader and taking the battle up to him all the way to the line; Redding looking to make a move into turn six and seven but Razgatlioglu responded to hold on to the line by just 0.046s.
World Superbike Superpole Race Results RAZGATLIOGLU Toprak TUR PATA YAMAHA with BRIXX WorldSBK 16’20.713 REDDING Scott GBR ARUBA Racing – Ducati 0.046 REA Jonathan GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK 3.419
As in Saturday’s race one, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) lost ground at the start of the race but was able to fight back to claim fourth place, his best dry-weather result, in the Superpole Race after passing Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in lap three; Lowes would drop back to ninth in the closing stages of the race.
Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) once again battled it out on track with the Dutchman coming out on top to claim fifth place, with Italian rookie Locatelli in sixth and one second back from van der Mark.
After topping warm-ip on Sunday morning, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed seventh place after making progress from his starting spot, with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in eighth place; the Italian had battled his way up the order before losing a couple of spots in the latter stages of the race. Lowes will complete the third row after finishing ninth.
World Superbike Superpole Race Results
RAZGATLIOGLU Toprak TUR PATA YAMAHA with BRIXX WorldSBK 16’20.713
REDDING Scott GBR ARUBA Racing – Ducati 0.046
REA Jonathan GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK 3.419
BASSANI Alex ITA Motocorsa Racing 5.407
VAN DER MARK Michael NDL BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team 8.556
LOCATELLI Andrea ITA PATA YAMAHA with BRIXX WorldSBK 9.608
GERLOFF Garrett USA GRT Yamaha WorldSBK 9.821
RINALDI Michael Ruben ITA ARUBA Racing – Ducati 10.415
LOWES Alex GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK 12.063
HASLAM Leon GBR Team HRC 15.170
BAUTISTA Alvaro SPA Team HRC 15.685
RABAT Tito SPA Kawasaki Puccetti Racing 18.017
DAVIES Chaz GBR Team GOELEVEN 18.470
NOZANE Kohta JPN GRT Yamaha WorldSBK 20.327
LAVERTY Eugene IRE BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team 20.341
MERCADO Leandro ARG MIE Racing HONDA Team 21.262
VINALES Isaac SPA ORELAC Racing VERDNATURA 21.534
CAVALIERI Samuele ITA TPR Team Pedercini Racing 26.152
PONSSON Christophe FRA Alstare Yamaha 27.693
RIBODINO Luciano ARG OUTDO Kawasaki TPR 47.417
SOLORZA Marco ARG OUTDO Kawasaki TPR 51.079
Race Two
Argentinian action in WorldSBK race two at the San Juan circuit saw the championship top three engaged in a hard-fought 21-lap battle with Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) coming out on top, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) second and Toprak Razgatlioglu third (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK). In earlier weekend racing, Razgatlioglu won Saturday’s race one and the Sprint, while Rea took two podiums – a second in race one and a third in Sunday’s quick dash.
The Turk now holds a 30 point lead over Rea (531 to 501 points) with Redding back in third on 465 points, with the title-decider in the 2021 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship going down to the wire and to be decided at the final round, a month away at Indonesia’s Mandalika International Street Circuit on November 19-21.
Rea, Razgatlioglu, Bassani
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) got a good start from third on the grid while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) led from pole position. The pair battled through the first three laps, with Redding joining the fray, and Rea taking the lead briefly before being pushed down to third on the fourth lap of 21.
Redding, Razgatlioglu, Rea
On lap five, the Ducati star moved up to second with a pass on Rea before passing Razgatlioglu, while Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong form as he battled the championship’s top three for a podium position.
Razgatlioglu leads
Rea was able to respond to move into second and looked to take the lead, but the Turkish star was able to resist the challenge on lap six. At the start of lap nine, Redding made a move on Rea into turn one to move up into second place, with Razgatlioglu still out in front, although Redding did make a move into turn eight, with Razgatlioglu responding instantly.
Razgatlioglu, Rea, Redding
On lap ten at turn seven, Redding overtook Razgatlioglu to capture the lead, with Rea almost able to pass the Turkish star into Turn 8 but Razgatlioglu responded to keep second place. The move allowed Redding to escape the thrilling battles, with the fight between Razgatlioglu, Rea and Bassani continuing.
Rea cut back under Razgatlioglu into turn seven to briefly move into second place on lap 14 but Razgatlioglu regained the position under braking into turn eight. On Lap 16, Rea made the crucial overtake to move into turn one but Razgatlioglu fought back until turn five with the pair side-by-side throughout the sequence. After this, Rea was able to break away to claim second place ahead of Razgatlioglu, with Redding claiming his first victory since Catalunya.
Redding was pumped
Bassani dropped away from the lead trio in the closing stages but still recorded fourth place after another excellent race for the Italian rookie as he withstood a late challenge from Ducati stablemate Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) by just half-a-second at the end of the 21-lap race. With the top four battling it out in the early stages, Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was running in the lead group with fifth place before he was passed by Rinaldi, eventually coming home in sixth place.
Yamaha stablemates Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished in seventh and eighth respectively with American star Gerloff missing out in seventh spot by just three tenths at the end of the race. Despite missing out on seventh place, Gerloff’s points, coupled with teammate Kohta Nozane finishing in 14th place, was enough for GRT Yamaha to claim the Best Independent Teams’ title in 2021.
Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) battled it out for ninth place in the closing stages of the race with just eight tenths separating the duo as they crossed the line. Bautista, a race winner at San Juan for Ducati but making his first appearance on Honda machinery in Argentina, battled back from 15th place after missing out on a top-nine spot in the morning Tissot Superpole Race.
Rinaldi, Locatelli, Haslam
Bautista’s Team HRC team-mate, Leon Haslam, was 11th with both Team HRC riders taking points for the team’s first appearance at San Juan. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed 12th place ahead of Spanish compatriot Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 13th with Viñales showing strong pace throughout the weekend. Nozane took 14th place with home hero Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado 15th (MIE Racing Honda Team) – coming home with points despite running wide at turn one late on in the race.
Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), still standing in for Tom Sykes, finishing in 16th place and half-a-second clear of Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) in 17th and Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) in 18th. Two Argentinean riders finished in 19th and 20th with OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing duo Luciano Ribodino and Marco Solorza rounding out the field.
World Superbike Race Two Results
REDDING Scott GBR ARUBA Racing – Ducati
REA Jonathan GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK
RAZGATLIOGLU Toprak TUR PATA YAMAHA with BRIXX WorldSBK
BASSANI Alex ITA Motocorsa Racing
RINALDI Michael Ruben ITA ARUBA Racing – Ducati
VAN DER MARK Michael NDL BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
LOCATELLI Andrea ITA PATA YAMAHA with BRIXX WorldSBK
GERLOFF Garrett USA GRT Yamaha WorldSBK
DAVIES Chaz GBR Team GOELEVEN
BAUTISTA Alvaro SPA Team HRC
HASLAM Leon GBR Team HRC
RABAT Tito SPA Kawasaki Puccetti Racing
VINALES Isaac SPA ORELAC Racing VERDNATURA
NOZANE Kohta JPN GRT Yamaha WorldSBK
MERCADO Leandro ARG MIE Racing HONDA Team
LAVERTY Eugene IRE BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
PONSSON Christophe FRA Alstare Yamaha
CAVALIERI Samuele ITA TPR Team Pedercini Racing
RIBODINO Luciano ARG OUTDO Kawasaki TPR
SOLORZA Marco ARG OUTDO Kawasaki TPR
Rider Quotes
Scott Redding
“The thing is I didn’t feel that great and, in the beginning, there was a lot of fighting and then Bassani came past. I didn’t want to go back more, I tried to come back. I got quite aggressive, I said I would show my aggressive side if that’s what it needs to be. I got to the front and gave it all back. I started to get the rhythm again, I saw they were fighting again and then I didn’t make a mistake. I knew once I got through the first two sectors, I was safe with my pace. I just got a really good rhythm, corner after corner, and that was it and the rest was history.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
“I am, again, very close to a triple win but I tried my best in the race. In the last three laps, I tried every lap, feeling the limit. Also, I tried for second position but after I settled for third position. I said this morning it wouldn’t be an easy Race 2 because everybody was very strong. I am happy. I am again on the podium.”
Jonathan Rea
“I was really happy with how I felt on the bike, and more so in Race Two. We did something really strange with the bike set-up that you wouldn’t consider and it transformed the bike, especially the grip level I had from the beginning. I have been struggling all weekend to make the tyres work – and then I had it. The combination of SC2 front and SCX rear tyre really worked. Today I had traction and feeling and I could play with the bike. In Race Two I just lost a bit of time behind Toprak and Scott was able to really go. I really want thank my team today, especially Pere because he never gave up investigating my problems. In this weekend, in this race, we could find something good. We won’t give up and we will keep working really hard. I enjoyed the race and I enjoyed being here in Argentina, so thank you to all the fans who came out to see us. It was really nice to see them. I am really looking forward to Indonesia.”
Alex Lowes
“The weekend started off well and I felt a good step in my performance, compared to the last few rounds, with my hand. The first race was really good with fourth place finish but then on Sunday when I woke up after the effort we put in yesterday I was in a lot of pain. We tried to ride in the Superpole race but I just didn’t have enough power. So we had to make the decision to stop the weekend early. The good thing is that this is another track, on another weekend, where we have shown our speed. Obviously it is disappointing given all the effort it has taken to be here not to compete in all three races but we have to look at the positive points and focus on going forward.”
Alex Lowes
Michael van der Mark
“It has been a good Sunday. This morning in warm-up, we tried something different with the bike but in the end we weren’t really sure so we went back to yesterday’s set-up. In the Superpole race, I had a good race, I had fun and enjoyed it a lot. I had some good battles and was pretty fast, faster than yesterday. It was nice to start from fifth on the grid for race two. I had an okay start and was in the group fighting for the podium. To be honest, in the beginning I was struggling a bit with the full fuel tank. Towards the end of the race I was alone but I was riding a good pace and it was nice to see what we can do. I think that it has been an overall good weekend. We take some good points home and it was nice to be able to fight with the guys for the podium today in race two but for sure we need to be a little bit faster.”
Michael van der Mark
Garrett Gerloff
“It was nice to start the day with a very good pace and the Yamaha R1 felt great. Unfortunately, I had a really difficult time at the beginning of both races, which prevented us from getting much better results. I was able to make progress, but not as much as I would have wanted. It’s frustrating because I know our potential is way better than this, we just need to put the pieces together so we can use the pace that we have and try to move up the leaderboard.”
Eugene Laverty,
“Altogether, from my side, it has been a very tough weekend. I struggled to make progress. We changed the bike to improve my feeling and we never made any major breakthrough. Also in the last race to finish outside the points after giving my everything over the entire race was a bitter pill to swallow so I am disappointed with my performance. All the guys in the team deserved a better result but unfortunately I wasn’t able to deliver it. Thanks for this great opportunity to be in the team for these three rounds. I am just disappointed with myself that I could not do more.”
Alvaro Bautista
“Today we tried to improve our feeling with respect to yesterday because I’ve been struggling all weekend here to be honest. By making some adjustments to the electronics, we took a small step forward and my pace improved a little bit in the Superpole race as a result. Then in Race 2 we made another small step in terms of feeling, and I was able to maintain a more consistent pace, almost one second faster than I had been up until that point. Let’s say that we have progressed during the weekend but unfortunately not enough to run closer to the front. We’ve struggled at this track, yes, but I think that the work completed and the information gathered will be useful to the technicians in the future. I thank HRC as always because they continue to work really hard. Now we have time to rest up after so many weeks and races in a row. It’s almost a month until the last round in Indonesia, at a track that is new for everyone, so we will see; it’s always interesting to discover a new track.”
Leon Haslam
“To be honest, the result was essentially what we expected. I struggled over the last six laps or so in race 2, as we had a similar brake problem as in the previous race, but generally the bike was quite stable and Alvaro and me were together for a good part of the race. I finished all three races in tenth or eleventh place, which is more or less where we thought we’d be here; we did what we could. On Wednesday I will be in Barcelona for a minor surgery on my bicep tendon (right arm), something we’ve been managing during recent rounds, and then, if the recovery is as quick as it should be, I’ll be fit for Indonesia where I hope to finish the season strong.”
World Superbike Championship Standings
Toprak Razgatlioglu 531
Jonathan Rea 501
Scott Redding 465
Michael Rinaldi 278
Andrea Locatelli 270
Michael Van der Mark 236
Alex Lowes 213
Garrett Gerloff 213
Axel Bassani 199
Alvaro Bautista 180
Tom Sykes 167
Leon Haslam 134
Chaz Davies 131
Kohta Nozane 54
Loris Baz 53
Supersport Race Two
Frenchman Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6), after taking pole position on Saturday, started well and maintained the lead from flag to flag in the final Supersport race of the weekend.
Supersport Race Two
On the first corner, an accident forced Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team / Yamaha YZF R6) and Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team / Yamaha YZF R6) – the latter in the running for the championship title – to re-join the race in last place.
Gonzalez and Odendaal went down
Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-6R), lying second, challenged the race leader throughout, never letting him pull away, whereas behind him in third position was Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6), leader in the overall championship standings.
Cluzel took the race victory
Due to a crash six laps from the end, any hope Steven Odendaal may have been holding out for the world title slipped away in Argentina and he handed the 2021 WorldSSP World Champion title to Aegerter. In the early part of the race, Jules Cluzel set a new record before finishing first ahead of Oncu and Aegerter.
P1 Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha)
“Amazing! It’s a perfect weekend, I’ve never done that. It’s crazy, I’m so happy. As I say every time, I’m racing to enjoy and this weekend I enjoyed it so much. Let’s enjoy this moment, keep the mood like this for the last race. It was a crazy race, I really pushed hard from the beginning to the end. I did a really fast lap time at the end to try to make a gap to Öncü, but he was really strong today. Congratulations to him, congratulations to Aegerter to be World Champion. I want to wish a happy birthday to my grandmother because she is 80 today.”
Supersport Race Two Results J. Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6) C. Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-6R) D. Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6)
P2 Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing)
“This weekend, we worked very hard. From Friday, we were strong and on Saturday we were trying to push, and we finished third because the other two guys were a little bit faster. This morning, Kenan told me that we needed to do a low 1m42 every lap, so we did it and we finished second. I’m really happy. I tried to just follow Cluzel and I had a really good feeling. I’m very happy and will try to do it again in Indonesia.”
P3 Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)
“It’s fantastic to finish with the World Championship early… I don’t know what to say, I’m a little lost for words! It’s nice to be on the podium and to be World Champion. Just to say a big thanks to the Ten Kate team, they did a fantastic job. Today, the bike was better than yesterday. We were a little bit lucky at the first corner. We had a fantastic season, we had ten wins, many podiums and it’s just an amazing season. In my rookie season, to finish first is very nice. I hope tonight I can celebrate with some Argentinean fans, with my team and, for sure, we will have a big party tonight with some espresso!”
Supersport Race Two Results
J. Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6)
C. Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-6R)
D. Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6)
H. Soomer (Kallio Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
P. Sebestyen (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team / Yamaha YZF R6)
V. Debise (GMT94 Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6)
V. Takala (Kallio Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
G. van Straalen (EAB Racing Team / Yamaha YZF R6)
M. Brenner (VFT Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
M. Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team / Yamaha YZF R6)
L. Taccini (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6)
P. Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-6R)
S. Morais (Wójcik Racing Team / Yamaha YZF R6)
U. Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
J. Buis (G.A.P. MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti / Kawasaki ZX-6R)
M. Petratti (Yamaha MS Racing / Yamaha YZF R6) Rt. S. Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team / Yamaha YZF R6) Rt. N. Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti / MV Agusta F3 675) Rt. A. Gonzalez (VFT Racing / Yamaha YZF R6) Rt. R. De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura / Kawasaki ZX-6R)
Dominique Aegerter 2021 World Supersport Champion
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team’s Dominique Aegerter was crowned the 2021 FIM Supersport World Champion at San Juan. Aegerter headed into this weekend with a 54-point lead in the championship, but could only manage fifth in Race 1, finishing just behind title rival Odendaal. The Swiss rider now needed to outscore Odendaal by two points on Sunday, and after the South African fell at Turn 1, it all-but guaranteed that the 2021 rookie would be crowned champion. He fought to a third-place finish, his 14th podium of the season, and became Yamaha’s ninth and the team’s 10th WorldSSP champion.
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team’s Dominique Aegerter was crowned the 2021 FIM Supersport World Champion at San Juan.
Dominique Aegerter – World Supersport Champion
“The first world title is amazing to get. It’s difficult to analyse right now, I can’t wait to celebrate with the team. I’ve waited at least 25 years to be world champion, now I am. It wasn’t easy, I’ve been working hard but I’m so happy to have achieved this goal. I didn’t feel the pressure, I was focused and pushing every lap in the second race just to get the best result I could. I lost many places at the start but my goal was to fight for the podium. I had the information that P4 was OK, but for me it wasn’t OK, so I built a gap. The last lap was an emotional lap and when I go over the line, I am world champion. I knew the title would be possible from the moment I signed the contract with the Ten Kate Yamaha team. They are very successful, the Yamaha R6 is very successful, and I could see how much the whole crew, both at the track and back in the workshop, were working towards the championship. Thank you to everyone, I am just super happy.”
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team’s Dominique Aegerter was crowned the 2021 FIM Supersport World Champion at San Juan.
Andrea Dosoli – Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager
“Congratulations to Dominique and Ten Kate Yamaha for the first title with us. Dominique has been impressive, he won 10 races and has dominated the championship to the point where he has won the title with one event to go, despite missing two race in Barcelona. He was able to manage the championship and stay calm, which shows how strong he is mentally and highlights his commitment. Our sport is about working as a team, and without a strong team it’s impossible to achieve good results. Ten Kate Yamaha are an important partner for us and have done an amazing job.”
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team’s Dominique Aegerter was crowned the 2021 FIM Supersport World Champion at San Juan.
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team’s Dominique Aegerter was crowned the 2021 FIM Supersport World Champion at San Juan, after finishing third in Sunday’s dramatic race. Aegerter headed into this weekend with a 54-point lead in the championship, but could only manage fifth in Race 1, finishing just behind title rival Odendaal. The Swiss rider now needed to outscore Odendaal by two points on Sunday, and after the South African fell at Turn 1, it all-but guaranteed that the 2021 rookie would be crowned champion. He fought to a third-place finish, his 14th podium of the season, and became Yamaha’s ninth and the team’s 10th WorldSSP champion.
Dominique Aegerter – World Supersport Champion
Dominique Aegerter – World Supersport Champion
“The first world title is amazing to get. It’s difficult to analyse right now, I can’t wait to celebrate with the team. I’ve waited at least 25 years to be world champion, now I am. It wasn’t easy, I’ve been working hard but I’m so happy to have achieved this goal. I didn’t feel the pressure, I was focused and pushing every lap in the second race just to get the best result I could. I lost many places at the start but my goal was to fight for the podium. I had the information that P4 was OK, but for me it wasn’t OK, so I built a gap. The last lap was an emotional lap and when I go over the line, I am world champion. I knew the title would be possible from the moment I signed the contract with the Ten Kate Yamaha team. They are very successful, the Yamaha R6 is very successful, and I could see how much the whole crew, both at the track and back in the workshop, were working towards the championship. Thank you to everyone, I am just super happy.”
Dominique Aegerter – World Supersport Champion
Andrea Dosoli – Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager
“Congratulations to Dominique and Ten Kate Yamaha for the first title with us. Dominique has been impressive, he won 10 races and has dominated the championship to the point where he has won the title with one event to go, despite missing two race in Barcelona. He was able to manage the championship and stay calm, which shows how strong he is mentally and highlights his commitment. Our sport is about working as a team, and without a strong team it’s impossible to achieve good results. Ten Kate Yamaha are an important partner for us and have done an amazing job.”
Dominique Aegerter – World Supersport Champion
2021 World Supersport Championship Standings
Dominique Aegerter 381
Steven Odendaal 313
Manuel Gonzalez 275
Jules Cluzel 241
Phillipp Oettl 241
Can Oncu 163
Luca Bernardi 161
Federico Caricasulo 142
Randy Krummenacher 140
Raffaele De Rosa 137
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team’s Dominique Aegerter was crowned the 2021 FIM Supersport World Champion at San Juan,
Kawasaki recently went back to the future with a corporate move back to a traditional Kawasaki River Mark logo for the new business structure now termed Kawasaki Motors Ltd.
Jonathan Rea and the KRT ZX-10RR in retro livery
To celebrate the launch of Kawasaki Motors Ltd and the worldwide use of the River Mark logo, Jonathan Rea, Alex Lowes and the whole Kawasaki Racing Team created replicas of two iconic models that represents this unique Kawasaki Heritage.
KRT ZX-10RR in retro livery
The green bike in particular is good enough to put a horn on a jellyfish…
KRT ZX-10RR in retro livery
Rea and Lowes are racing with this livery this weekend in Argentina for the penultimate round of the World Superbike Championship.
KRT ZX-10RR in retro liveryKRT ZX-10RR in retro liveryKRT ZX-10RR in retro liveryJonathan ReaKRT ZX-10RR in retro liveryKRT ZX-10RR in retro livery
2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Round 12 – Circuito San Juan Villicum, San Juan
The battle to be crowned champion in the 2021 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship raged on overnight with the opening race of the weekend at the Circuito San Juan Villicum. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) went head-to-head, with birthday-boy Razgatlioglu coming out on top and extending his lead to 29 points.
Qualifying second, Razgatlioglu started on the front row, with Rea in the second row in grid positive five. Both got good starts for race one and were the leading two riders after turn one while polesitter Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) crashed early on.
Rea had the early lead
The Turkish star came into the Argentinean round with a 24-point advantage over Rea and extended that by five points with victory in race one, leading every lap and eventually finishing around five seconds clear of Rea after the 21-lap battle, celebrating his 25th birthday with his 50th WorldSBK podium, and the 12th win of his campaign.
The Turk moved through to the lead and pulled away
Toprak Razgatlioglu
“This weekend we are very strong. This race was not easy for me because I’m pushing every lap for a consistent lap time. I tried to make no mistakes. We are here and I’m very happy. Also, thanks to my team who did an incredible job this weekend. Every session, they are improving my bike. It’s also a very special day for me because it’s my birthday!”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Rea was able to put pressure on Razgatlioglu in the opening stages of the race but soon saw his championship rival pull away from him, with the gap up to more than three seconds by the end of lap nine before Razgatlioglu found another couple of seconds across the second half of the race to win by 5.295 seconds. Rea’s second place came off the back of a difficult Friday where he lost most of free practice 2 after a crash, and fifth place in Superpole to start from the second row.
The Turk moved through to the lead and pulled away
Jonathan Rea
“I was pretty happy with that and no regrets, I did my maximum. I just struggled in some areas of the track, especially sector three I was losing a lot of time there. That punch from nine, across to ten, 11 and then the flip-flop, I was losing too much time. I felt good in the rest of the track. We’ve been changing the bike quite a lot. I really messed up not having that time in FP2 to understand the bike, the package and the tyres but the pretty good news for us is that we made the SCX tyre work for the whole race. It was quite consistent, my rhythm was strong, it caused me no problems in the front and that bodes well for tomorrow. We’ll try to make a few extra steps and we can try to get a little bit closer.”
Jonathan Rea
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed the tenth podium of his WorldSBK career with third place after passing Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) at around half-distance of the race.
World Superbike Race One Results RAZGATLIOGLU Toprak TUR PATA YAMAHA with BRIXX WorldSBK Yamaha 34’29.479 REA Jonathan GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki 5.295 RINALDI Michael Ruben ITA ARUBA Racing – Ducati Ducati 9.417
Bassani had started from the front row for the first time in his WorldSBK career but fell back at the start before fighting back into third, before Rinaldi was able to pass him. Rinaldi’s podium was Ducati’s 980th podium in WorldSBK.
Axel Bassani
The battle for fourth raged on between Bassani and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), with Lowes, using a Top Gun-inspired livery to mark Kawasaki’s 125th anniversary, making the move through turns six and seven to move into fourth before fending off the Ducati rider down the back straight into turn eight, with Lowes finishing in fourth place and Bassani in fifth.
Lowes got the better of Bassani
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was another who had a strong start as the lights went out but soon found himself falling back down the order as he battled with Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK); with the Dutchman claiming sixth place and Gerloff seventh. Locatelli ended the race in eighth place after starting from sixth place.
Pata Yamaha celebrate victory
Redding ended the 21-lap race in ninth place after battling his way back from the back of the field after his turn one spill, passing numerous riders to secure a top-ten finish despite the early setback, with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) rounding out the top ten after withstanding late challenges from his rivals but unable to keep Redding behind. Bautista went down early on.
World Superbike Race One Results
RAZGATLIOGLU Toprak TUR PATA YAMAHA with BRIXX WorldSBK Yamaha 34’29.479
REA Jonathan GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki 5.295
RINALDI Michael Ruben ITA ARUBA Racing – Ducati Ducati 9.417
LOWES Alex GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki 12.808
BASSANI Alex ITA Motocorsa Racing Ducati 13.980
VAN DER MARK Michael NDL BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW 15.007
GERLOFF Garrett USA GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Yamaha 16.876
LOCATELLI Andrea ITA PATA YAMAHA with BRIXX WorldSBK Yamaha 19.265
REDDING Scott GBR ARUBA Racing – Ducati Ducati 27.176
HASLAM Leon GBR Team HRC Honda 31.571
RABAT Tito SPA Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki 34.474
DAVIES Chaz GBR Team GOELEVEN Ducati 36.241
LAVERTY Eugene IRE BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW 37.072
CAVALIERI Samuele ITA TPR Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki 41.103
NOZANE Kohta JPN GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Yamaha 43.220
MERCADO Leandro ARG MIE Racing HONDA Team Honda 48.516
PONSSON Christophe FRA Alstare Yamaha Yamaha 53.695
SOLORZA Marco ARG OUTDO Kawasaki TPR Kawasaki 1’39.426
RIBODINO Luciano ARG OUTDO Kawasaki TPR Kawasaki 1 Lap
World Superbike Championship Standings
Toprak Razgatlioglu (TUR) Yamaha (503 points)
Jonathan Rea (GBR) Kawasaki (474 points)
Scott Redding (GBR) Ducati (431 points)
World Supersport
The first race of the FIM Supersport World Championship’s first visit to the Circuito San Juan Villicum since 2019 was won in a dominant display by French rider Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) as he kept up his record of winning every race at San Juan Villicum with a five-second margin as racing got underway for the Motul Argentinean Round.
World Supersport
As the lights went out for the 19-lap race, Cluzel briefly lost the lead of the race into Turn 1 to the fast-starting Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) as he out-braked Cluzel into the opening corner but found himself behind the Frenchman after Turn 2 as Cluzel struck back. The pair were able to build a gap to the chasing pack, which was headed by Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) in the opening couple of laps.
Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) soon found himself ahead of Odendaal before Championship leader Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) made a move on his title rival for fourth place into Turn 1 at the start of Lap 4. From there, Odendaal found himself going backwards after running wide on a couple of occasions.
Cluzel was able to resist the early challenge from Öncü to maintain his lead throughout the 19-lap race as he claimed his second victory in three races and his third at the San Juan Villicum venue, maintain his perfect record in Argentina. Gonzalez and Öncü spent a few laps battling with each other for second place, with Gonzalez making the crucial move on Lap 13 at Turn 1. Cluzel’s victory meant he claimed his 60th podium in WorldSSP while it was also Yamaha’s 115th win. Öncü claimed his second podium of his WorldSSP career and became only the second non-Yamaha rider to finish on the podium at San Juan Villicum after Lucas Mahias in 2019.
Odendaal battled his back way through the field to finish in fourth place after passing Aegerter on Lap 14 at Turn 8, but the South African was unable to pull away and Aegerter kept the pressure on, setting his personal best lap time on the penultimate lap. As the final lap started, Aegerter made a move at Turn 1 but ran wide, allowing Odendaal to keep fourth place with Aegerter in fifth.
World Supersport Race Results
Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha)
Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGO Team) +4.774s
Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +7.000s
Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. Yamaha WorldSSP Team) +11.169s
Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +11.324s
2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Round 12 – Circuito San Juan Villicum, San Juan
The 2021 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship’s penultimate round saw an action-packed first day of the Motul Argentinean round from the Circuito San Juan Villicum.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) dominated day one ahead of Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), whilst title rival Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) crashed hard at turn six with around 30 minutes to go, missing the remainder of the session.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu
“We start this morning and, you know, I clean the track… we are all cleaning the track! And also, it was a good lap time this morning, the feeling was good. This afternoon we try a race simulation and it was also very positive and I am happy with my R1. Now we are ready to race, the race is always difficult but I will try my best again to be fighting for the win. Thanks to my team because this afternoon we made a good set up for my bike and we are happy, but we will see tomorrow!”
Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea
As the temperature rose, it was a strong showing from Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who was inside the top four for most of FP2 whilst team-mate Scott Redding was also in the mix in fifth. Heading out in the final ten minutes of the session Redding improved, as did Rinaldi. Redding went second with less than a minute to go whilst Rinaldi maintain his fourth position.
Scott Redding
“I’m satisfied with what we did today, as it was my first time on this circuit. I have to say that I had a lot of fun because the track is really nice. We worked on the tyres ahead of tomorrow’s race and got some important data. Maybe in Race 1, I’ll struggle more than the others who have already raced here but the sensations are really positive“.
Scott Redding
Michael Rinaldi
“It was a positive day, not only for fourth place but also for the fact that we are all very close. Unfortunately, after the crash at Portimao I still have a lot of pain in my ankle and I can’t use the rear brake properly. Obviously, this is a limitation but I will try to find other solutions tomorrow that will help me in breaking areas“.
Michael Rinaldi
Top independent honours also went to Ducati with Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) in sixth, ahead of Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), who was mightily impressive in seventh on his first visit to San Juan.
Over at Kawasaki, it was a Friday afternoon disaster for Jonathan Rea as he crashed hard at turn six. He and the bike tumbled through the gravel, with the ZX-10RR badly damaged, whilst thankfully the defending six-time world champion was able to walk away and get a ride back to the paddock on a scooter.
Jonathan Rea
Team-mate Alex Lowes was having a strong return to action and was second for the majority of the session having been fourth in FP1. Come the end of the session, with Rea unable to improve due the damaged bike, he finished in fifth whilst Lowes was third. Both will look to take the challenge to Razgatlioglu and Redding across the weekend.
Jonathan Rea
“I sat out about fifteen minutes of the first practice session just to see how quick the lap times were coming. Towards the end of the session the rhythm was quite OK. Off line it was still very dirty. I don’t think anybody was that optimistic on Thursday because we were literally told to get inside the team cabins because a real sandstorm was coming through! I have got to say that the guys have done a great job here and the track is pretty good compared to the previous years. Tyre choice is going to be important but I feel good with the bike, the feeling is there, and I was able to be fast even with the harder tyre.”
Jonathan Rea
Alex Lowes
“I missed racing at the previous rounds so it was important to come here and have quite a good Friday. My injured hand is not quite as good as I expected but I was able to do a lot of laps this afternoon with the same tyres on, to understand what we need to do for the race. I hope to be able to make a good race on Saturday. It is nice to be back here at Villicum and at a flyaway event with WorldSBK. It has been quite a while. We just need to improve in a couple of areas for tomorrow. The track was quite good. The lap times are quite fast and I think the track surface is only going to get better as the weekend goes on. I think the track conditions are quite good.”
Alex Lowes
Top Honda went to Leon Haslam (Team HRC). The ‘Pocket Rocket’ finished tenth on his return to San Juan, making for a solid start for Haslam, as he adapts to the Honda in Argentina. Team-mate Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), showed top ten pace on Friday, but finished eleventh, being pushed out in the closing stages of the session. Setting 72 laps between the two riders across the course of the opening day, Team HRC gathered valuable data on their San Juan debut.
Alvaro Bautista
“Honestly, I expected to find the track in a much worse condition after yesterday’s sandstorm, but it actually wasn’t that bad. Obviously, this morning was worse than the afternoon but eventually it settled down. We have been trying to improve in the changes of direction because I lose a little grip and so am always a little late. And we want to pick up the pace especially through the second half of the track. In the second session, we made a few changes but we haven’t seen enough of an improvement yet. We hope to do so tomorrow, because we’re suffering a bit more here with respect to other tracks. Tomorrow we will try to get a little bit closer to the frontrunners.”
Alvaro Bautista
Leon Haslam
“The circuit was dusty today, and we spent the sessions learning and getting up to speed really. This is our first visit here with the Honda and I feel we gathered a lot of information, but we still have work to do. Through the first half of the lap, we’re not far off but we have some problems through the tighter corners, something we already know, so we need to come to some kind of compromise tomorrow.”
Leon Haslam
It wasn’t the easiest day at the San Juan office for BMW, as Michael van der Mark could only manage 14th and was only a place higher than Eugene Laverty. Both made big gains in terms of lap time but were over 1.4s off Razgatlioglu’s top time. Both BMW riders will look to find a way forward throughout Saturday and Sunday, although van der Mark is always an improver come the races. Van der Mark and Laverty are the only BMWs on the grid this weekend, as the Bonovo MGM Racing outfit decided to finish their season after the last European round of the season at Portimao.
Michael van der Mark
“It’s been a bit of a struggle today; we have seemed to find some limitations on the BMW M 1000 RR. This morning we went out and the track was a bit sandy, but we kept riding to clean the track and ended up using only one set of tyres the whole session, so we were expecting a little more in FP2. We seemed to struggle to get the bike to turn and missed some flow around this circuit. We have a lot of things to improve for tomorrow but I’m pretty sure the boys will be on it.”
Eugene Laverty
“FP1 this morning was a difficult practice as the track was dirty, so it was a case of lapping laps to clean the surface. I was happy with our performance in FP2, I felt more comfortable on the bike and was riding much better after we made some changes. We still need to work on the agility of the bike around the twisty corners and that’s the goal for tomorrow.”
Eugene Laverty
Leading the best of the rest and actually ahead of the factory BMWs, Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was 12th having been a remarkable fifth in FP1. He was just ahead of Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) who was 13th, as he begins to figure out the Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) was 16th as he headed of Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), both making their San Juan debut. Home-hero Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was 18th, ahead of Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport Yamaha). Completing the field, Argentinean pairing Marco Solorza (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and team-mate Luciano Ribodino.
Friday Combined Times
RAZGATLIOGLU Toprak TUR PATA YAMAHA with BRIXX WorldSBK Yamaha 1’37.872
REDDING Scott GBR ARUBA Racing – Ducati Ducati 1’38.118 0.246
LOWES Alex GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki 1’38.420 0.548
RINALDI Michael Ruben ITA ARUBA Racing – Ducati Ducati 1’38.433 0.561
REA Jonathan GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki 1’38.501 0.629
DAVIES Chaz GBR Team GOELEVEN Ducati 1’38.501 0.629
BASSANI Alex ITA Motocorsa Racing Ducati 1’38.851 0.979
LOCATELLI Andrea ITA PATA YAMAHA with BRIXX WorldSBK Yamaha 1’38.875 1.003
GERLOFF Garrett USA GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Yamaha 1’38.879 1.007
HASLAM Leon GBR Team HRC Honda 1’39.177 1.305
BAUTISTA Alvaro SPA Team HRC Honda 1’39.284 1.412
VINALES Isaac SPA ORELAC Racing VERDNATURA Kawasaki 1’39.291 1.419
RABAT Tito SPA Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki 1’39.309 1.437
VAN DER MARK Michael NDL BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW 1’39.323 1.451
LAVERTY Eugene IRE BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW 1’39.526 1.654
CAVALIERI Samuele ITA TPR Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki 1’39.753 1.881
NOZANE Kohta JPN GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Yamaha 1’39.857 1.985
MERCADO Leandro ARG MIE Racing HONDA Team Honda 1’40.076 2.204
PONSSON Christophe FRA Alstare Yamaha Yamaha 1’40.678 2.806
SOLORZA Marco ARG OUTDO Kawasaki TPR Kawasaki 1’42.469 4.597
As the FIM Supersport World Championship paddock descended on Argentina and the Circuito San Juan Villicum for the first time since 2019, Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) smashed the all-time lap record at the circuit as he looks to maintain his 100 per cent winning record at the Argentinean venue during the Motul Argentinean Round.
French rider Cluzel has won both WorldSSP races held at the San Juan Villicum venue and set the pace on Friday with a 1’41.926s, some seventh tenths under the previous lap record held by compatriot Lucas Mahias. Cluzel missed out on a lot of running in Free Practice 1 but responded in the perfect fashion during the second 45-minute practice session with a new all-time lap record, finishing eight tenths clear of Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) and nine tenths clear of Championship leader Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha); both riders making their debuts at the Argentinean venue.
Between Gonzalez in second and Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 15th, 14 different riders were separated by around one second a close battle for the podium appears to be brewing throughout the WorldSSP field. Hungary’s Peter Sebestyen (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) was fourth fastest after a strong day, finishing as the lead Evan Bros. Yamaha outfit with teammate Steven Odendaal in eighth place.
Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) was fifth as the sole MV Agusta rider in the field, and the first non-Yamaha rider. The Finnish rider had suffered from technical issues in Free Practice 1, late on in the session, but was able to get back out on track for Free Practice 2 to post a 1’42.996s for the fifth-best time, with Dutch rider Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) completing the top six after a late lap.
WorldSSP Combined Results after FP2
Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) 1’41.926s
Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGO Team) +0.795s
Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.907s
Peter Sebestyen (Evan Bros. Yamaha WorldSSP Team) +1.015s
Adrián Huertas will stay with MTM Kawasaki for the 2022 season. The Supersport 300 world champion will make the move with the team to the World Supersport category, where he will race with a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.
Adrián Huertas had a great first season with MTM Kawasaki. The 18-year-old rider from Spain managed to win six World Supersport 300 races, which laid the foundation for his first world title. For MTM Kawasaki this marked the team’s second consecutive world title in the class. MTM Kawasaki will continue to compete with a team in World Supersport 300 during the 2022 season. But MTM Kawasaki will also make his debut with Huertas in the World Supersport (600) category.
Adrián Huertas
“I am very happy to announce that I will continue with the MTM team and Kawasaki in 2022. We had a very successful season together and I am looking forward to continuing it. It is a new challenge and I want to thank team manager Ludo for this opportunity. We will grow together to World Supersport and it is very cool that I can make this step to a new class in the WorldSBK paddock. I will continue to work very hard, just like last season. We will go for it with MTM Kawasaki to score the best possible results in 2022!”
Adrián Huertas
Team manager Ludo Van der Veken
“I am very happy that we can make this step to World Supersport with Adrián and the support of Kawasaki. Adrián made huge progress with us last season, which resulted in winning the Supersport 300 world title. He is a fighter at the track, but it’s also a pleasure to work with him. I expect that he will be a fast rider as well on the Kawasaki ZX-6R in World Supersport in the near future. I’m really looking forward to make this step to the bigger class together. The team’s focus will also stay at the World Supersport 300, where we want to continue our successes!”
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