I’m very excited to go racing again after this long break in the calendar. Over the last few weeks I have been able to familiarise myself with our ZX-10RR and enjoy the buzz of riding again. Both Misano and Montmeló tests have been positive. We were able to achieve what we wanted which was to be competitive in both our single lap pace and long run pace. Jerez is a great circuit and one I enjoy. I believe the work and conclusions we have arrived at during testing will help this weekend in the hot conditions when the grip level is not at the optimum. It will be strange not to have the SBK atmosphere with fans in the grandstand and a packed paddock show, but I’m looking forward to whatever is in store.” http://jonathan-rea.com/news/race-ready-rea-grid-jerez
Five times WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea will take to the grid this weekend for the first time since March 1 as the FIM Superbike World Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
After the hardest of times away, the 2020 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship is back this weekend at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, Spain. The Championship’s first round of the season got underway with plenty of drama in Australia back in early March, bringing three different winners in one weekend for the first time in history. Now, with the heat of Jerez looming, who will be able to keep their cool as the battle for the title resumes.
WorldSBK Race Two podium at Phillip Island
Leading the Championship is Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), after a phenomenal Kawasaki debut Down Under. Victorious in Race 2 and a podium in Race 1, Lowes’ consistency means he is the man to beat coming into Spain. However, bad luck during the 2019 Spanish Round at Jerez saw himself and current teammate Jonathan Rea clash at the final corner on the last lap, sparking a rivalry which is yet to reignite in 2020. Two fourth places are the best he’s managed, whilst fourth-placed in the Championship Rea has two wins to his name at Jerez, whilst he wrapped his first title up there in 2015. Last year, he achieved just one podium with second in Race 2.
Three third-places cement Scott Redding’s (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) in second overall, with the rookie Brit showing consistency in abundance at Phillip Island. Having tested at the Jerez circuit back in January and raced their numerous times in his MotoGP career, Redding knows the venue, although very few have raced there in the high heat of summer; another new test for him to tackle. Team-mate Chaz Davies lies eighth in the Championship and has previously secured three wins at Jerez and was in the podium battle in Race 2 last year until a crash with Marco Melandri.
Third in the standings and the first race winner of the year, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) was a prominent feature at Phillip Island. The first Turkish rider to lead the standings after Race 1, he is ready to keep on breaking records. His teammate Michael van der Mark is fifth overall and will aim for his first podium of the season at a track at which he won at in 2019 in Race 2. The 2014 WorldSSP Champion goes into the return to action with his future secured, as he heads to BMW for 2021. Is the pressure off him for the remainder of the season?
Will Honda have some more speed in the heat of Jerez…?
Following on from a successful opening round at Phillip Island and good testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and MotorLand Aragon, Team HRC are determined for a strong Jerez meeting. Home hero Alvaro Bautista lies sixth overall and took two wins at the track in 2019 and hopes to give Honda a first podium at the track since Michael van der Mark in Race 1 of 2015. For Leon Haslam, he topped the times at Aragon and aims for his first podium at Jerez since Race 2 of 2015. Will they be able to conquer the Honda at Jerez and make a return to the front of the WorldSBK field?
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team have been busy with testing schedules in the break. From a private test at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz to joining the field at Catalunya, they’ve worked hard on perfecting their bike setting. Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty will now do battle to try and secure a seat alongside Michael van der Mark for 2021; Sykes won his 2013 Championship at Jerez in the same race Laverty won before taking his only win at the circuit in 2015, so it should be a closely-fought battle between the BMW stars.
Tom Sykes
“It is absolutely fantastic that finally the time has arrived after this very difficult period. We did some testing but racing is racing, so I am really happy to head into the double header, straight into things, at Jerez and Portimão. The characteristics of these tracks are really quite different, Jerez is pretty flowing and then Portimão up and down really considered a rollercoaster of a track, so we have certainly exciting but for sure also hot venues approaching. The target going into the weekend is to work on the bike set-up to ensure we have a good package on the BMW S 1000 RR for the warm conditions and go from there. The goal is always so achieve the maximum that we can as a team during the race weekend and to get the results that we can achieve together. I am really looking forward to getting back to racing and a big thanks goes to the organisers and all involved to manage to organise that calendar during this very difficult period.”
Tom Sykes – BMW S 1000 RR
Leading the Independent battle, Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), was race leader in Australia. Baz will be keen to break into the top six and continue his fight with the factory bikes at a track he made his Ten Kate debut on last year, giving him ninth in Race 2. Behind Baz is Maximilian Scheib (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in tenth overall, after a stunning Race 2 saw the Chilean finished seventh. Scheib has one STK1000 victory to his name at Jerez and is one to watch.
Sandro Cortese (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) took a career-best result at Jerez last year with sixth, whilst Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GoEleven) enters the round after a strong Misano test, where he was under the lap record. GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team’s Garrett Gerloff gets a first racing taste of Jerez, whilst team-mate Federico Caricasulo knows the circuit well after WorldSSP wins there in 2017 and 2019. Spanish ace Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) has done limited testing but will be keen to get back to Jerez, a track he has a best result of seventh.
In other news ahead of racing, Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda Team) will have a teammate in Italian Lorenzo Gabellini. Marco Melandri (Barni Racing Team) replaces the injured Leon Camier for the remainder of 2020, at a track he scored his last podium. For Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) and Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance), it’ll be their first round of the season.
Marco Melandri (Barni Racing Team) replaces the injured Leon Camier for the remainder of 2020 – Image by GeeBee
2020 WorldSBK Championship Standings
Alex Lowes – Kawasaki 51
Scott Redding – Ducati 39
Toprak Razgatlioglu – Yamaha 34
Jonathan Rea – Kawasaki 32
Michael van der Mark – Yamaha 31
Alvaro Bautista – Honda 20
Loris Baz – Yamaha 20
Chaz Davies – Ducati 19
Leon Haslam – Honda 17
Tom Sykes – BMW 17
WorldSSP
After an enforced hiatus after the season-opening Yamaha Finance Australian Round, FIM Supersport World Championship return to track action at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for the Pirelli Spanish Round. It marks the start of the WorldSSP Challenge as well as the introduction of a second race for WorldSSP competitors.
The introduction of the two-race format will provide extra challenges for both teams and riders with the first WorldSSP race scheduled to take place on Saturday afternoons, just a few hours after Superpole. The extra race means more points available in a Round with full points to be awarded in both races.
Andrea Locatelli (Bardahl Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) leads the Championship after taking a dominant victory at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit; and recently competed in the Italian Supersport championship as a wildcard at Mugello where he claimed two victories. The former Moto2 rider also set blistering WorldSSP pace in a recent test at Mugello as he looks to continue his sensational start to the season.
Andrea Locatelli is in great form
Raffaele de Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) will be looking to go one better than he did at Phillip Island as he looks for victory in Spain to cement his place as a Championship contender; showing impressive race pace Down Under to claim a second place after starting the race in fifth.
De Rosa held off a challenge from Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) in Australia, with the Frenchman hoping he can challenge at the front as the season resumes. Cluzel did some training at Carole Circuit in France, including breaking the one-minute barrier to take the lap record; a confidence booster heading into the restart of the season. Cluzel claimed a podium in the 2019 Round at Jerez; form he will be hoping to replicate as the season resumes.
Cluzel’s GMT94 teammate, Corentin Perolari, was just short of a podium in Australia but comes into the Spanish Round fourth in the Championship. Perolari is in his third year of WorldSSP action and has taken one pole position in his career so far but is yet to step on the podium. The French rider claimed his equal best finish at Phillip Island with fourth and will be looking to continue that form into Jerez.
2017 Champion Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) is currently sitting in fifth in the standings following his fifth place finish Down Under. Fifth matches Mahias’ best result at Jerez in his WorldSSP career although he did pick up a podium when competing in European Superstock 1000. Mahias competed in an Italian Supersport race at Misano recently, claiming two victories in the two races alongside teammate Philipp Oettl, who finished sixth and fifth in the two races respectively.
Estonian rider Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) currently sits in sixth place following the season-opening round in Australia. Soomer, now in his sixth season on WorldSSP, started off the season with a strong performance and his best ever result at Phillip Island; having retired from his previous two races Down Under. Soomer’s Kallio Racing teammate, Isaac Viñales will be competing in his home race at the Spanish Round; looking to move up the field from his 10th place finish in Australia. Viñales finished eighth in the 2019 Round at Jerez, and also finished fifth in 2014 while competing in Moto2.
South African rookie Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing) had a strong WorldSSP debut race in Australia as he finished in seventh place at a tricky circuit. Odendaal has competed at Jerez before he joined WorldSSP where he claimed a pole position and a second place in his 2016 Championship-winning CEV Moto2 campaign. He raced at Jerez as recently as 2019 in Moto2, finishing 18th after making up six places during the race.
Like Odendaal, 2019 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship winner Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) had a strong WorldSSP debut as he finished in eighth place, finishing just behind Odendaal after the 16-lap race. Gonzalez was just one second ahead of Federico Fuligni (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) who secured his best-ever finish at Phillip Island with ninth place.
The Pirelli Spanish Round means the start of the rebranded WorldSSP Challenge with entries from Xavier Navand (Altogoo Racing Team), Luigi Montella (DK MOTORSPORT), Alejandro Ruiz Carranza (EMPERADOR Racing Team) and Axel Bassani (Soradis Yamaha Motoxracing).
In other news from the gap between the races, 2019 Champion Randy Krummenacher has announced he will not race with MV Agusta Reparto Corse in the 2020 season while young Australian Lachlan Epis has joined the MPM Routz Racing Team and will race a YZF-R6 at Jerez this weekend.
Lachlan Epis has swapped his ASBK Superbike for an MPM Yamaha YZF-R6 and will race at Jerez this weekend.
2020 WorldSSP Championship Standings
Andrea Locatelli – Yamaha 25
Raffaele De Rosa – MV Agusta 20
Jules Cluzel – Yamaha 16
Corentin Perolari – Yamaha 13
Lucas Mahias – Kawasaki 11
2020 WorldSSP 300
The 2020 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship is ready to fire up for a new season, eagerly anticipated with plenty of heated action to come. The quick-fire season kicks off this weekend at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto in the extreme heat of southern Spain, where fitness, reliability, race craft and endurance will all be tested. With two races to scrap it out over, the WorldSSP300 field is as unpredictable as ever.
With reigning Champion Manuel Gonzalez moving on to WorldSSP, all eyes are on 2018 Champion Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300), who returns to reclaim her crown once again. The five-time race winner picked up her first podiums of 2019 at Jerez last year, with two third places secured in style, and hopes to start her season in fine form. Another favourite is Dutchman Scott Deroue (MTM Racing Team), who won the last race of 2019 at Losail; a best result at Jerez of second – achieved in 2017 and 2019’s Race 1 – means the he aims to go one better in 2020, whilst teammate Koen Meuffels is eager to continue on from second place in Qatar at the end of 2019.
Frequent top ten finisher at Jerez last year, Jan-Ole Jahnig (Freudenberg KTM Junior Team) also hopes for a strong Jerez season-opener, along with team-mate Oliver König. Mika Perez (Prodina Ircos Team) has a good history at Jerez, with it being his best finish of the whole of last year. The 2018 runner-up will be eager to recapture the form of that season, whilst Nick Kalinin (RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) also searches for a strong start to the new season. The Ukrainian was on the rostrum last year at Donington Park and despite yet to crack the top ten at Jerez, has been testing extensively ahead of the new year and has set his sights on a solid start to the year.
Other names certain to feature include Bruno Ieraci (Kawasaki GP Project), his returning teammate Alfonso Coppola, Hugo De Cancellis (Team Trasimeno), Livio Loi (2R Racing) and another returnee in Glenn van Straalen (EAB Ten Kate Racing). All riders have good experience of Jerez, with Livio Loi’s Moto3 experience sure to come in handy, whilst De Cancellis achieved two top-eight finishes at the circuit last year. There’re also the likes of Britain’s Tom Booth-Amos to keep an eye on, as he makes his debut in the class. 2019 race winner Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) is back for more too, as is Jeffrey Buis (MTM Racing Team), who took his first top ten at Jerez last year.
Since its inception in 2017, many a rider has gone on to achieve great things and make history in motorcycle racing; the Championship showcased the youngest ever FIM Solo Road Racing World Champion last year in Manuel Gonzalez at just 17, whilst the first female FIM Solo Road Racing World Champion came in 2018 with Ana Carrasco. The search is on for the next history-maker in its fourth season, with 13 nationalities from around the world ready to battle across three different manufacturers.
Tom Bramich will race a Carl Cox-RT Motorsports by SKM Kawasaki – Image by Rob Mott
Australian hopes rest on the shoulders of Tom Edwards and Tom Bramich.
Tom Edwards will race a ParkinGO Kawasaki
There’re new rules for 2020 too, with the top 30 from Free Practice (not Tissot Superpole as was the case in 2019) will be seeded directly into Tissot Superpole and then the race. Then, the remaining riders will shoot it out in the Last Chance Race which will come directly after the Tissot Superpole session. The top six from the Last Chance Race will join the already-seeded top thirty and then do battle throughout the new two race format, making up for lost rounds. The Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto welcomed two races at the track last year, making up for the cancelled Imola race due to weather.
Updated 2020 WorldSBK calendar
March 1 – Phillip Island, Australia
August 2 – Jerez, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
August 9 – Portimao, Portugal (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
August 30 – Aragon, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
September 6 – Aragon, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
September 20 – Catalunya, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
October 4 – Magny-Cours, France (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
October 11 – Circuito San Juan Villicum, Argentina (TBC) (WSBK-WSSP)
Another hot weekend in Spain greets WorldSBK this weekend
Pirelli is ready to return to the track for the second round of the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship and the event will take place at the Spanish track of Jerez – Angel Nieto from this Friday 31 July to Sunday 2 August 2020 and will see for the first time this year all classes of the production derived series in action.
Both WorldSBK and WorldSSP600 riders will be able to count on new development solutions which will have to contend with ambient temperatures that are forecast to approach 40-degrees Celsius which in similar conditions for the most recent MotoGP round saw track temperatures exceed 60-degrees.
The Jerez round is normally scheduled for September and October, except for 2019 when the event was ran in June. The Jerez circuit has long, fast straights, in fact for a length equal to 69 per cent of the entire track, alternating with slow, tight corners. The 600-metre long start-finish straight has a width of 12-metres, slightly wider than the rest of the track, where the width is 11-metres. As well as the aspect of the track, the radius of the curves is also variable, ranging from 30 to 116 metres, while the maximum gradient is 5 per cent exiting turn 5. The gradients are also different, with the maximum lateral gradient of 7.46 per cent out of turns 2, 6 and 13, while the minimum is 4.70 per cent at turns 4 and 12.
Alvaro Bautista – Jerez WorldSBK 2019 – The Spaniard set the fastest race lap of the weekend at 1’39.004
In the WorldSBK class, riders will have both standard and development solutions available, some of which have been already tested last year and others which are new.
There are three options for the front, two standard and one development solution. The standard SC1 represents the most successful front tyre during the last season of the Championship, while the standard SC2 is an evolution of the development SC2 X1071 used in 2019. The news is a new soft development solution SC1 Y1231, which has a new structure designed to increase lateral thrust when cornering.
As for the rear options, the standard soft SC0 is joined by two development solutions of the same compound but with different characteristics. The soft development solution X1351 was introduced the previous year in Jerez, well appreciated by the majority of the grid. The soft development solution Z0121 makes its debut here in Jerez and has important changes in the shoulder area to improve the footprint and increase the lateral thrust at maximum lean angles. In addition to these solutions, at the rear the riders will also be able to use the SCX tyre in super soft compound that can be used during the qualifying session in preparation for the use of the only Superpole tyre available to the riders, and possibly for the Tissot Superpole Race if the circuit allows it.
Fun Facts – MotoGP/WSBK Top Speeds
Fun #MotoGP fact. Last weekend the fastest top speed by a MotoGP bike at Jerez was 295 km/h set by Bagnaia.
Race winner Fabio Quartararo was the slowest through the speed trap over the entire weekend with a best of 286.4 km/h.
All four Yamaha MotoGP machines were the slowest bikes in the field yet finished 1-2-3 in the race….
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Ducati V4 R) was fastest #WorldSBK during the race at Jerez last year at 283.6 km/h. Maximum race speed reached in the WorldSSP race was 249.2 km/h by Federico Caricasulo (Yamaha YZF R6).
Michael Ruben Rinaldi holds the WorldSBK top speed record at Jerez
The last rear option is the Superpole tyre that will allow riders to make a lap during the Superpole in search of the absolute best time to position themselves on the starting grid.
In the WorldSSP600 category, on the other hand, there will be four dry solutions available to riders, two front and as many rear options, which are all standard solutions. For the front there will be the standard SC1 soft compound, and the standard SC2 medium compound that allows more wear resistance than the first option.
As for the rear, for the first time the WorldSSP600 riders will have available the solutions of the Pirelli Diable Superbike slick range, in the larger size 190/60 introduced during the previous year. Riders will be able to choose between the standard SC0 soft compound, further improved to offer maximum performance, and the standard SC1 medium compound, designed to offer the right compromise between top, constant performance and limited wear.
As always, in case of bad weather, riders of all classes will have rain and intermediate tyres available.
The 2019 Pirelli statistics for Jerez
Total number of tyres brought by Pirelli: 3520
Number of solutions (including dry, intermediate and wet) for the WorldSBK class: 5 front and 8 rear
Number of tyres available for each WorldSBK rider: 35 front and 38 rear
Number of solutions for the WorldSSP600 class (including dry, intermediate and wet): 4 front and 4 rear
Number of tyres available for each WorldSSP600 rider: 22 front and 23 rear
WorldSBK Best Lap Awards both won by: Álvaro Bautista (Ducati Panigale V4 R) in 1’39.305 (Race 1, 2nd lap) and a 1’39.004 (Superpole Race, 2nd lap)
WorldSSP Best Lap Award won by: Federico Caricasulo (Bardahl Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team / Yamaha YZF R6) with a 1’42.532 at the 19th lap
Temperature in Race 1: air 29° C, asphalt 48° C
Temperature in Race 2: air 14° C, asphalt 23° C
Maximum race speed reached in WorldSBK: 283,6 km/h, by Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Ducati Panigale V4 R)
Maximum race speed reached in WorldSSP: 249,2 km/h, by Federico Caricasulo (Yamaha YZF R6)
Updated 2020 WorldSBK calendar
March 1 – Phillip Island, Australia
August 2 – Jerez, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
August 9 – Portimao, Portugal (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
August 30 – Aragon, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
September 6 – Aragon, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
September 20 – Catalunya, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
October 4 – Magny-Cours, France (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
October 11 – Circuito San Juan Villicum, Argentina (TBC) (WSBK-WSSP)
The FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) may have been forced to take a break from racing for a few months, but work has continued where possible at BMW Motorrad Motorsport. In the wind tunnel, for example, engineers have been fine-tuning the aerodynamics of the BMW S 1000 RR in the BMW Group Acoustic Wind Tunnel. An important role in this work is being played by BMW Motorrad World SBK Team rider, Eugene Laverty (IRL) – in the form of a 3D model.
Aerodynamics play a key role in determining the top speed of a World Superbike. Even the smallest of details can make a big difference here. The goal is to keep the aerodynamic drag as low as possible. The BMW Group Acoustic Wind Tunnel in Munich (GER) has everything the BMW Motorrad Motorsport engineers need to test and develop aerodynamic updates for the RR used in WorldSBK.
Fine-tuning the aerodynamics of the BMW S 1000 RR in the BMW Group Acoustic Wind Tunnel
However, to simulate the flow conditions as realistically as possible, it is not enough to simply position the bike in the wind tunnel by itself. Out on the racetrack, there is also a rider on the bike, creating his own air resistance, even if his riding position has also been optimised aerodynamically. For that reason, the whole package of motorcycle and rider is used in the airflow, which is generated by the wind tunnel’s 2,600-hp electric motor and can reach speeds of up to 255 km/h. To make this possible, BMW Motorrad Motorsport has turned to an innovative method: 3D scanning.
Fine-tuning the aerodynamics of the BMW S 1000 RR in the BMW Group Acoustic Wind Tunnel
“Eugene was here in Munich with us before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. He was trying to find the ideal sitting position on the RR and, while he was in that position, we took detailed measurements with a 3D scanner,” said BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers. Detailed measurements means every individual glove finger, every contour of the helmet, every seam in the leather overalls, every crease that affects the aerodynamic drag and with it the airflow. “Based on the data from the 3D scan, we created a plastic model made of two halves. It took about a week to get all the details right, however our 3D Eugene was then ready for action,” Bongers added.
Fine-tuning the aerodynamics of the BMW S 1000 RR in the BMW Group Acoustic Wind Tunnel
Since then, the plastic Laverty has been providing a very important service. He has racked up over 50 test runs in the wind tunnel. “Using a 3D model like this allows us to work more efficiently on development of our RR,” explains Bongers. “While a real rider must travel to get here, the plastic version is available at any time for testing in the wind tunnel. This means that we can evaluate and implement updates even faster.” Another major advantage of the 3D model became particularly apparent during the coronavirus-enforced break. While WorldSBK riders Laverty and Tom Sykes (GBR) were unable to travel to Munich due to travel restrictions, plastic Laverty was waiting in Munich, ready to get back on the RR in the wind tunnel.
Fine-tuning the aerodynamics of the BMW S 1000 RR in the BMW Group Acoustic Wind Tunnel
So, what does the real Laverty make of his double? “He’s just a few shades paler than my Irish complexion,” said a chuckling Laverty, referring to the light plastic used to make the model. “All joking aside, it was a little unusual to sit on the bike for so long and to be measured from every angle with a 3D scanner. However, the result is awesome. I can do my bit to make our RR faster without having to be in Munich in person. It’s not every day you get to see yourself as such a detailed model. It is fascinating what is possible with modern technology, and the BMW Group is leading the way in many areas in this regard.”
Fine-tuning the aerodynamics of the BMW S 1000 RR in the BMW Group Acoustic Wind Tunnel
Following the break for the coronavirus, it has now also been possible to measure team-mate Sykes in Munich. His 3D model will soon also see action in the wind tunnel. The next races for the optimised RR, the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and the real riders will take place on the first weekend in August. The 2020 WorldSBK season, which was suspended after the opening round in Australia, will resume at Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. at the beginning of next month.
Fine-tuning the aerodynamics of the BMW S 1000 RR in the BMW Group Acoustic Wind Tunnel
After extensive discussions and the assessment of a multitude of possibilities and scenarios, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) regret to announce the cancellation of three events that were previously to be determined (TBD) and to be confirmed (TBC). The safety of all parties within the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock is of top priority and whilst the season is carrying on, a solution was not possible to incorporate every venue, given the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The UK Round at Donington Park (previously postponed and TBD), the Dutch Round at the TT Circuit Assen (previously rescheduled, then postponed and TBD) and the Qatar Round at the Losail International Circuit (previously postponed and TBD) have been cancelled. It will be the first time in WorldSBK history that there won’t be a round in the United Kingdom, whilst the TT Circuit Assen has been a permanent fixture on the calendar since 1992, ending a streak of the longest continually serving venue in WorldSBK.
Gregorio Lavilla Director of Sporting/Organisation Departments
“I am personally very sad to announce the subsequent cancellations of the three rounds. As a fan of our sport, I am extremely saddened not to go to WorldSBK’s birthplace at Donington Park and the ‘Cathedral of Speed’ at Assen, a track which has featured on our calendar uninterrupted since 1992. I am equally as sad not to not have the spectacle of a night race in Qatar, always something we look forward to. We explored all avenues in order to find a solution but unfortunately, one could not be found. However, this mustn’t cast a cloud over the Championship. The majority of our events in 2020 will happen and plans for a full, complete 2021 are well underway. We would like to thank everyone involved for their tireless work and cooperation, and also the fans for waiting patiently before our season resumes.”
Updated 2020 WorldSBK calendar
March 1 – Phillip Island, Australia
August 2 – Jerez, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
August 9 – Portimao, Portugal (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
August 30 – Aragon, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
September 6 – Aragon, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
September 20 – Catalunya, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
October 4 – Magny-Cours, France (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
October 11 – Circuito San Juan Villicum, Argentina (TBC) (WSBK-WSSP)
MV Agusta has put out a tersely worded statement in response to a seemingly snap decision by the Swiss rider to walk away from his contract with MV Agusta Reparto Corse for what the 30-year-old alleges are ‘serious breaches on the part of the company that compromise both the rider‘s performance as well as his professionalism, reputation and personal integrity‘.
Krummenacher also stated that he ‘has also moved to inform the competent bodies, responsible for verifying any technical irregularities.’
Randy Krummenacher
“This is not a pleasant situation and I never wanted any of this. The aim was to fight for the world title once more but unfortunately, the foundations needed to move ahead with the project with MV Agusta Reparto Corse are not there. I have had to take this decision in order to preserve my moral and professional integrity, as well as my safety. Throughout my career, I have always tried to do the right thing, giving it my all in any situation, even the most challenging. But this time there was only one decision I could make. I cannot say more about my motives at this time, but further details will be communicated in due course.”
Randy Krummenacher
Read into that what you will but reading between the lines one could surmise that Krummenacher is accusing the MV team of perhaps not following the rules…MV Agusta then put out the following statement.
MV Agusta Statement
MV Agusta Motor S.p.A. had no knowledge of the rider Randy Krummenacher’s decision to terminate his contract with MVRC S.r.l. after only competing in the first race of the 2020 Supersport World Championship. It being understood that this decision comes as a total surprise to MV Agusta Motor S.p.A., who learned about it through the media. MV Agusta Motor S.p.A. points out that MVRC S.r.l. is a completely independent company which participates in the Supersport World Championship as a private external team.
This apparently sudden decision by the rider was completely unexpected as the company had received no prior warning signs about a possible contentious situation from either Krummenacher nor from the MVRC team.
Following the very encouraging results obtained during the first race of the 2020 World Supersport Championship in Phillip Island, with a front row position on the race’s starting grid, as well as a second place finish by Raffaele De Rosa in the race, MV Agusta was entirely satisfied with the performance and competitiveness of the F3 Supersport bike. Since its inception the F3 Supersport project has brought MV Agusta several vice-World-Championship titles and numerous race wins and podium finishes.
Due to the fact that MV Agusta Motor S.p.A. has no direct contractual relationship with the rider, we will start a comprehensive investigation concerning this matter and reserve any and all rights to take all proper legal actions to protect our brand image and reputation.
2020 WorldSSP Championship Standings
Andrea Locatelli – Yamaha 25
Raffaele De Rosa – MV Agusta 20
Jules Cluzel – Yamaha 16
Corentin Perolari – Yamaha 13
Lucas Mahias – Kawasaki 11
2020 WorldSBK Calendar
March 1 – Phillip Island, Australia
August 2 – Jerez, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
August 9 – Portimao, Portugal (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
Aguust 30 – Aragon, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
September 6 – Aragon, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
September 18 – Catalunya, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
October 4 – Magny-Cours, France (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
October 11 – Circuito San Juan Villicum, Argentina (TBC) (WSBK-WSSP)
November 8 – Misano, Italy (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300) TBD – Donington Park, UK (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300) TBD – Assen, Netherlands (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300) TBD – Losail, Qatar (WSBK-WSSP)
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Scott Redding had stole the headlines from Jonathan Rea on the opening day of WorldSBK Testing at Catalunya but on the final day it was World Champion Jonathan Rea that was back on top of the time-sheets as the pace picked up markedly compared to day one in what was another sweltering day at Montmelo.
The two-day test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, which is set to host a WorldSBK round for the first time on 18-20 September, saw 17 WorldSBK riders on track.
Jonathan Rea – Kawasaki – P1
“This morning I used a race tyre, the soft tyre and then two qualifying tyres. That was the target this morning – to work on ultimate pace and see what we could do. After that we started to work with the set-up again and tried to confirm some items on the front to give me some more stability. We backed-to-backed both bikes to find if we confirmed the set-up of what we arrived with at the Misano test. I preferred that to my old base set-up so it seems like we have moved our base set-up away from what I had. I don’t know if that is because the temperature suits that kind of bike set-up or if my riding style has evolved during this lockdown period and it has changed. But what I am requesting from the bike now I have a good feeling with this one. In the afternoon I waited for the temperature to be at the maximum to do two longer runs on both bikes to understand some test items. We felt pretty happy and now we look forward to Jerez.”
KRT
Pere Riba – Crew Chief for Jonathan Rea
“Our test has been really, really positive. We had some info from the last test here in January that we collected for this test. We started with that base set-up and then we focused to understand the hot conditions and how to use the tyres. This track is very demanding on tyres, and it is the key point. We have been very focused on making a good lap time and working over a long distance. I am very happy because we reached all the targets that we put on the paper and Johnny was also the fastest one – this morning when the track temperature was cooler. We used a qualifying soft tyre and took the fastest lap. We also confirmed some items we tested in Misano and I feel very good. Johnny is in very good shape after the long break because of Covid-19 and he did a great job here; very calm and working well.”
Jonathan Rea
The quickest pair had used the relative cool of the morning to set their outright benchmarks before then concentraing on long-run testing later in the heat of the day to work on their race set-ups for longevity in the heat.
Scott Redding – Ducati – P2
“I am satisfied with this test. We have worked very well these two days especially with used tyres. This morning’s challenge with Rea was a lot of fun. We pushed hard but after a few fast laps I wanted to remind myself what the real objective of the test was. That’s why we did a long run this afternoon. I couldn’t try the time attack because of a technical issue but it doesn’t matter”.
Scott Redding
BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and its riders Tom Sykes (GBR) and Eugene Laverty (IRL) evaluated various updates for the BMW S 1000 RR, which have been worked upon during the enforced break since the season-opener in Australia. The fine-tuning primarily centred around finding the best possible basic set-up for round two of the season at Jerez de la Frontera.
Shaun Muir – BMW Team Principal
“We had some items to test and, very importantly, track familiarisation to get ready for the upcoming race later in the season. The updates that we had to test were mainly electronic strategy related and a lot of the other work that was focused on were race simulations runs and tyre wear in the latter stages of the race. I’m generally happy with both Tom and Eugene. It was very difficult to judge lap times overall with it being very cool in the morning and most were pushing for the times early on. Once the temperatures rose, we concentrated on the race runs. Overall we are happy, we’ve had a good test in Lausitz and here in Barcelona so now we can look forward to the restart of the WorldSBK Championship at Jerez.”
Tom Sykes
Tom Sykes – BMW – P3
“I’m feeling really good as we had a very productive test in Germany and have continued that same form here into Catalunya. It’s great to be here as I have never ridden the track so I’ve really enjoyed the layout of the whole circuit. We’ve had a good test schedule and worked through a lot of test items with the BMW S 1000 RR gathering some crucial information. It’s clear to see that the whole of the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team has been hard at work during this difficult period as we arrived here with a lot of ideas. It’s been working on different geometry settings, front and rear suspensions parameters, chassis options and we have certainly improved the electronic strategy. We are still exploring these set ups; we just need some time to put all this together.”
Tom Sykes
Team-mate Eugene Laverty was also right in the mix and concluded the top six overall and was just over a second from top spot, despite a crash in the morning on the Q tyre. Neither finished inside the top ten during the hotter afternoon session as both worked on race pace, eager to get the bike dialled in on the new circuit.
Eugene Laverty – BMW – P6
“This test has been my best run on the bike yet, it’s been fantastic and in particular my race run in that final session there. I did a race run yesterday which was a good pace, but I knew I had more to give today and I proved that. We lapped from the start in the 1’43.300’s and by lap 18 we were at 1’43.900, which was incredible compared to what a lot of the others lads were doing over the race distance. This morning I had some good pace on the ‘X’ tyre and then jumped to the ‘Q’ tyre but had a little crash. The crash was a similar crash to the one in Phillip Island which is something we need to look at. Overall I’m happy with the test and I’m looking forward to getting out in Jerez in a few weeks’ time.”
Eugene Laverty
Championship leader Alex Lowes backed up Jonathan Rea’s efforts with fourth for KRT as he continues his adaptation from Yamaha to Kawasaki. Working on rear end set-up and acclimatising to the changes of direction, Lowes built on refining his braking style from day one and ended the test satisfied with his efforts.
Alex Lowes – Kawasaki – P4
“In the final hour or so we put everything together what we had found positives with and the bike was working really well. We did more laps than I thought – 107 today – so a busy one. But I am really happy with such a positive second day here. This is still a learning process and with the amount of laps I have done I am trying to learn as quickly as possible. I am happy with my pace this afternoon, it was strong and a little bit faster than I expected, which is always nice. After such a long break in the season it has been easier to get back into the swing of things than I thought but it will be nice to get a couple of weeks off now before the back-to-back races that restart the season. My pace with the used tyres is more competitive than with the new tyres, same as we saw in Phillip Island. Luckily for me we have had the same characteristic here. On used tyres I am feeling good with the bike. Joining this team, every day I am learning more. It is a fantastic team and I am enjoying it a lot.”
Alex Lowes
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team with Rizla completed a combined 332 total of laps over the two days, with riders Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Michael van der Mark making best use of this important track time ahead of the second round of the series in Jerez (31 July – 2 August).
Pata Yamaha – GeeBee Image
Both riders continued to refamiliarise themselves with their R1’s after a four-month layoff and to test different parts before both setting their quickest times in the final hour before the lunch break. Turkish racer Razgatlıoğlu was fifth with a time of 1m41.217, despite a crash without injury at the exit of Turn 7, as Michael van der Mark went seventh quickest overall with a time of 1m41.679. The Dutchman lost some time with machinery problems on day two.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – Yamaha – P5
“I’m happy because I was able to ride the Yamaha R1 again! We tried many new parts and sometimes they didn’t work, but we found some new things that did make improvements. It’s not been a bad test at all, it was very important as it’s a new track for me and we are now ready for the race in Jerez. I only knew this circuit from video games, so it was good to get some laps in before we come back here later this year. The first day was quite difficult after so much time away from the bike, and I had a huge crash on day 2 and I’m lucky to have no injury. But even with this, we were quite fast and we improved the R1, so we can be happy.”
Michael van der Mark – Yamaha – P7
“It was nice to be back on the bike; it’s been a while and also it’s been 10 years since I’ve last been here, so it was all quite new. We had so many new things to try and I think we can be quite happy with this test, even if it doesn’t maybe look as good from the results alone. We had so many new developments and we were just focused on improving the bike, because in the last four months the guys have been working really hard at home. A lot of positives on the R1, I’m happy to be back after four months not riding and I’m ready to be racing again. I can’t wait for the restart in Jerez.”
Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team
“It’s a pleasure to be back at the racetrack with the team, riders and Yamaha engineers, ahead of the restart to the season. The Barcelona Grand Prix circuit is a new one for our team and both of our riders, so after four months off the bikes yesterday was a little challenging to get fully back up to speed. Nonetheless, we still got through a reasonable amount of work, maybe leaving more questions than answers, but with a good night’s sleep the riders were ready to go this morning. The crew chiefs and engineers had also made a clear plan for today and we were a lot more competitive. Testing here in these conditions is almost like running at two different circuits as the temperature increases, and the grip level drops significantly. We were quick in cooler conditions and we’ve improved the bike to be a lot closer in hotter temperatures than we were yesterday. Some problems, some challenges, and an extremely busy couple of days, but in the end a great job by Michael, Toprak and all the team, and now we are looking forward to Jerez.”
Ducati’s Chaz Davies (worked hard on used tyres, before pushing hard on the final lap which allowed him to end up the afternoon session in fourth place and ninth overall.
Chaz Davies – Ducati – P9
“It was very important to get back on track to work again on some of the solutions we already tried at Misano. They were two intense days in which we worked well and they were also important to get familiar with this circuit in conditions similar to those we will find during the race weekend. All in all I am satisfied and the aim now is to get to Jerez in the best possible condition“.
Chaz Davies
HRC still seem to be struggling for pace and unlike most of the others this was the first time back on track for the squad since the Phillip Island season opener. Their pace further hampered by missing much of the morning session as the team worked through some issues with the new Fireblade. Set-up of the electronics was a focus for the team but due to travel restrictions some key Japanese staff were unable to join them at the test and they are a long way from realising their potential. Leon Haslam was P12 and Alvaro Bautista P14.
Leon Haslam – Honda – P12
“Today has been quite productive despite a long stop in the garage this morning. Yesterday was less ideal as I had a crash in the morning: a wheelie turned into a big high side, so that definitely woke me up after the long break! I hit my head and ankle but luckily did no serious damage. Having said that, we had a productive afternoon on the second bike anyway, and as I said, another good session this afternoon. The main aim here was to analyse our Phillip Island performance and try to iron out a few of the issues we had there. I feel that the bike has great potential but that, considering the brand-new package, we simply need time. Many small things create a good package, and we are trying to find all that in what is a very short space of time. One positive is that Alvaro and I agree on many things, so this makes development a little smoother. All in all, I’m pleased. I hadn’t been at this track for 18 years, so it’s been good to get a feel for it again seeing as we’ll be racing here later in the summer. I feel we’ve been able to get up to speed here and then, as of the next test, we will have a long list of parts and elements to test.”
Leon Haslam
Alvaro Bautista – Honda – P14
“This is only our first test back and so understandably it took me a little time to reset mentally and find the right feeling with my bike again, but now I already feel like I’m back in the groove let’s say. We haven’t really tested anything new here – that’s something we’ll focus on next time – and so we’ve concentrated mainly on confidence, and also on the electronics, working to find more traction through the corners and improve our braking on corner entry. I hadn’t ridden at this track for a while, and never with the Superbike of course, but it seems like it offers quite good grip; the levels are not at all bad, particularly considering the heat. Today we had to spend some time in the garage as the engineers had to analyse a lot of data to fix some issues we had, so we missed the chance to go for some fast lap times during the best part of the day. We’ve been productive anyway, and it looks like we’ve found some things to work on again next time out, when we will also have the HRC engineers present with some new parts for us to test.”
Alvaro Bautista
WorldSBK Catalunya Test 2020 Combined Times
REA Jonathan Kawasaki Racing Team 1’40.450
REDDING Scott ARUBA Ducati 1’40.606
SYKES Tom BMW Motorrad 1’40.956
LOWES Alex Kawasaki Racing Team 1’41.137
RAZGATLIOGLU Toprak Pata Yamaha 1’41.218
LAVERTY Eugene BMW Motorrad 1’41.494
VAN DER MARK Michael Pata Yamaha 1’41.679
BAZ Loris Ten Kate Yamaha 1’41.881
DAVIES Chaz ARUBA Ducati 1’41.903
MERCADO Leandro Motocorsa Racing 1’42.024
GERLOFF Garrett GRT Yamaha 1’42.121
HASLAM Leon Team HRC 1’42.126
CORTESE Sandro Pedercini Kawasaki 1’42.187
BAUTISTA Alvaro Team HRC 1’42.320
CARICASULO Federico GRT Yamaha 1’42.333
SCHEIB Max Orelac Racing VerdNatura 1’42.436
BARRIER Sylvain BRIXX Ducati 1’44.323
2020 WorldSBK Championship Standings
Alex Lowes – Kawasaki 51
Scott Redding – Ducati 39
Toprak Razgatlioglu – Yamaha 34
Jonathan Rea – Kawasaki 32
Michael van der Mark – Yamaha 31
Alvaro Bautista – Honda 20
Loris Baz – Yamaha 20
Chaz Davies – Ducati 19
Leon Haslam – Honda 17
Tom Sykes – BMW 17
2020 WorldSSP Championship Standings
Andrea Locatelli – Yamaha 25
Raffaele De Rosa – MV Agusta 20
Jules Cluzel – Yamaha 16
Corentin Perolari – Yamaha 13
Lucas Mahias – Kawasaki 11
2020 WorldSBK Calendar
March 1 – Phillip Island, Australia
August 2 – Jerez, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
August 9 – Portimao, Portugal (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
Aguust 30 – Aragon, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
September 6 – Aragon, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
September 18 – Catalunya, Spain (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
October 4 – Magny-Cours, France (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300)
October 11 – Circuito San Juan Villicum, Argentina (TBC) (WSBK-WSSP)
November 8 – Misano, Italy (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300) TBD – Donington Park, UK (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300) TBD – Assen, Netherlands (WSBK-WSSP-WSSP300) TBD – Losail, Qatar (WSBK-WSSP)
This morning I used a race tyre, the soft tyre and then two qualifying tyres. That was the target this morning – to work on ultimate pace and see what we could do. After that we started to work with the set-up again and tried to confirm some items on the front to give me some more stability. We backed-to-backed both bikes to find if we confirmed the set-up of what we arrived with at the Misano test. I preferred that to my old base set-up so it seems like we have moved our base set-up away from what I had. I don’t know if that is because the temperature suits that kind of bike set-up or if my riding style has evolved during this lockdown period and it has changed. But what I am requesting from the bike now I have a good feeling with this one. In the afternoon I waited for the temperature to be at the maximum to do two longer runs on both bikes to understand some test items. We felt pretty happy and now we look forward to Jerez. http://jonathan-rea.com/news/rea-fastest-overall-catalunya-tests
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