Three weeks ahead of the start of the Supersport World Championship, MV Agusta Reparto Corse has unveiled its 2020 livery. The new racing colours were presented in Schiranna, the historic headquarters of the Italian company.
2020 MV Agusta Reparto Corse WSSP livery – Timur Sardarov, Ratmir Sardarov, Federico Fuligni, Raffaele De Rosa
The colour scheme features MV Agusta’s signature red and grey and the F3 675 will also be proudly sporting world champion Randy Krummenacher’s number 1 on its fairing. The Swiss rider will be joined by De Rosa and Fulgini in Andrea Quadranti’s team for the 2020 quest for the world Supersport title.
2020 MV Agusta Reparto Corse WSSP livery
Andrea Quadranti
“The long preparation to the championship is now behind us, and we are ready to face the first round of the World Championship at the end of this month in Phillip Island. During the two-day tests at the beginning of the weekend we will be able to refine the set-up work done in the Jerez tests and our riders will take care of the rest. Krummenacher is determined to reconfirm his title, but De Rosa won’t certainly give up the opportunity to fight for it either. Fuligni expects to make a qualitative leap that will keep him in the top rankings. We are all eager to confront our opponents and are determined to play a leading role in the 2020 season.”
2020 MV Agusta Reparto Corse WSSP – Fuligni & De Rosa
The 2020 Supersport World Championship is about to begin, with the bikes now boxed-up and sent to Australia.
WSBK supports Australian bushfire relief with charity auction
Ahead of the 2020 season opener at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit next weekend (February 28-March 1), the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock has united to stage a charity auction in aid of the victims of the recent Australian bushfires.
The funds raised will go to BlazeAid, a volunteer-based set-up working alongside rural families and individuals impacted by the fires and floods. Since being founded in 2009, they’ve worked with over 20,000 volunteers in tackling bushfires.
Five-time world superbike champion Jonathan Rea spoke about the WorldSBK Paddock auction today in Melbourne, retelling how he and his Australia wife, Tatia, were tied up in the bushfire catastrophe despite being in the northern hemisphere in January. Their family owns a house just out of Bright, and for three weeks they watched from afar as the fires threatened their home, evacuations took place, and they saw farms and communities surrounding Bright ravaged.
The WorldSBK auction is organised through CharityStars and will see an incredible selection of rider and team merchandise and memorabilia – as well as some awesome fan experiences – go under the hammer. The Championship, riders and teams have come together during the recent tests at Jerez and Portimao to source their own gear, with exclusive helmets, leathers, gloves and various other ‘money-can’t-buy’ team apparel clothing set to get auctioned.
Newcomer Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) is one headliner as he offers up his leathers from testing, and they join the likes of teammate Chaz Davies’ helmet and Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) gloves and visor.
Reigning Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) has also donated gloves and boots, with multiple race winner Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) putting in some knee sliders, a visor and boots. BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team’s mudguard hand-signed by Tom Sykes and teammate Eugene Laverty is another highlight.
There are also some experiences up for grabs as Dorna WSBK Organization offers exclusive pit lounge passes and behind the scenes experiences, perfect for every WorldSBK fan who wants to get up close and personal with the world’s fastest production-based motorcycle racing Championship.
They include two pairs of WorldSBK Pit Lounge Passes to any 2020 round (winning bidder’s choice) and one pair of WorldSBK Behind the Scenes Experience passes, giving the winning bidder a money-can’t-buy weekend from starting grid access to a lap in the Safety Car and plenty more in between.
The auction begins on 17th February at 11am CET (Central European Time) and ends on 3rd March midnight, so get bidding to secure your piece of WorldSBK history – and lend a helping hand to the host country of the 2020 season opener.
Australia has, is and will continue to be close to the World Superbike paddock, with Phillip Island hosting timeless classics – as well as the closest ever WorldSBK finish 10 years ago. Some of the biggest names in the history of the sport including Troy Corser and Troy Bayliss also hail from Down Under, making it a cause close to the heart of the paddock.
Scott Redding and Chaz Davies will start the 2020 World Superbike season late this month at Phillip Island but today both riders were present at Imola for the launch of the Aruba.IT Ducati World Superbike squad.
Ducati WorldSBK Team 2020 launch was staged at Imola
Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
“I am particularly pleased to present the official 2020 Ducati Superbike team here in Imola, in the heart of the Motor Valley, just a few kilometers away from our factory in Borgo Panigale. Last year the Panigale V4 R made its debut in World Superbike and immediately showed its great competitiveness by winning 17 races, and contributed to the commercial success of the Panigale V4, which in 2019 was confirmed as the world’s best-selling sports bike in its segment. The new Panigale V4 S 2020, that is now available at Ducati dealers worldwide, has actually been inspired by the V4 R Superbike, with which it shares the fairing with the original winglets. I would like to thank Stefano Cecconi for the passion and professionalism with which he has taken this commitment since the beginning of our partnership and I wish Chaz, Scott and the whole team the best of luck for the championship that is about to start”.
Ducati WorldSBK Team 2020
Luigi Dall’Igna, General Manager of Ducati Corse
“In the last months we have continued to work on the development of the Panigale V4 R as we are convinced that, despite the great competitiveness shown by our bike last year, the 2020 championship will be even more competitive thanks to the presence of new models from our main competitors. As Stefano Cecconi has already said, we have only one target, and that is to bring home the World Superbike title that we have been missing since 2011. We have two strong and very motivated riders: Chaz, who has been with us for seven years and is one of the pillars of the team, and Scott, a fresh BSB champion and already very fast during the winter tests. We believe to have all the necessary ingredients to be protagonists in every race of the championship starting from Phillip Island”.
Ducati WorldSBK Team 2020
Chaz Davies, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7
“My expectations are very high. In the second part of the 2019 season our performances and results have improved considerably and, in the last races, we have always fought for the podium. The goal is to do even better and I believe that the experience accumulated over the years can help us. We have done a good job during the winter and the feeling is positive even though I have never been looking for the lap-time during the tests. I feel much better than I did 12 months ago, both physically and with the feeling with my bike. I want to thank all our fans for their support and I hope to celebrate many victories with them, maybe even in a few months on this same circuit”.
Ducati WorldSBK Team 2020
Scott Redding, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #45
“I’m very excited for this new adventure. It will be important to get off to a good start, especially on the first circuits that I know very well. We still have to understand where we really are in terms of absolute performance but it is clear that our mission is to start winning as soon as possible. I am very satisfied with what we achieved during the tests. I would like to thank the team that has done a great job and has given me a lot of confidence. We all have the same goal and this is a very important motivation. I would like to thank in a special way Aruba.it and Ducati for giving me this opportunity and for welcoming me in an exceptional way. What can I promise to the fans? I know that the passion of the Ducatisti is extraordinary and so I’ll give all my energy with just one goal: to bring the title back to Bologna”.
Victoria’s Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit will burst into life for the Yamaha Financial Services sponsored opening round of the 2020 WorldSBK championship on 28 February to 1 March 2020, and to celebrate the new season, Yamaha Motor Australia will have a host of trackside entertainment across the three-days.
Yamaha Motor Australia and Yamaha Financial Services will present special guests and riders
The Yamaha Financial Services main stage of the expo area will be a hive of activity across the three days including interviews with special guests and Yamaha WSBK riders, with interview times to be announced through the weekend.
While visiting the Yamaha stand, check out the 2020 range of Yamaha motorcycles, including the all-new WR250F, 2020 YZF-R1 and YZF-R1M, and the first Australian public appearance of the latest YZF-R15. There’s also the huge Yamaha XTO 425 V8 outboard boat motor that needs to be seen to be believed, along with the new FX Limited SVHO WaveRunner.
Yamaha Motor Australia have announced a host of trackside entertainment for the WorldSBK opener
Fans keen to take a ride in the virtual world with Yamaha motocross legend Stephen Gall can slip on the Yamaha Financial Services 360-degree virtual reality goggles and headphones then climb aboard the all-new Ténéré 700 adventure bike for a quick blast through the forest.
Yamaha Genuine Parts and Accessories and Shop Yamaha once again present their popup retail outlet, displaying a large range of accessories and merchandise. The expert team will also be on hand to answer any questions about getting kitted up with the best Yamaha gear.
Young riders can get in on the fun with the bLU cRU pop-up kids fun bike come-and-try arena
The Yamaha bLU cRU truck will be located right next to the expo area, along with the bLU cRU pop-up kids fun bike come-and-try arena. Free fun bike rides for the next generation of riders aged 5-10 years will be available daily. Youngsters can cut laps of the supervised test arena on Yamaha’s popular PW50 and TT-R50 fun bikes, or try four wheels with the YFZ50 fun ATV for those aged 6-10 years.
All the required safety gear is provided, including boots, jersey, pants, helmet, goggles and gloves, with riding tips and encouragement provided by professional coaches from Oates MX. It’s all free, and there’s no need to pre-register. Some conditions apply, so see the friendly Yamaha staff for more details.
Phillip Island will play host to the 2020 World Superbike Round One
The YMF and YMI promotion staff will be mingling with racegoers in the spectator areas along with the social media team from Frankly Social. Make sure you enter the competition to win a Yamaha generator that you can nominate for your local Rural Fire Service. And see if you can score yourself a free giveaway, including the coveted side stand paddock plate or a $25 Yamaha gift card. Make sure you get your picture taken with the YMF and YMI team and head to the Yamaha Expo area to collect your free print out.
Yamaha will have plenty to do and see across the WorldSBK opener weekend at Phillip Island
Meanwhile the 2020 Superbike season will blast into action on the Grand Prix circuit, with the first round of the Australian Superbike Championship joining the WSBK opener, as well as an action packed support program including the Oceania Junior Cup, Supersport 300 and Australian Supersport championships.
Michael van der Mark and Toprak Razgatlioglu will spearhead Pata Yamaha’s WorldSBK challenge for season 2020.
Australian two-time World Supersport Champion Andrew Pitt has stayed with the team but with Alex Lowes’ moving to KRT, will crew chief for Dutchman Michael van der Mark.
Michael van der Mark
Toprak, after two seasons of real achievement as an independent rider in WorldSBK on Kawasaki ZX-10RR machinery has switched to Yamaha for season 2020. His previous crew chief Phil Marron has come with him to Pata Yamaha, keeping their connection strong as they move into the realms of official team racing on a machine which is all-new to both.
Winner of a race at Jerez last year, Michael van der Mark is back for his fourth year on the official R1, but this year there is a revamped cross-plane four-cylinder machine under his command. He has taken three career race wins in WorldSBK, part of a total of 29 podium finishes in all.
Michael van der Mark
A seasoned WorldSBK campaigner and very much in his prime at 27 years-of-age, Michael aims to be a more consistent winner and podium finisher in 2020, having already built up a good relationship with his new R1 in testing after three seasons racing the previous version. Here’s what van der Mark had to say when asked about season 2020.
2020 marks your fourth season as an Official Yamaha rider on the YZF-R1 – are you feeling ready for the new season?
Michael van der Mark: “Of course I’m ready! I’m looking forward to the new season with the 2020 R1 – which is not a completely different bike – but there are a lot of new parts and improvements that will help us. We need to keep making progress, and with this new bike, that for sure will enable us to make another step.”
So, what changes have been made to the new R1?
MVDM: “One of the improvements is the aerodynamics; it works much better for tall riders like Toprak and me. It is a lot more protective and I think we can get a little bit better top speed. Also, I think the fairing design has brought some other benefits, so again it’s a positive feeling. Together with Öhlins and our performance engineers we’ve made a good step forward to find grip – as it’s always been our main issue. Already last year we made a step and it was really important, I felt like we have found a really good direction and exactly what we are looking for. I don’t know any numbers, but this new bike feels a bit faster as well – that’s always nice!”
Michael van der Mark
You have a new crew chief this year in Andrew Pitt – a two-time World Champion in his own right. How is that relationship developing?
MVDM: “I knew Andrew a bit already because he was working with Alex [Lowes] and we always got along well. It honestly feels good, the communication is great and there’s a bit of a mix in the team now; I have some different guys on my side of the garage. I think it’s good to have some new ideas and styles of working, some new motivation and changes; also with Toprak joining the team. So at the moment things are good! From the first moment I worked with Andrew I really enjoyed it and we did some other stuff together as well. I like the way he works as an ex-top rider. He really understands the problems I have and what I am facing when riding the bike, but also the deep technical side he understands really well, so I’m really happy.”
What about your new teammate, Toprak?
MVDM: “I like him! With Alex the relationship was always great, but it’s also good to have Toprak in the team as a young up-and coming-kid. He’s fast right from the start and we’ve had some really nice battles in the past. I’m really looking forward to the season, I think we can have some good battles again and I’ll be working hard to make sure I’m on top! He’ll keep me on my toes, but that’s what everybody wants. His style is so different to mine, but that’s interesting to learn from as well.”
What is your target in 2020?
MVDM: “Win races. If we can win races then we can build a challenge to fight for the championship. Boom!”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
At only 23 years-of-age, Toprak is a rider who can already beat the best in a fair fight and who is now looking to the new R1 to allow him to do that on a more consistent basis.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Already a star in his native Turkey and a protégé of compatriot and WorldSSP legend Kenan Sofuoglu, Toprak has made a swift transition to the latest Yamaha R1 after a five-year career spent with a rival manufacturer. Like Michael, Toprak was a Superstock 600 European champion before moving up inside the WorldSBK paddock.
He shared his thoughts about this coming season, the new bikes and possibilities ahead:
Welcome to the Yamaha family and Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team with Rizla. How is the experience so far?
Toprak Razgatlioglu: “It’s a different team and for me, the first time with an official team. I was used to being in a small team, and now coming into an official manufacturer team. I don’t know all the people in the team yet and always I say, for me it is not easy because everyone is different to work with. But already it’s feeling very good and I like it a lot. In the beginning, I was a little… scared! Because I don’t know the team and everything is new. But now I’m very happy and enjoying it. Like with the stoppies at the end of the test, I thought at the start, ‘ah maybe I won’t try because I don’t know if it will be allowed!’ But after one time, somebody asked me ‘can you do another stoppie?’ So then I say ‘OK!’ I didn’t know in the beginning if it would be OK because it was all-new but these are racing people – serious about their jobs – and they also want to enjoy it.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
What is your impression of the new 2020 Yamaha R1 – what are the strong points?
TR: “Again, the Yamaha a new bike for me but now I have the 2020 R1 – between the two I would say there is not a really big difference, just nice improvements. I feel like it is very easy to turn, really good at turning and with the power I am feeling much better. I’m learning that my new bike with Yamaha has a different character from what I rode in the past. After more laps, I feel much better. I’ve always liked Yamaha; my first bike was a PW50! I have ridden Yamaha bikes over many years – I ride a Niken on the streets at home – and now after five years on a different bike, I have come here and I’m very happy.”
You are working with Phil Marron again as your crew chief, is this important when you are inside a new team and with a new bike?
TR: “Yes we work together well and I am very happy. Because we worked together in 2019, he knows me and I feel this is very important because he understands what I need to go fast. Before, my crew chiefs understood me a little and I would just ride the bike, but in 2019 working with Phil, he understands me more and the result is different! I’m very happy because we’re coming together to this new team. For Phil and me it is new: a new team and a new bike. But now already it is a better feeling, but I keep saying, I need more time, more laps and after, it will be a much better feeling!”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Are you enjoying having a teammate for the first time? What are the good and bad points compared to being the only rider?
TR: “In 2019, I raced in a team alone in WorldSBK and I think for me it was very easy, because with just one rider if I had a bad session I didn’t feel very bad. After a good session, I would be very happy. And now, coming to Yamaha and the first time having a teammate it is different [by having someone to compare to] – but I am very lucky because he is a very good guy! I know on the track we are fighting hard but outside we are already friends, feeling is like brothers. I say ‘abi’ to Michael and normally to say ‘abi’ in Turkish means ‘big brother’.”
In 2019 you won your first races and made big improvements. What are your goals in 2020?
TR: “I think last year I said the same – to get a podium at Phillip Island. I need this and last year I tried! It was not possible, but this year I will try again. First race, first podium and try to have a good feeling to start. After that, I try my best always, we will see…”
Continuity can be key in many areas of racing but in 2020 the long-time leader of the Pata Yamaha team’s efforts – Paul Denning – has many new elements to help distil into one potent WorldSBK racing mix, ready to score consistent success at a higher level than ever.
Paul Denning
“2020 marks the fifth season since Yamaha’s return to WorldSBK competition in 2016 with the R1 and we are excited to see the next step in our evolution.”. “Yamaha’s Official Team, operated in close partnership with Crescent Racing, has improved every year both in potential and result, made evident by race wins and third and fourth overall in the 2019 Championship. As we get closer to the top level, further improvements are of course more difficult to deliver, but to take the next step forward and challenge for the title must be the target.”
Denning is very much aware that changes have been made with one goal in mind – higher levels of achievement for all.
“Yamaha has continued to improve their development capabilities, the team has improved its structure, and now we also have the new 2020 R1 to help us challenge for victories,” said Paul. “Alongside this, at Yamaha we now have one of the most exciting rider line-ups ever seen in WorldSBK, as Toprak joins Michael to create a talented, young and aggressive team that we hope will allow us to meet our targets and to deliver highly exciting on-track action throughout the new season.”
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu joins Michael van der Mark in the Pata Yamaha squad
Now that winter testing in Europe has concluded, all eyes turn to the official pre-season test in Australia, between 24 and 25 February, which will give the best possible indication of how the new season could start for Pata Yamaha.
The test and then the first weekend of a new era for Pata Yamaha will take place at the same Phillip Island circuit, one that has been host to so many spectacular moments in recent and more historic WorldSBK seasons.
WorldSBK Yamaha Finance Australian Round, Phillip Island
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