2019 WorldSBK
Argentina Day One

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Alvaro Bautista topped the timesheets in Argentina overnight on the Spaniard’s first visit to Circuito San Juan Villicum.

However a dirty track for the opening day of practice saw many riders keep their powder mainly dry, choosing to sit out most of the sessions and wait for other riders to do the donkey work of putting rubber down and cleaning up the circuit. 

Jonathan Rea opened his weekend strongly. The undulations and aggressive direction changes suited the Northern Irishman’s style and he finished the day in second overall, despite leading the FP2 session almost to the chequered flag as track temperatures nudged 50-degrees celsius.

Jonathan Rea

“It was really difficult to find a feeling out there because you cannot push anywhere near the limit. It is like riding on marbles and the track did not get much better. I expected a big step in the afternoon session. Even though the track looked cleaner the grip wasn’t there. A really frustrating day because you are kind of reluctant to do anything with the bike set-up in readiness for the track ‘rubbering-in’ some more.”

Chaz Davies sat out most of the morning session and finished the day fourth overall just behind Barni Ducati rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi.

Tom Sykes worked his way through set-up changes to find enough grip from the BMW to finish the opening fifth on the charts. 

Tom Sykes

“The circuit layout here at San Juan is fantastic and is so enjoyable to ride, its just a shame that the current track conditions are not great. Its not safe and is so easy to get caught out, you can go 15cm off line and you are at risk of crashing which is far from ideal. Having said that, the guys here done a spectacular job with the track and is certainly an amazing place to come race. Today we finished up P5 which I am pleased about, we made a few small changes on the bike throughout the session which was an improvement. We are only +1.000 second off the top two guys but other than that we are right in the mix, hopefully we can improve a bit tomorrow and be at the sharp end come the race.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) returned to action for the first time since his debut race winning weekend in France last time out. A late crash at Magny Cours in the final race left him with a painful left ankle, but he persevered to finish sixth on Friday’s combined times.

Leon Haslam was unfortunate in the afternoon session to fall almost as soon as he started, at Turn 16, suffering an off-throttle highside trying out a different option rear tyre and injuring his knee and thumb as he fell.

Despite his heavy hit Haslam got going again to finish seventh overall, after a typically gritty recovery at the end of FP2.

Leon Haslam

“I fell on an out lap, with zero-lean angle and zero brakes, as I had an off throttle high-side. It is the first time I had used that tyre. I went back out on my second tyre after the crash and I had zero grip. I could not even get to my knee because compared to the morning conditions they were a lot worse. We changed the tyre near the end and slowly got going.”

Fresh from the news that he is joining Kawasaki next season, Alex Lowes was ninth on day one in Argentina but Sandro Cortese had the honour of being fastest Yamaha in P8.

Alex Lowes

“I’m a bit disappointed with the condition of the track; it’s really dirty and it hasn’t improved as expected over the course of the day. The racing line is getting a lot better but if you get a bit offline then you’re on to the dirty part of the track. Hopefully the line will get a bit wider ahead of the race tomorrow. It’s a great track, the layout is fantastic, and the weather has been perfect today, but the problem with the dirty track means we’re a lot slower than we should be. But then the conditions are the same for everyone and we just have to deal with them the best we can. This afternoon we tried something with the bike that didn’t work as expected in the greasy conditions, which was important because now we know in which direction not to go tomorrow when, hopefully, track conditions improve.”

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2019 – WSBK Argentina – Day One

1. BAUTISTA Alvaro SPA Ducati 1’43.614
2. REA Jonathan GBR Kawasaki 0.104
3. RINALDI Michael Ruben ITA Ducati 1.229
4. DAVIES Chaz GBR Ducati 1.252
5. SYKES Tom GBR BMW 1.320
6. RAZGATLIOGLU Toprak TUR Kawasaki 1.331
7. HASLAM Leon GBR  Kawasaki 1.397
8. CORTESE Sandro GER  Yamaha 1.530
9. LOWES Alex GBR Yamaha 1.655
10. VAN DER MARK Michael NDL Yamaha 1.723
11. TORRES Jordi SPA Kawasaki 2.010
12. MERCADO Leandro ARG Kawasaki 2.909
13. BAZ Loris FRA Yamaha 3.025
14. MELANDRI Marco ITA GRT Yamaha 3.104
15. DELBIANCO Alessandro ITA Honda 3.940
16. KIYONARI Ryuichi JPN Honda 3.999
17. REITERBERGER Markus GER BMW 4.073
18. CAMIER Leon GBR Honda 4.374
19. LAVERTY Eugene IRE Ducati 6.989

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WorldSSP

The World Supersport Championship could well be decided this weekend, with Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) looking to become the first ever Swiss WorldSSP Champion. After day one however, it was Corentin Perolari (GMT94 YAMAHA) who made hay whilst the sun shone, whilst big names were littered throughout the top ten.

Leading the charge of the WorldSSP field into Saturday, Corentin Perolari left it late to go to top slot in FP1. The Frenchman put in a strong lap time late on and was just under half-a-tenth clear of his nearest challenger. Having languished down the field in FP1, Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) put in a sterling comeback in FP2 to be right in the mix going into a crucial Saturday Superpole day. The Italian put in strong lap times at the very end of the session, initially going to the top before being pushed back to second place. Completing the top three after day one was Championship leader, Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team), as he looks to better his teammate to secure the WorldSSP crown.

Having been top of FP1, Ayrton Badovini (Team Pedercini Racing) slipped to fourth place but rounded out a strong opening day in Argentina in fine fashion. The Italian will look to repeat his podium success of Magny-Cours this weekend and looks like he has good pace. Fifth place belonged to Jules Cluzel (GMT94 YAMAHA), who will need to find more pace if he is to keep his Championship hopes alive this weekend. Sixth place went to 2017 WorldSSP Champion, Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing). The Frenchman starting his weekend in solid style as he looks to secure a second consecutive win of the season, following on from his magnificent in Magny-Cours.

Top MV Agusta honours went to Raffaele De Rosa (MV AGUSTA Reparto Corse), as the 32-year-old begins his chase for a first victory in World Supersport. Behind him was Magny-Cours pole-sitter and ESS Cup Winner, Kyle Smith (Team Pedercini Racing). Making it four manufacturers inside the top nine was Peter Sebestyen (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda), as he seeks more top tens on his first visit to Argentina. Christian Stange (GEMAR – Ciociaria Corse WorldSSP Team) rounded out the top ten on day one, confirming his top ten pace from FP1.

2019 WorldSSP Argentina Day One

1. Corentin Perolari – Yamaha 1’46.246
2. Federico Caricasulo Yamaha 1’46.292
3. Randy Krummenacher Yamaha 1’46.451

Source: MCNews.com.au

2019 WorldSBK Round 12
San Juan Villicum Circuit, Argentina

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After a ferocious debut in South America last season in Argentina, the 2019 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship goes back for more as the Circuito San Juan Villicum awaits.

The tight and technical layout offers close racing for the huge Argentine audience, whilst also bringing exciting action. As Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) is already crowned champion and Alvaro Bautista (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) is secure in second, the fierce battle is over third.

Jonathan Rea stormed to a double in Argentina last year, becoming the first WorldSBK rider to win on the continent of South America. Just finishing Race 1 in the points will put Rea equal to Sylvain Guintoli’s record number of consecutive point-scoring finishes, at 43. He is also looking to win more races, to cement his position as the best WorldSBK rider ever. The 32-year-old Northern Irishman has been in rampant form and could be set to break more records in 2019.

Jonathan Rea

“I am so relieved to go to Argentina with the championship already done. It means I can enjoy these last few races without stressing too much about the points situation and really enjoy the end of the season. Last year was our first visit in Argentina and we were really surprised with the reception we got, the level of the track and also the fans that turned out. I am excited to go out there and see what’s ahead. I am also looking forward to riding the bike again. I think this is going to be a circuit where we can be strong. Last year we were certainly strong in some areas. I am also looking forward to seeing the guys again and re-living what we did a little bit last weekend – it was really special. To do it with all these guys who have been with me every step of the way, every single year, it’s even more special.”

The ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati outfit suffered much ill-fortune at Magny-Cours and saw the final chances of winning a riders’ title slip away when Alvaro Bautista crashed with Razgatlioglu. However, pride and honour are at stake and the Italian team returns to Argentina and a track that saw them take the first ever pole position in Argentina last season. Chaz Davies was denied a podium there in 2018 and will be eager to return to the rostrum in 2019 for the first time since Race 1 in Portugal. For Bautista, he’s never been to the San Juan venue.

Momentum and confidence are firmly with Toprak Razgatliolgu (Turkish Puccetti Racing), who romped to two wins at Magny-Cours to bring Turkey to the top of the WorldSBK field. He was on the podium at Circuito San Juan Villicum last year too, something he will now seek to better. With a new contract in his pocket and the switch to the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team confirmed, Razgatlioglu’s confidence is sky-high and the 22-year-old could be the man to beat. Add in the determination to finish third in the championship, Toprak could be on top. Again.

The battle for third is hotly contested between six WorldSBK race winners, and leading the scrap is Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team). Lowes, who leaves the team at the conclusion of 2019, will want to prove his worth and value by securing third in the world, although teammate Michael van der Mark seeks to pinch that position away from him. Both Yamaha riders struggled in Argentina last season, with Lowes bringing home the only top six in Race 2. In 2019 however, the Yamaha has been competitive at almost every track and with just five points separating the pair, it could be an explosive round for their rivalry.

Alex Lowes

“Last year was our first visit to Argentina and I really enjoyed it. The track itself is quite technical with some flowing changes of direction this, together with the fast parts and the long back straight make it a fun circuit to ride. It’s also got one of the best backdrops of any racetrack, with the surrounding mountains making it really cool. I’m fully focused on getting back to work on Friday, working on our setting to put us in the best position to fight for the podium on Saturday and Sunday, which is our target as always.”

Michael van der Mark

“I really enjoy going to Argentina. Last year was a difficult race for us but I’m pretty sure that it will be a lot better this year given the progress we’ve made. Our whole package has improved so I’m confident we will have another strong weekend Circuito San Juan Villicum in San Juan this weekend. We are in a really nice flow at the moment, so my goal is to once again be fighting for the top positions in the penultimate round of the season.”

Whilst still in with a mathematic chance of third overall, Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) couldn’t have suffered a difficult round in France at a worst time. Haslam has never raced at San Juan either, meaning that his hopes for third could mathematically be over as he learns the track, whilst everyone else picks up from where they left off in 2018. 

Leon Haslam

“Argentina next and I have never been there before, so it’s a new circuit for me, and that is something that I am obviously looking forward to. I watched the race last year and it looked quite exciting and fun, and the track had a lot of character to it. Going to this circuit is a new challenge but it’s something that I am looking forward to. It was a bit of a hard weekend in Magny Cours, with a crash and a few issues that we were struggling with. I hope to rectify that and get back to fighting for that podium.”

Haslam has a 16-point advantage over Chaz Davies, who in-turn is 14 points clear of Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) – neither of which achieved a podium at the circuit last year. It was announced this week that Haslam will be leaving the official KRT WorldSBK squad at the end of season 2019. 

Tom Sykes

“We are looking forward to going back to Argentina. The debut there last year was great. There were a lot of spectators who really showed a lot of passion for racing. It’s obviously a long journey going there but after that we have a great circuit layout. I feel that we can carry on in development with the information we have gained in the last couple of events. We have a very large uphill back straight at the circuit which obviously will not be our strong point, but the whole BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team is working hard and we will go there, give our best efforts and see where we can end up. After the weekend in Argentina I will be travelling to Brazil for an event for the new BMW S 1000 RR and that’s going to make it an eventful and exciting trip for me.”

A pole position and double podium for Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) last year in Argentina proves that he could be a star of the show in South America. Entering his own penultimate tango, Melandri will look to waltz up the order and dance to the podium once more, but there’s plenty of other Independent riders who will look to be the obstacle in that process. Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing – Yamaha) is in good form, as is Leon Camier (Moriwaki Althea Honda Team) who will look to consolidate his top ten pace from France. Eager to be back in the top ten is Eugene Laverty (Team Goeleven), who achieved his first top ten since returning from injury in Race 1 at Magny-Cours in ninth.

Argentina’s home-hero is Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), who was cruelly denied a top ten last season after a stone went through his radiator in Race 1. This time, he will be chasing his fifth top-ten of the season, where his best result has been sixth in the torrential rain of Donington Park.

There’s a whole host of riders who are making their debuts in Argentina that have not been mentioned, starting with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team), who secured a career-best Superpole result of fourth last time out. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Moriwaki Althea Honda Team) has never raced in Argentina at any circuit, so the whole experience will be new for him. Markus Reiterberger (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who is fighting for a place on the 2020 gird, is also making his first appearance at San Juan, along with WorldSBK rookie, Alessandro Delbianco (Althea Mie Racing Team).

World Superbike Championship Standings

Pos	Rider	Total
1	Jonathan Rea	544
2	Alvaro Bautista	415
3	Alex Lowes	279
4	Michael Van Der Mark	274
5	Toprak Razgatlioglu	260
6	Leon Haslam	239
7	Chaz Davies	223
8	Tom Sykes	209
9	Marco Melandri	171
10	Sandro Cortese	122
11	Jordi Torres	117
12	Loris Baz	114
13	Michael Ruben Rinaldi	109
14	Markus Reiterberger	68
15	Leandro Mercado	60
16	Eugene Laverty	54
17	Leon Camier	42
18	Alessandro Delbianco	22
19	Ryuichi Kiyonari	22
20	Lorenzo Zanetti	21
21	Peter Hickman	14
22	Thomas Bridewell	12
23	Yuki Takahashi	11
24	Michele Pirro	10
25	Samuele Cavalieri	6
26	Sylvain Barrier	3
27	Hector Barbera	3
28	Takumi Takahashi	1

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World Supersport reaches tipping point in Argentina
With the title on the line, who can achieve gold in the Land of Silver?

The 2019 FIM Supersport World Championship has already seen twists and turns at every opportunity. The Motul Argentinean Round hosts the penultimate round of the season, and the World Supersport title contenders look set to sparkle in South America. Mathematically, the championship can be decided this weekend; if Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) scores 16 points more than teammate Federico Caricasulo, he’s done it. Can he do it?

198 points coming into France, and on 198 points heading to Argentina, Randy Krummenacher suffered his first DNF in the WorldSSP category for three years, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Swiss rider may have ended the Pirelli French Round early but, for the time being, he is still in control at the head of the pack. A sixth in Argentina last year was solid, but he will almost certainly need to improve on that this season. Pressure builds, although the ball is still in his court.

On the other side of the garage, teammate Federico Caricasulo will be desperate to make up on his lost opportunity at Magny-Cours, crashing out of the lead when he looked certain to leave France with the championship advantage. Nevertheless, the Italian is still just 10 points behind his teammate, but now has one less race to reduce that gap. Having been on the podium in every race apart from the last one, Caricasulo heads to Argentina and a track that he failed to finish at in 2018…

The final contender for the championship is Jules Cluzel (GMT94 YAMAHA), who, despite not crashing at Magny-Cours, failed to make big gains on the leading duo. A sixth was all the Frenchman had, although he is now 38 points back of the championship lead. Sheer consistency and the occasional win has seen Cluzel remain in the title race but now, he needs some luck. In short, Cluzel must be on the podium at the very least and hope Krummenacher and Caricasulo finish down the order.

Whilst one Frenchman couldn’t achieve home success, another one excelled in front of a huge partisan audience. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) notched up his first win of the season and Kawasaki’s first since 2017, and heads to the Motul Argentinean Round with great confidence. Two races remain in 2019 and he has a mathematical chance of finishing third, although not in the overall title fight. Still yet to DNF in a race since Misano last year, can Mahias make it back-to-back victories?

Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) is one of just three riders who has finished every race of the 2019 WorldSSP season in the points and, after a fifth at Magny-Cours, he will take his search for a first podium to San Juan. The 26-year-old Japanese rider had good pace in Argentina last season, finishing eighth in the race having started down in 16th. In 2019, he aims to achieve the WorldSSP podium that has eluded him all year; will he end Japan’s 12-year wait for a World Supersport rostrum?

Completing the top six in the championship standings is Raffaele De Rosa (MV AGUSTA Reparto Corse), who leapfrogged Thomas Gradinger (Kallio Racing) in the standings at Magny-Cours. The Italian star has endured misfortune in 2019 and resumes his chase for a first win in WorldSSP. MV Agusta are still eagerly awaiting a first podium since Imola and will hope their barren spell will end in Argentina.

There’s plenty of other names to be enthusiastic about in Argentina, none less than Ayrton Badovini (Team Pedercini Racing), whose welcome return to the podium at Magny-Cours means that he can’t be discounted. Neither can Isaac Viñales (Kallio Racing), after being denied a first win the class at Magny-Cours. However, this will be a new track for the Spaniard. 

World Supersport 600 Championship Standings

Pos	Rider	Total
1	Randy Krummenacher	193
2	Federico Caricasulo	183
3	Jules Cluzel	155
4	Lucas Mahias	123
5	Hikari Okubo	93
6	Raffaele De Rosa	82
7	Thomas Gradinger	78
8	Corentin Perolari	68
9	Isaac Vinales	65
10	Ayrton Badovini	53
11	Peter Sebestyen	49
12	Loris Cresson	39
13	Jules Danilo	36
14	Hannes Soomer	33
15	Hector Barbera	22
16	Kyle Smith	17
17	Federico Fuligni	13
18	Lorenzo Gabellini	10
19	Jack Kennedy	9
20	Glenn Van Straalen	9
21	Rob Hartog	9
22	Jaimie Van Sikkelerus	9
23	Kevin Manfredi	8
24	Brad Jones	7
25	Miquel Pons	6
26	Massimo Roccoli	6
27	Tom Toparis	5
28	Maria Herrera	5
29	Gabriele Ruiu	4
30	Luca Ottaviani	4
31	Daniel Valle	3
32	Christian Stange	2
33	Xavier Navand	1
34	Mattia Casadei	1

AEDT Schedule

Source: MCNews.com.au

Haslam and KRT WorldSBK Team to part ways

British rider Leon Haslam will leave the official Kawasaki Racing Team at the end of the 2019 season after some strong showings in his first season back in the WorldSBK paddock after three years of successful BSB competition.

During the 2019 WorldSBK season it had been tipped that Toprak Razgatlioglu might replace Haslam at KRT in 2020 but the Turk has signed with Yamaha. That has left Alex Lowes without a ride for 2020, could KRT be about to sign another Brit’ alongside Rea for 2020…? 

After winning the BSB Championship title in 2018 Leon was brought into the KRT WorldSBK set-up to join forces with record-breaking champion Jonathan Rea.

He had an immediate positive impact inside the overall KRT awning which culminated in winning the Suzuka 8 Hours race in partnership with Jonathan on the Ninja ZX-10RR.

Leon’s six podium scores – so far – in his comeback year prove that his 2019 adventure was another positive step along his incredible career path, spanning WorldSBK, BSB, MotoGP and EWC series, always competing strongly when he had competitive machinery.

In 2019 so far Leon has scored two podiums apiece at Phillip Island, Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli and his much loved home circuit of Donington Park in England. He also scored a wildcard podium finish on a Kawasaki in 2017, at Donington, while riding for Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team. With races in Argentina and Qatar yet to come, the 36 year old Derbyshire based rider may yet increase his 2019 tally on the KRT Ninja ZX-10RR.

In a career that has spanned over 20 years of top-level international competition, Leon has an enviable WorldSBK record, both with Kawasaki and no fewer than five other manufacturers.

Guim Roda, KRT Team Manager

“KRT and KHI welcomed Leon into the team after a nine year period with Tom Sykes. It was an ideal chance for him to regain experience inside the WorldSBK paddock and an incentive after winning the British Superbike title plus previous success at the Suzuka 8-Hours.

“A primary target for 2019 was for Leon to experience the KRT way of working and to take his race rhythm and performance to a new level with goals like competing at Suzuka as a tempting prospect.

“Winning the 2019 8 Hours race with Jonathan Rea after a 25 year gap for Kawasaki was certainly an incredible achievement alongside regular top five placings in WorldSBK including several podium visits.

“To achieve all of this despite being away from WorldSBK for three years is testament to Leon’s skill as a rider – especially as he has endured injuries this year, many of which have not been apparent and have certainly not hindered his hunger for success. It is my hope that Leon can stay within the Kawasaki family for 2020 and use his KRT experience on factory Ninja machinery to achieve yet more success as well as competing again at the Suzuka 8-Hours. Everyone at KRT wishes Leon well for the future”.

Source: MCNews.com.au