2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship
Round 13 Indonesia, Mandalika

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After day one at the all-new track, it was Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) who set the benchmark in both FP1 and FP2, the Turk looking to build on a successful Friday to clinch the Championship and defeat Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). Both riders are in the fight for the title, and it could be the battle we’ve been hoping for.

Razgatlioglu got down to a strong pace straight away, despite being a little bit late to his pit box at the start of the session. However, he was unflappable and unstoppable, taking to the circuit and going quicker than his morning time, before concluding the day on top with a 1’34.230. On fine form at a brand-new track, Razgatlioglu stole a march and is the firm favourite going into the remainder of the weekend, just under two tenths clear having sported a 1.5s advantage in the morning. On the other side of the garage and aiming to end his rookie season well, Andrea Locatelli did many laps with Razgatlioglu as he set about learning the circuit and was inside the top three for most of the session before finishing eighth overall.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – P1

“Today we start very fast! Also, I’m feeling very good and I like this track, it is fun to ride. I’m very happy for this last race of the year also because Indonesia is a Muslim country and the feeling is a little like home, I’m really happy for this! Now, I’m feeling that we are ready to race, but we will see tomorrow, I try again, I’m fighting again. We will see, everybody is fast, everybody improves and they will also try their best, but tomorrow we only try to win.”

After losing more than 20 minutes in the pits in FP1 during the morning, Jonathan Rea was out to make amends in FP2 and the afternoon session. The Ulsterman, fighting for a seventh successive title but 30 points down on Championship leader Razgatlioglu in the standings, had a much stronger FP2 session and led sporadically in the opening stages. However, he was demoted soon after but remained a solid feature inside the top three, chipping away in each sector and making incremental improvements to finish second overall.

Jonathan Rea – P2

“The track is nice, the layout is nice, but it is just quite dirty out there, especially off line. FP2 was a big step compared to FP1 with a lot of rubber laid down. The layout is very good and it has a different character. The last corner is a bit like Termas in Argentina. T1 feels almost like Donington. Turn Two to Three is like a smaller version of Misano T1 and T2. The middle sectors are really fast and they are where you make the lap time. If the bike is working a little bit better then you carry all that speed through. I spent more than half the session in the pitbox this morning which had a knock-on effect to learn the track. But in FP2 I think we did a positive job to find a good rhythm and the bike is working OK. There is still margin to improve in some areas, so I am quite optimistic to fight tomorrow in Race One.”

Back in action and returning from injury, teammate Alex Lowes finished day in seventh despite an early fall at Turn 2 and hopes to help his teammate out throughout the weekend.


Alex Lowes – P7

“The plan was to get as many laps in as possible at this new circuit. We managed to achieve that. In the afternoon we did plenty of laps and we tried a couple of things working with the tyre options. The front tyre seemed to be a little bit critical on tyre wear but this afternoon it was a little bit better. As the track improves, in terms of more rubber being laid down, the grip will be a bit better. The layout of the track is really good and it is enjoyable to ride. The section from Turn Three all the way to Turn Ten has a lot of changes of direction. It’s a relatively fast section, which is good fun to ride. For a first day it has been really good. I am really happy to be here in the Mandalika Circuit and I’m looking forward to some improvements tomorrow.”

The battle for top Independent is to be fought this weekend and currently leading the fight by 14 points, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was back to his old self, inside the top three throughout the day and finishing third come the chequered flag at the end of the afternoon. However, Gerloff hasn’t got the battle won just yet, as Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) had a strong opening day. The rookie Italian is in good form and finished the day in tenth overall. Come the races, it promises to be an intriguing battle.

Garrett Gerloff – P3

“Awesome Friday here at Mandalika. The track was a bit dirty this morning, but it soon cleaned up and in the second session it had a lot of grip. It seems like this circuit was made on purpose for our Yamaha R1, and everything is working really well. We made some setup changes too today, taking a little bit of a different direction, and I really like them. I think we have a strong package for tomorrow. I am excited to come back in the morning and see what happens.”

It was a strong session for Honda as Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) blasted up the order in the closing stages of FP2 to go fourth, having been sixth in FP1. It wasn’t the most straightforward day for the Spaniard though, as he had technical problems at the start. He was in fine form though, with a strong time at the end of FP2 putting him as one of the front-runners.

Alvaro Bautista – P4

“Riding at Mandalika is a lot of fun, the track offering a bit of everything, with strong braking and fast corners. There are still a couple of places where I don’t have a clear idea of the best reference points, but generally it’s a fun track. This morning we lacked a little grip, especially through turn one and another couple of corners, but the conditions gradually improved and we were able to set some good times in the afternoon. We worked on the gearbox and the feeling was positive, and we have two rear tyres for the race but choosing is difficult right now because the track will definitely change again tomorrow. It’s just a shame I didn’t digest my food well between sessions, as this left me with stomachache both during FP2 and afterwards when I got off the bike. Stomachache and a headache that I hope will disappear quickly after some rest so that I can be one hundred percent tomorrow and ready to take full advantage of this enjoyable track with our bike“.

Teammate Leon Haslam reiterated Honda’s strengths, finishing in sixth overall. Both riders will leave the team after the weekend, with Bautista heading back to the factory Ducati team, whilst Haslam’s future is to be confirmed.

Leon Haslam – P6

“The situation with my shoulder is frustrating because it looks like the circuit suits the Honda and I’m really enjoying the track, but I need to be able to make 21 laps and not just one. Unfortunately I’m in some pain after surgery, so we need to make a plan with the Clinica to see how we can manage the situation this weekend. That said, today’s lap times aren’t bad, and we’re just a few tenths from the front, time that I think we’re losing through the last two corners. So I feel competitive over most of the lap and now we’ll see what we can do tomorrow. The layout and flow of the circuit is great, and the Honda likes this kind of track as I’ve said, so it can be an exciting and enjoyable one for us, shoulder depending”.

Fifth place went to Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with the British rider having a solid but unassuming start to his Pirelli Indonesian Round. Redding was outside of the top ten going into the final stint of the session but put together some strong times to elevate himself up the order. He leads Ducati’s charge this weekend, as the Italian manufacturer are just 16 points behind Yamaha in the manufacturers’ Championship standings. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was 11th overall and will aim to find something to put himself back into the mix for the rest of the round.

Top BMW honours went to Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with the Dutchman coming to what is a second-home round, with him having Indonesian heritage. Van der Mark took ninth overall and was a feature inside the top ten at various points, something that shows good signs on Friday for someone who hasn’t always been in the top half of the leaderboard after day one. Teammate Tom Sykes returns for his final weekend of racing in the team, with his future also unconfirmed. The 2013 World Champion took 13th overall as he bedded himself back in, although he did suffer a crash at Turn 6 in FP1. Both BMWs hope to end their season strongly, with it being the M 1000 RR’s first in WorldSBK.

One of the bigger surprises during Indonesia’s opening day was Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), with the Spaniard coming on strongly and even featuring inside the top three at points through FP1. Finishing 12th overall, he was the best Independent Kawasaki, less than three quarters of a second behind Razgatlioglu’s top time. Next Independent was Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) who was likewise looking good, ahead of Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven). The Welshman is in his swansong weekend and was 15th on day one, ahead of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team), Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport Yamaha) and Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing). Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) and Oliver Konig (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) brought up the rear, with Konig finding more than four seconds compared to his FP1 time, following a crash at Turn 2.

WorldSBK Combined Friday Practice Times

WorldSBK Championship Points

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World Supersport

Krummenacher left it late in the second 45-minute session to go to the top of the timesheets as he posted a 1’36.726s, finishing 0.182s clear of his nearest rivals to post the fastest time of the day; with every rider setting their best lap time in the afternoon after the first morning session. Krummernacher’s Swiss compatriot, Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was second with a 1’36.908s; the two Swiss riders the only riders in the 1’36s bracket. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) claimed third place as the lead Kawasaki rider, more than three tenths away from Krummenacher’s pace.

Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) had set the fastest time in Free Practice 1 and had been at the top of the timesheets throughout FP2 before being overhauled by Krummenacher, Aegerter and De Rosa, eventually claiming fourth place. Federico Caricasulo (VFT Racing), competing for his third team in 2021, claimed fifth place ahead of his former teammate, Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha), who rounded out the top six. Caricasulo had a technical issue and a crash at the end of the first session.

WorldSBK-bound Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) found plenty of time to move into seventh place in the combined classification, with Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) in eighth. Finnish rider Tuuli lost some track time in FP1 as he looked to take to the track, but responded in both sessions to claim eighth place. South African rider Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. Yamaha WorldSSP Team) claimed ninth place ahead of teammate Peter Sebestyen in tenth.

Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 11th in the combined standings as the Turkish rider looked to get off to a strong start at the new venue, with Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) in 12th. Debise had a crash in FP1 after a highside at Turn 5, but he was able to re-join the circuit following his crash.

Spanish rider Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) claimed 13th place, eight tenths away from Debise, as his adjustment to WorldSSP continues following a mid-season step up from WorldSSP300. Finland’s Vertti Takala (Kallio Racing) was 14th with Swedish rider Christoffer Bergman (Wojick Racing Team) rounding out the top 15.

Estonian rider Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) was 16th ahead of home hero Galang Hendra Pratama (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in 17th; the Indonesian just 0.010s away from Soomer as well as a tenth clear of Andres Gonzalez (VFT Racing) as he returned to WorldSSP following his debut last time out in Argentina. Daniel Valle (Yamaha MS Racing) is another returning rider and he finished in 19th place, ahead of Dutch duo Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) and Jeffrey Buis (G.A.P. MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti); van Straalen having a highside in the closing stages of FP2 at the Turn 2 and 3 complex.

WorldSSP Combined Friday Practice Times

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WorldSSP Championship Points

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Pirelli Indonesian Round 13 Schedule

Source: MCNews.com.au