Gordon Ritchie | March 17, 2019
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSBK Race Two
Six races into the Superbike World Championship and the combination of the new Aruba.it Ducati Panigale V4R and Alvaro Bautista have won six times. Convincingly so on each occasion, too.
In the final race of the Chang International Circuit weekend, Bautista was not seriously bothered by any of his rivals. The Spaniard broke free and set a consistently faster pace as the race unwound to all 20 laps. He ended up 10.053 seconds up on the next best rider.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) and his race-long shadow Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) competed for second place. Rea scored his sixth straight runner-up spot in 2019 to date. Lowes lost some his pace towards the end; Rea finishing 2.3 seconds ahead of the Yamaha rider at the flag.
Another close fight for the off podium spots saw Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team), Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha) in contention, sometimes dramatically.
VDM was fourth, Haslam fifth and Melandri sixth.
Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha) joined the three-rider group in front or a spell but finished seventh.
On a strong new Ducati package, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Barni Racing Team Ducati) was a similarly lonely eighth.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) and Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) pitted their Ninjas against each other for ninth. Turkish rider came out on top.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had been up as far as fifth place. But unlike Bautista’s, his bike gave out on him and he pulled in to retire. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was another not to finish the final race in Thailand. Leon Camier (Moriwaki-Althea Honda Racing Team) was one of the non-starters, tweaking his knee in his sprint race crash.
In the championship, Bautista has 124 points, Rea 98, Lowes 69, Van Der Mark 61 and Melandri 54.
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSBK Race Two
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSSP Race
Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) held his nerve and his pace as the riders behind battled for the final podium positions at Chang, with the French rider winning by 0.939 seconds from teammates Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) and Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha).
Krummenacher had been down in the middle order at the start of the race. But the Swiss worked his way through to what looked an unlikely second place for much of the 17-lap race.
Caricasulo and Isaac Vinales (Kallio Racing Yamaha) had a fight for third at the end, with the Italian winning out.
Thomas Gradinger (Kallio Racing Yamaha) had to pull out of the race with a technical problem while he was in fourth place, but not before his bike had blown blue smoke out for some time.
Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) picked up fifth place after passing Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) late on. The Japanese rider had been up to third at the beginning of the race but dropped back as faster bikes passed him on the long straights.
Hector Barbera (Team Toth by Willirace) overtook struggling 2017 champion Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) for seventh.
Loris Cresson (Kallio Racing Yamaha) headed off the challenge of Hannes Soomer (MPM WILSport Racedays Honda) to take ninth.
In the points standings after two rounds, Krummenacher and Cluzel have 45 apiece, Caricasulo 32 and Barbera 22.
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSSP Race
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSBK Superpole Race
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) looked like winning the Tissot-Superpole sprint race at Chang International Circuit on Sunday lunchtime even if it had reached its full 10-lap duration.
He got to win it four laps early in any case after a red flag was thrown when local wildcard Thitipong Warokorn (Kawasaki Thailand Racing Team) crashed at turn three and needed medical attention.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), chasing hard behind the leader Bautista, was classified second. The final podium place went to Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team).
Lowes headed up his teammate Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team). Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team) was fifth, winning a battle from Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha) and Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha).
Still struggling by his own high standards, Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was eighth. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) was ninth and Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 10th.
The final 20-lap race two will take place later this afternoon, at 16.00hrs in Thailand.
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSBK Superpole Race
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSBK Race One
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) fought out a closely contested WorldSBK opening race over the first ten laps, including a near-crash for Bautista in the early laps when Rea re-passed him on the inside of the hairpin and they made contact.
Bautista set a new lap record of 1:32.724 on lap nine as he escaped Rea. However, running wide with six laps to go, meant Rea clawed back some ground on his rival. Bautista slammed in 1:32-sec laps near the end to extend his lead over Rea again. Rea slowed significantly near the end., finishing eight seconds down.
Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and his team-mate Michael van der Mark battled for third place, with Lowes taking the podium.
Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha) had a tussle for fifth, with Haslam winning out.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Barni Racing Team Ducati) had a lonely ride in seventh for a time but rookie Superbike rider Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha) caught him before the end, taking the seventh place off him.
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had a blinding start to finish fourth from his sixth place grip spot. However, he dropped back to finish ninth.
A four-rider fight for tenth place saw Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) lead Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki), Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) and top Honda rider Leon Camier (Moriwaki-Althea Honda Racing Team).
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) crashed out but got going to score a point in 15th place.
One sprint race and one full race remain tomorrow, as Bautista takes an 18-point lead over Rea into Sunday in Thailand.
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSBK Race One
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSSP Superpole
Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) took his first Superpole win of the 20129 season after just missing out on a new track best lap during his push for the best starting place for Sunday’s race. This was his 21st WorldSSP pole position success.
Phillip Island race winner Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) and Cluzel battled each other for the Superpole win. The Frenchman headed off the Swiss by only 0.029 seconds.
Despite losing one fast lap for exceeding the track limits, ebullient Italian Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) was third fastest, just 0.089 seconds from pole.
Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was a surprise fourth quickest, earning the status of top Kawasaki well beyond his Friday best.
Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) delivered more variety into the top five places, with his three-cylinder machine, while new WorldSSP rider Isaac Vinales (Kallio Racing Yamaha) completed the second row of the grid in sixth place.
Thomas Gradinger (Kallio Racing Yamaha) was seventh, Hector Barbera (Team Toth by Willirace) eighth and former World Champion Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) ninth. Ayrton Badovini (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) ended Superpole tenth, and just over a second back from the leading rider.
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSSP Superpole
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSBK Saturday Superpole
All the World Superbike and World Supersport results and news from the Buriram Circuit in Thailand.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) scored his first ever WorldSBK Superpole win. He seta stunning new track best time of 1:31.912.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) scored second place with a last gasp 1:32.341. This was also under the old track best, however, was 0.429 seconds behind Bautista.
Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) secured third place and a front row start for the first race later today.
Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha) continued his good form from Friday into Superpole, taking fourth place and displacing the second factory Ninja of Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team) late in the 15-minute session.
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) made it four different bikes in the first two rows. He finished sixth, despite still missing some power on the straights. He was just under a second from Bautista.
Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha) placed seventh, heading up row three, with two Ducati riders behind – Eugene Laverty (Team GoEleven Ducati) and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) completed the top ten, 1.331 seconds behind the remarkable Bautista.
Markus Reiterberger (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was 11th and Leon Camier (Moriwaki-Althea Honda Racing Team) 12th.
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSBK Saturday Superpole
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSBK Qualifying
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) carried on his triple WorldSBK race-winning form from the opening round in Australia to record the fastest practice lap of day one at the Chang International Circuit.
His best of 1:32.971 was just outside the track best, and almost three-tenths of a second faster than four-time champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team).
A four-rider Yamaha running flush saw rookie WorldSBK runner Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha) third fastest, with Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team), Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha) completing the top six.
Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team) placed his factory Kawasaki seventh, as he reacquainted himself with the Chang layout.
Eugene Laverty (Team GoEleven Ducati), another former Aprilia factory rider, was eighth on his Ducati V4 R ahead of the leading Honda of Leon Camier (Moriwaki-Althea Honda Racing Team).
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was tenth, just over a second from Bautista, and top BMW rider on day one.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was 11th, suffering a technical problem in FP1 that lost him some track time.
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSBK Qualifying Times
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSBK Qualifying
Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) put his name at the top of the WorldSSP timing sheets. The Frenchman took a 0.190-second advantage over Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha).
On another strong day for the Yamaha runners, Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) was third quickest. Former MotoGP rider Hector Barbera (Team Toth by Willirace) was fourth. Austrian rising star Thomas Gradinger (Kallio Racing Yamaha) was fifth.
The first non-Yamaha rider on day one was sixth-placed Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse). New Supersport runner Isaac Vinales (Kallio Racing Yamaha) was seventh.
Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Ayrton Badovini (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) completed the top 10.
The first Honda home belonged to Dutch rider Jaimie van Sikkelerus (MPM WILSport Racedays Honda), in 11th place.
Thailand WorldSBK Results 2019, WorldSSP Qualifying Times
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