Sunday
WorldSBK Race Two
After some frantic early action in the final WorldSBK Race of the weekend Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) made up for his earlier disappointments to win by a huge margin, having opted for dry tire choices when all around had mostly opted for intermediates. It was a crucial and ultimately successful choice.
He had led by 10 seconds with two laps to go, and eased out to his and Ducati’s first race win of 2021.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) was knocked off track by the ambitiously attempted pass of fast starter Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha) but both riders got going again, Gerloff from full crash mode.
Rea made a measured recovery from his unscheduled excursion to take a clear second place, despite strong pressure from his own team-mate Alex Lowes, who finished third today to take three podiums in three races.
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) made up huge ground to score fourth place, passing from his midfield start to end up just 1.6 seconds from a podium place. He was running inter/inter tires.
Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven Ducati) was to fall early on but Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) looked ready for a podium place until he dropped back, finishing fifth. Another potential podium rider, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was sixth, ten seconds from Rea’s second place final pace. Gerloff was a final seventh, with rookie rider Jonas Folger (Bonovo Racing MGM BMW) eighth. Two more rookies, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) rounded out the top 10 places.
2021 Aragon WorldSBK Results—Race Two
| 1 | Scott Redding | (Duc) | |
| 2 | Jonathan Rea | (Kaw) | +9.856s |
| 3 | Alex Lowes | (Kaw) | +10.434s |
| 4 | Tom Sykes | (BMW) | +12.094s |
| 5 | M. van der Mark | (BMW) | +16.234s |
WorldSBK Superpole Race
A wet start to the day was a rude surprise to the WorldSBK riders, who had to make the most of their short damp-to-wet Warm-Up session to make tire choices.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) opted for an Intermediate set, as did his team-mate Alex Lowes.
The track started to dry out slowly which determined the outcome for many riders.
After some early skirmishes between the Kawasaki riders and a determined but frustrated Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), on an R and R full rain tire option, he dropped back to be passed by several other riders and finish eighth.
With Rea the winner and Lowes again second, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha)
came through on the same Intermediate options to fight for the final podium place with Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven Ducati), also in an I-I choice. Gerloff would end up three seconds up on Davies for his first podium of 2021. Davies was again top Ducati rider.
Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the fastest man in the middle and end of the ten laps, having opted for slicks, with an SCX on the rear. He almost caught Davies, but finished fifth.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was sixth, Alvaro Bautista (HRC Honda) seventh, Redding eighth, and new Yamaha rider in 20201, Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha), ninth. Leon Haslam (HRC Honda) rounded out the top 10.
2021 Aragon WorldSBK Results—Superpole Race
| 1 | Jonathan Rea | (Kaw) | |
| 2 | Alex Lowes | (Kaw) | +3.506s |
| 3 | Garrett Gerloff | (Yam) | +5.051 |
| 4 | Chaz Davies | (Duc) | +8.908s |
| 5 | M. van der Mark | (BMW) | +10.175s |
WorldSSP Race Two
A crazy WorldSSP Race at Motorland saw those on full wets gain most at the beginning and those on intermediates, or split between inters and wets, come to the fore.
Steven Odendaal (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) won his second race of the opening weekend but only after a last corner outbraking manoeuvre on eventual second place rider Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki).
De Rosa chose a wet front and inter rear, and it looked like that would be the ideal option as he made so much ground up to join the leaders, and could keep their pace to the end. His second ride for Kawasaki, his first Kawasaki podium.
But nothing eclipsed the perfect start of Odendaal.
Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) recovered from his first day crash due to another rider to finish third, having looked a good bet for the win once he had taken the lead in the middle of the race. He had to start from the back of the grid due to a tyre pressure penalty, making his podium an incredible feat.
Early leader Philipp Öttl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) crashed after just two corners, on a cold tyre in the tricky surface.
Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing Yamaha) was fourth, Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) fifth, Christoffer Bergman (Wojcik Racing Team Yamaha) sixth and another early leader Marc Alcoba (Yamaha MS Racing) seventh.
Vertti Takala (Kallio Racing Yamaha), Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team) and Galag Hendra Pratama (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) completed the top ten.
One round down and Odendal leads with 50 points, Aergerter has 31 and De Rosa 27.
2021 Aragon WorldSSP Results—Race Two
| 1 | Steven Odendaal | (Yam) | |
| 2 | Raffaele De Rosa | (Yam) | +0.100s |
| 3 | Jules Cluzel | (Yam) | +0.334s |
| 4 | Hannes Soomer | (Yam) | +0.389s |
| 5 | Dominique Aegerter | (Yam) | +17.785 |
Saturday
WorldSBK
After securing pole position, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) secured the magic total of 100 race wins in WorldSBK after a start-to-finish domination of the opening 18 lap race at Motorland Aragon, winning by almost four seconds at the flag.
The next best winning rider in WorldSBK history is Carl Fogarty, with 59 race victories.
Rea and his team-mate Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) had the upper hand in the early laps, with Superpole winner Rea and fourth placed qualifier Lowes pitching in faster laps than any of their pursuers could reach, to ease out a one-second lead by lap two, and then a two-second advantage for most of the early laps.
Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was the closest challenger for a while, until lowly qualifier Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven Ducati) came through.
Lowes was to slow at half race distance and then be passed by Razgatlioglu and Davies, the latter having chosen an SCX tyre, sometimes used for full race distances but usually more suited to the ten lap sprint.
Lowes rallied with three laps to go and re-passed both Davies and Razgatlioglu, fighting from then on with the Turkish rider.
With Redding and Alvaro Bautista (HRC Honda) drawing themselves forward it was all on for a grandstand finish for the podium places behind Rea.
Bautista crashed on the final lap, spoiling his chances of a strong Honda start.
As Rea celebrated across the line Lowes had dug in to re-pass Razgatlioglu and take second on the run to the flag, with the Yamaha rider third.
Redding, who came close to recovering a podium, was fourth, Davies fifth.
Front row starter Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was sixth, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) seventh, Leon Haslam (HRC Honda) eighth and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha) ninth.
The top 10 was rounded out by rookie rider, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team).
2021 Aragon WorldSBK Results—Race One
| 1 | Jonathan Rea | (Kaw) | |
| 2 | Alex Lowes | (Kaw) | +3.965s |
| 3 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | (Yam) | +4.008s |
| 4 | Scott Redding | (Duc) | +4.242s |
| 5 | Chaz Davies | (Duc) | +4.615s |
WorldSSP
Steven Odendaal (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) won his first WorldSSP championship race after a thrilling fight with eventual second place rider Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha). The margin of victory was just 0.099 seconds after 15 laps of drama in slightly warmer conditions than those faced by the WorldSBK riders.
Early leader Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) and Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) ended up colliding after Tulli made contact from behind under a speculative passing manoeuvre, leaving eventual third place rider Philipp Öttl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in the lead for three laps.
He was eventually passed as his rear dropped grip and the podium positions were set by the final run to the line.
Odendaal’s first podium in this class also proved to be this Motorland race one win.
Luca Bernardi (CM Racing Yamaha) placed fourth, while former WorldSSP300 champion Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) scored his best career result to date of fifth place.
Federico Caricasulo (GMT94 Yamaha), back in WorldSSP after a year out in WorldSBK, was sixth.
Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing Yamaha) went seventh, a resurgent Christoffer Bergman (Wojcik Racing Team Yamaha) eighth and first time Kawasaki rider Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) ninth. Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) completed the top ten.
Former WorldSSP champion Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team) was 11th today. Maria Herrera (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing) was top WorldSSP Challenge rider at round one and 12th overall.
Danny Webb (WRP Wepol Racing Yamaha) was prevented from racing on Saturday after breaking his left wrist in testing, and not having enough movement back in his joint yet.
One more WorldSSP race remains at Motorland, before the paddock goes to Estoril in a week’s time.
2021 Aragon WorldSSP Results—Race One
| 1 | Steven Odendaal | (Yam) | |
| 2 | Dominique Aegerter | (Yam) | +0.099s |
| 3 | Philipp Oettl | (Kaw) | +2.635s |
| 4 | Luca Bernardi | (Kaw) | +3.956s |
| 5 | Manuel Gonzalez | (Yam) | +4.738s |
Friday
WorldSBK
The 2021 WorldSBK Championship got underway today with qualifying at MotorLand Aragon (Teruel, Spain), May 21.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) was fastest rider in the morning’s FP1 practice and that was to prove to be the fastest session. His 1:49.952 eased out independent riders Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven Ducati) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha) to second and third overall.
Davies’ loss of factory status in 2021 has proved to be immaterial for his pace so far as he took his satellite V4R to the top time in the afternoon session, although the hotter conditions held back the outright pace for most riders.
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was fourth quickest overall and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) fifth on the new Kawasaki. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was the top official Ducati rider, sixth, in front of his team-mate Scott Redding.
Alvaro Bautista (HRC Honda) was eighth, Tom Sykes ninth. The top BMW rider on the new M1000RR, Sykes; pace made it five different manufacturers inside the top three ’virtual’ rows of qualifying.
The top 10 was rounded out by Leon Haslam (HRC Honda).
A fast crash from new factory BMW rider Michael van Der Mark, with 10 minutes of FP2 completed, saw his bike puncture the air-fence and then start it smouldering, bringing out the red flags almost immediately. The restarted session continued with Davies topping FP2 times, but not quite posting the best times overall.
Now FP3, Superpole qualifying and a full distance race one will face the 23 Superbike riders at Motorland on Saturday.
2021 Aragon WorldSBK Results—Friday
| 1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | (Yam) | 1:49.952s |
| 2 | Chaz Davies | (Duc) | +0.308s |
| 3 | Garrett Gerloff | (Yam) | +0.490s |
| 4 | Alex Lowes | (Kaw) | +0.546s |
| 5 | Jonathan Rea | (Kaw) | +0.738s |
WorldSSP
It may be three years since Niki Tuuli’s (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) last appearance in the FIM Supersport World Championship but the Finnish rider topped both Free Practice sessions at MotorLand Aragon for the Pirelli Aragon Round as he looks to immediately add to his race wins tally upon his return to the class, posting a time of 1’54.394s in the morning Free Practice session.
The recent experience of both Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was not enough to overhaul Tuuli at the top of the timesheets, with Odendaal finishing less than a tenth away from the Finnish rider. Oettl was another four tenths back in third place as both the German and South African riders search for their first wins in WorldSSP.
2021 Aragon WorldSSP Results—Friday
| 1 | Niki Tuuli | (MVA) | 1:54.394s |
| 2 | Steven Odendaal | (Yam) | +0.073s |
| 3 | Philipp Oettl | (Kaw) | +0.434s |
| 4 | Jules Cluzel | (Yam) | +0.653s |
| 5 | Federico Caricasulo | (Yam) | +0.687s |
Gordon Ritchie
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