Heavy rain postpones WorldSBK race 1 in Indonesia

Heavy rain on Saturday afternoon at the Mandalika circuit in Indonesia, forced the postponement of world superbike race one till Sunday, and the cancellation of the Sunday Tissot Superpole Race.

The extreme weather has added further complexities to the title-deciding final round of the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, between Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu and Kawasaki’s six-time world champion, Jonathan Rea. Razgatlioglu leads Rea by 30 points going into the last battle, and the cancellation of the Superpole Race means that there are now only 50 points up for grab, rather than 62.

The scenario sits as this: If Razgatlioglu loses fewer than five points to Rea in Race 1, he will be crowned Champion in Race 1. If Razgatlioglu loses more than five points to Rea, the battle will go down to the final race of the final round.

New Sunday Schedule, all times are local time (GMT+8). The World SBK race 1 will take place at 2pm Australian Eastern Standard Summer time and race 2 will run at 6pm local time. Catch the action on Foxtsports Channel 507 or KAYO.

09:00: WorldSBK Warm-Up
09:25: WorldSSP Warm-Up
11:00: WorldSBK Race 1 (21 Laps) 2pm AEST
12:30: IATC Race 3 – (12 Laps, new race distance)
13:30: WorldSSP Race 2 (19 Laps)
15:00 WorldSBK Race 2 (21 Laps) 6pm AEST

WorldSBK Qualifying

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’32.877s (New Lap Record)
2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.324s
3. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.379s

WorldSBK Race 1: Razgatlioglu crowned 2021 WorldSBK Champion, with Rea winning intense race one at Mandalika

A dramatic WorldSBK race one sees Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu seal the 2021 WorldSBK Championship, unearthing the veteran Jonathan Rea after his six-year reign

Turkey’s star rider, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Team) has claimed the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship after a dramatic race one at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit on the island of Lombok in Indonesia. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took the race victory, but Razgatlioglu’s second place was enough for him to clinch the championship and become the first ever Turkish rider to win the WorldSBK title.

At 25 years, he becomes the third youngest rider to win the championship in its 33 year history and the first rider to dethrone six-time WorldSBK Champion, Northern Ireland’s Jonathan Rea. Toprak is the protégé of former WorldSSP champion, Turkey’s Kenan Sofuoglu.

His second place gave him a 25-point advantage over Rea with one race to run – but his title victory was secure on a countback of most wins for the season. His 2021 journey with Yamaha has seen him amass 13 wins, 29 podiums and 3 pole positions to clinch the season title for 2021.

Toprak Razgatlioglu: “First, I want to say thank you to my family and to Kenan Sofuoglu because we are a big family. Also, thanks to my team, they did an incredible job this year. Sometimes we crashed, sometimes we had good races and finally we are here. I’m really happy. It’s a special day for me today because this Championship is for my dad. It has always been my dream. He’s not here anymore, he passed away, but I feel he is watching. I’m really happy. It’s an incredible day for me and we are World Champion. Thanks to everyone!”

TITLE RIVALS FIGHT IT OUT

Despite some rain falling prior to the start of race one, which was delayed and shortened to 20 laps from the original 21, all riders started on slick tyres.

Polesitter, Razgatlioglu lost ground as the lights went out but battled his way back to lead the race at the start of lap three after overtaking Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) into the right-hander of turn one. Behind, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) was making his way through the field to briefly lead the race after passing Rea on lap four at turn 12 and then Razgatlioglu on lap five at turn ten.
At the end of lap five, Rea forced his way through on Bassani on the exit of turn 16 before Razgatlioglu followed through at turn one at the start of lap six, before Rea and Razgatlioglu exchanged first place throughout lap six. Rea eventually re-claimed the lead and started lapping around one tenth quicker than his title rival, who remained in second place. On lap nine, Razgatlioglu took the lead with a move on Rea into turn ten. Lap ten featured yet another change for the lead as Rea passed Razgatlioglu into turn 16, before Razgatlioglu responded straight away into turn one. On the same lap Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed second place from Rea with a similar move that Rea made on Razgatlioglu at turn 16.

Turn 16 continued to provide drama as Razgatlioglu ran wide into the long left-hander at the penultimate corner, losing the lead of the race to Redding, and Rea moved into second place with the Turkish star re-joining in third place. Although he lost the two positions, he started chipping away at the gap chasing down the lead two riders. Rea took control of the race on lap 16, before Redding lost ground trying to respond to Rea’s move allowing Razgatlioglu to close the gap. Redding lost more time at turn 16 and, despite defending into turn 17, Razgatlioglu made the title-winning overtake on lap 18 at turn one.

Razgatlioglu closed the gap to Rea throughout the final two laps but claimed second place behind Rea to take the 2021 title; although the gap is 25 points, Razgatlioglu has won more full-length races than Rea with Tissot Superpole Races not counting in the event of a tie.

The top three in the Championship are now locked into place; Razgatlioglu in first, Rea in second and Redding in third. It means Razgatlioglu has claimed Yamaha’s first title since the 2009 season, when they won with American Ben Spies, and ended Rea’s run of consecutive titles at six. The Turkish star, at 25 years, one month and five days, becomes the third-youngest champion of all time, behind James Toseland and Troy Corser. Rea’s victory means he has now won at 21 different circuits, a record for wins at different venues in WorldSBK.

BASSANI CONTINUES TO IMPRESS

Bassani ran in the top three for the majority of the first half of the race and briefly led the race, before he eventually dropped back from the leading three. He eventually finished in fifth place after losing out to Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) in the closing stages of the race, as Locatelli made up ground as track conditions continued to improve.

He had also made a move on Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to move into fifth place and push the Dutch rider down to sixth place; van der Mark showed strong pace again in the difficult conditions as he looked to challenge for a podium, but ultimately fell to sixth place. Locatelli’s fourth place means he moves into fourth in the Championship standings, one point clear of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), while van der Mark could still claim fifth from Rinaldo.

FINISHING IN THE TOP TEN

Alvaro Bautista’s penultimate race for Team HRC saw him claim seventh place after withstanding a late charge from Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven), with Davies looking to end his WorldSBK career on a high note. Argentinean rider Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) claimed ninth place after another strong performance, beating Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) who claimed tenth. Sykes had been running inside the top six in the early stages of the race before dropping back.

CLAIMING POINTS

Despite a strong start and running in the top positions in the early stages of the race, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished in 11th place; with Bassani in fifth, the battle for Top Independent Rider in 2021 will go down to the final race. Rinaldi finished in 12th place as he lost ground in the race for fourth place in the standings.

Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was another who had strong early race pace but dropped back slightly in the closing stages, finishing in 13th. Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) claimed 14th place with Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claiming the final points-paying position.

TO NOTE

Oliver König (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) had made a good start from the back of the grid but had a crash at turn three on lap two from a points-paying position, which put the Czech rider out of the race. Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) was another retirement following a turn one crash in the latter stages of the race, while Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) also retired from the race.

WorldSBK Race 1 Podium

1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.670s
3. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.155s

WorldSBK Race 2: Rea doubles up in Indonesia with wet-weather WorldSBK victory after thrilling battles

The season ended with an incredible battle between second and third in the Championship in a rain-affected shortened Race 2

A shortened Race 2 for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit provided plenty of drama in wet conditions, with a delay to the start due to weather conditions meaning the race was run to a reduced 12 laps, down from the originally planned 21 laps. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) doubled up on victories in Indonesia as he battled it out with Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) for victory.

A WET WEATHER MASTERCLASS FROM REA AND REDDING…

As the race got underway, newly crowned Champion Toprak Razgatligolu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) kept the lead from the race, with the lead five quickly looking to break away. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) were able to break away with relentless pace as they battled it out for Race 2 honours.

Rea and Redding both exchanged first place as they looked to end the season on the top step of the rostrum, including a superb move around the outside of the Ducati rider on Lap 7, although Redding was able to respond. As the final lap started, Redding was able to make a move into Turn 1 before Rea responded into Turn 10. Heading into Turn 16, Redding went up the inside of Rea but ran wide, allowing Rea to move back into the lead of the race and claim his second victory at Mandalika for the 215th podium of his career. Redding’s second place earnt Ducati their 660th race on the podium.

INTENSE BATTLE FOR THE PODIUM

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) got a good start to be in the lead group of five riders, and on Lap 4 he looked to move up the order into a podium place. Into Turn 17, Bassani and Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) made contact and Bassani crashed out of the race, with the incident placed under investigation by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards, with no further action taken. On the run to Turn 17, Bassani and Razgatlioglu were battling which allowed van der Mark to get alongside Bassani on the exit.

Van der Mark and Razgatlioglu battled it out for third place with the former teammates going head-to-head for the final place on the podium, with van der Mark passing the 2021 Champion on Lap 7 to claim his third podium of the 2021 and the 50th podium placement in WorldSBK for BMW. Razgatlioglu came home in fourth place meaning the gap between him and Rea at the end of the season was 13 points, while it also secured the Manufacturers’ Championship for Yamaha for only the second time; Yamaha winning the Riders’, Teams’ and Manufacturers’ titles in 2021.

ROUNDING OUT 2021 IN THE TOP TEN

Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished his BMW stint with a top five finish in the wet conditions, finishing three seconds clear of Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in sixth place. Gerloff’s result, coupled with Bassani’s retirement, meant Gerloff claimed the Best Independent Rider award for 2021. He finished ahead of teammate Kohta Nozane in seventh place, the best of his rookie season in WorldSBK as he ended the season on a high.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) finished in eighth place after a battle with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in Race 2. Although Rinaldi did get ahead of Locatelli on track, he had a crash at Turn 6 which forced him out of the race and allowed Locatelli to claim fourth in the Championship standings. Following the race, Rinaldi was transported to RSUD NTB Hospital by air ambulance for further assessments after being diagnosed with a cervical strain. Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) ended his rookie campaign with his best result of the season with ninth, ahead of fellow Spaniard Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC); whose Team HRC career ended with a top ten finish.

TAKING HOME POINTS

Frenchman Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) finished 11th place after he battled with the retiring Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) in the closing stages of the race, with Davies ending his WorldSBK career with 99 podiums, 32 victories and 2999.5 points. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished in 13th place and Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) was 14th and the last of the classified riders.

TO NOTE

Despite a good start and running in the top six, Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) crashed out of the race at Turn 14.

Oliver König (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) was declared unfit after a Race 1 crash, where he was diagnosed with a minimal head injury. Leon Haslam’s Team HRC farewell came to a premature end after he was declared unfit with a right shoulder functional impairment and missed both races, while Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was declared unfit with a right acromioclavicular join separation.

WorldSBK Race 2 Podium

1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.283s
3. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +7.437s

2021 WorldSBK Championship Standings

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 564 points
2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 551 points
3. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 501 points

WorldSSP Race 1: De Rosa does it at last: the Italian takes maiden WorldSSP victory in rain-hit Mandalika Race 1

A long wait is over as Raffaele De Rosa claimed his first WorldSSP win after resisting late-race pressure from the 2021 Champion, Dominique Aegerter

The drama throughout the 19-lap FIM Supersport World Championship was relentless at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit in Race 1 for the Pirelli Indonesian Round as Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) claimed victory in a rain-impacted opening race. The rain started to fall just before the race started before getting harder in the opening stages, with riders who opted to stay out on slick tyres benefitting as the rain eased after a short period.

RAIN THREATENS TO PLAY A MAJOR PART…

The rain started to fall in the opening four laps of the race, with the race lead being held by numerous riders looked to take control of the race. At around the halfway stage, De Rosa was able to break away at the front of the field in search of his maiden victory, with the Italian rider claiming his first WorldSSP victory at the 89th time of asking.

De Rosa withstood pressure from 2021 Champion Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in the final two laps of the race as he held on to claim Kawasaki’s 45th WorldSSP win and end a streak of 21 Yamaha victories stretching back to Estoril 2020, when Lucas Mahias claimed victory. De Rosa’s victory means he becomes the third-oldest rider to claim their maiden WorldSSP victory, at 34 years, 7 months and 26 days old. He is also the first Italian to win on a Kawasaki in WorldSSP.

Federico Caricasulo (VFT Racing) claimed the first podium for VFT Racing in his debut race for the team, his third of the 2021 season. He had led the race in the opening stages, including on the first lap as he overtook Aegerter at Turn 10, but fell back to third as Aegerter found some late-race pace. Podiums for Aegerter and Caricasulo mean Yamaha have now claimed 50 podiums in the 2021 season.

TO NOTE…

Vertti Takala (Kallio Racing) was the first rider to retire from the race after he had a Lap 8 crash at the final corner, the left-hander of Turn 17. Although he was able to re-join the race following the crash, the Finnish rider brought his bike back to the pit lane a lap later. Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) retired from the race after he had a technical issue on Lap 12 of 19, while the two riders who pitted for intermediate tyres when the rain fell, home hero Galang Hendra Pratama (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Christoffer Bergman (Wojick Racing Team), also were not classified.

French rider Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) came into the Indonesian Round as the form rider, with three wins in the last four races, but had to battle his way back from 13th place to claim fourth place, missing out on a podium by half-a-second against his former teammate. Another rider who had their turn leading the race was Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team), but the Moto2™-bound rider fell down to fifth place. Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) was sixth despite losing time as the rain fell with a huge moment exiting the final corner, but he was able to respond to claim a top-six finish. The results for Odendaal mean he will finish the Championship in second place while Gonzalez is guaranteed third place in the standings.

Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was seventh, but like most of the riders ahead of him, had his time battling for the lead of the race before he claimed seventh place, just two tenths away from Odendaal. 2019 Champion Randy Krummenacher (CM Racing) started the weekend strongly after topping Friday practice and also showed strong pace in the first half of the race, before eventually claiming eighth place, half-a-second clear of Estonia’s Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing). Peter Sebestyen (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) rounded out the top ten, nine seconds away from Soomer.

TAKING HOME POINTS

Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) claimed his best result since a mid-season switch to WorldSSP with 11th place, while Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) extended his points-scoring run to 20 races with 12th. Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) was 13th after starting from 20th on the grid, ahead of Andres Gonzalez (VFT Racing) and Daniel Valle (Yamaha MS Racing) who rounded out the points-paying position. Jeffrey Buis (G.A.P. MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti) was the last of the classified riders in 16th.

TO NOTE…

Vertti Takala (Kallio Racing) was the first rider to retire from the race after he had a Lap 8 crash at the final corner, the left-hander of Turn 17. Although he was able to re-join the race following the crash, the Finnish rider brought his bike back to the pit lane a lap later. Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) retired from the race after he had a technical issue on Lap 12 of 19, while the two riders who pitted for intermediate tyres when the rain fell, home hero Galang Hendra Pratama (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Christoffer Bergman (Wojick Racing Team), also were not classified.

WorldSSP Race 1 Podium

1. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura)
2. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.105s
3. Federico Caricasulo (VFT Racing) +3.108s

WorldSSP Race 2: 13th to first: Cluzel takes epic WorldSSP Race 2 win with final corner showdown

The WorldSSP season ended with last-corner drama as Jules Cluzel claimed an incredible victory from 13th on the grid

The 2021 FIM Supersport World Championship campaign came to a thrilling conclusion at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit as Race 2 was decided at the final corner after an incredible 19-lap battle, with Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) taking his fourth win in the final three rounds. The top four were separated by just 0.714s at the end of Race 2 for the Pirelli Indonesian Round.

CARICASULO AND ÖNCÜ CHARGE EARLY ON

Federico Caricasulo (VFT Racing) was a fast starter as he moved immediately into the lead of the race with a move into Turn 1, with Turkish star Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) also making progress as the lights went out for the 19-lap race, with Öncü taking the lead on the opening lap before Caricasulo started fighting back. The Italian was able to close the gap to Öncü before making his move at Turn 10 on Lap 9 to re-gain the lead of the race.

Despite taking the lead of the race, the Italian was unable to pull a gap to Öncü, allowing Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) to close the gap, with the Finnish rider moving from third to first in one move at Turn 16 as he ducked under both Öncü and Caricasulo, while Öncü passed Caricasulo to move into second place. After taking the lead of the race, Tuuli looked to pull a gap to the rest of the field, setting a new lap record on Lap 11 with a 1’36.849s. On Lap 13, Caricasulo re-passed Öncü into Turn 10 to move back into second place and started chasing down race leader Tuuli. A lap after that move, Öncü dropped to the back of the six-strong lead group after a moment exiting the final corner, re-joining in sixth.

CLUZEL FIGHTS FROM 13TH TO WIN

As the race entered its closing stages, Cluzel completed his charge to the front of the field after starting from 13th on the grid, as he made his move at Turn 10 on the penultimate lap of the race. On the final lap, at Turn 16, Cluzel looked to respond after losing out to Aegerter earlier in the lap, making a move at Turn 15 but running wide at Turn 16, allowing Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Caricasulo back through. At the final corner, Cluzel swept past Aegerter and Caricasulo as they battled it out to claim his fourth victory in six races while Tuuli was able to take advantage of that fight to sweep back into second having run wide and losing time and positions earlier in the season. Aegerter claimed third place with Caricasulo just finishing off the podium. Tuuli’s second place means MV Agusta now have 50th podium placings in WorldSSP, while Ten Kate Racing Yamaha were able to claim the 2021 Teams’ Championship.

ENDING THE SEASON WITH A TOP TEN

Race 1 winner Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) backed his pace up with fifth place, just over a second behind Caricasulo, while he finished ahead of Öncü who claimed sixth place. Estonian rider Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) battled his way up the order from 12th place to finish in seventh place, with 2019 Champion Randy Krummenacher in eighth place.

The WorldSBK-bound Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed another points finish, his streak now up to 21 races, in his final WorldSSP race before he makes the step up in 2022, with Hungary’s Peter Sebestyen (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) rounding out the top ten after his half-season campaign in WorldSSP.

SCORING POINTS AT THE END OF THE SEASON

Finland’s Vertti Takala (Kallio Racing) was 11th place, just half-a-second away from a place in the top ten, but eight seconds clear of Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing), with the Spanish rider’s half-season campaign in WorldSSP coming to an end with another points scoring finish.

Home hero Galang Hendra Pratama (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) secured points in front of his home fans with 13th place as he helped Ten Kate Racing to secure the Teams’ Championship with his points finish. Andres Gonzalez (VFT Racing), in his fourth WorldSSP race, claimed 14th place with 2020 WorldSSP300 Champion Jeffrey Buis (G.A.P. MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti) rounding out the points with 15th place; Buis was given a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start.

TO NOTE

Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) ended his WorldSSP career with a crash at Turn 7 on Lap 2, with the Spaniard now switching to Moto2™ for 2022. Gonzalez was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Felling Spanish rider Daniel Valle (Yamaha MS Racing) also retired from the race. Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) was out of the race with a technical issue on his Yamaha YZF R6 machine, when the Dutchman was running in the points. South Africa’s Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) crashed out of the race at Turn 10 on Lap 15.

Christoffer Bergman (Wojick Racing Team) did not take part in Race 2 after he was declared unfit with a left leg functional impairment. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) was declared unfit with a left acromioclavicular joint separation after a Free Practice 1 crash.

WorldSSP Race 2 Podium

1. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha)
2. Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) +0.419s
3. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.640s

2021 WorldSSP Championship Standings

1. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 417 points
2. Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) 323 points
3. Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) 286 points

Words and photos courtesy of worldsbk.com