WorldSBK Race 1: First Navarra victory to Redding

Scott Redding got the jump on Jonathan Rea in the early stages of the race and didn’t look back, closing the championship gap to 45 points

The Circuito de Navarra in Northern Spain hosted its first MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race in red hot conditions and 48-degree celsius track conditions – with Ducati’s Scott Redding claiming a commanding victory over Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea, closing the gap to Rea in the championship chase to 45 points. Toprak Razgatlioglu on the Pata Yamaha came in third and lags Rea by seven points. It was Redding’s second consecutive victory after a win at Autodrom Most last round and the ninth WorldSBK victory of his career. Race report follows and comments from Redding at base.

FIGHTING AT THE START

As the lights went out, Redding got the jump over polesitter Rea into turn one but Redding’s advantage did not last long as Rea fought back to re-take the lead of the race at turn seven, also withstanding an early challenge from rookie Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) on the opening lap.
At the start of lap six, Redding got a better run out of the turn 15 right-hand hairpin to make a move on Rea into the incredibly fast right-hander of turn one, getting the move completed just before they turned in for the opening turn of the lap, before pulling out a gap of over a second on Rea over the next handful of laps.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was on a mission from the start, battling from eighth place on the grid to fourth on the opening lap. He found himself behind teammate Locatelli, but spent numerous laps on his tail before passing the rookie on lap seven after the Italian ran wide.

BATTLES UP AND DOWN THE GRID

Rea was running in second place but survived errors at turn nine and a big moment before running wide a on lap 15, losing a total of around two seconds to Redding. But he did not lose out to Razgatlioglu in either the race or the championship battle; Rea extending his lead over Razgatlioglu to seven points.
There were plenty of battles up and down the field as riders searched for the best possible position, with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) coming home in fifth place behind Redding, Rea, Razgatlioglu and Locatelli, with Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) leading teammate Michael van der Mark in sixth and the Dutchman in seventh.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) had a battle in the latter stages of the race over eighth place, with American star Gerloff unable to make a pass on the youngest rider on the WorldSBK grid, Bassani holding on to take eighth place with Gerloff in ninth. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) completed the top ten after a challenging race one, the Italian involved in battles in the midfield throughout the race.

Rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed 11th place after a strong race battling throughout the field ahead of Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) in 12th; Rabat involved in a long battle with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) with the British rider coming home in 13th place. Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) scored his first points since race two at MotorLand Aragon with 14th place, with Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport – Yamaha) completing the points. Ponsson found himself on the ground at turn three after an incident involving Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) early and was able to re-mount his Yamaha machine to secure points; Mercado retired from the race.

COMPLETING THE CLASSIFIED RUNNERS…

Three riders finished the race but were unable to claim points – Suzuki wildcard Naomichi Uramoto (JEG Racing) finished in 16th place, Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) was 17th and American Jayson Uribe came in 18th after coming back from a crash on lap 13.

TO NOTE…

Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) had an incident on his own at turn 11. Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) retired from the race after he crashed on his own at turn nine while, at the same time, Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) had a crash at turn 12 but was able to re-join before bringing his machine back to the pits.

WorldSBK Race 1 Podium

1. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.519s
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +5.894s

Scott Redding: “I was happy to come away with the win, I felt good, I felt comfortable, it was quite a long race with it being 23 laps around here. It was nice to get the first race under our belts here at Navarra. I think I’ll go for the same tyre choice tomorrow as it wasn’t so bad for me – I don’t know if it was the best tyre choice for me, but it felt OK. I used this tyre because it’s the tyre I used the most last year and have experience with it. I don’t like to change too much because it is a big risk for me, but I felt OK.”

Tissot Superpole Race: Elbows out: Redding takes Superpole Race victory after titanic Championship trio battle

Scott Redding doubled up on victories with a stunning win at the Circuito de Navarra with thrilling battles throughout the Superpole Race

Elbows were well and truly out in the Tissot Superpole Race at the Pirelli Navarra Round as the lead MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship trio were engaged in battle throughout the 10-lap encounter that was won by Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as he made it back-to-back victories at the Circuito de Navarra and his tenth WorldSBK career; and also the first time he has claimed three victories on the bounce in his career following on from his Race 2 victory at Most.

THE TOP THREE

Once again, it was Redding who got the jump on Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) as the lights went out while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) made up ground from eighth on the grid to run in second on the opening lap. The Championship leading trio battled it out through the opening laps of the ten-lap battle with all three taking turns to lead the race; Razgatlioglu able to take advantage of Redding and Rea battling to move back into second before making a move on Rea at Turn 1 to take the lead. The trio continued to battle it out before Redding was able to pull away from Rea, who re-passed Razgatlioglu, and the Turkish star as they shared the podium for the seventh time this season. Redding will therefore lead the field away for Sunday afternoon’s Race 2, ahead of Rea and Razgatlioglu on the front row.

STARTING RACE 2 FROM THE SECOND ROW

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claimed fourth place for the fourth consecutive race and will lead the second row away from the lights in Race 2, with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in fifth. Lowes was able to pass Locatelli throughout the 10-lap encounter, but Locatelli responded to claim fourth. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) will complete the second row after sixth place in the Superpole Race.

COMPLETING THE TOP NINE

British rider Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) will head the third row from seventh place as his strong weekend at Navarra continues, with Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) completing the third row. Dutchman van der Mark and American Gerloff were also battling it out for eighth place with the BMW rider able to hold on for eighth.

Tissot Superpole Race Podium

1. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.631s
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +3.040s

WorldSBK Race 2: Razgatlioglu battles for Race 2 Navarra victory as the Championship levels up

The top three in the Championship battled it out for Race 2 honours at the Circuito de Navarra with Toprak Razgatlioglu coming out on top

The final race of the inaugural Pirelli Navarra Round for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was a tense and dramatic affair as the top three of the Championship battled it out for honours at the Circuito de Navarra. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) came out on top as he claimed a stunning Race 2 victory and left the round top of the Championship heading into the French Round.

DRAMA FROM THE OFF…

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu got lightning starts from the 22-lap encounter, the race shortened by one lap following a delayed start after the Warm-Up lap had been completed due to an issue with Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) on the grid. Locatelli swept around the outside of Razgatlioglu and Rea at the start while Rea dropped back behind his teammate, Alex Lowes.

Locatelli and Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) ran wide in the early stages of the race which forced the pair down the order, allowing Lowes to move up ahead of both of them before Locatelli fought back to run in fourth place; a position he has become very accustomed to over the last couple of rounds.

All three of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Razgatlioglu exchanged positions in the opening laps of the race before it settled down slightly with Razgatlioglu leading the race ahead of Rea and Redding as the lead three in the Championship trio looking to take points out of each other in the Championship battle.

On Lap 17, Rea saved a front-end slide heading into Turn 15 which allowed Redding to close the gap to Rea throughout Lap 18, before the pair went side-by-side into the fast right-hander of Turn 1 on Lap 19. Redding was on the inside, but Rea cut back to keep the position. On the same lap of the race, Redding pulled off an incredible move around the outside of Turn 14 to move into second place after Rea ran wide at Turn 13. It meant Razgatlioglu claimed victory ahead of Redding and Rea with the Turkish star now level with Rea in the Championship on 311 points. Razgatlioglu has 17 podiums in the 2021 campaign which ties him for the record of podiums for a Yamaha rider, level with Ben Spies in 2009.

COMPLETING THE TOP TEN

Locatelli made history with his latest fourth place finish in WorldSBK as he became the first rider to secure five consecutive four place finishes, finishing almost four seconds clear of Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in fifth place. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came home in sixth place, less than a second behind Sykes.

Italian rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) finished in seventh place in Race 2 after battles throughout the race, with Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) claiming eighth place as all five manufacturers were represented in the top eight, with Dutch rider Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in ninth place. Van der Mark had crossed the line ahead of Bautista but was penalised for exceeding track limits on the final lap, meaning he came home in ninth. Rookie Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) took another top ten finish as he continues to impress throughout his rookie campaign.

TAKING HOME POINTS

Bassani’s fellow rookie, Tito Rabat (Barni Racing), was 11th place and just 2.4s away from a top ten finish but was unable to overhaul Bassani, while Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) came home in 12th and took more points from Navarra after not scoring since the Aragon Round that opened the 2021 campaign.

Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport – Yamaha) took home four points with 13th place ahead of Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 14th, who had an eventful race. The Frenchman had to serve a double Long Lap Penalty for an irresponsible manoeuvre on the grid after he had been delayed on the grid ahead of the second Warm-Up lap. Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) secured a 15th place finish and one point despite a crash on Lap 3 of the 22-lap race at Turn 13, able to battle back through the field. OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing Jayson Uribe and Loris Cresson were the last of the classified runners in 16th and 17th respectively.

TO NOTE…

Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) both were forced out of the race after coming together at Turn 9. Naomichi Uramoto (JEG Racing) had a technical issue on Lap 9 of 22 at Turn 5 which forced the Suzuki rider out of the race on his WorldSBK’s debut. Leon Haslam (Team HRC) was out of the race on Lap 14 after he came off his Honda machine at Turn 2. Kohta Nozane’s (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) race came to an end on the final lap after a 22nd lap crash at Turn 5.

WorldSBK Race 2 Podium

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.105s
3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +3.715s

Toprak Razgatlioglu: “I’m just, today, focused on winning. Maybe I am the leader, but I am always focused on each race. I try again the next race, I’m fighting again. This weekend, for me, wasn’t easy but every race I’m fighting for a good position. It was an important win.”

WorldSBK Championship Standings After Round 7

1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 311 points
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 311 points
3. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 273 points

WorldSSP Race 1: Engaged in battle: Aegerter claims Race 1 victory after titanic Odendaal battle

Dominique Aegerter and Steven Odendaal engaged in a stunning battle throughout the 20-lap encounter at the Circuito de Navarra

Drama and tension throughout the opening race of the FIM Supersport World Championship’s first visit to the Circuito de Navarra as Championship leader Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) secured a sensational victory for the seventh time this season after a race-long battle with Championship rival Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) at the Pirelli Navarra Round.

UNPREDICTABLE OPENING LAPS

The opening laps of the race were unpredictable as the lead riders exchanged positions consistently. Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) were the big winners as the lights went out with Spanish rider Gonzalez took the lead of the race from second, while Odendaal moved into second from fourth as Championship leader Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) fell to fifth.

After an impressive Friday and Saturday at Navarra, Simon Jespersen (Kallio Racing) moved into the podium places at the start of the race, challenging Gonzalez for second place in the opening laps after Gonzalez lost out to Odendaal. Gonzalez was able to respond on Lap 6 to re-take the lead in search of his first WorldSSP victory. Aegerter dropped down the order in the opening laps but fought back to be in the lead group on Lap 7 as he worked his way back through the field.

CHAMPIONSHIP PROTAGONISTS GET THEIR ELBOWS OUT…

Aegerter’s fightback meant he was directly behind Odendaal in the middle phase of the race and soon found himself in second, behind Odendaal, as the pair made a move on Gonzalez on Lap 8 of the 20-lap encounter, with the top two in the Championship running as the top two in the race. On Lap 9, Aegerter made an aggressive move at the Turn 15 hairpin that ends the lap, but Odendaal was able to respond on the start-finish straight at the start of Lap 10.

Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) was another who battled his way up through the order including two aggressive moves into Turn 15 and joined the lead group, before an incredible move into the fast right-hander of Turn 1 on Gonzalez to move into third. He tried a similar move through the first two fast right-handers on Aegerter, but the Swiss rider was able to defend into Turn 3. With eight laps to go, Odendaal made a move on Turn 1 on Aegerter before Aegerter responded through Turns 2 and 3 to regain the lead. Aegerter eventually got past Odendaal and went on to claim victory at Navarra with Odendaal in second and Bernardi third; unable to take advantage of the battling duo ahead although he did battle Odendaal for second throughout the final laps.

THE TOP TEN

Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) claimed fourth place in the thrilling encounter with his former teammate, Federico Caricasulo (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing) in fifth, his joint-best result since his WorldSSP campaign. Just half-a-second separated Cluzel and Caricasulo at the end of the race, with Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team) coming home in sixth place.

German Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished seventh after battling his way up through the field, finishing a second clear of teammate Can Öncü after the Turkish star battled his way up from 24th to eighth in Race 1. Jespersen lost ground as the race progressed but still claimed a stunning ninth place ahead of Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti); Jespersen taking the first top-ten finish for a Danish rider in WorldSSP since 2011 when Robbin Harms at Aragon.

COMPLETING THE POINTS

Indonesian Galang Hendra Pratama (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) came home in 11th place after a strong Race 1 at the Circuito de Navarra ahead of the returning Hikari Okubo (G.A.P. MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti) in 12th; Okubo making his WorldSSP debut in place of the injured Shogo Kawasaki. David Sanchis Martinez (WRP Wepol Racing) was 13th on his WorldSSP debut with Vertti Takala (Kallio Racing) and Christoffer Bergman (Wojcik Racing Team) completing the points.

TO NOTE…

Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) had a crash but was able to re-join the race, although he brought his Kawasaki machine into the pits later on. Eduardo Montero Huerta (DK Motorsport), Oscar Gutierrez Iglesias (Yamaha MS Racing) and Michel Fabrizio (G.A.P. MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti) also retired from the race. Gonzalez was taken to the medical centre following the crash. Peter Sebestyen (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) had an off in the closing stages of the race and brought his Yamaha machine back into the pitlane.

Gonzalez was out of the race after he crashed at Turn 9 after being shuffled out of the lead group, bringing to an end his record-equally run of points-scoring finishes of 25 consecutive WorldSSP races in the points, a record that stretched back to his WorldSSP debut at Phillip Island in 2020. Marcel Brenner (VFT Racing) was a late retirement after he had an incident at Turn 13 after a strong showing in the race, running inside the top ten.

WorldSSP Race 1 Podium

1. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)
2. Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +4.425s
3. Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) +5.074s

WorldSSP Race 2: Aegerter edges Odendaal Race 2 victory in shortened WorldSSP encounter at Navarra

The FIM Supersport World Championship’s first visit to the Circuito de Navarra provided more enthralling drama as Championship contenders Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) battled it out for Race 2 honours at the Pirelli Navarra Round in a shortened encounter after Red Flags were deployed on Lap 15 of the planned 20.

JESPERSEN TO THE FRONT…

Starting from seventh on the grid, Simon Jespersen (Kallio Racing) got the jump to lead the race on the opening lap of the 20-lap race as the Danish rider gained six positions off the line, although his lead did not last long as Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) claimed the lead with a move at the right-hander of Turn 11. Jespersen tried to fight back but had a huge moment on the exit of Turn 11 which allowed Odendaal to keep the lead.

CHAMPIONSHIP PROTAGONISTS BATTLE AGAIN

In a familiar story to Race 1, Championship leader Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) found himself shuffled down the order in the early stages of the race but was able to fight back after getting past his rivals, although had to close down a gap of almost two seconds to Odendaal as he looked for his second win of the weekend. On Lap 8, Aegerter attempted to make the pass at Turn 15 but Odendaal was able to respond on Lap 9.

After four laps of not being able to pass Odendaal, Aegerter looked to make the move on Lap 13 into the final corner and briefly got ahead, although Odendaal was able to re-pass on the run into Turn 1. Aegerter did not lead Odendaal lead for much longer, though, as he made a move at Turn 3 – just one lap before Red Flags were shown after a crash for Borja Gomez (Yamaha Ms Racing) at Turn 1; Gomez taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the incident and will be transported to Estella Hospital for further assessments, with Gomez having multiple contusions but is conscious. It meant Aegerter claimed victory to extend his Championship lead over Odendaal, with the gap between the two now 47 points. Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) claimed another podium in his rookie WorldSSP campaign after fighting his way back through the field.

THE TOP TEN

Federico Caricasulo (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing) had a strong weekend at Navarra and claimed fourth place in his second round with the Yamaha Motoxracing outfit with his former teammate, Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) in fifth; the pair battling it out for fourth during the latter stages of the race. Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed sixth place after a challenging weekend for the German rider.

Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) was seventh and narrowly missed out on a place in the top six after fighting with Oettl, while Jespersen finished in eighth place after being unable to maintain his place on the podium but an impressive WorldSSP debut for the Danish rider as he stood in for the injured Hannes Soomer. Italian Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was ninth with Swiss rider Marcel Brenner (VFT Racing), who was running inside the top five in the early stages of the race, completing the top ten.

COMPLETING THE POINTS

David Sanchis Martinez (WRP Wepol Racing) was 11th after a strong debut weekend for the Spanish rider as he replaced Danny Webb after he split with the team, with Christoffer Bergman (Wojcik Racing Team) claiming a points finish on his return from injury, Federico Fuligni (VFT Racing) claimed 13th place with Daniel Valle (GMT94 Yamaha) 14th as he stood in at the GMT94 Yamaha outfit. Oscar Iglesias Gutierrez (Yamaha MS Racing) rounded out the points paying position with 15th and his best WorldSSP result in his second round.

LAST OF THE CLASSIFIED RUNNERS…

Vertti Takala (Kallio Racing) had an eventful race as he fell down the order in the early stages but battled back to take 16th place, ahead of Peter Sebestyen (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Leonardo Taccini (Orelac Racing VerdNatura); Taccini the highest placed rider competing in the WorldSSP Challenge. He had a battle with fellow WorldSSP Challenge competitor Kevin Manfredi (Altogo Racing Team) with Manfredi in 19th place, ahead of Michel Fabrizio (G.A.P. MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti), Luigi Montella (Chiodo Moto Racing) and Maria Herrera (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing).

TO NOTE…

Hikari Okubo (G.A.P. MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti) crashed at Turn 15 which put an end to his fight for points while Randy Krummenacher (EBA Racing Team) and Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) came together at Turn 3 on Lap 4 as they both dropped down the order, although both were able to re-join. The incident was placed under investigation by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards although it was deemed no further action was necessary.

Eduardo Montero Huerta’s (DK Motorsport) race came to an end on Lap 5 as he crashed out on his own and was diagnosed with a right wrist contusion following a check-up at the medical centre, while Galang Hendra Pratama (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) crashed out at Turn 12, although he was able to re-join. He then had a second crash on his own at Turn 11 which forced the Indonesian rider out of the race.

Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) was declared unfit for Race 2 after his crash in Race 1 on Saturday with a right shoulder dislocation, while Stephane Frossard (Moto Team Jura Vitesse) was also declared unfit after a crash in Warm-Up with a cervical strain and right ankle contusion.

WorldSSP Race 2 Podium

1. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)
2. Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.294s
3. Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) +2.264s

WorldSSP Championship Standings After Round 7

1. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 257 points
2. Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) 210 points
3. Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) 156 points

Words and photos courtesy of worldsbk.com