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The final round -WSBK Qatar

KUCIAR666

Registered User
KRT LOOKING TO SHINE UNDER THE STARS
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As is now tradition, the FIM Superbike World Championship season finale will be held under the dark desert skies and floodlights of the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. With Jonathan Rea the new and three time WorldSBK champion, and with Kawasaki and KRT winning the Manufacturers’ and Teams’ championships respectively, the immediate focus is for 2013 World Champion Tom Sykes to secure second place in the final points table.

The drama of the final 2017 weekend in what has been an outstanding season for Kawasaki is always magnified under the vast array of artificial lighting rigs that turn the desert night into brilliant day at the 5.380km circuit near the Qatari capital, Doha.

Having won a historic third title in succession recently, the final challenges for Rea are two-fold. To take his first race win at Losail and then go for a second full point score in race two. Should he manage to take away a perfect 50 points this weekend he would set a new all-time points scoring record in WorldSBK.

Rea is also keen to win this weekend to score more race victories in one season than he has managed in any previous season. He is currently on a total of 14 race wins in 2017, equalling the tally he set in taking his first championship with KRT in 2015.

Injured at the Portimao round in September Sykes is looking to ensure he scores enough points to finish second in the championship table. He is currently tied on the same total as Chaz Davies, with his fellow Briton above him in the official standings as he has more race wins to his credit in 2017.

A Kawasaki 1-2 in the Riders’ championship would be the perfect end to an almost perfect season, with the Ninja ZX-10RR proving to be the package to beat in the first year of its ‘RR’ model designation.

In another new initiative for 2017, the series organisers will hold the Losail races on Friday and Saturday, 3rd and 4th November, not the more traditional Saturday and Sunday. This move is designed to make it easier for the local fans to join in the celebratory atmosphere of the championship finale. Action on track first gets underway with FP1 and FP2 on Thursday 2nd November.

Jonathan Rea, stated: “Reflecting on Jerez last time out it was an amazing weekend. It has always been a good circuit for us during the winter tests but this year we managed to be really strong all weekend in the races. This has given us good momentum to take into Qatar. This is the last round and I want to finish well. I enjoy the atmosphere there as it is a chilled out paddock and the night time race adds a bit of excitement between the riders and teams. The layout suits me and there are a lot of high speed corners there. It is important to maximise the grip as the track is in the middle of the desert and early in the weekend there is not so much rubber down. So we need to pay attention to that. I want to keep an eye on the long game and finish the season strong. Whatever happens, I think we can be satisfied with the job this year.”

Tom Sykes, stated: “This is the final round of the year and the season has passed by almost without realising it in some ways. My hand is feeling better than it did in Jerez where all those many changes of direction meant things were not ideal. I was still not fully myself at Jerez but I am looking forward to the last races. Losail is a lovely venue and I really enjoy riding at night under the lights. I also enjoy the general layout and the weekend timetable. In the final round we will try to get the bike settings to suit my riding style in the best way possible. I have gone quite a way to try and change my riding style to suit the changes that came in this year. In Qatar we will see if we can get the bike set-up to do the rest. Right now we’re working toward making sure we take the runner up slot in the final championship standings.”
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Qatar, the final destination for the Althea BMW Racing Team in 2017

Rome (Italy), Monday 30 October 2017
The state of Qatar, and the Losail International Circuit, is the final destination for the Althea BMW Racing Team in that it plays host to the final round of the 2017 Superbike World Championship this coming weekend.

Although the races will take place during the evening as is now tradition, a change to the schedule will see race one play out on Friday and race two on Saturday evening. Racing under the floodlights adds another element to the spectacle that is the final round of the championship.

During the 2016 Losail edition, Torres obtained a best result of sixth in race 1, while De Rosa concluded the first race in ninth position. As the final round gets underway, Torres lies in ninth place in the general standings, with 149 points, Raffaele De Rosa is sixteenth with 48 points. The Althea BMW Racing team hopes to be able to round out the season with solid results under the Qatari spotlights.

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"I really like the Losail track, where we race at night, and I’m confident that we’ll be able to do well. It’s a wide track that offers good grip and where there is less need for traction control and anti-wheelie systems. So maybe, with less reliance on the electronics, we can be more competitive. The track suits my riding style anyway and so I’m keen to see what we can do…”
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“I'm pleased to go to Qatar, where I raced for the first time last year and completed a good race. The bike suits the track and I like the layout. I hope I can do something to repay the work done by the team, seeing as we’re already at the final round. In view of the fact that the season’s almost at an end, I want to thank Genesio and the entire Althea team for their help and support this year.”

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Track Information:

Country: Qatar
Name: Losail International Circuit
Length: 5.380 km
Pole position: right
Turns: 6 left, 10 right

SBK RECORDS: Best lap – Rea (Kawasaki) 1'56.974 (2016). Superpole – Rea (Kawasaki) 1'56.356 (2016).

2016 SBK RESULTS: Race 1 - 1. Davies (Ducati); 2. Rea (Kawasaki); 3. Guintoli (Yamaha). Race 2 – 1. Davies (Ducati); 2. Sykes (Kawasaki); 3. Rea (Kawasaki


Weekend schedule (CET +1):

Thursday
17.45 – 18.45 – SBK Timed Practice 1
21.00 – 22.00 – SBK Timed Practice 2

Friday
16.20 – 16.45 – SBK Free Practice
18.30 – 18.45 – Superpole 1
18.55 – 18.10 – Superpole 2
21.00 – Race 1

Saturday
17.30 – 17.45 – SBK Warm-up
21.00 – SBK Race 2
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Pata Yamaha Aiming to End Season on a High in Qatar
Setup
The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team are relishing the opportunity to perform at the final round of the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship in Qatar this weekend. Having gone from strength to strength throughout the year, the team will be looking to bow out on a high to bring an end to a 2017 season that has seen them emerge as regular podium contenders. Alex Loweswants to finish the year in the strongest possible way and is hoping to add to his tally of three podiums so far in 2017 after back to back fourth-place finishes last time out in Jerez. His teammate Michael van der Mark, fresh from a superb MotoGP debut for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team in Malaysia, hopes to continue the form that has seen him record two podiums at the last three rounds and eleven consecutive points-scoring finishes.

Lowes loves the unique experience of racing under the floodlights at Qatar, and the 27-year-old British rider secured seventh in Race 1 at Losail last year, before fighting back superbly in a restarted Race 2 after a first-corner incident that saw him forced to charge his way from the back of the field to a well-deserved tenth-place finish. Lowes was on fire at the last round in Jerez, with two strong rides that saw him once again battling with the top riders in the championship, just missing out on the podium in both races. The 2013 British Superbike Champion currently sits fifth in the championship standings with 226 points, with a maximum of 50 up for grabs at the final round of the season in Qatar.

Van der Mark is also a fan of the Losail International Circuit and is excited about his first opportunity to ride the track on his Pata Yamaha R1. The Dutch rider recently celebrated his 25th birthday and flew straight to Qatar from Sepang after an excellent performance deputising for the recovering Jonas Folger on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 M1 at the Malaysian GP, where he finished in a very respectable 16th place on his MotoGP debut. The 2014 Supersport World Champion has been in stunning form at the last three rounds, with two podiums and five top-six finishes in six races, and van der Mark wants to continue this run at the season finale to finish the year in the best way possible. He is currently sixth in the championship standings with 210 points, just 16 behind his teammate Lowes.

The 5.380km Losail International Circuit is located 30km north of Doha in Qatar and plays host to the only night race on the WorldSBK calendar. Opened in 2004, this will be the ninth time the circuit has held a WorldSBK round and the track itself consists of 16 corners, ten right and six left-handed, plus a start/finish straight that is over a kilometre long. Providing a mix of fast-flowing corners and some technical slower sections, it has become a firm favourite with the riders and its layout always seems to provide an exciting spectacle under the floodlights for the fans.

The Acerbis Qatar round follows a different schedule than most, with just the WorldSBK & WorldSSP classes involved and the track action taking place at night from Thursday-Saturday. Therefore, the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team will take to the track for Free Practice 1 on Thursday afternoon at 17:45 pm local time, with Friday's qualifying starting at 18:30 pm and Race 1 at 21:00 pm, while Saturday's Race 2 is also scheduled for 21:00 pm.

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Alex Lowes
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team - 5th - 226 points
"This season seems to have gone by really fast! I'm ready for the final race of the year and I will be giving it everything I can to finish as strongly as possible. The race in Qatar is unique as it's our only night race, which I really enjoy. Overall the season has gone pretty well and I feel like I am improving all the time, so I want to make sure I take another step forward this weekend. The R1 finished on the podium here last year, and I learned a lot about getting the best from the bike at this type of track, so I think both me and my Yamaha are ready to give a strong performance! "

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Michael van der Mark
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team - 6th - 210 points
"I am looking forward to the last race of the season, even if it's difficult to believe it's arrived already. The Qatar round is one of my favourite races of the year under the floodlights and I really like the track. Hopefully, we can finish the season on a high note as we have been really competitive in the last couple of races. There are some small points we can improve to make sure I am able to be fast right to the end, and I look forward to ending the year in the best way possible."
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Torres qualifies for Superpole2 at Losail
Doha (Qatar), Thursday 2 November 2017

The final round of the 2017 Superbike world championship got underway today at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar. Althea BMW riders Jordi Torres and Raffaele De Rosa were out on the floodlit track this evening for the first two sessions of timed practice.

In a change to the traditional programme, the timed practice sessions play out on Thursday this year, with the weekend’s races to be run on Friday and Saturday rather than the classic Saturday-Sunday format.

In first practice, which took place at 5.45pm local time with an air temperature of 30°C, Torres and De Rosa started working to set up their BMWs together with their technicians. A series of fast laps for Jordi in the latter stages saw him close tenth (1’59.295), while a quickest time of 1’59.846 for De Rosa positioned him thirteenth at the session’s end.

The second session saw De Rosa lower his time by half a second early-on. Improving further throughout the 60-minute session, the Italian set a fastest time of 1’59.218 to finish the practice in thirteenth place overall. Torres’ fastest time came towards the end of the session; a best of 1’58.726 for the Spaniard put him in eighth position at the end of day one. While De Rosa will have to take on Superpole1 tomorrow, Torres has qualified directly for Superpole2.


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"Today didn’t go too badly. I like this track, long and wide, and it suits the BMW quite well. We’re suffering from a lack of rear grip, which we still need to understand but we’ll make some changes tomorrow to see if we can improve the situation. A lot of hard work but we’re pleased we’ve qualified directly for SP2. Tomorrow I’ll work on trying to lower my lap time, I think I can shave off a few more tenths.”

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"We've completed this first evening in Qatar but it didn’t really go as I’d hoped. I would have liked to get into SP2 but some mistakes prevented me from putting together a fast, clean lap. A shame but I’m feeling quite good on the bike, so tomorrow we’ll work to improve through those points of the track where I’m suffering most. I hope to be able to thank the team with good results this weekend.”
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Giugliano and Gagne confident of more improvements after first day
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Qatar Round

Losail International Circuit, Qatar
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The Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team has completed the opening day of action for the final event of the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship – which is currently taking place at the Losail International Circuit. The standard bearers for the Dutch-based squad at this round Davide Giugliano and Jake Gagne were 16th and 17th, respectively, in the combined times of today’s two free practice sessions held under floodlights at the iconic circuit located on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital city Doha.

Despite being unable to move up the timesheets between the two sessions, both riders managed to significantly improve their lap-times in the latter hour of action as they worked hard with their crews to improve the feeling with their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 machine at this long, wide and beautifully flowing racetrack. Giugliano successfully tried new electronic settings, while for 24-year-old Gagne the priority was to get to grips with the new circuit – as well as to riding under artificial lighting.

In light of today’s results, Giugliano and Gagne will take to the track at 18:30 local time (GMT +3) tomorrow for Superpole 1, before lining up on the grid for the 17-lap, first race of the Qatari round which will get underway two and a half hours later (21:00).






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Davide Giugliano 34
16th
Today was a quite productive day! We tried some new electronic settings which I never tried before and that represent – at least for me - a little but positive step forwards. I was expecting to be a little quicker, but there’s still time to do some more work tomorrow. The good things is that the bike works very well chassis-wise, although we still need to do some more work with the electronics in order to improve our pace. I think things will be better tomorrow.

- Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team



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Jake Gagne 45
17th
I feel I got to grips with the track pretty quickly, but it was also a matter of getting use to riding under floodlights: it was kind of strange in the first two-three laps, but soon after that it was not a problem anymore – it’s just you and the track. We made a lot of progress today, with me simply having to get used to this bike again and learning my way around the track. Towards the end of FP2 we made a couple of changes to chassis and electronics, and I feel we’re heading in the right direction. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.

- Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team



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Ronald ten Kate
Team Manager
The first session was not an easy one for Davide as things didn’t go as smooth as we’d hoped and that cost us some valuable track-time. Both crew and rider did a great job in FP2 and tried successfully some different electronic settings, so we’re confident for some more improvement tomorrow. Jake did quite well despite the lack of knowledge of the track and being his first time riding under floodlights, so all in all it was more of a productive day than what the timesheets would suggest.

- Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Pata Yamaha Get Off to a Superb Start Under the Lights in Qatar
Free practice
The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team got off to their best start of the year in Qatar on day one of the final round of the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship. In the sweltering heat and humidity under the floodlights at the Losail International Circuit, Alex Lowes continued the excellent form he has shown at the last two rounds, finishing the day in a sensational second position on the combined timesheets, just 0.259s off the top. Michael van der Mark also had a great start to the final race weekend of the season, ending Thursday in fifth overall to cap a superb opening day for the team with both riders, once again, making it directly through to SP2.

Lowes arrived in Qatar full of confidence after two strong rides to fourth at the last round in Jerez and he was quick right out of the blocks as the sun set in Qatar, setting a 1:59:502 on his just his second lap. Unfortunately, just as he was starting his fourth flying lap, the 27-year-old British rider was caught out by the dusty track conditions that often affect the early sessions at the Losail International Circuit and had a small crash at Turn 1. Luckily, the 2013 British Superbike Champion was unhurt and his team worked superbly to repair his Yamaha R1 in time and allow Lowes to take to the track for the final ten minutes of the session. Lowes managed to improve his time to a 1:58.679 on his final lap to finish the session in fourth.

Track conditions had improved for FP2 and determined to make up for the lost time, Lowes got straight down to work and, after an early red flag, managed to run a full race simulation to collect vital data for his team with most of the laps in the 1:58s, highlighting his very strong pace and consistency. Heading out to set a quick time at the end of the session, he managed a brilliant 1:57.925 on his very last lap to end Thursday in second overall, just 0.259s off the pace of Jonathan Rea.

Fresh from an excellent MotoGP debut in Sepang with the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team the weekend before, Van der Mark approached Thursday at the Losail International Circuit in his usual fashion, building his pace with the Yamaha R1 throughout the day. Despite a lack of grip in FP1, there was almost nothing to separate the 25-year-old Dutch rider and his flying teammate at the end of the hour long session, with van der Mark recording a 1:58.680 to finish just 0.001s behind Lowes in fifth place.

In FP2 van der Mark focused on trying to find the right setup with his Pata Yamaha R1, working with his team in an effort to find increased rear grip. After making some tweaks, the 2014 Supersport World Champion put together a nice run of laps in the mid to high 1:58s, but still feels there is more potential to unlock with his R1 when it comes to race pace. On his final run, he managed to set a 1:58.315 which saw him finish fifth overall on the timesheets, 0.649s off the top, and he is determined to make another step forward on Friday in Qatar.

The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team return to action at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar on Friday at 16:20 pm local time for FP3, with qualifying due to start at 18:30 pm and the 17-lap Race 1 at 21:00 pm.

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Alex Lowes
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team - 2nd +0.259s
"Before the weekend, I was really looking forward to this round as it's a track I really enjoy! The team got their first podium here last year as well, so it's obviously a track that suits the Yamaha R1 too. I also feel like I am riding well at the moment, so it was a bit annoying to make a mistake right at the start of FP1 and miss about 45 minutes of the session, which was a shame because we missed out on some time to find the right setup. In FP2, I made a long run and felt quite good plus, after missing out on the time in FP1, there is a good chance we can make more improvements tomorrow. I really, really hope I can fight with the guys at the front during the race, as it has been a great year and I want to finish it as strongly as possible. FP2 was a very busy session and doing a race simulation in these temperatures is always hard work but it is all about putting in the effort in during practice so that you can reap the benefits come race day!"

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Michael van der Mark
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team - 5th +0.649s
"We have had a good first day here in Qatar and I am very happy with my Pata Yamaha R1! To be honest, we had quite a good pace but we are still struggling a little bit, so we have some changes to make for tomorrow. Anyway, it was good to see how much the bike has improved again, every track we get to it is now competitive straight away. The bike was quick here last year and it was great to see with all the changes we have made this season that it was still quick here! I am happy with how today went but, for sure, we have a lot of work to do as I have a good one-lap pace, but we need to work on our consistency. One of the issues is grip, we managed to solve most of the problems by the end, but we are still searching for the perfect setup and we will work as hard as we can tomorrow to get it right!"


Paul Denning
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team Principal
"The night race here in Qatar is always a slightly surreal and special atmosphere and the bikes look fantastic under the lights at the Losail International Circuit. The Pata Yamaha Team achieved its first podium here at the end of 2016 and following some great results in Magny-Cours and Jerez, we arrived here with the confidence that we would be able to perform quite well. It has been the best first day of the season for the team, the only minor blip being Alex's crash in FP1, but on a dirty, dusty circuit it is easily done and, most importantly, there was no harm done to the rider. Once the bike was retrieved, the team did an incredible job to repair quite extensive damage very calmly but, also very quickly, to get Alex back out at the end of the session to not only check the bike but also to improve his lap time. Well done to Alex's crew and everyone involved! The track improved a little in FP2 but as the humidity levels rise that also causes its own issues. We managed to improve quite significantly with both riders, Michael pushing hard and showing good consistency as always, in addition to a race simulation and a great lap at the end for Alex, and P2 and P5 were just reward for a good day's work by the whole team."

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KUCIAR666

Registered User
REA FASTEST AND SYKES THIRD ON OPENING DAY
R13_Losail_WorldSBK_FP2_Sykes_C87Q3351.jpg



The first day of action in the final round of the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship saw Jonathan Rea set the fastest lap time and Tom Sykes finish up third quickest at the Losail International Circuit. Action got underway on Thursday, not the more usual Friday, with the races to be held on Friday and Saturday.

After two sessions under the floodlights at the 5.380km circuit in the Gulf state of Qatar Rea was 0.259 seconds ahead of the second placed rider Alex Lowes.

The Qatar event is a popular one with the riders and teams, partly due to the schedule which sees the practice sessions races held in the relative cool of the evening. Rea is a particular fan and made the most of his two hour long sessions on track, trying out some chassis settings to be ready for the first race of the weekend, to be held on Friday night at 21.00.

Sykes, who carried a throat infection into the Losail weekend, started off the day in second place with only Rea ahead in FP1. Just before his bike experienced a technical issue in FP2, Sykes had improved his best lap time and ended the day third overall.

Both KRT riders will now make their final race preparations in the 25-minute long FP3 session on Friday, before Superpole 2 and then the first of two 17-lap races. The second will take place on Saturday, at the same starting time of 21.00.

Jonathan Rea, stated: “Today went OK and I really enjoyed it. I just like this race meeting. The circuit is very nice, it has got a lot of challenges and riding under the light does not take much getting used to, but it is just different and exciting. We changed the balance of the bike quite a lot today, in the first session and between sessions, just searching for that last little bit of front stability. I was jumping between my normal race tyre and the SC2 to understand the front stability. We now need to analyse a few compromises. All-in-all I feel quite positive about today. FP3 will be important session for us tomorrow because so many riders are close in their pace.”

Tom Sykes, stated: “We have found good speed today and finished in third place after improving our best time in the second session. The surface was not fantastic and I had expected some big improvements from the first session. I was happy and the performance of the bike, which has been good, but in FP2 it had a problem. It was such a shame because we lost some track time. There were two little set up things we wanted to try in preparation for tomorrow. The engine in the bike was being changed tonight anyway and we are already fairly well prepared for the race. I just wanted to do a little bit more fine tuning. Tyre selection is very clear for me.”
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Torres and Althea BMW seventh in race 1 at Losail
Doha (Qatar), Friday 3 November 2017

The Losail international circuit in Qatar is hosting the final round of the 2017 Superbike world championship this weekend. The first of the two SBK races, which took place this evening under the floodlights, brought mixed results for the Althea BMW Racing Team, seventh across the line with Jordi Torres, while Raffaele De Rosa unfortunately suffered a crash on lap ten.

Superpole 1: immediately quick with the race tyre, De Rosa was lying third as he headed into the pits to put in the qualifier. Back on track, the Althea BMW rider set an excellent lap time, a 1’58.747, but unfortunately just missed out on second place, and also access to Superpole2, in the final seconds, forced to settle for third. A fifth row start then for the Italian in race 1.

Superpole 2: Torres’ best lap came in the final seconds of the short session, with the Spaniard able to set a 1’58.087, to conclude in eleventh place, translating into a fourth row start for the first race of the weekend.

SBK - Race 1: From eleventh on the grid, Torres maintained that position through the opening laps, followed by team-mate De Rosa in twelfth. Passing Guintoli, a mistake for Torres on lap five saw him lose several positions. The Spaniard pushed to make up the lost ground, passing riders to re-position tenth by mid-race. Improving further on his position through the latter stages, the Althea BMW rider crossed the line in seventh position. De Rosa, having made up three places early on to place ninth on lap seven, continued to lap with a consistent pace, behind team-mate Torres, but unfortunately suffered a crash on lap ten, putting a premature end to his race.

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“Another 'so so' day for us. In the Superpole we had problems with a tyre that seemed to cause a lot of vibration. As a result, I couldn’t complete a clean, fast lap and was forced to start eleventh. I felt quite good with the bike in the initial stages of the race but unfortunately, I messed up a gear change after a few laps, finding false neutral and losing several positions as a result. I was able to catch up by passing a few riders but couldn’t do more than seventh position. We’ll see if we can do more tomorrow.”

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“Another crash unfortunately. I was pushing too hard and suddenly lost the front which I didn't expect to be honest. A pity because the race had been going quite well until that point and I was trying to stick with Jordi and Guintoli… I’m really sorry for the team, as we could have taken a good result today. I’m very disappointed, the only positive is that my pace wasn’t bad so I hope we can finish the season with a more positive result tomorrow.”

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KUCIAR666

Registered User
REA SETS PERSONAL BEST SEASON WIN TOTAL
The opening 17-lap FIM Superbike World Championship race of the final round saw Jonathan Rea record his 15th race victory of the year, surpassing his previous personal best of 14, which he set in 2015. Fellow KRT rider Tom Sykes had rear traction issues throughout the race and dropped from a strong second to a final sixth at the flag.

From pole position, which he earned with a new track best of 1’56.228 earlier in the day, Rea was unstoppable out front under the floodlights in Qatar, winning by almost five seconds and easing up over the line. His Superpole win was his tenth for Kawasaki, and his sixth of the season.

This was Rea’s first WorldSBK race win at Qatar, and also the first for a Kawasaki rider at the 5.380km circuit in the desert near the capital city of Doha.

In taking his victory today Jonathan is now second in the all time WorldSBK race win rankings, with a career total of 53. Only Carl Fogarty, with 59, has won more races across his career than Jonathan. Should Rea win the Saturday race at Losail, the last one of the year, he will take the record points total in one season to add to all his other achievements in 2017.

For Sykes, who is still trying to ensure he finishes the year in second place overall, finding less drive than he expected in the opening race saw him finish in sixth place. As a result of this he dropped ten points behind his rival for the runner-up spot, Chaz Davies, who was second today.

The final race of the year will take place at 21.00 local time, on Saturday 4th November.

Jonathan Rea, stated: “It is nice to score one more win than Troy but I never thought about the stats at all. I just wanted to win a race here. I never thought about the potential points record or anything. Now that looks - with the way we rode today – like it is possible. I thought coming here to win, where Chaz was so strong last year, would be really difficult. But it seems like we have found a little bit extra this end of season, to be honest. Of course we have improved the bike, especially in the chassis area. I feel I have a lot more confidence than last year, I feel that I am riding better than ever and physically I feel in much better shape. I have just been training myself a lot smarter. So it is a combination of many things. The total package of the bike is really good and balanced.”

Tom Sykes, stated: “I set off behind Jonathan in the first laps and trying to go into the corners the bike was all over the place; the front and rear chattering. I could not turn. This afternoon in hotter conditions the bike was doing 1’58s, all yesterday 1’58s and 1’57s and then today I did a 1’59.5 and that was about my limit. I could not brake, could not tip in, could not get through the corner the way I wanted to. I just missed a lot but we did not change anything. I cannot do anything about it but it is disappointing. I will just try to get a good result tomorrow and what will be, will be.”
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
REA SETS PERSONAL BEST SEASON WIN TOTAL
The opening 17-lap FIM Superbike World Championship race of the final round saw Jonathan Rea record his 15th race victory of the year, surpassing his previous personal best of 14, which he set in 2015. Fellow KRT rider Tom Sykes had rear traction issues throughout the race and dropped from a strong second to a final sixth at the flag.

From pole position, which he earned with a new track best of 1’56.228 earlier in the day, Rea was unstoppable out front under the floodlights in Qatar, winning by almost five seconds and easing up over the line. His Superpole win was his tenth for Kawasaki, and his sixth of the season.

This was Rea’s first WorldSBK race win at Qatar, and also the first for a Kawasaki rider at the 5.380km circuit in the desert near the capital city of Doha.

In taking his victory today Jonathan is now second in the all time WorldSBK race win rankings, with a career total of 53. Only Carl Fogarty, with 59, has won more races across his career than Jonathan. Should Rea win the Saturday race at Losail, the last one of the year, he will take the record points total in one season to add to all his other achievements in 2017.

For Sykes, who is still trying to ensure he finishes the year in second place overall, finding less drive than he expected in the opening race saw him finish in sixth place. As a result of this he dropped ten points behind his rival for the runner-up spot, Chaz Davies, who was second today.

The final race of the year will take place at 21.00 local time, on Saturday 4th November.

Jonathan Rea, stated: “It is nice to score one more win than Troy but I never thought about the stats at all. I just wanted to win a race here. I never thought about the potential points record or anything. Now that looks - with the way we rode today – like it is possible. I thought coming here to win, where Chaz was so strong last year, would be really difficult. But it seems like we have found a little bit extra this end of season, to be honest. Of course we have improved the bike, especially in the chassis area. I feel I have a lot more confidence than last year, I feel that I am riding better than ever and physically I feel in much better shape. I have just been training myself a lot smarter. So it is a combination of many things. The total package of the bike is really good and balanced.”

Tom Sykes, stated: “I set off behind Jonathan in the first laps and trying to go into the corners the bike was all over the place; the front and rear chattering. I could not turn. This afternoon in hotter conditions the bike was doing 1’58s, all yesterday 1’58s and 1’57s and then today I did a 1’59.5 and that was about my limit. I could not brake, could not tip in, could not get through the corner the way I wanted to. I just missed a lot but we did not change anything. I cannot do anything about it but it is disappointing. I will just try to get a good result tomorrow and what will be, will be.”
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Twelfth place for Gagne in race one at Losail
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Qatar Round

Losail International Circuit, Qatar
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Jake Gagne has taken fifth place in today’s 17-lap, opening race of the 2017 WorldSBK season finale at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar, equalling his best finish in the series scored in his previous appearance at Magny-Cours a month ago. His Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team mate Davide Giugliano was forced to an early retirement at the end of lap six.

Gagne got a decent launch from eighteenth place on the grid and had a competitive opening lap, as he made his way past some rivals to enter the top-15. As the race progressed, the 24-year-old from San Diego battled with Guarnoni for eleventh position before consolidating twelth place in the latter stages of the encounter.

Giugliano got a good launch from the fifteenth slot of the grid and was able to move up two places as the World Superbike field entered turn one. The 28-year-old Italian then started to lose ground and was passed by his team mate Gagne, before making his way back to the pits and pull out of the race.

The final race of the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship will get underway tomorrow at 21:00 local time (GMT +3), with Giugliano and Gagne again 15th and 18th, respectively, on the starting grid.






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Jake Gagne 45
12th
We made a lot of progress this morning in free practice 3 and I was feeling really good, but unfortunately I made a few mistakes during Superpole 1 which didn’t allow me to get a good qualifying position for the race. I got off to a decent start and got in the mix at the back, then made a couple of passes but then there was some smoke coming off another rider’s bike, which kind of made us slow down and lose touch with the group ahead. On lap nine I started to lose some grip so I could not push as hard as I wanted in the remaining laps. Twelfth place is not too bad and we have some ideas on what to change on the bike for race two, so hopefully we’ll be able to go quicker tomorrow.

- Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team



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Davide Giugliano 34
DNF
My start was good and I got up to thirteenth place, but very soon I started having issues with shifting, and ultimately I had no choice but to return to the pits. The team is currently investigating to find out what happened, but surely it’s a shame for how things went in the race because we showed some progress in Superpole 1 and I was ready to put up a fight. Now we need to regroup and get ready for the last race, because we all need one good result to wrap up the season.

- Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team



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Ronald ten Kate
Team Manager
It surely wasn’t the type of result we were expecting from today, and it has been a quite challenging race no doubt, but Jake did a great job and didn’t give up even when the grip went away. He was twelfth again but we’re quite confident he can be quicker tomorrow. It’s a real pity for Davide, because he got off to a great start and I think he could have battled for a top-10 finish, so hopefully things can turn in his favour tomorrow so he can show all his talent in the final race of the year.

- Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Bad Luck for Pata Yamaha Pair in Qatar Race 1
Race
The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team suffered from a double dose of misfortune under the floodlights in Qatar on Friday, as both riders crashed out of Race 1 after having shown real promise throughout the weekend. Alex Lowes recorded his second consecutive front-row start and started Race 1 from P2 on the grid. During the race, he was involved in an excellent battle for second position before he crashed at Turn 16. He managed to rejoin but, due to damage sustained in the original accident, crashed again with two laps to go bringing a premature end to his race. His teammate Michael van der Mark qualified in seventh and was battling hard during the race to chase down the leading group when he was unlucky to make contact with another rider and crashed out on lap 7.

Lowes had been in sensational form on Thursday at the Losail International Circuit, with the 27-year-old British rider finishing practice in second overall on the timesheets, just 0.0.259s off the top. In FP3 he showed blistering pace to lead for most of the session, staying out for the entire time on the same set of tyres before finishing in third. He and his team made another step in SP2, with the 2013 British Superbike Champion setting a 1:56.675 to start his second consecutive race from the front row in P2.

When the lights went out, he was immediately involved in the battle at the front, passing Tom Sykes to move into second and then becoming embroiled in a brilliant three-way scrap for second with Xavi Forés and Chaz Davies, as he looked to record his fourth podium of the season. Passing Forés for third on lap ten, he set his sights on Davies ahead of him, closing the gap dramatically before losing the front at Turn 16 on lap 11. Unfazed, Lowes immediately remounted his Pata Yamaha R1 but rejoined the race in dead last. Riding at the winner's pace, he quickly made his way up to 13th position before, with just two laps to go, he crashed again, this time at Turn 6 due to factors connected with the first accident. Lowes luckily escaped both crashes unscathed and will start Saturday's Race 2 from the head of the fourth row in tenth position. He remains fifth in the overall championship standings with 226 points.

Van der Mark had also impressed throughout the weekend as the Pata Yamaha Team showed great pace in the desert, ending Thursday's practice in fifth overall. The 25-year-old Dutch rider then made a step in FP3, showing a very strong race pace but in SP2, despite feeling confident on the race tyre once more, he could not quite make the qualifying tyre work for him and finished the session in seventh. Starting the race from the head of the third row, van der Mark made another got off the line well but got stuck on the outside at Turn 1 and found himself down in tenth place. Immediately he started to pass the riders in front of him, re-taking seventh by the end of the first lap.

He bided his time and waited for things to improve and in his usual style, he started to up the pace as the race went on. On lap 7, as van der Mark was closing down the riders in front of him, he just misjudged the pace of a struggling Tom Sykes as he lined up an overtake, clipping the back of his Kawasaki in Turn 9 and crashing out of the race. Luckily, Sykes was not affected and van der Markwas uninjured, although it sadly brought an end to his run of 11 consecutive point-scoring finishes. The 2014 Supersport World Champion will line up for Saturday's Race 2 in 12th on the grid and remains sixth in the championship standings with 210 points, 16 behind his teammate with 25 points up for grabs in the final race of the season on Saturday.

The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team will take the positives from Friday in Qatar and are determined to bounce back in Race 2 at the Losail International Circuit which is scheduled for 21:00 pm local time on Saturday. Check out the full race results.

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Alex Lowes
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team - DNF
"Obviously, I am gutted about what happened in the race. We have been really strong all this weekend, I was second overall after Thursday's practice and we made another step today for SP2 to make it two consecutive front row starts. I was feeling really confident that I could battle for the podium during the race. I had a good start from the middle of the front row on the grid and, honestly, felt really good during the race, battling with the guys for second. I gave it everything to catch and pass Chaz but I just pushed a bit too hard and lost the front at Turn 16. Of course, I wasn't going to give up and managed to re-join and fight my way back before somehow my glove got caught on the damaged brake lever and I crashed again. It was a disappointing end to a really encouraging day but I will bounce back in Race 2 tomorrow and give it everything to finish the season with a strong result!"

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Michael van der Mark
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team - DNF
"We made quite a big step today compared to Thursday and I was feeling pretty good in FP3. In SP2 I had a really good pace with the race tyre, but I couldn't quite get the qualifying tyre to work for me but I knew I had a good pace for the race. I had a pretty good start but just got hung out to dry a bit at Turn 1, although I made up the places I had lost almost immediately. To be honest, at the beginning I was struggling with the pace a bit, I just didn't have the speed to follow the guys in front but as the race went on, I was getting faster and faster and building my confidence with the bike. Unfortunately, through Turn 9 I was aiming to pass Tom Sykes into Turn 10 but we had completely different mid-corner speeds and I hit him quite hard - luckily, he didn't crash. It is a real shame as I think we could have been in the top five, if not battling for the podium. I am really sorry and I hope to finish the race tomorrow inside the top five. It will be tricky from 12th on the grid but I will do my best to fight hard tomorrow."


Paul Denning
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team Principal
"An obviously disappointing result in Race 1 here at Qatar after an extremely promising build-up, and the best race preparation that we have experienced all year. As always, the biggest positive is that both riders are uninjured and in both cases, as always when you are pushing the limits and looking to go forward, mistakes can happen. Both riders are talented and intelligent enough to use that experience to learn from it. Michael was caught out when Tom, who was clearly struggling a bit, was much slower in the middle of the corner than expected as he was lining him up for a pass. Fortunately, Tom himself was not negatively affected. Alex had closed right up on Chaz Davies' back wheel to fight for second position and just asked a little bit too much of the front at the final corner. We are still really looking forward to tomorrow evening's race. The guys have a lot of work to do from the fourth row of the grid but I am confident that Pata Yamaha can secure two good race results out of the Qatar weekend."
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Tough season finale for Althea BMW at Losail
Doha (Qatar), Saturday 4 November 2017

The 2017 Superbike world championship concluded today at the Losail International Circuit and, for the Althea BMW Racing team, it proved to be a tough final outing. De Rosa crossed the line in eleventh position but a highside for Jordi Torres unfortunately ruled him out of the race very early on.

Superbike - Race 2 – fourth on the grid having finished seventh in yesterday’s race, Torres was lying eighth through the first corners. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the Spaniard’s day though, as a big highside at turn 5 on just the second lap saw him end his race in the gravel. Fortunately Jordi was not seriously injured, but this wasn’t how he had hoped to conclude his adventure with the Althea BMW team.
From thirteenth, De Rosa got away well to position twelfth. Earning several places through the first laps, the Italian was up into ninth by lap three. Following Guintoli, Raffaele maintained good pace, lapping in tenth position through the central phase of the race. Pushing all the way to the line, the Althea BMW rider crossed the line in eleventh place.

As the 2017 championship draws to a close, Torres closes in ninth place with 158 points, De Rosa fifteenth with 53 points. In the manufacturer’s standings, BMW finishes fifth with 187 points, while the Althea BMW Racing team positions fifth in the team standings having accumulated a total of 230 points during the 2017 season.


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“We started out well and I was confident we could make a good race. Unfortunately though, on lap two, as soon as I touched the gas through turn 5 the bike threw me off. Luckily I haven’t broken anything though I may have some muscle injury. I didn’t want to end the season like this of course, we hoped to do more… Of course I want to thank Genesio, the team and BMW for these last two years. We’ve had some great moments, I’ve learned a great deal and I'm very proud of the fact that as a team we never gave up, always giving it our all. So huge thanks to everyone.”

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“After yesterday’s crash, it was important to cross the line today. After Jordi fell, I too risked a highside but was able to continue, it actually happened a couple of times, I’m not sure why. I got into a rhythm after that though and was doing OK until about lap eleven when I started to have problems managing the rear, particularly in braking. I was at least able to finish the race though… Huge thanks to Genesio and the entire team, as they’ve always done everything in their power to help me. Thanks also to my family and everyone who’s supported me this season. I’m just sorry I wasn’t able to do more…”

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KUCIAR666

Registered User
Solid performance by Jake Gagne in race two to wrap up the season
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Qatar Round

Losail International Circuit, Qatar
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The Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team wraps up the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship with a solid performance by Jake Gagne, who was twelfth again at the end of the 17-lap, final encounter of the season at the Losail International Circuit. Gagne’s team mate Davide Giugliano was declared unfit to race following an outbreak of gastroenteritis.

Gagne got a good launch from 17th place on the grid and – after a few laps – he got up to speed on board his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 machine and made his way into the top-15. In the first half of the race, the 24-year-old American lapped consistently in the 1’59secs – a pace which helped him consolidate twelfth position as the laps went by. Gagne then rode a lonely second part of the final encounter to equal yesterday’s race one result, albeit with a smaller gap to the top.

The Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team will begin preparations for the 2018 FIM Superbike World Championship with a private test on November 22-24 at ‘Circuito de Jerez’ in Spain.






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Jake Gagne 45
12th
I was happy with the progress made today in warm up because we improved the feeling with the front-end of the bike and the rear grip got better, too. My start to the race was pretty good, but unfortunately I found myself on the outside at turn two and that cost me a couple of places. Because of that, I ended up losing a couple of seconds from the group ahead. It was kind of a bummer, because I think we could have stayed with them and battled for a better finish. But nevertheless I’m happy because we made a lot of progress throughout the weekend and I learned a lot, so thanks to the team and Honda for inviting me back for one more race this year.

- Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team



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Davide Giugliano 34
DNS
It’s a real shame that I was unable to take part into this final race of the season, but unfortunately the gastroenteritis has been debilitating me for a few days now, and today I was in no condition to compete. I want to thank Honda and the team for this great opportunity to get back to the World Superbike paddock this year, it has been a pleasure to work with such a great squad. The boys have done an incredible job and Ronald has put together a great group of people. It has been a tough year for all of them no doubt, but I’m sure things will turn around for the better soon and I think we have done a good job with the bike in these few rounds together, which will hopefully set things into a good direction for the future.

- Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team



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Ronald ten Kate
Team Manager
Today it became evident as we got closer to the race that Davide’s physical condition was getting worse and worse, so it was a wise decision by the Medical Director to declare him unfit to compete. We want to thank him for stepping in this year as well as for his contribution and feedback to the development of the Fireblade. Jake managed to equal his best WorldSBK result today to wrap up what was a very positive round for him: he improved session after session and he could have aimed for a top-10 finish had he not lost touch with the group ahead in the early stages. Let’s not forget this was only his third-ever World Superbike round and the first under floodlights - on a track he had never ridden before. So hats off to him for today’s performance and a thank you for racing with us. All in all, it has been a very difficult season from many angles but we will come back stronger and hopefully this year will serve us well for a better 2018.

- Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
RECORD POINTS HAUL FOR REA WITH SIXTEENTH WIN
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Three time FIM Superbike World Champion Jonathan Rea (KRT) secured his 16th race win of the season this evening in Losail to set a record total of 556 points in one year. Tom Sykes (KRT) crashed out from a podium position early in the last race of the 2017 season and no scored.

An almost perfect season for Jonathan Rea culminated with a double win at the final round in Qatar on the Ninja ZX-10RR. In winning race two by 1.961 seconds he won two more races in a single season than he had managed in his previous best winning year of 2015.

For the final race of 2017 Rea started from ninth place, under the reverse grid Superpole regulations, but got up to the lead on lap four. From that point he started easing his way forward and maintaining a gap to the riders behind.

His strong finish saw him 153 ahead of overall second place finisher in the points, Chaz Davies, after 13 rounds. Rea was never off the podium in any race he finished this year.

Sykes lost his chance of finishing the season in second place after he fell on lap three, at turn 14. His machine was too badly damaged to continue. Tom finished his season a clear third overall in the rankings, with 373 points.

After the finale under the floodlights KRT will now head back to Europe to make preparations for the first of the winter tests, to be fully ready for the new technical challenges that the 2018 season will bring.

Jonathan Rea, stated: “The points tally is nice but the championship is the main thing. To win 16 races in a season, more than 50% of the races, is not normal. That’s the biggest thing I take away. This year, like I keep saying, I have no words. It has been feeling normal to be here on the podium and that is kind of scary. Right now is my time, so I really am enjoying the moment. Next year it could easily be somebody else so we really need to enjoy this and celebrate an incredible year. I know how difficult it is when things are not coming naturally, and it is an uphill struggle, so that is why I am so grateful to Kawasaki for this opportunity. It is a huge team effort. In a few weeks’ time we can start turning our attention to 2018.”

Tom Sykes, stated: “We started this final weekend so well but things just turned against us. In race two the bike felt much better. Initially I missed a bit of lap time but the bike was coming to me. I was just in a fast turn, clipped the white line and fell. People are running up and over kerbs here but I go and touch a white line and lose the front. It has been one of those things. The lap times were right there for the race today because we had made slight modifications from yesterday, so I cannot believe the way it finished. Jonathan has had an incredible season this year, he has done a fantastic job.”

Shigemi Tanaka of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Motorcycle and Engine Company, Marketing Department, stated: “We send our congratulations to Jonathan on behalf of KHI. It is a great achievement to score so many points, in a season which has been remarkable.”
 

KUCIAR666

Registered User
Lowes Back on the Podium as Pata Yamaha End Season in Sensational Fashion
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The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team bounced back in incredible style on Saturday under the floodlights in Qatar at the final round of the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship, to confirm the progress made this year after their unfortunate double DNF in Race 1. Alex Lowes rode one of his best races of the season to charge from 10th on the grid to third, claiming his fourth podium of 2017 and ensuring he ended the year on a high. Not to be outdone, his teammate Michael van der Mark was also involved in the battle for the podium, just missing out as he crossed the line in fourth behind Lowes, to cap off a season that has seen the Pata Yamaha Team emerge as serious WorldSBK contenders.

Lowes was determined to bounce back in the final race of 2017 after Race 1's misfortune, but had his work cut out for him from tenth on the grid. When the lights went out, the 27-year-old British rider had a good start and set about finding his rhythm on his Pata Yamaha R1. Up into eighth by the end of the first lap, he continued to make superb progress and by the fourth lap, he had fought this way up to fourth, just behind his teammate van der Mark, who had made a sensational start and was closing the gap to the leaders.

As the race developed, Lowes' pace got quicker and quicker as he hunted down his teammate, making an excellent move entering Turn 1 on the 13th lap for third position. He then set his sights on Chaz Davis and Jonathan Rea ahead of him, matching the Kawasaki and Ducati for pace and showing just how much the Pata Yamaha R1 has improved in 2017. To highlight the progress made this season, Lowes' R1 recorded the highest top speed down the 1068m straight at the Losail International Circuit, a scorching 320.5kph. Pushing as hard as he could in the latter stages, the 2013 British Superbike Champion managed to stick with Davies, but could not quite get close enough to challenge for second position, eventually crossing the line in third just 4.185s behind the race winner Jonathan Rea, to finish the season in style. Lowes' fourth podium of the year sees him end 2017 fifth in the championship standings with 242 points and he now heads into the winter break full of confidence and looking forward to 2018.

His teammate van der Mark had also suffered from bad luck in Race 1, as he crashed out after a misjudgement saw him make contact with Tom Sykes bringing an end to his incredible run of 11 consecutive point-scoring finishes. Like his teammate Lowes, he showed what he is made of on Saturday in the hot and humid conditions in Qatar as he pulled off a breathtaking ride in Race 2. Lining up 12th on the grid, he made a blistering start that, incredibly, saw him up into fifth by the end of the first lap.

Showing scintillating race pace, he stayed within two seconds of Davies and Rea ahead of him until lap 9 but, unfortunately, in charging through the field in such aggressive fashion, he had used up his rear tyre. When his teammate Lowes made a move on him with 5 laps to go he did just did not have the grip levels to fight back but, undeterred, he continued to ride superbly and match the pace of the riders in front of him to bring his R1 home in fourth, to complete an excellent end to the season for the Pata Yamaha Team. In doing so, he recorded his 20th top ten finish of the year and secured sixth in the championship standings with 223 points but, more importantly, confirmed the pace he had shown in the last few rounds, establishing himself as a regular podium contender in the process and the 2014 Supersport World Champion is already looking forward to the start of the 2018 season.

The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team ended the season on a high and will now head to the official off-season test in Jerez on the 22-24th of November full of confidence and knowing that they are entering into the 2018 season in the best possible way. Check out the Race 2 results.

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Alex Lowes
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team - 3rd +4.185s
"Yesterday's race was really hard to take for me because, honestly, I felt really good all weekend and I just made a mistake in the last corner when trying to challenge Chaz Davies. Unfortunately, it was a little mistake that had a big consequence. It was hard mentally to come back today and push hard as I knew starting from tenth was going to be difficult. In the first six laps, I didn't feel as good on the bike as I hoped to. I was losing time to the riders in front but then I felt really strong and I was coming forward all the time and was able to match the leaders' pace. It is fantastic to get a podium after the crash yesterday; the team and Yamaha fully deserve it and I am happy to end the season like this and go into the winter break with a smile on my face and motivated next year to fight the top guys at every race!!"

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Michael van der Mark
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team - 4th +5.843s
"It's been a good last race of the season and I am happy with fourth place after coming from 12th on the grid. I had a really good start and a strong first lap, plus I was feeling so much better with the bike today than yesterday and my pace was quite good. I tried everything to follow Chaz Davies but could not close the gap and Alex was closing quickly behind me, then he passed me and I couldn't stay with him because I had used up my rear tyre. To finish the season with Alex on the podium and myself in fourth is really good because in the last couple of races we have improved so much with the R1. We have been more consistent and it gives us something to build on during the winter and for the new season with the new rules. I am looking forward to testing again and already I am thinking about Race 1 in Phillip Island next year!"


Paul Denning
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team Principal
"This evening's race was a great way to end the 2017 season for Alex, Michael and the whole Pata Yamaha Team! The performance from both riders from the fourth row of the grid, after last night's misfortunes, is another confirmation of the steps taken, especially in the second half of this season, and gives us real confidence going into the winter and the 2018 season. We are getting consistently closer to the championship's dominant riders, backed up by the fact that on lap 3 Alex was 3.3s behind the leader and on lap 15 had actually closed the gap to 3 seconds. The pace of the Yamaha R1 has improved significantly and there are more exciting developments coming in the test at the end of November. Whilst it is positive to look forward, I would also like to reflect on this season and thank everyone involved in the project for their dedication and hard work in helping Yamaha to become a serious contender for WorldSBK honours. In addition, a fond farewell to Alex's crew chief Ian Prestwood who is moving onto a new project, and a big "welcome" to former Yamaha WorldSBK rider Andrew Pitt who will work with Alex in 2018. Finally, huge congratulations to Lucas Mahias and the GRT Yamaha Team on winning the WorldSSP Championship after an incredible end to the season."
 
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