WSBK-Qatar

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Rea and Haslam head for World Superbike's floodlit finale

Pata Honda riders Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam are on their way to the Losail International Circuit in Qatar for this weekend?s (31 October ? 2 November) final round of the 2014 World Superbike championship.

While the series title is out of reach for the Pata Honda team?s British duo, there is plenty to fight for in the last two races of a truncated championship season. Rea, 27, is still battling for a top three finish in the points standings and currently sits in fourth place, just 11 points behind Italian rider Marco Melandri with a maximum of 50 points up for grabs in Sunday?s two 17-lap races.
Haslam, meanwhile, will be keen to follow-up his welcome podium finish last time out on his Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP. To the delight of his team, the 31-year-old climbed the rostrum for the first time with the Netherlands-based squad in a wet second race at Magny-Cours in France a month ago.

This season?s climax at the 5.38km Losail International Circuit just outside the capital Doha marks a return to Qatar for the World Superbike championship for the first time since 2009. The circuit features six left-hand corners and 10 rights, plus a 1.068km-long start-finish straight. This weekend?s two races will also be the first World Superbike encounters to take place under floodlights.



2014 World Superbike Championship, round 12

Losail International Circuit, Qatar - event schedule (local times - Doha GMT +3):



Friday 31 October

17.15-18.00 - Free Practice 1

20.00-20.45 - Free Practice 2

23.15-00.00 - Free Practice 3



Saturday 1 November

18.00-18.30 - Free Practice 4

21.00-21.15 - Superpole 1

21.25-21.40 - Superpole 2



Sunday 2 November

17.15-17.40 - Warm-up

19.00 - Race 1 (17 laps, 91.460km)

22.00 - Race 2 (17 laps, 91.460km)



Jonathan Rea

I?m really looking forward to racing in Losail again for a variety of reasons. I?ve done a couple of new model launches there for Honda and I really like the circuit layout; it?ll also be the first time I?ve raced at night. I think the visibility will be quite high, especially compared to riding in the dark like I?ve done at Suzuka in the 8 Hours. But I think the biggest challenge is going to be the schedule and working out the best time for food intake and other things in order to perform physically late at night instead of during the day. It?s the last round of the championship but the plan is still quite straightforward. The CBR has been quite competitive at the last few rounds so we?ll try to get a good base setting again on Friday and aim to finish the season on a high in this desert challenge.


Leon Haslam

It?s been another strange month off between the last two races of the season but it was fantastic to get on the podium at Magny-Cours and I?m really looking forward to riding at Qatar again. I?ve only raced there once, in 2009, but I?ve got quite a few laps under my belt. I helped on the launch of the 2008 Fireblade and then Jonathan and I were there for the introduction of the SP model last year. But it will certainly be different riding there under the lights, even though I?ve done a bit of racing in the dark at Suzuka. It seems much brighter, but I know the track can be a little sandy to start with. I?ve been told to look out for my own shadow overtaking me, but otherwise it?s a really exciting way to end the season.


Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator

The bikes went straight to Qatar from Magny-Cours so we have not had an opportunity to work on them, but we?ll take some software updates for the electronics. I think our main aim for the weekend will be to retake third place in the championship for Jonathan, which is certainly possible. He and the bike have been strong in the last few races and it was unfortunate that he crashed out of a healthy lead in the last race in France. I hope we can continue a strong end to the season for Leon, too, because it was great to see him on the podium at Magny-Cours. I think he should be able to challenge for top five finishes because, despite the really long straight at the Losail circuit, the fast changes of direction on the other parts of the circuit should suit the CBR well.

 

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VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI SET FOR WSB FINALE

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki travels to the Qatar Peninsula this week for the eni FIM Superbike World Championship?s final round at the Losail International Circuit looking to reverse the cruel luck of last month?s event at Magny-Cours.

Eugene Laverty is hoping his final races, both on the Suzuki GSX-R and within the Superbike paddock, will prove fruitful and allow him to utilise the podium potential he believes is possible with his Yoshimura-powered machine. Laverty?s last visit to the Qatar circuit - as part of the 2009 World Supersport Championship - saw him take the top step; a feat he is eager to replicate in the top class this weekend.

No stranger to studying new tracks this season, Alex Lowes? learning curve at Losail will be even steeper this weekend with the added element of WSBK?s first event under floodlights. Eagerly anticipating the challenge, last year?s British Champion is determined to finish his rookie World season on a high in preparation for his continuation with the GSX-R1000 in 2015.

A regular host of motorcycle racing since its creation in 2004, the Losail International Circuit - located just over 30kms from the Qatar capital of Doha - held the first MotoGP? night race in 2008 but has not been seen on the WSBK calendar since 2009. The flowing 5,380m track layout accommodates 16 medium and high-speed corners - 10 of which right-handers - with the finish straight just over 1km in length. Held under artificial lights for the first time in the Championship?s history, the circuit will be illuminated by 1000 individual floodlights, housing 3600 bulbs and powered by 44 generators.

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki?s weekend timetable begins at 17:15hrs local time (14:15GMT) on Friday 31st October with the opening of three free practice sessions, the latter timed-for-qualifying practices scheduled for 20:00hrs (17:00GMT) and 23:15hrs (20:15GMT) respectively. Saturday?s action consists of the final non-timed free practice at 18:00hrs (15:00GMT) before Superpole sees the riders on track at 21:00hrs (18:00GMT). Sunday?s two races will be held at 19:00hrs (16:00GMT) and 22:00hrs (19:00GMT) respectively.

Eugene Laverty:

?The final round of the season will be an incredible experience racing under the floodlights. I've competed in the dark once already back in 2008 at Losail and I?m really looking forward to doing it again. The floodlights really illuminate the track so it actually allows you to be a little more precise than in daylight hours. The Losail circuit is a flowing one which suits our bike much better than some of the tight and twisty tracks that we?ve visited lately. It?s my last race in the World Superbike Championship before I make the switch to MotoGP and I?d love nothing more than to go out on a high - for me, the Crescent team and all our Sponsors.?

Alex Lowes:

?I am really looking forward to Qatar and the new experience of a night race. We have had another month?s break between races and I feel fresh and happy in myself right now and very excited to ride my Suzuki GSX-R again! My aim is to finish the year with two solid results to kick-start my 2015 preparations early. The track looks flowing, my brother Sam did well first time there in Moto2; so hopefully I can at least replicate that!?

 

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Rea dazzles under the lights in Qatar

Pata Honda?s Jonathan Rea set the second fastest combined time in this evening?s three free practice sessions at Losail International Circuit in Qatar in preparation for Sunday?s title-deciding final round of the 2014 World Superbike championship.
Rea was just 0.1s behind this evening?s provisional pole sitter, Davide Giugliano, with Sylvain Guintoli, the only rider able to prevent Tom Sykes winning his second championship on Sunday, third. Sykes ended the day eighth fastest.
Today was the first time that the series has been run under floodlights and Rea, 27, got off to a blinding start to set the fastest time in Free Practice 1. His Pata Honda team-mate Leon Haslam was 10th in that session but fifth fastest in FP2, with Rea fourth.

Haslam ended the evening in ninth place overall but the 31-year-old is confident of further improvements in tomorrow?s FP4, which will not be timed for the afternoon Superpole sessions that will determine Sunday?s grid positions.

With the third Free Practice session ending at midnight local time, both Pata Honda riders and their crew held a relatively short debriefing session and will return in good time to work on their CBR1000RR Fireblade SPs before FP4, which kicks off at 18.00 tomorrow.


Jonathan Rea - P2, 1m58.013s

We?ve worked really well today. Before coming here, I haven?t been a fan of three sessions in one day and it?s been a tough day. To have three sessions and finish this late at night is quite difficult but we?ve worked really hard on weight distribution and spring balance. We?re still trying to find the optimum session because I?m still struggling to finish off the corner in some areas. But overall the package seems really good here and I?m really enjoying riding. Hence the reason I put so many laps in! I?m learning every time I go out because it?s quite a different experience riding under the lights. But I?m just so happy to be out there because I feel like a Supercross rider! I wish I could ride under lights every race!


Leon Haslam - P9, 1m58.989s

Yeah, it?s not been too bad for the first night here in Qatar. It?s been pretty good actually, although we were a little bit behind after the first session. But we made some good steps for session two and I?ve had the opportunity to try all three tyre options. Unfortunately, the better tyre is always the one that you don?t get so many of, so I didn?t use the softer option later on this evening. But I still managed to go quicker on the harder tyre so I was pretty happy with that. Everyone seems to be making good steps on the tyres so hopefully tomorrow we can do a bit of a longer run on the softer option.


Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator

Jonathan was fast from the beginning this evening and we had very few problems during the evening. The bike setting didn?t give us too many problems which was good because we were able to do longer runs and start to work on a race rhythm. We?re looking forward to continuing this way tomorrow. Leon?s first session was not easy but in the end he was ninth and it?s all quite close ? he?s only a tenth off Tom Sykes which is not so bad, even though there?s some more work to do. But it looks promising and hopefully he can gain those few tenths tomorrow to close the gap further.

 

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STRONG START FOR VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI IN QATAR

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki?s Eugene Laverty concluded the opening eni FIM Superbike World Championship action at the Losail International Circuit in fifth place today, completing all three free practices under floodlit conditions.

Despite having not raced here for five years, Laverty looked comfortable aboard his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R, claiming fifth in the day?s opening session. As the evening continued - and the track cooled - Laverty took charge, finishing the second free practice fastest and more than half-a-second quicker than the lap-record with a 1?58.449. A difficult final session left the Suzuki rider unable to set a lap but his pace in the earlier practice was enough to qualify fifth overall.

Getting up-to-speed quickly for his inaugural session at the Qatar track, Alex Lowes was the first racer of the day to break the two-minute barrier, setting two consecutively-quick laps to head the times with a 1?59.974 and with just five minutes remaining. He ultimately ended the opening practice in third with two further qualifying sessions left to run and continued the hard work into the night. A mistake in the final session left him little margin to set a time. However, with less than three minutes to go, the British racer took his Suzuki GSX-R1000 to sixth position and safely through to tomorrow?s Superpole.

The action beginning as the sun went down, Davide Giugliano topped the times with a 1?57.876 on his Ducati as the Losail International Circuit entertained a sultry 29?C. Althea?s Niccolo Canepa led the EVO class as the track cooled and the clock struck midnight.

With all three timed-for qualifying free practice sessions completed this evening, Voltcom Crescent Suzuki returns to the track at 18:00hrs local time (15:00GMT) tomorrow for the last non-timed free practice session ahead of Superpole at 21:00hrs local time (18:00GMT).

Eugene Laverty:

?The Suzuki works really well around this circuit as we expected: It flows and with only really one tight-corner it?s built for the GSX-R. In the second practice, lap-times were coming really easily, we went fastest and then unfortunately in the final practice we had an electronics problem, didn?t get a single lap-in and we dropped down to fifth. Going by the second practice we are looking really strong so it would be nice to finish the year with a good Superpole for a change and try and get on that podium come Sunday.?

Alex Lowes:

?I?m a bit upset to make a mistake and miss most of that last session. In the middle session we worked on the less-favourable tyre, did a lot of work and I felt really strong, even though I was only seventh. The first session was obviously great and in the last session we only got one lap in on what will be the race tyre and, although I obviously got a good lap in at the end, I think that could have been a really strong session, so I?m a little bit frustrated. On the other side, I?ve never been here before and it?s been a fantastic experience to race under the lights; I?m really happy and I?m enjoying it a lot. I said at Magny-Cours, obviously apart from the race day when it didn?t quite go right because of the weather, I?m enjoying riding my bike again and I?m really happy. I just want to say a special thanks to the lads; they worked really hard in that session to get me out with two-and-a-half minutes to go, so thanks to them and we?ll see what tomorrow brings!?

Paul Denning - Team Manager:

?It?s great to have the World Superbike Championship here in Qatar, the bikes look spectacular under the lights and for our team, the Suzuki GSX-R1000 and both riders seem to be enjoying the track so it?s all positive. FP1 and FP2 both went ultra-smoothly but the wheels fell off our evening somewhat in FP3 with Eugene not completing a lap due to an electronics issue and Alex - after he?d put a new set of tyres in the bike - unfortunately crashing on his first timed lap. For Eugene to finish fifth overall having missed all of FP3, and for Alex to have recovered to sixth with just one timed-lap on his repaired bike at the end of the session, would indicate that we?ve got very good potential here this weekend.
?Both crews did a really good job this evening and Alex?s guys worked miracles to get his bike fixed in the time they had available. The crew deserve a good result this weekend so we?ll keep working hard tomorrow and see what we can achieve.?

Qatar ? eni FIM Superbike World Championship ? Free Practice Combined Times: 1. Davide Giugliano (Ducati) 1?57.876: 2. Jonathan Rea (Honda) +0.137: 3. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) +0.290: 4. Loris Baz (Kawasaki) +0.420: 5. Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +0.573: 6. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +0.663.

 

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Baz And Sykes On The Front Row For Season Finale

Both Loris Baz and Tom Sykes scored important front row starts at the Losail International Circuit in readiness for last two races of the 2014 FIM Superbike World Championship season, which take place on Sunday 2 November. A happy second day of track time under the floodlights for the overall official Kawasaki effort saw KRT SBK Evo rider David Salom go fastest of all the Evo riders and take the 12th grid spot.


For French rider Baz his last race for KRT almost delivered him a third pole position prize of the year, but even though he had a disturbed lap when running his qualifying rear tyre, he still finished second on the grid ? and just one thousandth of a second from the previous best lap.

Sykes and his team found the pace they were missing on day one before Superpole started and Tom will now begin what will be championship-deciding races from the front row, in third place, with clear track ahead of him. He will be aiming for his second championship in succession in Sunday?s 17-lap races.

In the overall Tissot-Superpole Standings table Sykes has now finished on top, 14 points ahead of his closest rival, and with five individual Superpole trophies to his credit this year.

Evo rider Salom was in determined mood and on a strong machine set-up today as he finished second in Superpole 1, which put him through to Superpole two along with the fastest riders.

He acquitted himself well against all the main full Superbike competitors and finished 12th on the grid, earning a fourth row start for what will also be his championship deciding day within the Evo category.

The Superbike races at Losail will start at 19.00 and 22.00, local time in Qatar on Sunday 2 November.

Loris Baz: ?It is strange because I feel like I made maybe the worst lap of my life but I was second in Superpole! I made too many mistakes and I missed a gear on the straight so I lost maybe one or two tenths there, and at the back of the track I lost some more time. I was just hoping to still be on the first or second row, so I am really happy to be one place from the front. I could have gone faster but let us see how it is tomorrow. I like the track here and I want to end the season with the team in a good way, to say thank you for all they have done for me.?

Tom Sykes: ?I am happy to be on the front row and it is good for Kawasaki to have Loris second and myself third. The two guys in front did great laps and I am happy to be on the front row and have clear track in front of me for tomorrow. We have been working very hard with the bike to be ready for Sunday?s two races. That is where it counts. We have a points lead to work with and we will do the best we can, using our experience the best we can. We were able to react today, so we will try to fine-tune the Ninja ZX-10R even more. I am very excited, very motivated and I just hope we can have a great day at this fantastic circuit.?

David Salom: ?I am very happy to be fastest Evo rider in qualifying again but the points will be tomorrow, not today. I will fight for the championship and for sure it will be difficult in the two races. Now we have a very good bike for the race and the team has worked very hard and very well this weekend. I tried to push today in Superpole 1 and 2, I gave my all and we finished near to the full Superbikes. We are ready for the races tomorrow.?

 

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LAVERTY ON 3RD ROW AT QATAR WSB FINALE

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki?s Eugene Laverty will start his final races in the eni FIM Superbike World Championship from the third-row after qualifying in ninth place at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar today.

The Irishman lines-up alongside Honda?s Jonathan Rea and Aprilia?s Marco Melandri; the Irishman had set provisional Pole earlier in the weekend, but suffered an unfortunate and mysterious electronic issue.

But, feeling confident with his Suzuki GSX-R1000 heading into Superpole 2, Alex Lowes left the box on qualifying tyres neatly behind championship-contender Sylvain Guintoli.

But for Lowes, unwanted attention from the Aprilia of Toni Elias put-paid to his hot-lap and the British racer concluded the session from the gravel-trap at turn 13; having tried to make the best of the compromised situation.

With all three qualifying free practices completed on Friday, there was only the non-timed 30-minute session to run before the real business of Superpole got underway at 21:00hrs local time. Temperatures on-and-off the track matched the previous day. However, the rising humidity played more-of-a-part as the evening?s events began.

Davide Giugliano?s time of 1?57.003 awarded him Pole-Position aboard the Ducati, while Kawasaki?s David Salom claimed the highest qualifying position in the EVO class.

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki will be back under the Losail floodlights at 19:00hrs local time (16:00GMT) for the first of tomorrow?s two races, with the 2014 Championship finale at 22:00hrs (19:00GMT).


Eugene Laverty:

?Free practice two was perfect and since then it has been a disaster! We had electronics problems and the bike didn?t run again in FP4 so we went into Superpole blind and I think ninth was the best we could hope for. It?s all ?if?s and but?s? but with the way the bike was feeling in FP2 we know how strong it could have been and that?s the bitter pill to swallow. It?s going to be hard from the third row tomorrow but I?ll try and get involved and do the best I can for Suzuki and the team!?

Alex Lowes:

?I was feeling good with my two laps on the race tyre this evening. I went out on the qualifier and was in a great position behind Guintoli to aid us in setting a perfect lap, but Elias got in the middle and turned what should have been a great qualifying into a disaster. I really hope the lads don?t have too much work to do and we can come back strong for tomorrow?s races.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?From a really positive evening yesterday in Qatar to a really disappointing one tonight! The qualifying results - as has often been the case over the course of the year - don?t reflect the potential. Eugene?s FP3 technical problems unfortunately weren?t solved for FP4 and again he didn?t set a competitive lap so we were going into Qualifying cold. Operationally the bike was fine, but having missed two sessions in terms of advancing the set-up, it compromised the performance in Superpole and Eugene only went a tenth-quicker on his qualifying tyre than he did in FP2 on race rubber.

?Alex was definitely on for a second-row start but Tony Elias, a very experienced rider, completely compromised Alex?s lap and contributed to his crash. Of course Alex could have shut-off, found track-space and tried again. but the qualifying tyres here are good for one timed-lap only so he had to push-on and try to make the best of what had turned into an impossible situation.?

Qatar ? eni FIM Superbike World Championship ? Superpole: 1. Davide Giugliano (Ducati) 1?57.003: 2. Loris Baz (Kawasaki) +0.248: 3. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) +0.435: 4. Chaz Davies (Ducati) +0.529: 5. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) +0.800: 9. Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +1.346: 11. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +1.886.

 

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Second row for Haslam under lights of Qatar

Pata Honda?s Leon Haslam will start tomorrow's final two races of the 2014 World Superbike championship from the second row of the grid after setting the sixth-fastest time in this evening?s Superpole at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.

The 31-year-old British rider has spent all weekend fine-tuning the setting on his Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade and was able to extract an improved performance from his qualifying tyre in the latter stages of the Superpole session, in which Italy?s Davide Giugliano took pole position.

Haslam?s Pata Honda team-mate Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow?s two 17-lap races at the 5.380km Losail circuit from the head of row three after crashing out of contention unhurt when he took to the track on his qualifying tyre.

Rea has been at or near the top of the leaderboard in all sessions this weekend but admitted he was perhaps over-eager to secure pole position in this final event of the 2014 season as he pushes to regain third place in the series.

Tomorrow?s first two night races in the 26-year history of the World Superbike championship will go at 19.00 and 22.00 local time in Qatar which is GMT +3hrs.


Leon Haslam - P6, 1m58.005s

I?m really happy actually, and moving from the race tyre to the qualifier in Superpole, everything stayed stable which is what we?ve been aiming for all year. The last few rounds have been quite positive with the way we?ve got the balance of the bike and the way we?ve got the electronics working. I made a little mistake on the Q and I think the lap could have been a little bit quicker but I?m on the second row for the last two races of the year and I?m really, really happy.


Jonathan Rea - P7, 1m58.190s

Well, it?s not the best grid position to start the last races of the season. Throughout the practices we?ve been really strong in all the sessions and the package is working really, really well here. In the first part of Superpole I was quite competitive on a race tyre and, when it came to use the qualifier I, er... well, maybe I wanted the pole position a little bit too much! I entered turn seven a little bit too fast and tried to turn in but ran a little wide on to the dirty stuff and tucked the front. It?s frustrating because I know we had the pace to be right at the front from the beginning. It might change our tactics a little bit for tomorrow, being on the third row but, for sure, I?ll be racing for the podium. But we want to win because I think the CBR is working really well here and that&r squo;s a real possibility.


Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator

Leon showed immediately in Superpole that he was quite strong and he was able to improve another seven tenths when we put in the qualifier, which brought him the second row. That is really good and I?m happy to see him there; maybe some last tweaks to the bike in warm-up and I?m sure he can fight in the top five. Jonathan has been fast in all sessions this weekend and in the first part of Superpole on the race tyre. Unfortunately he had a small crash on the qualifier but that still gives him seventh position on the grid. Knowing that he has the pace to fight for the victory, I?m looking forward to tomorrow?s races.

Qualifying position
1 Davide Giugliano 1'57.033 ITA DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team
2 Loris Baz 1'57.281 FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
3 Tom Sykes 1'57.468 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
4 Chaz Davies 1'57.562 GBR DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team
5 Sylvain Guintoli 1'57.833 FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
6 Leon Haslam 1'58.005 GBR HONDA Pata Honda
7 Jonathan Rea 1'58.190 GBR HONDA Pata Honda
8 Marco Melandri 1'58.355 ITA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
9 Eugene Laverty 1'58.379 IRL SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
10 Toni Elias 1'58.583 SPA APRILIA Red Devils Roma
11 Alex Lowes 1'58.919 GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
12 David Salom 1'59.015 ESP KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
13 Sylvain Barrier 1'58.918 FRA BMW BMW Motorrad Italia SBK
14 Niccolo Canepa 1'59.492 ITA DUCATI Althea Racing
15 Alessandro Andreozzi 1'59.601 ITA KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
17 Bryan Staring 2'00.638 AUS KAWASAKI IRON BRAIN Kawasaki SBK Team
18 Jeremy Guarnoni 2'00.817 FRA KAWASAKI MRS Kawasaki
19 Geoff May 2'01.860 USA BIMOTA Team Hero EBR
20 Sheridan Morais -- RSA KAWASAKI IRON BRAIN Kawasaki SBK Team
21 Claudio Corti -- ITA MV AGUSTA MV Agusta RC-Yakhnich Motorsport
22 Aaron Yates -- USA BIMOTA Team Hero EBR
23 Gabor Rizmayer -- HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
24 Imre Toth -- HUN BMW BMW Team Toth

 

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Rea ends 2014 World Superbike season in style with Qatar podium

Pata Honda rider Jonathan Rea finished as runner-up in this evening?s final World Superbike race of the season at Losail in Qatar, securing third place in the championship, as French rider Sylvain Guintoli took the title with a double race victory.

Rea had finished in fourth place in the first 17-lap outing under floodlights at the 5.380km Losail International Circuit after a blistering start on his Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP from seventh place on the grid.

In race two, Rea got another great launch off the grid and led the race in the early stages before dropping back to third. However, knowing that he had to fight for every available point, Rea got back past outgoing champion Tom Sykes to finish three seconds behind Guintoli and take third place in the series by a single point from Marco Melandri.

Rea?s Pata Honda team-mate Leon Haslam finished race one in 11th place after struggling with front end grip throughout the 17 laps, but the British ace had to fight even harder for tenth place in race two.

After a good start from sixth place on the grid, the 31-year-old was forced off the track at the first corner by Frenchman Loris Baz and had to recover from last position. His hard-fought finish leaves Haslam seventh overall in the final points standings.


Jonathan Rea - 4th and 3rd

I?m really, really happy and what a way to finish the season here in Qatar under the lights. With the atmosphere here, hanging around the hotel pool during the day, it just makes me realise how lucky I am to have this amazing job and to be here. I just want to thank my team for putting their best efforts in this year - they gave me a bike that I could really enjoy riding and we?ve developed the CBR a lot through the year. And at the end of the season I was really happy to finish a lot on the podium and to take back third in the championship. I?m really happy for that and it sets me up for next season in a really good way.


Leon Haslam - 11th and 10th

At the start of race two, Baz was going to wipe about five riders out and he came right across me. I had to lift up because he was going to hit me and we both went off the track. Coming through from last place to tenth wasn?t the best way to finish the season but we certainly made some good changes to the bike from race one to race two. We should probably have opted for the softer tyre like everyone else and I ended up in a bit of a lonely race in tenth for the last few laps. But it was fun coming through the field in the first part of the race and we secured seventh in the championship which was the main thing. The results have been a little disappointing but I think we?ve all worked really well this weekend and just had a bit of bad luck.


Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator

What an exciting day it?s been, taking third place in the championship after two fantastic races. In the first race, Jonathan finished just off the podium after battling all race long but he closed the gap to Melandri to six points for third in the championship. In race two he had another fabulous start and led for a while, finally fighting with Sykes for a lot of laps for a place on the podium. But it was also a race-long battle for third in the championship. Leon?s evening was a little more difficult and he had a front tyre problem in the first race. Race two was a lot better in terms of performance, but he had some problems with Baz at the beginning, which compromised his result. But it was great to see him so determined to fight back through the field after that.

Event results - Round 12- Race 1
1 Sylvain Guintoli 33'46.738 FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
2 Loris Baz 2.650 FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
3 Tom Sykes 3.955 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
4 Jonathan Rea 4.805 GBR HONDA Pata Honda
5 Davide Giugliano 7.861 ITA DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team
6 Toni Elias 8.192 SPA APRILIA Red Devils Roma
7 Chaz Davies 8.991 GBR DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team
8 Marco Melandri 10.512 ITA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
9 Eugene Laverty 15.978 IRL SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
10 Alex Lowes 21.456 GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
11 Leon Haslam 25.977 GBR HONDA Pata Honda
12 Niccolo Canepa 29.085 ITA DUCATI Althea Racing
13 David Salom 29.096 ESP KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
14 Sylvain Barrier 39.270 FRA BMW BMW Motorrad Italia SBK
15 Bryan Staring 43.360 AUS KAWASAKI IRON BRAIN Kawasaki SBK Team
16 Jeremy Guarnoni 46.206 FRA KAWASAKI MRS Kawasaki
17 Geoff May 1'16.323 USA BIMOTA Team Hero EBR
18 Imre Toth 1 Lap HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
Event results - Round 12- Race 2
1 Sylvain Guintoli 33'41.803 FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
2 Jonathan Rea 3.568 GBR HONDA Pata Honda
3 Tom Sykes 5.092 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
4 Marco Melandri 8.305 ITA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
5 Chaz Davies 8.390 GBR DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team
6 Toni Elias 8.654 SPA APRILIA Red Devils Roma
7 Loris Baz 9.115 FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
8 Davide Giugliano 13.015 ITA DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team
9 Alex Lowes 13.478 GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
10 Leon Haslam 25.471 GBR HONDA Pata Honda
11 David Salom 37.964 ESP KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
12 Niccolo Canepa 38.001 ITA DUCATI Althea Racing
13 Bryan Staring 46.248 AUS KAWASAKI IRON BRAIN Kawasaki SBK Team
14 Claudio Corti 51.926 ITA MV AGUSTA MV Agusta RC-Yakhnich Motorsport
15 Alessandro Andreozzi 56.331 ITA KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
16 Geoff May 1'23.937 USA BIMOTA Team Hero EBR
17 Imre Toth 1 Lap HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
Championship standings
1 Sylvain Guintoli 416 pts FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
2 Tom Sykes 410 pts GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
3 Jonathan Rea 334 pts GBR HONDA Pata Honda
4 Marco Melandri 333 pts ITA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team
5 Loris Baz 311 pts FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
6 Chaz Davies 215 pts GBR DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team
7 Leon Haslam 187 pts GBR HONDA Pata Honda
8 Davide Giugliano 181 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team
9 Toni Elias 171 pts SPA APRILIA Red Devils Roma
10 Eugene Laverty 161 pts IRL SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
11 Alex Lowes 139 pts GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki
12 David Salom 103 pts ESP KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team
13 Niccolo Canepa 73 pts ITA DUCATI Althea Racing
14 Jeremy Guarnoni 45 pts FRA KAWASAKI MRS Kawasaki
15 Sylvain Barrier 40 pts FRA BMW BMW Motorrad Italia SBK
16 Leon Camier 37 pts GBR BMW BMW Motorrad Italia SBK
17 Claudio Corti 27 pts ITA MV AGUSTA MV Agusta RC-Yakhnich Motorsport
18 Sheridan Morais 24 pts RSA KAWASAKI IRON BRAIN Kawasaki SBK Team
19 Alessandro Andreozzi 22 pts ITA KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
20 Fabien Foret 20 pts FRA KAWASAKI MAHI Racing Team India
21 Lorenzo lanzi 19 pts ITA DUCATI 3C Racing Team
22 Bryan Staring 18 pts AUS KAWASAKI IRON BRAIN Kawasaki SBK Team
23 Max Neukirchner 17 pts GER DUCATI 3C Racing Team
24 Luca Scassa 16 pts ITA KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
25 Gabor Rizmayer 7 pts HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
26 Glen Allerton 6 pts AUS BMW BMW Motorrad Italia SBK
27 Riccardo Russo 5 pts ITA KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
28 Kervin Bos 5 pts NED HONDA Winteb LiquidRubber Racing T.
29 Imre Toth 5 pts HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
30 Michel Fabrizio 2 pts ITA KAWASAKI IRON BRAIN Kawasaki SBK Team
31 Roamin Lanusse 1 pts FRA KAWASAKI Team Pedercini
32 Peter Sebestyen 0 pts HUN BMW BMW Team Toth
33 Nicolas Salchaud 0 pts FRA MV AGUSTA Dream Team Company
34 Geoff May 0 pts USA BIMOTA Team Hero EBR
35 Christian Iddon 0 pts GBR BIMOTA Team Alstare
36 Aaron Yates 0 pts USA BIMOTA Team Hero EBR

 

[KUCIAR666]

Sykes Misses Championship Win By Six Points

The 2014 FIM Superbike World Championship fight went right to the wire and despite scoring two third places KRT rider Tom Sykes was unable to defend his crown and lost out by only six points. Loris Baz (KRT) finished second in race one and fifth in the overall championship standings. A great season end for KRT SBK Evo rider David Salom, as he secured the title with two strong rides on his Ninja ZX-10R, including best Evo performance in race two.

After two 17-lap races of full commitment under the floodlights Sykes finished the SBK season in second place overall, with a total of eight race wins, more than any other rider.

Sykes could not match new champion Sylvain Guintoli?s pace in each race at Losail but showed his determination to fight all the way with his double podium. As well as his wins Sykes took 16 podiums in 24 races and scored five Superpole wins.

For Baz a podium finish in second place in race one was followed up by seventh in race two, after he and another rider had been run off track in the first corner. In his last race for KRT he battled back to finish seventh, overtaking many riders on the way. Loris finishes the year with eight podium finishes to his credit.

KRT SBK Evo class rider David Salom scored a fantastic championship win at the first attempt in the Evo category after just one race had been completed at Losail. He has now taken 13 Evo race wins on his Ninja ZX-10R after edging out his lone rival in the second race at Losail. In the combined results David was 13th and 11th at Losail and 12th in the combined SBK rankings.

Tom Sykes: ?We gave it everything at the final round and no regrets. We made the podium in both races and pushed as hard as the bike and set-up would allow. We had some really good lap times in race two but Sylvain had a better pace. It is what it is and the races today had the most significant outcome of all. I am disappointed but there is only so much you can do. We knew this weekend would be hard work and there is no disgrace in what we did, unfortunately it just wasn?t quite enough. Luckily the winter is not too long and we will come out fighting next year.?

Loris Baz: ?In race one I could not finish with Sylvain because my front tyre had been used up. In race two another rider hit me in turn one I had to pick up the bike and then went straight. It was a shame because I had a really good pace. I lost six or seven seconds in that lap and finished only nine second behind Guintoli, so I lost all my time there coming back through the traffic. It was a big comeback, but not enough.?

David Salom: ?Winning the Evo class was a nice reward because all year we pushed very hard. Everybody in the team and Kawasaki worked all year for this. We took a lot of points in the middle of the championship to let us win with more comfort. I tried to win the first race to win the championship that way but my front tyre was very worn. In race two I tried to pass Canepa in the middle of the race but he re-passed me and I sat behind him to wait. I made my pass over the line and it worked this time. It was a great way to finish the year and big thanks to everybody for their great efforts.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

VOLTCOM CRESCENT SUZUKI CONCLUDES WSB SEASON

A dramatic conclusion to the 2014 eni FIM Superbike World Championship saw Eugene Laverty and Alex Lowes both achieve a ninth-place finish each in the day?s two races at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar.

A relatively uneventful first race left Laverty circulating in 10th for the majority of the first-half before advancing on Honda?s Leon Haslam for ninth. With changes made to his Yoshimura-powered machine in the two-hour window, Laverty started the season?s final battle strongly. His intent to hunt down the leaders for his last podium in the Championship, however, was cut-short by a crash at turn six on the third lap, calling time early on his final outing aboard his Voltcom Crescent Suzuki.

Showing impressive pace on his Suzuki GSX-R1000 as the season finale drew to a close, Alex Lowes consistently matched the lap-times of the front-running group in the late evening race. The disappointment of the previous day?s qualifying, however, impacted his race day; his ninth-place finish barely reflecting the efforts of both team and rider. A bad start to the day?s opening race had initially seen Lowes drop to 13th, but the Suzuki racer soon regrouped, closing up to his team-mate to round-out the top-10 in the last third of the race and retaining the position to the flag.

A drier but windy Losail circuit greeted the Championship for its concluding race day of the 2014 season, with the humidity dropping by almost half from Superpole?s 80% high, to a mere 47% for the opening race.

Sylvain Guintoli claimed the 2014 Superbike World Championship title by taking both race victories and granting Aprilia the Manufacturers? silverware in the process. Althea?s Niccol? Canepa snatched race one?s EVO trophy at the line while the race-two win went to the overall EVO Class winner, Kawasaki?s David Salom.

Voltcom Crescent Suzuki now returns to its UK headquarters to begin preparation for the 2015 Championship, and a week of testing scheduled at Jerez, in Spain, from November 24th with its new rider pairing of Lowes and Randy de Puniet.

Eugene Laverty:

?Race one was poor, I really struggled with the front tyre and ninth was all I could manage - we came strong in the second half of the race but it was too little too late. We changed to a different front tyre for the second race and the feeling was much better. I was going to be in that fight for fourth and I was desperate to cling on but I had issues with the rear-entry grip and it suddenly came around on me. It was a strange crash as I?ve never crashed like that before and it was a disappointing way to end the season.

?I was desperate to get on the podium this weekend and I was pushing for that; to try and reward the team with another podium. It hasn?t been the best of years, with just a win at Phillip Island and then a podium at Sepang, the boys deserved much more as they have been working hard. I never really like to say that our luck was out, but sometimes this year it did seem that way. Thanks to the whole team and all the sponsors for never giving-up and I?m just disappointed we couldn?t finish on a high!?

Alex Lowes:

?Tenth and a ninth may not look as good on paper but it doesn?t tell the whole story. The front tyre started to cut-up with about eight laps to go in race one which made it quite hard work, so I just had to get the bike to the finish. For the second race Lez made some great changes to the bike and it felt a lot better, we tried a different front tyre that I?ve not raced all year, but once I got used to it, after the first six laps, it was probably the best I?ve ridden since Donington, so a nice way to finish the year. I was just a few seconds off the guys who finished in fourth place so I?m quite happy with that. I dug-in until the last lap of the last race of the year and it has given me a bit of confidence going forward to testing.

?Thanks to the whole team, to Suzuki, Voltcom and Yoshimura for all their hard work this year, and I?m looking forward to coming back much stronger at Phillip Island for next season.?

Paul Denning ? Team Manager:

?Not the results that Crescent Racing, Suzuki, Voltcom and all our very loyal partners were looking for today, but some very encouraging signs for next season from Alex, especially in race two. He had struggled in race one, but the team made some changes to the chassis-balance for race two which clearly improved the bike. The end-result was really a residual of the qualifying crash and the poor grid-position because Alex and the GSX-R?s pace at the end of race two was good enough for fourth place, but the gap was just too far away after the initial laps. Alex has been taking a more-measured approach, and the decision making processes and consistency of pace today auger really well for 2015.

?Eugene?s season started with a win, ended with an unfortunate crash; and that reflects the inconsistency and bad luck that we have suffered over the course of the year. It?s been a pleasure having him, John and Pip as part of the team and everybody at Voltcom Crescent Suzuki wishes him all the best in his new career as a MotoGP? rider.

?We move on to new regulations next year - which we feel will suit the GSX-R - and we begin testing very soon in Jerez with Alex and, of course, we are very excited about Randy de Puniet?s first ride with the team.?

Qatar ? eni FIM World Superbike Championship ? Race One: 1. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) 33?46.738: 2. Loris Baz (Kawasaki) +2.650: 3. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) +3.955: 4. Jonathan Rea (Honda) +4.805: 5. Davide Giugliano (Ducati) +7.861. 9. Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +15.978. 10. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +21.456.

Qatar ? eni FIM World Superbike Championship ? Race Two: 1. Guintoli 33?41.803: 2. Rea +3.568: 3. Sykes +5.092: 4. Marco Melandri (Aprilia) +8.305: 5. Chaz Davies (Ducati) +8.390. 9. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) +13.478. DNF Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki).

World Championship Classification: 1. Guintoli 416: 2. Sykes 410: 3. Rea 334: 4. Melandri 333: 5. Baz 311: 10. Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) 161. 11. Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) 139.