WorldSBK 2019 Archives

WorldSBK 2019: Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki Ends Bautista and Ducati’s Streak

Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki finally ended Alvaro Bautista and Ducati’s WorldSBK 2019 winning streak.
Rea won in Race 1 at the Imola circuit in Italy.
Bautista finished second after winning the first ten races of the year.

Four-time and reigning WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea and his Kawasaki team ended Alvaro Bautista and Ducati’s winning streak in Race 1 at Imola, Italy.

Bautista and Ducati have scored a perfect ten out of ten races in five rounds prior. However, Rea proved the spoiler when Bautista tried to adapt to the tricky Imola circuit. It was the latter’s first race there. Rea had been strong throughout the practice sessions only to be pipped by Bautista’s teammate Chaz Davies in Superpole for pole position.

Come race day, Rea took the lead as soon as the lights went out, but passed by Davies soon after. It looked like the pair was going to resume their hard battles and rivalry through the last few seasons. Unfortunately, Davies’s bike encountered a problem and forced the Welshman to retire. In so doing, he handed second place to Bautista.

A battle soon erupted behind them.

Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) sat in third, while Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) fought up to 4^thfrom 8^thon the grid. Van der Mark’s teammate Alex Lowes followed in 5^th, ahead of Rea’s teammate Leon Haslam. Independent rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Purcetti Racing) moved in 7^th.

At the front, Bautista had no answer to Rea’s pace. The Kawasaki man began to pull away at 0.7s per lap.

On a day of seeing front runners suffering bike problems, Tom Sykes’s BMW started to slow and eventually retired. At the same time, Lowes started to slip backwards.

With the final position suddenly available, van der Mark and Razgatlioglu battled tooth and nail. The pair swapped paint and traded blows on the penultimate lap to the stage of colliding twice. But it was the Turkish rider Razgatlioglu who presevered to cross the line in 3^rd.

There was no problem for Rea, conversely. It was his eighth win at the track and 72^ndin WorldSBK. It was Kawsaki’s 128^thwin in the series.

Race 2 continues today at 8pm Malaysian local time.

Final results after Race 1:

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Alvaro Bautista (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati)
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing)
Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team)
Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK)

WorldSBK 2019: Ducati Panigale V4 R Bakal Dikurangkan 250 RPM

Jentera Ducati Panigale V4 R akan dikurangkan sebanyak 250 RPM dalam kejohanan WorldSBK 2019.
Honda CBR1000RR pula akan mendapat tambahan 500 RPM.
Ducati dan Kawasaki juga tidak dibenarkan untuk melakukan penambahbaikan enjin pada jentera mereka.

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WorldSBK 2019: Ducati Panigle V4R to Lose 250 RPM

The Ducati Panigale V4 R will lose 250 RPM in WorldSBK 2019.
While the Honda CBR1000RR will gain 500 RPM.
Ducati and Kawasaki are also not allowed to bring engine upgrades to their bikes.

It’s bound to happen as per Dorna and FIM’s rules. The Ducati Panigale V4 R is set to lose 250 RPM off its peak from the next round in Assen.

The decision was made after Alvaro Bautista won the first six races and three Superpoles of the season on the Panigale V4 R. Besides docking its peak RPM (to reduce peak horsepower), Ducati will also lose their concession to bring further engine upgrades for the rest of the year. Consequently, Bautista and teammate Chaz Davies, as well as Eugene Laverty will have to compete on a bike with the same specs as it started the season.

A reduction of 250 RPM will not make a difference to Bautista. In fact, his Aruba.it Ducati team had tested a bike with 250 RPM less in Aragon earlier.

On the other hand, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR will not have its revs cut but they are also not allowed the concession to upgrade their engine, since the gap between Ducati and Kawasaki are only 7 points (below the 9-point threshold).

Other manufacturers are allowed concessions, including BMW and Yamaha (who are racing), as well as Aprilia, Suzuki and MV Agusta (who are not racing).

As for Honda, the CBR1000RR will receive a 500 RPM upgrade. The increase will take effect over two rounds i.e. 250 RPM at Assen and another 250 RPM at Imola, Italy.

Such “revisions” is not new. Kawasaki had their ZX-10RR’s rev limit cut last year after Jonathan Rea’s dominance. The idea is to keep the field competitive for close-in racing.

You can view the FIM ruling here.

The rev limits for different manufacturers are in the table below (Credit: WorldSBK/FIM).

WorldSBK 2019: Alvaro Bautista and Ducati Wins Race 1 at Aragon

Alvaro Bautista and Ducati maintained their 100% win record by destroying the field in Race 1 at Aragon.
Bautista finished the race 15 seconds ahead of Jonathan Rea on the Kawasaki.
His teammate Chaz Davies finished in 3^rd.

Alvaro Bautista and Ducati maintained their 100% win record by destroying the field in Race 1 at Aragon. The Aragon track in Spain hosts Round 3 of the WorldSBK 2019 championship.

Not wanting to be bogged down in a bruising battle like in Race 1 at Buriram, Thailand, Bautista blasted into the lead as soon as the lights went out. He never looked back and was almost a second faster per lap. He would eventually cross the line 15 seconds clear of the second-placed man.

As with the previous MotoGP race in Argentina, Bautista left the rest to battle for second and third places in his wake.

Jonathan Rea – Photo credit WorldSBK.com

Reigning WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea on the Kawasaki fought his way up from 10^thon the grid, only to find himself fighting hard against another two Ducatis for the runner-up position.

Chaz Davies – Photo credite WorldSBK.com

Bautista’s teammate Chaz Davies appeared to have finally come to grips with the new Panigale V4 R. He had been battling with Eugene Laverty on the satellite Team Go Eleven Ducati Panigale V4 R during the earlier part of the race, when Rea joined the party.

The trio swapped positions on and on until the final lap, when Laverty ran into the back of Davies. The come-together sent Laverty off the track and caused Davies to lose touch to Rea. Rea escaped to take 2^ndplace while Davies brought his bike home in 3^rd.

Behind them, Alex Lowes took his Pata Yamaha to 4^thwhile Tom Sykes took the new BMW S 1000 RR to 5^th.

ANALYSIS

It’s understandable that some are charging that Ducati brought a MotoGP bike to WorldSBK and voiced concerns over Bautista’s domination. But look at where the other Ducatis are. Bautista’s teammate Davies was in 3^rdand Laverty almost took 4^th. It’s more of how Bautista is able to interpret and unlock the bike’s full potential compared to everyone else. Plus, he’s probably so used to riding those beasts in MotoGP, so the Panigale V4 R is comparatively easy. We’re not saying that the Panigale V4 R isn’t fast, but every bike needs the rider to unlock its capabilities.

There’s talk of Dorna looking at curtailing the Panigale V4 R’s maximum revs in order to lower its maximum power. The WorldSBK rules provide for this, in order to keep the field close and exciting for fans. However, doing so would handicap not Bautista but the other Ducatis, too.

Tom Sykes did very well on the BMW S 1000 RR. The bike has a stock engine compared to the rest of the field’s. The exhaust, cams, ECU and suspension are standard like a SuperStock bike’s. It ought to go much faster with the race kit.

Race 2 for WorldSBK starts at 8.00pm tonight.

Motul FIM WorldSBK 2019: Kemenangan Keenam Daripada Enam Perlumbaan Buat Bautista Dan Ducati!

Alvaro Bautista dan Ducati telah meneruskan dominasi mereka dengan memenangi ketiga-tiga perlumbaan pada hujung minggu ini di Litar Buriram di Thailand.
Ini menjadikannya enam kemenangan dari enam buah perlumbaan setakat ini.
Juara bertahan, Jonathan Rea merupakan saingan paling sengit Bautista namun tidak mampu mengatasinya.

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WorldSBK Phillip Island 2019: Ducati Dan Bautista Sapu Bersih Perlumbaan Pembukaan Musim Ini

lvaro Bautista di atas motosikal Ducati Panigale V4 R di Litar Phillip Island, Australia – Sumber imej: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista dan Ducati telah menyapu bersih perlumbaan pusingan pertama kejohanan WorldSBK 2019 di Phillip Island, Australia.
Bautista memenangi perlumbaan pecut Superpole dan Perlumbaan 2.
Bautista sekali lagi berjaya menjarakkan diri dari kelompok pesaing yang bertarung sesama mereka.

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WorldSBK 2019: Dream Weekend as Baustista and Ducati Makes Clean Sweep

Alvaro Bautista and Ducati made a clean sweep at the WorldSBK 2019 Round 1 in Phillip Island, Australia.
Bautista won the Superpole sprint race and Race 2.
Battles raged behind him as he raced into the distance.

Alvarro Bautista and the Ducati Panigale V4 R were only second quickest to Jonathan Rea on his trusty Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR during the WorldSBK 2019 pre-season tests at Portimao, Portugal less than a month ago.

But Bautista fought back during the final pre-season tests at Phillip Island, Australia to go fastest on both days. However, Rea retaliated by qualifying in pole position and was quickest in the morning warm up session.

Many were salivating at the prospects of a Bautista-Rea battle royal over the weekend. Instead, the Spanish turned on his beast mode and utterly destroyed the entire field.

Bautista won yesterday’s Race 1 by 14.9 seconds, sending his team and Ducati fans around the world into a frenzy.

He gave them even more to cheer for today by winning the inaugural Superpole sprint race before getting down to business again in Race 2.

The Rea-Leon Haslam pairing at Kawasaki had taken the lead, but Bautista passed them on Lap 2 and took off. He held a lead of 18 seconds at one point, before backing off at the end to win by 12 seconds.

Ducati party Round 2 it was!

Bautista’s triple win was only the second clean sweep during a debut race after John Kocinski’s in 1996.

Rea had to be content with another 2^ndplace finish after fighting a fierce race-long battle with teammate Haslam. Haslam was anxious to make amends for his crash yesterday after snatching second place from Rea.

Third place went to Michael van Der Mark on his factory Pata Yamaha after passing yesterday’s third place finisher Marco Melandri on the GRT Yamaha. Melandri suffered a serious rear tyre performance drop which saw him slip to sixth behind van Der Mark’s teammate Alex Lowes.

Chaz Davies improved on the Ducati Panigale V4 R by finishing in seventh after fighting his way up from 16^th.

The new BMW S 1000 RR of Markus Reiterberger and Tom Sykes still needs more development. The pair ended the day in 12^thand 13^th, respectively.

Round 2 of WorldSBK 2019 takes place at Buriram, Thailand on 15^thto 17^thMarch.

WorldSBK Phillip Island 2019: Bautista Dan Ducati Tunjuk Taring Dalam Perlumbaan Sulung Mereka

Alvaro Bautista di atas motosikal Ducati Panigale V4 R – Sumber imej: Eurosport

Alvaro Bautista dan jentera Ducati Panigale V4 R baharu telah mendominasi lapangan WorldSBK 2019 dalam perlumbaan pembukaan di Phillip Island, Australia.
Dia berjaya menamatkan perlumbaan dengan perbezaan masa sebanyak 14.9 saat di hadapan Jonathan Rea.
Terdapat empat pengeluar berbeza mengisi lima tempat teratas perlumbaan ini.

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WorldSBK 2019: Bautista and Ducati Destroy Competition in Their Maiden Race

Alvaro Bautista and the new Ducati Panigale V4 R stomped the WorldSBK 2019 field in the opening race at Phillip Island, Australia.
He finished a whopping 14.9 ahead of the Jonathan Rea.
There were four different manufacturers in the Top Five at the finish line.

It was a fairy tale start for Alvaro Bautista and the Ducati Panigale V4 R as they won Race 1 of the opening round of Pirelli WorldSBK 2019 in Phillip Island, Australia.

Bautista and the Ducat blasted into the lead in Turn 3 on the opening lap. His race laps were so hot that he had opened up an 8-second lead by mid-race. He would eventually cross the finish line 14.9 seconds ahead of the second-placed rider.

He was the first rookie rider to win a WorldSBK race on his debut since Max Biaggi in 2007.

With Bautista clearing off into the horizon, he left his rivals to fight it out among themselves. However, unlike in previous years when four-time world champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) dominated his rivals, he had to fight tooth and nail with other riders this time around. His new teammate Leon Haslam provided the strongest challenge, with Alex Lowes in tow (PATA Yamaha WorldSBK Team).

Haslam managed to pass Rea only to crash later. The former remounted and finished 15^th.

Further down the field, Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) battled hard against Toprak Razgatlioglu on his Turkish Puccetti Racing Kawasaki. Sykes’ bike visibly struggling to keep up with the Toprak’s down the straights.

Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) was another rider who put in an amazing ride. He fought his way up from midfield, first passing Michael van Der Mark for sixth place, before chasing down Sykes, Razgatlioglu, and Lowes who was in third. Melandri claimed the final podium spot, relegating Lowes to 4^th.

van Der Mark moved up to 5^that the finish, while Razgatlioglu kept Sykes behind for 6^th.

The biggest story day of course, is about the dream debut of Bautista and the Panigale V4 R. his teammate Chaz Davies was still struggling to learn the new bike and finished in 10^th.

The results mean there were four different manufacturers in the Top Five, including one privateer team (Melandri’s GRT Yamaha).

Race 2 and the new sprint race continue tomorrow (Sunday).

WorldSBK 2019: Alvaro Bautista Dan Ducati Mendominasi Hari Pertama Ujian

Bekas penunggang MotoGP, Alvaro Bautista tampil terpantas di atas motosikal Ducati Panigale V4 R pada hari pertama ujian pra musim terakhir WorldSBK 2019.
Jentera Ducati tunggangan Bautista adalah salah satu daripada empat pengeluar yang berbeza dalam kedudukan Lima Teratas.
Sesi ujian akan diteruskan esok.

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WorldSBK 2019: Alvaro Bautista and Ducati Dominate First Day

Former MotoGP rider Alvaro Bautista was quickest on the Ducati Panigale V4 R on Day One of the final WorldSBK 2019 pre-season test.
Bautista’s Ducati was one of four different manufacturers in the Top 5.
Testing continues tomorrow.

New factory Ducati signing Alvaro Bautista dominated the first day of the final pre-season testing at the Phillip Island Circuit, ahead of the opening round of WorldSBK 2019.

Riding the new Ducati Panigale V4 R, Bautista was the only rider to dip below the 1m 31s mark with 1m 30.743s. Bautista was only fifth fastest at Jerez test in November. The Spanish rider and Gigi Dall’Igna have both said previously that it’s still early days for the Panigale V4 R but this result is surely an encouraging sign in their quest to recapture the WSBK crown that Ducati once held.

That wasn’t the only big news from Day One. There were four different manufacturers in the Top Five. Alex Lowes took the new Yamaha YZF-R1 to second fastest with a time of 1m 31.146s.

Four-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea captured third on the new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR, just a whisker behind Lowes with a time of 1m 31.189s. He blew everyone away during the test at Jerez by being one second faster than the next nearest rival.

Rea’s ex-teammate and former world champion Tom Sykes rode the new BMW S 1000 RR to fourth fastest in 1m 31.300s.

Fifth fastest was Rea’s new teammate Leon Haslam who recorded his fastest time of 1m 31.999s.

Many fans and pundits of the series are hoping for a closer fight this year, after Rea’s domination in the past two seasons. They shall get their wish if it continues like today, and Rea will have his hands full in stemming the tide from three other manufacturers.

Testing continues tomorrow.

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WorldSBK 2019

Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki finally ended Alvaro Bautista and Ducati’s WorldSBK 2019 winning streak.

Rea won in Race 1 at the Imola circuit in Italy.

Bautista finished second after winning the first ten races of the year.

Final results after Race 1:

The Ducati Panigale V4 R will lose 250 RPM in WorldSBK 2019.

While the Honda CBR1000RR will gain 500 RPM.

Ducati and Kawasaki are also not allowed to bring engine upgrades to their bikes.

Alvaro Bautista and Ducati maintained their 100% win record by destroying the field in Race 1 at Aragon.

Bautista finished the race 15 seconds ahead of Jonathan Rea on the Kawasaki.

His teammate Chaz Davies finished in 3rd.

ANALYSIS

Alvaro Bautista and Ducati made a clean sweep at the WorldSBK 2019 Round 1 in Phillip Island, Australia.

Bautista won the Superpole sprint race and Race 2.

Battles raged behind him as he raced into the distance.

Alvaro Bautista and the new Ducati Panigale V4 R stomped the WorldSBK 2019 field in the opening race at Phillip Island, Australia.

He finished a whopping 14.9 ahead of the Jonathan Rea.

There were four different manufacturers in the Top Five at the finish line.

Former MotoGP rider Alvaro Bautista was quickest on the Ducati Panigale V4 R on Day One of the final WorldSBK 2019 pre-season test.

Bautista’s Ducati was one of four different manufacturers in the Top 5.

Testing continues tomorrow.

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His teammate Chaz Davies finished in 3^rd.