War of Attrition as Weather Brings Havoc in Race 2

Leon Haslam marked his first race as British champion with his 15th win of the season, in treacherous conditions at Brands Hatch.

It’s almost become an expected part of British racing that the sun will not be shining but unfortunately with the rain brought many crashes. Only 14 riders finished Race 2 with 12 crashing out, including Danny Kent (Halsall Racing Suzuki), Jake Dixon (Kawasaki) and Andrew Irwin (BeWiser Ducati).

Not the end to the season that most riders would be hoping for but, it was a very good weekend for Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki) who won the Championship and secured his 15th race win in a contained manner. Only romping away with first position when the end was in sight – almost like he learned from Dixon’s mistake who’s race ended with only a quarter of the race left when he finally obtained the lead.

It was an unfortunate race for Dixon on a whole who started on pole but he fell down to third after Irwin took his chance and clinched first position. Then chaos ensued as riders started falling left, right and centre due to the wet weather conditions and the camber of the track.

It wasn’t long before Irwin wasn’t leading and neither was Dixon as the race ultimately became a race between Haslam and Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) who fought long and hard for first position. When riding in the wet, being out front gives riders an advantage due to better visibility – no spray from the bike in front of them and a better view of the track means that they can judge their next move better. As the pair fought back and forth for this advantage, it was fishtailing that bothered O’Halloran.

It wasn’t to be for future Moto2 rider Dixon who would have hoped for a better finish to the season, but he would ultimately finish 70 points behind Haslam in the Championship in second place. His progression to Moto2 will be interesting to watch as he copes without having experience on the Moto3 machine before jumping aboard the Angel Nieto Team bike with a Triumph engine.

But after a stellar season, it was Haslam who clinched the Championship before he too departs from BSB to rejoin the Superbike World Championship with the Kawasaki Racing Team in 2019. And for 12 riders at Brands Hatch, it was not a race to remember, but with the weather conditions being what they were it’s not totally surprising that almost half the grid didn’t finish the race.

Glenn Irwin Takes First Win Of The Season, As Haslam Seals Title.

Glenn Irwin on his way to his first win of the season for BeWiser Ducati. (Picture: Impact Images)

The first race of the Brands Hatch GP triple-header which concludes the 2018 Bennetts British Superbike Championship saw Glenn Irwin (BeWiser Ducati) take his first dry win in the championship, and his first of the season, and Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki) claim his first British Superbike title.

A front group emerged almost immediately, with Glenn Irwin, pole setter Jake Dixon (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki), Peter Hickman (Smith’s BMW), Tommy Bridewell (Moto Rapido Ducati), Richard Cooper (Buildbase Suzuki), Leon Haslam, Andrew Irwin (BeWiser Ducati) and Tarran Mackenzie (McAMS Yamaha) breaking away at the front. The lead pack was cut by two riders after a couple of laps, as Cooper and Bridewell fell almost simultaneously in Druids, Bridewell gesturing to imply issues with the track conditions.

The race continued, though, and the remaining six riders in the front group continued to fight over the lead and the podium spots.

Despite a good charge mid-race, Andrew Irwin started to struggle a bit towards the end, and after dropping back from his teammate and brother, Glenn Irwin, he was passed by Dixon, and then pressured by Mackenzie.

Dixon pushed on and tried to catch and pass Glenn Irwin on the lead PBM Ducati, but just ran out of time at the end, whilst Taz Mackenzie was able to find a way past the second Panigale of Andy Irwin.

Glenn Irwin’s win was sublime. A lights-to-flag masterclass, a ride akin to some of those of his former teammate, Shane Byrne. There was not one moment where he looked at risk on the bike, where he looked as if he was going to throw it all away. Knowing he was going to be leaving the BeWiser Ducati team at the end of this weekend, Irwin was always going to be after a win this weekend, to sign off in a good way. With a victory already, and with two races still to come on Sunday, who’s to say this will be the only one?

Second place for Jake Dixon left him disappointed. With his only realistic option for the championship coming into this weekend being to win all three races, that was Dixon’s sole aim, so to miss out in the first one was always going to be a source of frustration and sadness, and combined with the mathematically important sixth place of Leon Haslam, Jake’s reaction was understandable. But with the pressure now completely off, the GP-bound rider can go out tomorrow and ride completely freely.

Another podium for Mackenzie proved that he is definitely one to watch for next season, and even for tomorrow. After qualifying, he complained of being not totally comfortable with the Yamaha R1, and it was clear that the situation was very similar in the race, as he had several moments through the race where he lost the rear, notably out of Sheene Curve, and later on again on the exit of Graham Hill Bend. But nonetheless, his pace was strong when he could string a lap together, and some decent changes overnight could put him in a position to take his first Superbike win tomorrow.

Fourth place in the end went to Andrew Irwin, who matched his best result of the season so far. The #18 rider has been impressive all season, and the pace he has shown in a circuit which he has already been to on a superbike proves that he has a great potential with the one litre bikes. He doesn’t yet have a berth for next season, but he is certainly writing himself a good CV.

Peter Hickman held onto fifth place for Smith’s BMW, but it was the man behind him, Leon Haslam, who stole all the lime light today, as he took his first British Superbike Championship, after an entire career of missing out. Fourteen wins propelled Haslam to this title, and with him moving to the World Championship for 2019, this is precisely the way he wanted to sign out of this three-year stint in BSB. With the chains of the championship taken away tomorrow, Haslam should be right back at the front, battling for the win in both races.

Behind the new British Champion, Josh Brookes (McAMS Yamaha) took seventh place – a disappointment considering his double win at Brands back in July – ahead of James Ellison (Anvil Hire TAG Racing Yamaha), Danny Buchan (FS-3 Kawasaki) and Michael Laverty (Tyco BMW) who completed the top ten.

Eleventh spot went to Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki), ahead of Luke Mossey (JG Speedfit Kawasaki), Gino Rea (OMG Racing Suzuki), Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering Racing Kawasaki) and Josh Elliott (OMG Racing Suzuki) who took the final point.

The Championship is Over, But a Historic Weekend Awaits for WorldSBK

A fourth consecutive WorldSBK double brought Jonathan Rea his fourth consecutive world title two weeks ago in Magny-Cours.

A fortnight on and the paddock is heading to Argentina for the Superbike World Championship’s first visit to South America. A lot has been said about the San Juan track, with its construction times creating a reasonable amount of controversy within the WSBK community. However, upon arrival, the track seems to be in a good condition, with a layout that the riders are generally quite excited about, and (temporary) facilities which would appear to be adequate for the time being.

Despite the championship having been wrapped up by Rea in France, the Northern Irishman will surely be eager to take a fifth successive double this weekend, which would be a historic one in itself thanks to this being the first WSBK visit to Argentina.

Unfortunately, from a neutral perspective, Rea is likely to dominate this weekend in much the same way as he has dominated the last five, and likely the main battle will be over second place.

Chaz Davis 2nd at Magny Cours. Image Courtesy f Ducati Media

Chaz Davies and Michael van der Mark will be the main riders to watch here, as they are also the two main riders fighting for second in the championship standings. Of course, second place might seem irrelevant, and really it is, but there is no doubt that the riders will have a reasonable bonus in their contract for finishing second in the championship.

Furthermore, for van der Mark (and Yamaha), second in the championship would be a fantastic achievement in his second season aboard the M1, and would send him into 2019 in a good shape. Meanwhile, for Davies (and Ducati), to be beaten by the still relatively juvenile R1 would be particularly humbling, especially considering that the team are forced to retire the 1199 Panigale at the end of this season as the first Ducati superbike model to not win a World Championship, with the V4 Panigale coming for next season.

Currently, Davies and van der Mark are separated by 26 points in Davies’ favour, which may seem a lot, but at the same time, we all know that in motorcycle racing, anything can happen.

Thirty-six points further back of van der Mark is Tom Sykes, who is approaching the end of his time with Kawasaki and still in search of a ride for 2019. It looks like he is out of the running for even the top three in the championship, which would make 2018 his worst season – results-wise – since 2011. However, there are still two rounds to go for Sykes to add to his solitary victory of the season so far, and given his decent speed in France, he could have the opportunity this weekend.

A couple of riders who will be hoping for improved fortunes this weekend compared to the previous round are Eugene Laverty and Alex Lowes. The pair of them struggled in France two weeks ago, and Lowes also suffered a lot in Portimao. Thankfully for Lowes, he has a contract sorted for 2019, although that doesn’t even nearly mean that he will be content with his recent performances.

In comparison, Laverty is still yet to secure himself a berth for next season, so strong results are essential at the moment for advertising purposes as much as his own contentment.

The flowing nature of the Argentine circuit should suit both the R1 and the RSV4, so both Lowes and Laverty will be keen to take advantage of that in the two races this weekend.

There are also a few new faces this weekend, with Yonny Hernandez being replaced by Gabriele Ruiu at the Pedercini team. Ruiu will become the second-youngest rider in WorldSBK history this weekend, being 18 years, 5 months and 27 days old. Hernandez was actually the rider who replaced Ruiu in the Pedercini team for this season, after the Italian’s initial contract with the squad was thrown out due to his age (he wouldn’t have been able to race until Donington). If Ruiu scores points this weekend he will be the youngest rider to ever do so.

Florian Marino is also making his WorldSBK debut this weekend for the Triple M Honda team, who have parted ways with PJ Jacobsen. Marino has been riding the Pata Yamaha R1 in the European Superstock 1000 championship for the past two seasons, although this year he didn’t enjoy the factory support he had in 2017. With STK1000 now dead, Marino will be aiming to make a good impression this weekend, to try to grab one of the seats available for 2019.

Finally, 2018 European Superstock 1000 championship contender, Max Scheib, will be making his World Superbike debut this weekend, as well, as the Chilean replaces Jordi Torres, who is out at MV, who let the Spaniard go, allowing him to concentrate on his MotoGP duties, where he is replacing Tito Rabat. Schieb is definitely a spectacular rider, and certainly not concerned about the rear of the bike sliding, although having been riding an Aprilia in the STK1000 championship, he will have some adapting to do in the first sessions this weekend to acclimatise himself with the MV.

Marquez vs Ducati: The Battle Continues in Buriram

After a few years of vying for a place on the MotoGP calendar, the Chang International Circuit in Thailand finally got its slot for the 2018 season, and this weekend the paddock will arrive in Buriram for the first ever Thai round of the MotoGP World Championship.

The Thailland GP infographics. Image courtesy of Michelin Motorsport.

The circuit is largely uninspiring, with a 90-degree right hander opening up the lap, to launch you down a long straight. At the end of said straight lies a (probably) second gear hairpin which is very wide on entry, making the line choice quite interesting. On the other side of the hairpin lies another long straight, which this time has a very fast (third or fourth gear) left-hander at the end. A short stretch follows, but merely acts as a braking zone for turn five, a slow left-hander, which leads into a slightly faster left-hander where the bikes will be spinning and using those Michelin rears, before flicking it right and down another short chute, and into another 90-degree corner, this time on the right side. Turn nine is a corner which seems like it could have some different approaches, because it leads straight into the medium-speed turn ten, which in turn feeds directly to turn eleven, a fast, fourth gear right hander which will be essential in the race because a good exit could allow a rider to set themselves up for a pass into the final corner – tight, bottom gear hairpin – whilst a poor exit could leave you vulnerable on the final lap.

Ultimately, the layout in Buriram is indicative of the way track design is going, because tracks are being built with the fans in mind, to create good overtaking opportunities in a small space which can be viewed almost in its entirety from the main grandstand.

Of course, MotoGP has already once been to Thailand, back in February for a preseason test, and whilst the layout on paper lends itself perfectly to the Ducatis, it was the Hondas which came out on top eight months ago.

Admittedly, much has changed in those eight months: Ducati has refined its GP18 and made it into what is now the best motorcycle on the grid, although that has not been enough to stop Marc Marquez romping away with this year’s championship.

Marc Marquez. Image courtesy of Honda Pro Racing

And the last round in Aragon was a big part of Marquez’ current championship challenge. For sure, he had the title all but wrapped up even as far back as the summer break, but to defeat the Ducatis for the first time since Sachsenring, and to do it in his own backyard, was something which you could sense was quite important for the reigning champion – he had to stop the building momentum in the Italian camp, and he shut it down fairly brutally, beating the Desmosedici GP18s (or, one of them) at their own game: tyre management.

The 2018 champion elect will also be fairly confident coming into the Thai round this weekend. He was ‘only’ third on the timesheets after the three days of testing back in February, but the only people ahead of him were Dani Pedrosa and Johann Zarco, who have both seen significant drops in form in the time since. There were also three Hondas in the top four in the test, with Cal Crutchlow 0.095 seconds slower than Marquez in fourth place. Meanwhile, the top Ducati was Jack Miller in sixth spot, and Andrea Dovizioso was 0.411 seconds off the pace in seventh. There are, then, reasons for Marquez to be hopeful about his chances this weekend – on paper.

However, a different sheet of paper, primarily the one with the track map on it, suggests otherwise.

The heavy acceleration zones, long straights and heavy braking zones play perfectly into the hands of Ducati, who have the best aero and electronics for anti-wheelie and traction, the most power, and the most braking stability of all the bikes out there.

Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso – Aragon GP. Image courtesy of Ducati Media

It is likely that only one of the two Bologna Bullets will be able to fight for the victory this weekend, as Jorge Lorenzo is suffering from the injuries he sustained in Aragon in his first corner high side. So the responsibility falls at the door of Desmo Dovi to bring the Italian marque back to the top step.
In reality, the track is split in two, the first half suiting the Ducati and the second suiting the Honda. The way the final corner is makes it the ideal place for a block pass, so come final lap time on Sunday, be ready for a Marquez divebomb if he’s anywhere within range of the #04.

What about the rest?

Well, it makes sense to start with Suzuki. They had a brilliant Aragon, and the words which came from the mouths of their riders afterwards suggested they know what to do to go from +2.6 to -2.6 at the end of the race. That is, they have to run less corner speed. The GSX-RR could suffer this weekend. The heat and humidity of Thailand will mean the bikes produce less power, which puts the more powerful machines at a bigger advantage compared to the lower-powered bikes. A such, the Suzuki will suffer in the first part of the lap, but on the contrary, its sweet-handling chassis should excel in the second half of the lap.

Alex Rins. Image courtesy of Suzuki Racing

Whilst the heat could be a problem for Suzuki, but it could be a disaster for Aprilia. They have been famed for their unreliability this season, so much so that their riders have struggled to contain themselves at times, and Scott Redding’s emotions even boiled over in Austria when he unleashed an almighty outburst to the press. But with Aleix Espargaro’s sixth-place finish in Aragon two weeks ago, they arrive in Buriram with some rare optimism.

The same cannot be said for Yamaha, however, who will roll out of the pits in Thailand on Friday morning knowing they shall likely be in for yet another difficult weekend. Whilst the long straights and hard accelerations should suit the Ducati well, the M1 will no doubt struggle a lot in these sections, scrabbling for traction which it simply doesn’t have. On the face of it, this weekend could perhaps be even worse than Aragon for the Iwata marque.

And that’s if it remains dry. We saw in Austria how the M1 can suffer in the wet, its acceleration deficit exaggerated by the lack of track grip, and MotoGP heads to Thailand in the rainy season. In fact, when you consider that, the weather could play a decisive role in this weekend’s Thai MotoGP, in that it could decide how much racing we actually see.

Opinion: Will Jake Dixon Stick The Jump To Moto2?

Jake Dixon’s move to the Moto2 World Championship might have come as a shock to viewers as the British Superbikes (BSB) rider won’t be starting where the majority of MotoGP riders start their careers, in Moto3. His jump from BSB to Moto2 will leave him with little preparation in comparison to the rest of the grid, who will have experience with tracks, machinery and what the way of life is for a Moto2 rider. Whether he lands this jump will depend on quite a few factors as the odds weigh heavily against him.

On a positive note, he’ll be joining the Angel Nieto Team (formerly Aspar Racing Team) with a new bike powered by Triumph in 2019. However, they haven’t had a Moto2 ride since 2010, in the first ever Moto2 season when it switched from the 250cc two-stroke class. And even then, their only Rider’s Championships came in the 125cc class (four Championships between 2006 and 2011). So, for both rider and team, they’re both heading into new territory.

However, the most successful riders for the Angel Nieto Team are Karel Abraham (MotoGP) in 15thplace overall and Andrea Migno (Moto3) in 10thplace overall, so their track record is nothing to be sniffed at. His teammate for 2019 hasn’t been announced yet, but he will face competition from other Moto2 rookies such as Jorge Martin (Gresini Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (PrustelGP).

But this isn’t the first time a rider has made a significant jump from one ride to another, or skipped classes for that matter. Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) rode in the Moto3 class for three seasons before leaping up to MotoGP in 2015, totally missing Moto2. Miller’s teammate Danilo Petrucci never even appeared on the Moto3 or Moto2 grids, going straight from Superstock 1000 to MotoGP in 2012. So, the change of pace is doable for a young rider like Dixon, after all it has been done before, but both of the Pramac Racing riders had teething problems and took time to adjust to new styles and tracks.

If Dixon is given that time to find his rhythm, then success could well be on the cards for the Englishman. He has made two Moto2 starts for Intact GP in 2017. Let’s also not forget that racing is in Dixon’s blood as his father, Darren Dixon, won the British TT F1 Superbike Championship in 1988 and was the World Sidecar Champion in 1995 and 1996.

Jake Dixon racing for the Dynavolt Intact GP Moto2 team at the British GP in 2018. (Image: Gold and Goose / LAT Images)

Dixon is currently 31 points behind the BSB Championship leader, Leon Haslam (JG Speedfit Kawasaki), and if he could clinch the title before his move to Moto2 the confidence would certainly help him along. But unfamiliar tracks and a new bike will hold him back in comparison to other riders who have studied these tracks for years and have only ridden Moto3 or Moto2 bikes, but you never know with the intermediary class.

It can be incredibly unpredictable at times. There have been multiple cases where talent has outweighed experience – Joan Mir (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) or Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) for example. It’ll take hard work and dedication, but nothing is impossible.

Assen Awaits as BSB Heads Overseas

Assen has proven to be a popular addition to the British Superbike calendar since its first appearance in the championship back in 2012. That year, Shane Byrne and Josh Brookes shared the wins, as the #67 marched towards his third championship title.

For the 2018 edition of the only overseas round of the British Superbike Championship, the paddock arrives off the back of a drama-packed weekend in Oulton Park a fortnight ago, which saw Jake Dixon (RAF Regular and Reserves Kawasaki) pick up his first double-win of the season, as Leon Haslam (JG-Speedfit Kawasaki) fought back from qualifying disappointment which saw mechanical issues force him to start last on the grid for the first race.

Despite this, it is Haslam who arrives in Assen with the championship advantage, and ahead of the penultimate race weekend of the season his points lead stands at thirty-one points. It is therefore possible for Haslam to win the championship this weekend. He would need to win both races, and for Dixon to score no points in either race, but it is possible that the 2018 British Superbike Champion could be crowned this weekend.

Dixon, then, must not crash this weekend. Having just been announced as a Moto2 World Championship rider next year for the Angel Nieto Team squad, he will be eager to continue where he left off in Oulton Park, and get out of Assen with at least a mathematical chance of winning the championship at the final round in Brands Hatch. But, to have a realistic shot at the title, Dixon could really do with a non-score for Haslam this weekend.

As for the other Showdown contenders – Josh Brookes (McAms Yamaha), Glenn Irwin (BeWiser Ducati), Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) and Peter Hickman (Smiths-Racing BMW) – their chances are all but gone even ahead of this weekend, such has been the dominance of Haslam this season. Brookes and Irwin are tied for third place on 530 points, seventy-four behind Haslam, whilst Bradley Ray 11-DNF in Oulton leaves him fifth in the championship, six points further back of Brookes and Irwin. Finally, Hickman is four points back of Bradley Ray, and 84 behind Haslam. Like the riders outside of the top six, these four riders have nothing to lose for the remaining two rounds of the season, so only wins will do.

With that said, as a previous winner in Assen, Josh Brookes will certainly consider himself to be one of the riders who should be fighting for the win in both races this weekend.

Likewise, having been announced for the JG Speedfit Kawasaki team for next season – where he will replace World Superbike-bound Haslam – Irwin will be keen to end his three-year stint with the Be Wiser Ducati team in a positive way, which means with five victories in the final five races of the season.

Even Bradley Ray and Peter Hickman will fancy their chances this weekend. If the weather doesn’t play ball this weekend, Hickman will definitely be in the mix, and the stability of the BMW should prove valuable in Assen’s high speed sections. Meanwhile, Bradley Ray will be hoping that the speed he has shown this season remains this weekend, but that he can also keep the Buildbase Suzuki rubber side down.

With this in mind, it could be important to consider that Dixon and Haslam will have to contend this weekend with not only each other, but several other riders who are both very fast and without the pressure of their mistakes having consequences.

Of course, there is also the sub-plot, if you like, of the Riders’ Cup. Jason O’Halloran (Honda Racing) currently leads the way in this points fight, but Tarran Mackenzie (McAms Yamaha), Danny Buchan (FS-3 Kawasaki), Christian Iddon (Tyco-BMW) and Tommy Bridewell (MotoRapido Ducati) are all within ten points of the Australian. Mackenzie and Bridewell are on especially good form coming into this weekend, Bridewell coming off the back of a double podium in Oulton, and rookie Mackenzie improving all the time on the superbike.

Overall, it looks like we’re in for an incredible weekend of racing in Holland over the next few days, which will hopefully set us up nicely for a cracking season finale in Brands Hatch in a few weeks’ time.

Titles On The Line At Magny Cours

The 2018 FIM Superbike World Championship is set to be decided this weekend, whilst history could be made in the junior class, at the beautiful Magny-Cours circuit in France.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) has his first clear cut opportunity to wrap up the Superbike World Championship this weekend. The 31-year old arrives at the French round with an imperious 116-point lead to closest rival Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Ducati). Provided Rea finishes the weekend with a lead of 100 points or more, he will be crowned champion with two rounds of the season to spare.

For Davies, as the only other rider now with any mathematical chance of winning the championship, it simply “win or bust”. The Welshman produced a heroic ride in Race 2 last time out in Portimao – defying the pain caused by a badly broken collarbone, and holding off Rea in a thrilling scrap over the race lead for the first half of the race. Although still not 100% recovered, the fortnight’s break between Portimao and Magny-Cours will have considerably aided Davies’ recovery and fitness.

Chaz Davies (#7) produced one of the rides of the season at Portimao, defying his broken collarbone to hold off Jonathan Rea (#1) for as long as he did.

With the championship now an exclusive affair between Davies and Rea, the remainder of the field are focused solely on the glory of race wins. Alex Lowes and Michael Van der Mark (both Pata-Yamaha) have not shied away from this being their sole objective for the final three rounds of the season. Van der Mark arrives this weekend off the back of another impressive performance, claiming podium finishes in both races in Portugal. Now with 9 podiums to his name this season, the flying Dutchman looks the most likely of the pair to add to his brace of victories this season.

There is also the matter of pride – and indeed team honour – at stake in the battle to secure a top 10 finish in the standings. Five riders – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pucetti Kawasaki), Loris Baz (Gulf-Althea BMW), Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia), Jordi Torres (MV Agusta) and Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda) – are all in this fight, and are covered by just 18 points.

Savadori will be desperate to return a brace of strong results this weekend, having crashed out of Race 1 at Portimao when sat in a comfortable podium position. With his place in the Milwaukee team for next year reportedly uncertain at best, he perhaps has the most to gain by ensuring he finishes the season inside the top 10.     

World Supersport 300

Ana Carrasco (DS Kawasaki Junior Team) Is on the verge of creating history

Ana Carrasco (DS Junior Team Kawasaki) is on the verge of making history this weekend. Should see clinch the Supersport 300 championship on Sunday, the 21-year old Spaniard will become the first woman to ever win a solo world-level series. With two wins this season, and 90 points to her name, Carrasco arrives at Magny-Cours in pole-position at the top of the standings.

However, Carrasco will be pushed all the way to the chequered flag this weekend, as there are three other riders who can also win the ‘300 crown. Scott Deroue (Motoport Kawasaki), Mika Perez (Kawasaki Parkingo Team) and Luca Grunwald (Freudenberg KTM) are all within striking range of the title.

Deroue is closest to catching Carrasco, with the young Dutchman sitting on 80 points. How fitting it should be that these two should be duking it out for the title – in 2014 they were teammates together in the FIM Moto3 world championship. A difficult campaign for them both saw them seek pastures new. Carrasco remained in Moto3 in 2015 the following year – but racing for a different team, whilst Deroue entered and won the British Motostar championship.

Although we cannot completely discount Perez and Grunwald, it is highly likely that – come Sunday night – it will be either Ana Carrasco or Scott Deroue who is crowned world champion.

Irwin Goes Green For 2019

 

It has been announced today that Glenn Irwin will ride for the JG-Speedfit Kawasaki team for 2019.

The Ulsterman will move from the BeWiser Ducati team following the conclusion of this season, and join up with the Bournemouth based outfit for their first winter test in November.

The prospect of riding the new Kawasaki Ninja ZX10-RR next season was clearly too good an opportunity for Irwin to turn down, having described the new bike as “phenomenal”.

Irwin is no stranger to Kawasaki machinery, having ridden for the Gearlink team in the British Supersport championship before getting his big break in the Superbike class. Regarded by many riders, journalists and spectators alike, his move back to Kawasaki machinery now will present the 28-year old with his best chance to date of winning the British championship.

Irwin has had considerable success with his time on Ducati machinery – most notably three back-to-back superbike victories at the International North West 200, and numerous podium finishes in the British championship. Both he and the BeWiser Ducati team have made it clear that they intend to do all they can, in their final 5 races together, to take one last race victory together in BSB.

Now that Irwin has become the first rider to put pen-to-paper for a 2019 ride, it is widely expected that a flurry of rider announcements will follow over the next few weeks.

Suzuki Springs To Success

The Aragon Grand Prix marked the high point in the championship for Team Ecstar Suzuki as riders Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins secured the team’s best result of the season so far.

All the talk in the build up to the weekend had been positive. Knowing that they cannot compete yet with the likes of the factory Repsol-Honda and Ducati teams with straight-line speed, Suzuki focused all their set up work on two objectives: cornering speed and suspension.

With the circuit being composed of 17 corners – a perfect blend of high, medium and low speed and considerable changes in undulation – setting a bike up to glide through each apex would significantly compensate for time lost on the 1 kilometre back straight. Additionally, with the Spanish climate boasting sunny skies and hot temperatures, ensuring the bike would be kind to its tyres would be critical.

It cannot be underestimated how much the physical loads forced onto the tyres through the front forks and rear shock spring affect the set up. In an ideal world suspension would be set as softly as possible, allowing the front forks to absorb every bump and vibration, enabling the tyre to ‘float’ over the track. The reality however, is that setting the suspension too soft reduces the feeling the rider receives as to what that tyre is doing – which ultimately affects confidence in both attacking corners at speed, and how much braking the rider feels they have to do. Effectively, they are simply reduced to blind guesswork.     

In contrast, set the suspension as stiff as you can, and the rider will feel everything the tyre is doing. They will also feel every bump and vibration too to the point where all the feelings merge and no clear distinction can be made. It is what is referred to in the industry as the dreaded ‘chatter’. Additionally, setting up the suspension in such an aggressive way, is a guaranteed way to destroy the tyres within a handful of laps.

Alex Rins (above) had the confidence to push the limits of the Suzuki this weekend, thanks to the feedback and stability generated from the suspension.

Finding an optimal balance between the two settings, is somewhat of a ‘holy grail’ for riders and teams alike. Indeed, this very thing hampered the Suzuki team all throughout 2017 as both riders regularly bemoaned a lack of ‘front end feel’.

Having spent both Friday practice sessions working tirelessly to find such a balance, which involved customary excursions to the gravel traps, both Iannone and Rins had clearly found something to work with. The laps times tumbled, and off-track escapades became fewer and further between. Most tellingly of all, the times didn’t fall away during long runs. Qualifying saw both riders secure top ten grid positions, but it was in the race where the hard labour on the set up came to fruition.

Iannone (P3) and Rins (P4) diced with each other throughout the 23 laps, with the pair battling each other all the way to the chequered flag. However, as a complete demonstration of their success, it was the gap to race winner Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) and second-place man Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) – just 1.26 seconds. Testament to how far Suzuki has improved their GSX-RR machine this season.

Andrea Iannone (above) scored his third rostrum finish of the season. Suzuki now have five podium results between their riders.

The podium for Iannone also means that the team have lost their concessions for the remainder of the season. For those unfamiliar with how this works, every factory team who did not score a podium finish (in dry conditions) during the 2017 season was given a much larger allocation of test days, plus slightly relaxed regulations on fairing homologations and engine allocations.

To offset this, a points system is used during the season to gauge the competitiveness of those teams with concessions – 3 points for a win, 2 points for a 2nd place, and 1 point for a 3rd. Scoring 6 points across the season will see the factory ‘lose’ its concessions as they are now deemed competitive enough to no longer require them.   

Suzuki are not expecting quite as strong a result next time out, in Thailand. The layout of the Buriram circuit makes it a Mecca for those with serious speed on the straights. However, with more technical tracks such as the Twin-Ring Motegi (Japan) and Phillip Island (Australia) on the horizon – there is still the likely result of more podiums for the smallest of the Japanese factory teams.     

Binder Wins As Bagnaia Stretches Series Advantage

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) started from his career first Moto2 pole position in the 2018 Moto2 Grand Prix of Aragon, and from it he took the holeshot, steaming clear of the pack through the opening bends.

However, Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 MarcVDS) was quick to latch onto the back of the South African, soon passed and started to escape at the front.
It did not last long, though, and after one lap, Binder had re-grouped and come back to the Spaniard, although he was in no hurry to make a move for the race lead.

Further back, meanwhile, Francesco Bagnaia (Sky VR|46) – who came into the fourteenth round of the season with an eight-point World Championship lead – had cleared Marcel Schrotter (Dynavolt Impact GP) for third place, and began closing in on the leading duo.

The now six-wheeled leading group was in something of a stalemate for a reasonable period. Aragon was proving a tricky circuit to pass on for the Moto2 machines, since the primary overtaking spots require a superior acceleration off the previous corner and a decent slipstream – both of which are hard to achieve on Moto2 bikes. This meant that to pass, the rider behind would have to catch the rider in front off-guard, and that is precisely what Bagnaia tried to achieve against Brad Binder in the final corner on lap thirteen.

But it didn’t pay off for the Italian. Binder had been running an especially wide line through the middle of the final corner all race long, and Bagnaia on this occasion was just close enough to have a look at passing the 2016 Moto3 World Champion with his more conventional, tighter line. However, Binder cut the KTM back, as every other lap, to take the apex of turn seventeen, and made contact with Bagnaia, forcing the Italian to sit up. It was a fairly hefty collision, so much so that it dislodged Binder’s rear-mounted camera from the back of the KTM, but fortunately both riders stayed aboard their machines with little-to-no damage.

But Bagnaia definitely came off worse out of the two, as he nearly high-sided, lost his rhythm and lost a position to Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) – who had been closing on the leaders for a few laps by this point.

It took Bagnaia a few laps to regain his rhythm, and by the time he had reclaimed third place from Baldassarri, Binder had already had the lead for two laps, and started to pull away from Marquez.

It took Bagnaia two more laps to pass Marquez, which he did neatly down at turn one, but whilst he was able to escape from those behind, he was unable to make any ground on Binder ahead, and so was forced to consolidate his second position.

Brad Binder (41) dicing with Francesco Bagnaia (42)

That left Binder to collect his second win of the season, after Sachsenring, to match his championship-contending teammate Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) for 2018 victories. The key for Binder was certainly his pole position lap in Saturday’s qualifying session, which strangely came at the end of the session. His starting position allowed him to use the race pace of the KTM, both in the initial stages of the race, and the final part, and he showed the potential.

The second place was an important result for Bagnaia. With Oliveira, his main championship rival, qualifying down in 18th place, it was crucial for the Italian to take advantage, and whilst he didn’t maximise his score, he did increase his advantage in the standings, which could be crucial as the championship heads to Asia for the four fly-away races.

Baldassarri was able to steal third place from Alex Marquez in the penultimate lap. It was an important result for the Italian, as he had not been on the rostrum since Mugello in the beginning of June. Undoubtedly, though, the Italian could have done more with a better qualifying, and this can be said for many races this season. Baldassarri is by no means alone in suffering qualifying woes in Moto2 this season, but his race performances perhaps only make that more frustrating.

Fourth place for Alex Marquez will no doubt leave the Spaniard disappointed, especially as he led for much of the race, and to miss the podium in his home race by three tenths will not be something he is revelling in, particularly. But, for the first time since Assen, Marquez was in the podium fight from lights to flag, and from that he can take some heart, because it looks like he is finally back on the pace after a few months of struggling.

Despite a decent qualifying and some promising early-race pace, Schrotter could not keep the pace of the front four, and in the end came home in what turned out to be quite a lonely fifth place.

That said, the German did come under some pressure from Joan Mir towards the end of the race, although the rookie never posed a real threat. Perhaps Mir was pushing on towards Schrotter to try to keep out of range of Miguel Oliveira, who was fast approaching from behind.

It was a tough race for the Portuguese rider. He started eighteenth, and only came up to fifteenth by the end of lap one. It took him until lap four to break into the top ten, and he didn’t make any more progress until lap ten when he moved up to ninth. Two more places gained in the final eleven laps gave Oliveira seventh place, but his disappointment at his position and the losses he suffered in the championship will only be heightened this weekend by the victory of his teammate. If Oliveira can’t qualify well, his championship chances are done.

Eighth over the line was Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team), whose pace suffered in the latter part of the race. Despite this, he still ended up coming out on top of the three-way battle between himself, Fabio Quartararo (MB Conveyors SpeedUp) and Jorge Navarro  (Federal Oil Gresini) over P8, 9 and 10 respectively.

Luca Marini (Sky VR|46) suffered with the bike setting and his damaged shoulder all weekend, and in the end could only manage eleventh place, ahead of Simone Corsi (Tasca Racing Scuderia), Augusto Fernandez (Pons HP40), Iker Lecuona (Swiss Innovative Investors) and Tetsuta Nagashima (Idemitsu Honda) who completed the points.

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