In WorldSBK Jonathan Rea owns the show on the Barcelona – Catalunya circuit; outstanding performance for Pirelli tyres on this brand new circuit in both dry and wet conditions

Second and third place in WorldSBK for Ducati with Scott Redding and Chaz Davies; in WorldSSP Verdoïa takes his first win in a red-flagged Race 1.

Barcelona (Spain), 19 September 2020 – For the first race of the MOTUL FIM World Superbike Championship weekend held at the Barcelona - Catalunya Circuit, Jonathan Rea and his Kawasaki ZX-10RR of the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK once again demonstrated their superiority.

This means that the five-time World Championship earns more valuable points in the overall standings against Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing - Ducati / Ducati Panigale V4 R), also on the podium today with teammate Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing - Ducati / Ducati Panigale V4 R), who took a well-deserved third place after another one of his spectacular comeback rides.

Race 1 in the WorldSSP class was full of surprises due to a heavy thunderstorm that fell on the circuit from the second half of the race, first of all forcing many of the riders to return to pit lane for a tyre change, and then causing a red flag that decreed the race result: Andy Verdoïa (bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing / Yamaha YZF R6), Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-6R) on Kawasaki second, Kyle Smith (GMT94 Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6) third and Andrea Locatelli BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team / Yamaha YZF R6) fourth.

As for the tyres, on the first day of the Acerbis Catalunya Round, all the riders chose to race on the standard Pirelli solutions. In WorldSBK Race 1, the entire starting grid chose to have the standard SC1 (option A) on the front, with the exception of Loris Baz, who preferred racing with the standard medium SC2 (Option C). For the rear, on the other hand, most of the riders relied on the standard soft SC0 solution (option B), whereas no less than seven riders preferred the super soft standard SCX tyre (option A).

The scenario was similar in the World Supersport class as well, with the race starting in dry conditions and almost every rider on the starting grid relying on the standard soft SC1 solution (option A) on the front, with the exception of only two riders who preferred the medium SC2 compound. For the rear, most of the riders went with the standard SC1 softer tyre (option B), whereas five riders used the Z0360 development solution (option A).

WorldSBK Race 1:

Gaining the upper hand at the start of the début WorldSBK race at the Barcelona – Catalunya Circuit was the home team with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR) ahead of privateer Ducati rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN / Ducati Panigale V4 R), who had started from the sixth spot on the grid, and another Ducati ridden by Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing - Ducati / Ducati Panigale V4 R). Two other manufacturers were behind them, with Yamaha rider Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team / Yamaha YZF R1) and Honda rider Álvaro Bautista (Team HRC / Honda CBR1000RR). The Reigning World Champion had an outstanding pace, earning the Pirelli Best Lap Award with a time of 1’42.797 on the second lap, and so did Redding who, after overtaking the Italian Team GOELEVEN rider, set off to chase down the race leader. At this point, the leading trio was trailed by Bautista ahead of van der Mark, Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing - Ducati / Ducati Panigale V4 R) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team / Yamaha YZF R1) who were battling for fifth. The Welsh Ducati rider demonstrated an excellent pace during the final laps of the race and, after overtaking Bautista, who dropped two spots due to a mistake early in the fifteenth lap, he seemed determined to finish on the podium, also gaining the upper hand against Rinaldi, who finished seventh in the end. Rea finished first ahead of the red Ducatis ridden by Redding and Davies.

WorldSBK Race 1 Standings:

1. J. Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR)
2. S. Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing - Ducati / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
3. C. Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing - Ducati / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
4. M. van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team / Yamaha YZF R1)
5. Á. Bautista (Team HRC / Honda CBR1000RR)
6. T. Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team / Yamaha YZF R1)
7. M. R. Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
8. G. Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team / Yamaha YZF R1)
9. A. Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR)
10. L. Haslam (Team HRC / Honda CBR1000RR)
11. E. Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team / BMW S1000 RR)
12. J. Folger (Bonovo Action by MGM Racing / Yamaha YZF R1)
13. X. Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-10RR)
14. L. Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R1)
15. F. Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team / Yamaha YZF R1)
16. S. Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
17. L. Zanetti (Motocorsa Racing / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
18. S. Barrier (Brixx Performance / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
19. T. Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea HONDA Team / Honda CBR1000RR)
20. V. Debise (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR / Kawasaki ZX-10RR)

• RT. T. Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team / BMWS1000 RR)

WorldSSP Race 1:

Under increasingly threatening skies, Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6) got off the grid extremely well, moving into the lead ahead of Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-6R), Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-6R) and Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team / Yamaha YZF R6) in fourth. On the third lap, the Championship leader did the fastest race lap at 1’45.869 and began to make his comeback, taking back the lead ahead of the two Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team green machines. Behind them an intense battle for fourth raged between Perolari, Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team / Kawasaki ZX-6R) and Kyle Smith (GMT94 Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6). However, nine laps from the end, the first drops of rain began to fall and a true summer thunderstorm ensued which reshuffled the entire deck. Andrea Locatelli slowed his pace to avoid the risk of crashing, thereby falling back to fourth, whereas one third of the riders boxed straight away to make the switch to rain tyres. Andy Verdoïa (bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing / Yamaha YZF R6), on the other hand, decided to do one more lap on slicks, thereby taking the race lead before the red flag came out which, since more than two thirds of the race had been completed, decreed the end of the race, with the finishing order decided by the last check point detected for each rider. First place went to Andy Verdoïa (bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing / Yamaha YZF R6), second to Lucas Mahias on Kawasaki and third to Kyle Smith.

WorldSBK Race 1 Standings:

1. A. Verdoïa (bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
2. L. Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-6R)
3. K. Smith (GMT94 Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6)
4. A. Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team / Yamaha YZF R6)
5. K. Manfredi (Altogoo Racing Team / Yamaha YZF R6)
6. S. Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
7. M. Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team / Kawasaki ZX-6R)
8. P. Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-6R)
9. M. Pons (Dynavolt Honda / Honda CBR600RR)
10. A. Bassani (Soradis Yamaha Motoxracing / Yamaha YZF R6)
11. L. Cresson (OXXO Yamaha Team Toth / Yamaha YZF R6)
12. C. Öncü (Turkish Racing Team / Kawasaki ZX-6R)
13. H. Soomer (Kallio Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
14. R. De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse / MV Agusta F3 675)
15. I. Viñales (Kallio Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
16. C. Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6)
17. F. Fuligni (MV Agusta Reparto Corse / MV Agusta F3 675)
18. D. Webb (WRP Wepol Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
19. O. Iglesias (GMT94 Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6)
20. P. Sebestyen (OXXO Yamaha Team Toth / Yamaha YZF R6)
21. P. Hobelsberger (Dynavolt Honda / Honda CBR600RR)
22. G. Van Straalen (MPM Routz Racing Team / Yamaha YZF R6)
23. A. Carranza (EMPERADOR Racing Team / Yamaha YZF R6)
24. L. Montella (DK MOTORSPORT / Yamaha YZF R6)

• RT. G. Hendra Pratama (bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
• RT. G. Erill (DEZA-ISMABON Racing Team / Kawasaki ZX-6R)

WorldSSP300 Race 1:

Taking the win for Race 1 of the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship, held in wet conditions, was Brit Tom Booth-Amos (RT Motorsports by SKM - Kawasaki / Kawasaki Ninja 400) Ninja 400) who, with sixty-nine points, is now seventh in the overall championship standings. Completing the podium were the Kawasakis ridden by Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo / Kawasaki Ninja 400) and Spaniard Marc Garcia (2R Racing / Kawasaki Ninja 400).

The Pirelli solutions chosen by the riders for WorldSBK Race 1 and WorldSSP Race 1:

In WorldSBK, choices were almost unanimous for the front tyre on the standard soft SC1 solution (option A). The only rider going against the flow was Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R1), who preferred the standard medium SC2 tyre (option C). As for the rear, most of the riders went with the standard soft SC0 solution (option B), whereas seven riders used the super soft SCX tyre (option A): Bautista, Rinaldi, Fores, Barrier, Cavalieri, Takahashi and Debise.

In WorldSSP, without considering the rain tyres that were put on when some of the riders boxed, the favourite solution on the grid for the front was the standard soft SC1 (option A), although Odendaal and Pons chose the standard medium SC2 (option B). On the rear, the standard soft SC0 (option B) was confirmed as the most popular choice on the grid, although five riders opted for the Z0360 development solution (option A): Gonzalez, Bassani, Van Straalen, Fuligni and de Rosa.

Pirelli statistics for WorldSBK Race 1:

• Winner of the PIRELLI BEST LAP AWARD: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR) in 1'42.797 on the 2nd lap

• Most used front solution: standard SC1 (20 out of 21 riders)

• Most used rear solution: standard SC0 (14 out of 21 riders)

• Number of solutions (dry, intermediate and wet) for the Superbike class: 5 front and 8 rear

Number of tyres available for each Superbike rider: 76, including 36 front and 40 rear

• Air temperature: 28° C

• Asphalt temperature: 42° C

Pirelli statistics for WorldSSP Race 1:

• Winner of the PIRELLI BEST LAP AWARD: A. Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team / Yamaha YZF R6) in 1’45.869 on the 3rd lap

• Most used front solution: standard SC1 (24 out of 26 riders)

• Most used rear solution: standard SC0 (21 out of 26 riders)

• Number of solutions (dry, intermediate and wet) for the Supersport class: 4 front and 4 rear

• Number of tyres available for each Supersport rider: 50, including 26 front and 28 rear

• Air temperature: 21° C

• Asphalt temperature: 28° C