| The Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team, with Rizla, scored a pair of FIM Superbike World Championship podium finishes on Sunday in Jerez, with Toprak Razgatlıoğlu bouncing back from retirement in the Tissot Superpole Race to finish an incredible third in Race 2, while Michael van der Mark had previously made it onto the rostrum in the 10-lap sprint.
Starting fifth for the Superpole Race, Razgatlıoğlu starred on the opening lap and slid his way through to second by Turn 2. As the race settled in, he came under pressure from Scott Redding, but displayed a masterclass in defensive riding, out-braking the Ducati rider on several occasions to maintain second place. However, his efforts were thwarted with just three laps to go following a sensor failure, which saw him retire from the race.
In Race 2, and starting from 10th on the grid due to the Superpole Race DNF, Razgatlıoğlu made another lightning start and sliced his way into the top four by the end of the first lap. The Pata Yamaha rider continued to put pressure on those ahead and battled with Jonathan Rea for the final spot on the podium. By the eighth lap, Razgatlıoğlu made his move inside the top three, which he held until the chequered flag for his fourth podium of the 2020 season.
Needing a strong haul of points following Saturday’s retirement, Van der Mark made a solid start in the Superpole Race to hold onto fourth place. The Dutchman remained within touching distance of the podium paces, benefiting from his teammate’s issue to take his first rostrum of the season. In Race 2, the rising track temperatures saw Van der Mark struggle with grip, eventually finishing just behind Rea in seventh, scoring more important points.
After a difficult return to racing on Saturday, the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team enjoyed their strongest WorldSBK showing yet, with American Garrett Gerloff riding a sublime Superpole Race, climbing from 15th on the grid to finish eighth in only his third championship start. The former MotoAmerica Superbike star impressed again in Race 2, battling some of the series’ most experienced riders to take the chequered flag in 10th.
Teammate Federico Caricasulo bounced back from yesterday’s Race 1 retirement to take a pair of 16th place finishes, with his lack of long run experience in the soaring track temperatures at Jerez meaning the Italian just missed out on points.
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSBK Supported Team’s Loris Baz equalled his best result with Yamaha, finishing just off the podium in fourth during the Superpole Race. In the final race at Jerez, the French rider was running amongst the leading group in sixth place, before sliding off into the gravel at Turn 13, dropping him out of points contention.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – SPRC: DNF, Race 2: P3
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team
“I had a small crash on the out-lap which was a little bit crazy… but then in the race we had a really good start to be right near the front. 10th to third is really positive and we are happy with the performance of the R1, which allowed me to take a solid amount of points even if we could not quite match the winning pace. I’m looking forward to racing at Portimao next weekend, I know we can go well there, I like the circuit and I believe the Yamaha will too, so hopefully we can have a strong result.”
Michael van der Mark – SPRC: P3, Race 2: P7
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team
“After missing out on the podium in Phillip Island and yesterday, it was good to be back inside the top three for the Superpole Race. I wasn’t really happy with the bike and we tried to sort it out for the second race of the day, but with the conditions being a lot warmer I struggled with the front end, which was not helped by being in a group and the tyre temperature going out of range. We scored some decent points, but now we need to focus on a better result at Portimao. It’s a track I enjoy and I think we’ll be able to challenge at the front.”
Garrett Gerloff – SPRC: P8, Race 2: P10
GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team
“I’m happy to be inside the top 10, but I know I have a little bit more in me. I made a few mistakes which cost me a couple of positions. The team and I made a lot of solid progress this weekend, despite not having as much track time as we had in testing. We made some good decisions on the set-up, I felt really confident in the Superpole Race and again in the second one. I’m happy we have Portugal next weekend, so we can carry this momentum and challenge for the top 10 again.”
Federico Caricasulo – SPRC: P16, Race 2: P16
GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team
“It was not an easy day for me, everything was quite strange. I was very fast on Friday and Saturday morning, but with the hot temperatures I had a big problem trying to stop and turn the bike. We have to try and work to understand what is happening. We made a good step with the lap times this weekend, so hopefully we can move forward in Portimao.”
Loris Baz – SPRC: P4, Race 2: P17
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSBK Supported Team
“The Superpole Race was good, we were always close to the podium. Like yesterday, we were just missing a tenth or so per lap and I couldn’t quite get to the top three. Once I knew it was out of reach I just conserved my position for the second race. I had another good start but the conditions were really difficult. I was sliding a lot and then made a small mistake which took me out of the points. I’m disappointed for the team but we were right there again with the factory guys. We were always there throughout every session and we have to take the positives from the weekend. I’ve always enjoyed Portimao, so I’m looking forward to fighting for a podium again.”
|
