The start of the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season brought more history for the record books as Jonathan Rea claimed his 100th race victory in WorldSBK, the first man to win 100 races in a single class of FIM road racing world championships…

RACE ONE
Rea was able to retain the lead of the race but was immediately put under pressure by teammate Lowes – looking to be the one who would deny Rea his 100th WorldSBK victory for the time being. Scott Redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) ran in third in the early stages of the race but was unable to keep up with the pace of the Kawasakis out in front, ensuring Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) and Razgatlioglu, who started tenth, were able to stay in podium contention but not challenge the Kawasakis in the early stages.

Razgatlioglu was the first rider to get by Redding on the inside of the left-hander of Turn 1, allowing the Turkish rider to start chasing down the Kawasakis out in front. Davies followed a lap later with a sensational overtake on Redding at Turn 2 with Davies looking to add to his win total at Aragon.

2021 FIM Superbike World Championship, Round 01, May 20-23, 2021, Motorland Aragon, Spain, Jonathan Rea (GBR), Kawasaki Racing Team, Ninja ZX-10RR.

After getting past Redding, the Turkish star had his eyes set on Lowes who was his next target for second place, with Razgatlioglu able to get past Lowes before he started to move his target towards Rea. Razgatlioglu was unable to break away from Lowes and Davies but started lapping faster than Rea with around five laps to go, although not fast enough to put pressure on Rea in the closing stages of the race.

On Lap 16, Lowes tried to re-pass Razgatlioglu at Turn 4 and briefly got ahead but the Turkish rider was able to brake later on the brakes, a theme that ran throughout the last few laps of the race, keeping Davies in contention for second place. At the final corner, Lowes again briefly got ahead but Razgatlioglu was able to just about defend his position although the British rider finaly got by at Turn 1 on Lap 17. The battle was not over as the race came to a conclusion as the pair duelled it out, with Lowes winning out on a drag race to the line for a KRT 1-2; both Lowes and Razgatlioglu claiming their 25th WorldSBK podium.

2021 FIM Superbike World Championship, Round 01, May 20-23, 2021, Motorland Aragon, Spain, Jonathan Rea (GBR), Kawasaki Racing Team, Ninja ZX-10RR

The battle allowed Redding and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) to close in on the battle for second, although Redding dropped Bautista as he approached the battle creating a four-way battle for second place; although Bautista crashed out of the race on the final lap at Turn 2, forcing the Spanish rider to retire. After losing out earlier in the race, Redding was able to get by former teammate Davies for fourth place as the final lap started, with Redding finishing fourth and Davies fifth.

Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was unable to convert third on the grid to a podium finish but, after a difficult start, was able to manage his SCX tyre to come home in sixth place in the M 1000 RR’s first race. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) was another who managed the SCX tyre with seventh place, around two seconds clear of Leon Haslam (Team HRC).

American star Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed a top ten finish at MotorLand Aragon, seven seconds clear of factory Yamaha rider Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) who claimed a top ten finish in his first WorldSBK race. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished 11th on his debut for BMW, with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in 12th.

Three more rookies secured points finishes on their WorldSBK debut with Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) rounded out the top ten, with Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action), Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha) and Loris Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) the last of the runners.

2021 FIM Superbike World Championship, Round 01, May 20-23, 2021, Motorland Aragon, Spain, Jonathan Rea, Kawasaki

Rookie Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) was the first to retire from the race with a technical issue in the early stages of the race after securing a top-12 starting grid spot, while Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) brought his Honda machine into the pitlane on Lap 8 with the Argentinean rider not finishing the race. Rookie Samuele Cavalieri (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) was another retirement from the race around the halfway stage, bringing his Kawasaki machine into the garage. Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse) brought his BMW machine back to the garage on lap 14 of 18 with an issue after running close to the top ten for the majority of the race.

2021 FIM Superbike World Championship, Round 01, May 20-23, 2021, Motorland Aragon, Spain, Jonathan Rea (GBR), Kawasaki Racing Team, Ninja ZX-10RR

P1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) “Incredible, what a race! I just felt from the start, I really wanted it, so I put my head down and it just came. The rhythm at the beginning was good and I was going away, not too stressed, but then at the end I was surprised how much everyone was dropping because I felt really slow but the gap was increasing. What a way to be in the race, it doesn’t happen like that normally. To reach 100 victories… that’s a career milestone. I’m so, so happy with that and to do it here in WorldSBK is amazing. I guess it’s Lewis Hamilton next, so good luck Lewis!”

WorldSBK at MotorLand Aragon – Race 1 (Full Results Here)
1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +3.965s
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) +4.008s

SUPERPOLE RACE
Difficult weather conditions and tyre choices dominated the Tissot Superpole Race for the Pirelli Aragon Round at MotorLand Aragon as the second race of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) holding off an early challenge in the 10-lap race to claim his 101st WorldSBK victory.

Redding got the holeshot from the front row to lead from Rea into turn 1, although he ran wide allowing Rea back through. For the first couple of laps, Redding, Rea and Lowes engaged in a battle for the lead, although the intermediate tyres for Kawasaki gave them the advantage mid-way through the second lap.

2021 FIM Superbike World Championship, Round 01, May 20-23, 2021, Motorland Aragon, Spain, Jonathan Rea (GBR), Kawasaki Racing Team, Ninja ZX-10RR

It enabled both Rea and Lowes to get ahead of Redding to take another KRT 1-2 in Aragon, repeating the result from yesterday’s race 1 to claim Kawasaki’s 160th WorldSBK victory, and the first time Kawasaki have started a season with two consecutive 1-2 finishes. The battle for third burst into life on Lap 4 with Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) battling for the final podium spot; the American passing Davies at the final corner on lap 4 to secure his fourth WorldSBK podium and tying with the late, great Nicky Hayden in terms of WorldSBK podiums. The result means Rea will start from pole in race 2, with Lowes and Gerloff on the front row and Davies in fourth place.

Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) secured a top five start for race 2 with fifth place, battling through the field despite starting on the Pirelli SCX tyres; coming through the field as the track dried more. Van der Mark was 19 seconds clear of former teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) in sixth, who will complete the second row in race 2.

Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) will start in seventh place for Sunday’s race 2, with Redding eventually coming home in eighth place, holding off the challenge from Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) who will complete the top nine on the grid for race 2. Nozane’s ninth place means he secures Japan’s first top ten finish since Yuki Takahashi in 2019 in race 1 at Misano.

There were three retirements from the race with Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) the first to retire; the French rider crash on lap 1, and while he was able to mount his bike again, he retired from the race. Samuele Cavalieri (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) retired later in the race while Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) came into the pits towards the end of the 10-lap race.

SUPERPOLE RACE: (Full Results Here)
1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +3.506s
3. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +5.051

RACE TWO
The drama continued in the final MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race of the Pirelli Aragon Round after a tyre gamble by Scott Redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) meant he responded to earlier disappointment to claim a sensational victory in race 2 at Spain’s Aragon circuit, coming home almost ten seconds clear of his rivals.

An earlier rain shower meant the track was wet but drying throughout the day and, although there was a drying line appearing, most riders decided to race with the immediate tyres. As the track dried further, Redding was able to make his slick tyres work to move into the front and he did not look back, while Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came home in second ahead of teammate Alex Lowes.

2021 FIM Superbike World Championship, Round 01, May 20-23, 2021, Motorland Aragon, Spain, Scott Redding, Ducati

The intermediate runners started off the race in the strongest position with six-time World Champion Rea and teammate Lowes with American star Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). Gerloff was able to make the move on Lowes for second place. He soon had his eyes on Rea but it ended with Gerloff coming off his bike and Rea taking a trip through the gravel at turn 14; an incident that cost both riders places and was placed under investigation by the FIM WorldSBK stewards.   Gerloff was given a Long Lap Penalty; the first rider in WorldSBK to be given such a penalty.

The incident allowed Lowes, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) and Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to jump ahead of Rea, with Razgatlioglu challenging Lowes for the lead of the race before van der Mark got by his former teammate to give the BMW M 1000 RR its first lap in the lead. The mixed conditions meant different strategies on the grid with tyre selection with only Scott Redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) and Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) starting from the grid on slicks, although Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) made the switch to slicks before the race started with the Italian starting from the pit lane.

While the intermediate runners had the advantage in the early stages of the races, the track soon came into favour for the slick-shod bikes, with Redding passing Razgatlioglu for the lead and soon pulling out a large gap to the chasing pack to take his first win of the 2021 season. While Redding extended his lead out in front, the battle for second was hotting up between van der Mark, Rea, Lowes, Razgatlioglu and Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who managed his intermediate tyres to latch onto the battle for second place. Rea had briefly got ahead of van der Mark at the final corner, but the Dutchman was able to fight back, although Rea was able to make the same move work on lap 10 until turn 1 on the next lap, with van der Mark fighting back.

Sykes was able to pass Razgatlioglu on lap 12 of 18 to move into fifth place as BMW searched for a strong result on their first weekend with the new BMW M 1000 RR, although the move cost both riders time. On lap 13, Rea was able to make a move on van der Mark and make it stick to secure second place, before Lowes followed through a couple of laps later. Van der Mark tried to fight back but found himself sandwiched between teammate Sykes, who was on the kerbs at turn 1, and Lowes on the inside, with van der Mark eventually falling down to fifth behind Lowes in third and Sykes fourth; the first time two BMWs have finished in the top five since 2013.

2021 FIM Superbike World Championship, Round 01, May 20-23, 2021, Motorland Aragon, Spain, Michael Van Der Mark, BMW

Drama was never far away in this race and that continued throughout the top ten with a three-way battle for sixth place between Razgatlioglu, Folger and Gerloff; the Turkish star just about holding on from Gerloff and Folger, who started on slick tyres. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) was ninth with Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) securing his first top-ten finish. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) came home in 11th place ahead of a trio of rookies as Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) secured another points finish in his maiden WorldSBK weekend, Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 13th and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in 14th on an impressive weekend for the youngest rider on the grid. Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha) was the final points position with 15th, finishing ahead of Rinaldi.

2021 FIM Superbike World Championship, Round 01, May 20-23, 2021, Motorland Aragon, Spain, Scott Redding (GBR), Aruba.it Ducati, Panigale V4R

Eugene Laverty (RC Squadra Corse) was the only BMW rider outside the top ten, finish just clear of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) who was 18th. Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) was the first to fall victim to the difficult conditions as he came off his Ducati Panigale V4 R, forcing the Welshman to retire from race 2 on the opening lap of the race. Leon Haslam’s (Team HRC) race came to an end on lap 5 after he came off his Honda at turn 2, with the British rider retiring from the race. Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) was another retirement after he crashed at turn 1. Davies was able to finish the race in 19th despite the crash, ahead of TPR Team Pedercini Racing duo Loris Cresson and Samuele Cavalieri.

RACE TWO RESULTS: (Full Results Here)
1. Scott Redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati)
2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +9.856s
3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +10.434s

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (Full Standings Here)
Rea (57 points)
Lowes (45 points)
Redding (40 points)

WorldSBK Aragon Round One Gallery

UMI 2

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