2018 Donington World Superbike FP4 Result: Rea And Sykes Still On Top

Submitted by Jared Earle on

Jonathan Rea was around a second off the qualifying record and six hundredths of the race record in this morning's untiled session, with his Kawasaki teammate Tom Sykes very close behind. While Sykes was quicker in the first half of the track, Rea was the faster man in the second half. The Yamahas of Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark were next quickest, ahead of Eugene Laverty and Chaz Davies. 

Results:

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A Lap Of Donington Park With Jonathan Rea

Submitted by Steve English on

Last year's WorldSBK race winner, Jonathan Rea, guides us around a lap of Donington Park

Jonathan Rea was the man that ended Tom Sykes' winning streak at Donington Park. The reigning WorldSBK champion snapped a nine race streak for Sykes by winning Race 2 at the British round and he's excited ahead of his home round.

“Donington is a circuit of two halves,” said Rea. “Sectors 1 and 2 are very flowing, and the final sector is very stop and start. It's very difficult to find the right setup and you're always making a compromise. Sometimes I have had a setting that is great for the first half and other times I've set the bike up for the final sector. It really depends on what you need to do with the bike you have. You need to find a compromise between stability and agility but it's a very satisfying track to get right.

Last year's WorldSBK race winner, Jonathan Rea, guides us around a lap of Donington Park

Jonathan Rea was the man that ended Tom Sykes' winning streak at Donington Park. The reigning WorldSBK champion snapped a nine race streak for Sykes by winning Race 2 at the British round and he's excited ahead of his home round.

“Donington is a circuit of two halves,” said Rea. “Sectors 1 and 2 are very flowing, and the final sector is very stop and start. It's very difficult to find the right setup and you're always making a compromise. Sometimes I have had a setting that is great for the first half and other times I've set the bike up for the final sector. It really depends on what you need to do with the bike you have. You need to find a compromise between stability and agility but it's a very satisfying track to get right.

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2018 Donington World Superbike FP3 Result: Rea And Sykes End Day Quickest

Submitted by Jared Earle on

Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes swapped places at the top again as the wet track dried out and the riders got within half a second of lap record pace. Lorenzo Savadori made a surprise appearance in provisional third place, ahead of Alex Lowes and Eugene Laverty, and the Alpaca-haired Bradley Ray, double winner at this track in British Superbike earlier in the year, was the quickest wildcard, earning himself direct access to Superpole two.

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2018 Donington World Supersport FP2 Result: Caricasulo Leads Yamaha Charge

Submitted by Jared Earle on

Federico Caricasulo was the quickest of the five Yamahas at the top, leading Lucas Mahias, Jules Cluzel, Sandro Cortese and Randy Krummenacher on a track that had almost completely dried up from this morning's downpour. Everyone was quicker than the first session, apart from Kyle Smith who didn't record a laptime, and only three riders missed out on the 107% qualifying threshold. 

Results:

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2018 Donington World Superbike FP2 Result: Sykes Leads Rea

Submitted by Jared Earle on

As the rain stopped falling on the still-damp track, everyone improved on their morning's times, with Tom Sykes, the rider with the most victories around this circuit, coming out on top, over half a second quicker than his Kawasaki teammate Jonathan Rea. Rea said yesterday that there must be something in the tea bags round here that gives Sykes extra pace, as shown by his nine victories in his last five visits here.

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MotoGP Silly Season After Le Mans: Mir In, Lorenzo Out?

Submitted by David Emmett on

At the beginning of the year, I predicted that MotoGP's Silly Season this year would change the face of the MotoGP grid beyond recognition. The revolution I predicted looks like it is coming to pass, but as with every prediction, the changes happening are beyond even what I had expected. Young talent is coming into the series - Joan Mir, Miguel Oliveira - big names are changing bikes - Johann Zarco, Andrea Iannone - and a couple of major names face being left without a ride altogether.

A lot has happened in the past couple of weeks. Contracts have been signed with Andrea Dovizioso, Johann Zarco, Aleix Espargaro, Alex Rins, Miguel Oliveira, and Pol Espargaro, adding to the contracts signed earlier in the year with Valentino Rossi, Maverick Viñales, Marc Marquez, and Pecco Bagnaia. With Cal Crutchlow, Franco Morbidelli, and Xavier Simeon already having a contract, there are thirteen seats officially taken for next year. Ducati have an option on Jack Miller - and look certain to exercise it - making it fourteen riders in a strong position. And Taka Nakagami looks very likely to keep his seat at LCR Honda.

But the big news is what happens at Suzuki, Ducati, and Repsol Honda. Rumors that Joan Mir would sign for Suzuki grew very strong at Le Mans, as I wrote on Friday, and now appear to be taking shape. The reliable Spanish journalist Mela Chercoles is reporting in sports daily AS that Joan Mir has signed a two-year deal with Suzuki, which will see him line up alongside Alex Rins for the next two years.

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2018 Donington World Supersport FP1 Result: Mahias, Cluzel And West? It Must Be Raining

Submitted by Jared Earle on

As the British weather continued to be British, Lucas Mahias continued to be an endurance rider at heart, setting a time at the end of the session that was almost a second quicker than Jules Cluzel's quickest time. Ant West shored up his reputation as an uncannily quick man in the rain, ending the session third quickest, just over a second off Mahias's time, and one of only three men under 1'46. 

Just like the World Superbike session, six riders missed the 107% qualifying mark.

Results:

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2018 Donington World Superbike FP1 Result: Rea Tops Very Wet Session

Submitted by Jared Earle on

Jonathan Rea swept in late to take the top spot in a very wet session dominated, until that point, by his teammate Tom Sykes. Six riders were outside the 107% required for qualification, with three of them not even setting a laptime. Loris Baz, a perennial front-runner in the wet, was third quickest and Leon Camier, returning from injury, was just over two seconds off Rea's quickest time in fourth place. 

With the unpredictable British weather promising to live up to its reputation, it is unlikely any lap records will be broken this weekend. 

Results:

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Mike Webb Explains That Moto3 Time Penalties At Le Mans Are "Virtual Gravel Traps"

Submitted by David Emmett on

Fans watching the Moto3 race at Le Mans faced mixed emotions. On the one hand, they were thrilled at yet another scintillating Moto3 race featuring close quarter battles. On the other hand, they were bewildered by the time penalties issued to Jakub Kornfeil and Niccolo Antonelli during the course of the race. Kornfeil was handed a 1.3 second penalty, while Antonelli was given a 1.8 second penalty. Fans found it difficult to make head or tail of the penalties issued.

Their confusion turned to outright anger once the Moto3 race had ended. Fabio Di Giannantonio crossed the line in first, after Marco Bezzecchi lost the rear in the final corner and took Jorge Martin down with him. But Di Giannantonio would not get to enjoy his victory: the Italian was handed a 2 second penalty after the race had finished, demoting him from first to fourth.

The anger of the fans was fueled mainly by a feeling that the penalties appeared to be arbitrary, with no logic to their structure. The FIM Stewards Panel appeared to be handing out penalties almost at a whim, and with no way for those outside of the panel to understand what was going on.

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