FIM Superbike World Championship
Nové Město
WorldSBK - Czech Republic
Kawasaki Riders Continue Front-Running Form Across Most WorldSBK Weekend
Kawasaki riders once again delivered strong performances across all classes at Autodrom Most, earning podium finishes, race victories, and valuable championship points during Round 5 of the FIM Superbike World Championship. In the WorldSPB Class, Antonio Torres and David Salvador led the charge aboard the Ninja® ZX™-6R, with Torres securing his second victory of the season and Salvador maintaining the championship lead after another double podium weekend. Loris Veneman and Xavi Artigas also remained in the fight at the front despite difficult endings to their weekends. In the WorldSBK Class, Garrett Gerloff continued his impressive run of consistency for the Kawasaki WorldSBK Team with Top 5 finishes, while bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team riders Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani added more important championship points in the two hard-fought races. In the WorldSSP Class, Jeremy Alcoba and Dominique Aegerter both finished inside the points at the demanding Czech circuit, capping off another competitive weekend for Kawasaki across all classes.
WorldSBK Results
Antonio Torres
WorldSPB
“I'm quite happy with the work we did today. We had a small crash in the warm-up, but fortunately without any serious consequences. In the race, I was practically always in the leading group fighting for the podium, and that's definitely a positive thing. In the end, we finished fourth, so it's a bit disappointing because the podium was so close, but overall, the result is still good. We ended the weekend in Most on a high note, taking the win. We're extremely satisfied with the work we did throughout the weekend and the result we achieved.”
Garrett Gerloff
WorldSBK
“In the Superpole Race, everybody used the SCO tire, so everybody had good grip in the beginning, and then for most of the race. I feel like I was not able to use the tire as much as the Ducatis that were around me. I feel like when we all have less grip, then I have an advantage. Race 2 was a good, clean race with Alberto Surra, but sometimes I was like, ‘just let me do a couple of laps ahead of you, and we could maybe go forward!’ I was just happy to cross the line at the front of the group. I felt really good.”
Alex Lowes
WorldSBK
“There was a lot of fighting on the track today, but not too much from me because I couldn’t pass very well. I have missed a bit of confidence on the front of the bike this weekend, so I couldn’t really do my usual attacking, especially while trail-braking. I am happy with the day’s work, especially as we had to come from where we qualified in 15th, having had three crashes between Friday and Saturday, my confidence was not really there. But we had three good races. The guys did a fantastic job, and we stayed calm. It was not my best weekend, but I think I rode well in the races. Overall, a tough weekend, but we got points in all three contests, and now we look forward to Motorland Aragon.”
Axel Bassani
WorldSBK
“It has been quite a positive Sunday. In the Superpole Race, we had a big problem in the first chicane as another rider put me out, so I had to cut the chicane. From there, it was quite difficult, and I also went long in the first corner later on, as I was pushing to make a recovery. With the soft tire fitted for the Superpole Race, it was pushing too much on the front, so it was really difficult to stop. Even with this problem, our speed was not too bad, so I am happy. In Race 2, we started well, but to overtake the Ducatis is quite difficult, and I lost a lot of time. In the end, I arrived close behind the group of riders in front of me, but then the race was finishing. Again, the front was closing a lot, so I had to manage that, but we finished in eighth and scored good points for the championship. We came back to the level that we know we have, and we will continue to believe and work hard. I am happy.”
Jeremy Alcoba
WorldSSP
“I was happy with today’s lap times and pace, so we made a big step from Race 1. Yesterday, I struggled to 1:35-low lap times, but the pace today was 1:35 or 1:34.5, so the team did a really good job because they understood what I needed to make this step forward. They gave me a better bike set-up so I could ride more easily. We had the speed today, even if in some parts we struggled more than them. But I put in all the effort to fight with them, and I enjoyed it, and I won the fight inside the second group. We were closer today than yesterday to the first group, so I am really happy with how we ended the weekend here.”
Dominique Aegerter
WorldSSP
“In Race 2, we could finish in the points, and starting from 20th position, this was not easy, for sure. I think we worked very hard and tried to understand the bike better. I think we succeeded in this, but we still need more time and need to find what I like a bit more. We made a step from yesterday, but the most important thing is to start out better on Friday and be closer to the front, so that we can start much closer to the front in the races. We know the areas we need to work in.”
