FIM Superbike World Championship
Donington Park
WorldSBK - United Kingdom
Jeremy Alcoba Caps Donington Park with First Podium of the Season
Kawasaki riders enjoyed another successful weekend at Donington Park for Round 8 of the FIM Superbike World Championship, collecting a season-first podium, multiple Top 5 finishes, and valuable championship points across both classes. In WorldSSP, Jeremy Alcoba secured his first podium of the season, while teammate Dominique Aegerter added points-paying finishes across the weekend. In the WorldSBK class, Kawasaki WorldSBK Team rider Garrett Gerloff matched his best finish of the season in sixth, with bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team riders Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani recording a joint pair of Top 5 finishes, capping off a weekend of consistent improvement. With eight rounds complete, Kawasaki riders now carry positive momentum into the lengthy summer break, before racing resumes at Magny-Cours for Round 9 in September.
WorldSBK Results
Jeremy Alcoba
WorldSSP
“I am not as happy as yesterday because I know my pace and I know the race that I was doing today. Everything was happening like I thought it would until one rider decided to put me out of the track and I went into the gravel. That was just at the moment I was attacking, but then I lost two seconds. When I saw the final results, I was two seconds away from being able to fight for P2, like yesterday. It is a shame because I wanted to have a perfect weekend. It is not always like this, so I wanted to take the most profit possible when we had the chance. Sometimes racing is like this. In the previous round, I was P5, then I was P3 here and now again P6. I think we are in a good moment. Now we go on holiday from racing, but we will keep pushing, and the team did a really good job. Thanks to everyone and here’s to the next one.”
Dominique Aegerter
WorldSSP
“It was not what we expected, so I was disappointed with Race 2. I finished P14, but I was hoping for a better result. I was riding on the limit every lap, and we improved the bike slightly today. The conditions were slightly different, however, with much more wind. We lost 10 seconds to the winner at the end of the race - which is not that much - but the Supersport field is really competitive. We need to find two or three tenths more to be really in the Top 10. Now we have a long break, so I will for sure train and also have some days to relax. I want to say thanks to the team because they try to do everything they can, and also to Kawasaki, my fans, and sponsors. See you in Magny-Cours in September.”
Alex Lowes
WorldSBK
“We had a lot better day today than yesterday. Fourth this morning, then fifth this afternoon. I felt quite good in that Superpole race. It was quite windy and in the first sector, a little but blustery. That was catching me out a little bit. I had a good battle with Axel [Bassani] at the end. I was at the head of a group, and I tried a bit too hard to get away, maybe, in the first 10 laps. I was paying for it a little bit at the end with the rear tire. Congratulations to Axel, as he had a solid weekend. We had a nice little battle in Race 2, and on the last lap I thought I could maybe have a pass into the Melbourne Loop, as he ran a little wide. But it would certainly have been a bit too risky, especially on a teammate. It was great to see so many fans out on the banking at Donington, and we have had some great weather. Now, we look forward to a little break. Then we will try to improve, get a bit stronger and fight for the podium when we come back at Magny-Cours.”
Axel Bassani
WorldSBK
“We had a really positive Sunday at Donington. This morning we tried something new on the bike, in the front, and I liked it a lot. I improved my braking. In the Superpole Race we finished P5, which was really good and we recovered some positions. In Race 2 it was more difficult because the conditions were hotter and there was a lot of wind. I had some difficulty understanding how to ride the bike in the middle of the race, but after some more laps, I was able to continue at a good pace, and we finished P4. I think the results of P9, P5, P4 - and always growing upward this weekend - this is the way to go. I am really happy for the work we did with the team. Really big thanks to them because they continue to work and never give up. Now, we have a long summer break and some recovery, but we will continue to work for the next one.”
Garrett Gerloff
WorldSBK
“It was really nice to finish the weekend pretty strongly here in Donington. The team did an awesome job, and we have been changing bike settings all weekend, changing electronics and so on all weekend. It is always good when we finish the weekend with the best setup. I felt I was really able to do the best I could have done. I wish I had been able to get a little bit closer to Axel [Bassani] and Alex [Lowes] in Race 2. I think maybe if I didn’t get caught up behind Sam Lowes for a lap I could be there, but anyway it was nice to cross the line and still be within a second of them. Top 6 is something we will take.”
