2012 World Superbike
Spoiler Alert: 2012 World Superbike results from Motorland Aragon listed below
The 2012 World Superbike began the second half of the season this weekend at Motorland Aragon, Spain.
And when round eight of 14 finished its typical double header on Sunday, the same two men who were victorious last season during the track’s debut on the WSBK calendar were once again winners – Aprilia Racing Team’s Max Biaggi, who took race one, and BMW Motorrad’s Marco Melandri, who took race two.
In race one, Biaggi would be joined on the grid by Melandri and Althea Ducati’s Carlos Checa, respectively. In race two, Melandri would be joined Aprilia Racing’s Eugene Laverty and ParkinGO MTC Aprilia’s Chaz Davies, a rookie in the series.
When race one got underway, Biaggi got off the line quickly from his second start spot. Once ahead of the man who earned his sixth pole this season, Kawasaki Racing’s Tom Sykes, Biaggi remained unmatched. But by mid race, Melandri began putting up a fight.
Both riders exchanged the lead a few times, but on the penultimate lap, Biaggi took the lead and maintained it to the checkered flag. Melandri finished 0.278 of a second behind Biaggi with the reigning World SBK Champ Carlos Checa in third. Fourth went to Davies and fifth to Laverty.
Sykes lost out on the final podium position when Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) lost the front of his BMW S1000RR and hit Sykes’ rear wheel, sending both riders to ground.
With his win, Biaggi has now won four times this season, including three consecutive wins after his double at Misano last outing.
Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team RSV4 World Superbike) says: “We certainly didn’t hold anything back. We were basically all in the same conditions, so there was no way to make the difference. I really had to give 100%, especially after the halfway point when the tires started to lose grip and I had to be careful not to make any mistakes. After overtaking the last time in Race 1, the decisive overtake, I gained a few meters advantage and managed to win.”
The second race became a four-rider battle between Melandri, Biaggi, Laverty and Davies. Melandri would get off the line quickly, passing his teammate Leon Haslam. The Italian then began chasing down Biaggi and Laverty out front. Soon Davies joined the action up front, making for a four-rider battle.
However, despite being outnumbered three to one by his rivals on Italian machinery, it was Melandri and his BMW S1000RR that came out on top in the frenetic closing stages.
On the penultimate lap, with Biaggi piling on pressure behind him, Marco passed Chaz Davies and then made a move on Eugene Laverty on the final lap to take the lead, which he bravely held on to take the victory – by just 0.042 seconds over Laverty, BMW reports. Davies would take the final podium position, followed by Biaggi and Honda World Superbike’s Jonathan Rea.
The win was Melandri’s seventh WSBK career win – and his third for BMW Motorrad Motorsport – after celebrating victories at Donington and Miller Motorsports Park earlier this year.
Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad S1000RR World SBK) says: “I put all my effort to get the win. It was not easy because the wind was very strong and the Aprilia guys were pushing hard. In the beginning, Max could not go as fast as in race one and for me it was similar. Eugene was very fast and suddenly with only a few laps to go, Max overtook me.
“I passed him back but went wide and so Chaz and Eugene went past me. And they were riding so strong and so fast that it was not easy. For the last lap I had no plan, because when racing against those guys you cannot think about a plan because they try to pass you every corner. So I just tried to find a good place for braking at the end of the straight. Now we will try some more things in the test tomorrow and keep working in this direction in the next races.”
In the championship point race, Biaggi retains the lead with 248.5. Following 48 points behind is Melandri with 200.5. Rea is in third with 183 points, followed by Checa with 175.5 and Sykes with 172.5.
The 2012 World Superbike Championship now takes a three-week break before resuming at Brno in the Czech Republic July 22.
Aragon World Superbike Race 1 Results:
1. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 39’51.188
2. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 39’51.466
3. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 40’00.650
4. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 40’02.015
5. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 40’06.896
6. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 40’18.785
7. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 40’20.220
8. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 40’30.562
9. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 40’32.075
10. Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 40’32.628
11. Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1098R 40’33.244
12. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 40’33.557
13. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 40’33.857
14. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 40’39.198
15. John Hopkins (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 40’40.940
16. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 40’45.778
17. Norino Brignola (Grillini Progea Superbike Team) BMW S1000 RR 41’50.841
RT. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 37’59.942
RT. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 38’00.256
RT. David Salom (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 37’42.556
RT. Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 20’25.914
RT. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 17’07.882
RT. Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R
2012 Aragon World Superbike Race 2 Results:
1. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 39’59.200
2. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 39’59.242
3. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 39’59.646
4. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 39’59.684
5. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 40’05.811
6. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 40’06.691
7. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 40’08.525
8. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 40’09.644
9. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 40’10.028
10. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 40’10.125
11. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 40’21.155
12. Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 40’21.246
13. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 40’21.686
14. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 40’42.001
15. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 40’48.344
16. David Salom (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 40’50.161
17. Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1098R 41’00.063
18. Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 41’13.349
19. Norino Brignola (Grillini Progea Superbike Team) BMW S1000 RR 41’52.588
20. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 41’37.232
RT. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 35’03.915
RT. John Hopkins (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 6’11.966
2012 World Superbike Championship Point Standings (after 8 of 14 rounds):
1. Max Biaggi, 248.5
2. Marco Melandri, 200.5
3. Jonathan Rea, 183
4. Carlos Checa, 175.5
5. Tom Sykes, 172.5
6. Leon Haslam, 142
7. Eugene Laverty, 126
8. Sylvain Guintoli, 110
9. Davide Giugliano, 94
10. Chaz Davies, 78
2012 World Superbike Manufacturer’s Point Standings:
1. Aprilia 266
2. Ducati 247.5
3. BMW 242
4. Honda 189
5. Kawasaki 178.5
6. Suzuki 63.5
