WSBK-weekend in Donington Park

02.07.2023

Race 1

Saturday at Donington saw Alvaro Bautista taking another extraordinary victory as he brought Ducati back to the top step of the podium in the UK Round after 12 years.

The Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Team rider (who was starting from second on the grid) engaged in a spectacular initial battle with Rea (Kawasaki), Razgatlioglu (Yamaha), and Lowes (Kawasaki). After taking the lead on lap 10, the Spanish rider's race pace became unbeatable, allowing him to cross the finish line with a comfortable margin.

It was unlucky Race 1 for Michael Rinaldi. The Italian rider (P9 on the grid) had to deal with an unexpected rear wheel lock-up that cost him several positions. Rinaldi stayed on track to finish 13th and gather important data in preparation for the Superpole Race and Race 2 tomorrow.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati #1)
"I am truly satisfied. For sure, this was a great victory, but what makes me happier is the feeling I managed to find with the bike. I had a lot of fun, first in the battle and then riding. It was a great Saturday, and we secured a victory on a circuit that historically hasn't favored Ducati. For that, I thank the team for their excellent work today after a weather-affected Friday."

Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati #21)
"It's a shame. In the first lap, I had an issue with the rear. I even thought it was an engine-related problem, but it turned out to be just a wheel lock-up. I lost many positions and found myself last. But I didn't give up. It was important to keep going and gather data. I'm confident that tomorrow will be a whole different story."

Race 2

First, the concern for the scary accident involving Michael Rinaldi, which required the display of the red flag.

Then the joy of the sixteenth seasonal victory for Bautista, who, after finishing second in the Superpole Race, engaged in an exciting duel with Rea (Kawasaki) and Toprak (Yamaha) before pulling away.

These were the emotions for the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team on Sunday at Donington, which the reigning World Champion closes with a 93-point lead over Razgatlioglu in the standings.

After the second lap incident with Sykes (BMW) and Baz (BMW), Michael Rinaldi was transported to the Medical Center. The X-rays performed on the Italian rider ruled out serious fractures. Further in-depth checks will be carried out upon his return to Italy.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati #1):
"If someone had told me that I would have come back from Donington with 2 victories and a second place, I might have had trouble believing it. That's why I'm really happy about this weekend. The feeling with the bike was once again fantastic. I don't look at the standings: I only think about the next race and I can't wait to be in Imola."

Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati #21):
"It has been a really unlucky weekend where something important always happened in the early laps. Today's accident was really bad. I only remember finding myself on the ground with a lot of pain in my ankle. Fortunately, the initial analysis ruled out fractures. I wish a speedy recovery to Sykes, who was at the medical center with me."

Race results

Pos.	Nr.	Driver	Bike	Time-gap to Leader
1	1	A. Bautista	Panigale V4R
2	54	T. Razgatlioglu	YZF R1	2.650
3	9	D. Petrucci	Panigale V4R	7.936
4	45	S. Redding	M1000 RR	9.198
5	65	J. Rea	ZX-10RR	9.506
6	22	A. Lowes	ZX-10RR	9.960
7	47	A. Bassani	Panigale V4R	10.292
8	55	A. Locatelli	YZF R1	10.537
9	31	G. Gerloff	M1000 RR	11.036
10	5	P. Oettl	Panigale V4R	14.317
11	77	D. Aegerter	YZF R1	17.697
12	87	R. Gardner	YZF R1	23.762
13	28	B. Ray	YZF R1	24.052
14	7	I. Lecuona	CBR1000 RR-R	24.543
15	35	H. Syahrin	CBR1000 RR-R	48.163
16	32	I. Vinales	ZX-10RR	50.201
17	52	O. Konig	ZX-10RR
18	51	E. Granado	CBR1000 RR-R
19	34	L. Baldassarri	YZF R1
RET	53	T. Rabat	ZX-10RR	4 Laps
RET	97	X. Vierge	CBR1000 RR-R	8 Laps
RET	76	L. Baz	M1000 RR
RET	66	T. Sykes	M1000 RR
RET	21	M. Rinaldi	Panigale V4R

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