Marco Melandri put in a stunning ride at Phillip Island to win the opening race of 2018, stalking his way through the podium places before being able to catch and pass earlier race leader and polesitter Tom Sykes.

Melandri adds the victory to an illustrious list of glory accrued at the Australian track, including MotoGP and 250 World Championship wins. Behind Sykes, who took second, Melandri’s teammate Chaz Davies completed the podium – slicing past reigning Champion Jonathan Rea right at the end to begin his season on the rostrum after some late drama for Rea.

Sykes bolted from pole and the Brit was in clear air for much of the race, with an impressive start for teammate Rea from further back catapulting him up into P2 to chase down his sister green machine. But Melandri made for close company for the reigning Champion throughout, stalking Rea before passing him and then heading off to chase down Sykes.

The Italian got past the Brit with enough time left to pull away for a safer win – but Sykes held firm in second to take only his fourth podium at the track since 2009; making a huge statement of intent in the title fight. Meanwhile behind him, teammate Rea began to suffer with issues and his pace dropped.

From a seemingly safe podium finish, the reigning Champion faded quickly – with Davies and fellow Panigale rider Xavi Fores soon on the scene and both soon past Rea. Rea followed Fores over the line for fifth, but Fores did make it into parc ferme, taking the honours as top Independent Team rider in the first race of the season and getting an early lead on some of his key competitors for that title.

Meanwhile for sixth, a stunning Yamaha duel saw Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team’s Michael van der Mark and Alex Lowes side-by-side, but the Dutchman began to suffer in the latter stages after his early charge and dropped back, leaving Lowes in P6. Leon Camier made progress in the race after a crash in Tissot-Superpole and was able to come home in seventh with a late charge, breaking free of van der Mark and Eugene Laverty.

Laverty had a more difficult race day to come home P8 after being third fastest on Friday, with van der Mark taking ninth at the flag and just staying ahead of Leandro Mercado, who completed the top ten for Orelac Racing Verdnatura – an impressive first race of 2018 for the Argentinean.

Loris Baz took eleventh and was close to the top ten on his return to WorldSBK despite a heavy crash on Friday, with American Jake Gagne debuting full time for Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team in twelfth. Toprak Razgalioglu got his WorldSBK career off to a solid start in P13, ahead of Roman Romas and Ondrej Jezek.

source: worldsbk.com

Lorenzo Savadori stole the headlines and the timesheets on Day 1 of the Yamaha Finance Australian Round, leading the charge to Tissot-Superpole 2 with a 1:30.407 set in FP2 to go fastest overall.

Behind the Noale factory machine at the top, Leon Camier took P2 for Honda as he debuts with the Japanese marque, just clear of the second Aprilia machine of Eugene Laverty.

With early morning drizzle, a dry FP2 and then rain once again in the afternoon ahead of the final session of the day, track conditions changed throughout Day 1 but did end dry. Regardless, the best laptime set by Savadori in FP2 remained at the top of the timesheets, unthreatened.

Behind the Aprilia-Honda-Aprilia lockout at the top, Tom Sykes took fourth and was the fastest Kawasaki machine, just under a tenth faster than teammate and reigning champion Jonathan Rea. Rea was the first on the timesheets to set his quickest effort of the day in FP3, moving up a couple of places towards the end of play.

Marco Melandri finished up the first track action of the race weekend in P6 after topping a damp FP1, just ahead of 2014 WorldSSP Champion Michael van der Mark, who was the fastest Yamaha.

Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) led a trio of riders who improved in FP3 as he ended the day in P8, just ahead of fellow Panigale rider Chaz Davies. Alex Lowes completed the top ten, with the Brit having crashed in FP2 on his first flying lap but able to get back out in FP3 and secure his place in Tissot-Superpole 2.

Jake Gagne was the man to just get pushed out, but the American made a solid debut at the track despite a crash late on Friday from which he escaped unscathed. Toprak Razgatlioglu was P12 and will be another rider pushing hard to move through from Tissot-Superpole 1 on Saturday – with Jordi Torres and Friday crasher Loris Baz waiting in the wings to try and make it every manufacturer in the top 12 on the grid.

source: worldsbk.com

WorldSBK announced the introduction of Independent Teams and riders into the series for 2018.

Bringing yet another dynamic spin to the world renowned WorldSBK Championship, this season will see the integration of the independent teams with the support of Pirelli, as eight permanent teams will compete for the honours, whilst wild card and one event teams will also be added to the fight.

In a similar way to the European Supersport Cup, there will be a second classification introduced – with riders and teams battling to be crowned Best Independent Team and Best Independent Rider - but the points used will be the same as scored in the race. With plenty up for grabs, the new initiative will only make the class more competitive, unique and exhilarating.

Present also in Parc Ferme, there will be further coverage and exposure for the independent teams, which in turn will create more interest and excitement throughout the full field. Set to add another dimension to the already adrenaline fuelled series, independent teams will be popular amongst fans and riders alike.

“We believe it’s fair to help and award the teams and riders taking part in the Championship as independents,” said Pirelli Moto Racing Director Giorgio Barbier. “They are not officially supported by the manufacturers but still in some cases they are able to fight for the Top 10 with the strongest riders giving their contribution to the show on track."

"For that reason, Pirelli decided to offer prize money to the best independent rider of each WorldSBK race, and a relevant money prize to the best independent rider of the final Championship standings”. 

Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Sporting Director looks forward to the new addition to the championship: “In terms of the sporting element of WorldSBK, independent teams will bring in more parity and excitement into the racing action."

"By adding an additional honour to fight for, there will no doubt be even more passion and desire throughout the class. Pirelli’s unrelenting support of the championship will help to ensure the world's fastest production-based motorcycle series will continue to produce a high quality of racing."

source: worldsbk.com

Lorenzo Savadori  topped the timesheets in FP2 at Phillip Island, taking Aprilia to the top on a final dash and ending the session an impressive three tenths ahead of another man to impress: Leon Camier. On his Honda debut, the Brit just pipped the second Milwaukee Aprilia to second, with only hundredths then separating Camier from P3 man Eugene Laverty.

2018 began with drizzle at the Island, but the sun did begin appearing in FP1 – with Marco Melandri topping the timesheets – before the grid got some full dry running in FP2 and the times tumbled. In effect, the weather took laptimes from FP1 out of the equation for graduation to Tissot-Superpole 2, making FP2 the first indication of each rider’s hand at Phillip Island.

It was Irishman Laverty who held the early advantage, before Camier signaled the start of some timeattacks and took over at the top. But it wasn’t over yet, with Savadori then striking late to make it double delight for the Milwaukee team as Noale machinery invaded the top three.

Tom Sykes, meanwhile, was top Kawasaki and burst into the fray in FP2 to go fourth fastest, with Melandri following on from his good form in testing and FP1 to complete the top five. Reigning Champion , after going second fastest in a damp first session, completed the top six in the dry – and was only half a tenth clear of Michael van der Mark.

Van der Mark, a former podium finisher at Phillip Island, was the fastest Yamaha in FP2 as the times became more representative – with teammate Alex Lowes mixing the team’s fortunes as he went down in the session, sliding out at the top of Lukey Heights. Loris Baz also suffered a crash in FP2, on a full tank, leaving both Lowes and Baz gunning for the front in FP3 - with one shot at direct graduation to Tissot-Superpole 2 left.

Xavi Fores was eighth quickest ahead of Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as they staked an early claim on a move through to Tissot-Superpole 2, with Jake Gagne completing the top ten in an impressive performance for the American newcomer.

Toprak Razgatlioglu, Jordi Torres, Roman Ramos, Loris Baz and PJ Jacobsen completed the fastest fifteen, with every manufacturer represented and those just outside the graduation zone looking to push forward in FP3.

source: worldsbk.com