Marco Melandri gave BMW their first World Superbike double, beating Kawasaki's Superpole winner Tom Sykes in both 20-lap races at the roller-coaster Brno circuit in the Czech Republic.
Melandri started from the second row in each race to overhaul long-time leader Sykes, who was full of fight at one of his favourite tracks, particularly in race two, but couldn't hold off the Italian. In the process, Melandri cut Aprilia veteran Max Biaggi's lead in the championship standings to a much more manageable 21 points and moved BMW into the lead in the Manufacturers' standings, by two points from Aprilia.
RACE 1
Melandri worked his way through from a mid-pack position in a race that started with many wet patches on the circuit but finished in blazing sunshine. Sykes finished second and his team mate, 19-year-old French rookie Loris Baz third, after a confident early few laps in tricky conditions.
Any chance Sykes had of getting back at Melandri for the win was dashed when he and Jonathan Rea (Honda) collided entering a corner near the end of the race and Rea crashed out spectacularly.
Checa was fourth and Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) fifth, with Biaggi a distant sixth.
Another great ride came from Maxime Berger (Ducati) who led for some time in tricky early conditions and finished ninth at his team's home round.
Marco Melandri:“At the beginning everybody was careful because it was wet and they were on slicks. Then I was seventh or eighth but was catching the other guys and all I had to do was keep my rhythm. When I went to the front with a lap and a half to go I just had to keep pushing without thinking of the others because I knew I was faster than them.”
Tom Sykes:“It was a shame to not lead the lap that counts, but I'm happy to be back on the podium with Kawasaki. At Brno you spend a lot of time on the side of the tyre; we gambled at the beginning of the race with a softer front tyre so from 10 laps onwards I wasn't able to attack the corners, and when Marco passed me I had no answer.”
Loris Baz:“I knew we had a good pace in the wet so just tried to do the best possible. My race pace was quite good compared to the other guys, we just had some problems with the front. The last lap was not easy but I am really happy.”
RACE 2
Melandri made the historic double by a fraction, after making a final pass on Sykes (who'd led from the start) on the final lap and holding on to just enough of a gap through the final few corners to stay ahead - if by only 0.140sec. Checa finished third with championship leader Biaggi a lonely fourth. Laverty won a duel for fifth with Chaz Davies (Aprilia) and Leon Haslam (BMW) but was unhappy not to be able to challenge for a podium place.
Marco Melandri:“I'm living in a dream, it's a first time for me to get a double win! It's something amazing at this track where nobody expected these results. It's also fantastic to see BMW leading the Constructors'
championship and it makes me very proud. No one expected we could catch Max and I'm still 21 points behind him in the table but we have to think day by day and today I'm enjoying my day!”
Tom Sykes:“It's fair to say we made another big leap forward this weekend, but unfortunately Marco spoiled my day yet again. Hopefully payback is on its way! It was a big improvement compared to what everyone expects from us - it's nice to prove a few people wrong.”
Carlos Checa:“Overall it was a good weekend. Race 1 was very complicated in the middle of many riders so fourth position was a good result. In race 2 I started third behind Marco and Tom but till the end I was able to keep my position. Considering this track and that we lose a lot in acceleration overall they are good results for us.”
WORLD SUPERSPORT
A red-flag incident on the startline led to a second start for the 18-lap race but even more drama was to come when the race was halted by another red flag a few laps from the end.
Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) had just passed Fabien Foret (Kawasaki) for the lead when South African rider Ronan Quarmby crashed out of sixth in spectacular fashion, but positions were awarded as per the end of the previous leap, giving Foret the win from Sofuoglu, Broc Parkes (Honda), Sam Lowes (Honda), Jules Cluzel (Honda), Quarmby and fellow South African Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki).
SUPERSTOCK 1000
Bryan Staring (Kawasaki) won his second consecutive Superstock 1000 on a streaming wet circuit. Eddi La Marra (Ducati) broke away from the pack to try to hunt him down, but Staring upped the pace in reply to finish 6.5 seconds ahead of the Ducati.
Kawasaki rider Jeremy Guarnoni finished third, 32 seconds behind Staring but only two seconds ahead of Ducati rider Robbie Brown.
Four seconds further adrift, South African David McFadden (Kawasaki) got the best of a huge battle for fifth as four riders crossed the line in less than two seconds, with the Capetonian in front when it mattered.
RESULTS - RACE 1
1 Marco Melandri (Italy) BMW S1000 RR - 41min59.808
2 Tom Sykes (Britain) Kawasaki ZX-10R +1.360sec
3 Loris Baz (France) Kawasaki ZX-10R +1.948
4 Carlos Checa (Spain) Ducati 1098R +2.494
5 Eugene Laverty (Ireland) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +3.832
6 Max Biaggi (Italy) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +7.139
7 Leon Haslam (Britain) BMW S1000 RR +11.293
8 Michel Fabrizio (Italy) BMW S1000 RR +11.945
9 Maxime Berger (France) Ducati 1098R +18.988
10 Jakub Smrz (Czech Republic) Ducati 1098R +19.117
11 Chaz Davies (Britain) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +22.938
12 Alessandro Polita (Italy) Ducati 1098R +1min05.645
13 Norino Brignola (Italy) BMW S1000 RR +1min05.753
14 Leon Camier (Britain) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +1min08.248
15 John Hopkins (US) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +1min12.120
16 Lorenzo Zanetti (Italy) Ducati 1098R +1min13.057
17 Viktor Kispataki (Hungary) Honda CBR1000RR +3laps
18 David Salom (Spain) Kawasaki ZX-10R +3 laps
RACE 2
1 Marco Melandri (Italy) BMW S1000 RR - 40min12.837
2 Tom Sykes (Britain) Kawasaki ZX-10R +0.140sec
3 Carlos Checa (Spain) Ducati 1098R +6.801
4 Max Biaggi (Italy) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +9.840
5 Eugene Laverty (Ireland) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +11.776
6 Chaz Davies (Britain) Aprilia RSV4 Factory +11.950
7 Leon Haslam (Britain) BMW S1000 RR +12.547
8 Loris Baz (France) Kawasaki ZX-10R +13.088
9 Leon Camier (Britain) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +18.141
10 Michel Fabrizio (Italy) BMW S1000 RR +25.332
11 Davide Giugliano (Italy) Ducati 1098R +28.458
12 Jonathan Rea (Britain) Honda CBR1000RR +29.254
13 Jakub Smrz (Czech Republic) Ducati 1098R +29.513
14 John Hopkins (US) Suzuki GSX-R1000 +34.875
15 Maxime Berger (France) Ducati 1098R +41.861
16 Lorenzo Zanetti (Italy) Ducati 1098R +42.139
17 Norino Brignola (Italy) BMW S1000 RR +1min16.743
18 Viktor Kispataki (Hungary) Honda CBR1000RR +1min41.325
POINTS(after nine of 14 rounds)
1 Max Biaggi (Italy) Aprilia RSV4 Factory - 271.5
2 Marco Melandri (Italy) BMW S1000 RR - 250.5
3 Tom Sykes (Britain) Kawasaki ZX-10R - 212.5
4 Carlos Checa (Spain) Ducati 1098R - 204.5
5 Jonathan Rea (Britain) Honda CBR1000RR - 187
6 Leon Haslam (Britain) BMW S1000 RR - 160
7 Eugene Laverty (Ireland) Aprilia RSV4 Factory - 148
8 Sylvain Guintoli (France) Ducati 1098R - 110
9 Davide Giugliano (Italy) Ducati 1098R - 99
10 Chaz Davies (Britain) Aprilia RSV4 Factory - 93
WORLD SUPERSPORT
1 Fabien Foret (France) Kawasaki ZX-6R - 27min02.236
2 Kenan Sofouglu (Turkey) Kawasaki ZX-6R +0.128sec
3 Broc Parkes (Australia) Honda CBR600RR +0.434
4 Sam Lowes (Britain) Honda CBR600RR +4.650
5 Jules Cluzel (France) Honda CBR600RR +7.725
6 Ronan Quarmby (South Africa) Honda CBR600RR +11.384
7 Sheridan Morais (South Africa) Kawasaki ZX-6R +11.934
8 Stefano Cruciani (Italy) Kawasaki ZX-6R +12.253
9 Vittorio Iannuzzo (Italy) Yamaha R6 +15.111
10 Romain Lanusse (France) Kawasaki ZX-6R +18.840
POINTS(after eight of 13 rounds)
1 Kenan Sofouglu (Turkey) Kawasaki ZX-6R - 137
2 Sam Lowes (Britain) Honda CBR600RR - 114
3 Fabien Foret (France) Kawasaki ZX-6R - 108
4 Jules Cluzel (France) Honda CBR600RR - 95
5 Broc Parkes (Australia) Honda CBR600RR - 82
6 Sheridan Morais (South Africa) Kawasaki ZX-6R - 62
7 Alex Baldolini (Italy) Triumph Daytona 675 - 54
8 Ronan Quarmby (South Africa) Honda CBR600RR - 54
9 Vittorio Iannuzzo (Italy) Yamaha R6 - 48
10 Roberto Tamburini (Italy) Honda CBR600RR - 39
SUPERSTOCK 1000
1 Bryan Staring (Australia) Kawasaki ZX-10R - 27min22.582
2 Eddi La Marra (Italy) Ducati 1199 Panigale +6.577sec
3 Jeremy Guarnoni (France) Kawasaki ZX-10R +32.390
4 Robbie Brown (Britain) Ducati 1199 Panigale +34.106
5 David McFadden (South Africa) Kawasaki ZX-10R +38.007
6 Fabio Massei (Italy) Honda CBR1000RR + 38.412
7 Christoffer Bergman (Sweden) Kawasaki ZX-10R +39.584
8 Ondrej Jezek (Czech Republic) Ducati 1098R +39.940
9 Matthieu Lussiana (France) Kawasaki ZX-10R +40.108
10 Andrzej Chmielewski (Poland) Ducati 1098R +43.054