Rabat makes a positive start with the ZX-10RR at Portimao

The Autodromo do Algarve is currently hosting the eleventh round of the Superbike World Championship, an event in which Kawasaki Puccetti Racing is fielding rider Tito Rabat as a replacement for the injured Lucas Mahias, who is recovering from an injury to his left wrist.
In warm and sunny conditions, Rabat was out on track this morning for the first free practice, in which he started to build confidence with his ZX-10RR and with the Portuguese track. With a time of 1’44”387, Rabat finished in nineteenth place. During the afternoon session, and despite higher temperatures, the Spaniard improved slightly on his lap time (1’44”352) to place twentieth in the day’s combined standings.
Tomorrow will see Rabat take part in the Superpole, followed by the first of the weekend’s races.

Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal
Superbike World Championship
Combined free practice results: 1) Rea (Kawasaki) – 2) Lowes (Kawasak) – 3) Gerloff (Yamaha) – 4) Haslam (Honda) – 5) Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) – 6) Baz (Ducati) .…….. 20) Rabat (Kawasaki)

Tito Rabat

“Today wasn’t easy, but I expected that because it’s the first time I’m riding this bike, which is very different to those I’ve used in the past. I had a little difficulty stopping the bike and tomorrow we need to work on that, but in general I’m pleased because I’ve got on well with the team and so am sure that we will be able to take a significant step forward tomorrow.”

Oncu and Oettl seventh and eighth in Portimao free practice

Conditions at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal were hot and sunny today for the start of the tenth Supersport World Championship round. Today’s goal for Manuel Puccetti’s riders, German Phillipp Oettl and Turk Can Oncu, was to identify the best set-up for their Ninjas ahead of the weekend’s two races.
During the morning’s first free practice, Oncu (1’44”954) set the fifth fastest time, just two thousandths of a second ahead of team-mate Oettl (1’44”956).
In the second session, temperatures were significantly higher and this reduced the level of grip on track. In these conditions, Oncu (1’46”097) and Oettl (1’45”198) were unable to improve on their best times of the morning, but they nevertheless finished practice in seventh and eighth place overall.
Tomorrow, the two Kawasaki Puccetti Racing riders will compete in the Superpol and the first of races making up this tenth WorldSSP round.

Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal
Supersport World Championship
Combined free practice results: 1) Gonzales (Yamaha) – 2) Cluzel (Yamaha) – 3) Caricasulo (Yamaha) – 4) Aegerter (Yamaha) – 5) Oddendal (Yamaha) – 6) Tuuli (MV Agusta) – 7) Oncu (Kawasaki) – 8) Oettl (Kawasaki)

Can Oncu

“It went well today. We worked hard to prepare for the races and completed a long-run that I’m sure will help us to take another step forward tomorrow. We’ll be giving it our all in Superpole and tomorrow’s race. I’m relaxed but also ready and determined to do well, also because having Kenan Sofuoglu here at Portimao gives me even greater motivation.”

Philipp Oettl

“It’s been an interesting day, in which I built confidence with the track. I like the layout, and although we didn’t improve in the second session, we nevertheless found a good set-up for our Ninja. Tomorrow we need to complete a solid qualifying and then see what happens in the race, but I’m optimistic because I have good feeling with both my bike and the track.”

First points for Rabat in WorldSBK race 1 at Portimao

The Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal has today hosted the Superpole and first race making up round eleven of the Superbike World Championship. In the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing garage, Tito Rabat is standing in for injured Lucas Mahias on the Ninja ZX-10RR. Yesterday, the Spaniard completed the first two free practice sessions, working to find good feeling with the bike and track and closing in twentieth place, with a time of 1’44”352.
This morning, Rabat was back on track for the third and final free practice in which he further improved on his lap time (1’43”980), confirming twentieth position.
In the eleventh Superpole of the season, which got underway in the late morning, Tito was unable to exploit the qualifying tyre and, with a time of 1’44”000, again closed in twentieth place. As a result, the Spaniard lined up on the seventh row of the grid for the afternoon’s race.
Race 1 got underway in the early afternoon. Rabat got away well and was soon up into fifteenth place. Over the subsequent laps, his pace dropped a little which caused him to lose a few positions. In the final stages however, the Spaniard climbed back up to cross the line in thirteenth place.
Tomorrow will see Rabat compete in the Superpole race, followed by race in the afternoon.

Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal
Superbike World Championship

Combined free practice results: 1) Rea (Kawasaki) – 2) Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) – 3) Locatelli (Yamaha) – 4) Gerloff (Yamaha) – 5) Redding (Ducati) – 6) Van der Mark (BMW) ……… 20) Rabat (Kawasaki)

Superpole: 1) Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) – 2) Rea (Kawasaki) – 3) Haslam (Honda) – 4) Redding (Ducati) – 5) Van der Mark (BMW) – 6) Bautista (Honda) ……… 20) Rabat (Kawasaki)

Race 1: 1) Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) – 2) Redding (Ducati) – 3) Baz (Ducati) – 4) Rinaldi (Ducati) – 5) Haslam (Honda) – 6) Gerloff (Yamaha) – 7) Bassani (Ducati)………13) Rabat (Kawasaki)

Tito Rabat

“The race didn’t go too badly. I saw improvement with respect to the practices and the Superpole, but we need to take another step forward. The positive thing is that I was enjoying myself early on and was able to maintain good pace, but for tomorrow I want to do a lot better, also because I feel really motivated. Thanks to my team for all their hard work.”

Oncu and Oettl in the points in WorldSSP race 1 at Portimao

It was hot and sunny at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal for today’s Superpole and the first race of this tenth WorldSSP round.
Yesterday, Kawasaki Puccetti Racing riders Can Oncu (1’44”954) and Philipp Oettl (1’44”956) completed the two free practice sessions, finishing in seventh and eighth place respectively, just two thousandths of a second apart. The pair returned to the winding Portuguese track this morning for the tenth Superpole of the season. Oncu improved on his best time by almost a second (1’44”077) to score fifth place, while Oettl was also able to lower his time (1’44”458) to finish ninth.
As a result, the Turkish rider lined up on the second row of the grid and the German from the third for the afternoon’s race. Oncu made a very fast start, which allowed him to move into second place. But as the race went on, the Turk gradually lost contact with the leading group and ultimately finished eighth. Oettl oscillated between ninth and tenth place throughout the race, closing ninth, right behind his team-mate.
In the championship standings, Oettl is fourth with 224 points. Oncu lies tenth, with 121. Tomorrow the two Kawasaki Puccetti Racing riders will be back out for the second race of this tenth WorldSSP round.

Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal
Supersport World Championship
Superpole: 1) Cluzel (Yamaha) – 2) Aegerter (Yamaha) – 3) Tuuli (MV Agusta) – 4) Gonzales (Yamaha) – 5) Oncu (Kawasaki) – 6) De Rosa (Kawasaki) ..… 9) Oettl (Kawasaki)

Race 18: 1) Cluzel (Yamaha) – 2) Gonzales (Yamaha) – 3) Aegerter (Yamaha) – 4) De Rosa (Kawasaki) – 5) Tuuli (MV Agusta) – 6) Odendaal (Yamaha) …… 8) Oncu (Kawasaki) – 9) Oettl (Kawasaki)

Can Oncu

“I think the start was good and the first laps also but when we started to lose grip it began to get really difficult. There was nothing I could do about this. I tried everything I could but I couldn’t do more. It was like this to the end. We need to keep pushing tomorrow.”

Philipp Oettl

“It was a hard race today; very fast at the front and I was not fast enough. I felt not bad on the bike, just not fast enough. Here, it seems like some of the other riders have the little bit extra that I had in Jerez, so it is was very difficult today. At the moment is a challenging to extract the most out of the bike. For tomorrow I have an idea what we can change to get a little bit closer and to have a little bit of a better feeling.”

Positive weekend for Rabat, confirmed until the end of the year

Today brought rain and cooler conditions at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao for the final day of the eleventh Superbike World Championship round, in which Kawasaki Puccetti Racing has fielded Tito Rabat as a replacement for Lucas Mahias. In his debut race yesterday, the Spaniard finished thirteenth aboard the Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
This morning, in warm-up, Tito worked with his team to try and adapt his Ninja to the wet track and the altered weather conditions.
The Superpole race got underway in the late morning and, like yesterday, Rabat started from row seven, having qualified twentieth in the Superpole. The rain stopped before the race, but the track was completely wet. Taking a cautious approach so as to avoid any mistakes, the Spaniard crossed the line fourteenth.
The Portuguese track was totally dry in time for race 2. Rabat again lined up on row seven, as a result of his final position in the Superpole Race. He made a good start and was able to make up a few positions. Unfortunately though, during the course of lap six, Tito suffered a technical problem and was forced to retire. He’ll have chance to make up for during the last two WorldSBK round though, as he has been confirmed by Kawasaki Puccetti Racing for the rest of the season.
The next Superbike World Championship round will run on 15-17 October at the San Juan Villicum circuit in Argentina.

Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal
Superbike World Championship
Superpole race: 1) Van der Mark (BMW) – 2) Redding (Ducati) – 3) Baz (Ducati) – 4) Locatelli (Yamaha) – 5) Bautista (Honda) – 6) Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) ………14) Mahias (Kawasaki)

Race 2: 1) Rea (Kawasaki) – 2) Redding (Ducati) – 3) Baz (Ducati) – 4) Locatelli (Yamaha) – 5) Gerloff (Yamaha) – 6) Van der Mark (BMW) ……… DNF) Rabat (Kawasaki)

Tito Rabat

“Firstly, I want to thank Kawasaki Puccetti Racing for this weekend, which has been a great experience for me. Friday wasn’t easy, but then I was more comfortable with my new bike in the race. In the Superpole race, which ran on a wet track, we didn’t have time to find the best set-up for my bike, but I finished the race without making mistakes. In race 2, I was going well and felt comfortable on the bike, but unfortunately, a technical problem forced me to retire. Overall, I’m pleased with how we’ve done this weekend and am pleased to be able to compete in the next two rounds with Manuel Puccetti and his team.”

Race 2 sees Oettl and Oncu back in the points at Portimao

Kawasaki Puccetti Racing has now completed round ten of the Supersport World Championship at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal.
Yesterday, Philipp Oettl and Can Oncu took part in Superpole and race 1. During the qualifying session, the Turk finished in fifth place while the German concluded ninth. Then, in the first race, it was eighth for Oncu immediately ahead of his team-mate.
The track was wet for this morning’s warm-up, which meant the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing riders used the brief session to adapt their ZX-6R bikes to the altered track conditions. The rain then stopped and the track was almost completely dry by the time the race got underway. Oncu started from the second row and Oettl from the third. In the early stages, Kawasaki Puccetti Racing was lying fifth with Oncu and ninth with Oettl, both part of the leading group. Over the subsequent laps, the pair lost a little ground and then, mid-race, the Turkish rider lost contact with the leading group and slipped to eleventh, while his team-mate was ninth. In the final stages, both made up one position apiece, meaning Oettl crossed the line eighth and Oncu tenth.
In the championship standings, Oettl lies fourth with 132 points, while Oncu places tenth with 127.
The next round of the Supersport World Championship will take place over the weekend of 15-17 October at the San Juan Villicum circuit in Argentina.

Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal
Supersport World Championship
Race 19: 1) Odendaal (Yamaha) – 2) Cluzel (Yamaha) – 3) Caricasulo (Yamaha) – 4) Gonzales (Yamaha) – 5) Aegerter (Yamaha) …..… 8) Oettl (Kawasaki) – 9) Sebestyen (Yamaha) – 10) Oncu (Kawasaki)

Can Oncu

“For me, we can forget this race because we struggled a lot, right from the start in fact. We just need to focus on the next round now. Some you win, and some you lost, and this is part of the job. This was our worst weekend to date, so it’s best we just forget this one. I am so thankful to the team for all they do though and am only sorry for the race result. They did a great job as always.”

Philipp Oettl

“This morning we completed a good warm-up in the rain, finishing P4, so I was happy. In the race I was in the front group but then, over just one lap, I think I hit four wet spots and completely lost my rhythm and then lost the group. I was on the limit, and it was difficult to find a good way forward at this track. Today we could have been closer but in that one lap I threw the whole race away. I was up there, fighting, but I made too many mistakes.”