Race 1

Marco Melandri managed to secure his second win this season in race one at Aragon in Spain. 

The Yamaha World Superbike rider managed a strong start to lead briefly, before being passed by Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing). Melandri kept pace with Biaggi who led the majority of the race until he faltered under pressure, running wide whilst braking at the end of lap fifteen. Melandri seized the opportunity to pass Biaggi and built a gap in the final laps to take the win.

Biaggi’s team mate Leon Camier rode consistently quickly, battling with Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) for third place. Checa began pushing harder, setting the fastest lap and closing the gap on Biaggi and Melandri, before crashing out on lap eight, leaving room for Camier to take third.

The fight for fourth place was hotly contested with Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) passing Noriyuki Haga (PATA Racing Team Aprilia) mid-race, before Haga reclaimed fourth going into turn one on lap fourteen. Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) upped his pace to relegate Sykes to sixth and then passed Haga to claim fourth. Sykes doggedly battled with Haga, finally taking fifth in the penultimate lap. Heading towards the finish line, Sykes caught Laverty but was unable to pass the Irishman.

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Carlos Checa extended his championship lead with a dominating victory in the second race at Donington Park.

The Spaniard opted to go out on the softer compound tyre for race 2 and the decision to do so payed great dividends as the Ducati rider pulled away from pack once he hit the front

Brit Leon Haslam again got to Redgate corner first, but was unable to stop Checa’s charge to the front as he overtook the BMW rider at the Melbourne loop on the third lap.

Haslam was unable to respond and Checa slowly pulled away from the chasing pack to eventually finish 3.3 seconds ahead of Marco Melandri in second. Melandri and Camier both passed Haslam on lap seven, before the BMW rider had an off-track excursion on lap eight, rejoining the race in eighth. Haslam fiished in fourth.

Melandri got a better start this time, placing fourth after the first few laps before setting his sights on Haslam and Leon Camier in second and third.

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Marco Melandri has taken his first win in World Superbikes at Donington Park and it has taken the Italian only three races to do so.

Melandri, who made the switch from MotoGP at the end of last season, was in ninth position after the first lap and had to battle past the likes of Max Biaggi (The reigning World Superbike Champion) and Leon Haslem to eventually reach second position.

Jakub Smrz at that time was still 2.6 seconds ahead of Melandri, but the Italian closed the gap within the next five laps to perform a brilliant overtaking maneuver on the Czech rider in the revamped Foggy Esse’s and eased his way home with a 2.4 second gap.

Carlos Checa, who was mid pack in the early stages of the race, managed to finish third, after passing Haslam at the Melbourne Loop on the last lap.

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