Melandri takes over WSBK lead

BMW rider Marco Melandri is the new leader in the 2012 eni FIM Superbike World Championship after an action-packed 11th round at the all-new Moscow Raceway.

Melandri was again in the zone as the WSBK title hit Russia for the first time, and even a nasty wasp sting in race one didn’t slow him down as he finished second behind Tom Sykes (Kawasaki), with the positions then reversed in the second 25-lapper.

Melandri’s main championship rival, fellow Italian Max Biaggi (Aprilia), crashed in race two and is now 18.5pts behind with three rounds remaining.

Sykes is third in the standings, a further 22.5 behind Biaggi, and probably the only other rider with a whiff of championship success.

But for now it’s all about Melandri, as he zeroes in on his first WSBK title in his maiden campaign with BMW.

“It is an unbelievable day. To win here at the first ever round of the championship in this country is something special and I am just very, very happy,” said Melandri.

“Race one was very tough at the beginning with the slick tyre in the wet and the fact that a wasp stung my leg made it even more difficult. It was a very tough race and to finish second was like a win for me.

“For race two the team made a small modification to the bike and I felt very good from the first lap. Once I saw Biaggi was out I understood I had the chance to try to get a win and I did.

“We have no time to think about defending our lead, because six races are a lot and anything can still happen. We have to stay focused and work hard and if I have the chance to fight for a win I will try to get it.”

After a shower in the morning officials declared race one ‘wet’, even though the skies were already clearing.

The situation didn’t bother Sykes, with the Yorkshireman simply bolting away from the front row of the grid. His one-man show culminated in a nine-second victory over Melandri, with Biaggi in third ahead of Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) and Michel Fabrizio (BMW).

Sykes’ only previous victory in 2012 came at the rain-swept Monza on May 6.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Rea (Honda) and polesitter Checa both succumbed to the conditions and crashed, while Melandri’s teammate Leon Haslam was fast but untidy – running off the track early and then colliding with Chaz Davies (Aprilia) late in the piece. Haslam remounted from the second episode to still finish a commendable sixth.

With the 3.931km circuit totally dry in race two, Sykes was the pacesetter until lap 15 when Melandri flew past – but by then the race’s complexion had already been irrevocably altered when Biaggi speared into the back of Haslam under brakes and both riders went down (see video below).

Melandri’s winning margin was just under one second, while third-placed Davies profited from a last lap crash by Laverty which also took Rea out of the equation.

Checa and Leon Camier (Suzuki) were fourth and fifth.

WORLD SUPERSPORT
Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) won his third race of the season and extended his championship lead to 33pts over Jules Cluzel (Honda).

Sofuoglu had Cluzel as a shadow for most of the race, but his pace at the end was enough to draw him over five seconds ahead at the flag, while it was amazingly popular third place for Vladimir Leonov (Yamaha) in front of a partisan home crowd.

Australia’s Broc Parkes (Honda) was fifth, behind Sofuoglu's teammate Sheridan Morais.

“The start was okay but we just chose the wrong front tyre for the race. It went off a lot quicker than we expected in the warmer conditions today and there was just nothing I could do,” said Parkes.

“The track was still pretty dirty and after a few laps the tyre was gone. It was all I could do to get it to the finish which was a bit upsetting because we missed a podium again today.”

Fastest lap and founding record: Haslam -- 1:36.729

Race two: 25 laps
1 Melandri
2 Sykes
3 Chaz Davies, Great Britain, Aprilia
4 Carlos Checa, Spain, Ducati +13.027
5 Leon Camier, Great Britain, Suzuki
6 Davide Giugliano, Italy, Ducati
7 Jonathan Rea, Great Britain, Honda
8 Ayrton Badovini, Italy, BMW
9 Loris Baz, France, Kawasaki
10 Zanetti

Fastest lap and new record: Melandri – 1:35.974

CURRENT WORLD SUPERBIKE STANDINGS (AFTER 11 OF 14 ROUNDS):
1 Melandri 308.5
2 Biaggi 290
3 Sykes 267.5
4 Checa 233.5
5 Rea 212.5
6 Haslam 180
7 Laverty 173.5
8 Sylvain Guintoli, France, Ducati 127.5
9 Fabrizio 119.5
10 Giugliano 116

Next round: Nurburgring, September 7-9