Tom Sykes claimed his first World Superbike Championship crown this weekend at Jerez – he joins an elite club of previous British winners alongside Carl Fogarty, Neil Hodgson and James Toseland. Sykes is also only the second rider ever to win the world championship for Kawasaki, doing so precisely 20 years after American Scott Russell back in 1993.
The championship was secured in fairly unspectacular fashion, with Sykes doing enough to finish a lonely third in the first race of the day at Jerez. The battle for victory raged between Aprilia’s Eugene Laverty and BMW’s Marco Melandri, with Melandri looking to have secured top spot on the penultimate lap. Laverty refused to give in, and made an incredible last-corner pass on the final lap to secure the win from the Italian, and in doing so assured Aprilia of its third constructors title in four years.
Race two saw Laverty double up to equal Sykes’ championship-winning tally of nine outright wins, and while the Yorkshireman fought hard to round out his season on the top step, he had to settle for second place. Laverty’s Aprilia Racing team-mate Sylvian Guintoli came home third both in the race and the championship standings, leading home Jerez specialist Toni Elias and a resurgent Chaz Davies who was the sole BMW rider in the marques’ final WSB race after Melandri opted not to race due to an ankle injury.
WSB Jerez: Race results
Race one
- Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 36'00.919
- Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 36'01.137
- Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 36'07.600
- Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 36'10.246
- Toni Elias (Red Devils Roma) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 36'21.365
- Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 36'28.552
- Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 36'29.540
- Leon Camier (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 36'30.467
- Xavi Fores (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale 36'30.883
- Mark Aitchison (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 36'37.900
- Jules Cluzel (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 36'37.927
- Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 36'44.098
- Ayrton Badovini (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale 36'48.179
- Max Neukirchner (MR-Racing) Ducati 1199 Panigale 36'53.073
- Lorenzo Lanzi (Mesaroli Transports A.S.) Ducati 1098R 36'53.831
- Federico Sandi (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 36'55.333
- Michel Fabrizio (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 37'03.028
- Broc Parkes (Monster Energy Yamaha - Yart) Yamaha YZF R1 37'03.487
- NC. Vittorio Iannuzzo (Grillini Dentalmatic SBK) BMW S1000 RR 37'26.486
- RT. Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 33'25.707
Race two
- Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 36'05.989
- Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 36'08.700
- Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 36'11.699
- Toni Elias (Red Devils Roma) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 36'21.498
- Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 36'27.819
- Leon Camier (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 36'32.547
- Lorenzo Lanzi (Mesaroli Transports A.S.) Ducati 1098R 36'36.829
- Jules Cluzel (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 36'39.045
- Mark Aitchison (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 36'42.288
- Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 36'46.856
- Max Neukirchner (MR-Racing) Ducati 1199 Panigale 36'50.297
- Broc Parkes (Monster Energy Yamaha - Yart) Yamaha YZF R1 36'58.472
- Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 36'59.663
- Michel Fabrizio (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 37'26.305
- Federico Sandi (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 36'37.139
- RT. Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 7'04.803
- RT. Ayrton Badovini (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale 3'37.385
- RT. Xavi Fores (Team Ducati Alstare) Ducati 1199 Panigale
- RT. Vittorio Iannuzzo (Grillini Dentalmatic SBK) BMW S1000 RR
- NS. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR
