200/1 long-shot Michael van der Mark takes first WSBK win

Race one at Donington Park proved to be a real classic, as a four way battle between Jonny Rea, Tom Sykes, Michael van der Mark and Alex Lowes soon developed. However, it’d be 200/1 long-shot Michael van der Mark who would go on to take his and the Netherlands’ first WSBK victory, as well as Yamaha’s first win since Portimao in 2011.

Tom Sykes and Jonny Rea went head to head at the start of the race, passing three times on the opening lap and making contact on the entrance to Coppice. This allowed Yamaha riders van der Mark and Alex Lowes, along with Lorenzo Savadori and Loris Baz to maintain in the leading group.

With eight laps to go, van der Mark put a move on Tom Sykes at the Melbourne Loop, backing Sykes into Rea, before charging off into the distance on the following lap, putting 0.8s into the chasing Kawasaki duo.

It was a disastrous day at the office for Ducati, as they struggled to break into the top 10. Chaz Davies was running in 10th whilst Melandri was 12th, behind a very much battered and bruised Leon Camier, who made his full-time racing return aboard the Red Bull Honda – following his monster accident at Aragon.

In the closing laps, Jonny Rea got the magnets onto the Flying Dutchman, closing the gap down to less than half a second entering the last lap. However, with his first win at stake, van der Mark put in the last lap of his life, breaking clear of Rea to take his first WSBK win. Rea and Sykes came home ahead of Lowes and Savadori, who completed the top 5. Savadori’s 5th place gives the Italian his first top 5 of the season and his first since race one at Losail last season.

In 6th place was Milwaukee Aprilia teammate, Eugene Laverty, ahead of Loris Baz. In eighth place, Chaz Davies took advantage of Leon Haslam and Toprak Razgatlioglu colliding at the Melbourne Loop. Haslam stayed aboard whilst Toprak was on the deck, coming home 9th ahead of Leon Camier who put in a fantastic ride to return to the top 10.

British wildcard Bradley Ray, who qualified 10th, remained in the points and took a hard earned 14th place to put Suzuki back on the World Superbike map.