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SBK, Mandalika: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

“The beginning of a new era”… So sang Lorenzo Cherubini, aka Jovanotti, a few years ago. Whether or not it is a new era we will find out next year, the fact is that this 2021 represents in all respects a watershed for Superbike.

Mandalika crowns Toprak Razgatlioglu, who collects the scepter of Rhea, and at the same time greets those who in the past contributed to writing the history of derivatives. This is the case of Chaz Davies, who is about to hang up his helmet, as well as Tom Sykes and Leon Haslam, who will go hunting for new adventures in 2022 by looking elsewhere.

In Indonesia, tears of joy mix with those of nostalgia. There are no losers, but only winners, who deserve credit for having given Superbike a year that will forever remain etched in the minds of professionals and many fans.

THE BEAUTIFUL – Yamaha catches it all, that’s right! The House of the Three Diapasons cannibalized 2021 by winning everything there was to win: pilots title, constructors title and also independent ones with the signature of GRT. More than this could not really be done and now the best thing is to confirm yourself in the year to come. The wait is all for Toprak against a Johnny Rea who in Indonesia threw his heart over the obstacle. It is forbidden to talk about the defeated, because until the end the Northern Irishman fought on the pitch keeping the interest in this World Cup high. From the next he will go back to basics, showing off that number 65 that no one was used to anymore.

THE UGLY – The local fans braved the bad weather, showing their warmth and welcome to the whole paddock. Hat off in front of the many supporters rushed to the circuit for the last round of this World Championship on a new track for everyone and discussed for a long time. Too bad that the rain partially ruined the show to the point of canceling the Superpole Race and reducing Race 2 to just 12 laps. Let’s hope for a better scenario for 2022, perhaps at a different time of year.

THE BAD – Once again Johnny Rea found himself alone on the track, without being able to have any allies on his side. Yes, why Alex Lowes became a spectator of the Mandalika weekend directly from his garage. A tormented 2021 for the British, who after the problems deriving from the Barcelona accident suffered a new fall, so much so that he was forced to raise the white flag in advance.

CONFIRMATION – Mandalika’s was Scott Redding’s last dance on the Ducati V4. For the occasion, Scott wanted to greet the Aruba team by giving a double podium. Unfortunately for him the World Cup has vanished, but from Barcelona until the end of the season his trend has been impeccable. With the exception of Race 1 in San Juan, the Briton has always been on the podium in all races. Good luck for the future at BMW Scott!

THE DELUSION – We are convinced that the first disappointed is himself, since he arrived in Indonesia with very different expectations and in the end he found himself in the hospital for that violent highside he remedied in the final of Race 2. All is well but what ends well. We would therefore like to wish you a quick recovery to Michael Rinaldi, with the intention of seeing him back on the track soon with his true Romagna smile.

THE ERROR – He wanted to end his adventure with ParkinGO in style, given that in his future there will be a Moto2 waiting for him. Too bad, however, for that crash remedied during Race 2, which remained indigestible. However, we are convinced that Manuel Gonzalez left an indelible memory in the minds of Rovelli and his team. A successful bet, aware that the best is yet to come!

THE SURPRISE – There is always a first time. It is that of Raffaele De Rosa, who took his first SuperSport victory in Mandalika. A long-chased success that has finally become a reality for the rider from Campania on the Orelac team’s Kawasaki.

OVERTAKING – The award goes to Johnny Rea for how he defended himself during Race 2 by responding blow for blow to all of Scott Redding’s attacks. A stellar duel between the two, as if they had run on dry land. Too bad the track was full of water.

THE CURIOSITY’ – Yamaha had been waiting for twelve years to celebrate a World Superbike title. Toprak Razgatlioglu put an end to the fast after that triumph by Ben Spies in 2009. This is the second center for the Casa dei Tre Diapason.

I TOLD YOU SO – Toprak Razgatlioglu: “I will go to Indonesia to win all three races”. Missed goal! However, he hit a much bigger one, called the World Cup.

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