WSBK Race 2 at Monza will mostly be remembered for Eugene Laverty’s double win after two incredible charges up the field to beat Marco Melandri at the last corner, but also for Max Biaggi’s ride-through punishment while dominating the race and the ensuing controversy against the Race Direction.
The Race Direction punished the Aprilia Alitalia rider when he had more than a 5 second lead after he cut across the white line at the first corner chicane on lap 11.
According to Marco Melandri, Biaggi didn’t attend the usual Thursday afternoon rider briefing meeting and apparently didn’t know that the Race Direction had advised all the riders that cutting would be severely punished if they didn’t immediately yield their position or slow down.
Laverty was one of the riders caught up on the first lap crash at the Prima Variante when Carlos Checa clipped Jonathan Rea which in turn took out Leon Haslam, and then Jakub Smrz who was close behind had no where to go dived on top of the downed BMW.
Michel Fabrizio took the third spot on the podium after a very intense and paint swapping battle with Pata Aprilia’s Noriyuki Haga.
Troy Corser finished in fifth, while Ayrton Badovini took the sixth spot and Sylvain Guintoli took seventh.
Max Biaggi finished the race in eighth after re-entering in 11th.
Joan Lascorz was 9th with his Kawasaki, while points leader Carlos Checa who was fifth until the last laps had engine troubles (smoke was seen coming from his Ducati) that dropped him to 10th.
WSBK Monza Race 2 Results1.
Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) Yamaha YZF R1 31’19.
9482.
Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) Yamaha YZF R1 31’20.
2753.
Michel Fabrizio (Team Suzuki Alstare) Suzuki GSX-R1000 31’22.
4144.
Noriyuki Haga (PATA Racing Team Aprilia) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 31’22.
5315.
Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 31’24.
4506.
Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team) BMW S1000 RR 31’30.
8137.
Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 31’30.
9868.
Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 31’38.
6729.
Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 31’40.
04110.
Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 31’40.
32411.
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike) Kawasaki ZX-10R 31’41.
05912.
Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda) Honda CBR1000RR 31’48.
55613.
Roberto Rolfo (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 31’53.
40714.
Mark Aitchison (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 32’02.
75815.
Fabrizio Lai (Echo Sport Racing Company) Honda CBR1000RR 32’15.
707RT.
Maxime Berger (Supersonic Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 23’46.
643RT.
Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 12’09.
427RT.
Jakub Smrz (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 1’43.
023RT.
Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RRRT.
Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) Honda CBR1000RR
