Donington: Manufacturers Ups and Downs at #UKWorldSBK

Aprilia recorded eight podiums at Donington, but they are yet to win their first race here. They have finished second three times, the last one was in 2013’s Race 2 with Sylvain Guintoli. Last year Aprilia’s best results were recorded by Lorenzo Savadori: 6th in Race 1 and 4th in Race 2. Despite at least one top-4 spot on the grid from 2012 onwards, an Aprilia bike has never qualified on pole at Donington. Last year Savadori started from 3rd on his Aprilia.

BMW recorded their first WorldSBK win here in 2012’s Race 1 which was a double Melandri-Haslam. They were in the position to repeat that in Race 2, but a final corner contact between Rea and Haslam knocked off both works BMWs. BMW claimed a third podium spot here in 2013 Race 1 with Melandri taking second after passing Rea and Guintoli. Last year BMW’s best results came from Jordi Torres in Race 1 (7th) and by Josh Brookes in Race 2 (9th).

Ducati is the most successful manufacturer at the Donington track with 17 wins to Kawasaki’s 13. Their last one came in 2011 Race 2, with Carlos Checa. Both last year and two years ago, Ducati have claimed one podium finish in each race here: Chaz Davies was 3rd on three occasions and Davide Giugliano was 2nd last year in Race 1. In 2014 Giugliano recorded the last of the 15 Ducati poles here, also a record at the track.

Honda have won seven times at Donington, with no less than 6 different riders: Fred Merkel, Aaron Slight, Colin Edwards, James Toseland, Ryuichi Kiyonari and Jonathan Rea. The only Honda rider who has won twice at Donington is Colin Edwards (1999 Race 2 and 2000 Race 1). After their last win with Rea here in Race 2, 2012, they are yet to record a podium finish at Donington. Last year Nicky Hayden took the honour of being the best Honda at the flag, with a 5th in Race 1 and a 6th in Race 2.

Kawasaki is second only to Ducati for Donington wins: 13 to Ducati’s 17. They boast a unique feat though: they are the only team to record eight straight wins at this historical track, all courtesy of Tom Sykes, in the last eight races. Kawasaki have finished 1-2 five times in the last six races at Donington: in 2014 with Sykes and Loris Baz, in 2015 with Sykes-Rea and again in Race 2 last year. In Race 1 last year, Sykes won and Rea finished in 3rd.

Yamaha have won 7 times at Donington: the last one came in Race 1, 2011, courtesy of Marco Melandri. Last year they endured a very hard weekend as both their works riders, Sylvain Guintoli and Alex Lowes, were sidelined by injuries. Yamaha called in from the United States Cameron Beaubier to replace Lowes: he finished 9th in Race 1 and 10th in Race 2 in his only WorldSBK races so far.

Last year MV Agusta was right behind the podium spots with Leon Camier, 4th in Race 1 and 5th in Race 2.