SPORT Sunday 30 October 2016 PAGE | 27 PAGE | 29 SebastianSe Vettel Ruthless Kerber hands Ferrari sets up final with boost Cibulkova Losail Circuit Sports Club Davis shines under lights 'fast becoming a popular The Peninsula family destination' he penultimate Race of the 2016 FIM MOTUL Rizwan Rehmat "The main reason to redevelop Superbike World The Peninsula the paddock area was to make it Championship more welcoming for the fans. I am Tgot off to a shining start sure you can see the way we have under the stars and flood- n just over six months, the Losail set things. We feel we can do more lights of the Losail Circuit Sports Club (LCSC) has for the public now. This was the International Circuit. Iticked the numbers that matter main reason we made this change," Chaz Davies (Aruba.it to the organisers and the sport-lov- he said. Racing – Ducati) won the ing public in the country. The Qatar Motor and Motor- race in typical style with a From January 2016 until June cycle Federation (QMMF) on Friday 3.9 second lead over the this year, the region's top racing announced the starting date of a newly crowned 2016 World circuit has stacked up impressive new series - the Qatar Superstock Champion, Jonathan Rea. numbers, according to Khalid Al 600 Championship - and Al (pictured) The Northern Irishman Chaz Davies of Aruba.it Remaihi , the Vice Chair- Remaihi said the six-round event secured his second consec- Racing – Ducati Team, man and Secretary General of will change the racing landscape utive Title with a stunning LCSC. in the country. in action during Race 1 of SBK second place finish at the "Since first of January until "This is an open championship World Championships at theLosail desert circuit and now joins June this year, when the racing sea- for everybody. Of course our aim the ranks of Carl Fogarty, International Circuit yesterday son basically ended, we have done is to support local riders but I am Fred Merkel and Doug a lot," Al Remaihi said. sure they understand since we Polen as a consecutive WorldSBK Team) and Yamaha Official WorldSBK finishing position. 2016 "It is not just because we are have met them," Al Remaihi WorldSBK Championship dropped back to fifth as his Team) ending Race 1 in STK1000 Cup Winner Raf- super-humans, no. All we did was explained. winner. title chances melted away seventh. faele De Rosa (Althea BMW open the track and made every- "We can't shut out the oppor- Davies got off to a fly- as he fell behind. Jordi Torres (Althea Racing Team) had a posi- one enjoy the facility. We had 28 tunity for other citizens. At the end ing start, leading into the Guintoli’s incredible BMW Racing Team) came tive first WorldSBK race track days for cars, of the day, Qatar first corner with Nicky pace didn’t falter as he home in eighth ahead of with a P12 finish with Alex 26 track days for is for everyone. Hayden (Honda World pushed ahead to hunt Michael van der Mark De Angelis (IodaRacing bikes and 32 sports The only thing is Superbike Team) overtak- down Hayden who was sit- (Honda World Superbike Team) locked out P13 with days when people you need to qual- ing Rea on entry. Rea was ting third and by lap 8 the Team) in ninth. Roman Ramos (Team came with their ify to be able to quick to fight back and Frenchman got into third Lorenzo Savadori GOELEVEN) and Josh bicycles, their kids feature in the retook his position in sec- and settled into Yamaha’s (IodaRacing Team) finished Brookes (Milwaukee BMW) and for walks and championship," ond with his sights set on maiden podium position in tenth with Leon Haslam picking up the last points sports events," Al he said. Davies in first. Champion- finish. (Pedercini Racing) coming in P14 and P15. Remaihi said. "What we are ship contender Tom Sykes Tom Sykes overtook in close behind in 11th. While Rea and Davies "That's why we doing is - we will (Kawasaki Racing Team) the Kentucky Kid on the Haslam had a great celebrate their wins yes- have such great take you in, give didn’t get his best start and closing laps of the race to start, finishing the first lap terday, today will be a new sport facilities so you a camp and trailed behind in fourth. take fourth place with Hay- in 11th from 16th on the grid day and the final 25 points that citizens could raise your skill By lap 3, the struggling den in fifth. and continued progressing up for grabs. Race 2 will come and enjoy level. Then we Yorkshireman was over- Xavi Fores (Barni Rac- to fight in top ten on the see lights out at 9.00pm being here. It's well will assess your taken by Sylvain Guintoli ing Team) finished in sixth following lap, before finally for the final showdown of and good to host skill level at an (Pata Yamaha Official with Alex Lowes (Pata dropping back again to his the 2016 season. championships but official test. And at the same time, then give you an you cannot close opportunity to be this facility for that part of this cham- particular event. pionship. I FIM SUPERBIKE You have to let suppose this is the WORLD people come, enjoy best way to go the events and have fun at the about it to do it in a safe manner," CHAMPIONSHP same time," he said. he said. Davies wins Race 1 in typical "Sport is our social responsi- "The registration process for style with a 3.9 second lead bility," Al Remaihi said. the championship will start on over the World Champion. "The response (from the pub- November 5 and close at the end lic) has been unbelievable because of next month. The maximum Final 25 points up for grabs the demand for something like this number of riders will be 28 with in Race 2 at Losail Circuit was already there. We only have slots for 2 wildcards," he said. to cater to that demand. Our "Being part of the camp will responsibility is to provide for come at a cost. That will be com- Jonathan Rea of Kawasaki Racing in action during people. municated to the ones registering the World Superbike Championships - Superpole 2 "We have to make it a family with us." destination. If you want to enjoy "Even if you are not joining the at the Losail International Circuit yesterday. motor sport, you may want to championship, being part of the come with your family, your kids, camp is a fantastic way to pick up friends. That's how it should be. It early lessons on how things are should be a fantastic day out," he managed at this level." said. "You will be mingling with The paddock area inside LCSC people who have been riding the - which was built in a record time entire lives. The equipment is there of just nine months in 2004 - has too. We have experts from Europe been redeveloped. to help us out," Al Remaihi said. Simeon celebrates best qualifying of the year Kuala Lumpur tyres and was pleased with the good bit disappointed because there was The Peninsula feeling he had with his Speed-Up a chance to make the first row today," bike. Simeon said. More unstable weather is pre- "The conditions were very tricky MMF Racing Team rider Xavier dicted for today, but Simeon is and I am very happy about the fact Simeon mastered difficult con- confident about his chances to score that the feeling with the bike in these Q ditions to take seventh place a good result no matter what the conditions was very good. The track on the starting grid for today's Malay- track conditions will be. was drying up a lot and a narrow sian Grand Prix, celebrating his best Team-mate Julian Simon retired dry line was starting to develop, so qualifying result of the season so far. from the Malaysian Grand Prix after it was also possible to use slick tyres After a heavy tropical downpour a crash on the first day, which left in the end, but I finished the session at around mid-day, the track was still him with two injured vertebrae. on wet tyres. It’s a nice change that wet when Moto2 qualifying started Simon flew home to Spain and is I could improve my feeling in these in the afternoon, and only at the end expected to return to action at the conditions, so this seventh place is of session, a narrow dry line had last round of this year’s world cham- a good result for me. I am confident developed on which some of the rid- pionship at Valencia. I will be able to fight within the Top QMMF Racing Team rider Xavier Simeon in action during the qualifying round ers tried their luck with slick tyres. “This was my best qualifying this Ten no matter what the conditions of Moto2 event at Malaysian Grand Prix yesterday. Simeon finished the session on rain year, so I am happy. But I am also a will be!” 30 OCTOBER 2016 SPORT 27 SUNDAY Williams making slow Vettel hands Ferrari a boost recovery from Mexico City Mexico GP pneumonia AFP Mexico City 1.19:790 ebastian Vettel added is the lap time clocked by AFP the prospect of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel another unexpected VETERAN Formula One dimension to the driv- team founder and principal ers' title battle on Frank Williams is making a SFriday when he put his Ferrari steady recovery from pneu- on top of the times in second 3 monia in hospital in free practice for this weekend's Attempts by Hamilton to England, it was revealed late Mexican Grand Prix.