REA DELIVERS DREAM DOUBLE FOR PATA AND HONDA AT IMOLA

Pata Honda rider Jonathan Rea rounded off a perfect weekend on his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade at the fourth-round World Superbike championship event at Imola in Italy.

The 27-year-old British rider comfortably won both of today’s races at the 4.936km Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari from pole position, setting the fastest lap in each of the two outings. He now leads the championship by four points from fellow Brit Tom Sykes.

Rea got superb starts in both 19-lap races and was never challenged, with Chaz Davies and Sykes joining him on the podium in race one. Davies and Sylvain Guintoli were second and third respectively in the second race.

Rea’s Pata Honda team-mate Leon Haslam finished tenth in race one and eighth in race two, battling hard in both outings after a promising start to the Imola event. He will join Rea and other World Superbike riders for an official one-day test at the Imola crcuit tomorrow.

Jonathan Rea - 1st and 1st

It’s been a great weekend for me! I couldn’t have imagined doubling up coming here. But I knew we’d be strong because it’s a circuit I really enjoy and one that the bike goes reallywell at. To cap it off, it’s also been a perfect weekend for the team with Lorenzo [Zanetti]winning his first World Supersport race so massive congratulations to him. Mikey [van derMark] was on the podium and he’s leading the championship, too. It’s a shame we have atest tomorrow because I think everybody in the team deserves to go and really enjoy thenight and savour this moment but it’s back to work tomorrow! We’ll try to make the bikebetter and go to Donington hopefully to keep this ball rolling. I’m really enjoying riding rightnow and I want to thank everyone who’s put t he work in. Not just the track staff here butthe guys back at base in Nieuwleusen [Netherlands]. It’s also the home round for oursponsors, Pata, so a big thanks to them, too.

Leon Haslam - 10th and 8th

We’ve made a step but from free practice yesterday morning we’ve lost about a second alap. From being able to do high 47s and low 48s on old, used tyres, we’ve only been able todo high 48s today, dropping into the 49s. I was quicker on an 18-lap harder tyre on Fridaythan I was in both races today. So, for me it’s not been a good weekend, but it’s beenfantastic for the team. You always want to beat your team mate, but it’s good that the bikeis capable and for me that’s a positive. Also a one-two in Supersport is mega for the teambut it probably adds a little frustration from my side because it could have been good forme. We’ve got a test here tomorrow so we’ll hopefully be able to figure some things out andfind out what changed from yesterday. I know Donington well and that the bike can workwell there, so hopefully I can start my season there!

Pieter Breddels - technical co-ordinator

Leon struggled today and was far away from his team-mate. We know he can be within asecond or half a second of Jonathan but it was not his day. We changed some things forrace two and he fought for a better finish. We have a test tomorrow and we’ll do anything wecan to get him to the front with more confidence. It’s in there, and he’s a little fighter – he’snot giving up and neither are we. Jonathan has had an amazing double win. After his poleyesterday things were looking good and, after warm-up this morning, it was looking evenbetter. The competition had no chance today and he’s now leading the championship, sobig congratulations to the whole crew. I’m so happy for Jonathan, too, because he hasstuck with us through some hard times and always believed in us.

Race 1 Results - 19 laps

1 Jonathan Rea 34m14.829s GBR HONDA Pata Honda2 Chaz Davies +4.511 GBR DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team3 Sylvain Guintoli +6.492 FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team4 Loris Baz +8.434 FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team5 Sylvain Guintoli +9.134 FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team6 Marco Melandri +14.925 ITA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team7 Eugene Laverty +19.973 IRL SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki8 Alex Lowes +21.582 GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki9 Toni Elias +28.781 ESP APRILIA Red Devils Roma10 Leon Haslam +31.245 GBR HONDA Pata Honda

Race 2 Results - 19 laps

1 Jonathan Rea 34m14.255s GBR HONDA Pata Honda2 Chaz Davies +4.095 GBR DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team3 Sylvain Guintoli +5.546 FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team4 Loris Baz +6.285 FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team5 Tom Sykes +7.147 GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team6 Davide Guigliano +22.054 ITA DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team7 Toni Elias +25.811 ESP APRILIA Red Devils Roma8 Leon Haslam +26.127 GBR HONDA Pata Honda9 Eugene Laverty +26.306 IRL SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki10 Alex Lowes +33.046 GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki

Championship Standings - Round 4

1 Jonathan Rea 139 pts GBR HONDA Pata Honda2 Tom Sykes 135 pts GBR KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team4 Loris Baz 119 pts FRA KAWASAKI Kawasaki Racing Team5 Chaz Davies 87 pts GBR DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team6 Marco Melandri 84 pts ITA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team7 Davide Guigliano 69 pts ITA DUCATI Ducati Superbike Team8 Eugene Laverty 62 pts IRL SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki9 Leon Haslam 58 pts GBR HONDA Pata Honda10 Alex Lowes 50 pts GBR SUZUKI Voltcom Crescent Suzuki11 Sylvain Guintoli pts FRA APRILIA Aprilia Racing Team