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Michael van der Mark - Thailand

VAN DER MARK FIGHTS FOR THE PODIUM IN THAILAND RACE 1

  |   News Racing

Pata Yamaha WorldSBK rider Michael van der Mark has scored a fourth place in the first WorldSBK race at the Chang International Circuit in Thailand. Van der Mark made an incredible start from tenth place on the grid, making up five places on the opening lap alone. The 26-year-old Dutchman had closed to within a bike length of his teammate Alex Lowes by the halfway point in the race but didn’t have the additional pace needed to make a clean pass, forcing him to settle for fourth place at the line. The result promoted van der Mark up to fourth place in the standings with 42 points.

 

Results Race 1

 

Michael van der Mark – Pata Yamaha WorldSBK – P4: “It was a good race today. I got a fantastic start and had a bit of a battle with Tom Sykes in the beginning and, after I managed to get past him, it was a case of trying to chase down Alex in third place. I managed to close the gap and I was a little bit faster in a couple of places, but I felt like I just didn’t have the speed to put in a pass and pull away. So I sat behind him for most of the race, waiting for an opportunity in the closing stages, but he was a bit stronger on the brakes. We both had our strong points on the track, but he managed to get away to take a well-deserved podium and I’m happy to pick up the points for fourth after a strong race.”