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PATA YAMAHA AIMING HIGH FOR QATAR SEASON FINALE

  |   News Racing

The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team head into the final round of the 2018 FIM World Superbike Championship in Qatar this weekend determined to end the season on a high under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit. Michael van der Mark, twice a race winner already this season, is aiming to add to his impressive podium tally in Qatar, as he targets second place in the final championship standings.

The 2018 season has been the most successful to date for the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team. Van der Mark took the team’s first WorldSBK win aboard the Yamaha YZF-R1 in Race 1 at Donington Park before going on to do the double in Race 2 the following day. The 25-year-old has been a regular frontrunner in the championship this season, racking up a total of 10 podium finishes in the 24 races contested so far.

Van der Mark lies third in the championship going into the final event of the season but with 50 points up for grabs in Qatar, the Pata Yamaha rider will be going all out this weekend to defend his position, while also looking to take second place from Chaz Davies, who leads him by just 24 points in the standings, should the opportunity present itself.

The Qatar race weekend follows a different schedule than most, with only the WorldSBK & WorldSSP classes involved and track action taking place in the early evening from Thursday to Saturday.

Michael van der Mark: “I can’t believe that we’re heading into the final race weekend of the season already. It seems to have gone so quickly, maybe because we’ve had so many good results this season. We will be doing everything we can this weekend to finish on a high and focus on ending the season top three in the championship standings. The last round in Argentina was tough, but we’re expecting much better results this weekend in Qatar, at a track that seems to suit the characteristics of our YZF-R1 very well.”