Pata Yamaha Official World SBK team riders Michael van der Mark and Alex Lowes celebrated the MOTUL FIM World Superbike Championship’s return to the Automotodrom Brno after a six-year absence with an intense two-way battle round the flowing Czech circuit. It was Donington double race winner van der Mark who emerged the winner of the two, securing the fourth spot ahead of Brit Lowes in fifth. The two were not each other’s only protagonists, as hot track temperatures dropped the grip levels dramatically and two race re-starts provided further challenges for the YZF-R1 riders.

Dutchman van der Mark began race one from sixth on the grid after a strong qualifying performance and began to hunt down the front pack. Making the most of the diminishing grip levels, van der Mark was able to catch up to teammate Lowes and Italian Marco Melandri who was applying pressure to Tom Sykes for the second position. The Dutch Yamaha rider was ultimately able to get ahead of his teammate towards the end of the race following a fierce fight between them to secure fourth, placing him on the front row for tomorrow’s Brno WSBK race two.

Pata Yamaha’s Lowes made a good start to his Brno race, immediately in striking distance of the podium in pursuit of the front-runners in the opening laps. A fierce pace in the early stages and increased track heat was eventually matched by his teammate, the two engaging in an exciting Yamaha battle for fourth. As the grip levels dropped off, Lowes was unable to maintain the pace he wanted, bringing his R1 home in fifth and taking valuable information to step up from the front of the grid tomorrow in race two.