Leicester-based Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli gave his new Pata Ducati team their first ever win in the second World Superbike race at Silverstone today, run in appalling conditions which saw it red-flagged with eight laps to go.
Crashes from Tom Sykes, Loris Baz, Carlos Checa and Maxime Berger saw race direction decide there was too much water on the track to continue and the rules mean that although Baz was on his backside when it was stopped, he still takes second place.
Guintoli towed Jakub Smrz to an eight-second lead in the space of two laps but the Czech rider fell which saw the hard-charging Baz take second place while Davide Guigliano, who was also catching Guintoli, fell at the last corner at just before half distance.
Irishman Eugene Laverty was fourth after Smrz was given the final podium spot while Chaz Davies finishes in seveth, just behind Berger and Checa. Jonathan Rea is credited with ninth even though he crashed out. Marco Melandri closes in on Max Biaggi in the points table after finishing eighth ahead of the Aprilia man in 11th while John Hopkins took his best result of the year in tenth. Sykes is classified 14th.
It was disaster for the British Leons, however, as Fixi Suzuki's Camier went out with what looked like a blown head gasket early on while BMW's Haslam slipped back to 17th in conditions that he usually excels.
