The WSB Championship was decided in dramatic fashion during the final round at the Losail Circuit in Qatar. Aprilia’s Sylvain Guintoli came through with a clutch performance by winning both races to take the 2014 title by 6 points over defending champ Tom Sykes (Kawasaki). Sykes could only manage a third place finish in each race. Taking second place in Race 1 was Loris Baz (Kawasaki), who refused to yield the position to his teammate Sykes, while Jonathan Rea (Honda) took second place in Race 2.
Aprilia also takes the manufacturers title for 2014. For additional details, results and points visit the official WSB site.
Team orders are stupid, I watch racing to see who is the best, not which team can manipulate the points better.
Aprilia continues to roll and now with a 175hp Tuono!
That Tuono has no chance against the EBR 1190SX..
“Cocaine is a helluva drug.” – Dude James
Yes, but coke doesn’t have anything on Buell-aid.
Baz was still riding under a Kawasaki banner until the end of race 2. That should have taken priority.
I think he felt a bit of national pride rather than team pride.
Congrats to Guintoli either way. Consistency for him, and Sykes hadn’t won since Laguna.
All the luck sharing the garage with Bradl next year… He is young and has more time to learn. See him soon in World SBK again? or maybe in BSB a la Smrz?
If he had let him “Bye”, he would have needed to have ridden off into the woods and hid until dark. Remember Hannah in ’77? “Hadn’t won since Laguna” is the real reason for finishing 2nd.
Gotta love what Baz did there. Who among us wouldn’t love to do the same to an employer that had already decided to let us go?
Not that it mattered, though. Even if Baz had conceded second position to Sykes, Guintoli still wins the championship by two points.
re: “Not that it mattered”
matter can be neither created, nor destroyed… it’s just “lingers”.
it.
Norm G:
His employer had already told Baz he was being replaced for ’15. Good job by Baz giving his now former employer a severance package of his own.
His potential new employer may be thinking: “Loose cannon”.
True, but they also ought to be thinking, “Fast enough to beat Tom Sykes, on the same bike.”
re: “True, but they also ought to be thinking, “Fast enough to beat Tom Sykes, on the same bike.”
except, what they’re going to be thinking is this guy’s way too tall…? and way too French…? for a fuel restricted MotoGP bike.
Guintoli (and Camier more recently) know what this is.
Baz was never really in line for a decent MotoGP ride anyway, so no biggie. He was living in the moment, and doubtless enjoyed every bit of it.
re: “Norm G: His employer had already told Baz he was being replaced for ’15”
and this helps him how…? LOL
Bet it’s hard for a true racer to take ” stand down” orders. In this case it doesn’t sound like it would have made any difference. Hard to beat two firsts.
re: “In this case it doesn’t sound like it would have made any difference.”
except it IS going to make a difference.
unbeknownst, the “difference” is just going to follow Baz (like so much ball and chain) over to the POLITICAL MINE FIELD of grandprix. again, no such thing as “free lunch” or behaviour without consequence. this is “tiny industry”.
nowhere to run… nowhere to hide.
re: “Taking second place in Race 1 was Loris Baz (Kawasaki), who refused to yield the position to his…”
…EMPLOYER.
ie. the people signing all the checks.