The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team had already endured some poor luck in the morning’s Superpole race. Van der Mark fell on the first lap, sending Sykes into the gravel trap. Both riders headed for the pits. After three laps, the race was suspended after another accident. However, according to the regulations, neither BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider was allowed to compete in the restart. The sprint race was shortened to five laps, with Folger finishing in 13th place. This meant P10 for Sykes, P13 for van der Mark and P18 for Folger on the grid for race two.
At the beginning of the second race, Sykes fell and was then hit by another rider. Sykes was taken to the circuit’s medical centre, where initial diagnoses revealed a concussion. Further precautionary investigations have since taken place in a Barcelona hospital.
The accident led to the suspension of the race, which restarted after a delay. Van der Mark crossed the line in ninth place. Folger secured 16th position. The WorldSBK now travels to Jerez de le Frontera in southern Spain, where the tenth round of the season will take place next weekend.
