IN Competition Aprilia enjoyed another competitive weekend at Donington Park, with Alfie Davidson fighting at the front of the Sportbike field aboard the Aprilia RS 660, while Jack Bednarek added more championship points in Superstock on the RSV4.

Bednarek qualified 12th for the opening Superstock race and made a strong start, quickly becoming involved in the battle for a place inside the top ten. He narrowly missed out on tenth on the final lap, eventually crossing the line in 11th. Starting from 12th again for race two, Bednarek produced another solid performance to take his second 11th-place finish of the weekend. Arm pump proved an issue throughout the meeting, however, limiting his ability to capitalise fully on the pace of the RSV4.

For Davidson, the weekend began with a small crash on Friday which restricted his track time. Despite that setback, he qualified an impressive seventh for the Sportbike race, with just three-tenths of a second covering him and pole position.

The Aprilia rider made an excellent start and immediately joined a huge battle at the front involving around 14 riders. Davidson spent much of the race inside the top three and led on several occasions as positions changed constantly. He remained firmly in contention heading into the final lap, but contact during a hectic battle at the Melbourne Loop cost him several places and he eventually crossed the line eighth.

The result means Davidson has lost the Sportbike championship lead for the first time this season. However, with two races remaining at the Brands Hatch finale, the title remains firmly within reach.

“I did all I could in that race and I tried my best,” said Davidson. “I was in the top three for 95% of the race and consistently kept making my way to the front. It’s obviously a frustrating end to the weekend, but I’m super motivated now for Brands. I’m doing the chasing in the championship now, so it’s all to play for.”

Bednarek was also looking ahead to the season finale after adding two more points-scoring finishes. “We had good pace but struggled from FP1 with arm pump again, which affected both my races. Two 11th places nonetheless and points on the board. I’m looking forward to Brands Hatch now to sign off the year on a high note.”

Team owner Ian Newton praised both riders’ performances, particularly Davidson’s aggressive approach at the front of the Sportbike race, while acknowledging Bednarek’s arm-pump problems had restricted his progress.

IN Competition Aprilia now heads to Brands Hatch for the final round of the season, where Davidson will attempt to reclaim the Sportbike championship lead and Bednarek will be looking to finish his Superstock campaign with a strong result.