The last race before the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship summer break came with a HUGE twist in the title race as Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) crashed out from the lead after an incredible battle with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). It allowed the #1 to increase his standings lead to 74 points over the 2021 Champion. After the race, Pirelli revealed the cause of the crash to be blistering on Razgatlioglu’s rear tyre. You can see the full sequence of pictures from the crash in the gallery at the top of this page!

Photo credit: Photo28 by Daniel Arnhold

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In 2023, WorldSBK proudly joins Acerbis in commemorating the illustrious 50-year journey of the trailblazing Italian brand within the motorsport industry. Since its establishment in 1973, the company has been at the forefront of developing innovative products tailored specifically to the world of motorcycle racing, embodying values of passion and innovation.

After focussing on the distribution of off-road motorcycle parts in its early days, Acerbis quickly proved its mettle by venturing into the development of purpose-made components, such as polyethylene fuel tanks. These products demonstrated exceptional durability and reliability in the most gruelling disciplines, including Enduro and Rallye Raids, earning them a reputation as a reliable partner for racers worldwide.

Throughout its five decades of existence, the manufacturing company from Bergamo has been a beacon of innovation, consistently introducing game-changing solutions that have become staples in the motorsport community. From the iconic Elba headlight to essential chest protectors and brush guards, Acerbis has continuously adapted to the evolving needs of racing enthusiasts.

The 1990s marked a pivotal era, as the brand expanded its product range to include racing gear, helmets, and boots. This strategic move solidified the brand’s position as a comprehensive provider of top-notch products for motorsport professionals and enthusiasts alike.

In 2011, the Dual-Road line brought the expertise of the brand to the asphalt, and it was also the beginning of the collaboration with WorldSBK. Acerbis became Technical Sponsor of the Championship, for an ever more presence in the world of two wheels.

In the following years the company took its commitment to WorldSBK to new heights by becoming an Official Sponsor of the Championship. Since then, Acerbis hasplayed a vital role in the Championship, providing Dorna WSBK Organization staff uniforms and obtaining the licence to produce technical accessories adorned with the iconic SBK® brand, further catering to the Championship’s passionate fanbase.

Fittingly, the Italian brand is the main event sponsor of the eighth round of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, the Acerbis Czech Round held at the Autodrom Most – just over 200km away from their Moravany operations. Beyond the naming rights of Czech Round, Acerbis also benefits from expansive exposure through track signage at most other WorldSBK venues.

Adding to the excitement, WorldSBK proudly witnessed the display of Acerbis’ GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ winning bike, the AC50, on the starting grid ahead of Sunday’s race in Most. The AC50 project is a testament to the company’s innovation, as it led to the construction of the largest motorbike fuel tank entirely designed and built in-house, with a remarkable capacity of 109 litres. This extraordinary feat allowed the AC50 to cover a staggering distance of 5409,8 km – all on a single full tank – from the Albino headquarters in Italy to Aronsjö (Sweden), via North Cape (Norway), earning it the prestigious award for the greatest distance driven on a single tank of fuel by a motorcycle (prototype).

WorldSBK celebrates Acerbis’ remarkable 50-year journey in the motorsport industry and congratulates the brand on this significant milestone. Acerbis’ commitment to passion, innovation, and excellence resonates with the spirit of WorldSBK, fostering a strong and enduring partnership for the future.

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The Acerbis Czech Round was the strongest round of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) as he scored more points than anyone else, while also ending his 252-day win drought. He ended the weekend with three podiums for the first time this season as he headed into the summer break with momentum in his corner, as the six-time Champion moving into third place in the Championship standings at the Autodrom Most.

Rea was fifth in the Tissot Superpole session, the first time he hadn’t been on pole at Most but was able to convert this into victory in Race 1 after an intermediate tyre gamble paid off. It ended his 23-race, 252-day win drought in style after a strong opening part of the race where his rivals were quicker on Pirelli’s rain tyre. His last win came in Race 1 at Phillip Island last year, also a rain-affected race, and his win at the Czech venue meant he has now won in each of his 15 seasons.

In the first five laps, Rea initially lost ground to Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), who had stormed away at the front. On Lap 1, Bassani was around six seconds quicker than Rea before going four seconds faster the next lap. The deficit between their lap times was reducing further with the #47 three seconds quicker on Lap 3, and less than a second faster on Lap 4. On Lap 5, the final lap before Bassani pitted, the #65 was four seconds quicker than his rival and made up more time before the Ducati star opted to pit. With rain tyre runners coming into the pits, Rea moved into the lead and held on for a first win in more than 250 days.

On Sunday, Rea added two more podiums to his tally. In the Tissot Superpole Race, he finished second behind Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) after the reigning Champion surged from 14^th to the podium. In Race 2, Rea was running in second after the #54’s late-race crash but soon found himself in a battle for the podium as Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Bassani, recovering from an early mistake, closed the gap. A tenth separated the trio at the line with Petrucci denying Rea on the run to the flag. Rea scored 50 points out of a maximum 62, more than anyone else on the grid.

Summing up his weekend, Rea commented: “My pace felt okay, and I thought I could be there; especially in the Superpole Race because I didn’t realise I had that pace. In the long race, I went for different tyres to pretty much the whole grid. Me and my team, when I tried them on Friday, felt they had a little bit more grip. At the end of the race, the bike was moving so much, and entry traction was gone. It was all I could to do keep Danilo behind. I could see on the pit board he was coming and then he parked it at Turn 1, but I went the long way around and parked it at Turn 2! I tried to do everything perfectly. I defended into the penultimate corner but in the last corner I could feel him, but not see him with my peripheral vision. He leant on me a little bit. I thought, ‘if I ride into him, there’s as much chance of me going down as well as him’ so I gave him a little bit of space. I can’t complain, I would’ve snapped your hand off if you told me I’d have these results at a track I don’t have much affection with. We came away with a big haul of points and a good feeling with the bike.”

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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship visited the Autodrom Most and the 2023 Acerbis Czech Round was just as dramatic as the previous two visits, with records broken this year, a long wait for a win came to an end and a potentially title-deciding crash in Race 2. Rain caused chaos in Race 1 which led to a multitude of differing strategies as riders looked to master the wet conditions, while it was dry in Race 2 which led to a battle for the ages between the two title contenders.

THE DROUGHT ENDS IN THE RAIN: inspired intermediate tyre gamble for Rea in Race 1

Jonathan Rea’s (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) last win came in 2022 at the season-ending Australian Round, in a rain-affected Race 1. After a difficult 2023 for him and Kawasaki so far, with eight podiums in 21 races, but no wins heading into the Czech Round, the #65 had started changing expectations and targets to the podium. When the rain fell shortly before Race 1, it was a golden opportunity for the six-time Champion, and he took full advantage. Pushing like mad in the opening stages on intermediate tyres, when the rain tyres were quicker, he was in a position to move to the front when riders pitted to ditch their rain tyres for slicks. He was slower than the slick tyre runners, but his first laps meant he had enough of a gap to end his 252-day drought without a win and return to the top step.

SUBDUED ON SATURDAY, STUNNING ON SUNDAY: Bautista turns it around to make history

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) started the weekend off the pace and ended it by writing his name into the history books. Sixth on Friday after two practice sessions and only 14^th in Tissot Superpole – albeit he had a faster lap deleted for yellow flags – meant he was on the back foot. He scored 12^th in Race 1 after opting to start on the wet tyres and lost the best part of 20 seconds while pitting. However, he turned it around on Sunday. A last lap move on Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) moved him into third in the Superpole Race and, after a mega fight with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) in Race 2, claimed victory. It was a milestone 50^th win for the Spaniard and it was also his 18^th of the season: a new record, beating the previous of 17 held by Jonathan Rea (2018, 2019) and Doug Polen (1991).

BMW AND HONDA SURGE UP THE ORDER: top five in Race 1 for both

Both BMW and Honda have had challenging 2023 campaigns so far without making the progress they would’ve liked, but the Czech Round gave them a beacon of hope after strong performances. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took fourth in Race 1 after starting from the pitlane to change from wets to intermediate tyres, while Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was fifth after he started on the intermediates. In Race 2, there was little to separate BMW and Honda on-track with Redding in eighth and Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) in ninth as their battle for fourth in the Manufacturers’ Championship continues; just one point separates them.

MOMENTUM BACK IN RED: Razgatlioglu’s Race 2 crash hands 25-point swing to the #1

Bautista and Razgatlioglu had been engaging in an epic battle during Race 2 but it all came to an end on Lap 17 when the #54 crashed after he suffered blistering on his rear tyre while running in P1. Instead of the gap between Bautista and Razgatlioglu being potentially as low as 44 points had Razgatlioglu won, or perhaps 54 if Bautista took victory with the Yamaha star in P2, the gap opened to 74 points heading into the summer break. The 2021 Champion had almost halved it across the Italian and Czech Rounds before his Race 2 crash and, while there are still plenty of twists to come, the momentum is firmly back in the red corner.

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The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is now packing suitcases – or carry-on bags – ready for a hard-earnt, well-deserved summer holiday, and despite a glittering display in the opening eight rounds of the year, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) was rather downbeat on Sunday. After an opening lap mistake, the #47 fought back valiantly in one of his best rides to finish fourth and miss out on a heroic podium by less than a tenth of a second.

RACE 2: drama from the start, then a mega fight back

In what promised so much with a mega start from the second row, the charismatic Italian blasted his way to the front at Turn 17 on the opening lap, passing Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), only for the Championship leader to retaliate at Turn 18. However, a big mistake would cost Bassani any chance of a maiden win, when he ran deep into Turn 1 at the start of Lap 2 and had to bail out across the gravel.

However, all was not entirely lost for the top Independent rider in the Championship, as he bounced back from as far down as 11^th to storm back up to P4. On Lap 7, Bassani was up into P7 where he stayed until he caught and got ahead of Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) on Lap 16. Then, a big push in the final six laps, moving up one place courtesy of Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) crash from the lead, before catching arch-rival and factory Ducati rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), the two not igniting their rivalry as Bassani broke clear. He caught up to the podium fight between Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on the last lap as the two battled and lost time, with him nearly beating both on the run to the line, with just 0.134s between them.

“WE HAD THE POSSIBILITY TO FIGHT FOR VICTORY” – opportunity missed for Axel

“We did a really good Superpole Race but in Race 2, I made a big mistake at Turn 1 and I’m really sorry to the team,” began an apologetic Bassani. “Today, we had the possibility to fight for victory. Our pace was really good; I’m not happy with myself because I made a really s**t mistake and I don’t know why. I got near to second position after a really good recovery, so I am happy for that but for the next races, I need to understand what way I can do the opening laps of the race. Today, on the first lap, I tried to overtake Alvaro a lot of times, which isn’t good because I need to stay more relaxed and push at the end of the race.”

It’s been a good run of form of late for Bassani, who continues to chase the dream of a maiden win: “We’ve had three rounds where we were fast, also at Donington Park, we were fast but there, I did a s**t Superpole. Here, I did a good one but the lap got cancelled. We’re really consistent and really near to first, so we need to continue in this way, continue to push and get the victory before the end of the year.”

“I WANT THE VICTORY; I NEED THE VICTORY!” – high aims not that far away

It was nearly a renewal of battle between himself and Jonathan Rea too, with both having fought on various occasions, although this time, ‘Old Fox’ Rea wasn’t ready to be hunted down this time: “Jonny has many years in this World Championship and it’s not easy to beat him. He’s an old fox! I’ll try to beat him again before the end of the season; we’ve beaten him at Imola, so it’s possible. We’ll try to repeat that result. But now, I want the victory; I need to win.”

Talking about 2024, Bassani still hasn’t got a clear direction: “My manager has a lot of work to do in this break. For me, I need to stay alone with myself and start to understand how I can do the first part of the race better and try and win the last races of the year.” Adding more in his debrief with the international media on Sunday evening, Bassani said: “The money is not important; it’s important to be the best rider. Alberto Vergani, my manager, starts to think about it.”

BIG PICTURE: positives from Most in the race for a top four in the Championship

In the Championship standings, Bassani is fifth and just 20 points away from fourth-placed Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), who he outscored by nine points this weekend. However, Bassani lost ground to third place overall and Jonathan Rea, who leapfrogged Locatelli after a win, a second and a third at Most. The gap is 44. Behind, the #47 is 52 points clear of ‘Petrux’ and 60 ahead of Rinaldi.

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Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was able to turn around his Acerbis Czech Round in stunning style on Sunday as he claimed a double MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship podium, including a hard-fought Race 2 victory, as he opened up his standings lead again. The Autodrom Most hosted a stunning weekend of action with the weather playing havoc and the on-track action being as fierce as ever as the #1 turned a “tough weekend” around in the Czech Republic.

Bautista had a challenging Saturday when his best Tissot Superpole lap time was deleted as it was set under yellow flags after Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) crashed at Turn 21. It meant that Bautista had to start Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race from 14^th on the grid and, in Saturday’s flag-to-flag battle, finished in 12^th after an incorrect tyre choice. Having started on wets, the #1 had to pit for slicks whereas those on intermediate tyres were able to go the full distance without changing tyres.

In the Superpole Race, Bautista was able to fight his way back up to third place while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) claimed victory to close the gap to 49 points in the title fight. This gave the Ducati start a front row start for Race 2 and, despite losing ground as the lights went out, found himself leading heading into Turn 1. He was unable to pull away from the chasing back before he had a huge battle with this title rival.

Razgatlioglu moved into the lead on Lap 7 as he passed Bautista into Turn 13, but Bautista kept intense pressure on his rival, often looking to pass the #54 into Turn 1 but the Yamaha rider making sure he kept the place under braking. On Lap 12, Bautista changed his tactics as he looked for an overtake into Turn 20, but his rival resisted. The next five laps were a familiar theme, including Razgatlioglu defending around the outside of Turn 1, before the #54 highsided on the exit of Turn 2. With this crash and Bautista’s win, the Spaniard now leads Razgatlioglu by 74 points.

Discussing his Sunday recovery after a difficult Saturday, Bautista said: “I didn’t expect to win this weekend, especially after a really tough Friday and Saturday. I always believed in myself, tried to be calm and do my best. The Superpole Race was the key. I knew it was important to have a good race and improve the position from P14 on the grid for Race 2. I was fifth or sixth on Lap 1, I think it was one of the best starts of my life. When I was fourth, I was lapping similarly to the three guys in front of me and I thought P4 was nice for Race 2. After mid-race, I saw Bassani dropping a little bit. When it was two laps to go, I tried to close the gap and did my best lap on the penultimate lap. I was very close in the last two corners, and I knew I was a bit stronger than him there.

“Third position was nice for Race 2. I had a good battle with Toprak. He always tried to put the bike on the inside at Turn 1. Even if we missed the corner, he was in front. One time, I tried to stay on the inside, but I didn’t want to miss the first corner to avoid him passing me exiting between Turns 1 and 2. He came from the outside and the same. He missed the corner, but he was in front! It was fun. In races, anything can happen until the chequered flag. It’s the good and bad thing about racing. I’m really happy.”

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Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) had a rollercoaster Sunday at the Acerbis Czech Round. He claimed victory in the Tissot Superpole Race for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship but a Race 2 crash cost him 25 points to Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in the Championship standings after he highsided in the second half of the race after he resisted Bautista’s intense pressure.

The Turkish star claimed a Superpole Race victory on Sunday morning as he resisted Jonathan Rea’s (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) challenge. After battling back when Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) surged from fourth to first as the lights went out, the #54 had to fend off six-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the middle part of the 10-lap battle with the duo changing positions several times.

Razgatlioglu first moved ahead of Rea on Lap 4 to gain second place before passing Bassani on the same lap, gaining two places on one lap, before Rea followed him through on the #47 Ducati at Turn 1 on Lap 5. On Lap 6, Rea capitalised on a Razgatlioglu error at Turn 13 to pass the Yamaha into Turn 20 but the 2021 Champion responded immediately. He cut back through the Turn 1-2 chicane to get the run on the six-time World Champion through Turn 3 to re-take the lead. From there, he was able to manage the gap to claim victory and close the Championship gap to 49 points.

Race 2 did not go as well for Razgatlioglu after he crashed, which Pirelli have explained, from the lead in the second half of the race. He was having a fierce fight with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) over the first two-thirds of the race but the #54 highsided on the exit of Turn 2 and heading into Turn 3, handing Bautista a 25-point swing in the Championship standings with the gap now up to 74 points in the reigning Champion’s favour.

Explaining the crash and what happened, Razgatlioglu commented: “It was a very strange race. My rear tyre burst. I am surprised because I looked back after the crash at the chain, and after I saw my tyre. It’s very strange for me, it’s the first time it’s happened in my life. I am okay. In the last six laps, I started to ride calmer, and I saw the gap getting bigger. It was a good race for me and I enjoyed it; I think all fans enjoyed it!”

Although Bautista was ahead at Turn 1 on the opening lap, Razgatlioglu came through on Lap 7 at Turn 13 before the duo engaged in a barnstorming battle. Bautista would try to get alongside Razgatlioglu down the start-finish straight with the 2021 Champion responding under braking, before the Spaniard changed his tactics and tried a Turn 20 move on Lap 12; Razgatlioglu covered him off at Turn 21. On Lap 15, the highlight of the battle happened when Razgatlioglu defended P1 on the brakes around the outside of the defending Champion.

The #54 expanded on his battle with Bautista as the pair fought hard for victory. He added: “My plan in the race, especially the exit from the last corner, was to exit alone. If he was right in front of me, it wouldn’t have been easy to pass him in the first corner. I’m always keeping him behind me. We get to the first corner and I’m passing him again because I’m braking harder, but sometimes he tried hard braking. I needed to pass him. In general, it was a very good fight with Alvaro.”

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If, after the opening couple of rounds of 2023, you’d have said that Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) would have one of the biggest smiles going into summer, you might have raised a few eyebrows, but the wonderful thing about motorcycle racing is that it’s wildly unpredictable. Heading into a five week break, rookie ‘Petrux’ will be one of the riders to watch out for when action resumes, as he dazzled at the Autodrom Most with a double podium at the Acerbis Czech Round, including a career-best finish of P2 in Race 2.

Race 1 on Saturday was all about a tyre gamble as the race got underway in wet conditions, but the track dried out very quickly. Petrucci had opted for intermediate tyres and dropped down to 11th on the opening three laps, before on Lap 5, being up inside the top three. Petrucci was second on Lap 10 when he took advantage of a mistake by Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) at Turn 13, although the Turk soon got back ahead. From then on in, it was a fine show from Petrucci, who also enjoyed battling with ex-MotoGP™ teammate Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).

On Sunday, the 32-year-old Italian got his elbows out again, this time at the first chicane on the opening lap, pushing Razgatlioglu wide and re-joining right on the apex of Turn 2. He finished eighth come the chequered flag and lost further ground from his third row start, dropping to P10 before fighting back to P7 on Lap 4. Up into P6 by Lap 13, the final third of the race was when Petrucci really came into his own, lapping quicker than all the riders ahead of him. When race leader Razgatlioglu crashed out, he gained two positions, with a pass on Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) on the same lap. On Lap 20, he was into the podium places, passing the factory Ducati of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), whilst going head-to-head with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) for P2 on the final lap in a tantalising battle with the six-time World Champion where he came out on top in a last corner shootout and run to the line.

Talking about an eventful Sunday, Petrucci revelled with his best finish of a rookie season: “It was really tough today. This morning, in the Superpole Race, I made a mistake in the first corner. I was between Bassani and Toprak and needed to release the brake. The starting position for Race 2 was so bad. At the first corner in Race 2, Gerloff crashed in front of me, and I lost another position. I said ‘okay, today’s not my day’. I found a good rhythm and I had to push. At least, I wanted to be the top Independent. I passed Gardner and I thought it was good, but the podium was not so far away! I had Bassani behind me, pushing me, so I pushed again, and I saw Toprak crash. Rinaldi was in front of me, in third position, so I had to try. I passed Michael but I knew him and Bassani wanted to be on the podium, so I pushed a lot. Jonny was in front and in the last lap, we had a big, big fight. We passed each other I don’t know how many times; we were side by side. In the penultimate corner, I went to the inside, but he crossed the line, and we did the last corner side by side. A second position is really good.”

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