Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) continued to set the pace for the rest of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock, as he ended the first day of the Misano test fastest ahead of his Championship rivals. Turkish superstar Razgatlioglu battled with current World Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) all day for the lead, but ultimately, a scarcely-believable 1’32.663s lap was enough to secure top spot. Current title holder Bautista ultimately was forced to settle for P3, whilst fellow Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider Nicolo Bulega finished in P2.

BMW BACK WITH A BANG: Razgatlioglu and van der Mark pick up where they left off

Arguably the most anticipated team ahead of testing was that of the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, who haven’t been seen in action since Assen. Thankfully for fans, their riders looked as if they hadn’t skipped a beat. Turkish rider Razgatlioglu was one of the first riders out of pitlane at the sight of the green flag, and he took to the track immediately, establishing himself as one of the fastest riders during the opening display at Misano. He repeatedly swapped positions at the summit of the timesheets with Champion Bautista and looked set to settle for a P2 finish to end the opening day. However, Toprak set an insane lap pace of 1’32.663s with just minutes remaining, enough to secure him the summit spot at the end of day one. Teammate Michael van der Mark also had a solid showing, rounding out the top ten with a P10 finish. ROKiT BMW Team Principal Shaun Muir, accounting for van der Mark’s increased success on Day 1, explained experimenting on rider position, leading to a lower center of gravity in order to obtain a more natural turning position for the #60 rider.

DUCATI IMPRESS AGAIN AT MISANO: Bulega, Bautista lead the way

Much like their last test at Cremona, Ducati continued to impress on Thursday morning at Misano. Reigning World Champion Nicolo Bulega continued his impressive form by finishing P2, whilst being the only other rider to score a sub-1’32s time (1’32.731s). Teammate Alvaro Bautista completed the top three by finishing P3, finishing just under half a second behind his teammate. He also endured a crash at the last corner of the track. Elsewhere within the Bologna camp, ELF Marc VDS Racing Team’s Sam Lowes continued to catch the eye, finishing P5 by the time the chequered flag dropped to end the opening salvo on Thursday. Barni Spark Racing Team’s Danilo Petrucci capped his return from injury with an impressive P15, whilst Andrea Iannone of Team GoEleven ended the session in P7.

YAMAHA STRONG AGAIN: Rea P4, Locatelli P6

Yamaha, once again, continues to impress in testing. The Iwata-based manufacturer finished the opening section of Misano testing with three riders firmly inside the top 10. Ulsterman Jonathan Rea showed his developing feeling onboard the Yamaha R1, collecting an excellent P4 finish. Pata Prometeon Yamaha Team Principal Paul Denning pointed to a different chassis balance yielding positive results, as well as working on weight distribution and rider position as all being key factors accounting for Rea’s success. Rea’s teammate, Andrea Locatelli, was right behind, having collected a P6 finish. Remy Gardner continued his impressive testing form that he displayed in Northern Italy, finishing P8. Gardner’s Yamaha colleague, Swiss native Dominique Aegerter, was the lowest ranking Yamaha rider, finishing the session in a lowly P24.

ALEX LOWES P12: Kawasaki show signs of positivity

Kawasaki have shown cause for optimism and positivity recently. Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK’s Alex Lowes enjoyed a very positive start to his Misano test, ultimately finishing P12 in the combined standing. Speaking about Lowes’ successes, Pere Riba, his crew chief, mentioned that Lowes was going well in the direction that they planned in winter. As far as new items being tested, Riba said that it would mostly be electronics and some different intangibles, similar to those used by teammate Axel Bassani, who also endured a positive start to his Misano test, ending up in P10. Kawasaki Puccetti Racing’s Tito Rabat recently completed 233 laps across two days of testing at Cremona, and he has continued to put his testing form to good use, finishing the first day of the Misano test P11. Rabat, yet again, completed the most laps out of any rider on track, finishing with a total of 110.

HONDA STRUGGLES CONTINUE: Lecuona P15, Vierge P16

Unfortunately, Team HRC continues to struggle with testing lately. Both Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge looked quite some way off the pace, ultimately finishing in P15 and P16 respectively. That being said, both HRC riders have been clear that their expectations are tempered, and that they are more geared towards improving the fundamentals of the bike itself. Speaking about their struggles as well as their ambitions, Team HRC Team Manager Jose Escamez outlined the development and implementation of a new exhaust system for the Team HRC riders, with the aim and hope of developing power delivery and throttle connection for both riders. For the full insight into Honda’s technical developments, you can catch them all here.

MONTELLA VS HUERTAS VS MANZI: Three tenths between three riders

WorldSSP was also represented at today’s test, with just three tenths separating the top three riders from the class. Yari Montella ultimately finished as the top WorldSSP rider, with a best time of 1’37.222s. Adrian Huertas was hot on Montella’s heels with a time of 1’37.237s. Stefano Manzi completed the trio with a top time of 1’37.489.

The top six from Day 1 at Misano, full results here:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’32.663s

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.068s

3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.488s

4. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +0.543s

5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.683s

6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +0.927s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) made his first MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship return at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” as the WorldSBK field descended on Italy for the first of two days of testing. It marked the #9’s first on-track action since a training accident back in April left him injured and unable to compete at Assen, with Petrucci providing an update on his fitness and recovery on Thursday at Misano.

Petrucci was left with shoulder and jaw injuries following a motocross accident and he provided an update on those in the weeks leading up to the Misano test. With the Italian back on his Panigale V4 R machine at Misano, Petrucci completed 19 laps in the morning, the fewest of anyone on WorldSBK machinery on Thursday with a best time of 1’34.508s. In the afternoon, he added another 10 laps to his total although didn’t improve his lap time although the laps did come in one stint.

Discussing how he felt on the bike, ‘Petrux’ said: “It’s like having two people inside me because physically I feel good with 90% of the body. The problem is my right arm. I was able to do 10 laps in a row but now I can’t hold the handlebar. It’s really painful. On the mental side, I’m really happy. First, I re-joined my bike and my team, and I had a good day. There was no pressure; the pressure was inside my head because I wanted to see how my shape was. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the day after two laps, I was in pain. We modified the position a bit and I was able to ride in the 1’34s with a race tyre but I was not able to do more than three or four laps because, under braking, the shoulder was really, really painful. I need to work a lot on my shoulder. I think it was one of the first times I was riding and feeling a lot of pain. I thought I’d be tired and not fit but it’s the opposite! I’m really fit because I’ve worked out at home, but the right arm isn’t working after a few laps.”

With the first day in the bag, Petrucci was asked about his plans for both testing tomorrow, and in the days and weeks leading up to his home round, the Emilia-Romagna Round, at the same venue. ‘Petrux’ revealed he was flying to Indonesia for Ducati where he’ll get a bit more mileage under his belt – although only an hour per day for three days – before returning to Europe for the Misano round where he’ll hope to be at full fitness.

Petrucci added: “I’ll try to do half a day tomorrow and at lunchtime, we’ll see. We did a full day today but, in the afternoon, I was able to do 10 laps, I re-joined for a lap, and I felt a lot of pain. I feel, off the bike, a lot of pain. Let’s see tomorrow morning if I recover well or not. These days, we’ll continue working with my therapy and then on Tuesday, I’ll go to the Ducati riding experience so at least I have a chance to ride a bike for three days at Mandalika. I’m one of the teachers and I have one rider to teach, so they said I have one hour each day to ride. On Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday, I’ll ride the bike. I think it’s better for the body to feel the heat and so on, and then I’ll come to Misano.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s racing resumes in a couple of weeks and teams are utilising the tests between rounds to try to make as much progress as possible. After a challenging start to 2024, Team HRC tried new swingarms at the Cremona test and, at the Misano two-day test, will have new exhaust pipes as well as completing more work on the swingarm. At Misano, Team Manager Jose Escamez revealed more details about Honda’s upgrades and what they hope they’ll bring.

Honda’s best result this season has been a pair of tenth place finishes courtesy of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC), with teammate Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) missing races in Australia and the Netherlands through injury. At the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda team, Tarran Mackenzie has been in the mix with the factory Honda riders as the season progressed and the team’s best result came at Assen in Race 2 with 11^th place.

With Honda looking to find gains as quickly as possible, a new swingarm was introduced at Cremona for the WorldSBK team although it wasn’t new to Honda. It’s one that’s been used by the British Superbike Honda team and, with their riders present at Cremona, it was a good chance for the WorldSBK outfit to test it – Lecuona and Vierge gave their feedback in Italy. That swingarm will be on the bikes again at Misano, as will new exhaust pipes in the hope of better power delivery while the team will continue to work on the electronics of the CBR1000RR-R machine.

Discussing the upgrades, Honda team boss Escamez said: “A test is always important, especially for us in the situation we’re in right now. After the Cremona test, we were working on some parts of the chassis, especially the swingarm. Here, we want to try again to reconfirm or decline whether it works or not for our bike. We’re also going to try a new exhaust pipe configuration. It’s a new exhaust that we expect can help with our power delivery and the connection of the throttle with our riders. Pretty much, we’re focused on that. Of course, as we’re going to work on the exhaust, we’ll need to adapt our base maps and electronics and all those things. We’re going to try again the swingarm to make sure it works as we thought or not and the exhaust. We’ll keep, as always, working on the electronics which is a topic where we are struggling.”

With mixed feedback on the swingarm so far, Escamez also explained why they opted to bring it to Misano – a track that the riders, team and manufacturer are familiar with – rather than make a decision based solely on the feedback from last week’s test. With every upgrade vital when it comes to making gains, opting to bring changes to a second test can often be crucial when making decisions about whether or not to follow a certain direction.

Explaining the swingarm re-evaluation, Escamez said: “It’s a bit confusing. At some points, it looks better, and, in some others, it doesn’t. That’s why we want to try it again here. We’re not 100% sure it’s going to be better. It’s true that, as Cremona was a new track and changeable conditions, we think here it’s going to be the ultimate test just to reconfirm if it can be better or we can decline.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

9:53 – And just as we say that, Toprak tops the standings, setting a time of 1’34.253s.

9:51 – The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team boys are back! For the first time since Assen, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Michael Van Der Mark are back on track. 

9:47 – Another Ducati, another fast time! This time, ELF Marc VDS Racing Team’s Sam Lowes heads out on track and snatches P2, with a time of 1’34.708s.

9:44 – Danilo Petrucci heads back out on track.

9:43 – The reigning World Champion makes an appearance! Alvaro Bautista is out for his first taste of the Misano test…and immediately sets the fastest lap of the morning so far, with a 1’34.342s.

9:38 – Nice to see Danilo Petrucci back after his injury! However, the Barni Spark Racing Team rider is back into the pits after just one lap.

9:30 – Yamaha have enjoyed a strong start to their morning, with GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team riders Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter currently occupying P1 and P3. Pata Prometeon Yamaha’s Andrea Locatelli continues his strong from from Cremona, currently occuping P2 after the first half-hour. 

9:00 – Good morning, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to our live blog of the official WorldSBK test live from Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Misano, Italy. The green flag is out and we are underway!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Nestled in the picturesque valley at the foot of the Alps in the ancient town of Kaufbeuren, ABK (Aktien Brewery Kaufbeuren) boasts over 700 years of brewing tradition and heritage. Established in 1308, ABK has been celebrated for its dedication to quality, using only the finest local ingredients, enhancing the brewery’s reputation for producing superb beers has made it a beloved brand in Bavaria and is now enjoyed internationally as ABK – Since 1308 

As part of the partnership, ABK will receive prominent track signage at all WorldSBK rounds, ensuring maximum broadcast exposure while fans attending races will have the unique opportunity to enjoy ABK hospitality in the Fan Area where they can indulge in beer tastings, experiencing first hand the tradition and craftsmanship that define ABK beers.

Additionally, ABK will host a dedicated experience program for guests, offering an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the championship and an opportunity to savour ABK’s finest brews in a unique and engaging setting.

Both WorldSBK and ABK are dedicated to creating memorable experiences that bring people together, making this partnership a natural fit. Their shared focus on community and enjoyment ensures that fans will have even more reasons to celebrate at WorldSBK events.

“We are delighted to welcome ABK as the Official Beer and Official Sponsor of WorldSBK” said Francesco Valentino, Head of WorldSBK Commercial & Marketing Department. “This new brand partner represents a product, the beer, which is a synonym of gathering, socializing, and friendliness, all attributes which fit perfectly with WorldSBK’s spirit. This partnership not only enhances our event experience but also brings our community closer together.”

Jonathan Kendrick, Chairman of ROKiT said “Partnering ABK Beer with WorldSBK is a fantastic opportunity for us to share our exceptional beers with a global audience. We are hugely excited to extend and expand our involvement with the WorldSBK family and to engage with fans internationally.”

ABK and WorldSBK are committed to promoting responsible drinking. ABK’s range of beers include a variety of low alcohol and alcohol-free options all with the authentic taste of ABK beers. All WorldSBK attendees are encouraged to drink responsibly, prioritize safety and make informed choices about alcohol consumption.

Source: WorldSBK.com

Three rounds in the books. Nine more to go. Already, the battle lines are being drawn for what is sure to be a brilliant season in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Before we return to our regular race programming on June 14^th, we have another two-day test, this time, on the Italian coast at Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” or just Misano for short. Here, we analyse the storylines for each manufacturer ahead of track action on Thursday and Friday.

YAMAHA: Japanese giants jubilant following Cremona

Yamaha enjoyed a very successful recent test in Cremona, Italy. In fact, GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team’s Remy Gardner and Pata Prometeon Yamaha rider Andrea Locatelli finished P1 and P2 respectively in the combined standings. Both riders were extremely positive following the test and expressed strong optimism for the remainder of this season. Even Locatelli’s teammate, ex-World Champion Jonathan Rea, was emphatic with how enjoyable the Yamaha R1 was to ride although he’s still looking to make it his own – with only one and a half test days remaining too. Additionally, Gardner, Locatelli, Rea and Dominique Aegerter are all expected to be present for Misano testing, so Yamaha should have a real opportunity to further build on their new-found fortunes. 

HONDA: Can Lecuona and Vierge build on form after successful test with new swingarm?

Honda has very much been a mixed bag this season. Whilst results have not fallen their way so far, the latest WorldSBK test in northern Italy provided some cause for optimism for Team HRC and their riders. Xavi Vierge, despite finishing P14 by the end of the test, was very positive about the new swingarm developments made by Honda. Iker Lecuona, who finished just outside the top ten in Italy last week, was slightly less optimistic but emphasized the need to analyse the data to extract any potential benefit ahead of Misano. Petronas MIE Racing Honda riders Tarran Mackenzie and Adam Norrodin will also be present for testing at the Adriatic track. Misano’s test has often been a place where new parts are showcased for Honda; will 2024 be any different?

DUCATI: Full steam ahead for Bologna manufacturer

Like Yamaha, Ducati also enjoyed a successful test last week at Cremona, with three of their riders finishing within the top six. Ducati are expected to be fully represented in their home country, with Aruba.it Racing – Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista and Nicolo Bulega continuing to test the Panigale V4 R at a track they know so well. ELF Marc VDS Racing Team’s Sam Lowes, who finished in an impressive P4 during Cremona’s test, will also be present, as will Team GoEleven’s Andrea Iannone and Barni Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci. For Petrucci, it’s much more of a fitness test than it is a bike test, as he returns from injury. Expect Michele Pirro to also make an appearance in red for testing at Misano. 

BMW – Bavarians hoping to make waves on the Adriatic Coast

Interestingly, Bonovo Action BMW’s Garrett Gerloff and Scott Redding participated in testing last week, whilst ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team riders Toprak Razgatlioglu and Michael Van Der Mark weren’t present. Whilst we have not seen the latter two riders since Assen, that will not be the case come Misano, as the #54 and #60 are both present and accounted for. The Bonovo Action team, who, interestingly, will not be present at this Misano test, enjoyed a positive end to their participation in testing in northern Italy, as Scott Redding was ultimately able to round out the top five, whilst American Gerloff finished in a respectable P7. For Toprak and van der Mark, it’ll be a vital test to prepare for the round in two weeks. 

KAWASAKI: back in action and going green

Like their German counterparts, Kawasaki have not seen on-track action since the Dutch Round at Assen. Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK’s Alex Lowes has enjoyed a very impressive start to this season and he will be optimistic about enjoying a successful test in Emilia-Romagna. Likewise, teammate Axel Bassani has shown cause for promise and optimism and he too will be hoping to impress at the Adriatic facility come testing time. Don’t forget, this was Bassani’s breakthrough circuit in 2021 and the place of his first 2023 podium 12 months ago. Puccetti Kawasaki’s Tito Rabat, who completed an incredible 233 laps of the new Cremona circuit during last week’s testing, is also expected to be present at Misano to continue testing for Kawasaki, with the factory-spec swingarm seeming to help the Spaniard a great deal.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Volume 5 of the WorldSBK essential races has landed so that you can enjoy more classic races from a variety of eras. So far, volume 1 showcased classics across the decades. Volume 2 gives you the opportunity to relive the 2002 ‘Showdown at Imola’ amongst others, whilst volume 3 serves up modern era classics from 2004 up to 2013. The most recent instalment, volume 4, emphasises the importance of victory with some of the closest, most emotional victories.

Now, volume 5 will complete 25 of the most iconic WorldSBK races. In this, it’s a focus on some of the fiercest battles between 2014 and 2018, starting with team orders and tactics from Race 1 at Magny-Cours, as Aprilia and Kawasaki battled for the title. In 2015, it was a last lap showdown on worn tyres between Jonathan Rea and Chaz Davies in Malaysia at Sepang in Race 1. 2016 sees Tom Sykes defeat teammate Rea in Race 2 at Buriram, whilst it was last lap drama between Davies and Rea at Misano in Race 1 for 2017. Finally, 2018 saw Dutchman Michael van der Mark make history as the first Dutch winner in WorldSBK at Donington Park, before going on to complete the double.

You can enjoy more WorldSBK classics with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

During last week’s MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship test at Cremona, Italy, most of the teams in the WorldSBK paddock took the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the new surroundings of the Cremona track. Honda Racing Corporation (HRC), however, took the opportunity to test some new technology; namely, a new swingarm.

At the start of the 2023 season, Team HRC started out with a classic style, underslung racing swingarm. Then, during last season, the team introduced a more stock-style overslung swingarm. Interestingly, Vierge appeared to prefer the newer swingarm, whilst his teammate Lecuona preferred the more conventional, underslung swingarm.

That brings us to this Cremona test. HRC appear to have brought a newer swingarm which is unbraced, compared to the other, previous swingarms which are braced. Both riders have had slightly different reactions to this new swingarm. The swingarm tested was the same as the one used by Honda’s British Superbike team – who were also there with Tommy Bridewell and Andrew Irwin.

When asked about the new swingarm, Lecuona said: “Honestly, similar. We need to check the data. Now we need to learn what is positive, what is negative; what works and what does not.” Regardless, the #7 was positive about the test overall, as well as the general direction of Honda’s development: “Yes, yes 100%. During the tests here, we have had several more Japanese engineers. But this is the most productive test we’ve had, and we’ve learned a lot. We are happy with the job, and we need another two days at Misano. So, let’s see in if we can keep that positive and interesting form for us.”

Contrastingly, teammate Lecuona was extremely positive about the new developments from the Japanese manufacturer. Speaking about his experiences with the new swingarm, Vierge said: “One of the most positive tests with Honda…if we analyze it well, we can take a big step!” Speaking about the new swingarm, Vierge said: “Yes, I tried the new swingarm, but not enough time unfortunately! The feeling was really good, and we also tried many different things with some big changes.” You can watch the #97 rider’s full reaction to the Cremona test here!

Make sure to follow all the action from this 2024 season here on the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com