It’s where the FIM Superbike World Championship started and it’s where many classics have happened; at least one thing is coming home to England and the UK next week and it’s WorldSBK for the 2024 Prosecco DOC UK Round. However, whether it be Donington Park or past battlegrounds of Silverstone and Brands Hatch, hard racing, unrivalled emotion and historic achievements happen in the United Kingdom…

DONINGTON PARK RACE 2, 2000: wildcards stand on the shoulders of giants

Having been a full-time WorldSBK rider up until 1998, Neil Hodgson was back on the grid as a wildcard at Donington Park in 2000, making one of the greatest returns ever. In a thrilling final lap, he closed down full-time star Frankie Chili from nearly a second back to hit the front down into the Foggy Esses, after the Italian rider’s tyre had cried enough. ‘Hodgy’ took honours ahead of BSB title rival Chris Walker for a first-ever British 1-2 at home, making it a 1-2 for the wildcards too. A memorable day for all there.

SILVERSTONE RACE 1, 2002: Edwards wins as Bayliss crashes… twice

In what would go on to be a phenomenal 2002 season, two crashes for Championship leader Troy Bayliss would be rather costly. His first crash came at Vale when the rear stepped out on him from the lead, forcing Edwards to go across the grass. Remounting, Bayliss was working his way back through the field when, for a second time, he fell – this time at Luffield. As the ‘Texas Tornado’ went on to win, Australian Bayliss worked his way back for a fine P5 – an eventful first WorldSBK race at Silverstone.  

SILVERSTONE RACE 1, 2003: race for the ages as home-heroes run riot

One of the greatest races we’ve seen in the UK, Neil Hodgson’s homecoming in what was a dominant 2003 season wasn’t perhaps as easy as he’d have hoped. James Toseland, Ruben Xaus, Chris Walker, Gregorio Lavilla, Regis Laconi, wildcards John Reynolds and Yukio Kagayama, all traded blows and battled in a frantic scrap. After a big moment for Kagayama and Lavilla fell, it was Toseland vs Hodgson – just two weeks after they clashed at Oschersleben – but they stayed on track, Hodgson triumphing over the #52.

BRANDS HATCH RACE 2, 2003: ‘Shakey’ doubles up as wildcard

Having won Race 1, 2003 BSB Champion-elect Shane Byrne rocked up to Brands Hatch as a wildcard and absolutely dominated the regular riders. Race 2 was a tense stand off in the closing stages between Byrne and John Reynolds – riding for Paul Denning’s Crescent Racing Rizla Suzuki outfit and also a wildcard. Reynolds couldn’t quite make a pass meaning it was Paul Bird’s Monstermob Ducati team and Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne who made it two out of two in front of over 100,000 fans; local boy done good.

BRANDS HATCH RACE 2, 2007: Toseland completes his first double with a last win

On his way to the 2007 World Superbike title, James Toseland had never achieved a double win. He won Race 1 at Donington Park earlier in the year but a technical problem retired him out of Race 2. At Brands Hatch, it was a different story however, as having won Race 1, he went on to do the dream double and although he didn’t know it’d be his last win, he celebrated it like it was. The leathers were in the crowd, fans lined the circuit and Toseland took one giant step to title number two. 

DONINGTON PARK RACE 2, 2012: hero to zero as BMW double denied by Rea

A dream Race 1 for BMW gave a first ever win with Marco Melandri – leading home a 1-2 with Leon Haslam P2. In Race 2, it looked like a repeat 1-2 for them… it all came down to a last turn duel with Melandri going to deny Haslam a first win with BMW but missing the apex completely; this forced the ‘Pocket Rocket’ off the racing line, opening the door for Jonathan Rea’s Honda to come through. Rea touched Haslam, spearing the #91 into teammate Melandri, whilst the #65 took a first win at home. 

SILVERSTONE RACE 1, 2012: Baz’s first win as chaos ensues behind

In a restarted Race 1 at Silverstone in 2012, one of the craziest finishes to a race we’d ever seen. Going onto the final lap, Max Biaggi crashed out of victory and podium contention, whilst it was Loris Baz aboard the ZX-10RR Kawasaki who led the way, aiming for a first race win. Goldbet BMW riders Michel Fabrizio and Ayrton Badovini were duking it out with Jonathan Rea and defending Champion Carlos Checa. With the kerbs being wet, Baz had a huge moment exiting the final corner but held on for a historic win whilst behind, Badovini crashed after the same rear end slide, leaving nowhere for Jonathan Rea to go as both crashed after the finishing line. Both were classified though, behind Baz and Fabrizio.

DONINGTON PARK RACE 1, 2014: Sykes’ stunning comeback for home glory

A true classic for Tom Sykes and indeed the history books in WorldSBK; coming from outside the top ten in the early stages, reigning World Champion Sykes picked his way through the field before getting into the top two places, with only teammate Loris Baz standing between him and a heroic comeback. The two traded paint to the roar of the home crowd in the final three laps but ultimately, Baz couldn’t respond to a determined #66 for one of his greatest wins; he went on to double up in Race 2.

DONINGTON PARK RACE 2, 2018: Dutch magic as van der Mark makes history

Race 1 was already a monumental occasion for Michael van der Mark, who took his first-ever WorldSBK win on Saturday afternoon at Donington Park. So, what could make it better? A double, of course; van der Mark once again showed the prowess of himself and the Yamaha package and made it two wins at the legendary British venue. In the same race, a certain Toprak Razgatlioglu found himself in P2, passing Championship leader Jonathan Rea on the final lap to claim a first WorldSBK rostrum; the rest is history…

DONINGTON PARK SUPERPOLE RACE, 2023: the ‘titanic trio’ serve up a Sunday treat

2023’s Superpole Race was a classic as the ‘titanic trio’ of Alvaro Bautista, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea all swapped places in the final two laps of the race. At the Melbourne Loop on the penultimate lap, Razgatlioglu took the lead from long-time race leader Jonathan Rea, forcing him to wait for a first win of 2023. However, Rea’s troubles weren’t finished yet as he felt into the clutches of Bautista on the final lap, with the Championship leader bullying his way into P2 at the Foggy Esses. Toprak held on for victory but it was a timely reminder that Donington Park, year after year, delivers.

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As far as rivalries go in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, the one consisting of the ‘titanic trio’ – Toprak Razgatlioglu, Alvaro Bautista and Jonathan Rea has been something quite remarkable. Some of the hardest racing ever seen, the purest of emotions and great respect, we look back at some of the best races where all three of them took their gloves off, got their elbows out and got stuck in.

ASSEN RACE 2, 2022: The ‘titanic trio’ are born

The race where after their head-to-head gloves off battle for the 2021 title, a certain Alvaro Bautista said: “One day, it had to happen.” Battling for victory on the limit once more and then clad in Yamaha and Kawasaki respectively, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea clashed and crashed at Assen’s Turn 1, leaving Alvaro Bautista to sweep through for victory and the Championship lead. Having knocked spots off each other all through 2021, both had finally come to blows and after battling with Bautista prior, the term ‘titanic trio’ was born.

ESTORIL RACE 1, 2022: a new rivalry emerges

So, next up in 2022 was Estoril; all three races were classics but starting with Race 1, it looked like it was going to be between Toprak and Jonny once again. Just a few weeks after their Assen misdemeanour, both collided again during Race 1 in Portugal too, at Turn 6. This constant battling saw Alvaro Bautista whittle away at their advantage, coming from more than two seconds back to be right in the mix and eventually overhaul Razgatlioglu on the run to the line on the last lap. Heartbreak for Toprak but elation for Bautista as his redemption in red continued.

ESTORIL SUPERPOLE RACE, 2022: Toprak’s first win of the year goes begging

Bautista couldn’t feature for the victory in the Superpole Race, leaving it to Razgatlioglu and Rea once more; Toprak was still chasing a first race win of the season and looked set to get the monkey off his back until a huge front-end Marc Marquez-style save at the chicane on the final lap cost him. He stayed upright but Rea had zipped on by and held on until the flag. Toprak denied again as Rea took honours.

ESTORIL RACE 2, 2022: Rea doubles up against the other titanic trio member

Race 2 and more of the same incredible battling with a third race going down to the line; on the last lap, they swapped places three times from Turn 7 until Turn 9, with Rea having the advantage as they exited the chicane. However, an enormous rear-end slide on the exit of the last corner for the six-time World Champion saw a glimmer of hope for Bautista to repeat his Race 1 antics and draft through by the line, although it wasn’t to be. Rea held on for a magnificent victory, with Bautista denied a double at Estoril.

MOST SUPERPOLE RACE, 2022: another last lap showdown

Continuing the drama throughout the 2022 season, the Czech round at Most called and offered a true head-to-head between Razgatlioglu and Rea and despite Bautista’s best efforts to have a say, he just ran out of time. On the last lap, Rea hit the front at the first chicane, only for Toprak to retaliate at the fast Turn 3; rethinking his strategy, Rea got a run out of Turn 13 and made a bold lunge at Turn 15 on the run into the big esses. He couldn’t pull it down, ran through the gravel but managed to rejoin in P2, whereas Toprak went on to take victory.

MOST RACE 2, 2023: the greatest late-braking ever seen?

Whilst it was a duel of Razgatlioglu and Rea in 2022, 12 months later, it was all about the Turkish rider and Bautista. Lap after lap, Bautista would try to outbrake Toprak into Turn 1, only for the #54 to let them off and somehow make the apex. The most impressive was when the Ducati rider went to the inside and this time, Toprak answered by sweeping around the outside. At that point, it looked like it was all done but then disaster struck when a rear tyre failure took the 2021 World Champion out, allowing Bautista to come on through for victory and extend his Championship lead to over 70 points.

PORTIMAO RACE 2, 2023: beyond the limits once again

Portimao’s Race 2 from 2023 went down in history as one of the greatest of all-time; more than 30 passes for the lead between Toprak and Bautista, who had now elevated themselves as the shining members of the titanic trio. Lap after lap, the Spaniard blasted through on the straight, only for Toprak to retaliate at Turn 1, Turn 5 or Turn 13, to try and resist the onslaught. Even on the last lap, he put it all on the line, only for the Ducati to drive under him on the exit of the last corner – repeating the heroics of the Superpole Race. A race that is instantly one of the best in motorcycle racing. Just in case that wasn’t enough, the final race of 2023 at Jerez – with Toprak in his last race for Yamaha and Rea in his last for Kawasaki – was a corker, with 38 passes for victory in the last 10 laps alone.

BARCELONA SUPERPOLE RACE, 2024: the new era’s first last-corner, last lap pass

Whilst Rea struggled with his Yamaha adaptation, Toprak’s move to BMW was going swimmingly after a first win on Saturday. For the Superpole Race in Barcelona, he closed in on Bautista during the last lap – who in-turn was going for a first win of the year – and having missed the last real overtaking opportunity at Turn 10, went all-out at Turn 14 to win. Letting the brakes off at the final corner, the #54 slung the BMW up the inside of Bautista and pushed the home-hero wide, making it a double in Montmelo, whilst Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) came to finish P2. A true Valentino Rossi-inspired pass for one of the best races of this year… so far.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has seen four rounds out of 12 so far and with the fifth coming up at Donington Park, it’s important to hit the ground running. Team HRC riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge tested recently at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain, where more progress was found. Talking in further details, team boss Jose Escamez, who outlined “small positives” after working tirelessly in conditions that, whilst not ideal, they hoped to find. 

GLASS HALF FULL: ‘On one side, it’s been very positive and on the other, we’ve found some kind of inconvenience’

“We came here in order to find some answers at a place where we used to struggle due to a lack of grip, which has always been our weakness,” began Escamez, who replaced Leon Camier as team principal this season. “We have confirmed some of the things we tested lately. On one side, it’s been very positive but on the other, whilst we can’t say it’s been negative, we have found some kind of inconvenience that we still need to analyse, to find out why we still have these kind of reactions. So far, I think we’re making little steps since the last tests and the race at Misano, we strongly believe that little by little, we will make the improvements we’re looking for.”

Bad weather hampered Monday’s plan – not the first time rain has played a crucial part in HRC’s disrupted test plan, after Portimao’s futile attendance in December and Cremona’s big rain showers in May. “Unfortunately, we thought we could test here on Monday but due to the weather, we had to postpone it and we shared the track with some endurance teams and we appreciate that they allowed us to ride with them. The track condition wasn’t perfect, it is what it is and actually, it’s what we were looking for. To be competitive in circumstances where we used to struggle the most. It’s quite similar to what we’ll find at Donington Park next week.”

“LITTLE BY LITTLE, WE’RE GETTING TO WHERE WE WANT TO BE” – Escamez optimistic of more gains

Citing small gains which overall is something they’ll hope will make a big difference, Escamez saluted the efforts of techinicians, engineers and mechanics after what’s been a difficult start to 2024: “We found small positive things and on the other hand, we need to understand why some things that we tested didn’t behave as we expected. Little by little, we’re getting to where we want to be and I’m looking forward and being optimistic. I want to be grateful for all the team members who are working really, really hard – in Japan and also here. The engineers and the mechanics too, it’s been a really difficult season, spending so much time away and working so hard, so a special mention to them and the hard work they’re doing.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has enjoyed four rounds out of 12 so far and with the fifth coming up at Donington Park, it’s vital to arrive on British soil and be competitive from the start. With this in mind and continuing on their uptick in form, Team HRC riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge took part in testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain, where positivity was found as progress continues to be made.

LECUONA UPBEAT WITH OPTIMISM: “I can be on the limit… the window we have is bigger than before”

Starting off by evaluating his testing in Barcelona, Iker Lecuona was positive: “Overall, it was positive but like always, when you’re alone on track, you can’t compare. We had bad luck on Monday as maybe we had the chance to ride with Kawasaki and Alex Lowes but the rain came and what we wanted to try was for the dry. So, on Tuesday, we were alone; the track was quite dirty after the storm on Monday and honestly, the afternoon was very, very hot. We confirmed that the way we took at the Cremona test and then the way we followed that at the Misano test and then the Misano round was correct. We didn’t have many big things to try but more about the base setting: fork settings, bike balance and electronics. We didn’t do many laps but the ones we did were positive. There was good data for Japan to analyse and take the next steps. We kept a good race pace with the track conditions and our fastest lap time was like a Superpole time but in a race run. Let’s see what happens at Donington Park.”

Speaking about which areas of the bike they focused on, the #7 side of the garage focused on all aspects: “We tried to improve all of the bike and not just one area; overall, we made steps and during the Misano race, we could show that we improved a little bit. Donington Park is completely different and I think that our base will still work there but until we arrive, we don’t know.”

It’s another strong testing performance from Honda and Lecuona, continuing the trend set at the first Cremona test back in May: “Cremona’s first test was important; we went after Misano and we confirmed the direction was right. We improved pace, one-lap speed and honestly, got a lot of confidence with the bike. Now, I’ve started to feel comfortable on the bike and save a lot of crashes but more than that, I can be on the limit more. The window we have right now is bigger than before. That has helped myself to take confidence. I’m really well physically; at Misano, I expected to struggle more but I finished quite well; at Cremona’s test, I did long runs and it was good, not 100% ready with the shoulder but good.”

MIXED FEELINGS FOR VIERGE: “I felt competitive… I was in the 1’42s which is much better than the race weekend”

Whilst also being somewhat upbeat, inconsistencies throughout the day left Xavi Vierge flummoxed: “We had a positive test and the team did a really good job and made a good decision to test one day later, even if we had some slower riders sharing the track with us. We need the dry track time to test items and find the way to follow. For this part, it was positive and I felt competitive; I improved my lap times with the race tyre quite a lot but still, at some points in the day, we got completely different feelings without touching the bike too much. This is something we need to understand but it’s also easy to have confusion. In the position we are in now, we had some positives and negatives and the worst thing that can happen is that you don’t understand what is going on. Luckily, I have an incredible team and my job is finished but they have a lot of work to do, analysing the data and find answers to our questions.”

Whilst Lecuona worked on areas all over the bike, the main goal for Vierge was turning and carrying corner speed, which as he previously alluded to, had inconsistencies at different times of the day: “We worked on the same areas as always; more turning and carrying speed throughout the drive area. At some parts of the day, we improve a bit but then without changing many things, it disappears. This is what creates the confusion. I took a positive and that was that with the race tyre, I was in the 1’42s which is much better than in the race weekend. We need to understand how to be more consistent in our work. In a small window like during a race weekend, this can’t happen as the level of the Championship is growing all the time, one moment it’s easy to be inside the top ten and then the next, outside the top 15. This, we can’t accept anymore.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

With one more weekend to wait until the fifth round of the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, one rider will be able to get track time in before as Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) returns to MotoGP™ World Championship action. The Australian rider will replace the injured Alex Rins in the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ outfit, after the Spaniard suffered injuries sustained following a first corner-Lap 1 crash at the Motul TT Assen. He will be teammates to 2021 MotoGP™ World Champion Fabio Quartararo.

Gardner has previous MotoGP™ experience, having joined World Superbike after a year in the class, where he achieved multiple points-scoring rides. He graduated to MotoGP™ after wrapping up the 2022 Moto2™ World Championship with five wins and 12 podiums. So far in 2024, it’s been a season to remember for the #87, who has enjoyed seven top ten finishes in the last nine, celebrating a career-first podium in WorldSBK too, with P3 at Assen in Race 2.

Talking about the opportunity, Gardner said: “First of all, I hope Alex can have a fast recovery and I wish him the best. I’m really excited about this challenge. I just want to say ‘Thank you so much’ to Yamaha for trusting me to ride this weekend. I will use it as a great experience to learn. It’s a new bike, and coming back to MotoGP™ for one race is always a nice experience, so I’m looking forward to enjoying this weekend, and I’m just extremely happy for this opportunity. Once again a big ‘Thank you’ to Yamaha.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

German star Lucy Michel rides for TSL-Racing in the inaugural 2024 FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship season, having started her career after seeing an advert for junior racing at Sachsenring. As an 8 year-old Michel had seen motorbikes at a local fair and persuaded her family to take her to the Grand Prix track for a pocket bike ride, having seen a promotion in ADAC magazine.

START SMALL, DREAM BIG: “I can’t describe the feeling”

Recalling that first contact with racing machinery Michel says, “I can’t describe the feeling it was just crazy. I love that adrenaline rush on the bike.” That prompted her to go racing in the ADAC Pocket Bike Cup, after which she rode in the ADAC Minibike Cup and then the ADAC Junior Cup. She achieved podium success in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Cup in Germany, doing the double as a guest rider at Schleizer Dreieck in 2022. Once she graduated from the ADAC Junior Cup – in which she was a points scorer – she went into the Supersport 300 class in the IDM, further honing her racing skills, finishing in 21st place in 2023.

WorldWCR AWAITS OUR OWN MEDICAL STUDENT: a balancing act

For 2024 Michel has made it to the world stage and she is looking forward to challenging in the first ever WorldWCR season. Before the competition began, Michel had only previously ridden at Misano and Cremona, meaning that it will be a steep learning curve when she races at Donington Park, Portimão, Estoril and Jerez for the first time. The 19 year-old already demonstrated her speed in the pre-season Cremona test, where she was in the top three on the Yamaha R7 on the first day and after the first WorldWCR round, she stands in P9 with 13 points. When she is not training or racing Michel is also a dedicated undergraduate, studying medical technology for radiology. She explains, “My college is very good and they give me time off for riding and then I have to catch up with the studying, so my friends support me with the school stuff.”

FACING CHALLENGES: bigger bikes bring new obstacles

Speaking about her experiences coming through the ranks and racing against her competitors, Michel spoke of positivity and inclusion, whilst also going on to say what it means to represent Germany in WorldWCR: “I actually always felt welcome by the boys and I have had no problems. When I moved up into the Junior Cup I was smaller than I am now and it was difficult to get to grips with the big bike and the new tracks. Those were the biggest challenges for me. I‘m very proud that I’m the only rider from Germany in WorldWCR and I’m very proud to represent my country.”

For the first season of WorldWCR action, there will be plenty of new tracks for the #16 to learn but how can she get a feeling for the track she’s never been to? “I play the PS4 WorldSBK game. Just before the race itself, I look at the track on the plan, where to give it gas and where to brake. Then I listen to music on the grid, usually some techno.”

What advice would Michel give the future generations of girls looking to get involved in the world of motorcycle racing? “If you dare to do it, you can do it and you should never give up.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com