The 2023 FIM Supersport World Championship is in the history books, as is the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship. Nicolo Bulega and Jeffrey Buis won the respective Championships in stunning fashion, and both made history in their own right. However, there were other key numbers that came out from the season.
A NEW POINTS BARRIER MARKED: Bulega creates history
503 – Nicolo Bulega scored a record 503 points, the only rider in WorldSSP history to break the 500-point barrier
21 – Bulega’s tally of 21 podiums in a season is a record, beating Dominique Aegerter’s 2022 total by two
20.96 – The #11’s points per race average of 20.96 was the third-highest in WorldSSP history. Kenan Sofuoglu’s 21.23 from 2007 and Andrea Locatelli’s 22.20 from 2020 are the only records that better Bulega’s
19 – WorldSSP’s Turkish contingent slotted into fourth and fifth in the youngest riders to win list. Can Oncu’s win at Mandalika came when he was 19 years, 7 months, and 10 days old. Bahattin Sofuoglu won in Barcelona when he was 19 years, 8 months, and 19 days old
16/17 – Nicolo Bulega took 16 wins in 2023, only one shy of Dominique Aegerter’s record of 17
14 – There were 14 different riders on the podium in 2023. This is the joint-most in a season, tying with 1999
10 – Bulega’s 10 poles for the season equalled Cal Crutchlow and Sebastien Charpentier’s record from 2009 and 2005 respectively
10 – Bulega and Manzi finished 1-2 on 10 occasions in 2023, a new record; the previous was eight with Kenan Sofuoglu-Jules Cluzel and Aegerter-Lorenzo Baldassarri
6 – all six full-time manufacturers recorded at least one podium
5 – five different manufacturers stood on the top step in 2023: Ducati (17 wins), Yamaha (4), Honda, Kawasaki and MV Agusta (all with 1)
0.084 – the closest finish of the year, when Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) beat Bulega in an epic last-lap scrap at Portimao in Race 2
DOUBLE CHAMPION: unprecedented success for Buis
627 – Jeffrey Buis became the second rider to pass 500 career points in WorldSSP300; he now has 627, the most in WorldSSP300 history
226.7 – Dirk Geiger set a new top speed record on his KTM, hitting 226.7km/h at Portimao during Race 2
50 – Loris Veneman’s Aragon win meant he became the 50th rider to stand on the WorldSSP300 rostrum
20 – Champion Buis matched the all-time record for WorldSSP300 podiums at 20, tying with compatriot Scott Deroue
17 –Veneman became the fourth-youngest winner when he won at Aragon in Race 1, at 17 years, 0 months and 14 days old. Aldi Mahendra (17 years, 1 month, 3 days) and Lennox Lehmann (17 years, 8 months, 1 day) also went into the top ten of youngest riders
16 – 16 different riders stood on the podium in 2023, only one behind the all-time record of 17 set in 2021
11 – The #6 broke the record for wins, with the Dutchman now on 11 in WorldSSP300. The next highest competitors are Ana Carrasco and Marc Garcia, with seven
9/3 – there were nine different race winners in 2023. Buis, Mirko Gennai, Bruno Ieraci, Petr Svoboda, Dirk Geiger, Lennox Lehmann, Mahendra, Matteo Vannucci and Veneman all claimed victory (the record is 10, in 2020). Three of these were wildcards – Ieraci’s double at Misano and Mahendra’s Most shock
5 – Kawasaki hit the milestone of five Riders’ Championships in WorldSSP300
4 – Perez Gonzalez’s four podiums without a win puts him level with Inigo Iglesias and Humberto Maier
2 – Buis became the first rider to win two Riders’ Championships in WorldSSP300, backing up his 2020 success
0.049 – the closest podium of the year, coming at Aragon in Race 1 as Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) beat teammate Jeffrey Buis and Daniel Moegda (Kawasaki GP Project). Three of the top-ten closest podiums came in 2023: Aragon Race 1 (0.049s), Aragon Race 2 (0.097s) and Barcelona Race 1 (0.098s)
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Source: WorldSBK.com