It’s where it all started all those years ago – 35 to be exact – and now, we’re back for more as history continues to be made in the rolling hills of the stunning British countryside. Of course, we can only be talking about one special place – Donington Park. The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship touches down (quite literally, with it being next to East Midlands Airport) just outside the city of Nottingham for the sixth round of the season. Surprises always come to the fore at Donington Park and the form book tends to be thrown straight into the recycling, but will 2023 be any different to what we’ve seen so far? We look ahead to this year’s Prosecco DOC UK Round.
A FIGHT BACK ON IN THE UK: Razgatlioglu the favourite instead of Bautista?
Whilst the Championship gap between top man Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and 2021 World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) is 86 points, Donington Park is Razgatlioglu’s favourite circuit. A maiden podium in 2018’s Race 2 and winning five of the last six races held here (a first triple coming last year), this is Toprak’s territory. He needs it to be too; despite the domination of Bautista in the opening part of the season, this is motorcycle racing and anything can happen. Razgatlioglu will need to capitalise at the tracks where he, on paper at least, looks to be the clear favourite. A repeat of last year’s triple will at least bring hope and a boost.
On the other hand, the aforementioned ‘domination’ of Bautista is quite special; 14 wins in 15 races, you’re witnessing history, so enjoy it. However, don’t bank on it carrying on at Donington Park. Bautista has never won at the track in WorldSBK and a second place in Race 2 last year was his only podium after he suffered a fall in Race 1 and a fourth in the Superpole Race. If those results were to repeat themselves (Toprak’s wins and Bautista’s struggles), then the gap would be down to 50. It’s not all over just yet and whilst it is ifs, buts and maybes, Donington Park is the venue for drama to happen. A note on Bautista is that he’s fresh from testing Ducati’s MotoGP™ Desmosedici GP23 at Misano last week, but his readaptation to WorldSBK machinery shouldn’t be too challenging after setting some laps aboard Panigale machinery since.
HOME GLORY: plenty for the partisan crowd to get behind
Donington Park’s WorldSBK crowd are always something special and 2022’s atmosphere was electric and nothing gets the home fans cheering louder than a Union Jack on top. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and the ZX-10RR may not be the force they once were – for now at least – but a positive test at Aragon will hope to translate into a podium, or perhaps a win, charge at home. Rea has six wins at Donington Park and a hat-trick of podiums last year saw him come away a solid weekend. Can he get to the front this year and take a first win of the season? On the other side of the KRT box, it’s quite literally a home-round for Englishman Alex Lowes, from not far away in Lincolnshire. Lowes was on the podium in Race 1 last year and like Rea, is fresh from testing duties. Can he be a surprise this weekend?
Plenty more to watch out for as far as Brits are concerned, particularly in the British-run ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. Shaun Muir’s outfit will hope that Scott Redding can turn his form around after a wretched first five rounds of 2023; 12 months ago, Redding’s tenacity took him to a first rostrum with BMW and Donington Park is always a circuit that both Redding and the M1000RR go well at. However, the other side of the garage is where Donington Park’s hero really is. Tom Sykes has got a staggering record, with nine straight wins being a record for any rider on any circuit in WorldSBK history. Now with BMW as a stand-in for injured Michael van der Mark, Sykes took two podiums at Donington Park when he last raced for the team. Despite not taking a top ten in his first round back with the team at Misano, it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if Sykes sprinkled the old Donington magic this weekend.
Elsewhere on the grid, Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) gets to race at home; he wildcarded at Donington Park on a BSB-spec bike in 2018 and scored points, whilst he has three BSB wins to his name at the Donington Park circuit, including his first ever win in the class back in 2018. After a technical issue halted a strong Race 2 at Misano, Ray is beginning to find his feet.
REMAINDER OF THE TOP TEN: it’s closing up everywhere
After a first rostrum of the season and outscoring two of the four riders ahead of him in the Championship, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) is only three points behind Jonathan Rea and 21 behind Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), who is third. Bassani will look to continue his form at the quirky British circuit, whilst behind him, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will hope to bounce back after missing the Misano podium after a fall in Race 2, with his future being a big talking point of late. He’s 27 points behind the Independent Ducati of Bassani.
There’s plenty more fighting behind with Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in seventh as he returns to the circuit at which he took a double in WorldSSP last year; he’s one point ahead of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC), who struggled at the track last year but between rounds, he’s been testing at Suzuka. Alex Lowes is ninth whilst Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) returns to Donington Park, the first time on Superbike machinery. He’s tied on points with Iker Lecuona (Team HRC), who is fresh from Assen MotoGP™ duties.
SURPRISE FROM BEHIND? Plenty of battles further down
One of the interesting Independent battles is between Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and the rider who was previously at the team for three seasons, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW). The Australian and the American are split by just eight points, but with Gerloff clearly the top BMW in recent rounds, his best result coming at Donington Park and the BMW’s past success at the circuit, those two could be swapped around come the end of the weekend. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) is only five points adrift of Gerloff, too. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) has been twice a podium finisher at Donington Park with two second places in 2014 but is yet to take a top ten in 2023.
Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) had potential at Misano and wants to continue that this weekend, whilst Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) and teammate Eric Granado likewise hope for good results. Having missed Misano, Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) will be back in action. Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) also search for their first points of 2023.
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Source: WorldSBK.com