Two weeks on from an incredible FIM Supersport World Championship weekend at Imola and the Championship bursts back into action at the Autodrom Most for the Acerbis Czech Round. It’s a circuit that has provided plenty of drama in the past two years and 2023 promises more of the same as the title race intensifies. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) took a chunk out of Nicolo Bulega’s (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) standings lead and Most has, traditionally, been a Yamaha circuit with surprises never far away – will it serve as another pivotal round this year?
HAS THE MOMENTUM CHANGED? Manzi’s double puts pressure on Bulega
Bulega headed into Imola with a 55-point lead in the title fight, but a Manzi double slashed that to just 41 points; the pair head into Round 8 with their own ambitions, and whilst 41 remains a lot, it can be sliced further in a blink of an eye. Yamaha have won all four races held with Steven Odendaal, Dominque Aegerter and Lorenzo Baldassarri sharing them, while pole position has only been held by Yamaha riders. Will Manzi reduce the gap further heading into the summer break, or can Bulega break Yamaha’s Most dominance? There’s only been one Ducati podium, coming from Bulega last year, whilst Manzi was keen to shine on the Triumph 12 months ago with a double podium. The form guide is pointing to Manzi making more ground up.
A DEBUTANT HOPING TO SHINE: can Dalla Porta lead Evan Bros. back to the top at Most?
Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) will make his debut at the Autodrom Most as he steps in for the rest of 2023 in place of Andrea Mantovani at the challenging Czech circuit, and he’ll be aiming to take the Evan Bros. Yamaha squad back to the top of WorldSSP. The team won twice at Most in 2022 thanks to Baldassarri whilst Steven Odendaal gave them a victory the year before, so it’s a track they’ve shone at in the past. Will the 2019 Moto3™ World Champion get his WorldSSP career off to a flying start like so many before him and if so, how much of a spoiler could he go on to be in the overall title fight?
FIGHTING FOR THIRD: Caricasulo aiming to close the gap on Schroetter
Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) sits third in the standings in his rookie campaign, but he faces the third consecutive circuit he has not raced at, after Donington Park and Imola. He was on the podium in the latter but two P8 finishes and a retirement in his last four means he’s lost ground to Manzi in the standings. He’ll need to be looking over his shoulder as Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) closes in on the German for third overall; the Italian has raced at Most in the last two years and finished in the top-six on three occasions and he’ll be hoping his experience counts over Schroetter as he searches for third in the standings. Caricasulo will also be looking to springboard back into front-running pace after a double DNF at home last time out.
THE BATTLE FOR FIFTH: 21 points separating eight riders…
Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) has hit stunning form in the last two rounds with four top-six finishes in the last five races. It’s his best run since he graduated to WorldSSP, and he went two better in WorldSSP300 with six consecutive top-six finishes between Assen Race 1 and Magny-Cours Race 2, including a sixth and a fifth at Most. Another strong result could see him surge into the top ten in the standings, but he’ll face tough competition again. Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) aims consolidate his place in the top ten, with a tightly packed group fighting for fifth in the standings. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) leads his battle with 21 points separating the Turk and Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 12th. Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph), Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team), Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) will all be looking for strong results at Most to strengthen their grips on a top ten position.
RIDER NEWS FOR MOST: changes to the grid
Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) remains on the sidelines with 2017 Champion Lucas Mahias stepping in once again. Home hero Ondrej Vostatek makes his return to WorldSSP with the PTR Triumph squad. Initially scheduled to take part as a wildcard, the Czech rider will take Harry Truelove’s place as the Brit recovers from injuries sustained at Donington Park. Austria’s Thomas Gradinger also returns to the Championship with a wildcard appearance as he lines up with the Eder Racing outfit; Gradinger was a podium finisher at Assen back in 2019.
Four riders will need to be declared fit to race at Most. Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing) is one of these and he recently raced at Most in the German championship, taking victory. Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph), Yuta Okaya (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) and Apiwath Wongthananon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) are the other three; for Tuuli in particular, it’s a sense of repetition, as Most was the venue for his comeback last year too, after his nasty crash at Estoril.
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Source: WorldSBK.com