The FIM Supersport World Championship will reach the halfway stage of 2023 when Donington Park hosts Round 6 of the campaign, with everything set for an incredible showdown in the United Kingdom. The Prosecco DOC UK Round will also feature the return of Suzuki to WorldSSP for the first time since Most in 2021 as the Japanese manufacturer has a wildcard outing in the United Kingdom. At the top of the standings, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will be looking to increase his lead but his rivals will be out to catch him.
CAN MANZI STRIKE AGAIN? Yamaha territory in recent campaigns…
Bulega made his first Donington appearance last year with third in Race 2 but he crashed out of Race 1 at Turn 11 for a mixed 2022 in the UK. With six wins in ten races so far this season, Bulega is in sensational form as he hunts a WorldSBK seat in 2024. However, Donington in recent years has belonged to Yamaha with Dominique Aegerter, Jules Cluzel and Sandro Cortese winning there in the last four races held. After his stunning last lap win last time out at Misano, will Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) be able to continue Yamaha’s British winning streak?
With one podium to their name already in 2023, Triumph will be aiming for a first home victory in WorldSSP with Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph), teammate Harry Truelove and wildcard Eugene McManus (Completely Motorbikes Triumph) all aiming to put the British manufacturer on top. Elsewhere, British riders John McPhee (Vince64 by Puccetti Racing), Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) and Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) want to give the passionate British crowd something to cheer at Donington. Booth-Amos won at Donington in British Supersport this season as he does a dual campaign.
MV AGUSTA: a first Donington Park podium incoming?
Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Bahattin Sofuoglu have been two standout riders this season with both regularly competing for podiums. MV Agusta are yet to taste success, either a win or rostrum visit, at Donington but could that change in 2023? Both Schroetter and Sofuoglu have shown formidable race pace, especially in the closing stages of races. Turkish star Sofuoglu raced at Donington last year, taking 15th place in Race 1, while it will be a first visit to Schroetter. The German rider has not been outside the top five since the first race of the campaign, with three podiums in the last four races, and he will be looking to continue that run in the UK.
SUZUKI RETURN: a wildcard run for the seventh manufacturer in 2023
Suzuki’s presence in WorldSSP in recent seasons has been limited to wildcard and one-off appearances and this is the case in 2023 too. Ireland’s Rhys Irwin brings his Astro-JJR Suzuki squad from the British championship to the world stage for his debut; running the Suzuki GSXR750 machine in WorldSSP. Suzuki will become the seventh manufacturer to compete in World Supersport this season. Irwin competed at Donington in the British Supersport championship but only scored two points; he is fifth in the standings, however.
RIDER NEWS: the latest updates from the WorldSSP grid
There have been some rider changes for the Donington grid in WorldSSP. One-time race winner Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) continues to recover from an injury sustained at Assen and he is replaced by 2017 Champion Lucas Mahias once again. Apiwath Wongthananon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) is absent for the second consecutive round although his replacement is yet to be announced; at Misano, it was Ratthapong Wilairot.
Watch all the WorldSSP action from Donington Park using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Source: WorldSBK.com