Two weeks on from the start of the 2023 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship at the TT Circuit Assen and the Championship returns to action for the Prosecco DOC Catalunya Round and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. History was made last time out in the Netherlands and there was plenty of drama throughout both races. Barcelona has, in the past, been a circuit where races are decided not at the final corner but right at the finish line and, following the last-lap battles at Assen, that could happen again in 2023.
SVOBODA AT THE DOUBLE: more success for the Czech rider?
Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) claimed his first victory in WorldSSP300 at Assen in Race 1 and then doubled up with Race 2 victory a day later. Not only were they his first wins in the Championship, they were his first podiums, and he will be looking to continue that run in Barcelona. He’s raced there twice, both in 2021, with a bet result of 25th to his name when on Yamaha machinery. Only one previous winner at the Barcelona-Catalunya circuit is on the grid with Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) aiming to make it two wins at the Spanish venue. It’s a track where MTM Kawasaki have gone well at in the past four wins in six races; can the team make it five with either Buis or rookie Loris Veneman?
AIMING HIGH AFTER ASSEN: looking to return to the podium
Five different riders stood on the Assen rostrum with only Svoboda a repeat visitor last time out. In Race 1, he was joined by Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) and Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) while, in Race 2, it was Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team), who has two top-six finishes in Barcelona, and polesitter Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) joining him. There was a large group of riders fighting for success at Assen and the unpredictable nature of the Championship was on display with more of this to be expected in Barcelona.
BARCELONA PODIUMS IN 2022: looking to repeat success
Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) stunned the WorldSSP300 paddock in 2022 when he recorded a podium finish in Race 1 in Barcelona in his first start as he made his debut as a wildcard. Returning for a full campaign in 2023, after switching to Kawasaki machinery, could Garcia repeat his podium success this year? Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) was another who took a rostrum finish last season and, after showing strong pace throughout 2022 and at the 2023 season opener, the Italian will be looking for his first podium of the season.
LOOKING FOR A 2023 BREAKTHROUGHT: will Barcelona kickstart some campaigns?
In previous WorldSSP300 campaigns, Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) has often had to fight his way back through the field after a disappointing Tissot Superpole result, but Assen flipped that on its head. He took second in Saturday’s Superpole session but two crashes in the early stages of both Race 1 and Race 2 ended his charge. Can Lehmann combine his Superpole speed from Assen with his race craft from 2022 to secure a strong result for KTM?
RIDER CHANGES: Hendra Pratama returns as two riders wildcard
The Sublime Racing by MS Racing team will field Indonesian rider Galang Hendra Pratama at the Catalunya Round alongside Clement Rouge. Hendra Pratama is known by the team from a season in WorldSSP in the bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing squad, while he also has two wins in WorldSSP300 to his name from three campaigns. Two riders will make wildcard appearances in Barcelona with two different teams. Unai Calatayud returns with the Arco Motor University Team at the circuit he debuted at last year, while Ivan Bolano Hernandez joins the Deza-Box 77 Racing Team squad for the Catalunya Round alongside Jose Manuel Osuna Saez.
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Source: WorldSBK.com