Three rounds in July ended the first part of the season as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship reached its summer break, but the drama continued right up until the chequered flag in Race 2. It was a rain-affected Czech Round but the Autodrom Most saved the most dramatic moments until the final stages of the weekend after an incredible Race 2. Catch up on all the action from both Race 1 and Race 2 HERE and watch highlights from a stunning Tissot Superpole Race on YouTube – don’t forget to subscribe!

Race 2 was thrilling affair between Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), with the #1 battling from fourth to the lead whilst the Turk started from P1. For several laps, the reigning World Champion tried as hard as he could to pass the #54 into Turn 1 with the 2021 Champion able to resist, including a mesmerising late-braking show around the outside at the first chicane. The battle raged until the Yamaha star crashed on the exit of Turn 2 on Lap 17 due to a rear tyre failure, ending his hopes of cutting the title gap to 44 points. It allowed Bautista to claim his 50^th WorldSBK and also his 18^th victory of 2023, becoming the rider with most wins in a single season, beating Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Doug Polen’s record of 17.

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As the sun loungers begin to be stored away for another season, the umbrellas folded down and the beach towels washed, the WorldSBK break is certainly drawing to a close. That means a return to track action, as well as potential announcements for the 2024 grid. Whilst the silly season rumour mill has certainly not stopped, one key seat up for grabs and to be announced in the coming weeks will be the second factory Ducati seat in the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team. We’ve been told ‘after summer’ so far and one rider is making the headlines for the seat: Nicolo Bulega, and he’s got the backing of the current factory riders too. Get your full run-down of all silly-season gossip here, with over half the grid and half of the factory seats still to be filled.

It’s been a stellar season for Bulega in the FIM Supersport World Championship, with the #11 giving Ducati a first win in WorldSSP since 2005 at Phillip Island’s season-opener, and he’s been the rider to beat ever since. Nine wins in total, four other podiums and a 46-point lead in the Championship standings over Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), it’s easy to see why Bulega is being touted as Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) teammate for next year. Another reason is that he’s enjoyed several tests, where he impressed Ducati Corse General Manager Gigi Dall’Igna, who hailed the 23-year-old as “quite fast” on track.

BULEGA CALM: a big move to a dream seat for 2024?

Coming from the horse’s mouth, Bulega previously provided an update on his future at Most: “Nothing; I just want to stay focused on my Championship as now, it’s the most important. The future is also important but I just want to focus on the present and let my manager and the team do their work.” Prior to that, Previously, Stefano Cecconi, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team principal, said it “makes sense” to see Bulega in WorldSBK for 2024 and that is “regardless” of 2023’s end result in World Supersport.

Speaking previously about his seat being at risk, Rinaldi stated Bulega deserves a chance: “I think that on Ducati’s side, it can be a move that is normal and for sure, I wouldn’t be upset. It’s normal that a young guy like Nicolo deserves a chance; I think that for him, it could be risky to go straight to a factory seat but if I was in his shoes, I’d do it because who says no to a factory team?”

Teammate Alvaro Bautista echoed Rinaldi’s sentiments: “I read the rumours; I think Bulega is a nice rider and he’s very fast, doing well in WorldSSP. For sure, he wants to go to WorldSBK next year but I don’t know where or with which team. He deserves an opportunity to come to WorldSBK and show his potential.”

Keeping coy, Serafino Foti – team manager for the team in the WorldSBK class – named Bulega as a candidate,whilst remaining open to the fact that others are in the running before a decision should be made at Magny-Cours: “We have some options, but Bulega could be the option at the moment. We haven’t made any decision yet and I think we won’t announce our 2024 line-up until Magny-Cours.”

RINALDI’S FUTURE: a change to come?

It’s not been the strongest of seasons for the four-time race winner, of which three have been achieved in factory Ducati colours since 2021 – in fact, they all came in 2021. Since then, podiums have been bagged but the #21 has struggled to challenge teammate Alvaro Bautista or even stay in touch with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) at times, as the Independent rider is ahead of him by some distance in the Championship. 

“I don’t know yet,” began Rinaldi when talking of his future at Most, with nothing decided. “I’m quiet for now and we’ll see what’s going to happen. From Ducati, there’s no rush to sign and they haven’t said to me yes or no. We are working to see what our other options can be in case they tell me ‘no’. Last year, we decided in September, which was too late, as I didn’t have another seat available. This year, I tried to find a solution before and for sure I’ll try to stay with this family. However, at this moment, I’m peaceful and I just want to ride the bike and find a good feeling with that.”

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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship visited the Autodrom Most for the last round before the summer break and the action was intense as it was dramatic. For one rider, it meant he went into the break on a high after outscoring all his rivals by ending a 252-day wait for victory. Catch up on all the Race 1 and Race 2 HERE and watch highlights from a classic Tissot Superpole Race on YouTube – don’t forget to subscribe to the channel too!

Race 1 at the Autodrom Most was unpredictable after a rain shower shortly before the start mixed-up the tyre strategies and choices on the grid. The correct choice was to go with the intermediate tyres: lose time at the start but make up a whole heap of ground on your rivals when the wet-tyre runners started to struggle and would eventually come into the pits, adhering to the minimum pit intervention time of 58s. This is exactly what Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) did as he stormed to a first win of the season, and a first victory since Race 1 at Phillip Island last year. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) slashed Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) Championship lead down to 54 points from 70, with the Spaniard starting on wets and then losing an additional 18s in the pitlane after a front tyre change problem.

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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is enjoying a well-deserved break in August, and before the French Round hosts the first event after the holidays, we caught up with Serafino Foti, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati’s Team Manager, to look back at 2023 so far. Alvaro Bautista’s record-breaking first eight rounds, his potential teammate and much more, it’s been eventful for Ducati. The reigning Champion is currently first in the standings whilst teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi is seventh.

“ALVARO DID AN AMAZING JOB… RINALDI WAS UNLUCKY” – mixed fortunes

Bautista broke records at Most, the last round before the summer break, as he took his 18^th win of the season. He stands alone after he beat Jonathan Rea and Doug Polen’s previous record of 17 victories in a single campaign, whilst he also hit the milestone of 50 wins in his WorldSBK career. The #1 heads into the summer break on top with a 74-point advantage over Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK). On the other side of the box, Rinaldi sits seventh in the standings after an up-and-down campaign. The #21 has scored five podiums this season but also had four retirements to his name.

Summing up both riders’ seasons, Foti said: “Alvaro did an amazing job, he’s won 18 races and, this year, he reached 50 WorldSBK wins. This is amazing in two and a half years with Ducati. It’s incredible. We know our potential, and now it’s time to disconnect. I think, after the summer break, we will be stronger. To be honest, this year, Rinaldi was unlucky. Sometimes he was in front, sometimes he crashed, and he was also inconsistent. He has unbelievable potential. We’ve seen the data and he is so fast. He needs to disconnect. I hope, at the end of the season, he can fight for the podium in every race.”

“BULEGA COULD BE THE OPTION” – Rinaldi’s future hangs in the balance

Bautista’s future was secured at the Catalunya Round when he inked a one-year deal with the Bologna-based manufacturer to race in red next season. However, the name of his teammate is still unknown. Several riders, including Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) have expressed an interest in joining a factory team for 2024, while Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) has tested the V4 R on several occasions. Team Principal Stefano Cecconi said it “makes sense” to see Bulega in WorldSBK next year.

Whilst not giving much away, Foti explained when a decision could be made by, and name-dropped one rider in his answer. He said: “We have some options, but Bulega could be the option at the moment. We haven’t made any decision yet and I think we won’t announce our 2024 line-up until Magny-Cours.”

“WE WILL BE STRONGER THAN THE BEGINNING OF THE SEASON” – Foti sends warning to rivals

At the end of August, several teams will head to MotorLand Aragon for a two-day test just over a week before competitive action resumes at Magny-Cours. It will be a chance for everyone to get back in form after the August break while it will also be an opportunity for teams to work on and refine their packages for the final four rounds of the season.

Giving a preview of the test, Foti commented: “We reserved the track because it’s our track. Some other teams are coming. We need to work on the setup of the bike, because after the rpm was reduced, we need to adjust some things. We’ll work on this. As I said, we will be stronger than at the beginning of the season.”

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Ondrej Vostatek will return to the FIM Supersport World Championship with the PTR Triumph outfit from the French Round onwards as he completes the 2023 season with the team. Having returned to WorldSSP action last time out at his home round, the Prague-born rider will see out the current campaign with the British manufacturer in place of Harry Truelove after he and the team parted ways after the Czech Round.

Truelove started the campaign on the Triumph Street Triple RS 765 machine and took a best result of 11^th in the season-opening Race 1 at Phillip Island. His season kicked off in strong fashion, but it would turn out to be his only points-scoring race of the season and he missed the Czech Round through injuries sustained in a Donington Park crash; he did compete at Imola but recorded two retirements. Following the visit to Most, the team announced that they had amicably split with Truelove. 

Vostatek, who turns 19 before the French Round, was originally slated to ride for the team as a wildcard at Most but took Truelove’s place, finishing 16^th in Race 1 and retiring from Race 2. He showed impressive speed at his home circuit and has WorldSSP experience to his name already having raced on Yamaha machinery in 2021 and 2022. He had been a regular points scorer throughout his time on the YZF-R6, including a best result of 10^th on two occasions: in both races at the Circuito Estoril.

The Czech rider will now step into Truelove’s shoes for the final four rounds of the season at Magny-Cours, Aragon, Portimao and Jerez; all circuits he has raced at before in WorldSSP albeit on Yamaha machinery not Triumph. His best result across all four tracks came at Portimao when he secured 15^th in Race 1 in 2021 with IXS-YART Yamaha and in 2022 with MS Racing Yamaha WorldSSP.

Explaining the decision to bring in Vostatek in Truelove’s place, Team Manager Simon Buckmaster said: “We always want to succeed with every rider that rides for us, but after so many years of riding an inline four-cylinder machine it was difficult for Harry to adapt to our bike, so we have mutually decided to go our separate ways. It’s such a shame we couldn’t make it work but it’s in everybody’s best interests not to keep going. After seven rounds together, track days and testing with the team, we’ve just not been able to find that solution for Harry and for us as a team to achieve what we’d hoped to achieve together. We wish Harry all the best for whatever he does racing wise in the future, and we want to thank him for all his efforts.

“We are pleased that Ondrej Vostatek will join us for the rest of the season. He showed great promise as a substitute rider at Most when Harry Truelove was injured, and we are optimistic he can show us what he can do. We had a meeting at Horice in the Czech Republic last week and signed the deal for him to test with us at Aragon and do the last four rounds. We are looking forward to working with Ondrej, he is young and has great potential. We want to work as best we can as a team to realise that potential and we are looking forward to getting started.”

Talking about his return to WorldSSP, Vostatek commented: “I’m really happy that I get a chance like this to continue with PTR Triumph for the rest of the season. I’m excited and I will put in maximum effort to make a best result.”

Truelove said about his departure: “It’s been a tricky year obviously, adapting to the Triumph hasn’t gone as we would have liked. The team and I have tried as much as we can to get a good feeling, however this has not come. For this reason, we have decided to part ways. I wish the team the best of luck for the remaining rounds, and I’d like to thank them for the opportunity.”

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Five manufacturers are fighting it out for MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship glory in 2023, including Honda. Although this season has been a challenge for Team HRC’s Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge, the latter was able to secure the Japanese manufacturer’s only podium this season so far in Indonesia. You can view some of the intricate details from Honda’s 2023 challenger in the gallery at the top of this article!

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Imola, Italy. Historic and iconic, it has a special place in the hearts of everyone in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship family. After four years away, World Superbike action was back and the Prometeon Italian Round didn’t disappoint. A huge title race twist turned the Championship’s outlook on its head, whilst a strong home contingency put on a dazzling show. You can enjoy our Round Recap from Imola here, whilst the Tissot Superpole Race is available FOR FREE on YouTube – make sure you SUBSCRIBE for the latest content!

It was an all-action start in Race 1 at Imola, marking an epic opening few laps on our return. However, it would go the way of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who delivered a perfect home win for Ducati. In the Superpole Race, it was an epic showdown thriller with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) beating Bautista in the final two laps. However, the big talking point came in Race 2, when the Championship leader crashed out at Turn 1; this left Razgatlioglu clear to win… but Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) had other ideas. He led for the majority of the race against his Turkish rival, only for Toprak to battle his way to the front with three to go, taking a first feature-length race win of the season ahead of Bassani and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). The Championship gap came down to 70 points.

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The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has been a spectacular show at each and every round and the Prosecco DOC UK Round was absolutely no exception. The sixth round of the season would prove to be a special one too, with the return of the ‘titanic trio’ at the head of the field, a comeback to winning ways and a battle to a career-first podium in World Superbike for one of our big-name rookies. The Round Recap for Donington Park can be found here, whilst the Superpole Race is FREE on YouTube – don’t forget to hit that subscribe button!

Race 1 saw Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) fight hard with Championship leader Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) but even at one his favourite tracks, the 2021 World Champion couldn’t resist the Spaniard, who won Race 1. However, he was on for a record-breaking 12^th consecutive win of the year, but Razgatlioglu had other ideas. The Turkish star battled with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the closing stages, getting ahead of the home-hero, whilst Bautista pinched P2 on the last lap from the #65. It was a win for Toprak however, as he got back to the top step. In Race 2, Bautista took the win ahead of Razgatlioglu, but it was fans’ favourite Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) who returned to Donington Park after more than a decade to take a first WorldSBK podium, with scenes of elation in Parc Ferme. Team boss Marco Barnabo’s outfit was back on the rostrum after five long years, with ‘Petrux’ now aiming for victory.

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With mixed results and a long injury lay-off for one of their riders, the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has been a challenge for BMW and the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. The German manufacturer currently sits fifth in the Manufacturers’ Championship after eight rounds of the season and, ahead of the summer break, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers reviewed the year so far.

“A ROLLERCOASTER RIDE, WE EXPECTED MORE” – not ideal for BMW in 2023

Scott Redding claimed BMW’s best result of 2023 with fourth at Donington Park and Most, but the Brit is yet to repeat his podium success of last season. On the other side of the box, Michael van der Mark has missed half the year after fracturing his left femur at Assen. The team used Ivo Lopes, Tom Sykes and Leon Haslam in the rounds he missed with the Dutchman making his return at Most, the final round before the summer break.

Expanding on BMW’s campaign so far, Bongers said: “It’s been quite a rollercoaster ride, really. We had Michael injured at the beginning of the season which was sad. It was good to see him back at Most just before the summer break. We couldn’t expect a lot from him yet but, for us, it was important for him to see where he’s at. For the next five weeks in the summer break, he can concentrate on his physical fitness. It’s important to have him back. For the rest, the season has been slightly disappointing in terms of results. We expected more.

“We’ve had quite a few unlucky races where we had terrible Superpole results, for example in the last three rounds we’ve been pestered by yellow flags. The field is so competitive in the middle that if you don’t qualify well, it determines the results of your weekend. There are quite a few races where we’re happy with the pace. We’ve had some highlights with a fourth place at Donington, a fourth place at Most which was a very good ride from Scott. We’ve gathered a lot of information and we go into the summer break with some ideas for development. Then again, the summer break is short and already we have to start concentrating on 2024.”

“WE HOPE TO COME OUT OF THE SUMMER BREAK WITH NEW GOODIES” – new parts coming?

BMW introduced an updated M1000RR model for 2023, featuring upgrades compared to its predecessor, most notably, an overhauled aero package, although results haven’t been coming for the German manufacturer. Redding’s two fourth places the highlight, whilst Tom Sykes was competitive at Donington Park – as always – when he replaced van der Mark. Bongers expanded on where he would like to see BMW find progress including at an upcoming test at MotorLand Aragon, scheduled for the end of August.

“The bike at this level is such a complicated puzzle,” stated Bongers. “You can’t leave one stone unturned. You have to develop in every single area, so chassis, engine, electronics, aerodynamics… parts are very limited due to the regulations. We have gained super concessions so we hope to come out of the summer break with new goodies in terms of chassis, which will hopefully make the next step.”

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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is eight rounds down in 2023 and with most of the paddock taking a well-earned break – except for those who have gone to Silverstone or Suzuka, for example – it’s time to look at some moments that might have gone under the radar this season. 2023 really has had it all, with history made, shock results, HUGE surprises and some moments that should not be forgotten.

VIERGE’S FIRST PODIUM: taking advantage of chaos to claim P3

There are several reasons to remember Mandalika Race 2. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had looked in control at the front of the field, but he dropped back as the encounter progressed after being unable to change his tyres under red flag conditions. The Italian dropped behind teammate Alvaro Bautista first and then Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) as he demoted the #21 into third. Worse was to come for Rinaldi as he ran wide at Turn 10, allowing Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) to pass him for P3. Vierge held on for a maiden podium and Team HRC’s first – and, so far, only – of the 2023 season. Sadly for the Spaniard, neither he nor Honda have looked like reaching those heights again this year but they will be hoping the summer break brings a change of fortune after returning to the top ten at Most.

HOME COMFORTS, HOME HERO: Bassani narrowly misses out on victory

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) has made a huge step forward again in 2023 as he’s become a more regular frontrunner on his Independent Panigale V4 R. Sometimes, racing in front of your own fans can add pressure but the #47 seems to thrive in these conditions and he took his first podium of the year at Misano. However, it was Imola where he really stole the show. He led in both feature-length races, with Race 2 where he came so close to victory. He fought with Razgatlioglu after Bautista’s Lap 1 tumble with the #54 only passing him with a handful of laps to go. Unable to respond, Bassani settled for second and, surely, his first win is just around the corner?

FROM DESPAIR TO JUBILATION: Petrucci bounces back from Misano difficulties

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) endured a tough start to his rookie campaign and, after Misano when he crashed chasing a first podium, the Italian was questioning his decision to join WorldSBK. Fast forward a month to Donington Park and that had all changed. His pace at Misano was strong but without results. In the UK, it was strong AND he got the results. Fourth in Race 1 was followed up with fifth in the Superpole Race, before he stunned for a maiden podium in Race 2 as he took third. He was only eight seconds down from victory, but his first podium has opened the floodgates. He missed out at Imola, but he took two rostrums at Most with third in Race 1 and second in Race 2 to continue his strong form. Like Bassani, Petrucci is on the cusp of a first World Superbike win and, with it, a place in the history books.

A BEST RESULT OF 2023: Redding rejoices at Donington with fourth

In 2022, Donington Park kickstarted an incredible run of form for Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and it looks like history has repeated itself. Before hitting the UK Round, the 30-year-old was on a run of six races outside the top ten but that changed on home soil. He was eighth in Race 1 and ninth in the Superpole Race. Race 2 was the highlight, however, as he surged up the order to finish fourth – his best result of the season after repeating it at Most – and only two seconds away from a podium. Since Donington, Redding has been in the top ten in eight out of nine races including P4 at Most after starting from the pitlane in Race 1 to change to intermediate tyres.

A HOME PODIUM: Locatelli impresses at Imola… but it shouldn’t be a surprise

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) is enjoying his best season in WorldSBK in terms of podiums with six to his name this season, the same number he scored in 2021 and 2022 combined. Prior to the Italian Round at Imola, ‘Loka’ had competed on home soil nine times and scored a best result of sixth but that changed in July. Fourth in Race 1, when he led, was followed up by third in the Superpole Race – his first rostrum on home soil. He was then fourth again in Race 2. He led in the first two races at Imola, showing he can and will fight at the front, and he’s currently locked in a fierce fight with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) for third in the Championship.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Oettl in Australia, Ray at Imola, Rinaldi at Misano

With the season starting in Australia, there was scope for surprises and Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) delivered at Phillip Island. He was quick throughout the Official Test and converted that into fifth in Race 2; his best WorldSBK result to date. At Misano, Rinaldi enjoyed the highlight of his season as he took two podiums in Race 1 and the Superpole Race, finishing behind teammate Bautista in two Ducati 1-2s. Staying in Italy but moving to Imola, Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) had a breakthrough weekend as he consistently fought for the top six. Although he dropped back in Race 1 and the Superpole Race, the reigning British champion remained in contention in Race 2 as he finished in sixth.

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