The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is into the second half of the year and there’s plenty of speculation about what 2024 might bring. With it being the point of the season where “silly season” is at its highest – or craziest – the rumours surrounding next year are affecting all teams. However, there are exciting developments at Motocorsa Racing. For a full look at what 2024 IS already looking like and COULD evolve to be, check out our silly season run-down so far, here!

Lorenzo Mauri’s team currently field the effervescent Axel Bassani, with the Italian having his best season yet with 179 points, two podiums and P5 in the standings thus far. Bassani is also the second Ducati and top Independent rider and the team are just one point behind the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK team in the battle for best Independent outfit with fifth overall, ahead of the likes of Team HRC and the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. Battling for victory at Imola before ultimately finishing second behind Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), Bassani is in a riding the crest of a wave, but what does that mean for Motocorsa Racing?

“WE’RE WAITING FOR AXEL” – Bassani priority number one for Motocorsa Racing in 2024

“About 2024, we are waiting for Axel and his manager, Alberto’s decision to make a decision about us, too,” began team principal Lorenzo Mauri, who is in his fourth season in WorldSBK, the third with Bassani. “We have not given them a deadline to let us know. I have spoken with Alberto, his manager, telling him ‘if you get a deal with someone, let me know’.”

Axel Bassani’s manager is none other than Alberto Vergani, who also manages riders such Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and WorldSSP front-runner Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team). In the past, Vergani also managed riders such as 2011 WorldSBK Champion Carlos Checa, 2011’s runner-up Marco Melandri and recently in WorldSBK, Sandro Cortese. Vergani had previously stated that “no factory team” was interested in Bassani for 2024.

ABOUT MOTOCORSA RACING: a fine history in WorldSBK

Motocorsa Racing graduated to WorldSBK from the CIV Superbike championship in Italy during 2020, when Leandro Mercado returned to Ducati machinery and raced for the team. With a best result of P10 achieved twice in a season mired by injury, Bassani was promoted in 2021 and within three rounds, a top six finisher before a stunning podium in Barcelona after leading a race for the first time.

For 2022, Bassani remained and was a contender from the start, with consistency improving and podiums coming in the second half of the season, with the 23-year-old making it clear he wanted to replace Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on the factory bike for this year. So, the #47 stayed another year with the team that gave him his big break and he’s been nothing short of sensational; battling for podiums, victories and finishing every single race (apart from Barcelona’s Superpole Race, when he was tenth) in the points, Bassani is once again looking for an opportunity on a factory bike, although it seems that Motocorsa is also a likely option.

LOOKING TO 2024: “Several riders are knocking on the door… MotoGP™ riders”

Continuing to discuss his team’s possibilities for 2024, Mauri stated a potential expansion and big names from MotoGP could be on the horizon: “Several riders are knocking on the door of our team. Probably, we’ll have two bikes but firstly, I want to understand what Axel is going to do. Most of these riders are riders from the Grand Prix paddock, so MotoGP™ riders, former MotoGP™, Moto2™ and Moto3™. It is a good reward for the work we have been doing for eight years.”

IS THE MANIAC COMING BACK? Perhaps, but Mauri rules out Iannone

One riders’ name keeps coming up and that is Andrea Iannone, but could he fit at Motocorsa? It would be against the ethos of Mauri’s outfit if so: “I don’t think Iannone has taken us into consideration. In the press, I read that probably he spoke with Barni, Ducati and GoEleven. I don’t know Andera Iannone; our policy is to have a younger rider with less experience. We’re doing things that don’t happen because we are lucky.”

Watch round highlights from our return to Imola here and enjoy 2023 with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The seventh round of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is banked and what a round it was. We knew Imola was going to be special but nobody could’ve predicted how it’d shake out come the close of the weekend. From the biggest mistake by the Championship leader, a long-awaited full race win and rev limits talking, this week’s hot headlines are more speziato than usual.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducat): “I was a bit stupid… maybe I got to Race 2 with too much confidence”

A first race crash of 2023 down to his own error, Championship leader Alvaro Bautista cited a possible touch of over-confidence as the reason why: “I touched the white line. I did many laps touching the white line but maybe not on the first lap. It was my mistake because I made a good start, and I defended the first corner very well. When I did the change of direction, I went more inside and maybe I trusted it a lot on the first lap. I crashed. It was my fault. I have to learn from that. No drama but I was a bit stupid because I think it was a bit of a combination of everything. I fought with Toprak in the Superpole Race so maybe I got to Race 2 with too much confidence. Sometimes, this isn’t good. Sunday has been a good lesson to show me that I can improve as a rider and I can improve my management of the situation.”

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing): “I tried… but Toprak is Toprak!”

A valiant effort from home-hero Axel Bassani, who led for most of Race 2, but was denied: “I tried! I had a good feeling, so I tried to manage the race, do my pace but Toprak is Toprak! I tried to beat him but we’ll see next time. The bike of Toprak was a little bit better, it was my first time at the front, so it’s not easy to manage the race. Toprak did his job, his 100%, he put some distance between us but it’s normal, it’s racing. I tried to stay in front of Jonny and it’s OK to be P2 here at Imola. It’s a really difficult track for me but I am happy to arrive to as first Ducati. I think we did our job today! It’s not easy when you have Jonny behind but now, I feel good with him there because we’ve battled a lot in the past. The same for Toprak; I enjoy battling with them.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK): “Finally! I’m surprised Alvaro crashed… the Championship isn’t finished”

Winning a feature race for the first time in 2023, the monkey is now off Toprak Razgatlioglu’s back: “This year, finally! I’ve waited for this moment for many weekends! I am surprised Alvaro crashed at Turn 3, it was a strange crash. He touched the white line because after two laps, I did the same and the feeling was that I lost the front and rear, but I didn’t crash. I am happy as I’ve waited every weekend for this, I tried to ride alone after Alvaro crashed but Axel was very strong. I kept the rear tyre, started to follow him and then passed him in the last three laps. I didn’t take any risks because for me, it was a very important race.”

However, his Superpole Race win was more memorable in his words, whilst he’s not giving up on title #2 just yet: “I had a better win in the Superpole Race because Alvaro is very strong and had very good pace. I caught him and passed him at Turn 9, where he wasn’t as strong. He rode the last lap very well and into the last chicane, I felt him very close and coming out of Turn 19, there’s a big screen and I saw him very close! I tried hard braking into the final chicane and didn’t stop easy! I took the win; it’s very special because after 0.5s gap, I closed to up to him and passed him. 70 points is a lot but the Championship is not finished; I’m focused race by race like 2021, just trying to win.”

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “I don’t understand my team or Kawasaki’s direction…”

Speaking about Kawasaki’s rev limit increase that they’re not using and a potential engine upgrade later in the year, Jonathan Rea was slightly confused by his team’s strategy regarding the situation: “I have no idea, technically, you’ll have to speak with my team. 500rpm helps as you can be more aggressive with the final gearing, be much shorter with the acceleration as you have more over-rev. I guess with the camshaft, this will be a better spec so maybe we’ll generate more power but I don’t know. I’m surmising now, so speak with the team. I don’t understand my team or Kawasaki’s direction with this is though, because obviously, we need to get concession points first before we can get this final piece, but the idea is to be on the podium and trying to fight for race wins which doesn’t get the concession points needed; we need to be competitive. I hope we don’t get it because I hope that means we’re doing a good job and don’t need them. It’s a strange one.”

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “Alvaro is doing a great job… we, as Ducati, are paying the price”

Three top five results for a consistent Michael Ruben Rinaldi, who also touched on the rev limits topic: “I think that Alvaro is doing a great job and he deserves what we’re achieving. We, as Ducati, are paying that price by getting the revs reduced. We’ll keep working and see if we can fight for the podium in the next race.”

Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team): “We’re able to fight with the top guys!”

One of the stand-out riders of the round was Brad Ray, with the British rookie taking a stunning P6 in Race 2: “I think it’s been coming from round to round. We’ve been getting stronger. On paper, it hasn’t looked great. There’s always been little things that have been happening that have hindered the progress throughout the weekend. We seem to have come to a really strong track for me and it’s first time here. This weekend, we worked in a bit of a different way with the team. I understood a bit more about how I need to ride the bike and what I need from the bike. We’ve made a very good step and the Superpole helped a lot to be able to be in that top ten group. I’m super happy for the team and myself to prove that the pace is there and that we’re able to fight with the top guys. It’s all come together this weekend and when it does, then we’re able to be competitive.”

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK): “Sometimes, it’s difficult to speak with them to explain what I want to do”

Speaking of his weekend, Andrea Locatelli wasn’t happy with a mistake on tyre choice: “We need to understand why I can’t always stay with the front guys. Race 2 was more difficult. Sometimes, it’s difficult to speak with them to explain what I want to do. The real story from Race 1 was the soft on the front and the 800 rear. It was wrong on the front and good on the rear. On Sunday, we went the opposite: SC1 on the front, SCX on the rear. The rear feeling wasn’t good. Every time, especially with tyres, we maybe choose the wrong one. Maybe I was a little bit unlucky. We lost something and we need to know why, especially for the future. When we have the opportunity to be in front and pushing, we are so close. I want to understand with my crew chief and team what we lost, especially in Race 2, and prepare for Most. I’d like to be more competitive and try to win a race.”

Watch round highlights from our return to Imola here and enjoy 2023 with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Astounding; impressive, sensational, sublime. All of those words are applicable when talking about Brad Ray’s (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) performance during Sunday’s Race 2 at Imola. The 26-year-old from Kent in England scored a fantastic P6, delivering the best of his rookie year, a first top ten of his WorldSBK career and his team’s best result since they graduated to the WorldSBK class last year.

Racing at Imola for the first time, Ray seemed to enjoy his debut at the Italian track, with the Yamaha rider frequently challenging the top ten throughout Free Practice. However, a second row start in sixth was the highlight of Saturday, again the best he or the team have managed in Superpole, ahead of the likes of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team). Race 1 didn’t go so well as he dropped back early on, with “a few little issues” seeing him come home in 15^th. An early mistake in the Superpole Race saw him drop down to the back of the field before recovering up to P16, meaning he started Race 2 from 10^th on the grid.

Getting a flying start, Ray was already up to eighth on Lap 1 where he’d stay until Lap 12, passing both Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) for sixth. Holding it until the chequered flag, it was a career-best finish as well as the best result for Sandro Carusi’s Yamaha Motoxracing outfit in World Superbike. Ray was the second Independent and second British rider to take the chequered flag, as he grows in stature throughout a first year of WorldSBK action.

Talking about his weekend, the 2022 British Superbike champion was elated with a first top six of the year: “Unbelievable! Firstly, it’s my first time here at Imola, but it didn’t take me too long to get used to the track, which was nice. I’ve been really strong this weekend but honestly, racing has been the difficult part for me this year, I haven’t been qualifying very well so the races have been difficult to make steps forward. I probably out-qualified my pace yesterday, that’s why I dropped back in the race and we had a few little issues in Race 1 that hindered me going forwards. In the Superpole Race on Sunday morning, we had a problem with the gear shifter, so it was nice to put that to bed!

“I got a really good start in Race 2 this afternoon, and I knew I had to dig in on the first laps to make the time up, to stay in the front group. I did the best I could on the opening laps and set my rhythm, doing the best I could do. It was all about ticking the laps off!”

With it being Ray’s first time at Imola, previous experience at similar-style tracks back home in his native United Kingdom certainly helped: “It’s not an easy track to come to; it’s more of a UK-style track with a lot of ups and downs and blind corners that need a lot of commitment. I’ve grown up on the UK style tracks so I gelled with it straight away. The temperature has been difficult this weekend. I had ‘+0.3s’ on the board on the final laps of Race 2 so I just had to hit my markers and apexes; I knew I wasn’t very strong in the first sector but I knew that for the rest of the lap, I was quite strong. I just had to get through there and I knew I’d hold them off until the line. honestly, I’m super happy for myself, the team and for Yamaha. It shows that when everything comes together, we can do a good job.”

Talking about the importance of Superpole, it offered a true indication of what Ray was capable of: “The most important thing for me is being able to qualify very well; we’ve shown in the past races, we’ve qualified around 18^th and it has been difficult to make that step up to the top 12 or top ten. This weekend, it was important to qualify in P6 and then I started Race 2 from tenth, so in the group where I needed to be. By digging in on the opening lap, I learnt a hell of a lot and throughout the weekend on a whole. I’m hoping we can carry on with this momentum moving forwards.”

Team principal Sandro Carusi was also elated with his team cracked the top ten for the first time in 2023 and with an all-time best result of P6: “We’ve completed what we thought might be the most difficult weekend of all in the best possible way. Sixth place today repays all the work put in during recent rounds. Bradley is proving to be a real professional and I think our team is also showing significant growth.”

Watch round highlights from our return to Imola here and enjoy 2023 with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The return of MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action is complete and the venue that is steeped in history definitely made more this weekend. From major points-scoring achievements, records that riders never want, a century of podiums and the longest points-scoring career in WorldSBK history being achieved, this week’s stats round-up is a busy one right through the field.

6000 – With his third place in Race 2 at Imola, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) became the first rider ever to achieve 6000 points in their career; he’s on 6003.5, 4424 of which have been achieved with Kawasaki – his total with the Japanese manufacturer enough for P1 in the total classification.

179 – Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) currently has 179 points in the Championship and is placed as second Ducati; after seven rounds of 2022, he had 151 but, excluding Bautista, no other Ducati rider achieved as many as he has this year (Michael Ruben Rinaldi was on 167, Philipp Oettl on 53 and Luca Bernardi on 27). This year, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) has 129, rookie Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) has 117 and Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) still has 53. It’s also more than any other Ducati, excluding Scott Redding, was able to do in 2021 more than double Bassani’s points tally after the same period (87).

100 – Toprak Razgatlioglu hit 100 podiums in Race 1 at Imola; he ended his weekend on 102.

36 – Razgatlioglu is on 36 career wins, alone in sixth overall in the win charts: he’s seven behind Noriyuki Haga.

28 – Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) entered the top ten for all-time points-scoring streaks with his P4 in Race 2, now at 28, matching previous streaks by Doug Polen, Simon Crafar, Chaz Davies, Alex Lowes and teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu. The all-time record is 48 by Jonathan Rea, set from Laguna Seca Race 1, 2018 until Lusail Race 2, 2019. He crashed in 2020’s season-opener at Phillip Island.

19 – 19 laps led in his career for Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), the same as Akira Yanagawa, but Bassani’s without a win; the all-time record for laps led without victory is 45 by Davide Guigliano.

19 – Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was a substitute rider in the factory BMW team at Imola and scored points in Race 1, giving him the biggest interval from his first points-scoring race in WorldSBK to his most recent: 19 years, 11 months and 18 days from Brands Hatch Race 2, 2003 and Imola Race 1 2023.

17 – Alvaro Bautista’s only win of the round came in Race 1, but it was his 17^th of the year, matching the all-time record held by Doug Polen from 1991 and Jonathan Rea in 2017 and 2018.

11 – Razgatlioglu equalled the record for number of poles for Yamaha, tying with 2009 World Champion Ben Spies at 11.

10 – Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) gave Honda a first top ten since Misano with his Race 1 P10; it was Honda’s first top ten at Imola since Stefan Bradl was also tenth in Race 1, 2017.

7 – A best result of the year for Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW), who took P7 and top BMW honours in Race 2. For the first time since joining the project, he was top BMW in both feature-length races.

6 – Axel Bassani took a sixth podium of his career in Race 2 at Imola, now level with Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) overall, but he’s yet to win a race. For reference, the rider with the most WorldSBK podiums without a single victory is another Italian, Davide Guigliano, at 14.

6 – An outstanding weekend for Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), who took a career-first top ten with a mighty P6 in Race 2, the second Independent rider home.

5 – For the first time this year, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took three top five finishes during the same round,

2 – For the first time in 2023, Jonathan Rea took two feature-length race podiums in the same round.

2 – After more than two years, Andrea Locatelli led a race again in WorldSBK in Race 1, whilst he led more laps than anyone else in the Tissot Superpole Race at five.

Watch round highlights from our return to Imola here and enjoy 2023 with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Home hero Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) scored his first FIM Supersport World Championship debut during the Prometeon Italian Round as he dented Nicolo Bulega’s (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) Championship lead. The Yamaha rider claimed a maximum 50-point haul at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola while his title rival scored 36 points, cutting the Championship lead considerably as the second half of 2023 kicked off in the scorching Italian sun.

The 24-year-old took third in Saturday’s Tissot Superpole session to secure his first front-row start since the season-opening Australian Round and he used this to the full effect during both races. He made contact with polesitter Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) on Lap 1 as he forcefully moved into the lead, before resisting Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in the red-flagged encounter. The #11 was in the fight too but unable to pass the rookie ahead of him to take third.

Race 2 was a different story for the #62. He fell behind his Ducati rival as the lights went out and remained in second place for the first few laps; seemingly holding up the riders behind him. By Lap 4, Manzi had released his potential as he closed in on Bulega. The race-winning move came on Lap 7 at the Variante Villeneuve before he pulled away from the Ducati behind, finishing the race with more than seven seconds in hand over his title rival.

Looking back on the weekend, Manzi said: “The whole weekend was amazing from Friday morning. The win in this race was very important because I didn’t expect to win with a big gap. Race 1 was closer. The back-to-back win was fantastic. It was my first time at Imola and doing it in Italy in front of my home crowd, I’m really happy. In the first few laps, I felt like in other races. When we have a full fuel tank, we’re missing a little bit. When the fuel tank gets emptier and lighter, I feel better so I can push more. I have to wait before I can go on the limit.”

The results mean Manzi closed in on Bulega in the standings. Heading into Imola, the Ducati rider held a 55-point advantage over the Yamaha competitor but a 14-point swing in Manzi’s favour means it’s just 44 points heading into the Czech Republic next time out. Crucially, it means Bulega no longer has a round’s advantage in hand as the title race closed up.

Discussing the Championship fight, Manzi added: “It’s not over. Like my team says from the last race, ‘if you win every race from here until the end, you win the Championship’. It was a funny joke, but we will try like always to do our best and when we can have results like this, it’s always amazing.”

Don’t miss the title fight heating up in WorldSSP using the WorldSBK VideoPass – for HALF PRICE!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team will welcome Michael van der Mark back to action in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the next round. After fracturing his leg femur in a huge highside on home soil back in April, the Dutchman has been out of action as he recovers. However, BMW have now confirmed their plans to have him back on the M1000RR at the next round subject to van der Mark passing a medical check.

VAN DER MARK’S MOST RETURN: aiming to be back in the Czech Republic

The #60 was injured when he had a huge highside off his bike at the final chicane at Assen during Round 3, with van der Mark undergoing surgery on his fractured left femur. Since then, he has been recovering and has been training at the TT Circuit Assen in recent weeks to assess his feeling while riding a bike. He was initially replaced by Ivo Lopes in Barcelona before Tom Sykes stepped in for Misano and Donington. However, he was injured in a Race 2 crash in the UK with Leon Haslam drafted in for Imola.

If van der Mark passes the necessary medical checks ahead of the Acerbis Czech Round, he will return to the M1000RR in WorldSBK for the first time since the April 23^rd . After the first two rounds, van der Mark was only one point behind teammate Scott Redding in the battle to be top BMW and he had a best result of sixth, in Indonesia Race 1, which was BMW’s best of the season until Redding took P4 at Donington Park.

During FP2 at Donington, van der Mark spoke about his return to the track and plans to be racing again. He said: “It was nice to be back out on a bike. Riding the bike is not that hard for me, especially at Assen, but for the body it was still a bit tough. I enjoyed it. I just want to ride the bike because that’s what I’ve been doing my whole life. There’s no pressure from BMW. They want me to be 100% fit and I think I’m pretty close.”

IMOLA IN REVIEW: a weekend of top tens for BMW

BMW had a decent weekend at Imola as they closed the gap to Honda in the Manufacturers’ Championship. They took three top-ten finishes, with Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) in eighth and seventh in Race 1 and Race 2 respectively, while Redding was the lead BMW rider in the Superpole Race with ninth. In the Tissot Superpole session on Saturday morning, Redding was able to put his bike fifth on the grid while Baz made it two M1000RR machines in the top ten with ninth.

Reviewing the Italian Round and confirming van der Mark’s Most return, Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director, said: “It was an absolute scorcher. Imola is a beautiful track where we hadn’t been for four years. Our expectations were somewhat dampened beforehand because two of our four riders had never been here before, and the heat doesn’t usually favour us. At the end of the weekend, we had two top-ten finishes in every race. We can be quite satisfied with that. Loris gave a very strong performance with three top-ten results. He was the top BMW rider twice. He followed Scott’s setup, which clearly worked well for him. Garrett also had extremely strong performances in the practice sessions. Unfortunately, he was hindered by yellow flags multiple times during Superpole, starting from 15^th place, and couldn’t convert his strong pace into the races. That was a shame. For Leon as a substitute rider, it was of course difficult to jump onto a new bike during a race weekend. He delivered what we expected. Now we look ahead to Most, a track where we were very successful last year. We will also see Michael van der Mark’s comeback there.”

THE 2024 FACTORY BMW LINE-UP: no news from manufacturer or rider yet…

There has been a lot of talk about who will partner Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) in 2024 when the 2021 Champion makes the move to BMW. Both van der Mark and Redding have made their desire to stay with the German manufacturer clear, and Redding had a deadline of July 15^th to decide whether he would stay or not. On Thursday at Imola, the #45 teased that he thought there’d be an announcement on Sunday about “where I’m going and what I’m doing” but that has been and gone with no comment from the Brit or BMW. Baz has also said that his future in WorldSBK depends on Redding, meaning potential changes to BMW’s Independent team line-up. It’s a seat that remains key to the 2024 rider market, but who will be at the BMW factory team next year?

Watch every moment from the Czech Republic next time out for HALF PRICE using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola hosted the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship again and the four-year wait was rewarded with thrilling battles and a huge surprise in the title fight. There were plenty of ups and a few downs throughout the Prometeon Italian Round as riders went in search of their first win and a first feature-length victory of the season came to one while some riders struggled throughout the weekend.

PATA YAMAHA CELEBRATE: Razgatlioglu wins Race 2, Locatelli returns to the rostrum

After three Tissot Superpole Race wins in 2023, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) made it clear his next goal was to win a feature-length race. That came on Sunday afternoon in Race 2 when he fended off Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in a shortened 15-lap encounter. The gap in the Championship closed thanks to his rival’s opening lap crash. The Turk also celebrated his 100^th WorldSBK podium with second in Race 1. On the other side of the garage, Andrea Locatelli led his first races since his rookie campaign in Race 1 and the Superpole Race. His reward was just a single podium, with third in the Sunday morning race, but three top-four finishes means he remains third in the Championship standing.

A HOME HERO ON THE PODIUM: celebrations all round for Bassani

Bassani usually has a habit of coming good in races after a slow start in practice and Superpole, but Imola was different for the #47. In the top four in Friday’s combined timesheets, the Feltre-born star was on a mega Superpole lap that would’ve moved him into provisional pole as he carved his way through traffic in the second half of the lap before a tumble at Rivazza 1. He was seventh in Race 1 after a huge save shortly after he took the lead, and sixth in the Superpole Race. However, in Race 2, he fought with Razgatlioglu and led as he went in search of an emotional maiden win. It wasn’t to be this time, but there was plenty to cheer about for the top Independent rider as he finished as the lead Ducati and returned to the rostrum.

IN THE TOP SIX: Ray takes best WorldSBK result to date

Another rider quick out of the blocks was rookie Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team). After a clear step forward at Donington Park, the reigning British champion finished Friday in 11^th in the combined timesheets. He stunned in Superpole to take sixth but dropped back to 15^th in Race 1. He was 16^th in the Superpole Race which cost him a top-nine slot on the grid for Race 2, but this was no problem for the Kent-born rider. He battled his way back through to take P6; comfortably his best result to date. Will his fine form continue heading to Most?

A MIXED BAG FOR THE CHAMPION: Race 1 win, Race 2 tumble

Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) made a habit of winning in 2023 with 17 wins in 21 races. He’s been beaten twice on track by Razgatlioglu – in the Superpole Races at Donington and Imola, while the other two defeats came when he crashed – but he gave up 25 points to his rival in Race 2. After getting the holeshot, Bautista led into the Tamburello chicane but clipped the inside white line at Turn 3, sending him and his Panigale V4 R into the gravel. His Race 1 win and Superpole Race podium helpoed limit the damage but he now leads the #54 by 70 points heading into Round 8. How crucial could this crash be in the title race?

THE IMOLA DOWNS: Petrucci not in the podium fight, Honda struggle

After a huge step forward at Misano and repeating that at Donington with his first podium, there were high hopes for Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) at his second home round. He was fast on Friday, finishing in the top ten, and was tenth in the Superpole session. In Race 1, he battled his way up to sixth and finished around 11 seconds off the podium, while he was eighth in the Superpole Race. In Race 2, the Italian could only manage ninth as he lost ground to Bassani in the Independent Riders’ Championship. It was a challenging weekend for Team HRC, too, who made only one appearance in the top ten. Xavi Vierge was fourth in FP1 and 15^th in the combined times, with Iker Lecuona in 16^th, while the #97 took 13^th in Superpole and his teammate 17^th. Lecuona was 10^th in Race 2 for Honda’s highlight, their first top-ten since Misano Race 2 when Vierge was fifth. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) ended his weekend in the gravel with a Turn 7 crash after taking ninth and seventh while teammate Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was challenging for podiums.

Watch all the action from Round 8 in the Czech Republic for HALF PRICE using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

After a tough season which has seen him come back from a leg fracture, battle hard to get back to full fitness and struggle to demonstrate his true potential, Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) enjoyed his best results of the season so far. Taking three top ten finishes – including two top eights in the full races, Baz was able to take top BMW honours in both Race 1 and Race 2, showcasing what he’s capable of as he beat the likes of Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) for top BMW honours.

WEEKEND IN REVIEW: Baz dazzles with fine rides to three top ten finishes

Baz’s weekend didn’t start in the best way, after teammate Garrett Gerloff skittled him at Rivazza in a strange out-lap incident in FP2. However, despite a pain in his wrist, Baz dusted himself off to put himself in contention for the races with ninth on the grid, a second top ten of the season in Superpole. He converted that into P8 in Race 1, his best result of the season, whilst a P10 in the Superpole Race meant he didn’t improve his position on the grid, instead starting from the fourth row.

However, Baz was fighting for sixth with the likes of Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Scott Redding, after clearing Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) on Lap 2. He and Ray got ahead of Redding on Lap 12, with the 30-year-old dropping to eighth, and despite digging deep, Baz couldn’t crack the top six. Taking P7 was still a personal best of his season though, as he aims to prove what he can still offer, with his future in WorldSBK not certain for 2024.

IN HIS OWN WORDS: “I can start my season”

Talking about his first “normal” weekend of 2023, Baz was happy to just be back to something of his and the package’s best: “It was a great, first normal weekend for me; I didn’t have a normal Phillip Island and then I got injured at Mandalika. Then, a problem in every round. The main highlight of the weekend was coming back to the box and seeing my guys smiling in the box, after so many tough moments for me and also for them, because we are like a family and we all fight together. I was a bit disappointed to not get in the top nine in the Superpole Race, I just took too long to come up on Scott.

“Then, in Race 2, it was good. I lost a bit too much time behind Bradley in the early laps and then took Scott in the last laps. I wasn’t really faster than him but I managed to do less mistakes. Brad was just too fast but I am really happy to bring good results. Not what we want but what we and the BMW M 1000 RR can do at the moment. I’ve been struggling with injuries but I am happy that it is finally over and that I can start my season.”

“JUST NO LUCK” – is Imola the turning point for Baz in second half of 2023?

It’s been a season of disappointment until Imola for the Frenchman, who suffered a leg fracture at Mandalika, before returning to Assen with the injury, as well as technical issues that carried on in the upcoming rounds. Without a top ten and just 13 points after six rounds, Imola was a timely turnaround and a good way to more than double his points tally for the year.

“The target is to not be top BMW but to improve the bike and fight for better results,” continued Baz, who was the first BMW home in both full-length races for the first time since joining the German brand in 2022. “The Superpole helped a lot but the main thing was to do lots of laps and long runs in FP1 and FP2, even if we had the crash. Then, you know what to expect in the race and we haven’t been able to do that since Phillip Island. Mandalika was a rough weekend with the injury, then at Assen, we had a technical issue and I was injured and Barcelona was the same. We were unlucky at Misano and Donington Park; I think I did more laps in FP1 here than I did in the full weekend at Donington Park! That’s life; not anyone’s fault, just no luck.”

THE FUTURE: “I don’t think it will change much, everything is in Scott’s hands”

Baz’s future is a key talking point in the paddock; Scott Redding had until July 15^th – Saturday at Imola – to decide whether to remain with BMW or not and if the decision has been made to stay, it could be Baz that’s moved out: “It’s always time to go fast and I never doubted that I could. It was a big injury and I spent a full month on my sofa, and you can’t expect anyone to be fast when they come back from that. I am still struggling with the foot, not on the bike in life day by day, it’s still painful. It’s not like ten years ago when you come back and could do a top five or top six. The level is so high right now. So, it was the right time but I don’t think it’s going to change much, everything is in Scott’s hands so I’ll just take this weekend.”

Watch the round highlights from our return to Imola here, whilst enjoying the 2023 season with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Jonathan Rea’s (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) efforts at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola were rewarded with two podiums during the Prometeon Italian Round. It’s the first time in the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign that the Ulsterman has taken two feature-length rostrum finishes as he consistently battled for the top three places, including two memorable Sunday duels with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK).

The six-time World Champion was fourth in the Superpole Race as he finished just two tenths behind the Italian. Locatelli led the first half of the race ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu, with the Turk claiming his first of two Imola victories on Sunday. Although ‘Loka’ dropped back from the lead duo, he was able to hold on for his first podium in front of the Italian fans in WorldSBK.

In Race 2, the pair engaged in battle again as they fight for third in the Riders’ Championship. This time, Rea was able to come out on top against the #55 as he finished four seconds clear of the Yamaha rider. It meant Rea was on the rostrum for the second time at Imola this year but the first time he’s had two feature-length race podiums in 2023. Speaking after Race 2, Rea was delighted with how the weekend went – even without a victory to his name – as he battled for the podium despite the scorching conditions.

Rea said: “It was a solid weekend, probably the best weekend of our season so far. I’m really happy. Trying to keep this momentum now by fighting at the front. We knew Imola would be a stronger circuit for us, but nobody told us that on Friday! On Friday, it was a difficult day and even Saturday morning, I didn’t seem to have that out and out pace or rhythm. During the races, I felt better with more laps on the tyre and, unfortunately, at the end of the races here in this extreme heat, I was struggling a little but with the SC1 front tyre, it was moving. When you’re on the limit and the front tyre’s moving, it’s more about consolidating your position, trying not to make any mistakes. I didn’t make any mistakes, worked quite well with the team and we stuck to our guns with our rear tyre choice for Race 2. We came away with a bag-load of points.”

The #65 was also full of praise for the passionate Italian fans who he has a good relationship with, despite not riding for Ducati. More than 53,000 fans visited to watch WorldSBK’s return to Imola after a four-year hiatus, and they were rewarded with some incredible fights on track and dramatic moments across the round.

Speaking about ending his weekend on a high, and the Italian fans, Rea added: “When you finish the weekend on a good note, it’s always nice because that’s the last thought that you take into the next round. It was nice to stand on the podium at Imola with a lot of my fans here. I’ve never ridden for an Italian manufacturer, and I don’t speak Italian, but we have a great relationship with the fans here. Maybe it’s from my early days of riding. I want to thank them because they gave me a lot of power to not give up, keep working hard and we deserved our podium today.”

Next up, the Autodrom Most: Watch every moment LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s return to the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola was a spectacular one, with home riders on good form and a jumbled-up order making for one of the most exciting rounds of 2023. Leading a race for the first time since 2021, taking a home podium for the first time in WorldSBK and holding on to third in the Championship standings, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) had a phenomenal Prometeon Italian Round.

It would be hard to think that this weekend was ‘Loka’s’ first time on a Superbike at Imola but he took to the circuit like a duck to water. Fast right from the start and edging closer to a first race win, he grabbed the holeshot in Race 1 from P2 on the grid, fending off polesitter teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu and fast-starting Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) from the second row. Leading three of the opening five laps, he was bundled out of the way as Razgatlioglu, Bautista and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came through, put took a solid fourth on his Imola debut.

In the Tissot Superpole Race, it was once again the 26-year-old who snatched the holeshot into Tamburello and this time, he held on to lead for the opening five laps, beating Razgatlioglu into the braking areas – no mean feat, with that being one of the biggest takeaways from Locatelli’s progress. However, on Lap 6, Bautista used the speed of the Ducati on the front straight to get ahead, whilst Razgatlioglu had to take two attempts to pass his teammate, eventually doing so at the Variante Alta later in the lap. Despite pressure from six-time World Champion Rea behind, Locatelli held on for a first podium in Italy, and returned to the form he had in the first four rounds of 2023. In Race 2, he went on to finish fourth, not having the pace for the podium battle in the extremely hot conditions.

Reviewing his first weekend of racing at Imola in World Superbike, Locatelli said: “We did a very good job this morning in the Superpole Race, the choice with the tyre was perfect. I’m a bit disappointed about Race 1 and Race 2; we change the tyre choice sometimes and yesterday especially, the feeling wasn’t the best one. Race 1 I was fighting front grip and in Race 2, I was fighting rear grip. I think we lost the opportunity in the long races to fight for the podium. It’s been a strong and positive weekend, so need to be happy. It’s also my first time here on a Superbike, so we need to consider everything. I’m proud of myself and the job Yamaha and my staff are doing with me.

“We’ve come back a little bit stronger in the middle of the season, especially at Imola, so for sure, we’ve made another step. We have a little bit more of a feeling with the bike and from Friday, we worked in a good direction. We just need to continue working like this and I think at Most, we can do a really good job. I’m so positive, so happy about the weekend and it helps me to be more motivated at Most, where we’ll try again to get more podiums because I’ll need them!”

In the Championship standings, Locatelli is still third overall, although his early season gap has now been shrunk to just seven over six-time World Champion Rea. Both have reason to push too, not just for the bronze medal in the standings but for personal goals too: Locatelli is yet to win a WorldSBK race in his career, whilst Rea hasn’t won yet in 2023. In fifth place, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) is hanging on in the battle, just 29 points away from fellow countryman Locatelli.

Speaking about the battle for third in the standings, Locatelli is ready to get stuck in across the five remaining rounds: “Me and Jonny are fighting a lot but I want to try and keep third position in the Championship. It gives me a lot of motivation but it will also be a good result for me. We need to believe, work a lot and we can be competitive and try to stay in front. Maybe we can get a lot of podiums but we will enjoy it like this weekend.”

Catch the round highlights from our return to Imola here, whilst enjoying the 2023 season with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com