The Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship held its fifth round at Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola and history was made in the class when Aldi Satya Mahendra achieved a huge race winning margin in Race 1, and a second impressive victory in Race 2.

Italy’s classic track of Imola was hotter than ever on Saturday morning, making the technical layout and boiling track temperatures a daunting prospect for the young riders that make up the R3 Championship.

Mahendra made a strong start in Race 1 and managed to dominate the pace from the early stages of the race, with a chasing pack of six eager riders trying hard to keep up. Championship leader and 2022 SuperFinale winner Emiliano Ercolani tried to stick to his plan of starting off calm and pushing in the latter half of the race, but the Italian suffered a crash on the kerbs after shooting into second place with four laps to go. While the pack battled for positions, Mahendra kept his head down to build a phenomenal lead, crossing the line seven seconds ahead of his nearest rival. Krittapat Keankum finished in a hard-fought second place, while Kevin Fontainha completed the podium.

In Race 2 the gaps were smaller and the result much harder to call until the final flag, but Mahendra once again got off to a flying start. Marc Vich and Ercolani gave chase and were joined in the lead group by Keankum and Eduardo Burr. Despite the best efforts of the leading group of seven, they eventually had to surrender to Mahendra’s dominating pace as the Indonesian star extended the gap to two seconds in the closing laps. Ercolani, who worked his way through the field, finish second while Keankum was third. With this double victory, Mahendra moves to second in the title chase and closes the deficit to just 16 points ahead of the final round.

Check out the results for Race 1 and Race 2!

Double winner Aldi Satya Mahendra said: “Today’s hot weather is normal for me coming from Asia, so I didn’t suffer too much. From the first lap of Race 1 I decided that I wanted to try to escape from the group, and I kept that in my mind for the whole race. Finally, I was able to win by seven seconds, which makes me very happy. Then, in Race 2, I managed to win again – it was a smaller gap but I’m so pleased with my performance, especially as it’s my first time in Imola. The title gap is smaller now and I’ll give my best until the end.”

Source: WorldSBK.com

The Prometeon Italian Round marks the second visit to Italy for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship in 2023. Last time the Championship travelled to Italy, the passionate crowd had plenty to cheer with Ducati wins, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) claiming a podium and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) taking a huge step forward. The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola hosts Round 7 of 2023 and in Race 1, the Italians were on form again but narrowly missed out on a rostrum… can they celebrate in style on Sunday?

COULD A TYRE CHANGE HELP LOCATELLI? Used SC0 in Race 1, most rivals use SC1…

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) got off to an incredible start as the lights went out. He blasted into the lead of the race, and he held it until Bassani came through on Lap 2 but took full advantage of his rival’s wobble to re-take the lead before being demoted to fourth as the race progressed. Locatelli and Bassani were the only riders who started on the front five rows to opt for the SC0 soft, and the Yamaha rider discussed whether this cost him a podium.

On his tyre choice and previewing Sunday, Locatelli said: “Maybe the choice of tyres we made for today was wrong because I started to feel a lot of closing and pushing on the left, because this track has a lot of chicanes. It was good race, P4, and not too far from the podium. Maybe, tomorrow, we can get the podium especially in the Superpole Race. We can be strong for 10 laps and then we will see, but we need to be happy because it’s my first time here at Imola with this bike. Battling with Bautista and Toprak is one target we can have. Tomorrow, I would like to fight. I think we have a good chance to fight with them.”

WILL RINALDI’S LUCK TURN? “I will try to improve my speed so I can fight for the podium.”

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was declared fit to ride on Friday following his Donington Park crash and showed good pace from the start. In Superpole, he was set to move to the top of the timesheets, but yellows flags meant his best time, when he was up on the fastest time of the session, was lost. In the race, he battled from eighth to fifth but was able to make progress despite closing in on Locatelli.

Looking ahead to Sunday, Rinaldi stated: “I started from eighth and I pushed a lot from the beginning. I needed to fight with some riders and spent a lot of energy. In the end, I wasn’t able to have enough to for a higher position even if I closed the gap. We were unlucky in Superpole because I had four yellow flags and one was when I was doing the best lap. I didn’t want a non-score in Race 1 or make crazy moves. I want to have a good Superpole Race to start in a better position for Race 2. I will try to improve my speed so I can fight for the podium.”

“THE FEELING WASN’T GOOD”: leading laps but dropping back

Bassani led a lap of Race 1 at Imola when he overtook Locatelli but a huge moment on Lap 3 dropped him down the order. He was unable to fight back and finished the race in seventh place, the last of a quartet of Italians from P4 to P7. After an emotional home podium at Misano the last time WorldSBK raced in Italy, Bassani will be hoping he can repeat that on Sunday.

Discussing where he’s looking to improve, Bassani commented: “Not the race we wanted. I started well but after two laps, the feeling with the bike wasn’t the same as free practice. I started to have a lot of problems with the front tyre. I tried to manage to finish the race. The feeling wasn’t good. I don’t know. Now we will try to understand why. The bike was the same as practice, the tyres were the same. We’ll look at the data and try to understand what we can do tomorrow. I think we have the potential for a podium. We are really fast. We will try to start Sunday with a good feeling and battle for the podium.”

PETRUCCI AIMS FOR ANOTHER ROSTRUM: “A podium in Italy would be great!”

Full of confidence after his podium at Donington, Petrucci is looking to repeat that in Italy. He missed out on a home rostrum at Misano when he crashed while chasing Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) but, in contrast to Locatelli and Bassani, had to fight his way up the grid. He started tenth and moved into the top ten with rapid end-of-race pace to finish sixth; five seconds from Locatelli. Could a good Tissot Superpole Race – and a higher starting position for Race 2 – propel Petrucci to the podium?

Petrucci said: “Finishing as top Independent is a good target for us. We made a good step forward at Misano. I’m happy about this but the Championship is so competitive, you always have to be on top. It will be very tough tomorrow because we have two races. The Superpole Race will be very important to maybe gain some positions for the Race 2 grid. A podium in Italy on my home soil would be great. Today, we were quite far from the podium, but we started in the middle, so I need to gain some positions.”

Can the home heroes score an emotional podium or win on Sunday? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) put in an almost-flawless performance to claim victory in the FIM Supersport World Championship’s opening race of the Prometeon Italian Round as he took a hefty haul of points out of Nicolo Bulega’s (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) Championship lead. The race at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola was red-flagged with the leaders on the final lap as the Championship battle heated up under the scorching Italian sun.

A TITLE RACE TWIST: Manzi wins, closes the gap to Bulega

Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) got the holeshot but he was soon out of contention as he tumbled into the gravel at Turn 6 on the opening lap with the Italian dropping to last. He was able to re-join the race but, he opted to bring his bike back into the pits and retire. This allowed Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) to take the lead and escape from Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) in third, who seemed to be holding up Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team).

The Championship leader soon passed his compatriot as he moved into third and tried to close down Manzi and Schroetter ahead, as he looked to make up an almost two-second gap from Lap 2. By the end of Lap 3, the gap had been halved to just nine tenths to Schroetter and lapping around two tenths faster than the rookie directly ahead, although Schroetter was maintaining the gap to Manzi in the lead of the race. Bulega was three tenths quicker than the MV Agusta on Lap 5 as he set a 1’51.184s for the fastest lap at the time.

Once the Italian got on the back of Schroetter, he was unable to make the move with the gap between the top three just over a second at the start of Lap 10. Manzi started opening the lead over Schroetter with the fastest lap on Lap 10 as he set a 1’52.162s, three tenths quicker than the rookie, to extend his lead to over a second. His pace kept allowing him to extend the lead to around two seconds as the race progressed and he closed the gap in the Championship standings to Bulega by nine points; the gap is now 46 points with Bulega finishing in third place.

In his first campaign on Yamaha machinery, Manzi took his second win on the YZF-R6 and third in WorldSSP while it was also Yamaha’s 140^th win in the Championship. It was Manzi’s 13^th podium since he joined World Supersport, while Schroetter claimed his fifth in his rookie campaign. Bulega’s third place gave him his 20^th rostrum while it was also the 50^th for Ducati; the Bologna-based manufacturer able to celebrate a milestone on home soil.

DRAMA UNTIL THE END: the fight for fourth rages on

There was an eventful scrap for fourth between two WorldSSP300 graduates as Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) fought it out. Sofuoglu made the move on the 2021 WorldSSP300 Champion at Tosa, the left-hand hairpin, on Lap 8 to move into fourth but the Spaniard did not let Sofuoglu escape. On Lap 14, Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) fought his way up to fourth as he demoted Sofuoglu and Huertas, while French rider Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) overtook the Spaniard for sixth.

A lap later, Sofuoglu and Tuuli scrapped it out with the Finn passing his adversary into Rivazza 2 after Sofuoglu went defensive into the first Rivazza but he responded almost immediately as he pulled off a superb late-braking move on Tuuli into the final chicane. As the pair entered the Variante Bassa on the penultimate lap, Tuuli lost the front of his bike with Huertas having nowhere to go; the pair crashed, and the red flags were shown to end the race before the final lap could be completed. Tuuli was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. The results were taken from the last completed time-keeping point for each rider.

That crash meant Montella was classified in fifth place with Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in sixth. The Italian was involved in the final chicane incident but was able to stay on his bike, although he did lose time to Montella ahead. Nicholas Spinelli (VFT Racing WEBIKE Yamaha) was promoted to seventh. Debise, who had been involved in that battle, retired from the race with a handful of laps to go with a technical issue.

IN THE TOP TEN: Booth-Amos extends WorldSSP Challenge lead

Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) made another appearance in parc ferme as he secured top spot in the WorldSSP Challenge with eighth place, extending his standings lead over his WorldSSP Challenge rivals, and finished two seconds down on Spinelli. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who continues to substitute for Can Oncu, secured ninth while Huertas was able to remount his Kawasaki ZX-6R to be classified in tenth place.

LATE CALL UPS NO PROBLEM: success so far at Imola

Filippo Fuligni (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team), who received a late call-up to replace the injured Andrea Mantovani, took points on his WorldSSP return with 11^th. He was ahead of wildcard Luca Ottaviani (Extreme Racing Service), with the Italian having three seconds added to his race time by the FIM Stewards. He was deemed to have ridden slowly in FP2 with the Stewards handing him a three-second penalty in lieu of a Long Lap Penalty. Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) battled his way back to take 13^th after he was involved in a Lap 1 incident, while two riders who did not expect to race this weekend secured points. Andy Verdoia (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) stepped in for the still injured Apiwath Wongthananon and took 14^th while Stefano Valtulini, replacing Yuta Okaya who’s suffering with gastroenteritis, was the last points scorer. Valtulini also had a three-second penalty after cutting the chicane at Turn 21, with this sanction given instead of a Long Lap Penalty.

HOUSEKEEPING: the retirements from Race 1

Federico Fuligni (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) crashed out of the race at Turn 2 on the opening lap after an incident involving Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team), Maximilian Kofler (D34G Racing) and wildcard Emanuele Pusceddu (J. Angel by Edafos). The incident was placed under investigation by the FIM Stewards with Pusceddu given a three-second time penalty, as an equivalent to a Long Lap, for irresponsible riding. This was his second time penalty, as he also had one for slow riding in FP2. However, before the penalties could be applied at the end of the race, the Italian was forced to stop with a technical problem.

Alvaro Diaz (Arco Yart Yamaha WorldSSP) crashed at Turn 18 after he was enjoying a strong weekend, with the reigning WorldSSP300 Champion taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash and declared fit. Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) had his second crash of the day at Turn 12 on Lap 5 which forced him out of the race. Malaysia’s Adam Norrodin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) retired from the race not long after Navarro’s crash. Harry Truelove (PTR Triumph) and John McPhee (Vince64 by Puccetti Racing) also did not finish.

The top six from WorldSSP Race 1, full results here:

1 Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)

2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse)

3. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)

4. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse)

5. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team)

6. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura)

Fastest Lap: Stefano Manzi (Yamaha) – 1’52.162s

Watch WorldSSP Race 2 from 12:30 Local Time (GMT+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The top two in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship standings engaged in a fierce fight as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) duelled it out for victory at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola. Championship leader Bautista came out on top after the incredible scrap despite a huge moment in the early stages of the race and Razgatlioglu’s efforts to win at Imola.

Bautista started the race from fourth and was soon ahead of his rival but the 2021 Champion pulled off a sublime overtake on the Spaniard as he went around the outside on the entry to the Variante Alta for second place. Razgatlioglu then made his way into the lead when he passed teammate Andrea Locatelli, before Bautista overtook the Italian on Lap 5 at the Variante Alta. From there, it became a two-way scrap as the pair each hunted an Imola victory.

Razgatlioglu was able to keep the reigning Champion at bay for the first half of the 19-lap race, with Bautista dropping down to third on Lap 8 when he had a huge wobble on the run out of Acque Minerali and into the chicane. This allowed Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) to pass but Bautista was soon back ahead of the six-time World Champion at Rivazza 1. He once again set his target back on the Turk out in front with the crucial move coming into the same corner on Lap 11.

From that point, Bautista extended his lead to over 3.5 seconds to claim a 17^th victory of the season although Razgatlioglu didn’t make it easy for him; putting him on the verge of more history. One more win in WorldSBK will be his 50^th while it will also be his 18^th of the season, meaning he will have won more races in a single campaign than anyone else.

Discussing his win, Bautista said: “Honestly, I didn’t expect to win. It was only my second time here at Imola. Today, we made a small change to the bike, and I felt much better in the morning. It started to feel like it did at the other tracks. The race was really tough because it was hot and very slippery. In the beginning, I didn’t feel much confidence to push in the opening laps. I saw several riders with more confidence than me. I started to, step by step, push more. We were missing some grip. I thought it was maybe because I don’t have clean air and the front is struggling a bit. I had some laps with clean air. The feeling with the front was improving so I tried to stay in front and, at least, the front was better.”

Although he was unable to take victory, Razgatlioglu’s second place gave him his 100^th WorldSBK rostrum. He is only the sixth rider to hit this milestone after Rea, Troy Corser, Noriyuki Haga, Tom Sykes and Carl Fogarty. The results mean Bautista’s lead in the standings is now at 98 points over his rival, while Razgatlioglu is 96 points clear of teammate Locatelli in third place.

Reacting to his milestone podium, Razgatlioglu commented: “I’m waiting for 100 wins! We have time for this. Today, wasn’t a bad race. I’m not 100% happy because I finished the race in second position. My goal is to win a race. In Race 1, I was feeling good but when the tyres started to drop, I saw the Ducati still had very good acceleration. I tried to keep fighting with him, but it wasn’t enough. It’s better than nothing.”

More racing action is to come tomorrow with the Superpole Race and Race 2: watch it all using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Starting from the head of the third row, it was always going to be an uphill battle for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) around the undulations of the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola. However, if anyone could wrestle their way to a podium, the six-time World Champion – and indeed the most successful rider at Imola – is probably a good bet, and the #65 lived up to the billing.

Starting from seventh after a tricky Superpole and start to the day, when he was only ninth in FP3, the 36-year-old made a rapid start to his race and was up to fifth by the end of Lap 1. With a fierce battle at the front between Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Rea was able to ride consistently and bring himself into contention. A massive moment for Bassani at Turn 3 when he hit the front slowed the group and Rea took full advantage into Turn 14, before jumping ahead of Locatelli into the final chicane for P3. He then set sights on Bautista and Razgatlioglu but didn’t have the pace, although he was happy and somewhat surprised with the podium in Race 1.

Speaking about the race and his battle through the field, Rea was happy with the performance: “It was very tough! One of those races where I didn’t expect to be on the podium, even if it’s always the target. After a very tough Friday and Superpole, starting from 7 was difficult. I cut through the traffic very well in the first laps and got good track position, but then I didn’t have anything for Toprak or Alvaro. They were just a little bit faster than me but I was the best of the rest. We need to improve in some areas for tomorrow; the bike feels quite good in the heavy braking zones but finishing the corner, we’re not good enough. We have some good data to move tomorrow and for the Superpole Race, I feel like we can be competitive enough; we need to get a good start and see where we are.”

Rea’s third place sees him move to just nine points behind Andrea Locatelli in the Championship standings, something he’ll be keen to get into by the close of the Prometeon Italian Round weekend. The Ulsterman has 13 consecutive podiums at Imola and hopes that in the Superpole Race, he can make it to a first victory of 2023 and improve his starting position for Race 2. In other news, Rea shared the podium with rival Toprak Razgatlioglu for a record-setting 75^th time, although his win drought extended to 21 races – with just one victory in the last 46 starts.

Continuing to evaluate the technical improvements made, Rea stated that he was content but there’s still more that can be done: “In braking, I felt OK. For these conditions, I used the SC1 tyre which for our bike, isn’t normal. Normally in the hotter conditions, we demand a lot on the front and this requires a harder tyre. It seems like we’re going in the right direction but it’s still not enough. We need to keep working on our weaker areas and try to improve.”

MORE IMOLA CLASSICS AWAIT: watch them in style with 50% off the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) overcame his rivals in an incredible Race 1 for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship to record his 17^th victory of the 2023 campaign in style. The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola hosted a sensational battle as Bautista claimed took a stunning win ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) who racked up a century of podiums as he finished second.

WRITING HISTORY: Bautista equals race wins in a season record, 100 up for Razgatlioglu

The opening laps were a sensational fight in front of the passionate Italian fans as two Italian riders led their first laps of the season. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) got the holeshot from second and led until the final chicane on Lap 2, when Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) overtook his compatriot. At the start of Lap 3, Bassani had a huge wobble through Tamburello which dropped him down to fourth, before Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) went through at the Variante Alta at Turn 4.

On Lap 3, 2021 Champion Razgatlioglu made one of the best overtakes of the season as he went around the outside of Bautista on the entry to the Variante Alta to move into P2 behind Locatelli, before it all kicked off at the front as Locatelli, Razgatlioglu and Bautista battled for first. The Turkish rider was able to get ahead of his teammate on the run into Turn 1 when Locatelli ran a bit wide into the final chicane and compromised his exit, although the Italian was able to defend from Bautista. The Spaniard demoted the home hero into third a lap later with an overtake into the Variante Alta before he set his sights on Razgatlioglu.

Razgatlioglu and Bautista pulled out a gap over Rea, who passed Locatelli on Lap 5 at the final chicane, to duel it out for victory although Bautista did briefly lose second to the six-time Champion after he had a massive moment on the run to the Variante Alta on Lap 8; he swiftly re-passed Rea to take second place back. There was little to separate the pair throughout the first two-thirds but an error from the Turk allowed Bautista to pass him on the run down to Rivazza 1 to lead. He ran slightly wide at the final chicane but the #54 was unable to capitalise and remained in second. From there, the reigning Champion pulled out a gap to claim his 49^th win in WorldSBK, ahead of Razgatlioglu while Rea took third.

Bautista’s win puts him on 17 for the season which equals the most in a season, putting him level with Doug Polen in 1991 and Jonathan Rea in from 2018 and 2019. One more win at any point throughout the season will give him the all-time record for wins in a single campaign with 18. Second gave Razgatlioglu his 100^th WorldSBK podium and his 16^th consecutive rostrum finish; the joint sixth-longest all-time streak. Rea racked up his 252^nd podium, while Razgatlioglu and Rea have now shared the podium 75 times together.

STRONG STARTS, DROPPING BACK: Locatelli and Bassani lead but finish off the rostrum

Locatelli’s stunning start was rewarded with fourth place although he had to work hard as he fended off Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in the closing stages. Rinaldi was the quicker rider and the gap between them on Lap 19, the final lap, was just over a second but the Yamaha rider was able to hold on lead a quartet of Italians inside the top seven. After his podium at Donington last time out, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) headed into his second home round full of confidence and he scored sixth, 2.6s down on Rinaldi ahead. Bassani dropped down the order to finish seventh, having to fight hard to keep that position.

FIERCE FIGHTS: Baz finishes strongly

French rider Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) was the top BMW rider as he took eighth, but he was very close to finishing one place higher. He put pressure on the Independent Ducati directly ahead of him but was unable to make the move before he had to defend from Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). The Brit had to settle for ninth but finished just over three tenths down from the two-time race winner, while Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) completed the top ten.

UNPREDICTABLE ACTION: the battle for 11^th is a late-race thriller

Rookie Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) put in a strong charge to take 11^th after a fierce fight with four riders. The Australian battled with Xavi Vierge (Team HRC), Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to take 11^th with the Honda rider in 12^th; Vierge was forced to start from the back of the grid due to a tyre pressure limits infringement, but he was up to 17^th in the early stages before claiming P12. American star Gerloff was 13^th with stand-in BMW rider Haslam right behind. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) started from the second row and secured a point as he claimed 15^th.

Tito Rabat (Barni Spark Racing Team) took 16^th place, 19 seconds down on Ray ahead of him, as he fended off two Italians. Wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing), who started from the pit lane, was 17^th and only 0.181s down on the Moto2™ World Champion while Roberto Tamburini (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) was 18^th and last of the classified riders.

HOUSEKEEPING: retirements from Race 1

Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) crashed out of his home race on Lap 3 when he went down at Turn 2, while German rider Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) retired just shy of the halfway mark of the 19-lap race. Czech rider Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) retired shortly after Oettl while Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) crashed at Turn 18 on Lap 13. Spanish duo Isaac Vinales (TPR by Team Pedercini Racing) and Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) also did not complete the race. Swiss rookie Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) brought his Yamaha YZF-R1 machine into the pits on Lap 17 to retire.

The top six from WorldSBK Race 1, full results here:

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +3.672s

3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +7.847s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +13.543s

5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +15.898s

6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +18.551s

Fastest Lap: Alvaro Bautista (Ducati), 1’47.065s

Watch the Tissot Superpole Race on Sunday at 11:00 Local Time (GMT+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) resisted rival Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) to claim a home victory at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola with just 0.090s separating the pair at the end of the 13-lap Race 1. It was a dramatic fight that came down to the final corners at the Prometeon Italian Round while there was joy behind as Marc Garcia (China Racing Team) secured Kove’s first FIM Supersport 300 World Championship points to give the Chinese manufacturer a boost halfway through their maiden campaign.

LAST LAP SCRAP: Vannucci just holds on from Geiger

The race soon became a two-rider fight as polesitter Geiger and home hero Vannucci took advantage of the squabbling behind to pull out around two seconds on the chasing pack on the opening lap. The German was leading until Rivazza 1 when Vannucci overtook his rival, with the pair remaining nose-to-tail throughout the whole race; although they didn’t change position too much to keep increasing the gap behind.

Their pace was strong with Vannucci set a new race lap record on Lap 2 when he posted a 2’06.540s, while both were under that record on Lap 3 when they extended the gap to four seconds over Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) who was trying to break away and secure a home podium. On Lap 5, Geiger had his first look at passing Vannucci into Piratella and then Acque Minerali although did not make the move.

The duo’s continued to be relentless as they lapped in the low 2’07s to continue extending their gap over the battle behind, with the pair more than eight seconds clear of Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) at the start of Lap 8 of 13. On Lap 10, Geiger overtook Vannucci into the Villeneuve Chicane before the Italian responded into the Variante Alta on the same lap. On the final lap, Geiger moved ahead when the Yamaha rider ran wide at the left-hander of Tosa before he responded at Acque Minerali for an unconventional race-winning move.

Vannucci took his third WorldSSP300 victory and sixth podium as he hauled himself up to fifth in the standings, while it was also Italy’s tenth win in the Championship; the third country to reach this milestone. Geiger was on the podium for the fourth time while it was back-to-back second places for the KTM rider.

The battle for third raged on throughout the whole race and it was Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) who claimed third as he led a group of six riders separated by 1.5 seconds. The majority of that group took turns to lead the fight, but Buis timed it to perfection for the rostrum, denying Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) by just two tenths. Buis’ 16^th podium means he is now only four behind Scott Deroue in the all-time rankings.

FIRST POINTS: Kove celebrate a top ten with Garcia

Perez Gonzalez fended off Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) with the Brazilian taking fifth; half-a-second down on the Spaniard. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) was sixth as he fended off two riders to secure a place in the top six. Gennai came home in seventh despite trying to break away, losing third place on Lap 6 and unable to recover it, with Marc Garcia (China Racing Team). The 2017 Champion secured the Kove 312RR’s first points since the Chinese manufacturer joined WorldSSP300 with their first top-ten appearance; only 1.5 seconds down on the podium. French rider Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) took ninth but missed out on passing Garcia by just 0.136s while he also resisted late pressure from Britain’s Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) in tenth.

THE CHAMPIONSHIP ORDER CHANGES: Svoboda loses second in the standings…

Rookie Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) was just two tenths away from the top ten but settled for P11 ahead of Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) with just 0.342s separating the pair. Championship contender Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) dropped down the order as he finished in 14^th, ahead of Mexico’s Juan Pablo Uriostegui (Team#109 Kawasaki) in 15^th. Svoboda’s 14^th place, coupled with Geiger in second, means the Czech rider has dropped to third in the standings.

HOUSEKEEPING: penalties and crashes impact results

Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) was classified in 17^th place after crossing the line in 11^th. He was penalised with a three-second penalty, in lieu of a Long Lap Penalty, for shortcutting the final chicane. Both wildcard Roberto Jason Sarchi (Gradaracorse) and Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) were penalised three seconds, in lieu of a Long Lap Penalty, for slow riding in FP2. They were classified 19^th and 20^th respectively.

Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) was the first retirement when he pulled off the track on Lap 2 with a technical issue. Debutant Michel Agazzi (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) crashed out of his home race on Lap 6 at Turn 9, while teammate Alfonso Coppola crashed on Lap 8 at Turn 7. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) crashed out on Lap 10 at the Variante Alta which ended his race, while Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) went down on the penultimate lap at Turn 3.

The top six from WorldSSP300 Race 1, full results here:

1. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha)

2. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) +0.090s

3. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) +10.392s

4. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) +10.609s

5. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) +11.161s

6. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flemmbo-PI Performances) +11.719s

Fastest Lap: Matteo Vannucci, Yamaha – 2’06.257 (New Lap Record)

Watch WorldSSP300 Race 2 LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED from Imola on Sunday at 15:15 Local Time (GMT+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Home of ‘The Showdown’, a place for heroic home victories and where passion oozes through the park setting; the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola has a special ambience and vibe and this weekend is even more special. The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is back in action at Imola this weekend and the Tissot Superpole session on Saturday morning was absolutely sensational. With a lap record of a 1’45.180 by Chaz Davies from 2019 not being troubled throughout the weekend thus far, would it be threatened in Superpole after four years?

STORY OF SUPERPOLE: Bassani, Ray, Razgatlioglu and Bautista put on a show

As the green flag waved at the end of pitlane, riders went straight out to get a solid banker lap in, with yellow flags and red flags in the mind of teams – especially after three red flags in the FP2 on Friday afternoon. As usual, Yamaha riders Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and teammate Andrea Locatelli worked together and led the field out of the pits, with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) in tow. It was a fight from the start to just get out of pitlane, with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) seemingly not happy about being crowded out. On his out-lap, there was drama for German rider Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) who crashed at Turn 1 and nearly hit the back of Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing).

As the first laps came in, Axel Bassani laid down the gauntlet and was a man on a mission with a 1’46.062, the fastest lap of the weekend straight off the bat. With only one previous front row from Argentina in 2021, he was looking to add to that but Razgatlioglu came through to pip it from him with ten minutes to go, whilst Locatelli was third. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) got ahead of Locatelli after his second flying lap, whilst it was a stunning performance from Brad Ray who was inside the top five at the halfway point. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was up in sixth ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Alex Lowes, whilst Petrucci completed the top ten.

The session came alive in the final five minutes, with Yamaha working together again, this time with Locatelli leading Razgatlioglu, whilst Ray was following. However, stealing the headlines was Bassani, the #47 was on absolute stonking lap but encountered traffic at the Variante Alta; he weaved his way through the middle of Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) and Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) in dramatic style, but chasing a career-first pole, he tucked the front at Rivazza. This caused yellow flags and Alvaro Bautista’s pole-bound lap was impacted; the #1 snatched top spot but later had his time deleted.

FRONT ROW: a different look to a new titanic IMOLA trio?

So, after it all settled down, Toprak Razgatlioglu was the polesitter for the first time at Imola and equalled the record of poles for a single rider with Yamaha, tied on 11 with Ben Spies. Making it a Yamaha 1-2 on the grid, Andrea Locatelli initially had his lap time cancelled, but it was done incorrectly and later reinstated. Having been fourth at one point and in the gravel at Rivazza, Bassani gained one position due to the drama around him to take a first front row since San Juan in 2021. With a strong race pace, a joint-career-best starting position and his usual tenacity, Bassani really could be in contention for a first win – and what better place to do it than his true home round. 

POWER-PACKED ROW TWO: Brad Ray in majestic form on Imola debut, Bautista denied pole

The second row is a real blockbuster; Alvaro Bautista was originally scheduled for pole but the yellow flags meant that his time was cancelled, so he heads up row two in P4. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) is in the middle of the second row on his Imola debut, is he a contender for a first podium? However, star of the show on the second row is WorldSBK rookie Brad Ray, who latched onto the factory Yamaha duo to propel himself to a phenomenal sixth place on his first time at Imola. Having had pace all weekend and usually strong in the start of races, Ray will be hoping to make a name for himself in Race 1.

HEAVYWEIGHT THIRD ROW: Rea vs Rinaldi the headline

It’s a titanic third row too, with six-time World Champion and Imola’s most successful rider Jonathan Rea with work to do from P7, ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi, who was on a pole position lap until yellow flags came out at the final corner for Iker Lecuona (Team HRC). Rea could’ve ended up further down had it not been for yellow flags elsewhere, so is a beneficiary of the shaking out of deleted lap times. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) took ninth and his first top ten on the grid since Mandalika. Home-hero Danilo Petrucci has to go from tenth, with a tough job ahead of him if he’s to mount the podium again like he achieved at Donington Park. 

OUTSIDE THE TOP TEN: Lowes heads a raft of factory bikes

Alex Lowes was unfortunate as his last lap time took him to fifth, but it was deleted, leaving him down in P11, one place ahead of Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). 13^th place honours went to Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) as the Spaniard took top Honda placing, although it wasn’t without a crash at Acque Minerali late on. Leon Haslam’s (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) return saw him in 14^th, and the ‘Pocket Rocket’ was just two hundredths clear of Free Practice revelation Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW). Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 16^th, ahead of Iker Lecuona, who once again endured a torrid time of things as he crashed at the final corner on his final flying lap. Oettl got back out to take 18^th, ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) and Gabriele Ruiu.

Outside of the top 20, Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was ahead of stand-in rider Roberto Tamburini (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team), who was nonetheless ahead of full-time rider, Brazilian Eric Granado. Isaac Vinales and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) complete the order ahead of the opening race of the day.

Top six after WorldSBK Superpole at Imola, full results here:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 1’45.959s

2. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.058s

3. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +0.103s

4. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.186s

5. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.538s

6. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) +0.636s

A breath-taking season is well underway, watch it all unfold with 50% off the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) showed rapid pace throughout the Tissot Superpole session to claim a dramatic pole in the FIM Supersport World Championship as he beat compatriot Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) by just over a tenth. A red flag due to track conditions with less than a minute to go brought the session to an early end which disrupted riders in the 20-minute session, with several riders losing lap times due to late yellow flag infringements during the Prometeon Italian Round.

DRAMA UNTIL THE END: yellow flags mix up the front row…

The first runs were completed with Caricasulo leading Bulega by 0.465s. Caricasulo set a stunning 1’50.779s with around 10 minutes left in the session to move ahead of his compatriot with the Championship leader needing to find almost half-a-second to deny the 2019 WorldSSP runner-up a 12^th pole position. Bulega put in a lap of 1’50.743s just before the red flags were shown, with 48 seconds remaining, although this time was later deleted due to yellow flags at the final chicane. Caricasulo will start from P1 alongside Bulega in second, while Bulega’s title rival, Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) will start third.

RESPONDING FROM A DIFFICULT FRIDAY: taking the second row

Rookie Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) will lead away the second row as he took fourth, around six tenths down on the pole time. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) bounced back from two crashes in FP2 to take fifth after posting a 1’51.800s on his Panigale V2 while Turkish star Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) will line up from sixth. The Barcelona winner crashed in FP1, but he was still able to show rapid pace throughout the weekend to complete the second row.

IN THE TOP TEN: Huertas’ form continues, Navarro crashes

Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) continued to shine at Imola as he took seventh to finish as the lead Kawasaki rider in Superpole. His time was a 1’51.929s as he missed out on the second row by just a tenth, with Finland’s Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) in eighth. Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) rounded out the third row despite a crash at Turn 12 in the final moments of the session, while Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) completed the top ten. Navarro was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash and he was subsequently declared fit.

HOUSEKEEPING: action in Superpole

Wildcard Luca Ottaviani (Extreme Racing Service) impressed with 11^th, but he had drama at the final chicane in the final few minutes. He crashed his MV Agusta machine which forced Maximilian Kofler (D34G Racing) to take avoiding action with the Austrian riding through the gravel.

The top six following WorldSSP Superpole, full results here:

1. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) 1’50.779s

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSP Team) +0.119s

3. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.468s

4. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.622s

5. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1.021s

6. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +1.029s

WorldSSP Race 1 begins at 15:15 Local Time (GMT+2) – watch all the action using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Germany’s Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) claimed a stunning and hard-fought pole position during the Prometeon Italian Round after usurping weekend pacesetter Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) in the 20-minute Tissot Superpole session. Three different manufacturers will line up on the front row at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Di Imola as Superpole set up an unpredictable two FIM Supersport300 World Championship races in Italy.

A BATTLE FOR POLE: Vannucci denied by Geiger

Vannucci was the fastest rider after the first runs as he set a 2’07.287s before improving by four tenths on his second lap to tighten his grip on pole position, although Germany’s Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) did close the gap to 0.064s after their second flying laps. However, the KTM rider went 0.369s faster with a 2’06.455s with that time good enough to secure his second WorldSSP300 pole position and KTM’s first since Most in 2021. Vannucci will line up alongside Geiger and will hope his strong pace throughout the weekend will translate into home success, while Championship contender Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) took his first front row start with third. Three manufacturers will line up on the front row with KTM leading Yamaha and Kawasaki.

HOW CLOSE DO YOU WANT IT? literally nothing to separate third and fourth…

Rookie Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) took fourth as he looks to return to the WorldSSP300 rostrum, lapping 0.421s down on Geiger. His best time was the same as Svoboda, a 2’06.876s, but the Czech rider secured a front row start due to his second fastest lap being quicker. Garcia’s teammate, Kevin Sabatucci, will join him on the second row as he lapped a tenth slower than the Spaniard, while Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) made it three Italians in the top six as he completed the second row.

LESS THAN A SECOND BETWEEN THE TOP 11: a condensed field in WorldSSP300

Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) took seventh place after setting a 2’07.078s, finishing two tenths clear of Championship leader Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) in eighth. Gennai surged up the order in the final stages to take a third-row start, five places below his title rival, as he looks to extend his standings lead on home soil. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) will complete the third row as he took ninth after the Frenchman posted a 2’07.299s, less than a tenth quicker than Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) as the Dutchman completed the top ten.

HOUSEKEEPING FROM SUPERPOLE: penalties and drama

Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) took 12^th despite missing the final five minutes of Superpole. The Spaniard was penalised for taking the chequered flag three times in FP1 and was forced to sit out the final stages of the 20-minute session. The same penalty was given to Enzo Valentim (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) after he took the chequered flag twice in FP1 with the Brazilian qualifying 21^st.

Home hero Gabriele Mastroluca (Arco Motor University Team) will start from 31st and last after he missed the majority of the session. He had a technical issue on his Yamaha YZF-R3 in the early stages of the session but was able to re-join the session to post a 2’09.465s.

The top six from WorldSSP300 Superpole, full results here:

1. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) 2’06.455

2. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) +0.369s

3. Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.421s

4. Julio Garcia (Team Flemmbo – PI Performance) +0.421s

5. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flemmbo – PI Performance) +0.522s

6. Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) +0.666s

Racing action at Imola begins at 12:40 Local Time (GMT+2) with WorldSSP300 Race 1 – watch it all with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com