Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) went from third to first on the final lap of the Tissot Superpole Race as he bounced back in perfect fashion in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. The reigning Champion attacked Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on the last lap as he led only one corner throughout the race at MotorLand Aragon.

TITANIC TRIO FIGHT: last corner decides the race

Rea got the holeshot for the 10-lap race and kept the lead throughout the first half of the race ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK). At the start of Lap 6, Bautista had his first look at race leader Rea at Turn 1 but the six-time Champion defended under braking. A lap later and Bautista tried the same move, but Rea defended around the outside to give him the inside line for Turn 2. This allowed Rea to retain the lead and Razgatlioglu, using the SCQ tyre, to pass the reigning Champion through Turn 3. The trio remained nose-to-tail, but Bautista put in a stunning last lap to move from third to first, passing the #54 at Turn 5 before overtaking Rea at Turn 16 after the #65 ran slightly wide at Turn 12.

The results mean Bautista’s claimed his 52^nd WorldSBK win, and he also took the 200th podium for Spain, while Rea took his 26^th podium in 26 races at Aragon; a new all-time record for a single track. Razgatlioglu took his 109^th rostrum which moves him level with four-time Champion Carl Fogarty. In terms of the Championship, it means Bautista gained five points on Razgatlioglu to extend his lead back up to 42 points.

ROW TWO FOR RACE 2: three riders in two seconds

In the early stages, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was remaining around a second away from the ‘Titanic Trio’ but dropped five seconds back to claim fourth for the second race in this year’s Aragon Round. He was exactly one second ahead of Race 1 winner Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in fifth while Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) took sixth place. Locatelli, Rinaldi and Lecuona were separated by two seconds at the flag and will make up the second row for this afternoon’s Race 2.

JUST MISSING OUT: a closely-fought battle for the third row

Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) narrowly missed out on a second row start with seventh, finishing 1.568s behind his teammate, with the riders on row three this afternoon separated by just over a second. The #97 was eight tenths clear of Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) who put in another strong performance. He was just 0.356s ahead of Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) as the American secured a third-row start for Race 2, and finishing as the lead BMW rider.

HOUSEKEEPING: Petrucci outside the top nine, three retirements

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) couldn’t repeat his Race 1 heroics as he battled his way from the back of the grid to 12^th. Despite climbing up the order, he’ll start Race 2 from last after not setting a time in the Tissot Superpole session. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) started from inside the top nine but ran wide at the opening corner and dropped down the order. He finished in 15^th. Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team), Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) and Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) all retired from the race.

The top nine from WorldSBK’s Tissot Superpole Race, full results here:

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

2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.179s

3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.296s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +5.013s

5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +6.013s

6. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +7.024s

7. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) +8.592s

8. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) +9.384s

9. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +9.740s

Fastest lap: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) – 1’49.028s, new lap record

Who will come out on top in Race 2? Find out at 14:00 Local Time (GMT+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) continued his strong MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship form with top spot in Sunday Warm Up for the Tissot Aragon Round. ‘Petrux’, who completed a memorable comeback in Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon, was 0.038s clear of fellow Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) during the 15-minute Warm Up as both riders swapped fastest lap times and top spot.

Petrucci and Bautista traded positions during the 15-minute session with the #9 the first to dip into the 1’49s bracket with around five minutes remaining in the session as he posted a 1’49.829s, lapping 0.175s quicker than the reigning Champion. Although Bautista improved his time to a 1’49.867s, he finished 0.038s behind Petrucci as he looks to bounce back from his two Saturday crashes. The two Ducati stars were the only riders to lap in the 1’49s bracket in Warm Up, with third place going to Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) as the Italian set a 1’50.196s.

Race 1 winner Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took fourth, only four tenths down on Petrucci while he was only 0.031s quicker than Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in fifth. Positions fourth to sixth were taken up by yesterday’s rostrum with Rea fifth and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), who took second in Race 1, in sixth after posting a 1’50.535s.

American superstar Garret Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was the fastest BMW rider on Sunday morning in seventh after setting a 1’50.652s, although there was little to separate him and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in eighth. The duo were only 0.012s apart at the end of Warm Up, while two Honda riders completed the top ten. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) are often hard to keep apart on track and the timesheets and that continued in Warm Up. The #7 was the lead Honda after setting a 1’50.671s, with his teammate 0.006s slower.

Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) did not set a time. The Frenchman spent the majority of the session in his box before leaving for one out lap.

The top six from WorldSBK Warm Up, full results here:

1. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’49.829s

2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.038s

3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.367s

4. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.418s

5. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.449s

6. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.706s

Who will win the Superpole Race? Find out at 11:00 Local Time (GMT+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) has one hand on the FIM Supersport World Championship title after his victory in Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon, coupled with Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) finishing outside the top ten, allowed him to open up his standings lead to 80 points. The #11 was untouchable on Saturday after a stunning Tissot Superpole session and he kept that form up in Race 1 to edge closer to a first World Supersport crown with victory by more than three seconds as his rivals squabbled behind him.

BULEGA WINS, MANZI 11^TH: the gap opens up…

Bulega got the holeshot when the 15-lap race got underway and was immediately pulling clear of his rivals as he looked to put one hand on the title, and his gap over Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) at the end of the opening lap was one second, before extending that to 1.6s on Lap 2. Title rival Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) made gains on the opening lap as he passed Federico Caricauslo (Althea Racing Team) at Turn 8 but the #62 found himself 1.7s down on Bulega at the end of his opening lap.

The Ten Kate rider had to fend off Caricasulo in the early stages as the #64 looked to re-claim the position he lost to Manzi on the opening lap. This allowed Montella to pull away from his two fellow Italians behind him. As the race progressed, Caricasulo found himself under pressure from Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) who was bringing Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki), Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) and Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) with him. Meanwhile, Bulega was extending his lead out in front.

With the #64 having to defend, Manzi was able to escape a little bit up the road as he looked to close down Montella for second. On Lap 10, the Yamaha rider gained a huge amount of time over Montella and briefly got ahead of the one-time race winner, before the Ducati star responded immediately. On the same lap, Huertas retired from the race with a technical issue. A lap later and Manzi barged his way through on his compatriot at Turn 13, catching him by surprise, with Montella then having to fend off Schroetter; the German got through at Turn 16 on the same lap.

Turn 1 on Lap 13 was where Schroetter moved into P2 as Montella and Caricasulo kept themselves in the hunt for a podium. The #62 made a move at Turn 15 to re-take P2 but Schroetter was able to respond into the next corner before starting to edge out a gap to claim second with Manzi secured third. On the final lap, Manzi ran wide at Turn 15 as he looked to pass Schroetter for second but dropped down to 11^th, with the German and Montella making up the podium.

Bulega crossed the line 3.5 seconds ahead of Schroetter for his 12^th win and 16^th podium of the season, and with Manzi dropping down the order, he can be crowned Champion on Sunday if he leaves the Spanish circuit 100 points clear of Manzi; the gap is now 80. It was Schroetter’s seventh podium since his switch to WorldSSP while Montella claimed his fifth. The #55’s rostrum was also Italy’s 191^st in the Championship and tied them with France at top spot in the all-time list.

JUST MISSING OUT: so close to a podium

Caricasulo finished the race fourth and just two tenths away from a podium after the dramatic battle, with 4.3 seconds separating the top four. De Rosa took fifth while Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), who had joined the battle in the closing stages before dropping back down the order, was sixth and less than a second away from De Rosa. All three riders who finished between P4 and P6 were all in the podium fight at times before securing their finishing positions.

NOTHING TO SEPARATE THEM: two tenths keep three riders apart

Dutch rider van Straalen was seventh despite being in the lead group in the early stages as the Yamaha rider dropped down the order, as he fended off Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) by just two tenths at the flag. It was a closely-fought battle for the places in the top ten with French rider Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha), fresh from his maiden podium last time out, completed the top ten. He was almost 12 seconds off the lead as he benefitted from Manzi’s last-lap excursion. Manzi was just a quarter of a second behind Debise at the line.

SCORING POINTS: Diaz equals his best, wildcard in 12^th

Wildcard Yeray Ruiz (MDR Offitec Yamaha) secured points at his home round with 12^th while Alvaro Diaz (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was 13^th. The reigning WorldSSP300 Champion equalled his best result in WorldSSP as he secured points as well as finishing as the lead WorldSSP Challenge rider. He was directly ahead of MotoE™ race winner Nicholas Spinelli in 14^th as he took points on his return to WorldSSP action after missing the French Round. Ondrej Vostatek (PTR Triumph) completed the points-scoring places.

HOUSEKEEPING: a Ducati debut to forget for McPhee

John McPhee’s first race with D34G Racing ended after just one complete lap as he crashed at Turn 3 at the start of Lap 2. He was the first retirement from the race. Tom Booth-Amos’ (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) race ended on Lap 6 when he had a technical issue, while debutant Hector Garzo (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) crashed out on Lap 9 and Turn 7.

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

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

2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +3.581s

3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +4.106s

4. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +4.306s

5. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +5.830s

6. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +6.763s

Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega (Ducati), 1’53.488s – new lap record

Don’t miss WorldSSP Race 2 on Sunday from 12:45 Local Time (GMT+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon will go down as one to remember for a multitude of reasons and one of them will be Danilo Petrucci’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) epic comeback. He started from 24^th on the grid after not setting a lap time in the Tissot Superpole session before fighting his way up the order to finish in fifth at MotorLand Aragon. It extended his run of top-nine finishes in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship to 14 races.

Petrucci’s day started off badly when he crashed in Superpole on his outlap at Turn 8 with ‘Petrux’ unable to set a lap time. This left him 25^th in the classification but gained a place on the grid as Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) had to start from the pitlane for exceeding the engine allocation rules. Starting from the eighth row, by the end of Lap 1 he was already on the fringes of the points after moving up to 17^th.

Two laps later and he was in 15^th having passed Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) before slotting into 14^th after overtaking Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW). The comeback was continuing strongly as he moved into the top ten by the end of Lap 4 and was sixth by the end of Lap 7. He remained here for a handful of laps before moving past Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) for fifth.

Reacting to his crash and comeback, Petrucci said: “I don’t know if I want to be angry or happy. I’m really disappointed about the mistake I made in Superpole. It’s the first time in my whole career that I crashed on my first lap. Maybe I was too convinced about my chance to take pole position. I did not finish the first lap. In the race, I just understood that I was faster than the other guys in front. It’s a shame but I’m so happy because the bike was good. I hope tomorrow I can get into the top nine positions in the Superpole Race to start higher up in Race 2.”

Petrucci’s pace throughout the weekend had been good for a podium but with the drama of Race 1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) crashing twice and a three-way scrap for victory between Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) – could Petrucci have won Race 1 had he been able to show his outright pace in Superpole?

When asked whether he could win on Sunday, ‘Petrux’ said: “I will be happy to score a podium. The goal tomorrow morning will be to stay in the top nine, so I start, at least, on the third row. That’ll be better than the eighth row! I don’t know if I can challenge for the victory. Today, I felt really strong and maybe today was a good chance but I made a mistake. I still have a chance to get the podium.”

Can Petrucci repeat his epic comeback tomorrow? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

MotorLand Aragon has always had a special place in Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) heart. Five years ago, he made his MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship debut at the Spanish venue and, in 2020, it was the scene of his first podium and win. Now, in 2023, the circuit ended his two-year win drought after he battled his way to victory in Race 1 of the Tissot Aragon Round ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK); the latter of whom he beat in 2020 on his way to his first win.

Rinaldi started the race from fifth on the grid but was immediately into the top four as he closed down Rea and Razgatlioglu ahead. Rea was putting pressure on Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ahead although it looked like the Spaniard was in control of the race before it abruptly unravelled at Turn 8. He lost the front of his Panigale V4 R and crashed, dropping down the order. This promoted Rea, Razgatlioglu and Rinaldi into the podium positions.

The #21 had been keeping his distance but slowly started closing the gap to his rivals before he made his move on the #54 for second. The move came on the 2021 Champion came on Lap 13 to move into second place before he overtook the six-time Champion a couple of laps later to move into the lead. From there, he was able to extend his lead to claim his first victory in almost exactly two years: his last one was on the 19^th September 2021 in Barcelona, where Razgatlioglu also finished second.

Reacting to his first win of the year, Rinaldi said: “It’s incredible! At Aragon, strange things happen, I had my first race win here and then this victory today is one of my best, as I fought! It was a race where I had to manage the tyre and think a lot. There’s been some really dark moments this year but this is the best road to come back. I decided to not give up and here I am, really happy and enjoying this moment.”

Although Rinaldi was able to win, his outright pace was not as quick as those around him, but it was more consistent which allowed him to first close in on the leaders and then pass. Rinaldi’s best lap was a 1’50.020s, on Lap 2, and 10 of his first 11 normal lap times – excluding Lap 1 – where in the 1’50s bracket. His pace did drop into the 1’51s but never slower than this. In contrast, Razgatlioglu’s fastest time was a 1’49.585s but he only set seven lap times slower than the 1’51s, while Rea was similar: his best lap was a 1’49.568s, but only seven race laps were in the 1’50s or lower and both dropped into the 1’52s towards the end of the race.

Explaining his race, Rinaldi said: “I think that the problem for them was at the beginning of the race; I was lapping in the 1’50s but they went away, and I think they were using too much tyre, so at the end, it was the key as I was able to catch them. It’s what I thought at the beginning of the race. I’m sorry for Alvaro’s crash and I’m sure his pace was even better, but I took the opportunity and won the race. These things happen and I wish him the best for tomorrow. My target is to always be there fighting for the victory and we’ll see tomorrow if we can repeat it with Alvaro.”

Can Rinaldi add another Aragon win to his collection? Find out on Sunday using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) took a huge chunk out of Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship standings lead in Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon. The #54 finished second at MotorLand Aragon whilst Bautista crashed twice in a dramatic opening race of the Tissot Aragon Round, allowing the 2021 Champion to close the gap further and add more pressure to his rival.

Razgatlioglu started the race from third on the grid and was there as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) hustled the Championship leader before it looked like the #1 had broken away from the chasing pack. However, on Lap 6, Bautista went down at Turn 8 and dropped all the way down the field. Razgatlioglu then battled with old foe and his 2024 replacement Rea on Lap 7, before bursting through with a few laps to go. However, by then, it wasn’t for victory as Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had got ahead of both to take a first win in over two years, but 20 points nonetheless for 2021 World Champion Razgatlioglu mean he’s now 37 adrift of Bautista.

“Firstly, I am very happy as we didn’t start very strong but we have improved,” said Razgatlioglu, who had previously said on Friday evening that it was worse than in 2022 before a breakthrough on Saturday morning. “Especially in the race, my plan was to pass Jonny and Alvaro but after the crash, my plan was to stay with Jonny and if I stay behind into the last two laps, then I’d try to attack and fight for the win.

“Michael was very strong and I was just thinking that maybe the rear tyre drops in the last two laps but he was still strong. I tried to do my best, I’ve never won at this circuit and finally, I’m pushing a lot to take P2. It’s good for the Championship as now the gap is 37 points and I’m very happy, especially today. The Championship is something I’m not thinking about; every weekend it’s changing and it looks like everything isn’t finished. We’re focussed race-by-race, on Sunday, I’ll take more risks, my target is to win.”

Razgatlioglu has been a consistent force in 2023 and whilst he’s finished second to Bautista 12 times, he’s whittled down Bautista’s at-one-point 98-point lead down to 37 and it could have been even less had it not been for misfortune out of Toprak’s hands. In Race 2 at Phillip Island, he was taken out by Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the battle for a top five, whilst at Most, after a flawless display of defensive riding against Bautista in Race 2, a rear tyre failure left him on the floor from the lead. In all other races, he’s been on the podium, with just five times being third.

2023’s title race is unmissable; enjoy it for just €9.99 with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport World Championship title could be decided on Sunday at MotorLand Aragon. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) needs to leave the Spanish venue with a 100-point lead or more over his title rivals and the gap is currently 80 so, although the odds are against him being crowned during the Tissot Aragon Round, the possibility is there for Bulega to wrap everything up with two rounds to spare.

With the gap currently 80 points, Bulega needs a 20-point swing over Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) on Sunday to ensure the title fight is finished before Portimao. If the gap is 100 points, Bulega will be crowned Champion despite 100 points being available as he has 12 wins to Manzi’s three with only five races left in the season.

Bulega will win the title on Sunday if:

• He finishes 1^st and Manzi finishes 11^th or worse OR
• He finishes 2^nd and Manzi finishes 16^th or worse

Can Bulega wrap up the title? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass for only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ensured Ducati had something to cheer in Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon as he ended a two-year wait for victory in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship while teammate Alvaro Bautista crashed twice. He first crashed from the lead before going down again on the final lap when in the points as his Championship lead was slashed by 20 points during the Tissot Aragon Round with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) securing second.

BAUTISTA CRASHES TWICE: no points for the leader, Rinaldi wins ahead of Razgatlioglu

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) got a good start as the lights went out but soon found himself bundled behind Bautista through the exit of Turn 1 and into Turn 2, and he was able to hold the lead despite being hustled by the six-time Champion throughout the first couple of laps. He was able to retain the lead and extend the gap to around six tenths, but his race unravelled on Lap 6. He lost the front of his Panigale V4 R heading through the Turn 8-9 chicane and crashed before re-mounting his bike. He was back in the race but well down the order, allowing Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) to move into first and second with Rinaldi just behind. The reigning Champion battled his way back through the field to take 15^th on the final lap but as, he looked to move for P14, crashed at the final corner on the final lap to not score points.

The pair remained nose-to-tail at the front of the field with Bautista’s teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, within a second of the pair. Like the #65 did to Bautista, Razgatlioglu was husting the rider who’s replacing him next year at Yamaha and kept the pressure on his rival while Rinaldi started closing the gap to the duo ahead; on Lap 12, it was just four tenths. On Lap 13, Rinaldi made the move on the #54 into Turn 5 to move into P2.

Two laps later and Rinaldi made his first move for the lead as he passed Rea at Turn 5, but the Ulsterman responded at Turn 7 to retain the lead. However, on the back straight into Turn 16 Rinaldi made a second move and held the lead this time before breaking away from the chasing duo. At Turn 1 on the next lap, the #54 overtook Rea to move into second but he was unable to close down the #21 ahead of him. Rinaldi ended a two-year wait for victory as he took the win for his fifth in WorldSBK and his 21^st podium. With Razgatlioglu taking second, the gap in the Championship standings closed from 57 points to 37. Razgatlioglu moves one shy of Carl Fogarty in terms of podiums with his 108^th rostrum, while Rea took third for his 260^th career podium; double the number of Troy Corser, the rider closest to him on the list.

A COMEBACK TO REMEMBER: Petrucci goes from 25^th to fifth

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) took fourth and finished only three seconds away from the podium but undoubtedly the star of the show was Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team). The #9 didn’t set a lap time in the Tissot Superpole session after a crash in the early stages and he started the race from 25^th. He was already up to 17^th in the first laps before he continued fighting his way up the order. He finished the race in fifth, gaining 20 places, and only 1.651s behind compatriot Locatelli. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) continued his strong Aragon weekend as he took sixth, finishing almost seven seconds down on ‘Petrux’.

OVERCOMING PENALTIES: Lecuona in the top ten after double Long Lap penalty

Australian rookie Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) continued where he left off as he finished seventh, holding off America’s Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) by 0.245s as the Texan-born star finishing eighth. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) was ninth with Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) rounding out the top ten. The Spaniard had a double Long Lap Penalty to serve for a jump start and, after taking both, was down in 15^th before recovering to the top ten.

SCORING POINTS: taking advantage of Bautista’s second crash

Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) fought his way to 11^th place as he fended off a late charge from Xavi Vierge (Team HRC), with the pair separated by just three tenths at the end of the 18-lap race. Redding’s BMW teammate, Michael van der Mark, was 13^th with Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) in 14^th and completing the quarter of regular BMW riders. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was the last points scorer as he benefitted from Bautista’s second crash, while he was only half-a-second behind Baz.

HOUSEKEEPING: missing out on points…

KRT stand-in rider Florian Marino (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was 16^th in his first WorldSBK race in five years, finishing almost four seconds away from the points. He had a nine-second margin over Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) in 17^th while Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was just over a second back from the Italian. Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) was 19^th with Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing), wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) completing the classified riders.

Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the first retirement as he brought his Kawasaki ZX-10RR machine into the pits in the early stages. Bautista was a retirement following his second crash while Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) had a technical issue.

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

1 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +1.253s

3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.837s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +5.902s

5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +7.553s

6. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) +14.427s

Fastest lap: Alvaro Bautista (Ducati), 1’49.556s

Watch the Tissot Superpole Race from 11:00 Local Time (GMT+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

When we touched down at MotorLand Aragon for the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s tenth round, all the talk was about damage limitation for Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), as it was Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was the favourite for success. However, Saturday and Race 1 couldn’t have been any different as we saw one of the biggest swings of the WorldSBK pendulum this year.

Crashing out without pressure from the lead, Bautista’s Championship lead was handed another massive blow. Just when he’d done all the recovery work to at least come away with a point or two, he crashed again on the last lap. Whilst he laughed it off in the garage, the reigning World Champion and Championship leader will have serious work to do as the momentum from the first half of the year continues to wear off and move to the blue corner and Razgatlioglu – even at a circuit where they weren’t expected to lay a glove on him.

Talking about his Race 1 crashes, Bautista – now with a Championship lead of just 37 compared to 57 before the round and a high of 98 after Race 1 at Imola – shared his thoughts: “I can’t say it’s a happy day, but these things are part of the game and can happen. It was a pity. It was 100% my mistake. I just threw away a race that I was enjoying a lot. The feeling with the bike was good and I was feeling good. I was pushing a lot. I just lost the front a little bit more than other laps in that corner and I couldn’t save the crash. This is racing and it can happen. Last time, we had a problem with the motorbike. This time, I made a mistake. We have to reset to understand why I crashed. In any case, I’m sorry for my team because they worked really hard and also Ducati and the sponsors. It’s part of the game. We know we are competitive and fast so we just have to not make more mistakes. I cannot believe that, at 38 years old, I can make this kind of mistake, but it’s part of racing. The important thing is to learn and try to be a better rider tomorrow.”

Comparisons are starting to be drawn to Bautista’s 2019 season; whilst the big swings in points haven’t been entirely down to him, crashes at Imola in Race 2 and now at Aragon in Race 1 have been the headline grabbers. In Most’s Race 1, a flag-to-flag thriller, a problem changing the front tyre cost him 18 seconds and any chance of a big points haul, whilst a technical problem in Race 1 at Magny-Cours saw him stop, restart and recover to P10. Taking out teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi – who won Race 1 to grab points from Razgatlioglu at Aragon – ended any chance of victory in the Superpole Race in France, meaning little by little, the points gap has been coming down.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

It was an emotional Saturday for Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) as he claimed his first FIM Supersport 300 World Championship win in a dramatic fight-to-the-line with teammate Jeffrey Buis, whose grip on the Championship battle tightened with his podium and rival Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) crashed from the podium places at MotorLand Aragon. It was a red-flagged Race 1 for the Tissot Aragon Round which provided plenty of drama despite the shortened race.

RED FLAG INTERRUPTS RACE: restarted over a shorter distance…

Geiger and Buis both got a good start as the lights went out and looked to break away with Vannucci, before the #91 moved into the lead with a move on Championship leader Buis at Turn 16 at the end of the opening lap. With an ever-growing lead group dicing for the top positions, the red flags were deployed at the end of Lap 4 due to safety conditions at Turn 16 following a crash involving Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) and wildcard Antonio Torres Dominguez (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) on the opening lap. The incident was placed under investigation by the FIM Stewards, with no action taken, and Lehmann was taken to the medical centre for a check-up. He was declared unfit with a right femur subtrochanteric fracture and taken to Zaragoza Hospital for further assessment. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) did not take to the restarted race after he crashed at the start of Lap 4 at Turn 2.

0.049s BETWEEN THE PODIUM TRIO: fourth-closest podium finish in WorldSSP300

The race was restarted after a short delay over a five-lap distance. Geiger once again got a great start as the race started to move into the lead. He remained in the lead group until Lap 4 when he crashed at Turn 9 from third place and, while he re-joined the race, he finished down in 26^th and last. The group remained large throughout the final lap and a half with the battle going right to the lane. Teammates Veneman and Buis were 1-2 heading into Turn 16 with the #6 looking to overtake him on the inside with the #7 holding on around the outside and on the run to the line by just 0.033s. It was Veneman’s first win, which he took from 15^th on the grid for the original start, and he’s now gone one better than his dad, Barry, who was a World Championship podium finisher. For Buis, it was his 19^th podium and he’s now just one shy of Scott Deroue’s record of 20. Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) completed the podium for his second rostrum in WorldSSP300. Just 0.049s separated the top three. The gap between the trio meant it was the fourth-closest WorldSSP300 podium.

TOP SIX: narrowly missing out on a podium

Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) was once again fourth, for the sixth time in 13 races in 2023, after benefitting from a Ruben Bijman (Arco Motor University Team) penalty. The Dutchman had crossed the line in fourth but a track limits infringement on the final lap at Turn 7 dropped him down to fifth, behind Perez Gonzalez. Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) completed the top six with 0.090s separating the top six at the end of the race.

INSIDE THE TOP TEN: track limits change the order

Spaniard Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) was another home hero who enjoyed success at his home round as he took seventh. The two riders behind both had track limits penalties. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) was classified in eighth and Unai Calatayud (Arco Motor University Team) ninth. Both were deemed to have exceeded track limits at Turn 5 on the final lap, demoting both one place. Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) completed the top ten.

TWO SECONDS BETWEEN POINTS SCORERS: nothing in it…

Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) took 11^th and missed out on a top ten spot by less than a tenth, ahead of Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) in 12^th. Polesitter Vannucci set the fastest lap of the race but dropped down the order to 13^th as he finished ahead of wildcard Marc Vich Gil (Acro Motor University Team). Despite a crash in the original race which dropped him to the back of the grid for the restarted, Troy Alberto (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) completed the points-paying positions. He was only two seconds away from Veneman after the five-lap race.

HOUSEKEEPING: retirements, Long Lap Penalties and Championship twists…

Marc Garcia (China Racing Team) retired from the race on Lap 4 of the restarted battle, as did Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) after he crashed at Turn 4. Three riders had to take a double Long Lap Penalty for jump starts in the original race. Mattia Martella (ProDina Kawasaki Racing), Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) and rookie Christopher Clark (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) were all penalised and finished 23^rd, 19^th and 24^th respectively.

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

1. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki)

2. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) +0.022s

3. Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) +0.049s

4. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) 0.787s

5. Ruben Bijman (Arco Motor University Team) +0.850s

6. Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) +0.909s

Fastest lap: Matteo Vannucci (Yamaha), 2’07.106s

Watch WorldSSP300 Race 2 on Sunday at 15:15 Local Time (GMT+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com