With Xavi Vierge’s (Team HRC) second home round of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship just around the corner at MotorLand Aragon, he sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss several topics. The interview covered the season so far, what Honda are missing to fight consistently at the front of the WorldSBK field, his relationship with teammate Iker Lecuona as they look to push Honda up the field and his long-term goals in WorldSBK.

2023 SO FAR: “not bad but not good”

Vierge started his 2023 campaign with a podium at Mandalika which has proven to be the highlight of his season so far. Despite the efforts of both Honda and Vierge, results have been trickier to come by since WorldSBK returned to Europe. There have been a couple of top-six finishes for the #97, including on home soil in Barcelona and at Misano in the following round, but reaching the top ten has been a challenge with eight consecutive races without finishing there from Donington Park Race 1 to the Tissot Superpole Race at Most.

Reviewing his 2023 campaign so far, the Spaniard said: “I evaluate my 2023 season as not bad but not good. We started the season strongly. We had our first podium and had some solid races. The best moment of the season was the podium at Mandalika in Indonesia. The first podium in WorldSBK was really special. It was my first one as a factory rider, so this was unique. After one complete year working so hard, I achieved that podium. It was really important, and I hope, soon, more will come.

In the last three rounds, we’ve struggled a little bit. We struggled last year in these tracks, but we expected to make a step forward this year. Unfortunately, it has been not like that. The performance was bad, and we weren’t competitive. I think Aragon, Portimao and Jerez will be really good for our bikes so we will try to learn from last year and be competitive. One of my goals is trying to be on the podium before the end of the season.”

WHAT’S NEEDED TO MAKE A STEP: “there’s a lot of motivation when you see that everybody wants the same as you”

After the strong start for Honda – including finishing in the top eight in the first six races of the season – hopes were high for the Japanese manufacturer that they would be able to continue that all year long. However, that form didn’t continue with Honda still looking to make steps forward, including the introduction of a new superconcession chassis at the French Round with teammate Iker Lecuona using it.

Expanding on where Honda need to make gains to become regular podium contenders, Vierge said: “We are missing, as always, a little bit of everything. We are not fast enough to fight for the podium positions yet, but we are working super hard. Of course, there’s a lot of motivation when you see that everybody wants the same as you. Everybody is working so hard but in that high level, it’s not easy. We made a step compared to last year, but the problem is everyone else also made a step. We’re still missing something, and I hope we find it soon to be in that fight. For sure, we will arrive there.”

WORKING WITH LECUONA: how the teammates push each other forward…

Vierge made his WorldSBK debut at Aragon in 2022 alongside Lecuona with the pair leaving the MotoGP™ paddock to join Team HRC as factory riders for Honda and they struck up an instant bond. The pair are looking to push the Japanese brand forward and take them to glory. The pair have scored a podium each since joining the paddock with Lecuona finishing ahead last year but Vierge currently leads his teammate in the 2023 standings. The #97 is tenth in the Championship on 117 points with Lecuona three places and 17 points back.

Expanding how the duo push each other, as well as Honda, forward, Vierge stated: “Iker and myself have a really good relationship. I think it’s really important in this project because we are developing the bike and we need to improve so much so working together is important. We are also each other’s first rival. He feels the same about me, we are pushing each other, and this means that we are always increasing our level. We never forget that our goal is to win. Right now, we aren’t fighting for that so it’s good that we can work together until we arrive there.”

THE LONG-TERM PLAN: “I just want to be competitive and try to fight for the title”

With Vierge’s second season in WorldSBK coming to an end, he doesn’t yet have a contract for 2024 or beyond in place. However, he explained what his long-term goals are in World Superbike and how riding for the factory HRC team is a “dream” for every rider. He said: “Right now, I’m super focused on World Superbike. I’m happy here. I just want to be competitive and try to fight for the title. This is my goal right now and I’m working every day to achieve this. To be part of the HRC factory team is a dream for every rider. We have big goals together. We started together in WorldSBK in 2022 and I hope, soon, we can have some success.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship visits MotorLand Aragon for the Tissot Aragon Round and it is the penultimate round of the season for the category with 14 riders remaining in mathematical contention for the title. Although there are 13 riders who are fewer than 100 points behind leader Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki), there are seven within a round’s worth of points and two who are less than a race win away: Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) and Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing).

CLOSE TO HISTORY: will Buis be the first two-time WorldSSP300 Champion?

Buis does, mathematically, have the chance to be crowned Champion on Sunday at Aragon but it all depends on the results of Race 1 given the slender advantage he has (five points over Perez Gonzalez, 13 over Geiger) and the number of riders in contention. The 2020 Champion claimed the title race lead for the first time in 2023 last time out and Aragon is a great circuit for the #6. He has three wins here, all in 2020 when he won his first title. Can he achieve another double and put one hand on the Championship, or even wrap it up if results go his way?

Behind him, Perez Gonzalez is still looking for his first victory in WorldSSP300: consistency has been his key to 2023 with two podium finishes in 12 races but only two finishes outside the top six. A victory at this late stage will boost his confidence and drag him closer to his rival. Elsewhere, Geiger comes into Aragon off the back of a difficult French Round where he didn’t stand on the podium. His only win of the year was at Imola and Aragon hasn’t been an easy track for him. In two races last year on Kawasaki machinery, his best was 13^th. However, KTM have three podiums at the Spanish venue including two from last year courtesy of Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing).

THE SECOND GROUP: within 50 points of Buis

It’s a big gap to make up with just 100 points available but the riders in the ‘second’ group of the title fight will be optimistic heading to Spain. Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) is 28 points behind but has proven his race-winning credentials with a Dutch double to start the season. With only one further podium to his name, the Czech star will be looking for a return to the rostrum to kickstart his title challenge. Mirko Gennai’s (Team BrCorse) Race 2 podium at Magny-Cours gives him hope for the title but needs to outscore Buis considerably at Aragon, while Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) and Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) need to bounce back from crashes to haul themselves back into contention. They are 41 and 44 points back, respectively.

A BIG GAP TO BRIDGE: less than 100 points behind with a lot of work to do…

Riders from eighth to 14^th make up the ‘third’ and final group of riders in contention but these competitors have a mountain to climb to be crowned Champion. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) leads the group with 84 points and started the year with two podiums but has since found a top-five finish hard to come back. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) is another 11 points back after his first podium of the year in France. Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) and teammate Daniel Mogeda were protagonists at Magny-Cours and fought for the podium. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) is 12^th with Bruno Ieraci (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) 13^th; he’s only completed the Italian rounds but his Misano double means he is mathematically in contention. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki), fresh from his maiden podium, is the final rider in the title fight.

WHAT HAPPENED IN 2022? Title fight took shape early…

Aragon was the first round of the 2022 campaign, and it set up the Championship battle early, with Marc Garcia (China Racing Team) – then on a Yamaha – and Alvaro Diaz, the eventual Champion, sharing the wins. Garcia returns to Aragon but this time on the Kove as he stands in for Junhao Zhan at the China Racing Team. Lehmann took his first two WorldSSP300 podiums last year despite a poor Superpole result: he was 25^th and battled his way through the field in both Race 1 and Race 2.

CHANGES ON THE GRID: a shake-up to the line-up and wildcards

Garcia staying with Kove makes up one change but there are a few more on the grid. American Christopher Clark joins the Accolade Smrz Racing BGR team and becomes the second rider from the United States to race in WorldSSP300, after Dallas Daniels in Qatar in 2019. He’s raced with the Kawasaki Ninja 400 in MotoAmerica and finished the season 13^th in the standings. In terms of wildcards, Unai Calatayud returns with the Arco Motor University Team and Antonio Torres Dominguez races with the Deza-Box 77 Racing Team. A replacement rider for Gabriele Mastroluca at the Arco Motor University Team is to be announced.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport World Championship heads to MotorLand Aragon for Round 10 of the 2023 campaign and it could be a memorable one for Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) as he looks to wrap up the title in Spain with his first ‘match point’ possible at the Tissot Aragon Round. Rival Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) will be doing everything in his power to prevent Bulega from being crowned as he looks to not only delay Bulega’s coronation but also change the momentum and take points out of the #11’s lead.

TITLE ON THE LINE: how can Bulega be crowned Champion?

Bulega needs to leave Aragon leading by 100 points or more ahead of his Yamaha rival and the gap is currently 60 points. His first chance to win the title will come in Race 2 with the #11 needing to outscore Manzi by 40 points across the two races, while also not being outscored by Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) by 22 points or more. It’s a tall ask given Manzi has, more often than not, stood on the rostrum with Bulega but this season has seen plenty of drama so far: don’t be surprised if there’s more at Aragon, a place where weather can often have the loudest say…

BATTLE FOR FIFTH: five points separate three riders

With Schroetter and Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) having their positions almost locked in – 55 points separate the duo with 100 available after Aragon – the next big fight is for P5 in the Championship. It’s currently led by Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) with Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) and Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) directly behind. Sofuoglu has won at Aragon in WorldSSP300 – back in 2020 – while Tuuli has been a regular top-eight contender. Debise goes into the Aragon Round fresh from his first two podiums but his last WorldSSP race at Aragon was back in 2012; he retired from that race.

FIGHTING FOR A TOP-TEN FINISH: several competitors in the mix

Behind that trio, there’s a four-way scrap for P8 brewing. Led by Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki), fresh from the news he’ll replace Bulega in 2024, the Spaniard will be looking to secure a top-ten Championship finish for the first time in WorldSSP. He sits on 111 points with Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) looking to overhaul the #99 and just six points back. Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) has had a year of inconsistency and finds himself just inside the top ten on 103 points while rookie Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) is 11^th and on 101 points. Will he be able to take advantage of his home round to haul himself inside the top ten?

ON THE VERGE: Booth-Amos can take WorldSSP Challenge title at Aragon

After a hard-fought campaign, Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) has his first match point for the WorldSSP Challenge. He can wrap it up if he outscores his main rival, Tom Edwards (Yart-Yamaha WorldSSP Team) by 16 points over the weekend, Federico Fuligni (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) by 11, Maximilian Kofler (D34G Racing) by five, Alvaro Diaz (Arco Yart Yamaha WorldSSP) by four and teammate Luke Power by two.

RIDER LINE-UP NEWS: Taccini returns, wildcards at Aragon

Following the news that John McPhee would leave Vince64 by Puccetti Racing, the team have drafted in Leonardo Taccini at Aragon for his first WorldSSP appearance since Australia 2022. At D34G Racing, Oli Bayliss once again misses out through injury, but his replacement is still to be named. Previously, it had been Andreas Kofler, but the Austrian remains in title contention in the German Supersport championship which is also racing this weekend. Apiwath Wongthananon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) and Adam Norrodin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) will have to pass medical checks before being allowed to race. Two Spaniards will compete as wildcards on home soil. Julian Giral (Ducati Zaragoza) returns for the first time in a year to WorldSSP, while Yeraz Ruiz (MDR Offitec Yamaha) is set for his WorldSSP debut. Ruiz has previously been a top-ten contender in WorldSSP300 although he did not race at Aragon.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to MotorLand Aragon for Round 10 of the 2023 season and it’s a circuit that provides a different challenge to the teams and riders up and down the grid. Ahead of the Tissot Aragon Round, WorldSBK commentator Steve English looks at BMW’s recent form following Garrett Gerloff’s (Bonovo Action BMW) stunning French Round performance and asks whether BMW can continue their strong form at Aragon – a track where BMW have struggled at in recent years.

ENCOURGAMENT FROM FRANCE: can BMW build momentum?

After his Superpole heroics at Magny-Cours, the onus will be on Gerloff to have another strong weekend aboard his BMW M1000RR. The American, who claimed the first pole position of his WorldSBK career last time out, came away with two top five finishes in France for the Bonovo squad. The performance of Gerloff in France gave BMW more encouragement but once again the biggest question mark is about maintaining momentum. Throughout the campaign, BMW have struggled to have a “lead rider” week in and week out.

Part of that comes from having four strong riders on their bikes. Gerloff, teammate Loris Baz, and ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK duo Scott Redding and Michael van der Mark are all capable of running at the sharp end and challenging for race wins. The bigger reason is the inconsistency of their package. On a regular basis you are left questioning who’ll be the top BMW rider that weekend? At the opening two rounds of the year, it was van der Mark, at Assen it was Redding, then Gerloff at Round 4 in Catalunya before Redding established himself as the top man before the mid-season break. Throughout the season, the lead BMW rider at every round has been a top ten performer but it was only at Most and Magny-Cours where we genuinely saw them a threat at the front.

PROVING A STEP FORWARD: improving on corner entry

Aragon hasn’t been an easy track for the bike in the past, but this weekend is the time to prove their progress. The bike has improved on corner entry but it’s still a physical bike when the rider tries to change direction. There are positives and negatives to the package, but they are improving. The need for improvement has been amplified over the summer since the announcement of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) for 2024. The Turkish star is arguably the top rider in the WorldSBK paddock and now BMW has no room for excuses. They need to improve the package and give Razgatlioglu the bike he’ll demand.

OFF-TRACK GAINS: how are BMW looking for more progress?

To those ends the German manufacturer are investing more and more in their Superbike programme. A shake-up of their technical personnel and a rumoured move for Sylvain Guintoli as their test rider and Endurance racer for 2024 means that no stone is being unturned in Munich to drive the development of the bike. The rider line-up is still a talking point for next year with van der Mark almost certain to remain with the factory squad while Redding now looks likely to run at Bonovo alongside Gerloff. It’s a very strong group to put on the bike but it will come down to their ability to smooth the edges of the package to allow them to get the most from it.

ARAGON TO COME: inside the top six again?

Over the past number of years, there have been tracks where the BMW has looked to be a good bike and capable of running inside the top five. Aragon hasn’t been one of those in recent years, you need to look back to the damp 2021 for a performance like that, but after their French pole it will be worth keeping an eye on the white bikes to see if their lead rider can have a strong weekend. Three top six finishes would certainly do the trick.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship rolls into MotorLand Aragon this week for a potentially pivotal weekend in the title race. The Tissot Aragon Round will feature all three Championships on track and two could be decided on Sunday depending on how Race 1 in WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 plays out. Don’t miss your chance to watch all the action from WorldSBK, WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 and get your tickets for Aragon NOW.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) goes into his home round as the Championship leader but will face stiff competition from his rivals who are looking to prevent him from winning a second title. He can’t win it at Aragon, but he can take a big step towards being crowned Champion, while his 2024 teammate, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) can win the WorldSSP title this weekend – only on Sunday, if things go well for him on Saturday. In WorldSSP300, Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) can make history if he’s Champion on Sunday but with 14 riders still in mathematical contention, anything is possible.

Of course, the business end of the season means titles and awards being decided, but the off-track entertainment keeps on coming with the famous WorldSBK Paddock Show. From interactive games, meet and greet sessions with riders and, of course, the podium ceremonies for each class, this is not something to be missed. The Paddock Show has become synonymous with WorldSBK, and it gives fans the chance to get up close and personal with their favourite riders.

What are you waiting for? Don’t miss out and buy your Aragon Round tickets HERE.

Source: WorldSBK.com

Work is underway to bring WorldSBK back to Hungary! A collaboration between Dorna WSBK Organization and the Hungarian Mobility Development Agency (HUMDA) is exploring the possibility of the fastest production-based motorcycle World Championship racing at Balaton Park as early as 2024.

Dorna and HUMDA are working together on the homologation of the new Balaton Park Circuit, as well as the iconic Hungaroring, in order to bring both MotoGP™ and WorldSBK back to Hungary.

The aim is to first include Balaton Park on the 2024 WorldSBK calendar and as a reserve venue for MotoGP™ next season, before the Hungaroring hosts MotoGP™ from 2025… so watch this space!

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Two weeks on from a dramatic French Round and the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returns to action at MotorLand Aragon for the Tissot Aragon Round and with it a return to the standard schedule. WorldSSP300 Free Practice 1 starts from 09:45 Local Time (GMT+2) followed by WorldSBK at 10:30 and WorldSSP at 11:25. WorldSSP300 once again starts the running in the afternoon at 14:15 before WorldSBK at 15:00 and WorldSSP at 16:00 to round out Friday’s action. Saturday kicks off at 09:00 with WorldSBK Free Practice 3 before WorldSSP300 Superpole at 09:45, WorldSSP at 10:25 and WorldSBK at 11:10. The racing gets underway at 12:40 with WorldSSP300 Race 1, with WorldSBK Race 1 at 14:00 and WorldSSP Race at 15:15. On Sunday, the Warm Up sessions start from 09:00 before the first race of the day, the WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race, at 11:00. WorldSSP Race 2 gets underway at 12:30 before WorldSBK Race 2 at 14:00 and WorldSSP300 Race 2 rounding out the weekend at 15:15.

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Friday, 22^nd September (all times Local Time, GMT+2)

09:45-10:15 – WorldSSP300 Free Practice 1

10:30-11:15 – WorldSBK Free Practice 1

11:25-12:10 – WorldSSP Free Practice 1

14:15-14:45 – WorldSSP300 Free Practice 2

15:00-15:45 – WorldSBK Free Practice 2

16:00-16:45 – WorldSSP Free Practice 2

Saturday, 23^rd September

09:00-09:30 – WorldSBK Free Practice 3

09:45-10:05 – WorldSSP300 Tissot Superpole

10:25-10:45 – WorldSSP Tissot Superpole

11:10-11:25 – WorldSBK Tissot Superpole

12:40 – WorldSSP300 Race 1 (12 laps)

14:00 – WorldSBK Race 1 (18 laps)

15:15 – WorldSSP Race 1 (15 laps)

Sunday, 24^th September

09:00-09:15 – WorldSBK Warm Up

09:25-09:40 – WorldSSP Warm Up

09:50-10:05 – WorldSSP300 Warm Up

11:00 – WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race (10 laps)

12:30 – WorldSSP Race 2 (15 laps)

14:00 – WorldSBK Race 2 (18 laps)

15:15 – WorldSSP300 Race 2 (12 laps)

Source: WorldSBK.com

The final quarter of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship hones into view through the hills of the Spanish countryside to the desert-like lands of MotorLand Aragon and historic Alcaniz. An area where time forgot, with the sheer natural beauty and typical local cultures shining through, comes alive to the sound of World Superbike action this weekend. It’s an area where bikes are at the heart of the locals and with plenty of home heroes to cheer on, a title race intensifying and the ever-present threat of inclement weather, expect Aragon to deliver in abundance.

FIGHT FOR THE TITLE: Bautista and Ducati with the upper hand

The big story coming into the tenth round is whether Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) can be toppled at a track where he’s been dominant at in the past. Five wins for Ducati, a podium for Honda in 2020 and a return to winning ways at the start of 2022 are some of the highlights. At Magny-Cours, it was proven that even the #1 can be subject to bad luck and misfortune, with a temporary technical issue in Race 1 restricting him to P10, whilst a collision with his own teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi in the Superpole Race saw him fight back for P2. Rinaldi is strong at Aragon, with it being the site of his maiden WorldSBK win and Bautista hopes that he’ll be a rider packing out the places between himself and title rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), particularly after their strong test here at the end of the European summer holidays.

Razgatlioglu’s form at Aragon hasn’t been anything to shout about coming into the round; a best of third place achieved four times – including a hat-trick last year – and a pole position are the key takeaways from a track that Yamaha have historically struggled at. The 2021 World Champion did make in-roads into Bautista’s title advantage at Magny-Cours with a 17-point swing and whilst on paper it doesn’t look likely this weekend, races aren’t decided on paper. Razgatlioglu and the Yamaha team opted not to test at Aragon during the mid-season break – is this going to further hinder them, or will it be a master stroke if the conditions aren’t relevant to what they were in the test?

KAWASAKI A FORCE? A happy hunting ground for the team in green

A solid Magny-Cours for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) with three podiums means that he consolidated third in the Championship and put a gap into 2024 teammate at Yamaha Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) behind him. Aragon is a happy hunting ground for Rea, with nine wins and he’s aiming to become the first rider at Aragon to make it to double figures. Traditionally a track where the 36-year-old has made the difference for Kawasaki, can he shine again? Teammate Alex Lowes is also a contender, should he be fit after a left knee injury at Magny-Cours. Without a top six finish since Donington Park and fighting off the chasing pack behind him for eighth overall in the standings, the #22 took two second place finishes and a third at Aragon in 2021. Both Rea and Lowes enjoyed a positive test at the Alcaniz venue in August, can both contend again?

FOURTH PLACE FIGHT: Locatelli vs Bassani, Petrucci closing in for top Independent honours

It’s an all-Italian fight for fourth overall; with the #65 of Rea looking to get one hand on the bronze medal for 2023, Andrea Locatelli’s consistency saw him also put a gap into Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) behind him, although the Ducati star is top Independent. At Aragon, ‘Loka’ and ‘El Bocia’ will renew their fight for fourth overall, Bassani keen to overcome the deficit that was put into him in France; the gap is 37 with nine races and three rounds remaining. However, closing in behind them is Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and with a new deal in his pocket for 2024 to stay with the team, focus will be on the track. He’s 76 points behind Locatelli and whilst in 2023, that may be a bridge too far, ‘Petrux’ will aim to reel in the 39-point deficit to Bassani ahead of him.

MAN OF THE MOMENT: Gerloff leads the BMW charge after Magny-Cours magnificence

Whilst Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) may be the top BMW in the Championship standings, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) stole the show in France with a career-first pole position and two top five finishes in the full races. Despite being taken out by Redding in the Superpole Race, the American moved to just 16 points behind him in the standings. A recent test at Aragon will serve as a basis for all BMWs and Gerloff hopes he can sparkle with him back to something of his former self. Off-track, teammate Loris Baz’s future is still up in the air, whereas Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) returns to Aragon for the first time since his double top five finish in 2021. BMW had a nightmare in 2022 at the Spanish track, with just three top ten results out of a possible 15, a best coming from Baz in P7 during Race 2.

CAN HONDA FINALLY BOUNCE BACK? Recent struggles could end at Aragon

Holding onto a top ten overall in the Championship, Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) continues to lead Honda’s charge in WorldSBK but is yet to get near the heights of his early season podium success from Mandalika. The Spaniard, who enjoys a second ‘home round’ of the season, is tenth overall and comes off the back of a double top ten finish on Sunday at Magny-Cours with P9, his first back-to-back top ten results since Misano. As for Iker Lecuona, he debuted in WorldSBK at Aragon last year and was a strong P6 in Race 1 at a track where the bike has had a podium, back in 2020, although a lot has changed since then. Both were at the Aragon test in August with positive findings hoping to propel them forwards for this round and beyond.

HEADLINES ELSEWHERE: Aegerter leads a pack ready to surprise

MotorLand Aragon could be considered a slightly more ‘normal’ circuit, away from the quirks and intricacies of hard-to-learn tracks such as Donington Park, Imola, Most and Magny-Cours, so expect double WorldSSP Champion Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) to be back in the thick of the action. His teammate Remy Gardner will also be keen to shine as the Australian chases a top ten overall. Aegerter is P9 with 123 points, Gardner P12 with 107. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) was back inside the top ten right the way through the races at Magny-Cours and he’ll be keen to improve on his 13^th place from Aragon in 2022, his debut on WorldSBK machinery. Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was on a Red Bull Rookies Cup podium at Aragon back in 2014 and despite a short test at the track in March earlier this year, he’s not raced a Superbike there.

Rounding out the order in WorldSBK, the likes of Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha), who was a WorldSSP debut winner at Aragon last year in a head-to-head fight against Aegerter, which saw him pull off the most miraculous of saves at Turn 16 on the final lap. Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) aims for back-to-back points-scoring rides after 14^th in Race 2 at Magny-Cours and he’s joined by regular teammate Eric Granado, back from MotoE™ World Cup duty. Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing), Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) and Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) make it a trio of Kawasakis completing the order.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

2023 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship contender and 2020 Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) will move for 2024, switching to the Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing outfit. The Dutch youngster, already one of the most successful riders in the history of the WorldSSP300 class, will join the Austrian manufacturer, thus becoming the second different manufacturer that he’ll race for. 

After a difficult season of World Supersport action in 2022, Buis returned to World Supersport 300 competition in 2023, in search of becoming the first double World Champion in the category. It’s been a memorable season as Buis rolled back the years to take three wins, the first in his third race back in the class, whilst a recent double at Magny-Cours propelled him into the Championship lead. The double in France was his first since Aragon in 2020. 

Talking about the big name signing in what has been a seismic rider market across all classes, team manager Carlsen Freudenberg said: “Bringing a rider of Jeffrey’s calibre into the team makes me really proud. It also shows the appreciation of Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing throughout the paddock. Signing Jeffrey is just perfect. Anyone looking for a fast pilot in the Supersport 300 world has Jeffrey on their wish list. Now we have the first winning rider on board for 2024. Preparations for the upcoming season are ongoing. 

KTM have taken five wins in the class, with one coming this year by Buis’ current title rival Dirk Geiger, with the two split by just one single point between them in the title race. Continuing to look ahead to 2024, Freudenberg added: “There will surely be more surprises to come. I am glad that we were able to set the first puzzle piece for the upcoming World Championship season early with Jeffrey’s signing. This contract signing gives the team the necessary stability for further planning. In this context, a big thank you goes to KTM, Paligo and of course all the sponsors of the Freudenberg team. Without stable and reliable partners, none of this would be possible!”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

After impressing in recent rounds in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, Danilo Petrucci will remain on the grid next season with the Barni Spark Racing Team as he looks to make his own bit of history. The Italian has become a regular podium contender since a breakthrough round in June and will look to build on that as he stays with Barni Ducati; a squad he has enjoyed a lot of success with in the past as they battled for the STK1000 title as well as taking three podiums in the first nine rounds of his debut year.

PETRUCCI IMPRESSES IN HIS ROOKIE SEASON: three podiums for the Italian

The #9 was with Marco Barnabo’s team in STK1000 back in 2011 when he fought for the title, finishing two points behind Davide Giugliano, before he made the switch to MotoGP™. He remained there until 2021, winning two races for Ducati, before a new adventure with KTM at the Dakar Rally where he won a stage. In the same year, 2022, Petrucci battled for the MotoAmerica title with Ducati before committing to Barni Ducati and WorldSBK for 2023.

The two-time MotoGP™ race winner has been a regular fixture in the top ten, but it wasn’t until Misano in June where his real speed and potential was on display. Despite the results not coming on home soil, he took his first WorldSBK podium at Donington Park with third before adding two more to his collection at the Autodrom Most. When WorldSBK resumed after the mid-season break, Petrucci was on course for three top-five finishes before a late technical issue in Race 2 at Magny-Cours dropped him to seventh.

With Petrucci’s goal of winning in WorldSBK, MotoGP™, MotoAmerica, the Dakar Rally, STK600 and STK1000 still a possibility – he needs just the WorldSBK win for a place in the history books – he has re-signed with the Barni Ducati team for 2024 on the Panigale V4 R. With a year’s experience under his belt with the bike, tyres, and circuits, Petrucci will be aiming to end his rookie season on a high before kicking on strongly in his second campaign.

IN HIS OWN WORDS: “It’s my dream to become one of the riders who has won a race in MotoGP™ and WorldSBK”

Discussing his contract renewal, and his goals for 2024, he said: “I’m so happy. This year was a big challenge for me to race in a World Championship again, at the highest level. It was tough at the beginning. I was not sure whether it was a good move to come here but then, after a few races, we found a good feeling with the team and we had some good results. Both sides, me and Barni, want to go again for another year with an even better bike and more support from Ducati and, especially, more experience with this bike, the tyre and this team. We are aiming for a big, big challenge. I think it’s possible to step on the podium as many times as possible at the end of the season. I can’t wait to finish this season and start the new one with a lot of challenges. It’s important to always be there, like we are doing this season in the second part. We are always in the top five so it’s good. We are missing just a small step to be consistently in the middle to fight with the ‘Titanic Trio’. I’m convinced that, with one more full year of experience, we can do even better next year. I want to score a win because it’s my biggest challenge. It’s my dream to become one of the riders who has won a race in MotoGP™ and WorldSBK.”

BARNABO SAYS: “When our adventure with Danilo began, I was already thinking about carving a pathway with him

Team Principal Marco Barnabo was thrilled to have ‘Petrux’ signed up for a second campaign. He said: “I’m very pleased to renew this contract. When our adventure with Danilo began, I was already thinking about carving a pathway with him. I knew it wouldn’t be easy at first, because the level of the Championship is high – something that’s not always perceived from the outside – but I also knew that if we worked hard, we could do very well, and that has proved to be true. We’ve modified the bike to suit Danilo’s needs, he in turn has adapted too and, now that we’re competitive, the logical thing is to continue together to try and reap the rewards of this work, during both what remains of this season and next year too. The work team will remain just as it is for this very reason. I want to thank the rider for putting his trust in us, the guys on the team who are all working so hard, and all the sponsors who have decided to support us to ensure that Danilo can also remain.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com