Pirelli have uncovered their solutions for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship visit to Donington Park, with a focus on soft tyres at the rear. Pirelli have opted to mostly bring solutions from their standard range to the Prosecco DOC UK Round with only one development solution available to teams and riders throughout Round 6 as the 2023 campaign reaches the halfway point of the season.

There is an extra challenge for everyone after the Donington Park circuit was resurfaced, but Pirelli have experience of the new surface thanks to their involvement in the British Superbike championship which raced there in May. With plenty of feedback from BSB’s visit, the Italian manufacturer have decided to focus on softer compound tyres at the rear with the majority of solutions available coming from the standard range.

There are four choices for the rear available to the WorldSBK grid with the standard SC0 soft compound the hardest available, while there are two SCX super soft solutions available. The standard SCX is joined by the SCX-A, known as the B0800 SCX, to continue comparison work with the standard SCX. For the Tissot Superpole session, and the Tissot Superpole Race, riders will be able to use the SCQ.

At the front, there are just two slick tyre compounds to choose from. The SC1 medium tyre and the SC2 hard make up the selection. The SC1 is one of the most popular tyres selected throughout 2022 and 2023, while the SC2 compound made its debut as the A0843 specification at Assen last year before being brought into the standard range.

In WorldSSP, there are two compounds available at the front and rear. At the front, riders can choose from two SC1 compounds. The SC1 soft is a standard specification tyre while the SC1-A is a medium compound from WorldSBK as Pirelli continue to evaluate the potential for this compound to be used in WorldSSP. For the rear tyres, the standard SCX super soft and the SC0 soft tyres are available to pick.

Discussing the tyre selections, Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Motorcycle Racing Director, said: “The novelty this year at Donington is undoubtedly the new asphalt. The resurfacing seems to have made the surface more uniform and to have optimised drainage in case of rain, but at the same time the abrasiveness has also increased. Even if a new asphalt is always an important unknown factor for tyre manufacturers, in this case we are quite calm because the feedback from the riders of British Superbike – another Pirelli single-tyre championship, who raced here in May was very positive.

“In particular, the important increase in grip and the greater consistency of the surface were appreciated and the results were also seen in terms of lap times, given that many new lap records were set, in some cases even with notable improvements. On the other hand, the new asphalt seems to be more aggressive, and this could make the rear SC0 a key solution because it is more resistant than the SCX, and it has in fact been the most used by the BSB riders. In any case, I expect that, if the weather conditions are right, the WorldSBK riders will also be able to show very interesting times.”

Watch every moment from Donington Park using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to Donington Park this weekend as the 2023 season bursts back into action. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) heads into the Prosecco DOC UK Round as the Championship leader and with history on the horizon but the British circuit is not one where Ducati have enjoyed too much success in recent years. Their last victory was in 2011 when Carlos Checa won Race 2, while their last pole position was in 2014.

The 38-year-old can match or break two incredible records at Donington. He is currently on a run of 10 consecutive wins and victory in Race 1 means he would equal the longest streak in WorldSBK history, held by himself and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) with 11, while a win in Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race would break the record. The Spaniard has also won 14 races this season and a hat-trick, his fourth consecutive one, would mean he equals the record for wins in a season (17) with half the season to go.

Despite being on the verge of adding his name to more Ducati history, Bautista will know Donington has been difficult for the Italian manufacturer in recent years. They haven’t stood on the top step of the podium since Checa in 2011 and haven’t claimed a pole position since 2014 when Davide Giugliano took pole. Although they haven’t had pole in nearly a decade at Donington, the Bologna-based manufacturer do hold the record for most poles at the circuit and the Spaniard was able to finish second in 2022 despite it not being the happiest hunting ground for Ducati; that result was his best at the historic venue in WorldSBK.

In 2022, Bautista was the highest-placed Ducati rider as he took second in Race 2 while teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s best finish was fourth. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) claimed top spot for Ducati’s Independent riders with fifth in Race 1 while Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) and Luca Bernardi, then racing for the Barni Spark Racing Team, were both outside the top ten throughout all three races.

Discussing his chances of victory at the classic British circuit, Bautista said: “Donington has always been our weak point in the Championship. The track has been resurfaced so we have to go there and understand the track conditions. The target is to try to get the same feeling I’ve had during the whole season because I feel really good on my Panigale V4 R. This is the target and I know if I can get the feeling with the track as well, we can be competitive. There’s no target. Every year is different, and we’ll go there just to do our best.”

What makes Donington such a tricky circuit for Ducati? The circuit had been bumpy in the past which can add an extra challenge to racing there but it recently underwent a massive resurfacing programme and how this impacts the bumpy nature of the circuit will be revealed this weekend. There also aren’t any long straights with the start/finish straight measuring 550 metres in length, although riders reach their top speeds down Starkey’s Straight, thanks to the high-speed exit leaving Coppice corner.

Expanding on this, Bautista’s Crew Chief, Giulio Nava, said: “The biggest issue was the bumps all around the circuit and the layout a little bit. Alvaro was managing the bike quite well in 2019 and 2022 but we still struggled to make the bike turn as good as some others. You need to have some natural turning from the bike. At Donington, you have some corners where, if you can’t make the first one right, you struggle to keep the line correctly. This was the biggest issue.”

There have only been four different winners at Donington since 2012, with Tom Sykes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) racking up an impressive nine consecutively between 2013 and 2017 with Kawasaki, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) taking six between 2012 and 2021, including a 2019 hat-trick, Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) with a double for Yamaha in 2018 and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) who’s won five of the last six races there.

The lack of recent success at Donington hasn’t hampered Ducati Corse Technical Coordinator Marco Zambenedetti’s hopes heading into the UK Round as he explained why he believes the barren run at the iconic venue could come to an end this year. He also discussed who he expects to be strong as Bautista’s rivals look to take points out of his Championship lead as the season reaches the halfway point as well as how the new resurfacing could impact Ducati.

Zambenedetti said: “Of course, three wins is the target! It’s realistic. We go to Donington thinking about wins. This is our goal. I think we have everything to take three wins, but it will also be interesting to see the performance of other Ducati riders. I think we can improve also with Bassani and Rinaldi. After last year, we have found some references and a new base that gives us the possibility to perform very well from Friday. This is the most important part of the results we are achieving in 2023. We improved the bike but the feeling, the base setting and references we have from last year are the biggest part. It’s one of the strongest circuits for Toprak and Jonathan. We are curious to understand, and it’s one of the most important parts of the weekend, how the new asphalt has changed the track in terms of bumps. Last year, the only mistake, if we can say this, from Alvaro all year was on the bumps at Donington.”

Can Ducati end their Donington drought? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

As the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship prepares for a return to action at the historic Donington Park circuit, you can make sure you watch all the action in the United Kingdom by purchasing your tickets now! There will be plenty of fierce racing and incredible fights at the Prosecco DOC UK Round but also lots of activities and entertainment away from the racing for you to enjoy throughout the UK at Round 6 of the 2023 season. Don’t miss out on the UK Round and buy your tickets HERE.

WorldSBK and WorldSSP machinery will deliver the on-track action during the round, with a combined five races between the two World Championships across Saturday and Sunday, but there will also be plenty to enjoy off-track. The WorldSBK Paddock Show returns across all three days with entertainment guaranteed while there will also be a chance to raise money for charity with an auction and concert.

The Paddock Show across will give fans the chance to see their favourite riders up close with meet and greet sessions planned as well as interactive games with riders. There will also be a special “team managers” chat session on Sunday, while there will be two charity auctions to raise money for Two Wheels For Life as well as a charity concert on Saturday. Not only this, but the podium celebrations take place in the paddock – giving fans the chance to see their favourite riders celebrate or ride down Victory Lane; a unique part of the WorldSBK experience.

Don’t miss out on any of the action – buy your tickets on the official Donington Park website!

Source: WorldSBK.com

As the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship begins its summer break at the start of August, some riders from the paddock will keep busy by travelling to Japan for the historic Suzuka 8 Hours. Both Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and teammate Xavi Vierge will represent Honda at their home race with Lecuona looking to make it two wins in a row in Japan, while Vierge will debut at the iconic event.

Lecuona competed in the 2022 edition of the race on the CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE SP and he will do so again this year as he goes in search of back-to-back Suzuka victories. The 23-year-old has had a busy campaign so far with five WorldSBK rounds under his belt as well as two MotoGP™ outings for the Repsol Honda Team and the Suzuka race adds yet another event to Lecuona’s calendar as he searches for more glory in Japan.

Victory in the eight-hour race in 2023 would mean Lecuona joins Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) as a current WorldSBK rider who won back-to-back races with Honda after he won the classic event in 2013 and 2014. The Dutchman also won two consecutive Suzuka 8 Hours in 2017 and 2018 with Yamaha, while Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took a hat-trick of wins in Japan between 2016 and 2018 including two alongside van der Mark.

Discussing his return to the Japanese circuit, Lecuona said: “I’m very happy to be able to fight in Suzuka 8 Hours as Team HRC again this year. I was able to win last year, but I understood that it was not an easy race. This year, my teammates will be Takumi Takahashi and Xavi Vierge, and I’m looking forward to running with them now. We will do our best with the team and staff and aim for the top of the podium.”

Lecuona will be joined by his WorldSBK teammate for this year’s race as the 26-year-old makes his debut in the endurance battle. The 26-year-old will aim to repeat his teammate’s debut success and claim a win in his first Suzuka 8 Hours race. Vierge recently ventured out to Suzuka as part of Honda’s testing programme ahead of the race as he prepares for his debut in the classic endurance race.

Vierge said: “This time, I will participate in Suzuka 8 Hours for the first time from Team HRC. I am very happy to be able to participate as a rider on the same stage where many riders have made history so far. Iker Lekuona is also a teammate in WorldSBK, and Takumi Takahashi is a great rider with a lot of past race experience. I believe that if the three riders work together, we can win the race.”

Lecuona and Vierge will race alongside Takumi Takahashi who now races in the Japanese Superbike championship after a year in the British Superbike championship. Prior to a switch to domestic championships, Takahashi competed in WorldSBK in 2020, as well as part-time campaigns in 2017 and 2019, recording a best finish of tenth in Race 2 at Portimao in 2017. However, he has enjoyed tremendous success at the Suzuka 8 Hours and a victory in 2023 would put him on five wins overall.

Watch more incredible WorldSBK action throughout 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) move to BMW for 2024 caused shockwaves through the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock when it was announced at the end of May. Now, in a feature interview conducted at Misano, the 2021 Champion has spoken about his move to the German manufacturer for next season, his goals with BMW and how he wants to leave Yamaha by being crowned World Champion for the second time.

THE NEXT BIG DREAM: a ‘special’ mission at BMW…

BMW have claimed 13 wins during their time in WorldSBK, the most recent of which came in 2021 when Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took victory in a mixed conditions Tissot Superpole Race at Portimao. This remains the only win for the M1000RR machine, introduced that year, but Razgatlioglu has his sights set higher than just wins with the Shaun Muir Racing-run team.

Revealing his goals for his time at BMW, the Turk said: “Everybody believes this is a bike that can’t win. I’m just thinking about showing everyone that the BMW is a winning bike. Ducati have the best bike in the paddock. If I go there and I win the Championship, it’s not special for me and this is why I’m going to BMW. Yamaha weren’t Champions for 12 years and we became Champions again. I will go to BMW which hasn’t been World Champions. My big dream is for me and BMW to be World Champions. This is a big goal.”

“THE TEAM IS UNBELIVABLE”: Razgatlioglu’s Yamaha memories

The 26-year-old initially joined his current team for the 2020 season, and he will have spent four seasons with the Japanese brand. He has claimed 31 wins to date on the YZF-R1 as well as 81 podiums, and he took the 2021 title in sensational fashion after a season-long fight against Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). However, the Yamaha-Razgatlioglu partnership will conclude at the end of 2023 as he switches to BMW.

Expressing his gratitude to the team and manufacturer, he said: “I’ve been with Yamaha for four years and it’s not easy for me to change because I know everybody here. This team is unbelievable. I enjoyed my four years here and it’s not easy to change, but sometimes you need to. I’m not really happy because this is my last season with Yamaha, but I have very good memories. When I joined Yamaha in 2020, the team and Yamaha believed in me. In 2021, we were the World Champions. I’ll never forget this. We were fighting with Jonny. Everybody tried their best inside the box. For me, 2021 has the best memories with Yamaha because we were World Champions.”

LEAVING ON A HIGH: can he depart with a second title?

The Alanya-born rider’s 2021 title was the second Yamaha have won in WorldSBK and their first since 2009 when American star Ben Spies was crowned Champion. Razgatlioglu was unable to defend his Championship in 2022 as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) beat him after a sensational year-long fight, but the 33-time race winner is aiming to leave Yamaha with a present: he wants to claim the 2023 World Championship as a gift before departing for pastures new. Ahead of the UK Round, Razgatlioglu sits second in the standings and trails Bautista by 86 points.

Razgatlioglu said: “This year I am fighting in every race and trying more than 100%. In my last season with Yamaha, I’m trying to be World Champion again. If we are World Champions again this year, it will be a gift for Yamaha when I leave. It’s not been an easy start because Alvaro is very strong. He is unbelievably fast. This year we’ve won just one race, in Indonesia, but I need to win in Race 1 and Race 2. I will keep fighting. I will always try 100%. The season isn’t over, and we have many races left. I am thinking about the UK and Donington Park because this is my favourite track. I hope at Donington we win three races. If we start really strong and win the races, maybe we are putting pressure on Alvaro.”

Can Razgatlioglu fight back against Bautista? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport World Championship will reach the halfway stage of 2023 when Donington Park hosts Round 6 of the campaign, with everything set for an incredible showdown in the United Kingdom. The Prosecco DOC UK Round will also feature the return of Suzuki to WorldSSP for the first time since Most in 2021 as the Japanese manufacturer has a wildcard outing in the United Kingdom. At the top of the standings, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will be looking to increase his lead but his rivals will be out to catch him.

CAN MANZI STRIKE AGAIN? Yamaha territory in recent campaigns…

Bulega made his first Donington appearance last year with third in Race 2 but he crashed out of Race 1 at Turn 11 for a mixed 2022 in the UK. With six wins in ten races so far this season, Bulega is in sensational form as he hunts a WorldSBK seat in 2024. However, Donington in recent years has belonged to Yamaha with Dominique Aegerter, Jules Cluzel and Sandro Cortese winning there in the last four races held. After his stunning last lap win last time out at Misano, will Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) be able to continue Yamaha’s British winning streak?

With one podium to their name already in 2023, Triumph will be aiming for a first home victory in WorldSSP with Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph), teammate Harry Truelove and wildcard Eugene McManus (Completely Motorbikes Triumph) all aiming to put the British manufacturer on top. Elsewhere, British riders John McPhee (Vince64 by Puccetti Racing), Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) and Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) want to give the passionate British crowd something to cheer at Donington. Booth-Amos won at Donington in British Supersport this season as he does a dual campaign.

MV AGUSTA: a first Donington Park podium incoming?

Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Bahattin Sofuoglu have been two standout riders this season with both regularly competing for podiums. MV Agusta are yet to taste success, either a win or rostrum visit, at Donington but could that change in 2023? Both Schroetter and Sofuoglu have shown formidable race pace, especially in the closing stages of races. Turkish star Sofuoglu raced at Donington last year, taking 15^th place in Race 1, while it will be a first visit to Schroetter. The German rider has not been outside the top five since the first race of the campaign, with three podiums in the last four races, and he will be looking to continue that run in the UK.

SUZUKI RETURN: a wildcard run for the seventh manufacturer in 2023

Suzuki’s presence in WorldSSP in recent seasons has been limited to wildcard and one-off appearances and this is the case in 2023 too. Ireland’s Rhys Irwin brings his Astro-JJR Suzuki squad from the British championship to the world stage for his debut; running the Suzuki GSXR750 machine in WorldSSP. Suzuki will become the seventh manufacturer to compete in World Supersport this season. Irwin competed at Donington in the British Supersport championship but only scored two points; he is fifth in the standings, however.

RIDER NEWS: the latest updates from the WorldSSP grid

There have been some rider changes for the Donington grid in WorldSSP. One-time race winner Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) continues to recover from an injury sustained at Assen and he is replaced by 2017 Champion Lucas Mahias once again. Apiwath Wongthananon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) is absent for the second consecutive round although his replacement is yet to be announced; at Misano, it was Ratthapong Wilairot.

Watch all the WorldSSP action from Donington Park using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads for the United Kingdom for the UK Round and the sixth of the season, with history very much on the horizon. However, whilst a turning of the tide is anticipated to mark the halfway point, the stats – as always – make for intriguing reading. Will we see a massive milestone, or is this the start of a comeback for summer?

250 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) left Misano with three top five finishes, but no podium, so he’s still one podium short of the milestone of 250. Similarly, the pair of riders who have shared the highest number of podiums at the moment is Chaz Davies and Jonathan Rea, at 73. The couple of Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu is just one shy at 72.

150 – The Superpole Race will be Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 150^th WorldSBK start, equalling his compatriot Carlos Checa. Only two Spanish riders count more starts: Ruben Xaus (215) and Gregorio Lavilla (188).

99 – With 96 career podiums, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) can end up at 99 in Donington: that will take him to the sixth all-time spot, joining Chaz Davies. Razgatlioglu is currently on a 12-race podium streak started at Mandalika, Race 1. This is his best streak.

55 – Ducati have built up 55 podium finishes at Donington Park. Kawasaki are second-best with 52. Ducati have scored only one podium here in the last two years: a 2^nd by Bautista in Race 2 last year.

52 – In 61 races run at Donington Park, 52 different riders have stepped on the podium.

24 – British riders have won 24 races here: in 2018, Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) stopped a record sequence of 11 wins by British riders.

17 – With 14 wins so far in 2023, a hat-trick at Donington Park would mean Bautista equals the all-time record for wins in a single season with 17; joining Doug Polen from 1991 and Jonathan Rea from 2018 and 2019.

17 – Tom Sykes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) holds the record for most podium finishes: 17. 13 came in sequence from 2012 Race 1 to 2018 Race 1.

15 – Yamaha is on its best podium streak ever, 15 at the moment: with three more they will reach the 14^th all-time sequence, scored by Ducati from Sentul 1997 to Laguna Seca 1998.

9 – 26 different winners at Donington Park: the most successful is Sykes at nine, followed by Carl Fogarty and Jonathan Rea at six.

7 – Seven riders have taken a career-first victory in WorldSBK at Donington Park. They are: Davide Tardozzi, Race 1 in 1988, Marco Lucchinelli, Race 2 in 1988, Giancarlo Falappa, Race 2 in 1989, Carl Fogarty, Race 2 in 1992, Neil Hodgson, Race 2 in 2000, Marco Melandri, Race 1 in 2011 and Michael van der Mark, Race 1 in 2018.

1 – The only win by a Spanish rider here came in 2011, Race 2, with Carlos Checa. Coincidentally, that is the last Ducati win at Donington Park.

SHORTHAND NOTEBOOK

2022 race winners:

• Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha, Race 1, Superpole Race and Race 2)

Last three pole-sitters at Donington Park:

• 2022: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) 1’26.060
• 2021: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) 1’40.101
• 2019: Tom Sykes (BMW) 1’27.619

Manufacturer podium places accumulated from all races at Donington Park (and wins):

• Ducati: 55 (17)
• Kawasaki: 52 (19)
• Yamaha: 27 (14)
• Honda: 22 (7)
• Suzuki: 9 (1)
• Aprilia: 8
• BMW: 8 (1)
• Bimota: 2 (2)

Key gaps from Donington Park 2022:

• Front row covered by: 0.426s
• 1 second in Superpole covered… the top three: 0.958s
• Closest race gap between 1^st and 2^nd: 1.089s (Razgatlioglu 1^st, Rea 2^nd, Superpole Race)
• Closest race podium: 2.615s (Razgatlioglu 1^st, Bautista 2^nd, Rea 3^rd, Superpole Race)
• Closest Donington podium of all-time: 0.556s (Chili 1^st, Hodgson 2^nd Corser 3^rd, Race 2, 2001)

Manufacturer top speeds at Donington Park, 2022:

• Ducati: Alvaro Bautista – 279.5 km/h, Superpole Race and Race 2
• Honda: Xavi Vierge – 275.2 km/h, Superpole and Race 1
• Kawasaki: Alex Lowes – 274.5 km/h, Superpole Race
• Yamaha: Andrea Locatelli – 273.8 km/h, Superpole Race
• BMW: Scott Redding – 273.2 km/h, Race 1

Watch all of the 2023 Superbike season take-shape round-by-round with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

After a second round of the season in the MotoGP™ World Championship, Team HRC’s Iker Lecuona will return to the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock for round six at Donington Park. Replacing 2020 World Champion Joan Mir for the Dutch GP, with the Spaniard out injured, Lecuona had a solid weekend with continuous improvements, with only bad luck hampering what would have been a solid points scoring Sunday.

In the Sprint, Lecuona had a decent outing, finishing the race ahead of Stefan Bradl, his fellow Honda substitute – Bradl replaced Alex Rins at LCR Honda – and took the chequered flag in 20^th place. However, Sunday’s 26-lap Grand Prix tells a story of what could’ve been for the Valencian. Taking advantage of crashes for riders up ahead of him and keeping a solid pace, he was as high as 12th, but then mechanical gremlins struck, dropping him to P16, before he retired.

Speaking about the race, Lecuona gave his feelings about missing out on points and giving his thoughts on the whole weekend: “Overall, I’m really happy because I improved every race, in every run, with my confidence in the bike and even in the Sprint race, I did it well and fast. I overtook Bradl on the last lap!

“On Sunday morning, I did another step and this afternoon, I did another one. I was in the group, I overtook them and then led the group and I went faster than them. I got to Morbidelli, fighting for the top ten. Thanks to Honda and the team because we worked hard for this second opportunity. It was a pleasure to be here and I’m happy with the job we did.”

Watch the rest of the 2023 season unfold in style with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Donington Park hosts Round 6 of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with WorldSBK and WorldSSP on track with a new schedule. Action starts at 10:30 Local Time (GMT+1) on Friday with WorldSBK Free Practice 1 at the Prosecco DOC UK Round followed by WorldSSP at 11:25. WorldSBK Free Practice 2 is at 15:00 with WorldSSP FP2 at 16:00. On Saturday, the action begins at 09:00 with WorldSBK FP3, before the Tissot Superpole sessions: WorldSSP at 10:25 and 11:10 for WorldSBK. Racing action begins on Saturday 14:00 with WorldSBK Race 1, while WorldSSP Race 1 rounds out the day. On Sunday, Warm Up sessions start the day at 10:00 before racing gets underway at 13:00 with the Tissot Superpole Race. At 14:30, WorldSSP Race 2 will get underway while WorldSBK Race 2 concludes Sunday action at 16:00.

Watch all the action from Donington Park LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Friday, 30^th June (all times Local Time, GMT+1)

09:00-09:30 – Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship Free Practice

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

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

13:30-14:00 – Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship Superpole

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

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

Saturday, 1^st July

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

10:25-10:45 – WorldSSP Tissot Superpole

11:10-11:25 – WorldSBK Tissot Superpole

11:45 – Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship Race 1 (11 laps)

14:00 – WorldSBK Race 1 (23 laps)

15:15 – WorldSSP Race 2 (19 laps)

16:15 – Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship Race 2 (11 laps)

Sunday, 2^nd July

10:00-10:15 – WorldSBK Warm Up

10:25-10:40 – WorldSSP Warm Up

13:00 – WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race (10 laps)

14:30 – WorldSSP Race 2 (19 laps)

16:00 – WorldSBK Race 2 (23 laps)

Source: WorldSBK.com

It’s where it all started all those years ago – 35 to be exact – and now, we’re back for more as history continues to be made in the rolling hills of the stunning British countryside. Of course, we can only be talking about one special place – Donington Park. The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship touches down (quite literally, with it being next to East Midlands Airport) just outside the city of Nottingham for the sixth round of the season. Surprises always come to the fore at Donington Park and the form book tends to be thrown straight into the recycling, but will 2023 be any different to what we’ve seen so far? We look ahead to this year’s Prosecco DOC UK Round.

A FIGHT BACK ON IN THE UK: Razgatlioglu the favourite instead of Bautista?

Whilst the Championship gap between top man Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and 2021 World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) is 86 points, Donington Park is Razgatlioglu’s favourite circuit. A maiden podium in 2018’s Race 2 and winning five of the last six races held here (a first triple coming last year), this is Toprak’s territory. He needs it to be too; despite the domination of Bautista in the opening part of the season, this is motorcycle racing and anything can happen. Razgatlioglu will need to capitalise at the tracks where he, on paper at least, looks to be the clear favourite. A repeat of last year’s triple will at least bring hope and a boost.

On the other hand, the aforementioned ‘domination’ of Bautista is quite special; 14 wins in 15 races, you’re witnessing history, so enjoy it. However, don’t bank on it carrying on at Donington Park. Bautista has never won at the track in WorldSBK and a second place in Race 2 last year was his only podium after he suffered a fall in Race 1 and a fourth in the Superpole Race. If those results were to repeat themselves (Toprak’s wins and Bautista’s struggles), then the gap would be down to 50. It’s not all over just yet and whilst it is ifs, buts and maybes, Donington Park is the venue for drama to happen. A note on Bautista is that he’s fresh from testing Ducati’s MotoGP™ Desmosedici GP23 at Misano last week, but his readaptation to WorldSBK machinery shouldn’t be too challenging after setting some laps aboard Panigale machinery since.

HOME GLORY: plenty for the partisan crowd to get behind

Donington Park’s WorldSBK crowd are always something special and 2022’s atmosphere was electric and nothing gets the home fans cheering louder than a Union Jack on top. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and the ZX-10RR may not be the force they once were – for now at least – but a positive test at Aragon will hope to translate into a podium, or perhaps a win, charge at home. Rea has six wins at Donington Park and a hat-trick of podiums last year saw him come away a solid weekend. Can he get to the front this year and take a first win of the season? On the other side of the KRT box, it’s quite literally a home-round for Englishman Alex Lowes, from not far away in Lincolnshire. Lowes was on the podium in Race 1 last year and like Rea, is fresh from testing duties. Can he be a surprise this weekend?

Plenty more to watch out for as far as Brits are concerned, particularly in the British-run ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. Shaun Muir’s outfit will hope that Scott Redding can turn his form around after a wretched first five rounds of 2023; 12 months ago, Redding’s tenacity took him to a first rostrum with BMW and Donington Park is always a circuit that both Redding and the M1000RR go well at. However, the other side of the garage is where Donington Park’s hero really is. Tom Sykes has got a staggering record, with nine straight wins being a record for any rider on any circuit in WorldSBK history. Now with BMW as a stand-in for injured Michael van der Mark, Sykes took two podiums at Donington Park when he last raced for the team. Despite not taking a top ten in his first round back with the team at Misano, it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if Sykes sprinkled the old Donington magic this weekend.

Elsewhere on the grid, Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) gets to race at home; he wildcarded at Donington Park on a BSB-spec bike in 2018 and scored points, whilst he has three BSB wins to his name at the Donington Park circuit, including his first ever win in the class back in 2018. After a technical issue halted a strong Race 2 at Misano, Ray is beginning to find his feet.

REMAINDER OF THE TOP TEN: it’s closing up everywhere

After a first rostrum of the season and outscoring two of the four riders ahead of him in the Championship, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) is only three points behind Jonathan Rea and 21 behind Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), who is third. Bassani will look to continue his form at the quirky British circuit, whilst behind him, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will hope to bounce back after missing the Misano podium after a fall in Race 2, with his future being a big talking point of late. He’s 27 points behind the Independent Ducati of Bassani.

There’s plenty more fighting behind with Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in seventh as he returns to the circuit at which he took a double in WorldSSP last year; he’s one point ahead of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC), who struggled at the track last year but between rounds, he’s been testing at Suzuka. Alex Lowes is ninth whilst Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) returns to Donington Park, the first time on Superbike machinery. He’s tied on points with Iker Lecuona (Team HRC), who is fresh from Assen MotoGP™ duties.

SURPRISE FROM BEHIND? Plenty of battles further down

One of the interesting Independent battles is between Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and the rider who was previously at the team for three seasons, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW). The Australian and the American are split by just eight points, but with Gerloff clearly the top BMW in recent rounds, his best result coming at Donington Park and the BMW’s past success at the circuit, those two could be swapped around come the end of the weekend. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) is only five points adrift of Gerloff, too. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) has been twice a podium finisher at Donington Park with two second places in 2014 but is yet to take a top ten in 2023.

Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) had potential at Misano and wants to continue that this weekend, whilst Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) and teammate Eric Granado likewise hope for good results. Having missed Misano, Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) will be back in action. Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) also search for their first points of 2023.

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Source: WorldSBK.com