The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is shaping up nicely but there’s plenty of off-track talking going on about the 2024 season and the rider market. After Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) sent the silly season into overdrive with his move to BMW’s factory team for 2024, there’s a big puzzle to be solved and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) is one of the key pieces that need to slot in. He’s confirmed that just because he’s riding well and been ahead of teammate Jonathan Rea at various points – such as scoring KRT’s first dry podium of the year in Mandalika’s Superpole Race – it doesn’t guarantee that he’ll “keep a job” for 2024.

Speaking in his media debrief at the end of Friday, Lowes gave a lengthy answer into his prospects for next year: “It’s hard; I’ve been a factory rider in World Superbike for a long time, so I’ve had lots of good opportunities and I’m enjoying my riding as much as, as I’m riding. I think if you compare to the teammates, I’m being compared to one of the best ever with Jonny. This year, sometimes I’ve been faster, sometimes he’s faster, but I’m quite close if you look at Locatelli to Toprak, Rinaldi to Bautista, they’re never in front of the number one rider in the team. So, if you look at this, I’m riding well, but this doesn’t mean I’m going to keep a job or keep a contract. There’s lots of young guys who ride for not a lot of money or bring sponsors to teams or this type of thing.”

“At the minute, I’m not sure… Toprak going to BMW has changed a lot of things”

“I’m not going to ride a bike for free. I’ll stay at home with my nice family and enjoy my life. I think that I’m riding good enough to stay in WorldSBK. I’m enjoying it enough. I’m not too stressed to be honest, I know how hard I work. I know how well I’m riding and I know that also I’ve had a lot of years in World Superbike. Hopefully, I’ll stay with Kawasaki and keep pushing, with Jonny, to get the bike consistently back on the podium and winning races. This is what I would like to happen and I think that it could happen potentially, but at the minute, I’m not sure. Obviously, Toprak going to BMW has changed a lot of things.”

Razgatlioglu’s move to BMW has put both Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and teammate Michael van der Mark in an awkward position, with both riders possibly going for teammate status to Toprak – something van der Mark enjoyed at Yamaha. As well as those, both Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and teammate Iker Lecuona have contracts expiring at the close of the 2023 season. Elsewhere, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), is the only other full-time factory rider not with a deal announced for 2024. For a full look at 2024’s silly season, click here!

“My brother wants to come” – Sam Lowes on the grid? Alex talks ‘closeness’ with Denning

Continuing to assess his future, Alex Lowes also said that his brother, Sam, wants to join the WorldSBK field from the Moto2™ World Championship, which would reunite the ‘Double Vision Racing’ that they became known as in their native UK: “Also, my brother wants to come to WorldSBK, so I need to fight him for a job! This would be nice if I can race against him next year. This would be good for us. I don’t know who they’re going to put on Toprak’s bike. Obviously, I have a good relationship with Paul Denning. I’m close with him.”

Watch the 2023 season continue to unfold in dramatic fashion with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Friday in the FIM Supersport World Championship at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the 2023 Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round with Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) taking top spot by more than half-a-second ahead of his nearest rivals. Despite Bulega’s impressive pace, headlines were taken by wildcard rider Simone Corsi (Altogo Racing Team) who took second place in the combined classification.

BULEGA LEADS THE ITALIAN CHARGE: six in the top ten…

Bulega put in a series of fast laps towards the end of the 45-minute session and posted a best lap of 1’37.627s to claim top spot as he led an Italian quartet at the head of the WorldSSP field. He had a 0.707s gap to wildcard Corsi in second place who, after taking fourth in FP1, was able to improve his lap time further to claimed second in the standings. Only Bulega and Corsi lapped Misano on Friday in the 1’37s bracket while Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) claimed fourth place despite an early crash in FP2 at Turn 5; he re-joined the session later on to take third place.

SURPRISES IN STORE: riders impress on Friday

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was the only rider in the top ten, and one of only five in total, who did not improve their time in FP2. Despite setting a 1’38.485s in FP2, he took fourth in the combined classification with his time of 1’38.229s from FP1; in that session, he was able to top the times. Fifth place belonged to the most recent WorldSSP race winner, Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), as he continues his impressive run of form while Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) rounded out the top six.

IT’S CLOSE IN THE CHASING PACK: four tenths between fourth and tenth

Dutch rider Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) was seventh after setting a best lap time of 1’38.536s to finish inside the top ten. Marcel Schoretter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), currently second in the Championship standings, was in eighth place at the end of Friday’s running ahead of Ten Kate Racing Yamaha duo Jorge Navarro and Stefano Manzi. Both riders crashed during FP1 at different points and Manzi’s running was limited in FP2 with the Italian not setting a lap time. Despite this, his 1’38.701s was enough to round out the top ten as he finished a tenth behind his teammate.

ROUNDING OUT THE TOP 15: hoping to gain on Saturday

Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) went down at Turn 5 in the opening moments of the 45-minute FP2 session but he was able to re-join the session and he finished in 11^th place, ahead of wildcard Marco Bussolotti (Axon Seven Team) in 12^th. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who is continuing to substitute for the injured Can Oncu, took 13^th ahead of Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing) and Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) who rounded out the top 15.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from WorldSSP on Friday

There were several crashes in FP2 with Australian rider Tom Edwards (Yart – Yamaha WorldSSP Team) crashing at Turn 8. The red flags were deployed when rookie Ratthapong Wilairot (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) crashed at Turn 14 on his WorldSSP debut. Alvaro Diaz (Arco Yart Yamaha WorldSSP) was one of a few riders who did not improve his time in FP2 compared to FP1 and he also crashed at Turn 4 with around 13 minutes left in the session.

The top six following WorldSSP Friday action, full results here:

1 Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’37.267s

2. Simone Corsi (Altogo Racing Team) +0.707s

3. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +0.872s

4. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.962s

5. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +1.100s

6. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +1.183s

Watch more WorldSSP action from Misano using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has seen seven podium finishers so far, but could we be about to witness an eighth? Danilo Petrucci’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) form on Friday suggests that he’ll at least be in contention as he fired himself into P2 for the session and P3 overall, as Friday action concluded in Italy for the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round.

A rookie in World Superbike for 2023, Petrucci hasn’t been able to convert his MotoGP™ wins and MotoAmerica victories and front-running pace into a WorldSBK podium just yet. A best result of fifth came at Mandalika in Race 1, and the Italian rider has enjoyed six top ten finishes in total. However, last time out in Barcelona, he couldn’t conquer the top ten but back at a circuit which offers good grip and where the Ducati and he work very well at, could this weekend be a turning point in his rookie season? In FP2, Petrucci fitted softer rubber and did a seven-lap time attack, where he tyre life looked good, with him setting his fastest time on the final lap, with all but one lap in the 1’34s. His fastest time of the day, a 1’34.276, was 0.451s behind Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), but just 0.122s behind Razgatlioglu’s fastest time from FP1. Petrucci was able to set his lap times with Razgatlioglu as a good marker in front of him on track.

Speaking at the close of the opening day of action at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, ‘Petrux’ reviewed his opening day’s work: “It’s always good to race in Italy, it’s been a long time since I’ve come to Misano! I’m happy and we found a good feeling on the bike in the morning. I’ve struggled a little bit with the rear traction, but then in general, the ride is not so bad. In the end, we had the chance to try our qualifying tyre and that’s why it lasted and why I was able to do my best lap at the end of the seven laps. I’m quite satisfied, but we’ll see tomorrow. Superpole is really important because here it’s difficult to overtake.”

“It’s still far from the lap record but good because it came on the seventh lap. Maybe in the opening laps, we have more to improve. I’m quite confident; I want to start on the first few rows because it’s really important here. I think our pace isn’t bad, so I’m quite confident for tomorrow. It could be a good target to start on the first two rows and finish inside the top five. I always say that the top ten is a good result but after today, we’ll want something more. I think a top five is something we can focus on.”

Can Petrucci mount the podium? Find out wherever you are and enjoy 2023 with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Track action in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship got underway on Friday at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round with two Free Practice sessions. At the end of the two sessions, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) finished ninth in the combined classification on his ZX-10RR, lapping 0.888s slower than pacesetter Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) best time.

Rea’s best lap came in Free Practice 2 when he set a 1’34.713s with the six-time World Champion only able to find around a tenth of a second from his best Free Practice 1 time which was a 1’34.864s. He completed a total of 42 laps across both 45-minute sessions and he was one of the busiest riders on track on Friday, with only Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) completing more laps than Rea.

In Free Practice 2, Rea completed a 20-lap stint of representative lap times, almost matching a full race distance at Misano, with the majority of his laps in the 1’35s although a few did dip into the 1’34s. His best lap of that run came on Lap 6. His best time of the session, and the day, came on his 25^th lap of FP2 and it was his final lap of the day as he posted a 1’34.713s which put him ninth in the combined classification, and eighth in FP2.

Reflecting on the day, and where he’s looking for improvements, Rea said: “Generally, all over but for me, I need to finish the corners a bit better, and for the acceleration areas, the bike needs to accelerate more. I’m really struggling in sector two which is where the acceleration towards Quercia and the exit before Tromonto. In the last sector, I’m not so good and I don’t understand why. We need to go over the data compared to previous years because I felt better there last year. Honestly, I haven’t looked through the classification so, I don’t know the pace of the others. The goal is always the podium and try to be as close to it as possible and pick up good points for my Championship and try to improve the bike. That has to be our main focus for tomorrow.”

The Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK opted to send a smaller team to the Supported Test at Misano a few weeks ago, with Jonathan Rea and teammate Alex Lowes not in attendance and test rider Florian Marino taking over responsibilities. Instead, the team conduced a one-day test at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto to ensure they could test in hot conditions.

Explaining whether missing the test hindered him on Friday, Rea said: “It was a little bit difficult getting up to speed after missing the test a few weeks ago, which meant that we had to find the way a bit this morning. In the afternoon, we focused on a long run to see how the tyre would be for tomorrow. We had some issues in FP1 which took time to understand why we weren’t performing so well, but once we understood that, we were able to work away. These are things we could’ve ironed out at the test to really understand. It was a learning day. For day one, we are where we expected to be.”

Can Rea fight for the podium or victory at Misano? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is back underway with round five and the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round from the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, and a frenetic Friday has come to a close with plenty of reason for the Ducatisti to be cheering. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was on fire throughout the day and despite P3 in the morning, he was the only rider to dip into the 1’33s in the whole day with a strong afternoon session.

BAUTISTA HEADS THE FIELD: the Ducatisti are cheering into the weekend

Just down the road from where they’re based, Ducati were on a mission and Alvaro Bautista was keen to demonstrate his prowess at Misano. The Championship leader was third in the morning and led most of FP2 as he finished top overall. With three wins for Ducati at the track and a frighteningly consistent race pace after a stunning 12-lap run at the start of the session, Bautista remains the favourite for the weekend ahead, but perhaps a big threat will come from the other side of the garage. Teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi has been in formidable form on Friday with second in FP1 after leading the majority of the session, whilst he was second for most of FP2 behind teammate Bautista, being pushed down to P4 at the end. Come the end of the day, the #21 finished fourth and has put himself in a prime position for the races to come.

YAMAHA STRUGGLE IN THE HEAT: Razgatlioglu relies on FP1 time

In Yamaha blue – for the rest of this year anyway – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) came out the blocks fighting on Friday and topped the opening session of the weekend, and it stood until Bautista beat it in FP2 at the end of his first run. Razgatlioglu was a little bit adrift when the temperatures came up in the afternoon and was outside the top three for most of it, but nonetheless finished the day in second. Teammate Andrea Locatelli was mired down in P14 in the afternoon for most of the session and couldn’t improve on his final run. He finished day one in tenth, two places behind Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), although the rookie suffered an early fall at Turn 1 and lost valuable track running in the hotter afternoon. He, Razgatlioglu and Locatelli were the only riders in the top ten not to improve their time from FP1.

PETRUCCI SPARKLES: P3 for Petrux whilst Bassani shows strength on Friday

Taking third at the end of the day and second in FP2, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) is planning to be a star at home. His first outing at Misano in WorldSBK has proved to be a positive one as he blasted up the order on his final flying run, going nearly a second quicker than his FP1 time. Yet to take a podium in WorldSBK, can Petrucci repeat his 2017 MotoGP™ podium heroics at the very same circuit? He wasn’t the only Independent Ducati rider inside the top ten, as Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) came strong in P7, one of his better Fridays, as he gets set for a podium charge.

KAWASAKI VS BMW: Lowes ahead of Rea, Gerloff top BMW again

In green, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was in good form too and was top Kawasaki across both sessions on Friday. The #22 was up in third and demonstrated a strong pace from the start, even if he couldn’t get within half a second of Bautista’s top time. He improved in FP2 and finished fourth overall, as did teammate Jonathan Rea but the six-time World Champion was down in eighth position for most of the session and despite a time attack at the end of the session, the #65 wasn’t able to improve and will have a little bit of work to do for Saturday and Sunday, with ninth at the end of day one. It could also be seen as Misano data acquisition for Rea, as he and Lowes didn’t participate in the Misano Test at the start of May. and Rea was ninth.

For BMW, their top rider was the Independent star Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), also the top BMW in the Championship standings. He was up in sixth, as he continues to make steps aboard the M1000RR, less than a second from Bautista on top and just over a tenth slower than Yamaha’s Razgatlioglu. Over in the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team garage, Scott Redding continued to work on refining his setup for the weekend ahead. He was ninth at the end of the session but was two places ahead of his teammate Tom Sykes. Sykes is back in action this weekend as a replacement for the injured Michael van der Mark, and just 0.041s separated Redding and Sykes at the end of the day. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) suffered a technical issue in FP1 and was 16^th overall.

HONDA STRUGGLE: new swingarm doesn’t elevate Team HRC’s position… so far

Despite a step being made at the Misano Test with regards to the swingarm, Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) could only manage P12 on the combined times at the end of the day. He was ahead of his teammate Iker Lecuona however, with the Valencian rider suffering a late fall at Turn 14 and then, because he didn’t come into pitlane as per the regulations, was given a black flag, although he did manage to return to the track for a practice start. With the new overslung swingarm, Vierge has been much happier with it, whilst Lecuona’s struggle to find a setup that works.

INDEPENDENTS: big names with work to do

Elsewhere, Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) was 14^th, whilst Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) could only manage 17^th and like the three Yamahas ahead of him, was relying on his morning time. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was right behind the Australian in 18^th, ahead of Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha). Returning to action, Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was only 21^st, ahead of Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team), stand-in rider Luca Vitali (Orelac Racing MOVISIO), Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing) and substitute rider Ryo Mizuno (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team).

Top six combined after Friday at Misano in WorldSBK, full results here:

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’33.825s

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.329s

3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.451s

4. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.458s

5. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.652s

6. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.785s

Watch the 2023 season continue to unfold in dramatic fashion with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

As the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock headed to the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the 2023 Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, all eyes were on BMW following the news that Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) would swap Yamaha for BMW from the 2024 season. On Friday at Misano, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers gave his view on the signing of the 2021 Champion.

Razgatlioglu joined Yamaha in 2020 and made an instant impact with the Japanese manufacturer as he won Race 1 at Phillip Island, his first race for Yamaha. He ended the season with two more wins at the season-ending Estoril Round. Following on from that, Razgatlioglu claimed the 2021 title after a season-long fight with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) with culminated in a final-round showdown in Indonesia.

Last year, Razgatlioglu lost the title after another season-long with but this time with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who, like Razgatlioglu, claimed the title in Indonesia. In 2023, Razgatlioglu and Bautista are the only two riders to win races, with Bautista winning 11 out of 12 so far and Razgatlioglu the Mandalika Superpole Race. After four seasons and 31 race wins for Yamaha, Razgatlioglu will join BMW in 2024.

Discussing BMW signing Razgatlioglu, Bongers said: “It’s very exciting for us. It’s a new challenge for us and for Toprak on top of that. We have a strong rider line-up already but, for sure, this will add to that. He is one of the top riders of this paddock. What was especially impressive is his dedication and his never give up attitude that seems to match our ethos.”

However, the teammate of Razgatlioglu for 2024 is currently unknown. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and teammate Michael van der Mark are the current riders for the factory BMW squad, with Redding revealing on Friday that he has until July 15^th to make a decision on his BMW future. Bongers addressed the full line-up for BMW in 2024 but refused to name names related to who could be Razgatlioglu’s teammate. He said: “It’s a little early, we’ll still have to wait quite a few weeks. We will announce it at a later date how we allocate our rider line-up between teams.

Watch more WorldSBK action throughout 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship headed to the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round and French rider Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) topped the times with his Free Practice 1 time good enough for top spot. In the combined classification, he was ahead of home hero Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) in second with 2022 winner Vannucci topping the times in FP2.

DI SORA LEADS, WILDCARDS IMPRESS: shocks in the WorldSSP300 field

Di Sora posted a 1’49.601s to take top spot in the combined classification which was set in Free Practice 1, while Vannucci’s best time, a 1’49.752s, was set in Free Practice 2. The pair were separated by over a tenth of a second at the end of Friday’s running as they both look for victories in the third round of the 2023 campaign. Wildcard Bruno Ieraci (ProDina Kawasaki Racing), returning to WorldSSP300, claimed third place on Friday as he set a 1’49.915s in FP1 for his best time on Friday.

A STRONG RESULT FOR ITALY ON THE CARDS? Plenty of Italians running well

Another Italian rider made it into the top four as Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) secured fourth place on Friday as he returns from injury. His best time was a 1’50.059s to finish ahead of Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) in fifth, with the Brazilian having limited running in FP2 due to a crash at Turns 5-6 which brought out the red flags; he was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) rounded out the top six, just over half a second down on Di Sora’s time.

MORE SURPRISES: two wildcards in the top ten…

Mattia Martella (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) took seventh spot after an impressive Friday for the rookie, lapping Misano with a best time of 1’50.180s; his consistency means his FP2 time was 0.003s faster than his FP1 time. However, his running was disrupted in FP2 following a crash at Turn 4, but he was able to re-join the session. Wildcard Emanuele Cazzaniga (Racestar) also impressed with eighth place at Misano, finishing ahead of Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) in ninth and Galang Hendra Pratama (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) in tenth; the Indonesian rider missing some running in FP2 with a technical problem.

A DRAMATIC SESSION: FP2 brings plenty of crashes

Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) was another whose day was disrupted following an FP2 crash at Turn 13 but he was still able to finish in 11^th place, ahead of compatriot Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) in 12^th. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) was in 13^th place ahead of Championship leader Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) claimed 14^th on Day 1 on Friday, while Britain’s Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) rounded out the top 15.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from WorldSSP300 on Friday

In Free Practice 1, Gabriele Mastroluca (Team BrCorse) crashed at Turn 10 which disrupted his running while there were a couple of crashes in FP2. The first was Junhao Zhan (China Racing Team) when he crashed at Turn 10 with 25 minutes left of the session, while, shortly after that, Ionnanis Peristeras (ProGP Racing) crashed but returned to the track and the pits under the red flag. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) had a difficult FP2 after he crashed out at Turn 10 with just over 10 minutes remaining, with the Dutchman returning to the track with around two minutes left in the session.

The top six following WorldSSP300 action on Friday, full results here:

1 Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) 1’49.601s

2. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) +0.151s

3. Bruno Ieraci (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +0.314s

4. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) +0.458s

5. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) +0.497s

6. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smra Racing BGR) +0.544s

Watch more WorldSSP300 action from Misano using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

With the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heading to the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, it was the first chance for key figures to discuss the news related to Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK duo Toprak Razgatlioglu and Andrea Locatelli. Speaking during Free Practice 1 at Misano, Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager Andrea Dosoli praised Locatelli following his renewal with Yamaha and hailed him as a future title contender.

Locatelli has enjoyed a stellar season so far in 2023 after finishing all but one race so far this season in the top five, claiming five podiums in 12 races so far this season. This podium tally means he has surpassed his tally from 2021 (four) and 2022 (two) in the first half of the season and he currently sits third in the Championship standings, directly behind teammate Razgatlioglu with the pair separated by just 34 points.

Explaining his thoughts on Locatelli renewing with Yamaha for another two seasons, up to and including the 2025 campaign, Dosoli said: “We believe the results that we have seen in the last three years, and the way this season is going, I’m convinced that if he makes another small step and we make another small step, he can be, in the future, a title contender.”

These sentiments were shared by Team Principal Paul Denning on Thursday, who said: “One important thing, that I’m not sure was clearly communicated or not because there was no need for it, but it’s important to recognise that Andrea was absolutely our target to renew whether or not Toprak stayed with Yamaha. The improvements he’s made this year are significant. He still has margin to do more to believe in himself more and the next step is for him to win a race and take it to the next level. We’re really happy with everything Andrea is doing. It was always the target to keep him with us. I believe he had a very good offer from a very strong competitor so we’re happy that he trusts in the group, Yamaha and the team and that he’s staying with us.”

Will Locatelli claim his maiden WorldSBK victory at Misano? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

In what was a mighty start to the day for the home riders, Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) got his home-round weekend off to a flying start as he led the way in front of the Ducatisti in Friday’s FP1. The 2023 FIM Supersport World Championship battles promises to be a belter and with six Italians in the top seven places in WorldSSP FP1, it could be a battle amongst the home favourites this weekend.

Montella hit the top with less than ten minutes to go and was the rider to beat after FP1, with the #55 looking to get back to winning ways on home soil. Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) led the way for the majority of the session but was beaten come the close of the opening session of the weekend, just 0.028s behind Montella. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) took third ahead of wildcard Simone Corsi (Altogo Racing Team), who was looking very strong and got straight down to business. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) spoiled the Italian party at the front with fifth on his final lap.

In sixth Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) clinched sixth but did suffer a Turn 2 crash at the start of the session. He was able to remount and crack the top half-dozen. Seventh place went to another wildcard in Marco Bussolotti (Axon Seven Team), who is back in the WorldSBK paddock at home and riding well too. The most-recent race winner in WorldSSP, Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), took eighth place, ahead of Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) and Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), who completed the top ten. In the top ten, plenty of reasons for Italian fans to cheer as each nine of the ten places are occupied by an Italian rider, manufacturer or team – only van Straalen in P9 breaks the sequence.

Top six after WorldSSP FP1 at Misano, full results below:

1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’38.229s

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.028s

3. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +0.202s

4. Simone Corsi (Altogo Racing Team) +0.376s

5. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.432s

6. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.472s

Watch the 2023 season continue to unfold in dramatic fashion with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) may have made headlines off-track in the build-up to the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, but he likewise made them on-track after FP1 at the Italian venue. A stone’s throw from the picturesque Adriatic Sea, Razgatlioglu was riding a wave of confidence in FP1 as he secured top spot on the opening day of action for round five of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship.

Razgatlioglu was in mighty form and the 2021 World Champion was close behind long-time session leader Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) for the majority of the session. Toprak was one of the strongest riders in the test and his race pace was very strong, along with his one-lap strength. He leapt up the order on his penultimate flying lap, whilst second in FP1 at home, Rinaldi’s pace was strong from the start. He’s eager to continue his podium pace from Barcelona, whilst after a hat-trick last time out, teammate Alvaro Bautista completed the top three. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was fourth, one place ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), who had his sights on the top five this weekend.

Top Kawasaki honours went to Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), whilst it was a strong performance for Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), who was top BMW in seventh and the fastest rider in sector one. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was eighth after the first session as he got back up to speed at Misano, one place ahead of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC). His teammate, Iker Lecuona, completed the top ten. Setting an identical time in P11 and P12, Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and substitute teammate Tom Sykes respectively.

Top six from WorldSBK FP1 at Misano below, full results here:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 1’34.154s

2. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.242s

3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.311s

4. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) Team) +0.552s

5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.576s

6. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.662s

Watch the 2023 season continue to unfold in dramatic fashion with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com