Hannes Soomer will make a return to the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock at the Autodrom Most as he makes his WorldSBK debut with the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team. The Estonian will stand in for Malaysia’s Hafizh Syahrin as he continues to recover from injuries sustained in a crash while testing for the Suzuka 8 Hours, and the 25-year-old is no stranger to the CBR1000RR-R machine as he competes with Honda in the German championship.

Known as the ‘Baltic Bullet’, Soomer competed in both the European Junior Cup and WorldSSP between 2013 and 2022 inside the WorldSBK paddock. His best EJC campaign came in 2016 as he took two wins and finished sixth in the standings, before moving up to WorldSSP for a full-time campaign after several one-off appearances in 2015 and 2016.

He recorded only one top-ten Championship finish in WorldSSP, which was in 2020, and that was the year he made history in WorldSSP. Soomer became the first Estonian rider to stand on the podium with a total of three to his name, in both races at Magny-Cours and in Race 1 at Estoril, before finishing 12^th in 2021 and 13^th in 2022 in the standings. Last season, he competed with the PTR Triumph squad as they made a return to WorldSSP as part of the Next Generation ruleset, although it was teammate Stefano Manzi who took the team’s sole win.

After missing out on a ride in the World Championship, Soomer switched his attention to the IDM, the German national championship, where he rides this season for Honda. He has already raced at Most this season, taking third on the grid and finishing in the same position in the first race on the CBR1000RR-R. Now, he will put his IDM Superbike experience to use on the world stage as he looks to impress in the Czech Republic.

Talking about his debut, where he will race alongside Eric Granado, Soomer said: “I am happy to be making my debut in WorldSBK with the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team this weekend and I am looking forward to being back in the WorldSBK paddock.  I know I will have to adapt to the bike quickly, but Most is a fun track, and I am up for the challenge!”

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The Autodrom Most welcomes the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race and it’s been a stunning season of racing thus far. Most came onto the calendar as a relative unknown circuit in 2021 but has since been one of the most dramatic rounds that WorldSBK enjoys. From 2021 fallout and pivotal title-race moments to last year’s major achievements and a second instalment of handbags at dawn, we’ve put the very best of Most in one place.

2021’S NEW TRACK: a new venue, retro feel and an intense rivalry

Where to really begin from 2021? Let’s start with Jonathan Rea’s race to forget in Race 1, the first ever WorldSBK race at Most. He crashed not once, but twice, in a battle for victory; the second crash spelt the end of the race, as he tumbled at the fast Turn 20. Back at the front and it was a classic final lap showdown with Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu and Ducati’s Scott Redding, which saw the Turk triumph, although there was a heated discussion coming after. In the Superpole Race, Rea made it 200 podiums in WorldSBK, whilst Race 2 saw Redding on top and getting his knee down in a new sense, proposing to now-wife, Jaycey. Enjoy the 2021 UNFILTERED from Most here and you can watch the full 46-minute highlights from Most’s debut in WorldSBK here!

2022’S BATTLE: history made by Bautista and Ducati, more fallout behind

Race 1 from 2022 was a classic, with a little bit of rain causing unpredictability at the front as four manufacturers fought for victory. However, Alvaro Bautista shined through for Ducati to take their 1000^th podium, whilst behind, drama was the word of the day. Razgatlioglu and the now BMW-mounted Redding had another final lap battle and another final lap fallout, as a hard pass by Razgatlioglu saw him push Redding off the track, although the #45 defended well against Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea after a race-long fight between all four riders. In the Superpole Race, Razgatlioglu and Rea renewed their own battle as they came to blows on the final lap, one of the best last lap showdowns of 2022. Catch-up on last year’s highlights show here, whilst reliving all the emotions again here.

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The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship returns to action at the Autodrom Most for the Acerbis Czech Round. Four rounds have been completed in the Championship and Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) leads the standings with a 17-point advantage over his closest rival, Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha). Both were victorious last time out at Imola, and the pair will look to pull away from their competitors in the Czech Republic.

BATTLE AT THE TOP: Geiger and Vannucci excel at Imola, Svoboda on a home charge

There was an exciting duel at Imola with Geiger and Vannucci the clear standout riders, and they added a victory each to their total. The results moved the KTM rider into the lead of the standings with 116 points, while Vannucci trails him by just 17. Most is a circuit that KTM have excelled at, with the late Victor Steeman winning and taking pole there in 2021 for the Austrian manufacturer. Yamaha have one victory to their name here, with Marc Garcia winning Race 1 last year, but Geiger – and teammate Lennox Lehmann, who was on the podium here previously – will look to build on KTM’s strong Italian Round. Will the 21-year-old be able to extend his title advantage at a strong circuit for KTM, or can Vannucci fight back?

Elsewhere, Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) will look to claim a home victory and reignite his title charge. The Czech rider was outside the top six at Imola but he’s aware of what is needed for victory in 2023 after his Assen double. He’s 21 points off the lead despite a difficult run of form with just one podium since Assen. The Brno-born rider will be aiming his home fans give him a boost and a return to the top step.

THE CHASING PACK: Gennai, Maier and Perez Gonzalez aim to stay in touch

Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) heads into the Czech Round tied on points with Svoboda with one win in 2023, although that was almost three months ago in Catalunya. A Race 2 crash at Imola cost him ground in the title fight but he remains ahead of Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) despite the Brazilian’s strong Imola round where he battled for the podium. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) has become known for his fourth-place finishes this season, with five in eight races. The Majorcan rider is still searching for a maiden podium and given Kawasaki’s form of two wins in four races, will be hoping it comes at Most.

KOVE HOPING FOR AN IMOLA REPEAT: in search of more points

Chinese manufacturer Kove comfortably had their best result of the 2023 campaign at Imola as 2017 Champion Marc Garcia took them into the points with eighth. He was unable to repeat this in Race 2 but returns for a second bite of the cherry on the Kove 321RR machine at Most as he, once again, stands in for Junhao Zhan for the China Racing Team. Garcia won at Most last year in Race 1 when on Yamaha machinery, which he compared to the Kove after Imola. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) is the only other winner on the grid after he won Race 2 in 2021 for his current team. Can the 2020 Champion add a second win of the season to his name and haul himself into title contention?

HOUSEKEEPING: some rider line-up changes for Most

Maxim Repark will ride for the Accolade Smrz Racing BGR team in place of Yeray Saiz Marquez, while Krittapat Keankum will step in at Arco Motor University Team alongside Ruben Bijman. The Thai rider competed in the Yamaha R3 European bLU cRU European Cup in 2022 and European Championship this season, taking three podiums. Kevin Fontainha will make his WorldSSP300 debut at Sublime Racing by MS Racing as he steps up from the Yamaha R3 Championship; the Brazilian is currently third in the standings. Another rider stepping up is Indonesia’s Aldi Satya Mahendra as a wildcard for the Team BrCorse outfit, while Walid Khan – a podium finisher at Brno – returns as a wildcard for the Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing; his first appearance in WorldSSP300 since 2018.

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Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) is one of several rookies making their MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship debut in 2023 and the two-time WorldSSP Champion has already had some incredible highs in the first half of the season. He narrowly missed out on a debut pole at Phillip Island and has featured in the top five in races on two occasions, although recent rounds have been harder for the Swiss rider to break into the top ten. At Imola, Aegerter sat down for an in-depth interview that covered his future, being teammates to Remy Gardner and his 2023 so far.

AEGERTER’S FUTURE: a place in the factory team up for grabs?

Following the shock news that Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) will leave Yamaha at the end of 2023, there has been plenty of clamour to find out his replacement. Yamaha Motor Europe’s Road Racing Manager Andrea Dosoli said they would like to promote from within, potentially giving Aegerter, or any other Yamaha-contracted rider on the grid, a chance to join Pata Yamaha for 2024. The Japanese manufacturer are yet to announce Razgatlioglu’s replacement, although did confirm Andrea Locatelli’s future with the team for 2024 and 2025.

Talking about his future, and the possibility of a factory seat, Aegerter explained: “I’m very happy to race with the GRT Yamaha team. I think it’s very important to feel good with the team. Yamaha do a very good job; they try to help me as much as possible. We can also see the data from Toprak and Locatelli; it’s very helpful. They share everything so it’s nice that I’m one of the Yamaha riders. My future is still a little bit unclear. I think I performed well that I have a chance to continue in WorldSBK. I’ll try to stay with Yamaha because I think we can achieve something great. There’s a seat at Yamaha, but I think there are a lot of riders who want Toprak’s seat. To ride in a factory team would be very nice but I don’t know what they’ll decide. I can just focus on my own riding and my own goals.”

TEAMMATES WITH A CHAMPION: three World Championships in the GRT Yamaha box

Aegerter is partnered alongside Remy Gardner for the 2023 season with the pair having three World Championships between them. Australian rookie Gardner took the 2021 Moto2™ title while Aegerter won back-to-back Championships in WorldSSP in 2021 and 2022 and won the MotoE™ World Cup in the latter. As rookie line-ups go, it’s one of the strongest in terms of their honours and, in recent rounds, the pair have been closely matched. However, there have also been some tough moments. In Australia, Gardner took out Aegerter in the Superpole Race while, in the Misano Superpole Race, Aegerter was hit by Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), which forced him into Gardner with the pair going down; Aegerter re-joined the race as Gardner retired.

Commenting on having Gardner as a teammate, Aegerter said: “Remy is a great rider. He won the 2022 Moto2™ World Championship and he was a MotoGP™ rider. His riding style is a little bike like mine so we can work together inside the team. We always push each other. We were a little bit unlucky in the Superpole Race in Australia when he crashed and took me out. It wasn’t a good team effort. Misano was not my fault because there was another rider who touched me, and I crashed. My bike took out Remy as well. I think our bad luck for the season is already over and we can look forward.”

2023 SO FAR: highs and lows in a rookie campaign

Aegerter spent two years in WorldSSP, taking the title in both seasons, before stepping up to WorldSBK with the GRT Yamaha outfit. It was almost a dream start for him as he put his YZF R1 machine on the front row in Australia, missing out on pole by just a couple of tenths, although he did become the first Swiss rider to start from the top three in WorldSBK. He’s taken five top-six results in 21 races so far but is currently on a run of seven consecutive finishes outside the top ten, mixing the ups and downs in his maiden campaign.

Reviewing the first half of his season, Aegerter said: “My 2023 season started well. We had some very good races with some very fast Superpole sessions. Some top five finishes. We also had some races that we were struggling a little bit to be where we want. Twice I got taken out in the Superpole Race so this was the worst moment for me, but I think, overall, we are performing very well. My goals for the end part of the season… I try to improve every race. I would like to be on the podium. This is a big goal. I think we had some races where we weren’t that far away. I’ll try to be the best Independent rider and also, maybe, the best Yamaha rider a few times.”

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This is it; World Superbike is nearly out for summer! However, the Acerbis Czech Round at the iconic Autodrom Most provides one last roll of the dice to see who will carry the momentum in the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship into August’s month off. Adding to the challenge, Pirelli continue at the forefront of development and will bring an all-new SC1 development rear tyre – named the SC1 C0567 – as well as bringing the A1126 specification, the tyre of choice from Phillip Island. The other big news is that the SC0 will effectively replace the SCQ tyre for this round, being able to be used for the Superpole and the Superpole Race only. There will be eight tyres available for each compound, apart from the SC0, which has four (the same as the usual SCQ tyre).

SOLUTIONS, SOLUTIONS: harder on the front, all-new tyre for the rear

With it all about going harder at the front, there’s no SC0 but instead standard solutions of the SC1 and SC2. For the rear, the SC1 C0567 has the same compound as the A1126 but a different structure, aimed at improving performance and consistency in high-working ranges compared to the A1126 and standard SC1. The tyre makes its competition debut this weekend and could be the tyre of choice with it being designed for this style of circuit in mind. Most has 21 corners with an abundance of fast direction changes, heavy braking and sweeping corners, where front tyre performance is crucial.

As for the A1126 spec, it makes a comeback this weekend and was the favoured option earlier on in the year at Phillip Island in Australia, which like Most, has a rather demanding surface. This tyre, in comparison to the standard SC1, has a more robust structure, designed at working better in high temperatures, offering a compromise between high performance and low wear. The standard SCQ tyre is not in use for Tissot Superpole, replaced with the SC0 for this occasion. A brief mention to WorldSSP, who will have a standard SC0 for the rear or the development SC0 A1128, which all riders chose at Phillip Island.

MOST AND PHILLIP ISLAND: “Each other’s testing ground”

Elaborating on the tyre allocation for this round, Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli’s Motorcycle Racing Director, said: “Although different from each other, Most and Phillip Island have some similarities which make them the two most demanding tracks for tyres on the calendar and, in some ways, they are each other’s testing ground in terms of tyres. In the last couple of years, Most has undergone modernisation works that have made it a safer and a more modern circuit, but it still remains a circuit with a classic and fast layout like Phillip Island: old-style circuits that always offer spectacular racing. Given their particularity, it is better to focus on rear development solutions specifically designed to offer a more robust structure and greater performance consistency.

“It is therefore no coincidence that the reference solutions we bring to Most are the development SC1 A1126 for World Superbike and the A1128 for World Supersport, both of which have already been successfully used in the last two rounds held at Phillip Island. The new development SC1 C0567 has instead been designed to offer even better performance than the A1126 and, should it be confirmed, it could certainly become a valid option also for next year’s Australian round. The standard SC0 will be entrusted with the role of Superpole and Superpole Race tyre which on the other tracks is typical of the SCQ.”

WHO COULD IT FAVOUR? Kawasaki grinning?

Traditionally, Kawasaki have been able to be a lot more competitive with harder tyre options, something both Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Alex Lowes have touched on at various times. The Japanese brand have yet to win at Most and whilst their aims will be the podium, the tyres on offer could be one of the most favourable towards them this year.

Elsewhere, Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) have generally preferred to use softer compounds, with the package working well with the lightweight Spaniard; could this harder range in the Czech Republic translate to a harder time of things on-track for the reigning World Champion and Championship leader? He’ll be eager to bounce back after his Imola crash, and hope that his 70-point lead isn’t reduced further.

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As the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship gets set to enjoy hard-earnt holidays in August after a blistering first half of the year, one round is left before we pack our bags. The Acerbis Czech Round at the Autodrom Most is back for the third time in as many years, with each one giving a super stat attack. Whether it was 200 podiums for the most successful WorldSBK rider in 2021 or Ducati’s 1000^th podium last year, big stats are the dish of the day once again.

1000-1050 – Last year, Ducati celebrated here their 1000^th WorldSBK podium. One year later, they are about to hit 1050, as they count now 1049.

400 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) is set for his 400^th race start on Sunday in the Superpole Race. He’ll be the first to reach this goal: his best competitor is Troy Corser at 377.

196 – Spain counts 195 podium placements at the moment: with just one more, they will equal Japan’s tally, at the 5^th all-time spot. The record belongs to Great Britain: 864 podiums.

100 – After the celebrations for Ducati, last year it was Yamaha’s turn to record a milestone: their 100^th win, taken in the Superpole Race.

50 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) is just one win shy of the milestone of 50: he’d be the fourth rider to reach this goal. At the moment, the all-time standings are: Rea 118, Fogarty 59, Bayliss 52, Bautista 49. So, with a hat-trick of wins, he would equal Bayliss at the 3^rd all-time spot.

50 – This year, Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) have already shared 18 podiums out of 21; with one more, they’ll hit 50 podiums together in all-time.

50 – In 2021, Most became the 50^th track in WorldSBK history.

32/21 – Kawasaki has yet to climb on the top step at Most: they have won at 32 tracks so far. The record belongs to Ducati, winners at 47 tracks in WorldSBK history. Jonathan Rea so far won at 21 different tracks, an all-time record, but Most is not one.

21 – Yamaha is on its best streak of races on the podium, 21, and with three at Most, they’ll enter the all-time top ten streaks, taking the 7^th place. The record belongs to Ducati, with 67 straight podiums from Sugo 2002 to Lusail 2005.

18 – After his win in Race 1 at Imola, Bautista looked set to claim the new all-time record of season wins, 18, on Sunday, but suffered his first…single win weekend of 2023. After two match-balls, he’s again ready to beat the record at Most.

7-6 – Yamaha leads Ducati for podiums here: 7-6. Only one Yamaha podium didn’t come from Toprak Razgatlioglu: a third place by Andrea Locatelli in Race 1, 2021.

6 – Toprak Razgatlioglu is the only rider who climbed on the podium in all six races run here.

4-2 – Thanks to Razgatlioglu, Yamaha is the most successful manufacturer ay Most, with four wins to Ducati’s two (Redding, Bautista).

1 – Two editions, only one poleman: Jonathan Rea.

1 – One BMW podium by Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) at Most: Race 1, 2022.

0.040s – The closest finish in WorldSBK at Most was in 2021’s Race 1, with Razgatlioglu ahead of Redding by 0.040s.

SHORTHAND NOTEBOOK

2022 race winners:

• Alvaro Bautista (Ducati, Race 1)
• Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha, Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2)

Last two polesitters at Most:

• 2022: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) 1’30.947
• 2021: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) 1’31.684

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

• Yamaha: 7 (4)
• Ducati: 6 (2)
• Kawasaki: 4
• BMW: 1

Key gaps from Most 2022:

• Front row covered by: 0.559s
• 1 second in Superpole covered… the top eight: 0.771s
• Closest race gap between 1^st and 2^nd: 0.040s (Razgatlioglu 1^st, Redding 2^nd, Race 1)
• Closest race podium of all-time: 1.384s (Razgatlioglu 1^st, Redding 2^nd, Rea 3^rd, Tissot Superpole Race)

Manufacturer top speeds at Most, 2022:

• Honda: Iker Lecuona – 302.1 km/h, FP2
• Ducati: Philipp Oettl – 302.1 km/h, Superpole Race
• BMW: Scott Redding – 298.0 km/h, Superpole Race
• Kawasaki: Jonathan Rea – 297.2 km/h, Race 1
• Yamaha: Andrea Locatelli – 297.2 km/h, Superpole Race

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Spanish rider Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) will continue his busy 2023 campaign as he steps in for Alex Rins for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in August. It will be the third time the Honda rider as been a replacement rider in MotoGP™ in 2023 and, after two impressing outings at Jerez and Assen, will be looking to continue that form at Silverstone when he steps on the RC213V for LCR Honda Castrol at the iconic British circuit.

Lecuona first stepped in for the Repsol Honda Team at Jerez in place of Joan Mir and finished just outside the points in 16^th place in the Spanish Grand Prix. He was back on Honda’s machine, in place of Rins, at the historic TT Circuit Assen and was on course to score points but was forced to retire late on. He will return to MotoGP™ action for the British Grand Prix during the first weekend of August for his third appearance of the season.

He was initially scheduled to compete in the Suzuka 8 Hours on the same weekend alongside teammate Xavi Vierge and Takumi Takahashi, but he will now focus on MotoGP™ at Silverstone rather than the iconic endurance race. His place will be taken by Tetsuta Nagashima in Japan as Honda look to defend the title that they won in 2022, when Lecuona was part of a three-rider attack that won the race.

On his return to MotoGP™ action, Lecuona said: “I wish Alex a speedy recovery; I know how difficult these situations are. In the meantime, I’m happy to jump on the bike, as I want to do my best and help the team. Besides, I like Silverstone’s layout, and we can have fun. I want to thank the Honda family and LCR for the opportunity.”

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The silly season period of any racing season is always very interesting. Who moves where becomes the big question. Everyone inside the paddock is listening for whispers and the chance to be in the know. But what actually happens during the negotiations and how much can be trusted? Everyone has an angle. Riders want to be linked with seats and teams want there to appear to be competition for saddles. The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock is the same and this year, it’s the most intense it has ever been.

THE MAIN FACTORS: keys to moving on

Once MotoGP™ seats have been filled, what motivates the decisions we see during the summer months in WorldSBK? A lot of the time it’s a combination of money, respect, ego and, perhaps most interestingly, spite, that create the combination of teams and riders that line-up on the grid. Don’t look too far past the managers and advisors for riders. Their motivation can be summed up by the Wu-Tang Clan; CREAM. The famous acronym of Cash Rules Everything Around Me! Money makes the world go round. No matter what we want to believe as sports fans, we see it time and again. Why do our favourite players move from one league to another? Why do golfers or tennis players play certain events? Higher wages and appearance fees will make people’s heads turn faster than a Ducati off the grid in WorldSBK!

Ego, spite and cold, hard cash are the main deciding factors in the decisions made to move from one team to another in motorcycle racing. That’s a two-way street too because whilst high wages can motivate a rider to make a switch, the same is true in reverse for manufacturers. Why were Aruba.it Ducati motivated to replace Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in 2021? Competitive performance for sure but the lower wage demands of the Spaniard made it a win-win for Ducati; boy have the won since Bautista jumped back on the V4R.

EGO AND RESPECT: it’s about feeling wanted

Ego and respect go hand in hand with the decisions made by riders. Anybody that is one of the best in the world at their discipline expects their employer to respect them. Jimmy Johnson, the Hall of Fame NFL coach, famously said that all of his players were treated equally but some players were treated a little more equal than others! This approach basically meant that if you had the talent there would be more flexibility for his players. Riders expect the same.

When they get this flexibility and respect, they thrive. When they don’t, they can look for the exit door straight away. Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) decision to leave Yamaha and move to BMW next year can be explained by this. Would he have left Yamaha if he was given, what he sees as, a fair crack of the MotoGP™ whip? When that didn’t happen, the BMW contract suddenly would have looked more and more appealing.

SPITE AND A BIG MISTAKE: a combination that fuels Razgatlioglu for 2024

Toprak will be motivated by spite when he lines up for the first time on the BMW M1000RR. He’ll be out to prove to Yamaha that they made a big mistake. Ironically it will be a very similar motivation to when Toprak signed on to ride the blue bikes in 2020. At that point he had been disrespected by Kawasaki and out to prove his worth at Yamaha. The world keeps spinning and Toprak’s motivation can be seen as being the same.

BOMBSHELL SWITCH: the biggest move in WorldSBK yet to come?

There are still seats to be filled for WorldSBK 2024. Toprak’s seat is the highest profile to be filled but with plenty of rumours of big-name switches. What happens with Scott Redding? With Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) getting plenty of MotoGP™ replacement rides, will he be on the shopping list for Honda there? The most intriguing of all was Speedweek reporting that Yamaha might be lining up a certain six-time World Champion to replace Toprak at Yamaha… What motivates decisions within racing? Sometimes it’s just the motivation to be able to win.  

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Two weeks on from an incredible FIM Supersport World Championship weekend at Imola and the Championship bursts back into action at the Autodrom Most for the Acerbis Czech Round. It’s a circuit that has provided plenty of drama in the past two years and 2023 promises more of the same as the title race intensifies. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) took a chunk out of Nicolo Bulega’s (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) standings lead and Most has, traditionally, been a Yamaha circuit with surprises never far away – will it serve as another pivotal round this year?

HAS THE MOMENTUM CHANGED? Manzi’s double puts pressure on Bulega

Bulega headed into Imola with a 55-point lead in the title fight, but a Manzi double slashed that to just 41 points; the pair head into Round 8 with their own ambitions, and whilst 41 remains a lot, it can be sliced further in a blink of an eye. Yamaha have won all four races held with Steven Odendaal, Dominque Aegerter and Lorenzo Baldassarri sharing them, while pole position has only been held by Yamaha riders. Will Manzi reduce the gap further heading into the summer break, or can Bulega break Yamaha’s Most dominance? There’s only been one Ducati podium, coming from Bulega last year, whilst Manzi was keen to shine on the Triumph 12 months ago with a double podium. The form guide is pointing to Manzi making more ground up.

A DEBUTANT HOPING TO SHINE: can Dalla Porta lead Evan Bros. back to the top at Most?

Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) will make his debut at the Autodrom Most as he steps in for the rest of 2023 in place of Andrea Mantovani at the challenging Czech circuit, and he’ll be aiming to take the Evan Bros. Yamaha squad back to the top of WorldSSP. The team won twice at Most in 2022 thanks to Baldassarri whilst Steven Odendaal gave them a victory the year before, so it’s a track they’ve shone at in the past. Will the 2019 Moto3™ World Champion get his WorldSSP career off to a flying start like so many before him and if so, how much of a spoiler could he go on to be in the overall title fight?

FIGHTING FOR THIRD: Caricasulo aiming to close the gap on Schroetter

Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) sits third in the standings in his rookie campaign, but he faces the third consecutive circuit he has not raced at, after Donington Park and Imola. He was on the podium in the latter but two P8 finishes and a retirement in his last four means he’s lost ground to Manzi in the standings. He’ll need to be looking over his shoulder as Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) closes in on the German for third overall; the Italian has raced at Most in the last two years and finished in the top-six on three occasions and he’ll be hoping his experience counts over Schroetter as he searches for third in the standings. Caricasulo will also be looking to springboard back into front-running pace after a double DNF at home last time out.

THE BATTLE FOR FIFTH: 21 points separating eight riders…

Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) has hit stunning form in the last two rounds with four top-six finishes in the last five races. It’s his best run since he graduated to WorldSSP, and he went two better in WorldSSP300 with six consecutive top-six finishes between Assen Race 1 and Magny-Cours Race 2, including a sixth and a fifth at Most. Another strong result could see him surge into the top ten in the standings, but he’ll face tough competition again. Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) aims consolidate his place in the top ten, with a tightly packed group fighting for fifth in the standings. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) leads his battle with 21 points separating the Turk and Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 12^th. Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph), Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team), Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) will all be looking for strong results at Most to strengthen their grips on a top ten position.

RIDER NEWS FOR MOST: changes to the grid

Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) remains on the sidelines with 2017 Champion Lucas Mahias stepping in once again. Home hero Ondrej Vostatek makes his return to WorldSSP with the PTR Triumph squad. Initially scheduled to take part as a wildcard, the Czech rider will take Harry Truelove’s place as the Brit recovers from injuries sustained at Donington Park. Austria’s Thomas Gradinger also returns to the Championship with a wildcard appearance as he lines up with the Eder Racing outfit; Gradinger was a podium finisher at Assen back in 2019.

Four riders will need to be declared fit to race at Most. Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing) is one of these and he recently raced at Most in the German championship, taking victory. Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph), Yuta Okaya (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) and Apiwath Wongthananon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) are the other three; for Tuuli in particular, it’s a sense of repetition, as Most was the venue for his comeback last year too, after his nasty crash at Estoril.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The special auction organised by the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship in collaboration with CharityStars, the international leading auction platform, raised an impressive €17,418 in support of the communities affected by the devastating floods that struck Emilia-Romagna in May.

Several highly coveted items, collected last month during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, garnered significant attention, and fetched remarkable bids during the auction. Topping the list were the helmets signed by 2021 World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu, which reached an outstanding bid of €5,225. Additionally, the X-Lite SBK® helmet, adorned with signatures from many stars of the Championship, attracted an incredible €4,000 bid. A VIP Experience package offered a remarkable experience for the winning bidder, raising €1,800 for the cause.

Other items included a boot signed by Danilo Petrucci, which secured a bid of €725, and reigning World Champion Alvaro Bautista’s gloves at €560, showcasing the dedication of fans to contribute to the cause.

The success of the auction, which concluded shortly after the second round of the season held in Emilia-Romagna, the Prometeon Italian Round, was made possible by the unwavering support and generosity of WorldSBK teams, riders, and fans who actively participated in the bidding process. With every euro raised, the auction contributed to the ongoing efforts of the Emilia-Romagna Regional Agency for Civil Protection in assisting the affected communities.

The WorldSBK community would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in the auction.

Source: WorldSBK.com