Four rounds are done in the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship and although there’s a break until the next round at the start of June, action continued as a Supported Test was undertaken at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”. With the circuit, a stone’s throw from the Adriatic Sea, hosting the fifth round of the season, it was all-important in terms of dialling setup in and trying to improve pace with new parts, so what were the key takeaways from two days of testing action?

BAUTISTA VS RAZGATLIOGLU: race pace tells a tale

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was in a league of his own in the previous two rounds at Assen and in Barcelona, strolling to a triple in each. His race pace was once again strong at the Misano Test, where he was lapping consistently in the low 1’34s and 1’33s, faster than his pace from last year’s full races. However, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was also fast, with Bautista calling the Turk’s race pace as “amazing”, with him able to get down to a very similar pace as Bautista. It’s two all in the win tally at Misano between them over the last two years, so who will make it three – or perhaps four – first? For a full, in-depth analysis of their pace, click here.

HONDA RIDERS’ CONTRASTING EMOTIONS: Vierge’s joy is Lecuona’s disappointment

So often, they’ve echoed the same feedback in development and been close on track, but the Misano Test saw Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and teammate Iker Lecuona share two very different thoughts on the latest new parts. Starting positively, Vierge stated that perhaps a “new base setup” had been established, with a positive reaction to Honda’s new overslung swingarm. On the contrary, Lecuona didn’t hold back, with the Valencian stating that he “expected more” and that he “can’t be happy”, seemingly at a loss, hailing the test as “very difficult.” Team boss Leon Camier stated the new parts helped Vierge “quite a lot”, although for Lecuona, the feeling was a bit better but lap time didn’t really improve. A careful analysis is needed, but Camier maintained that a step had been made, but that the bike is still needing to be improved in all areas.

SYKES IS BACK AT BMW: a positive return for the #66

It was a bright return to the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team for 2013 World Champion Tom Sykes, as the Yorkshireman was back to grinning ways at Misano. A consistent pace saw him finish as top factory BMW on day one, with a fast lap time but also a decent pace. Although teammate Scott Redding’s pace may have been a bit better over the course of long race distance, Sykes made gains throughout the opening day and was able to run well in the 1’34s. The atmosphere was also good within the BMW camp, with team principal Shaun Muir praising Sykes’ return and although no commitment can be made in the future, in the words of Muir himself, “the old Tom is there”, so it remains to be seen how the race rounds themselves go. For an in-depth look at Sykes’ comeback to BMW, read a full round-up here.

SURPRISES: Baldassarri and Gerloff feature at the front

It was a positive test for both Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) and Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), as they were able to showcase some serious speed across the two days of action. Starting with ‘Iron Balda’, the 26-year-old Italian was up inside the top five at points on day one before finishing P11 at the end of the day, whilst on day two, he improved his race pace and outright one-lap speed to finish fourth and second Yamaha, behind fellow countryman Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK). For Gerloff, he was top BMW rider and setting a strong pace, completing the top five on day one. He set times in the high 1’34s and low 1’35s, with that pace good enough for the top ten last year. Finishing the test as top BMW overall, Gerloff has plenty of information for the round to build on a decent showing in Barcelona.

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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is a third of the way down after the Prosecco DOC Catalunya Round and 2011 Champion Carlos Checa recently reviewed the season so far in an interview at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Spanish rider, who was the last Ducati Champion in WorldSBK before Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)’s success last year, spoke about the 2023 campaign, WorldSBK this season and Bautista’s season so far.

CHECA ON 2023: “It’s very exciting…”

2011 Champion Checa visited the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as he took in the stunning atmosphere and incredible track action in Spain, with the Catalunya Round hosting the fourth round of the 2023 season. He watched Bautista take a hat-trick on home soil as he extended his Championship lead, as well as thrilling fights and dramatic collisions behind him, as well as the other races he has followed from home.

Reflecting on the 2023 campaign so far, Checa said: “I’m feeling very well, I’m enjoying my life and especially the racing from outside. I have the opportunity to be in Barcelona and to follow all the races. I try to see every race. It’s very exciting. I think it’s a very well-balanced sport even if, now, Bautista is taking a clear advantage. I like these kinds of bikes, the programme during the weekend with different classes and I think it’s a good Championship where the performance is increasing every year. Even now, Bautista is one step in front.”

BAUTISTA’S 2023 CAMPAIGN: “It’s a pleasure to watch him riding like that!”

Bautista, in 2022, became the first Ducati Champion in WorldSBK since Checa won the title in 2011 and his form in 2023 so far, with 11 wins from 12 races, has put him in pole position for a second consecutive WorldSBK title. Ducati introduced a new model of the Panigale V4 R in 2023 and Bautista has already ridden it to so much success in four rounds this season and Checa commented on his compatriot’s results this season and how he is getting the most out of the bike.

Checa said: “He’s doing his talking on the track, it’s quite clear. He is a rider who, from the beginning, felt very good with this bike. Even in 2019 when he was leading the Championship and, in the end, he lost it and then moved to Honda. This year, he demonstrated that he’s integrated into this bike perfectly. When he returned last year, he was probably struggling a little bit and he had a clear advantage maybe in acceleration and speed. For me, this year, he made a great evolution because, with his turning and braking, he’s riding even better than his competitors and taking a little bit of advantage under acceleration, but also this is because he’s turning quite well. I saw some races, especially at Assen, where it seems like he’s doing less distance and turning so well with the bike. It’s a pleasure to watch him riding like that.”

WHO JOINS BAUTISTA IN 2024? Checa’s criteria laid out

With Bautista putting talk about his future behind him by signing a new contract with Ducati for 2024, talk about who will join him has started. Current teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, will be aiming to keep the seat for a fourth season in 2024 however several other riders have expressed their desire for a factory seat, including Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team). Checa gave his thoughts on who could join Bautista next season and, while he didn’t name any names, did explain the decision-making process.

He said: “All the riders are quite good; this is something related to the team and maybe Alvaro has something to say. Especially the team, or Ducati, will decide which one they prefer. The season is long with many races to come and the riders who take more results from now until the end probably will have a strong reason for the team to decide which one. I don’t know what Ducati’s or the team’s priorities are, the standings should do the talking. But there’s always other conditions, having a teammate that can help Alvaro or not bother him like until now is positive, and also that does good work for the team. But if there’s someone who stands out after Bautista in the standings, I think they will be the chosen one.”

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Whilst the racing action in the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship doesn’t resume until round five of the season at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” in June, the circuit has already hosted an all-important Supported-Test. Across two days, riders took to the track but there was one rider who particularly stood out: Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha). The Italian rider has always been strong across all classes at Misano, dating back to his time in the Moto2™ World Championship, but it could perhaps be the circuit where a breakthrough could come.

POSITIVE TESTING: Baldassarri shines on familiar territory

‘Iron Balda’ set a strong pace during day one and completed the day in 11^th place, having been inside the top five for part of it. On the second day of action, the Italian was a mighty fourth, setting a 1’34.681 to finish as second Yamaha behind Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), impressively improving his time compared to the opening day, unlike many other riders, with day two being impacted by rain. The #34’s race pace was promising, with plenty of times in the 1’35s on the opening day, although they weren’t as consistent as he’d have liked. One the second day, the dry opening part of the action saw him start in a much better shape than day one and he also improved his consistency in comparison to the opening day. With the improved consistency also came an improvement in lap time, with a few laps set in the low-to-mid 1’35s, before he improved his lap time on his final flying lap of the test.

Speaking about his feeling after the test, Baldassarri was happy with two days of action at a circuit he goes well at: “We needed this test because we have to get the speed back from Barcelona, where we struggled a lot. We missed the test there so I needed to find the speed and understand the bike better at a circuit I know well. We focused in braking area as we knew from Barcelona that we needed to change something with the geometry of the bike. On the first day, we did this and I adapted my riding style and for sure, we have to continue pushing in that way and continue improving. We made a step in braking, so we turn better and I exit the corner with the bike in a better position. We started in Barcelona to work on the electronics, but we were missing something on the entry to the corner, so we struggled in the exit too. We’ve done good work on the electronics.”

BREAKTHROUGH FOR BALDA? Misano a circuit he’s gone well at before

Whilst matching his top four showing from the test in the race may be difficult and unlikely, Baldassarri will be searching for his personal best results of his rookie 2023 season thus far. After two podiums at the circuit last year in WorldSSP, Baldassarri also has a Moto2™ Grand Prix victory to his name from 2016. However, he’s yet to crack the top ten, with three points-scoring finishes to his name and a best of 13^th in Race 2 at Assen, whilst a tricky Barcelona weekend resulted in no points. The GMT94 Yamaha team are also chasing a top ten, their first in WorldSBK since the 2005 with David Checa at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, when he was ninth in Race 2, which remains the team’s best result in WorldSBK.

“Talking about what he’s looking forward to at home, the 26-year-old said: “I think we can enjoy! Finally, we can be in the Superbike world and riding a Superbike like the strong riders. Sometimes, in the last races, I was strong but with more up and downs, so I hope that in a normal weekend to be consistent in every practice and growing after each one.”

ITALIANS AT HOME: magic in the air?

Misano has always been a place where Italian riders find extra performance; in recent years, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) enjoyed a double win back in 2021, whilst that was also the year Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) took a first top ten in WorldSBK, with a sixth in the Superpole Race. On top of that, Marco Melandri won for Ducati in 2017 in his comeback season, whereas Max Biaggi achieved a double in 2012 and 2010 for Aprilia.

In 2004, an inspired tyre choice by Pierfrancesco Chili saw him storm through the field to hit the front on the final lap, taking his last race win. In 1995, Mauro Lucchiari took his only WorldSBK wins with a double, whilst it was the scene of his first podium with third in Race 2 the year before. In that very same race, Giancarlo Falappa took his final WorldSBK win in his last race before suffering a career-ending injury in testing at Albacete. In terms of manufacturer, it’s Ducati territory, with 34 wins and 89 podiums.

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With two days of testing for the majority of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship now completed at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, there’s a chance to review the action for some teams and riders, including Team HRC duo Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge. The pair were testing different swingarms on their bikes as they look to take a step forward and Team Manager Leon Camier reviewed the test as well as explaining what the Japanese manufacturer wanted to bring with their two swingarms.

REVIEWING MISANO: lots learnt, lots to understand

Honda were represented at the test by regular riders Vierge and Lecuona as they looked to continue their forward progress this season. Vierge was the fastest of the two, setting his best time of the test on Day 2 when he posted a 1’34.034s which was just over a second slower than pacesetter Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). Lecuona’s best time also came on Day 2 when he set a 1’34.602s while the pair racked up a combined 226 laps on their CBR1000RR-R machines across both days, despite rain interrupting running throughout Day 2.

Reflecting on the test, Camier said: “Overall, I think it’s been a productive test. On Xavi’s side, we understood some things and some new parts have helped him quite a lot. I think we need to also understand this at other circuits. In the past, we’ve tested here and it’s very easy to understand something here, but this track has very high grip levels and this can confuse at other circuits which have low grip. In general, our feeling is that we’ve made a step, we’ve understood where we can improve. On Iker’s side, it’s not been such an easy test. I think it’s a combination of a few reasons why but, in general, we need to go away and understand deeply why we’ve understood what we’ve understood. I think, for the next race weekend, we’ll probably start with some different parts and we’ll see how the path goes from there.”

NEW COMPONENTS: Vierge and Lecuona test swingarms with mixed results

One of the key talking points from the test was Honda bringing two new swingarms for Vierge and Lecuona to try. Lecuona tried both on Day 1 while Vierge was able to try one on Day 1 and one on Day 2 despite poor weather conditions. The pair gave their thoughts on the new swingarms on Thursday after track action while Leon Camier, speaking on Friday, gave an overview from Team HRC’s perspective as well as where they are trying to benefit from the new swingarms.

He said: “For Xavi, one was very positive, and we also saw in the lap times it went very well for him. It’s fixed some of the problems he’s been having which is positive. This circuit can lead you in wrong directions, so we need to understand deeply that it works at other circuits. On Iker’s side, it wasn’t so clear. The feeling was a little bit better, but the lap time wasn’t really different. We need to analyse this careful before we understand which direction to go. We have to improve the bike in all areas. This is clear. One of the main things for Xavi has been grip, also entry grip and turning. This is what we understand from one of these swingarms that we’ve been able to improve a little bit.”

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The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is four rounds down and whilst there’s just under a month off until the next round at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, the track has already hosted testing action. There was plenty to get our teeth into has the chequered flag waved at the end of day two, from strong race pace, podium potential and whether or not one team’s factory riders not participating is as bad as it sounds. Let’s dive deep into the times and see what’s what.

BAUTISTA’S STUNNING PACE: has he already checked in for another triple?

Alvaro’s opening day pace was something to behold; besides his storming one lap at the end of the day that put him on a 1’33.0, the reigning World Champion put in a 15-lap run, of which 14 laps were all in the 1’34s. He went out and improved it again in the next run, with 11 laps in the 1’34s and then in the 1’33s. That was followed up by two more runs, one of nine laps and the other of ten, all in the same region, before a time attack came with a four-lap run delivering a 1’33.035, the fastest lap of the test. The follow runs at the end of the day mirrored the ones he set at the start, proving that Bautista’s metronomic consistency is as dangerous to his rivals as the pace itself.

Despite rain on day two, Bautista’s pace was once again strong. Before the rain shower, the Spaniard put together a run in the low 1’34s and high 1’33s, stronger than his rivals on day two. He got back out at the end of the day and went faster, setting five laps in the mid-to-high 1’33s and in back-to-back fashion. Although not able to replicate his storming pace compared to day one, it was nonetheless impressive for the #19 given the tricky conditions.

RAZGATLIOGLU ON THE CHARGE: we’ll have a fight at the front

However, his main rival over race pace looks to be Toprak Razgatlioglu, with the 2021 World Champion looking good to take the fight to Bautista, the rider who snatched the title from him in 2022. On the opening day, after two five-lap runs in the low-to-mid 1’34s, Razgatlioglu tailored a 14-lap run, with lap times ranging from high 1’33s to mid 1’34s. He went out to complete a time attack at the end but was half a second away from Bautista’s ultimate pace.

On the second day, Razgatlioglu only did a handful of laps on his #54 Yamaha, but he did have a good run out with new items on the YME test bike. A few laps in the low-to-mid 1’34s served him well in far from ideal conditions, but his pace on day one was enough to rival Bautista over a race simulation. It caught the attention of Bautista himself, with him hailing Razgatlioglu’s pace as “amazing”, so perhaps, after two triples at Assen and in Barcelona, will he be caught at Misano.

HISTORY SAYS: in the last two years, it’s 2-2

In 2022, Alvaro Bautista looked invincible in the long races, but one rider managed to stop him in the Superpole Race: Toprak Razgatlioglu. He stretched away and set a frightening pace in the 1’33s, achieving a first victory of the season. He put up a strong fight in Race 2, with Bautista passing on the run to Curvone, only for Razgatlioglu to respond on the exit of the turn. It took Bautista three attempts to tame Toprak. In 2021, with Bautista was at Honda, Razgatlioglu was beaten in Race 1 and the Superpole Race by an inspired Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), but a block pass at Turn 14 by Razgatlioglu saw him stride to victory – again, a first of the year. In the last two years, it’s two apiece for Razgatlioglu and Bautista; it’s the fight to make it three in the racing weekend.

OTHERS TO WATCH OUT FOR: a home-hero surprise?

Rinaldi’s pace during the Misano test was impressive, and whilst not quite as fast as his teammate, he has the potential for a podium, with him setting 1’34s rather comfortably. Don’t forget, Italians at home always find extra performance from their home crowd. As for Rinaldi’s arch-rival, perhaps nemesis, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), his testing pace wasn’t the most convincing, with 1’35s and 1’34s dominating his chronological analysis, although, in his own words, he’s never giving it 100% during tests and always pulls out the stops come the weekend. Andrea Locatelli’s (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) pace looks good, although he’s missing something if he wants to get on terms with teammate Razgatlioglu and reigning World Champion Bautista. As for the Kawasaki’s pace, it’s unknown, with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Alex Lowes sitting the Misano Test out, something Bautista said could be a disadvantage in terms of round preparation.

THEIR OWN WORDS: Bautista and Razgatlioglu speak about each other’s pace

Top after the test, Bautista is confident ahead of the round: “Day two was more complicated as we had some rain in the morning. We did a couple of exits before that in the dry and the feeling was a bit different to day one, maybe after the rain overnight. The track was a bit more slippery. We worked on the setup and then in the wet, we did a couple of tests on the electronics side and we found something very positive that helps us to have a better performance in the wet, so I’m quite happy. The conditions we found at the test will be very different compared to the race weekend. It’ll be more difficult as my teammate is like a specialist at this track, but also Toprak is very, very strong with an amazing pace; he showed on day one that he’s ready to win the races. Jonathan is a question mark because he missed the test, so for sure, the other guys will arrive more prepared.”

Giving his thoughts, Razgatlioglu said: “I’m really happy; on day one, we did a really good test, especially in the race simulation, it was unbelievable. On day two, I tested the test bike and we tried new parts to improve the bike, but everything is new, so we tried a new setup and the weather wasn’t nice. In the wet conditions, we were also quite fast. We tried many parts and were still strong. Jonny and Alvaro are very strong here, also Michael Ruben Rinaldi. I hope that we are fighting for the win as it looks like the potential is very high. Last year, I got my first win the Superpole Race but this year I am focused on Race 1 and Race 2, as I need a ‘real win’ this year. Bautista is really strong here, but we did a good job on day one. We’ll keep fighting but it’s a good track for him. After Assen and Barcelona, finally I am riding my 100%.”

IN CONCLUSION: it’s only testing, but…

It’s important to have balance; off the back of Bautista’s thoughts on KRT sitting it out, there is some truth to it. However, conditions during testing are expected to be wildly different to those the riders will face during the round, when the track temperature is set to come up into the 50s. Alex Lowes stated in his media debrief in Barcelona on Sunday that he and the team need to test when the track temperature is up, not when it’s cool, as the ZX-10RR is working fine in cooler conditions, therefore the Misano test wouldn’t have been beneficial for the weather expected in the round.

Is there an argument to say that some testing is better than no testing? Perhaps. However, with factors such as limits on testing days, rest days following an intense round and the fact that testing is one thing and racing is another, there’s also an argument for not testing. Rea and Lowes are strong in the wet, their package is strong in cooler conditions and Misano is a familiar circuit where both have achieved good results before. However, we can only go off what we see, and what we saw is that Alvaro Bautista looks to be the favourite again, but perhaps it’ll be tougher than previous rounds with Razgatlioglu in the mix over the course of race distance too. We’ll just have to wait and see.

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The two-day test for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” was a chance for teams and riders to prepare for the upcoming Emilia-Romagna Round as well as test some new items for the 2023 campaign. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) enjoyed a strong test at Misano as he finished as the fastest BMW rider across the two days which came off the back of a strong Catalunya Round for the Texan.

Gerloff’s best time was set on Day 1 of the test when he posted a 1’34.345s, which gave him fifth place on Day 1. He was just over a second down on pacesetter Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with the reigning Champion edging closer to the 1’32s bracket at Misano but falling just short. In terms of other BMW riders, Gerloff was just under a tenth ahead of Tom Sykes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in seventh and three tenths ahead of Sykes’ teammate, Scott Redding, in ninth.

The second day of action in Italy was disrupted by rain showers during the day, with one coming about an hour into the day and the other in the afternoon. Times were generally slower on Day 2 with Gerloff posting a 1’34.832s and finishing in eighth place. He was around a tenth slower than Redding in sixth while Sykes was a tenth back. Gerloff’s teammate, Loris Baz, finished both days as the slowest BMW rider as he continues his recovery from injury.

Looking back on both days of his test, Gerloff said: “I wasn’t really expecting to have so many dry laps, so that’s positive, for sure. Yesterday was really good, we made a lot of progress. We tried just small things but all the small things add up. We ended the day in a good position and I was happy with that. Today, we did not go out before the rain so we did not have any dry laps in the morning. In the afternoon just the grip did not feel so great but anyway, we were happy with how the test went, especially yesterday. We have a lot of information for the race coming up soon, so I am looking forward to that.”

Gerloff enjoyed a strong Catalunya Round at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya a few days before the test as he took three top-ten finishes and he will be hoping he can follow this up at Misano at the start of June, a circuit he has gone well at in the past with four top-ten finishes in six races when running Yamaha machinery. During the test, Gerloff conducted a series of short stints with the longest being a six-lap run, on Day 1. Five of these laps were in a 1’34s bracket with his best time of the day coming on the fifth lap, which was also his penultimate lap on Day 1.

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While the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship enjoyed a weekend break after a two-day test at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, one rider was busy racing in MotoGP™ for the factory Ducati team at the 1,000^th Grand Prix at Le Mans. Danilo Petrucci received a call-up to ride for the Ducati Lenovo Team in place of the still-recovering Enea Bastianini in France, with Bastianini sustaining an injury in the season-opening Portuguese Grand Prix.

Petrucci raced for the factory Ducati team previously and claimed two victories, at Mugello and Le Mans, before making the switch to KTM for 2021. He returned to Ducati machinery in 2022 in MotoAmerica where he fought for the title and remained on the Panigale V4 R in 2023 when he joined the Barni Spark Racing Team. During the Catalunya Round, it was announced that Petrucci would race for the factory Ducati team in MotoGP™ at Le Mans while Bastianini continues his recovery from injury.

Petrucci’s weekend started with Practice 1 on Friday morning and he was 19^th in the classification, posting a 1’33.680s before he improved his best time by six tenths in Practice 2, although he remained 19^th in the combined classification and was unable to secure a spot straight through into Q2. In Q1, Petrucci posted the ninth-quickest time out of the 11 riders taking part, securing himself a seventh row start and missing out on a place on the sixth row by just a tenth of a second.

The Italian qualified in 19^th place for both Saturday’s Tissot Sprint and the Grand Prix on Sunday as he posted a 1’32.092s, lapping around 1.3s slower than teammate Pecco Bagnaia who claimed pole position. In Saturday’s Sprint, Petrucci finished in 16^th place in the 13-lap race while he scored points in Sunday’s Grand Prix. In a race of attrition, Petrucci finished in 11^th place to take home five points on his return to MotoGP™ action.

Speaking after the race on Sunday, Petrucci said: “I’m really proud. It was like a big gift that I received from Ducati. Proud to be here with the factory Ducati, maybe the best bike I have ever ridden in my life! I’m just sad it’s already Sunday and we’ve already had the Sprint and the race. I would like to ride this bike many more times. The race was quite difficult because the track was not really grippy today, but I enjoyed it, I scored some points, I improved my pace lap by lap. I want to say thanks to the fans. I have been on the podium three times here, won once, and the French crowd has been so nice with me. Also, the MotoGP™ paddock is really nice with me. Many thanks to Ducati for this big opportunity, I will remember it for the rest of my life.”

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The second and final day of testing at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the majority of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship concluded with reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) taking top spot and leading a Ducati 1-2 on a rain-affected day in Italy. A shower an hour before the scheduled one-hour break, and more rain in the afternoon, limited running across the day but teams and riders were still able to take advantage of periods of dry conditions while most did use the test to get some wet-weather running in.

BAUTISTA LEADS RINALDI: just over a tenth in it…

Top spot on Day 2 belonged to Bautista once again as he set a 1’33.627s and completed 72 laps to take top spot, lapping around six tenths slower than his best time from Day 1 as he focused on the setup of his Panigale V4 R. Bautista led a Ducati 1-2 as teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi finished in second. Rinaldi was 0.138s slower than Bautista as he looked to find a setup ahead of the Emilia-Romagna Round at the start of June.

Two Independent Ducati riders finished inside the top ten with Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) in eighth and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in ninth. Oettl’s best time, as he went in search of rear grip, was a 1’34.829s after completing 52 laps, while Bassani set a 1’34.972s for tenth place. Bassani added 31 laps to his total on the rain-disrupted day as he worked on tyre consumption during the test after struggling in Barcelona. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was the only WorldSSP rider on track and he only took to the track in wet conditions in the morning, setting a 1’52.942s and only completing seven laps.

THREE YAMAHAS IN THE TOP FIVE: Razgatlioglu third, Baldassarri impresses again

The Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK squad had five bikes to ride between Toprak Razgatlioglu and Andrea Locatelli during the test, with 2021 Champion Razgatlioglu using the extra bike on Day 2. He finished third after setting a 1’34.181s on Day 2 and completing 43 laps across his three bikes. Teammate Locatelli was fourth and three tenths behind Razgatlioglu at the end of the test, with Locatelli completing 51 laps with his two bikes.

Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) enjoyed a strong test on home soil at Misano and took sixth place on Day 2, half-a-second down on Razgatlioglu and just over a second off Bautista’s time. Baldassarri, on Day 1, had similar problems to those he had in Barcelona but was able to make a step forward and he continued that work on Day 2 while also looking at the geometry of his Yamaha YZF R1 machine. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished the test in 12^th place with 57 laps to his name, while teammate Dominique Aegerter was 15^th after completing 51 laps on Day 2.

BMW STRONG AT MISANO: Redding leads the way for the German manufacturer

After a strong performance on Day 1, eyes were on BMW to see if they could repeat that on Day 2 and they did so with three riders in the top ten. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took sixth spot with a best time of 1’34.796s and 53 laps to his name while teammate Tom Sykes, testing new components that Redding had yesterday, was inside the top ten once again and only two tenths behind Redding.

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was able to squeeze between the two factory BMW riders as he took seventh place in the standings with 30 laps to his name on Day 2, setting a best time of 1’34.832s. Teammate Loris Baz, still being affected by the injury sustained at Mandalika, was 14^th on his M1000RR machine. Baz did not test new parts during the test as he focused on getting back up to speed following his injury and he completed 54 laps. Baz did have a crash with around an hour to go but he was okay after the incident.

SWINGARMS AT HONDA: Vierge tries more…

On Day 1 at Misano, Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) tried one of the two new swingarms while Iker Lecuona was able to test both. Day 2 meant Vierge was able to try the second one on his CBR1000RR-R machine although conditions were not optimal for testing. He took 11^th place at the end of Day 2 with a best time of 1’35.098s as he completed 34 laps. Teammate Lecuona was two places further back and exactly a tenth slower than Vierge, racking up 39 laps on Day 2.

Tarran Mackenzie was once again the sole PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team rider on track at Misano and he closed the gap to the leaders on Day 2, posting a best time of 1’37.101s to lap 3.474s slower than Bautista on a day truncated by rain showers. The Scot added 35 laps to his WorldSBK experience tally on Day 2.

KRT GET 60 LAPS ON DAY 2: one of the busiest riders

With Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK’s Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes not travelling to Misano and KRT operating a slimmed-down approach, riding duties were left to test rider Florian Marino and the team only tested on Day 2. Marino racked up 73 laps on the ZX-10RR machine with a best time of 1’35.688s. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the only other Kawasaki on track at the test, with Mahias completing 30 laps with a best time of 1’36.000s.

The top six from Day 2 at Misano, full results here:

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’33.627s, 72 laps

2. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 63 laps

3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), 43 laps

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), 51 laps

5. Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) 1’34.681s, 44 laps

6. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), 1’34.796s, 53 laps

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship travelled east from Spain to Italy for a two-day test at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” with a chance to test several upgrades as teams and riders looked to make forward progress. One team to bring upgrades was Team HRC who brought two swingarms for riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge to test across the test, although rain on Day 2 limited their running. Vierge was speaking positively on Day 1 but teammate Lecuona was downbeat following the end of testing on Day 2.

Lecuona’s best time on Day 2 was a 1’35.198s, with times generally slower on Day 2 compared to Day 1, after completing 39 laps across the second day. Lecuona did not do any long stints during the day, with rain in the morning and afternoon impacting everyone’s testing programmes. Lecuona was exactly a tenth slower than Vierge at the end of Day 2, while Lecuona completed more laps than Vierge with the latter adding 34 to Honda’s tally on the second day.

Reflecting on the second day, Lecuona said: “It was quite difficult, honestly. In general, we struggled. We tried different items on the bike but with one it feels better, with another it’s so-so. Overall, honestly, I cannot be happy. The weather doesn’t help us to approve but even in wet conditions this morning, we had the chance to rider and I felt the same problem as always: that the rear wants to overtake me and I don’t have any confidence to release the brakes and to go in fast. I felt slow in the wet and usually I go fast. Still struggling in the wet, still struggling a little bit in the dry. We need to check the data. I’m not happy.”

One of the big upgrades was seen on the Team HRC CBR1000RR-R machines with two swingarms to try throughout the test. On Day 1, Lecuona was able to test both swingarms with only rain in the afternoon impacting running but he stuck to his base bike on Day 2 due to the weather conditions, with rain in the morning and afternoon interrupting running. However, Lecuona spoke about the new swingarms at the end of Day 2.

Giving his first thoughts on the swingarms, Lecuona said: “We’re looking to improve the lap time! We don’t know if it’s better for the corners or for stopping or whatever. We tried some different items, some different ways, to improve the lap time and the feeling with the bike, to see if we had more margin to improve. The situation right now is that, yesterday, I tried two different swingarms. Today, with the weather, I didn’t try anything; just my standard bike. Yesterday, I didn’t like one and I liked the other but, the one I like is just in a few areas. For example, it helped me in stopping but in a different area we lost a little bit. We need to check the data and understand if it’s better or not. I’m not happy. It’s true it’s a test to try these items but I expected more.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is four rounds into the season but testing remains of the essence, as the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” welcomed riders and teams on track for two days. Tom Sykes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) stole the headlines the day before the test as he was confirmed as Michael van der Mark’s replacement until the Dutchman is back from injury, after splitting with the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team.

ONE LAP PACE: Sykes’ best strength still strong, faster than Redding on Day 1

Day one of action at Misano saw Sykes finish as the top factory BMW in P7, whilst full-time teammate Scott Redding was only P11. Whilst it was impressive from Sykes to get a lap in faster than his teammate – given the updates and changes that have been undergone in the team since Sykes left, such as a new brake supplier and new aero package – the race pace is slightly different.

RACE PACE: Sykes competitive, Redding faster

Perhaps as expected, Sykes wasn’t able to match his teammate. On day one, Sykes set 22 1’35s and four 1’34s, with a fastest lap coming as his final flying lap with a 1’34.416. He set a five lap run, all in the 1’35s and high 1’35s at that, whilst a six lap run followed straight after a trip in the pitlane and he was faster, with mid 1’35s. His final four flying laps were all inside the 1’34s, so it was a strong day for the returning #66.

Teammate Scott Redding was quicker in overall race pace, with ten 1’34s and 26 1’35s. In terms of his runs, Redding set a six-lap run with two laps in the 1’35s before getting down to the 1’34s, whilst a final run of the day saw the #45 set three mid 1’34s, where his fastest time came as a 1’34.637s, just over two tenths slower than Sykes over one lap. Sykes set fewer laps than Redding, with 61 (of which 40 were officially timed laps, vs Redding’s 83, of which 57 were timed. On the second day, the story was much the same, although Redding lapped faster than Sykes, albeit not quicker than day one’s time for either of them.

SHAUN MUIR’S THOUGHTS: “The old Tom is there… he has got good pace”

Speaking about Sykes returning, team principal Shaun Muir was happy to have him back: “For us, good to have Tom back and have him as a reference point. We can’t make any commitment long-term to Tom. It’s a big chance for him to prove what level he’s still at and I could see from only one hour on track, the old Tom is there. We know he’s quick, we know he has pace. That ticks one box.”

Evaluating the opening day, Muir’s praise continued: “Tom started with a base bike and we made some very minor changes to the bike, mainly ergonomically. We got him feeling really comfortable and I’m really pleased for him. Everyone can question his level and his ability and his commitment, but what we saw on day one was that he has got good pace. He jumped on the bike and immediately, he was really good to get the feedback in the improvements the bike and the team have made over the last season whilst he’s not been with us. That was really strong. It is important to get technical feedback and we know Tom is a good feedback rider and test rider. His development skills we’ve had so far have contributed to the development of the M1000 RR.”

SYKES WITH HIGH HOPES: “I hope to have some good results… I’ve been given a great opportunity”

“I know the team and bike from previous years and everything has been relaxed and like clockwork on day one,” began Sykes after the opening day.”Lap by lap, I was getting the old feeling back with the package, but it’s clear that they’ve made steps forward from the last time I rode it. Ultimately, here at Misano, a circuit I enjoy, so it was a good, productive day. Compliments to all the guys and BMW, they’ve made a big step forward in a lot of areas and that was very easy for me to see. There’s been small changes to my position on the bike compared to Michael and some little tweaks to setup and that was literally it. In the latter stages of the day, we got a good feeling with the race tyre and that brings a smile to my face.”

Talking about what he wants to get out of his time back in the BMW saddle, Sykes was coy, but hopes that he can enjoy it: “Little personal goals but it all depends how many rounds I do. We all know Mikey, I couldn’t believe it when I saw him in the gym just after having his femur fixed. I wish him a speedy recovery as it wasn’t pretty at Assen. I’ll just take it round by round and see where that leads to. Ultimately, looking at the short term like Misano, Donington Park and Imola, which are all circuit that I enjoy, so hopefully we can work in the way we’ve done at the test, as it’s been really productive. If we can work like that in the next rounds, I really hope to have some good results. I’ve been given a great opportunity, I want to try and enjoy it and see where we go after that.”

AT THE END OF THE… TEST: positivity is word of the day

Speaking at the end of the whole test and after finishing day two in P11 and not improving his time, Sykes said: “Ultimately, I am very happy with the test and I’m getting a bit more of an understanding of where the guys have made some lovely steps since last riding the bike. Today, we went through some items so it took a bit of sting out of the tail as we spent some time evaluating that and then in between the rain and sunshine, the guys did a great job. Myself and Scott have been working on the items and it has gathered some very good information on how to improve some limitations. The guys have got time to react and from that, hopefully it’s moving forward all of the time. For me, it’s good to get an understanding for the next event. The goal is to be competitive and enjoy my racing, so we shall see. We’ve had some good results here in the past with the BMW both in Superpole and in the races, so it’d be lovely to repeat the podium success. I think that’d be a fantastic target. There’s a lot of competition but I think if we keep working, we can find more speed than what we showed during the test.”

TEAMMATES WITH REDDING: how did it go?

In 2022, it was Scott Redding who replaced Sykes at BMW but in that proverbial ‘funny old world’, they’re now teammates. Sykes spoke about working in the box with him: “I’ve not really seen him much. We had a conversation on Instagram a couple of months ago but regarding in the box, I thought I might get a pot of tea and get to know him. But as soon as he’s finished riding, he’s on his push bike and gone, so I don’t really see him! Honestly, I think it’s good that we have very similar comments on the items, and that’s always good for the forward momentum.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com