Germany’s Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) claimed a stunning and hard-fought pole position during the Prometeon Italian Round after usurping weekend pacesetter Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) in the 20-minute Tissot Superpole session. Three different manufacturers will line up on the front row at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Di Imola as Superpole set up an unpredictable two FIM Supersport300 World Championship races in Italy.

A BATTLE FOR POLE: Vannucci denied by Geiger

Vannucci was the fastest rider after the first runs as he set a 2’07.287s before improving by four tenths on his second lap to tighten his grip on pole position, although Germany’s Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) did close the gap to 0.064s after their second flying laps. However, the KTM rider went 0.369s faster with a 2’06.455s with that time good enough to secure his second WorldSSP300 pole position and KTM’s first since Most in 2021. Vannucci will line up alongside Geiger and will hope his strong pace throughout the weekend will translate into home success, while Championship contender Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) took his first front row start with third. Three manufacturers will line up on the front row with KTM leading Yamaha and Kawasaki.

HOW CLOSE DO YOU WANT IT? literally nothing to separate third and fourth…

Rookie Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) took fourth as he looks to return to the WorldSSP300 rostrum, lapping 0.421s down on Geiger. His best time was the same as Svoboda, a 2’06.876s, but the Czech rider secured a front row start due to his second fastest lap being quicker. Garcia’s teammate, Kevin Sabatucci, will join him on the second row as he lapped a tenth slower than the Spaniard, while Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) made it three Italians in the top six as he completed the second row.

LESS THAN A SECOND BETWEEN THE TOP 11: a condensed field in WorldSSP300

Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) took seventh place after setting a 2’07.078s, finishing two tenths clear of Championship leader Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) in eighth. Gennai surged up the order in the final stages to take a third-row start, five places below his title rival, as he looks to extend his standings lead on home soil. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) will complete the third row as he took ninth after the Frenchman posted a 2’07.299s, less than a tenth quicker than Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) as the Dutchman completed the top ten.

HOUSEKEEPING FROM SUPERPOLE: penalties and drama

Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) took 12^th despite missing the final five minutes of Superpole. The Spaniard was penalised for taking the chequered flag three times in FP1 and was forced to sit out the final stages of the 20-minute session. The same penalty was given to Enzo Valentim (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) after he took the chequered flag twice in FP1 with the Brazilian qualifying 21^st.

Home hero Gabriele Mastroluca (Arco Motor University Team) will start from 31st and last after he missed the majority of the session. He had a technical issue on his Yamaha YZF-R3 in the early stages of the session but was able to re-join the session to post a 2’09.465s.

The top six from WorldSSP300 Superpole, full results here:

1. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) 2’06.455

2. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) +0.369s

3. Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.421s

4. Julio Garcia (Team Flemmbo – PI Performance) +0.421s

5. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flemmbo – PI Performance) +0.522s

6. Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) +0.666s

Racing action at Imola begins at 12:40 Local Time (GMT+2) with WorldSSP300 Race 1 – watch it all with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is another session closer to a sight we’ve been waiting for; racing at Imola! The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari’s FP3 for the Prometeon Italian Round was electric, and there were reasons for the Ducatisti to be celebrating with a Ducati 1-2 going into Tissot Superpole and the races, as home-hero Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped Saturday morning’s track action.

Times were straight down to business as Bautista launched in a new fastest time of the weekend, setting a 1’47.022 to elevate himself from yesterday’s difficulties. Bautista improved further but it was teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi who really made inroads with ten minutes to go, getting down to a 1’46.389. Bautista improved later on to consolidate second, with Ducati reigning supreme at Imola on Saturday morning. There was a big step by British rider Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who set two fast laps with ten minutes to go, flying into as high as second position before settling for third with the SCQ tyre. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) continued as top Yamaha in fourth, whilst good form continued for Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), who rounded out the top five. One of the fastest through the first sector, the American’s last lap was set to put him up in the top three before a final chicane misdemeanour.

Second in the Championship but sixth in FP3 and improving his time from Friday morning, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) will hope he can get back into the top three for Superpole. There was a big improvement coming from Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in P7, improving his time by 1.5s compared to FP2 yesterday. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) was P8 ahead of Kawasaki duo Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Alex Lowes, who completed the top ten but without improving his time. He just pipped a fast-improving Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) by 0.005s. There was an improvement for Honda too, with Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) up to P12.

Top six after WorldSBK FP3 at Imola, full results here:

1. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’46.389s

2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.116s

3. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.312s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.498s

5. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.614s

6. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.704s

A breath-taking season is well underway, watch it all unfold with 50% off the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

On a steaming hot Friday at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola, Italy’s Emiliano Ercolani was the fastest rider in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship, topping the timesheets by over half a second in front of his home crowd and taking his first ever pole.

The Imola circuit was brand new for almost the entire field of youngsters, providing a level playing field for the first outing of the weekend. FP1 was dominated by Donington Park Race 2 winner Aldi Satya Mahendra, who finished 0.787 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. Although Marc Vich, Krittapat Keankum and Kevin Fontainha all looked close to challenging the quick Indonesian at times. Poland’s Dawid Nowak also had a strong showing on a track, finishing fourth, as he enjoys Imola’s layout more and more with each lap.

Jayden Martin and Evann Plaindoux had an unlucky first session when they collided, with the former needing a trip to the medical centre. Both riders were cleared for qualifying.

Superpole was held under hot and humid conditions and the R3 riders were eager to get as many laps in as possible. Despite a very strong performance from Eduardo Burr, who came close to snatching pole position, no-one had an answer for Italy’s Ercolani. The 18-year-old finished 0.569 seconds ahead of his rivals with a 2’12.034. Completing the front row for Saturday’s two races was Mahendra, just a tenth of a second behind Burr. Thurakij Buapa had a small crash towards the end of the session but the Thai rider still claimed fourth.

Italian wildcard rider Salvatore Germano put in a solid run to take 15^th on the grid.

Full Superpole results can be found here

Emiliano Ercolani said: “I think Imola is a great circuit, but I think tomorrow could be hard with the hot weather and with a lot of big battles – especially in the last chicane on the last lap. I’m very happy with this qualifying because it’s my first pole position, and even better that we’re in Italy. Tomorrow I’ll try to stay calm in the races, like always, but it will be necessary to push in the last few laps.”

Source: WorldSBK.com

Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) was the star of the show in the FIM Supersport World Championship on Friday as he topped the timesheets by almost three-quarters of a second during the Prometeon Italian Round. The home hero was the only rider to lap in the 1’51s bracket during Friday’s action to secure top spot at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola. It was a difficult day for compatriot Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it WorldSSP Team) as an FP2 crash disrupted his running and left him fifth in the combined standings, with title rival Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) three places ahead.

ITALY ON TOP: Caricasulo ahead of Manzi… but Huertas impresses on Friday

Caricasulo put in a series of incredibly fast laps towards the end of the 45-minute session to cement his place in P1. His final three timed laps would all have been good enough to take top spot in the combined classification with his fastest, a 1’51.257s, securing his position ahead of compatriot Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in second place. Caricasulo was the only rider to lap in the 1’51s with Manzi almost three-quarters of a second back from his rival. His best time was a 1’52.002s to finish only 0.008s ahead of Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) in third. The Spaniard was the only rider in the top 25 to not improve their lap time in FP2 with his FP1 time, a 1’52.010s, scoring P3 in the combined classification after being fastest in the morning.

BOUNCING BACK: rapid pace despite crashes

Turkish star Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) bounced back from an FP1 crash at Turn 22 to take fourth place overall, and third in FP2. He posted a 1’52.017s, missing out on a place in the top three by the smallest of margins as he used his Imola experience from his time in the CIV Supersport 300 championship to full effect. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) took fifth but had a dramatic FP2. A crash at Turn 7 right after he set his fastest lap of FP2 at the time meant he lost some running, but the Championship leader was able to respond and went even faster with a 1’52.044s in the closing stages to take P5. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) completed the top six after setting a 1’52.332s; the Yamaha rider more than a second down on Caricasulo’s time.

A MIXED BAG: wildcard impresses, crashes for a potential podium contender…

A trio of Italian riders followed Debise in the standings. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) took seventh spot, only 0.007s slower than Debise ahead, while wildcard Luca Ottaviani (Extreme Racing Service) impressed. Making his first appearance in 2023, the Urbino-born rider secured a top-eight finish after lapping Imola in 1’52.505s to finish ahead of Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) in ninth. Montella’s FP2 was marred by two crashes, both at Turn 22. The first was in the early stages of the session which brought out the red flags; there was a separate crash for Anupab Sarmoon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) at Turn 21 shortly after. The second was towards the end of the session. Finnish rider Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) was the tenth-fastest rider on Friday and finished as the lead Triumph competitor.

HOPING TO MAKE GAINS: sitting just outside the top ten on Friday…

German’s Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) narrowly missed out on a spot in the top ten as he lapped in 1’52.651s, while he had an advantage of around two tenths to Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in 12^th. Emanuele Pusceddu (J.Angel by Edafos) was 13^th as the second wildcard on the grid also had a strong day. Filippo Fuligni (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team), called up to replace the unfit Andrea Mantovani, took 14^th while reigning WorldSSP300 Champion Alvaro Diaz (Arco Yart Yamaha WorldSSP) was 15^th.

DISRUPTED RUNNING: two red flags interrupt FP2

There were two red flags in FP2 which interrupted the running. The first was for the Montella and Sarmoon crashes at the final chicane while the second was after a spill for Yuta Okaya (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) at the same corner. Sarmoon finished in 27^th place while Okaya was 25^th. Andy Verdoia (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) was 17^th as he received a late call-up to race for the team. Anupab Wongthananon was declared unfit with the youngest-ever WorldSSP race winner drafted in after FP1 to race for the team as he did at Donington.

Meanwhile, it was a challenging day for Australia’s Tom Edwards (Yart-Yamaha WorldSSP Team). He had two crashes – at Turn 4 in FP1 and Turn 7 in FP2 – which interrupted his running, and he finished in 29^th. Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) was 16^th after he took a tumble at Turn 2 in FP2.

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

1. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) 1’51.257s

2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.745s

3. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) +0.753s

4. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.760s

5. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.787s

6. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +1.075s

WorldSSP dives straight into Superpole on Saturday at 10:25 Local Time (GMT+2), watch it all using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) had a superb start to the Prometeon Italian Round in front of his home fans as he took fourth place in the combined classification for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. For his second home round of the season, the top Independent rider so far in 2023 was quick from the off at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola as he goes in search of more podiums and, potentially, a maiden victory.

The Feltre-born rider was consistently quick throughout Friday and his rapid pace was on display straight out of the blocks. He was fifth in Free Practice 1 after posting a 1’47.942s although was fastest for a while throughout the early part of the session. His best time was just 0.281s slower than Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) with the 2021 World Champion leading the way in the first 45-minute session.

Bassani found around half-a-second in Free Practice 2 as he improved both his time and position, taking fourth in the standings. His best time in the afternoon was a 1’47.548s but, like in FP1, he spent time at the top of the times before late laps from his rivals bumped him into P4. Despite losing ground as the session concluded, the Italian was able to secure fourth in the combined classification. Although three red flags meant long runs were at a premium in FP2, the Ducati rider did reveal the pace he had. In a four-lap stint, he posted a 1’47.523s, 1’47.406s, 1’47.548s and a 1’47.681s before returning to the box. While the first two laps were deleted due to track limits infringements at Turn 22, it highlighted – over a short stint, at least – the pace and consistency Bassani had during Friday’s running.

Reacting to his strong pace, Bassani said: “It was a good day. We started with a good feeling from FP1 and in FP2, I felt good with the bike from the first laps. I think I have good race pace; really consistent. Tomorrow, we will try the SCQ tyre, and we will see if we are fast or slow in Superpole and if we can start from the first or second row to have a good race. Usually, in Superpole, I’m not fast but here we have a different SCQ, like at Misano: there, I was also fast in Superpole. I’m confident.”

Bassani is still chasing his first win in WorldSBK after recording podium finishes in each of his three campaigns in the World Championship. His last podium, and only one of 2023 to date, came on home soil at Misano, and the 23-year-old will be hoping Imola is the scene of his latest rostrum visit as he battles for third in the standings. Could the iconic Italian circuit be the venue where he stands on the top step of the WorldSBK podium for the first time?

Discussing this, Bassani said: “I think it’s possible. At Donington, we were fast, but we had a really s**t Superpole. It wasn’t easy to recover positions. I want to have a good Superpole to try and be able to have a good race.”

Will Bassani celebrate victory at Imola? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

American star Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) finished as the top BMW rider on Friday during the Prometeon Italian Round, but it wasn’t a straightforward Friday for the six-time podium finisher in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. A crash in FP2 with teammate Loris Baz disrupted his afternoon session before he put in a late lap to surge up the order as WorldSBK returned to the famous Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola for the first time since 2019.

On his first visit to Imola, Gerloff was ninth in Free Practice 1 as he posted a 1’48.694s to finish as the lead BMW rider, directly ahead of Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Baz, while replacement rider Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was 13^th with all four full-time BMWs close to each other in terms of pace and position. Only half-a-second separated the quartet in the first 45-minute session.

Texas-born Gerloff used Pirelli’s SCQ tyre in FP2 to surge up the order and claim third place in both the session and combined classification. He posted a 1’47.454s to secure his place in the top three in a session which was disrupted by three red flags, as well as Gerloff colliding with Baz In the early part of the 45-minute session, Gerloff had a moment going into Rivazza 1 when he was slightly off-line under braking, leaving him hurtling into the corner faster than he should have been. He collected teammate Baz with the pair tumbling into the gravel. Both were able to re-join the session after their M1000RR machines had been repaired, with Baz finishing in 12^th.

Explaining the crash and reviewing Friday, Gerloff said: “I’m sorry to Loris and the whole team. I’m definitely embarrassed to have that happen but I’m happy everybody was okay for the mot part. Loris’ wrist is hurting a little bit. It was just an unfortunate thing. I hate being in this position but it’s not my first time. I’m happy to be in the top three for the day. I did use a SCQ tyre at the end which obviously helps quite a bit. I feel like we’re still missing a little bit as far as race pace goes with the race tyres. We have some work to do but I’m happy to have a good team around me and they’re going to work as hard as they can to get the bike better for tomorrow.”

There were three red flags in FP2 which meant teams and riders couldn’t evaluate long runs as much as they would have liked. The first was after Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) crashed at Turn 22, before six-time World Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) went down at the same corner later to bring out the second one. The final red flag was after a crash for Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), also at the final corner.

Discussing how this impacted his plan, and what’s left for him to work on during FP3, Gerloff said: “My programme was affected by some other things. The red flags are an interesting thing that we all have to think about. It’s something to think about in Superpole and also for the races, to have backup tyres. Hopefully no one goes down and there’s no red flags at all. It’s something the team and I are thinking about.”

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

Source: WorldSBK.com

From lying in the gravel on Sunday at Donington Park and being stretchered into an ambulance, to returning home, hitting the track and snatching top spot. It’s been an eventful fortnight for Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), not that you’d have guessed it from an electric FP2 pace at Imola. The Prometeon Italian Round welcomes the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship back to the iconic Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola, with the circuit nestled in a park setting, surrounded by greenery, apartment balconies and the true Italian passion for motorsport in this part of the country.

The aforementioned Italian passion will be upscaled for Saturday, not just by the fact that home-hero Rinaldi is on top going into the first of two race days, but by the fact that Ducati look like they’re in contention for their first victory at the historic venue since 2017. However, whilst smart money would’ve had a fully fit and Championship-leading Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as the favourite, he struggled to eighth, whilst Rinaldi rocketed to P1. Three red flags interrupted the second session of the day but the 27-year-old was right on the pace at the end with a time attack on used tyres seeing him go a tenth and a half clear out front and more than half a second ahead of his teammate.

“I FELT STRANGE WITH THE BIKE… THE FEELING IS GETTING BETTER” – a day of two halves for #21

Talking about his return to action following an injury that originally left him as a question mark for the event, Rinaldi spoke of something of an alien feeling first thing in the morning on Panigale V4 R: “This morning, I felt strange with the bike. After the crash at Donington Park, I spent almost one week in bed. I trained a bit but only in the pool, to try and not lose too much energy. But this morning, on the bike, the effort I had to make was pretty demanding. I was able to ride pretty quick, even if the feeling wasn’t good.

“We worked to improve the bike for this afternoon and actually, it worked. I was able to lap quickly but every time there was a red flag, so it looked like I was just eighth, eighth and eighth! However, my potential was much more and at the end, we kept pushing with the used tyre; I didn’t put a new tyre. I was quite impressed with the time I was able to do. I had ten laps on the tyre and I did the best lap at the end. The feeling is getting better and better and I am quite happy about my riding on the bike.”

Talking about how he physically feels after the first day, Rinaldi didn’t shy away from being tired and kept his hopes for Saturday coy: “I feel quite tired as I didn’t train in a proper way because of the crash at Donington, but FP2 was much better. So, I think that tomorrow I’ll have to take pills for the pain in my ankle because today, I took nothing, just to understand where I was with the pain. At the moment, I feel pretty bad with the ankle and it’s a foot I use a lot because I use the rear brake. I need to be without pain. I can do it for many laps without the pain but after one day, I don’t feel that good. I don’t want to make plans, I just want to try and find the happiness with my bike again.”

“THE FEELING ISN’T AS GOOD… NO SUPER-BIG PROBLEM WITH THE RPM” – Bautista on Day 1

On the other side of the box, Alvaro Bautista’s return to Imola – the only circuit that the Spaniard has yet to win at in WorldSBK – wasn’t quite as he’d have ideally wanted. The reigning World Champion finished eighth overall on the combined times and didn’t improve his lap time from morning to afternoon. Nevertheless, Bautista explained his Friday and isn’t worried for the upcoming races.

“Today was just about rediscovering the circuit, as I have only raced once here in 2019,” began the Championship leader, who was just 0.002s ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) after the end of track action on Friday. We need to find the reference and get a base. In the morning, we used the harder compound on the front and there wasn’t a big problem but the grip wasn’t fantastic. Also, it moved a lot, maybe because of the track or because we’re not in our best setup.

“In the afternoon, I used the SC1 front and I felt much better. We made some changes on the bike to improve the feeling, but the track was difficult for the heat. The feeling isn’t as good as other tracks; we need to make more changes for tomorrow. Especially as it felt like the bike is too low on the rear and I don’t have direction. It moves a lot and it seems like the suspension doesn’t work very well. Anyway, I am happy with the pace because at the end, it’s very important at this track. Maybe we aren’t as strong but with the pace, we are good. Let’s see if we can improve the feeling when riding the bike tomorrow.”

Asked whether he felt any difference with 250rpm less than at the previous round, Bautista commented: “In the end, it’s 500rpm less from the beginning of the season, so it feels like I have to shift a bit before. The limiter arrives a bit sooner but I don’t think it has been our main problem today. We can improve the setup of the bike a lot, so let’s try tomorrow to see if we can improve my feeling, so no super-big problem with the rpm.”

A breath-taking season is well underway, watch it all unfold with 50% off the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Day one of the Prometeon Italian Round is done for the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field at Imola as our return to the iconic Italian venue is well underway. There were three brief red flags but with all riders OK; firstly for an incident at the final corner for Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing), secondly for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at the same place, whilst Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) replicated the same incident as the #65. The session gave an important insight into the potential race pace. Going into tomorrow as the rider to beat is Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who went top with his final flying lap. Day one saw none of the top four in the World Championship standings inside the top four.

HOME-HEROES ON TOP: Rinaldi and Ducati lead the way

There were plenty of reasons for smiles – both at the track and at the factory in Bologna – for Ducati; four ‘Bologna Bullets’ inside the top six in FP1 and a dominant display in FP2, with the best factory rider being Michael Ruben Rinaldi. Coming back from injury, Rinaldi rocketed to the top on his final flying lap right at the end of the session, as he seeks to silence critics at his second home round of the year. Alvaro Bautista was also fast right throughout the opening day of action, although in the end, he didn’t improve on his FP1 time. A solid first day from the #1, but it left the reigning World Champion and current Championship leader eighth on the combined times, with a little bit more work to do.

NEW ORDER, TEAMMATES COLLIDE: Lowes P2, Gerloff P3 despite crash with Baz, Rea falls

At the factory Kawasaki outfit, there was drama for Jonathan Rea with his crash at the final corner, but he got back out for a good 15 laps in total. However, it was his teammate who stole the show on what has been a weekend where ‘Lowes’ was the name on everyone’s lips. This time, it was the Lowes of the Alex variety, as he launched in a fantastic time just before the third red flag to go top. However, a late charge elsewhere saw Lowes relegated to second position whilst Rea was seventh overall, but nonetheless it was a solid start in the high heat on Friday for the ZX-10RR riders.

There was early drama for Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and teammate Loris Baz. Going down to Rivazza on their out-lap, Gerloff lost control of his M 1000 RR and couldn’t avoid the back of his teammate at the apex, leaving both tumbling through the gravel. Thankfully, both were relatively OK and soon got back out, with Baz going straight into the top ten on his first flying lap, whilst Gerloff went P12 on his return to the track. However, it was the American’s last lap time attack which really caused a stir, as he went third and like in FP1, was top BMW. Baz finished in 12^th.

BASS DROPPED: Bassani in mighty form on Imola WorldSBK debut, Petrucci a contender?

One of the major headlines on day one, Bassani’s sensational afternoon pace, with the charismatic Italian at what is his true home-round. Setting consistently fast lap times in FP2 and was the rider to beat for most of the session. It’s an impressive step by the rider from Feltre, who admits that he himself hasn’t normally been strong on a Friday. Finishing in fourth but with a strong race pace, if this is the form he can demonstrate on Friday, can Bassani be a contender for a long-awaited first win in WorldSBK? Also looking for a first win in WorldSBK after a maiden rostrum last time out, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) took ninth overall but was a feature at times at the pointy end of the timing screens. Can he make it a perfect homecoming for himself and Marco Barnabo’s team?

STEPS NEEDED: Yamaha missing a bit, Locatelli ahead of Toprak

Andrea Locatelli was seventh in the morning and found a step in the second half of FP2, as he gets used to Imola for the first time in WorldSBK. He ended up as top Yamaha and was less than half a second from Rinaldi’s top time, whilst it was a strong opening day for teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu, who topped FP1 by just 0.003s. He was back on the pace in the afternoon session too, consistently up inside the top six but unable to improve his time from FP1. The 2021 World Champion will hope he can re-assert himself as top Yamaha come Saturday and Sunday race days.

REDDING COMPLETES TOP TEN, HONDA STRUGGLE AGAIN: big names further down

On his Imola debut, Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was tenth and improved his time by nearly a second compared to FP1, even if overall lap times are slightly behind where they were, meaning the pace is still to drop further. He was one place ahead of fellow countryman Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), who was having a fine Imola debut and as high as fourth in the afternoon. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) took P13, one place higher than Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), but was just over a second and a half away from Rinaldi at the top.

Stealing headlines further down were Honda, as once again, they struggled to make any ground. Whilst lap times improved compared to the morning, their position left them down in 15^th and 17^th on the combined times, as Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) led the way. Teammate Iker Lecuona was 1.7s off the top time, with Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) splitting the pair on his return as a replacement rider. The ‘Pocket Rocket’ – or perhaps for this weekend, ‘Pocket ROKiT’ – had a small technical issue but was OK in himself. Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha), Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) completed the top 20.

On his return to WorldSBK, Roberto Tamburini (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) was 21^st, ahead of Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and his own teammate, Eric Granado, who suffered an off-track excursion at Turn 2. Tito Rabat and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) completed the order, with day one of WorldSBK’s return to Imola in the history books.

Top six after day one in WorldSBK at Imola, full results here:

1. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’47.128s

2. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.151s

3. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.326s

4. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +0.420s

5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.464s

6. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.533s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Home hero Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) continued his strong start to the Prometeon Italian Round as he topped Free Practice 2 for the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship. Vannucci was 0.168s clear of his rivals at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola in the combined classification as most of the 31-strong field improved their lap times with more experience of Imola under their belt.

VANNUCCI THE RIDER TO BEAT? topping FP1 and FP2

Vannucci was the first rider to lap in the 2’06s bracket throughout Friday’s action as he stormed clear of his rivals but, towards the end of the 30-minute session, the gap closed with just 0.168s separating the #91 from his nearest competitor. German rider Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) moved into second place as he set a 2’06.967s; Geiger and Vannucci were the only two riders in the 2’06s. 2020 World Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) moved into third place, three tenths down on the pacesetter.

CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER FIGHTS BACK: Svoboda battles into the top four

Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) scraped into the top ten in FP1 but surged up the order to claim fourth after posting a 2’07.335s in FP2, around half-a-second down on the fastest time. Wildcard Bruno Ieraci (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) took fifth as he looks to repeat his Misano heroics while Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) rounded out the top six. Three tenths separated Buis and Gennai as the WorldSSP300 field condensed further to set up an unpredictable weekend.

NOT FINDING IMPROVEMENTS: the highest-placed rider to not improve compared to FP1

Another Italian rider took seventh place as Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) showed strong pace on home soil, although he did not improve his lap time in FP2. His best time of the day was a 2’07.503s which he set in FP1. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) secured eighth spot on home soil while Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) headed teammate Daniel Mogeda to round out the top ten. Less than one second separated the top ten in the combined classification.

A STRONG DAY FOR KOVE: Garcia puts the Chinese manufacturer in the top ten

Marc Garcia (China Racing Team) is returning to WorldSSP300 action for Kove on the 321RR machine and he showed strong pace throughout Friday. He was 11^th in the combined classification but secured ninth in FP2 and sixth in FP1. Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) claimed 12^th ahead of compatriot Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki), while Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) was 14^th. The rookie had briefly been fastest in FP2 but dropped down the order to finish 14^th in that session, and in the combined classification. Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) completed the top 15.

HOUSEKEEPING: dramatic day for some on Friday

Germany’s Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) was 25^th overall after a disrupted day. He crashed in FP1 at Turn 22 when he lost the front of his KTM machine. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) took 17^th after he crashed in FP2; he came off his machine at the same corner as Lehmann in FP2. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) crashed in FP2 at Turn 4, and he finished in 28^th place.

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

1. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) 2’06.799s

2. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) +0.168s

3. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) +0.315s

4. Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) +0.536s

5. Bruno Ieraci (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +0.585s

6. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) +0.673s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

As the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship continues to write its own headlines in a dramatic season of action, attention for some has turned to 2024 already, particularly after the latest news. Three-time Moto2™ World Champions Marc VDS Racing will expand their racing operations next year and become the latest team to join the 2024 WorldSBK grid. The rider of choice is their multiple-Grands Prix winner Sam Lowes, who will join identical twin brother Alex on the grid next year. Less than 24 hours after the news, Sam explained the reason behind the move, his excitement about a new chapter and, of course, racing against his brother.

“ONE OF US WILL BE LESS HAPPY EACH WEEKEND” – the double vision racing rivalry begins!

“Firstly, it’s fantastic to be coming to WorldSBK after quite a lot of years in Moto2™, I had one season in MotoGP™ too but it’s quite a long time in that paddock,” began a smiling Lowes, who first entered Moto2™ in 2014. “Ever since I left WorldSSP in 2013, it’s always been on my mind to come back to World Superbike and try and have a nice time there. To be able to do it with the same team, a fantastic team at that, and a great brand of motorcycle in Ducati, is something that quite a lot of riders at the moment would be happy and proud of. I’m looking forward to it a lot; I’ve always followed it, as the same amount of time I’ve been in Grand Prix, Alex has been in World Superbike, and I have followed every race weekend over the last ten years. I know we can do a nice job.

“On racing Alex, we are so close! I’ve already texted him ten times today and we speak all the time. To race together will be something very fun; of course, one of us will be less happy each weekend when one of us finishes in front of the other. It will be such a great feeling and privilege to race against him on the world stage. It’s something that a lot of people would have dreamed of this, including us when me and him were kids! To be in WorldSBK, against each other and at a good level! If you’re in front or behind each other, it’s going to be fun but it won’t make any difference to the end result – unless he’s in front of me on the last lap going into the last corner, then maybe! I’m only joking; we do a lot of stuff together, so we’ll be fine!”

“IT WAS A NO-BRAINER… MARC HAS A BIG PASSION” – the story of the switch

Speaking about the set-up of the team, founded and owned by Belgian beer businessman Marc van der Straten, Sam confirmed it would be just one bike: “It will definitely be just one rider; it’s quite a big thing to set up a new team in a new class. Especially when we finish at the end of this year in November and, if the schedule is the same like it normally is, it will be the end of February for our first race in WorldSBK. This is quite a small turnaround in that sense. I was looking at WorldSBK; I had a couple of options to go there in Independent teams and potentially also in a factory team, so I was talking to them and that’s when it got spoke about. The team looked a bit at that and just before Le Mans, they mentioned that they’d be interested in going and what would I think about that. It was a funny time as I had an offer to stay in Moto2™ but also an offer to go to WorldSBK. It came about, then evolved and things snowballed and it’s hard to hide those sort of things!

“Marc has a big passion for racing and Ducati were very good with him and pushed the project early on at Le Mans. In a WorldSBK weekend, you’re in the top class, which is something that Marc will look at too. I had to decide whether to go in a different direction in WorldSBK or with the team but for me, it was a no-brainer. The team do everything and whilst it’s not factory, I will have everything I need and it will be like a factory team in my opinion. It’s perfect for me to go with these people, I have a great relationship with some of them in the team and to go with Marc, it wasn’t much of a decision, it was just the right thing to do.”

“I STILL HAVE A LOT TO GIVE” – Lowes on the strange decision-making moment

Winning a race might not always be the best time for career decision, but the British rider was clear after WINNING at Jerez in Moto2™ earlier on in 2023: “I’ve been a long time in Moto2™ and I’ve felt that some weekends, I haven’t got the most out of myself due to the track time and the way the schedule is. After winning at Jerez and how I felt there, riding well and on my good days, still winning races. It’s so strange to say but on my in-lap, going to the podium and everything, I made a decision that I wanted to go to Superbike. That moment felt amazing but I still have a lot to give and I feel fast and competitive. To go to a new class, riding like that, it can be something nice.”

“I’LL DEFINITELY RIDE A DUCATI THIS YEAR” – preparation pivotal for this new chapter

Talking about when he’s going to get his first taste of Ducati power, Lowes confirmed it wouldn’t be until after his current season is done: “It’ll be the end of November or December, as that’s when we finish but I will have a training bike. Obviously, it will be less spec than the Superbike, but I can ride it at the end of the year. I don’t know about the testing schedule or all those things; I’ll definitely ride a Ducati this year but it will be well after I’ve finished with Moto2™. I’m looking forward to it and I can’t wait, but the first thing is to get some good results to add to my achievements in Moto2™ so that I can finish in a happy way.”

“I KNEW ONE DAY I’D TRY TO COME BACK” – a circularity to his career

Casting his mind back to his title success ten years ago, Lowes knew he’d be back in WorldSBK one day: “When I won the World Supersport Championship a long time ago in 2013, I knew that one day I’d try to come back and get some nice results in Superbike because as a British rider, we have a good following in BSB but we’ve had many great riders in WorldSBK over the years. I think as a British rider, we look at WorldSBK in a bit of a different way and it was always something that I had in my mind to do and I feel like now is a good time.”

“I WAS IN THAT PADDOCK AND IT’S LESS OF A JUMP” – coming back ‘home’

Speaking of the new format he’ll need to adapt to, he said: “It’ll be different and take some understanding but sometimes now, it frustrates me. I had a good weekend, good qualifying and then on Lap 1, someone took me down and it was race over, and you don’t have a chance to have another go. I’m looking forward to the aspect of having more races; of course, I know a lot of the tracks from WorldSSP in the past but there are some new ones that I’ll have to learn. For me, I feel that because it’s where I did my early years of racing, I was in that paddock and it’s less of a jump compared to the guys that have never been there. For them, it was a completely new paddock, with new people etc. The format will be different for me because it’s changed since I was there but the idea of travelling less and racing more is something I like. Last night, I was down at my local kart track in 33 degrees heat on my pitbike, on my own, riding round. My wife said ‘what are you doing, it’s too hot’ but I love riding bikes. I’ve got a lot of motivation so if we can make it four races a weekend, it’d be nice!”

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Source: WorldSBK.com