The Pirelli Dutch Round at the iconic TT Circuit Assen marks the resumption of the 2023 FIM Supersport World Championship season after a six-week break and it also marks Ten Kate Racing Yamaha’s home round. With this in mind, and with an eye on the future, the Dutch team have unveiled a special livery for the Dutch Round to mark the second phase of their Motonext project as they at sustainability in motorsport with three different initiatives announced ahead of racing at Assen.

Last year, in Catalunya, the team introduced a special fairing on their machines made out of bioflax and 2023 marks the introduction of the second generation of the bioflax “body” on their Yamaha YZF R6 machines. The second generation bioflax is stronger and lighter than its predecessor while the hardener is made up of a majority of natural products, with more than 50% of it made up of natural products. The bioflax has similar properties to carbon but with a more than 90% reduction of carbon dioxide during production.

While there has been another development with the fairing, there have also been innovations on the engine. Titled the Engine Oil Reco Unit as part of the Motonext project, this allows the oil to be used again once it has been cleaned rather than being disposed of to be destroyed. Ten Kate Racing explained in their press release: “The oil used during the WorldSBK race weekend in the Supersport bikes of Ten Kate Racing, for example, can be used again the next day at the Yamaha R3 Cup. A quick calculation shows that, when implemented in the WorldSBK championship alone, this results an oil reduction of thirty thousand litres.”

The third innovation comes from braking with the goal of reducing the particulates released when braking as well as carbon dioxide being released during the production of brake pads. Brake specialists SBS have been working on this and have designed copper- and nickel-free brake pads, as well as antinomy-free in the case of ceramic brakes. The newly-designed brake pads have performance benefits in terms of stopping power and a more stable braking function.

To celebrate these three sustainability innovations, Ten Kate Racing Yamaha’s two R6 machines will run a special livery at Assen for riders Stefano Manzi and Jorge Navarro. The traditional blue features still but part of the fairing will be coloured in brown with Motonext branding as the team looks to win again on home soil. They have four consecutive wins across the last two seasons, all courtesy of double WorldSSP Champion Dominique Aegerter who now races in WorldSBK.

Watch the 2023 Dutch Round and the whole 2023 season in style using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

FIM President Jorge Viegas reiterated the FIM’s mission statement for global motorcycle sport ahead of round three of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship – the Pirelli Dutch Round – at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands this weekend.

The ongoing objective is to continue to highlight the role of the FIM to a worldwide audience and underline the World governing body for motorcycle sport’s commitment to safety and fair play through the fully encompassing support network it provides.

Mr Viegas has always been vocal in his championing of the FIM’s important communication programme and he was speaking in front of an audience that included global media representatives along with Gregorio Lavilla, the Executive Director of Dorna WorldSBK Sporting and Organisation Department.

The goal to work with the WorldSBK Commission while following the rulebook of the FIM stewards’ panel was emphasised by Mr Viegas and he also spoke about the FIM’s responsibilities surrounding circuit homologation, athlete safety including all medical matters and anti-doping.

He referenced the FIM’s responsibility to train officials including the Race Director, Clerk of the Course, Marshals and the Technical and Environmental Stewards via a global programme of FIM seminars. 

Having set out the position of the FIM, the FIM President then invited each member of the FIM staff who were in attendance to present themselves and to explain their role within the WorldSBK structure. 

The invited speakers included:

Paul KING

Circuit Racing Commission Director

& FIM WorldSBK Appeal Steward (Assen)

Paul DUPARC

Circuit Racing Commission Sporting Manager

&FIM WorldSBK Appeal Steward 

Simone FOLGORI

FIM WorldSBK Chief Steward (Permanent)

Antonio LIMA

FIM WorldSBK Chief Steward (Permanent)

& FIM WorldSBK Safety Officer   

Christian SCHNEIDER

FIM WorldSBK Steward (FIM by rota from pools)

Arjan van EEKELEN

Clerck of the Course (Assen)

and FIM WorldSBK Steward (FIM by rota from pools)

Roland BERGER

FIM CTI Director

Ludovic REIGNIER

FIM WorldSBK Technical Director CTI

Monica LAZZAROTTI

FIM WorldSBK Medical Director    

Janika Judeika 

Women in Motorcycling commission Director

Isabelle LARIVIERE

FIM Communications Manager

Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director: “Our joint effort with the FIM aims to provide a relevant platform for all participants, including teams, riders, and manufacturers, to showcase their skills and compete at the highest level. We are grateful for the tireless efforts of the FIM in promoting and developing motorcycle racing, and we look forward to a successful 2023 season that will elevate the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship to new heights.”

Following the presentations from each member of the FIM staff, Mr Viegas ended by saying: “I started this programme in 2019 and post-pandemic it remains ongoing with the goal of explaining to the outside World the fundamental role the FIM plays. This would not be possible without the support of all our stakeholders – we are working hard together to promote the WorldSBK Championship and intend to use this framework to highlight other FIM disciplines.”

Source: WorldSBK.com

Indonesia’s young star and series rookie, Aldi Satya Mahendra, got his Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship season off to a flying start when he took pole position at the TT Circuit Assen ahead of the first race of the year. 

19 riders from across the globe were ready to take to the track on Friday morning for Free Practice at the windy but dry Dutch circuit. In this session it was Brazil’s Gustavo Manso who set the fastest time with a 1’54.726s. The 18-year-old was one of the stars of last year’s series, and he came out fighting by clocking a lap time which was almost a second faster than that of his rivals. Mahendra was second fastest in the morning, while Manso’s compatriot, Eduardo Burr was 3^rd. Italy’s Emiliano Ercolani and Brazil’s Kevin Fontainha completed the Top 5 in FP.

All the riders felt a lot more comfortable on the technical Assen track when qualifying rolled around, especially after the detailed analysis they received from rider coach, Lorenzo Alfonsi, after Free Practice. This familiarity and boost in confidence led to faster times from many riders and smaller gaps. 

Unfortunately, the Superpole session was interrupted by two red flags; the first when Thailand’s Thurakij Buapa went down on the first lap, and the second when Manso fell after completing just two laps. Buapa escaped uninjured, while Manso picked up a small ankle injury which will need to be checked before today’s races.

Maintaining their focus, the remaining 17 riders re-joined the circuit for the last 20 minutes of Superpole. Mahendra saw his chance to set some quick laps, and he closed the session with a best of 1’54.831, putting him on pole for Saturday’s races. The quick Brazilian pairing of Fontainha and Burr completed the front row of the grid, both within half a second of Mahendra’s top time. 

There was a dramatic end to the session when Japan’s Shoma Yamane and Turkey’s Mert Konuk collided, both parties will have to undergo a double long lap penalty tomorrow. 

Full Superpole results can be found here.

Aldi Satya Mahendra said: “I’m really happy that I got the first pole position of the season here in Assen today. Tomorrow I will give all my best for both races, but at the same time it’s important I that I keep my mind focused and stay confident.”

Source: WorldSBK.com

The Superbike Commission, composed of Mr. Gregorio LAVILLA (Dorna, WorldSBK Executive Director), Paul KING (Director of the FIM Circuit Racing Commission), Biense BIERMA (General Secretary of the MSMA), coordinated by Paul DUPARC (Manager of the FIM Circuit Racing Commission & SBK Secretary of the Commission) met today. This Superbike Commission meeting took place also in the presence of Ludovic REIGNIER (FIM WorldSBK Technical Director), Roland BERGER (FIM CTI Director) and Jorge VIEGAS (FIM President).

The following decisions were taken (with immediate applications):

CLARIFICATIONS: start delayed procedure

The start delayed procedure caused by rain on the grid has been clarified in order to resolve some uncertainties on this procedure which is always applied urgently. This essentially concerns the Race Direction but also the teams and the riders. An explanatory note is sent today to the teams (and these clarifications will be made soon in the rules available online).

CONCESSION PART CHANGES: reduction in required tokens

With the aim of continuing to ensure technical and sporting equality in the performance of the machines, the Manufacturers (MSMA) suggested to reduce the required tokens for concession parts from 10 to 5 for the WorldSBK class. This was also approved by the Superbike Commission.

UPDATES: Disciplinary Regulations updated

The Disciplinary Regulations have also been revised so that appeals against a decision of the FIM SBK Appeal Stewards (before the SBK Court of Appeal) are only admissible for the upcoming event (and not during the current event). This is justified for practical reasons and good time management, while respecting the rights of recourse as much as possible.

The resolutions of this Superbike Commission have been approved by the Permanent Bureau.

Watch the action from Assen and beyond in 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

With the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returning to racing again after a six week gap for the Pirelli Dutch Round at the iconic TT Circuit Assen, eyes were on Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometon WorldSBK) to see whether he would be able to start a fightback in the Championship standings against Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with the Spaniard leading by 37 points. However, Friday proved to be difficult for Razgatlioglu as he finished in tenth place in the combined classification while Bautista led the field.

Razgatlioglu was sixth in Free Practice 1 as he completed 14 laps with a best time of 1’35.273s, almost seven tenths slower than Bautista, while he was tenth in Free Practice 2 after setting a 1’35.103s. He racked up another 20 laps in FP2, but his time was not enough to move him up the order and he finished tenth in the combined classification. The pace on Friday was set by Bautista when he set a 1’34.316s.

Reflecting on his Friday, Razgatlioglu said: “In these two sessions, I was just trying to find a setup but I’m not really happy. Last year, I was feeling much better than now and I hope tomorrow morning we improve, find the setup and I’m coming stronger. Today, for me, was not a good start or a good end. I hope tomorrow we start well. I need a good feeling with the bike first. After this, I think I will improve everywhere. Last year, in my first session, I did a 34.6s directly and this year I’m feeling like the bike is a little bit different. I’m just trying to find the setup and I hope we start tomorrow strongly.”

Elaborating on this in his media debrief, he said: “In general, I’m feeling a little bit bad because I don’t find a good setup for this track. In the second session, I’m waiting for a good lap time and it doesn’t change. I did a 35’1 but also I’m feeling the limit. On some corner entries and exits, I’m feeling bad because the bike isn’t turning as much. I hope tomorrow we are finding grip and we come back strong. Now it looks very bad because last year, in the first session, I did a 34.6s. Normally I am very strong and this year I am waiting to be faster than last year but we started very slowly. It looks like we haven’t improved the bike. I hope we improve the bike because we don’t just have one problem, we have many problems.”

Free Practice 2 was briefly red flagged when an inflatable crocodile blew onto the track in front of Razgatlioglu. He was able to keep riding and did not crash following the incident which brought out the red flags so the crocodile could be cleared. Discussing this, Razgatlioglu said: “I’m scared! I saw just the green and I just tried to brake. I don’t know what this is, I don’t understand. At 270, 280km/h, it’s not easy to understand what this is. Anyway, we didn’t crash, just I’m scared. I continue riding and I saw after the red flag.”

Will Razgatlioglu be able to respond on Saturday? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport World Championship burst back into action on Friday at the iconic and historic TT Circuit Assen for the Pirelli Dutch Round and there was nothing to separate the top two in the timesheets at the end of Friday’s action. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) led the way in both Free Practice 2 and the combined classification, finishing just 0.005s clear of Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team).

TOO CLOSE TO CALL: Oncu just leads the way…

Oncu posted a best time of 1’37.951s, coming in the closing stages of FP2, on his Kawasaki ZX-6R to finish on top of the timesheets as he finished ahead of five Italian riders. In second was Bulega who posted s 1’37.596s to finish only 0.005s behind Oncu. Bulega had initially gone fastest before Oncu pipped the Championship leader. The pair had a gap of more than half-a-second to third-placed Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) in third place, with the Italian racing for the first time in WorldSSP since he sustained injuries in Australia. Montella’s best time was a 1’38.172s.

A FIERCE FIGHT BUILDING: unpredictable action ahead

Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) took fourth spot courtesy of his 1’38.225s set in FP2 as he, like all riders, go in search of a strong result at the start of the European part of the season. He finished ahead of Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in fifth place, with Manzi’s day coming to a premature end after he crashed at Turn 10 in Free Practice 2. His best time was a 1’38.316s, set in the opening session of the day, to finish ahead of Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) in sixth place.

A DISRUPTED DAY: crashes but strong pace

Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was seventh at the end of the day but he, like Manzi, had a disrupted day. Navarro was caught out when Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing) crashed exiting the chicane in the early stages of FP1 with both riders going down and the red flags being deployed. Navarro returned to the track in FP1 but, in FP2, had another crash at Turn 10 which interrupted his running in the afternoon. Navarro was able to take P7 with a best time of 1’38.433s while Bayliss was 29^th and four seconds down on Oncu’s pace.

Eighth place belonged to Finnish rider Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) as he lapped 0.854s slower than Oncu in the combined classification, while Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) was ninth after setting a 1’38.520s. Huertas is making his comeback from injuries sustained in a crash involving Montella at Phillip Island and he was able to finish ahead of home hero Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) in tenth place. The Dutchman’s best time was a 1’38.532s set in Free Practice 2.

ROUNDING OUT THE TOP 15: closing in on a place in the top ten

Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was the fastest MV Agusta rider in 11^th place with teammate Marcel Schroetter in 12^th with the two teammates separated by only 0.004s as they look to break into the top ten. French rider Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) was 13^th ahead of Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) in 14^th; Booth-Amos was the highest-placed WorldSSP Challenge rider on Friday at Assen. Apiwath Wongthananon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) rounded out the top 15 with a best time of 1’39.610s, less than a tenth slower than Booth-Amos.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from WorldSSP

The session was disrupted by a red flag which was shown when a piece of the fairing came off Alvaro Diaz’s (Arco Yart Yamaha WorldSSP) Yamaha YZF R6 machine at the final chicane. It was a brief red flag to allow a marshal to pick up the debris before the session resumed a few minutes later. Diaz’s first day in WorldSSP was limited in running after issues in FP1, with the reigning WorldSSPP300 Champion finishing in 30^th place with a best time of 1’42.576s, while fellow WorldSSP rookie Yuta Okaya (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) was 27^th on his WorldSSP debut.

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

1. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) 1’37.591s

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.005s

3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.581s

4. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +0.634s

5. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.725s

6. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +0.749s

Don’t miss any action from WorldSSP at Assen using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Back in action, the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is well and truly up and running on European soil and it’s the home round for Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). The Dutchman was top BMW on the opening day in sixth place and was just over half a second away from the top spot, giving him reason to be pleased as he aims for the podium on Saturday and Sunday to give the home fans something to cheer about.

Setting an impressive 42 laps, more than any other BMW rider, van der Mark went about his business on a track he knows like the back of his hand and was right in touch. After a positive test in Barcelona – where the BMW outfit brought four different swingarms to trial – van der Mark continued to demonstrate his good feeling with the M 1000 RR at Assen, placing ahead of both factory Yamahas of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu, as well as being right on the pace of the top five, just two tenths adrift.

Always strong at home, van der Mark said: “I think at the end, we finished quite good. In FP1, I didn’t like the feeling with the bike and wasn’t really enjoying it; I felt fast but I wasn’t. In FP2, we changed quite a lot on the bike and I immediately felt better with more confidence. I started on used tyres and was doing the same lap times as this morning, then we put a different rear tyre in and was quite happy with it. I was having more fun, therefore riding smoother and that’s what you have to do at this circuit. Honestly, I’d like a dry track; I think we could do really well. In the wet, it’s always tricky.”
 

His track record is pretty solid at Assen, with it being the place where he got a debut podium in his rookie 2015 campaign, with third place in Race 1, repeated in Race 2 on Honda machinery. Another podium in 2016 for Honda came in Race 2 before a switch to Yamaha in 2017 saw him fourth. In 2018 however, the podium magic was back for Mikey, as a second and third at home helped him to third overall in the Championship. He was second again in 2019 in Race 2, beating Jonathan Rea on a run to the line on the final lap. Since joining BMW in 2021, he’s yet to take a podium, with a best result of fourth coming in Race 1 in 2021; injured last year on his return from a broken leg, van der Mark was heroic in eighth in Race 2.

Enjoy all of 2023’s action in style LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returned to action at the TT Circuit Assen for the Pirelli Dutch Round and it was a strong Friday for the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK squad with Alex Lowes in second place and Jonathan Rea in third. The pair were two tenths away from Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at the top of the timesheets as they enjoyed a strong Friday and will be looking to convert that into race wins and podiums at the iconic Assen circuit.

Lowes was the faster of the two in Friday’s combined classification as he posted a 1’34.547s to finish as the lead Kawasaki rider, finishing 0.026s clear of teammate and six-time Champion Jonathan Rea in third place. Lowes completed 39 laps across both Friday sessions while Rea completed 35 laps as Kawasaki continue to hunt for performance to close the gap to Bautista and Ducati in the Championship standings, starting at a circuit where Rea has won at on 17 occasions.

In FP2, Lowes’ longest stint was a 11-lap run at the start of the session where he consistently posted lap times in the 1’34s and 1’35s brackets, while Rea’s longest run was an eight-lap stint and he, like Lowes, posted times in the 1’34s and 1’35s bracket. It was a strong start to the weekend for both Kawasaki riders and, after, both were able to give their thoughts on whether Assen could be a turning point for Kawasaki in the early stages of the season.

Discussing Friday, Rea said: “Really solid, we evaluated the tyre options, both front and rear, but I didn’t find a combination that works well with our bike in the end after some trial and error. There are some plusses and minuses to some options so after a compromise, we put the right set together, not fresh but a very old front tyre, but it’s working well. The bike is working well from this morning, it was in line and on rails and actually, we didn’t touch the bike so much today. We just have some electronic things to dial out. In the afternoon, the wind picked up and change direction a little bit so going through the fast kink on the back straight coming back to the paddock, it was so scary! Every time I tipped in there; my balls were in my mouth! It was good fun, but you don’t want to go down there as you’re going fast. It definitely kept me awake during the session! Hopefully the wind drops a little bit tomorrow and focus on putting a race together.

“We expected to be stronger here than the first two rounds, at a circuit that’s a bit more normal, with a good reference from the past and also the temperature is cooler. If everything goes together, we have more chance to be competitive; I didn’t expect to have the rhythm that I had, and I think we can improve still. Tomorrow is what counts with Superpole and the race, proved at Phillip Island and Mandalika as Superpole is everything. There’re so many fast guys in the top ten but you need good track position on the first lap because if your rivals get ahead, then you’re stuck in traffic and the race is over. We’ll put a lot of emphasis in Superpole to set a fast lap; the target is getting on the front row.”

Lowes also discussed his Friday where he finished in second place with the British rider alluding to the cooler conditions at Assen, compared to the first two rounds in Australia and Indonesia, helping Kawasaki. He also revealed some changes to his ZX-10RR to change his position on the bike in order to not stress the front tyre too much, which could help him in the latter stages of races when tyres are older.

Lowes said: “It was good. In these colder conditions, we always expect to be quite strong on the Kawasaki; the track offers a lot of grip and we can really use the advantages of our bike which are stopping and turning the bike on the front. It’s a pleasure to ride at Assen. It’s a track I know very well, and I’ve always enjoyed it, always gone well here. It was a little bit better than expected. I was able to do the lap times, it’s never easy, but I was feeling quite good. I used one set of tyres this morning, one this afternoon. We tried SC0 this morning and I felt quite good with the SC0. For the afternoon, I knew we’d make a good step and I felt good straight away. We changed my riding position at the Montmelo test a few weeks ago. I’m a bit further back on the bike and I felt some benefits with it. I’ve had to take some time to get used to it but there’s less stress on the front tyre which is something we’ve been struggling with at Kawasaki, not just me, in the first two rounds.”

Can Kawasaki bounce back at Assen? Watch the Dutch Round in style using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is well underway and back in action at the Pirelli Ditch Round and the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands. It’s shaping up to be a belting weekend and with a myriad of protagonists, there remains one rider to be beaten. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was on top by nearly a quarter of a second going into Saturday, but don’t discount his rivals just yet.

DUCATI VS KAWASAKI: Bautista heads Lowes and Rea, Rinaldi with radiator issues

Like in FP1, it was Alvaro Bautista who topped the running in the afternoon and his pace was quite simply relentless. 22 laps with multiple in the low-to-mid 1’34s, the reigning World Champion was in fine form as he placed Ducati on the top step. Teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s day was marred with front-end set-up not quite being refined to his liking in FP1 and he finished down in 14^th, before a technical issue halted progress in FP2’s opening stages with steam radiating from the Ducati Panigale V4 R. A burst pipe to the radiator was the cause, with coolant leaking out. The bike returned to the garage with 30 minutes to go and with 22 minutes left, he was back out on track. However, he returned, clearly uncomfortable with his right wrist.

First Kawasaki on the timesheets was Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), with the #22 getting to grips with the Assen track like in many years previous with a front row last year and his only career pole coming back in 2018. Teammate Jonathan Rea was the last rider to improve his overall time and took third in the session and overall. The most successful rider at the circuit, with 17 wins to his name, will hope to make further steps and also cross his fingers that temperatures don’t rise come the first of two race days tomorrow. Two Kawasakis inside the top three is a positive start to the weekend for the team in green.

YAMAHA BATTLE: Aegerter and Gardner ahead of Locatelli and Razgatlioglu

Once again, the Independent riders were in mighty form and it was the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team who were fourth and fifth and therefore best Yamahas. Double WorldSSP Champion Dominique Aegerter was fourth and set the second-highest amount of laps throughout the session, whilst it was teammate Remy Gardner in fifth place, having been third in the morning session. Both riders were looking comfortable aboard their R1s and with plenty of experience at the Dutch venue, they’ll be keen to strike on Saturday in both the Superpole and the opening race of the weekend.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) always goes well at Assen and 2023 looks like no exception, having been inside the top five in the morning and continuing to look strong in the afternoon. The Italian concluded in eighth place in the end, not the most representative of his race pace potential. After a minor electronic problem for Toprak Razgatlioglu in FP1, as well as the Turkish rider getting back used to WorldSBK machinery after his MotoGP™ test, the 26-year-old was out on track in FP2 and setting solid lap times. Assen hasn’t bared the best of luck in recent years for Razgatlioglu but he was looking good in FP2, finishing in… He did have an encounter with a crocodile however – don’t worry, not a real one – as an inflatable made its way onto the circuit, bringing out a brief red flag.

BMW HEAD HONDA: van der Mark shines as Honda struggle

For BMW, it was very much a day of two halves as Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was up in fifth in FP1 but outside the top ten in FP2, down in… Teammate Michael van der Mark was P11 in the morning and was fastest BMW in the afternoon too, up inside the top five with less than ten minutes to go and then ended up in sixth overall. Redding did improve up to 12^th in the closing stages, although he’ll be hoping for more. Both used different swingarms during the morning session too, with that being one of the major topics coming to Assen after four different swingarms were seen at the recent Barcelona test.

After a strong round in 2022, it was somewhat surprising to see Honda barely trouble the top ten on day one, with Iker Lecuona being the best Honda in only 13^th. Teammate Xavi Vierge didn’t feature either, with him a place further back in 14^th. Certainly work to do for both of the Hondas, with Lecuona a podium finisher last year at Assen and Vierge on the rostrum last time out. Both riders also had successful tests at Aragon and Barcelona during the break.

ROUNDING OUT THE RUNNING: big names further back, Baz returns

Elsewhere in the order, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) took P11, whilst Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) was 15^th and Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), on his full-time debut, was 17^th. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) returned to action but a mechanical issue in the morning kept his track time limited, but he was back out in FP2 in full attack mode; he concluded the day in 18^th, ahead of Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team), Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha), Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team), Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing), Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) and Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing), with the latter in action for the first time this year.

Watch the 2023 WorldSBK season unfold with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Day one of 2023 for the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship concluded at the TT Circuit Assen for the Pirelli Dutch Round with very little to separate the field after Friday’s two practice sessions. Three tenths were all that kept the top six apart in the combined classification as Italian rider Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) topped the times with a late lap in Free Practice 2 as he topped the times in both FP2 as well as the combined classification.

LEAVING IT LATE: Vannucci moves to the top

Vannucci posted a 1’45.529s on his final lap to move into top spot for the day’s action as he finished three tenths clear of Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) in second with the Spanish rider also leaving it late to post his best time. It meant the pair leapfrogged Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) and demoted the French rider to third place after he soared to top spot with around seven minutes remaining in the session.

THREE MANUFACTURERS IN THE TOP FOUR: little to separate the field

German rider Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) took fourth spot as the lead KTM rider on Friday on his KTM RC 390 R machine, finishing less than a tenth ahead of Dutch rookie Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) in fifth. Veneman had enjoyed a strong first day in WorldSSP300, topping FP1 at one point, but he did have a Turn 11 crash in FP1 which disrupted his running. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) took sixth after enjoyed a strong Friday, finishing less than a tenth behind Perez Gonzalez in second.

UNPREDICTABLE WEEKEND IN STORE: showing strong pace on Friday

Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) was seventh in the combined classification, ahead of Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) as he finished as the second KTM rider on Friday. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse), who was inside the top three in FP1, took ninth in the standings at the end of the day’s action, ahead of Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Kawasaki) with the Spanish rider rounding out the top ten.

LEADING FP1, 11^TH OVERALL: 2020 Champion fastest in FP1

Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) was 11^th in the combined classification after being the highest-placed rider to not improve their lap time compared to FP1. His time, a 1’50.070s, was enough to top the first session but it was his fastest time of the day, taking 11^th overall. Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) was 12^th ahead of a trio of Italian riders: Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) in 13th, Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) in 14^th and Gabriele Mastroluca (Arco Motor University Team) who rounded out the top 15.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from WorldSSP300

Kas Beekmans (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) took 19^th place after his day was interrupted by a crash in FP1 at Turn 5, while Ruben Bijman (Arco Motor University Team) was another rider who crashed; he came down at the end of FP1 at Turn 9. He finished 16^th in the combined classification. Shengjunjie Zhou (China Racing Team) was the last of the classified runners in 32^nd place, posting a best lap of 1’53.896s.

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

1. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) 1’49.529s

2. Jose Luis Perez (Accolade Smrz Racing) +0.284s

3. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +0.296s

4. Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) +0.304s

5. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) +0.318s

6. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) +0.332s

Don’t miss more WorldSSP300 action throughout 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com