Frenetic, frantic and fascinating – not to mention fast – the Tissot Superpole session at the Tissot Aragon Round was enthralling, as MotorLand Aragon – the longest track on the calendar – hosts the tenth round of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. The 15-minute session flew by and eyes were needed everywhere to trace the stories, with the title fight, individual honour and the usual surprises all staking their claim. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) said in his Friday media debrief: “don’t write me off.” It turns out that there was a reason for that, as he blasted to a mesmerising pole and a new lap record.

STORY OF SUPERPOLE: familiar tactics as banker laps nailed, Petrucci crashes

Right from the start, the BMWs were all working together with both riders from both the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and the Bonovo Action BMW out on track together. Over the four, Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) went fastest ahead of teammate Garrett Gerloff but Jonathan Rea, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) all went ahead. For Razgatlioglu, a clear step had been found, as he went two seconds quicker than anything he’d managed before. There was a disaster elsewhere, as FP3’s fastest rider Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) crashed at Turn 8 without setting a lap time, leaving him at the back of the grid.

The second stint was already underway with just over five minutes on the clock remaining and unlike in FP3, the KRT duo of Rea and stand-in rider Florian Marino weren’t on track together; instead, Rea had Lecuona right on his case, with the Honda rider in mighty form at a track the bike works well at. However, the #65 Kawasaki rider wasn’t hanging around and was on a stunning lap setting a magical 1’47.973, an all-time lap record for WorldSBK at Aragon, with a massive step found between Turn 12 and Turn 15. Bautista crossed the line to take provisional P2, whilst there were a flurry of improvements behind, with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) both up inside the top seven, whilst Razgatlioglu couldn’t improve on his penultimate flying lap.

FRONT ROW: Rea rockets to first pole since July

Back on pole like the glory days of old at Aragon, Rea’s sensational lap time was enough to give him pole position, his first front row since Donington Park in July, where he was also on pole position. He was seven tenths up after three sectors on his pole lap, showing that the fast and flowing corners combined with Rea’s style and the Kawasaki ZX-10RR’s mechanical grip are a powerful package. Alvaro Bautista will go from second place in a front row that’s rounded out by Razgatlioglu, salvaging his whole weekend to this point and puts himself in the frame for an early-stage attack on title rival Bautista. Expect fireworks at Turn 1 and throughout Lap 1 as the titanic trio rise to the occasion. It’s the first time all three have been on the front row since Assen, the first time ever in this order.

SECOND ROW: a power-packed line-up looking to support those ahead

With a Yamaha rounding off the front row, Toprak’s teammate Andrea Locatelli heads the second row and will look to try and get in on the action ahead of him, as will Ducati’s second factory rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi, who took a solid fifth place. In sixth place, Iker Lecuona was looking good and took his second top six of the year after a fifth place in Barcelona back in May. Lecuona and Honda perform well at Aragon; could they be a podium challenging combination in the race itself, particularly with their ability to conserve tyres.

THIRD ROW: heavyweights coming from behind

Making a decent job with a late lap, Axel Bassani was the highest he’s been all weekend with seventh place, heading up the third row, with Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) a late improver, bursting up into P8 for a second top ten of the year, his first since Phillip Island when he was fifth. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took ninth, whilst Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was once again top BMW but only in tenth, with some work to do for the American and the German manufacturer.

BEST OF THE REST: Baz knocking on the door of top ten, Vierge’s Superpole struggles continue

Loris Baz was next-best BMW and up in P11 at a circuit where he was able to achieve a top ten last year, whilst it was Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) who once again struggled in Superpole, scraping onto the fourth row by just over a tenth of a second. Row five is headed by previous Aragon race winner Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with the British rider injured for this round but gritting his teeth. Teammate Michael van der Mark is alongside him in 14^th, ahead of an impressive-in-comparison Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha), who matched his best WorldSBK Superpole performance, dating back to Phillip Island at the start of the year. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 16^th ahead of Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Florian Marino, with Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) rounding out the top 20.

Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) was 21^st ahead of Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team), Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO). In what could have been a Superpole to remember for Petrucci after being a contender throughout the weekend, he’ll start from P25 and last on the grid for Race 1 and the Superpole Race, so expect a surge through the field from the #9.

Top six after WorldSBK Superpole at Aragon, full results here:

1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’47.973s

2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.351s

3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.550s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.737s

5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.831s

6. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +0.903s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was untouchable in Tissot Superpole for the FIM Supersport World Championship in a disrupted session. The Ducati star, whose first chance to win the title can be on Sunday, was almost three quarters of a second clear of his rivals at MotorLand Aragon while title rival Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) could only manage fifth as the grid was set for the Tissot Aragon Round.

THE FIRST STINT: red flag halts proceedings, yellow flags disrupt Manzi

Bulega’s first lap was a 1’52.801s to move to the top of the timesheets immediately by more than seven tenths ahead of Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), although his time was deleted due to yellow flags being shown at Turn 7. It left Bulega 0.869s ahead of Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) in second and Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) in third before the red flags were shown with around 13 minutes left. Ondrej Vostatek (PTR Triumph) had a technical issue at Turn 3 on his Triumph machine with the red flags brought out due to track conditions. With Manzi losing his lap time following Maiki Abe’s (VFT Racing WEBIKE Yamaha) crash at Turn 7 on his out lap, the Italian did not record a lap time before the session was temporarily stopped.

SETTING THE GRID: Bulega breaks lap record

Manzi set a 1’53.126s to briefly take second on his first lap after the red flag but he lost that time for exceeding track limits at Turn 10 before posting a 1’53.337s to move into third behind Bulega and Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team). Ducati’s Bulega posted a 1’52.482s to reiterate his pace and break the all-time lap record by 0.224s before finding another tenth to lead Montella by 0.724s ahead of their final laps. The #11 made an error on his penultimate lap which meant he didn’t improve then, nor on his final lap, but he took his eighth pole of the season, with Montella in second and Caricasulo making it an all-Italian front row.

CAN MANZI MOVE FORWARD? Taking fifth in Superpole…

German rookie Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) posted a 1’53.220s to take fourth in Superpole despite a late crash in sector three. However, the #23 will line-up from seventh on the grid for Race 1 after being given a three-place grid penalty for slow riding on the racing line in FP2. Manzi finishing in fifth, more than a second down on Bulega, with Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) lining up alongside him on the second row.

ROUNDING OUT THE TOP TEN: Spaniards strong on home soil

Despite his strong early start, Huertas dropped to seventh but missed out on sixth by just 0.006s to take a third row start in Race 2; he will be promoted to the second row for Race 1 due to Schroetter’s penalty. Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) had a strong Friday and he carried that on with eighth in Superpole, ahead of Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) and Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) who rounded out the top ten.

HOUSEKEEPING: Diaz impresses, Booth-Amos fastest Challenge rider

Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) can win the WorldSSP Challenge title this weekend and he put himself in prime position by being the fastest Challenge rider. He will start from 13^th on the grid. Reigning WorldSSP300 Champion Alvaro Diaz (Arco Yart Yamaha WorldSSP) has shown rapid pace throughout the Aragon Round, and he will line-up from 16^th, just behind debutant Hector Garzo (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team).

The top six from WorldSSP Superpole, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’52.306s

2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.724s

3. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +0.864s

4. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.914s

5. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +1.031s

6. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +1.057s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) left it late to claim pole position for the Tissot Aragon Round as he topped the times by just over three tenths ahead of his rivals. The Italian posted a 2’06.119s with his final lap of Tissot Superpole to deny his title rivals pole position in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship with a mixed-up grid setting up a thrilling weekend of action at MotorLand Aragon.

CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE ON THE FRONT ROW: Vannucci leads the way

At the halfway mark of the session, 2020 Champion Buis stormed to the top of the timesheets with a 2’06.618s as he went four tenths quicker than his rivals before Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) responded to go 0.094s quicker. As riders searched for optimal track position, lap times did not improve until the final laps of the 20-minute session with Geiger finding just under a tenth to extend his lead to 0.177s over Buis. It had looked like it was going to be Geiger vs Buis for pole but Vannucci’s last-gasp lap of 2’06.119s moved him to the top of the timesheets for his third pole in WorldSSP300. Geiger will start from second after taking his fifth front row in the Championship, while it was Buis’ third front row start. All three remain in title contention and have the best possible starting position for both Race 1 and Race 2.

LAST-LAP IMPROVEMENTS: Perez Gonzalez hauls himself into contention

Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) will line up from fourth ahead of Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) in fifth. Perez Gonzalez, second in the Championship heading into Aragon and five points behind Buis, had been outside the top ten during the session but a last-minute effort moved him into the top five. Julio Garcia will join teammate Sabatucci on the second row with sixth, lapping around nine tenths off Vannucci’s pole-taking time.

INSIDE THE TOP TEN: can they take a podium?

Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) took seventh as he enjoyed one of his strongest Superpole sessions of the 2023 campaign, ahead of Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) in eighth place. Osuna Saez, and Unai Calatayud (Arco Motor University Team) directly behind in ninth, were both riders who briefly led the times before being demoted down the order. Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) completed the top ten.

HOUSEKEEPING: penalties, crashes and no times set…

Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) had been enjoying a strong session but a Turn 1 incident with Enzo Valentim (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) ended both of their sessions early. Valentim was taken to the medical centre for a check-up. Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) took 17^th in Superpole but the German will serve a five-place grid penalty in Race 1 for slow riding in Free Practice 2. Marc Garcia (China Racing Team) did not set a lap time in the 20-minute session.

The top six from WorldSSP300 Superpole, full results here:

1 Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) 2’06.119s

2. Dirk Geiger (KTM Freudenberg – Paligo Racing) +0.322s

3. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) +0.469s

4. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo-PI Performances) +0.782s

5. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) +0.804s

6. Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo-PI Performances) +0.906s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has been a titanic tussle throughout but the Tissot Aragon Round could be the one that sees the pendulum swing red for another year; Ducati came out strong as Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) continued to struggle. However, the Ducati at the top wasn’t the Championship-leading one; Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) fired in a brilliant lap time to deny Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) of Saturday morning honours.

Bautista stormed to the fastest lap of the weekend and the first 1’48 of the Tissot Aragon Round with a 1’48.886, as he took over at the top with just under 11 minutes left on the clock. However, making a clear step in the final sector with a fast lap to put him top, Danilo Petrucci was on a mission and went top by 0.078s over Bautista. With a mega late lap, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) went third, up from P16, whilst working together like they usually do in Superpole, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Toprak Razgatlioglu set their weekend-best lap times. Locatelli took P4, whilst KRT had a similar idea. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) hit the track after spending the first ten minutes in the box before eventually towing stand-in teammate Florian Marino round with him, with Marino going fifth and Rea sixth.

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was top BMW again and consolidated his top six contending status having led the session in its early stages, finishing P7 but with good pace. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) went to eighth place with a late lap, whilst Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) made it two BMWs inside the top nine in P9. Completing the top ten, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was the only rider in the top 16 who didn’t improve on his Friday time.

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s Aragon nightmare continued as he was only P11, even with a fastest lap of his weekend so far despite a big moment at the end of the back straight at the close of the session. Making a clear step up, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) was inside the top ten for the first time, initially going ninth and then up to sixth before finishing 12^th at the chequered flag. Elsewhere, a crash for Dominique Aegerter at Turn 7 left the Swiss rider out of action very early on, with smoke also seen emitting from the YZF R1.

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

1. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’48.808s

2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.078s

3. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.555s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.690s

5. Florian Marino (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.039s

6. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.090s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) future has been a massively hot topic since his departure from the factory Ducati outfit was confirmed by their signing of Nicolo Bulega for 2024. However, at the Tissot Aragon Round this weekend, the 27-year-old Italian confirmed in his debrief with international media that he has “options”, of which one has a deadline of Sunday at Aragon, whilst there’s another on Sunday at Portimao.

ON THE MARKET: Rinaldi’s 2023 podiums not enough for factory Ducati

Speculation has been rife about Rinaldi, who stated ahead of the round that “he’s as free as a bird” and that he “doesn’t care about the pressure”, with his sole aim to be strong at the front again. It’s been an up-and-down year for the #21, who started strongly with a double podium at Phillip Island and was in victory contention at Mandalika, before a nightmare Assen round. A notorious clash with arch-rival Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in Barcelona’s Race 1 resulted in fireworks between the two off-track, although Rinaldi recovered to a podium for Race 2, as well as two more at Misano. However, difficulties at Donington Park, Imola and Most left him somewhat anonymous, before bouncing back at Magny-Cours with a podium and was fighting for victory until he was taken out by Championship-leading teammate Alvaro Bautista.

Speaking about 2024, Rinaldi said: “It depends on many details. We know how strong the Ducati package is and if I jump on another Ducati in another team, I know what we can do. Sometimes you need new challenges; if it’s a good challenge, a nice project, why not? I haven’t decided yet. Money is important but not the most. I enjoy riding a bike and trying to finish at the top. It’s a matter of things, not just money or winning. Look at Marc Marquez; it happens everywhere. You need to be clear in the mirror with yourself.”

MARC MARQUEZ THE KEY: a link you thought could never happen, may just happen

However, could Marc Marquez be a deciding factor in Rinaldi’s future? On Saturday morning at the Indian Grand Prix, Paolo Ciabatti spoke to MotoGP.com in pitlane for FP3, stating that “Gresini have the opportunity and are waiting for Marc’s decision. He will talk with Honda management in Japan”, with the Japanese Grand Prix the next GP after India. This would open the door for Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) to move back to MotoGP™, as he said on Thursday that his goal is to stay with Honda, although he stated that “the place, we don’t know” as he’s Honda contracted, leaving a vacant seat that could be filled by Rinaldi. It is thought Lecuona would move to LCR Honda to replace newly-signed Johann Zarco, who would move to Repsol Honda should Marc decide to leave.

That piece of the jigsaw would make sense when Rinaldi responded to a question in his debrief about whether or not the deadlines are in his hands or if they depend on another team’s plans, with a potential Honda seat up for the taking: “I have one on Sunday and another on Sunday at Portimao. If I want to go with the first option, then I have to decide quickly. If next week, I say, “I don’t know yet”, then the first option is gone. Few are for me to decide, other ones depend on something else.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Nicolo Bulega’s (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) potential Championship winning Tissot Aragon Round got off the perfect start as he topped both Friday sessions to lead the FIM Supersport World Championship field on Friday. The Ducati star was almost two tenths clear of his rivals after two Free Practice sessions at MotorLand Aragon, while title rival Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was third and around three tenths back from Bulega.

CLOSING IN ON LAP RECORD PACE: Bulega goes top, Manzi a few tenths away

At the track where he could be crowned World Champion on Sunday, Bulega started his weekend seemingly without any potential pressure impacting him. He was fastest by almost four tenths in Free Practice 1 ahead of Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki), before showing his hand once again in Free Practice 2, although the gap did close. Bulega’s best time was a 1’53.671s, almost matching the race lap record set in 2022 by Dominique Aegerter, as he finished 0.187s ahead of Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) in second in the afternoon. The #64 bounced back from an FP1 crash at Turn 1 to set a 1’53.858s. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) had been second and directly behind his title rival in FP2 but was overhauled by ‘Carica’ in the final 10 minutes of Friday’s running as he claimed third, 0.295s down on his title rival.

A GOOD WAY TO START: Navarro impresses as he closes the gap to his teammate

It was a strong Friday for Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) as he took P4 on home soil. At one point, he had been ahead of teammate Manzi before the #62 struck back in the closing stages for a top-three spot with around a tenth and a half separating the two teammates. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) was the top rider whose time did not improve in FP2 and one of only three in total. Ducati-bound for next season, Huertas’ best time was a 1’54.419s for P5 in the combined classification and he finished seventh in FP2. German rookie Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) took sixth after posting a 1’54.501s.

A DIFFICULT DAY: riders in the top ten crash…

Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) was one of several late crashers in FP2 after he went down at Turn 9 right at the end of the session, but he was still able to take seventh after posting a 1’54.506s. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) was another who crashed, but he was able to finish in the top ten with eighth and just 0.167s behind Tuuli. Debise’s crash was at the Turn 14-15 chicane. Turkish star Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was ninth and just a couple of tenths away from his teammate, while Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was tenth despite two FP1 crashes. He came down at Turn 1 and Turn 10 in the morning session but responded in the afternoon with a 1’54.878s.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from a challenging Friday

Wildcard Julian Giral (Ducati Zaragoza) took 17^th place, but his day came to an early end when he crashed at Turn 3 in FP2, with the Spaniard taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Tom Edwards (Yart – Yamaha WorldSSP Team) and compatriot Luke Power (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) both went down at Turn 2, albeit in different sessions: Edwards had his accident in FP1 while Power crashed in FP2. Leonardo Taccini’s (Vince64 by Puccetti Racing) return to WorldSSP didn’t go as he’d hoped as he took 31^st in the standings after an FP1 crash at Turn 7.

The top six from WorldSSP on Friday, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’53.671s

2. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +0.187s

3. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.295s

4. Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.466s

5. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) +0.748s

6. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.830s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was left downbeat after a difficult Friday at MotorLand Aragon for the 2021 Champion. The #54 was left down in seventh place in the combined classification for the Tissot Aragon Round and more than a second off the pace as he looked for a good setup on his Yamaha YZF-R1 to secure the best result possible. The Turk was 1.108s slower than the day’s fastest rider, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), on a challenging opening day of MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action at Aragon.

In Free Practice 1, Razgatlioglu took seventh place and lapped 0.736s slower than pacesetter Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), with the #54 finishing as the lead Yamaha rider. His best time was a 1’51.045s and, although he improved this by three tenths in FP2, the 2021 Champion remained in seventh place but the gap to the front increased. Bautista was fastest in FP2, and the combined timesheets, with Razgatlioglu’s 1’50.757s putting him 1.108s down on the reigning Champion.

Reviewing his Friday, a despondent Razgatlioglu said: “We didn’t have a good start and I’m not really happy. We are searching for a good setup. In FP1 and FP2, I’m not really happy because we’re not improving. I hope we will tomorrow. I know this weekend won’t be easy for me and last year we were on the podium. I think the feeling is worse now than it was last year. I hope we find a good setup tomorrow and we start fighting for the podium again. Now, I feel like the podium won’t be easy, but I’ll always keep fighting in the race. I will speak to my team and my crew. We will try for a big step with the grip, and we need more turning. We aren’t really strong at this track, but not like this.”

Yamaha were the only factory team not to go to the recent Aragon test, with all four other manufacturers in the Championship taking part in the two-day outing at the end of August. When asked on Thursday whether this would be a disadvantage for Yamaha, Razgatlioglu believed it wouldn’t be. However, he was asked the same question on Friday and gave a very different answer.

He said: “I don’t know why we didn’t do the test here, but I see that all riders who did have a big advantage. They made a good setup for this track, and we are starting with a normal setup, but we are worse than last year. I hope we can improve because I’m not happy and I think the team’s not happy. Especially at this track, I need a good position for the Championship.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) enjoyed a strong Friday at MotorLand Aragon as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s tenth round of the 2023 season got underway. The Italian rookie was third in both Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2 for the Tissot Aragon Round as he looks for a return to the podium, with the #9 only behind his Ducati stablemates in the combined pecking order after Friday’s running.

‘Petrux’ was quick from the outset on Friday as he took third place in Free Practice 1 and set a best time of 1’50.651s, only three tenths slower than pacesetter Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). Completing 15 laps in total, the #9 did two runs of differing lengths in FP1. The first was a six-lap run with three laps in the 1’50s bracket and his best of the session coming on lap four of that stint, although it was his last representative time with the next lap seven seconds slower. The second run was seven laps long and all but two were in the 1’51s bracket, ranging from 1’51.187s to 1’51.432s.

It was a similar story in FP2 as the Italian completed two long stints and one short one. His first was six laps long and all but one lap was in the 1’50s bracket, while his second multi-lap stint was four laps long. His best time came on the opening lap of that run, a 1’49.825s, with two more laps in the 1’51s and 1’50s bracket (the one in the 1’51s was cancelled). His best time meant he finished third in FP2, and in the combined classification, behind the Aruba.it Racing – Ducatis of Alvaro Bautista and Michael Ruben Rinaldi with the trio separated by just 0.176s.

Reflecting on his Friday, Petrucci said: “It was good because I immediately got a good feeling. The same feeling as I had during testing here and also during the last round at Magny-Cours. I’m quite positive about it. We’ve found a good base with the bike where it’s working at more or less all the tracks. Let’s see about tomorrow because we noticed a lot of tyre wear and this is the key at the moment, to manage the whole race with a consistent pace. It will be very hard, but we’ll be positive. You have to manage a lot. If you push a lot in the first few laps, the tyres are gone and then you struggle a lot. But if you don’t push, you aren’t fast. It’s always a difficult mix.”

Petrucci’s first podium came at Donington Park back in July and he didn’t have to wait long for podiums two and three to follow, coming at the end of that month when WorldSBK travelled to the Autodrom Most. Although he was fast in France last time out at Magny-Cours, the Italian didn’t stand on the rostrum and he’s hoping to return there this weekend at a circuit he knows very well from his Grand Prix days.

Outlining his goals for this weekend, Petrucci, who’s been confirmed as staying with Barni Ducati in 2024, said: “I want to come back to the podium because, at Magny-Cours, we were fast the whole weekend, but we always had a bit of a bad luck and, in the end, we wanted to be competitive. The podium is possible in these three races. I’m quite worried about the long straight we have at Aragon because I’m not as fast on the straights as the other Ducatis due to my size but I’m positive about this weekend.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The Tissot Aragon Round is well underway for the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Champion at the MotorLand Aragon venue near Alcaniz, Spain. Hosting a test just three weeks ago, plenty of riders and teams had a good base to work from, with Team HRC’s riders of Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge being two of stand-out performers on Friday. Both were up inside the top six in FP1, before finishing the day in fifth and eighth overall, a solid effort at their second home event of the year.

FP1 saw both riders on track for many laps, with Vierge setting 17 – the joint-highest of anyone inside the top six – and Lecuona setting 16. Both had a different chassis; Lecuona on the newer one with less bracing, to improve turning, whilst Vierge stayed with the old one, not feeling much difference. It was the same for the last round at Magny-Cours but with the test at Aragon in August bringing positivity, both were on the pace from the start. In FP2, as times improved once more, the Hondas slipped back slightly as they didn’t improve their lap times but likewise found more time with regards to a solid race pace, concluding the day with 77 laps between them and valuable data for the races.

LECUONA SURPRISES HIMSELF? From no podium chance to a flicker of hope

Speaking about the first day of action, Iker Lecuona was happy with the progress and the feeling on Friday: “Overall, I’m quite happy. Perhaps the outright lap time isn’t the best but the pace is really good. We worked on race pace, I was alone, fast and consistent. We can manage the tyre life well which is a positive point for us. This morning in P2, but the positive is the race pace. I had a small crash at the end of FP2 at Turn 14, just trying the new development front tyre which I didn’t like. Two laps before, I saved a similar moment. I know why I crash but we need to check the data and change the priority now for the rest of the weekend.”

After initially writing off a podium threat on WorldSBK’s media day on Thursday, Lecuona backtracked, saying: “Right now, it’s possible! The pace was strong alone and very similar to the top riders, but it is also the first day, cold and windy with a dirty track. The guys went faster in the afternoon but we struggled with the higher temperature, so we need to wait and work in FP3 and check Superpole; maybe in the opening laps of the race, we can stay with the front group or the second group to take P5. We need to wait until tomorrow as the track improves run-by-run.”

VIERGE VALIANT FOR P8: “The pace is good… we can get good results!”

Those sentiments were echoed by the #97 of Vierge, who is top Honda in the Championship in P10: “It has been a solid first day, it’s been a long time since we started good on Friday, so it’s so positive. The test at Aragon has helped but as we said before, this kind of layout adapts much better to our bike. We’re happy with the first day; our pace is not so bad and of course, we need to work for tomorrow because I think we can improve a little bit more but we are going in the right direction. Iker is going so fast, so we have good data to analyse, which will help us for tomorrow. The goal is to do a good job and to come back to the good positions; what better place to do it than at home? We’re looking forward to the weekend, the pace is good and I think we can get good results.”

CAMIER ON 2024: “Our intention is to continue the same”

Team manager Leon Camier commented on the good first day from pitlane in FP1: “This track, I think, is a bit of a better circuit for us in general. We’ve had some better results here in the past and it seems to suit our package at the moment. The last few races, to be honest, have not been the best. They’ve been at circuits we expected to struggle at a little bit more but they’ve been back to back. It looked like poor performance for a bit. Hopefully, this weekend, we can have a solid weekend and it’ll be nice for the whole team to have slightly better results.”

Talking about the difference in the chassis, Camier explained: “The only updates are really on stiffness. We reduced it in a couple of areas to try and get a little bit more turning from the bike. This is something that Iker felt a little benefit from and for Xavi, there was no real benefit. Iker’s using the chassis, as he was at Magny-Cours and Xavi’s still on the old chassis. For us, it works quite well, as we see more of a direct comparison between the two. We tested the chassis here at the test a few weeks back and it was a slight positive for Iker.”

With attention turning to 2024, Camier couldn’t give much away, saying: “Our intention is to continue the same and I hope we will have an announcement soon.” Honda’s 2024 line-up has been one of the hot topics, with it seemingly relying on movements in MotoGP™ to determine who will be there. Iker Lecuona confirmed on Thursday at Aragon that the goal is to stay with Honda, although the Championship is yet to be defined.

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With temperatures rising, the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s tenth round was electric as ever on the opening day of the Tissot Aragon Round. As anticipated, lap times tumbled in Free Practice 2, with all riders going quicker almost immediately at the MotorLand Aragon venue. The sun was out and come the end of the session, pre-round favourite Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) elevated himself to P1 with Ducati locking out the top three in the afternoon.

DUCATI COME STRONG: Bautista blasts forwards in FP2, Rinaldi in contention

After what was a lacklustre opening session in P8, Alvaro Bautista came on strong in FP2 and was instantly faster than FP1. He was right up inside the top three and the Championship leader, despite not being absolutely dominant at a track where he’s been hailed as the favourite at, remains with a target on his back. His teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, was top factory Ducati in FP1 with fifth and spent much of FP2 inside the top six too, going into the final ten minutes on top. With his future still hanging in the balance, the #21 needs a strong weekend at the venue where he took his maiden win back in 2020. Come the close of the opening day, Bautista was top and Rinaldi second, polishing off a perfect afternoon for the ‘Bologna Bullets’ at a track they’re strong at.

INDEPENDENTS RISE TO THE OCCASION: Petrucci makes it Ducati 1-2-3, Gerloff strong again

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was strong at the August test at Aragon and picked up where he left off with a fine P3 on the opening day of action, undoubtedly his strongest and most consistent Friday of the year. In sixth place, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) once again led the charge for BMW, whilst Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was ninth and the second Yamaha at the end of the day when the chequered flag dropped.

KAWASAKI BEST OF THE REST: Rea in touch with P4

Fastest in Free Practice 1, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was the first rider of the day to get into the 1’49s bracket, with a 1’49.970 within the opening ten minutes of the session, once again showing that he’s one of the main riders and a force to be reckoned with as Aragon’s most successful rider. However, the six-time World Champion couldn’t improve throughout the rest of the session and took fourth at the chequered flag. With Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) out injured, test rider Florian Marino replaced him this weekend and was solid, throughout, taking 16th at the end of the day.

HONDA BACK ON FORM? Lecuona shines despite crash in FP2, Vierge in touch

It was a more than solid day at the office and something of a return to form for Honda; Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was second in P2 and on a mission, before setting a consistent race pace in the mid-to-low 1’50s. Although both riders relied on their morning times, it was a positive day, particularly for the #7 of Lecuona, who was back to something of some recognisable form, although a late crash lap pushing on for a strong lap at the end of FP2 at Turn 14. Lecuona was on the newer chassis, which featured less bracing to help the bike turn in the corners better, whilst teammate Xavi Vierge stuck with the older specification, not seeing much difference. Vierge moved into the top ten in FP2 but was sixth in FP1, before finishing eighth overall, with Lecuona P5 on combined times.

BOGEY TRACK: Yamaha with plenty of work to do, Razgatlioglu outside top six

Over at Yamaha, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was the fastest for the opening day, with the 2021 World Champion seventh in FP1 and inside the top six throughout the second session in the afternoon. Typically, Aragon is a difficult track for Toprak and Yamaha, so whilst on the face of it, it’s more of a weekend of damage limitation, Razgatlioglu aims to ruffle Bautista’s feathers this weekend. Teammate Andrea Locatelli was a solid force inside the top ten with P9 in FP1 and thus XXX in FP2. Overall, Razgatlioglu took seventh, with ‘Loka’ in tenth.

BMW’S BAD LUCK: Redding injured, van der Mark 14th

In the factory BMW squad, there wasn’t much to shout about with Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) suffering from an injury sustained at home, whilst fellow factory BMW rider Michael van der Mark crashed in FP2 at Turn 12. Thankfully, the Dutchman returned to the circuit with ten minutes to go to try and set a faster lap time, whilst Redding returned not long after, following a brief stint in the pitlane with front suspension work being carried out. As day two hit the history books, Redding was 15^th and van der Mark 14^th, leaping ahead in the closing stages of FP2.

BEST OF THE REST: Oettl leads the charge in P11, Bassani nowhere

At a circuit where Ducati are so powerful, German rider Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) missed out on a top ten place by just 0.050s, taking 11^th at the end of FP2. He was ahead of Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW), with both of Michael Galinski’s BMWs ahead of the factory effort. Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) took P17, ahead of Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), with the #47 having a nightmare first day at Aragon, a track he’s never featured strongly at.

20^th went to Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team). Wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) took 21^st with Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team), Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing), Erica Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) completed the final order on day one.

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

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’49.649s

2. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.077s

3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.176s

4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.321s

5. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +0.799s

6. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.805s

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Source: WorldSBK.com