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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHO COULD IT FAVOUR? Kawasaki grinning?

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

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

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Source: WorldSBK.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SHORTHAND NOTEBOOK

2022 race winners:

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

Last two polesitters at Most:

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

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

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

Key gaps from Most 2022:

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

Manufacturer top speeds at Most, 2022:

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

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Source: WorldSBK.com

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

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

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

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

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Source: WorldSBK.com

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

THE MAIN FACTORS: keys to moving on

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

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

EGO AND RESPECT: it’s about feeling wanted

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Source: WorldSBK.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE BATTLE FOR FIFTH: 21 points separating eight riders…

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

RIDER NEWS FOR MOST: changes to the grid

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

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

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Source: WorldSBK.com

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

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

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

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

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

Source: WorldSBK.com

Just two weeks after a stunning return to Imola and the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is back in action with the Acerbis Czech Round. The Autodrom Most once again hosts with plenty of on-track drama guaranteed. The day starts at 09:45 (Local Time, GMT+2) with the first of three Free Practice 1 sessions: WorldSSP300 starts the day, followed by WorldSBK and WorldSSP. It’s a similar structure in the afternoon, which starts at 14:15 with WorldSSP300 Free Practice 2, and WorldSBK and WorldSSP following. On Saturday, WorldSBK gets the track action going with Free Practice 3 at 09:00, before three Tissot Superpole sessions. WorldSSP300 is at 09:45, WorldSSP at 10:25 and WorldSBK at 11:10. Racing starts at 12:40 with WorldSSP300 Race 1, while WorldSBK Race 1 is at 14:00 and WorldSSP Race 1 at 15:15. Three Warm Up sessions kick off Sunday at 09:00 before the first race of the day, the Tissot Superpole Race, at 11:00. WorldSSP Race 2 starts at 12:30, followed by WorldSBK Race 2 at 14:00 and WorldSSP300 Race 2 completing the weekend at 15:15.

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Friday, 28^th July (all times Local Time, GMT+2)

09:45-10:15 – WorldSSP300 Free Practice 1

10:30-11:15 – WorldSBK Free Practice 1

11:25-12:10 – WorldSSP Free Practice 1

14:15-14:45 – WorldSSP300 Free Practice 2

15:00-15:45 – WorldSBK Free Practice 2

16:00-16:45 – WorldSSP Free Practice 2

Saturday, 29^th July

09:00-09:30 – WorldSBK Free Practice 3

09:45-10:05 – WorldSSP300 Tissot Superpole

10:25-10:45 – WorldSSP Tissot Superpole

11:10-11:25 – WorldSBK Tissot Superpole

12:40 – WorldSSP300 Race 1 (14 laps)

14:00 – WorldSBK Race 1 (22 laps)

15:15 – WorldSSP Race 1 (19 laps)

Sunday, 30^th July

09:00-09:15 – WorldSBK Warm Up

09:25-09:40 – WorldSSP Warm Up

09:50-10:05 – WorldSSP300 Warm Up

11:00 – WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race (10 laps)

12:30 – WorldSSP Race 2 (19 laps)

14:00 – WorldSBK Race 2 (22 laps)

15:15 – WorldSSP300 Race 2 (14 laps)

Source: WorldSBK.com

Whilst the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is coming to a close, the 2023 season is taking shape and the calendar has been released, revealing the iconic destinations and historic venues where WorldSBK will continue to break records. With a return to Australia as the season-opener and a back-to-back at the start of the year with Indonesia, a new date for the Catalunya and Aragon Rounds and a return to Imola in the summer, it’s a diverse calendar for WorldSBK in 2023.

For the first time since 2020, WorldSBK’s season starts at what is the traditional starting point. Phillip Island and Australia will lift the curtain on the 12-round season from the 24^th – 26^th of February, whilst a week later, the Indonesian Round at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit follows, finding a new slot in the first weekend of March. After six weeks of rest, the Championship is back on European soil with the Dutch Round at the TT Circuit Assen from the 21^st – 23^rd of April, where WorldSSP300 will take to the track for the first time in 2023.

Round four sees a second change in the calendar order in comparison to 2022, with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosting the Catalunya Round from the 5^th – 7^th May. The next round comes from the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the Emilia-Romagna Round on the Adriatic Coast from the 2^nd – 4^th June, whilst marking the halfway point of 2023, the UK Round at Donington Park will close out June action and kickstart July racing from the 30^th June – 2^nd July.

Entering the second half of 2023, the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola returns to the WorldSBK calendar for the first time since 2019 to host the Italian Round from the 14^th-16^th July, followed by the Czech Round at the Autodrom Most returning for a third consecutive season, with the final weekend of July on the 28^th – 30^th. With August giving way to the summer break, action resumes with the French Round at Magny-Cours from the 8^th – 10^th September, as the circuit gets ready to celebrate 20 years of being on the WorldSBK calendar without interruption. Having been the curtain-raiser for the past two years, MotorLand Aragon and the Aragon Round host round 10 from the 22^nd – 24^th September, whilst the second back-to-back of the year is completed with the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal from the 29^th September – 1^st October. Dates and a venue for the final round of the 2023 season are to be announced.

Full 2023 WorldSBK calendar below:

24^th – 26^th February: Phillip Island, Australian Round

3^rd – 5^th March: Mandalika, Indonesian Round

21^st – 23^rd April: Assen, Dutch Round

5^th – 7^th May: Barcelona-Catalunya, Catalunya Round

2^nd – 4^th June: Misano, Emilia-Romagna Round

30^th June – 2^nd July: Donington Park, UK Round

14^th – 16^th July: Imola, Italian Round

28^th – 30^th July: Most, Czech Round

8^th – 10^th September: Magny-Cours, French Round

22^nd – 24^th September: Aragon, Aragon Round

29^th September – 1^st October: Portimao, Portuguese Round

TBA – final round

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The Argentinean Round, the curtain closer of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, which was scheduled to take place on October 13^th-15^th at the Circuito San Juan Villicum, has been cancelled. This decision is due to the intense electoral calendar faced by the country, which has led to a complex situation affecting the daily lives of people, provinces, and businesses.

Considering the proximity of upcoming national and provincial elections, Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO), Grupo OSD, and the San Juan government have chosen to suspend the event at the San Juan Villicum circuit.

Furthermore, the round was scheduled on the eve of a government transition in the province, and it has been decided to wait and keep the schedule of events open for the new administration, showing respect for the political context and allowing proper planning for events of the magnitude of WorldSBK.

The FIM and Dorna WSBK Organization will soon announce a new venue that will host the final round of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

It’s time to make the MOST of this weekend and CZECH out the battles on track; right, now the obvious puns are out the way, it really is time for the Acerbis Czech Round. Round 8 of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship gives an old-school vibe but this retro layout has definitely proved a modern classic on the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship calendar. Last lap battles in our two previous visits have given pivotal moments in the title races, with 2023 set to be no different. With a swing of the pendulum in Italy, which way will it go in the Czech Republic.

MOMENTUM WITH RAZGATLIOGLU: can he get the deficit down further?

After a Sunday double at Imola, the rub of the green is with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), as he heads to Most, where he’s won four races in previous visits. Capitalising on Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) crash on Lap 1 at Imola, the Turkish star will aim to repeat his wins from last time out and as he said, “the Championship isn’t over.” Five rounds remain and then next two are what you’d consider Toprak territory; another mistake from Bautista and a win from Toprak and we could see Bautista’s lead cut by more than half ahead of summer.

The question is this however: does Bautista look like making another mistake? No; he didn’t at Imola either though. Touching the white line and, in his own admission, perhaps with “too much confidence” after a feisty scrap in the Superpole Race with rival Razgatlioglu, it was the first Bautista blunder of 2023. Last year, his first one came at Donington Park but he bounced back after that; time will tell if he can do the same again. His record at Most for Ducati is good; three podiums and a win in Race 1 – giving Ducati their 1000^th podium – means he’ll be in contention again, but will he be more cautious? As a reminder, he leads Razgatlioglu by 70 points. The full standings are here.

BATTLE FOR THIRD OVERALL: Rea and Locatelli ready for latest scrap

Battling hard at Imola and sharing the podium spoils on Sunday with a rostrum each, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) will be duking it out to have P3 in their pocket before the summer holidays. ‘Loka’ was back on the podium on Sunday for the Superpole Race and returned as a race leader last time out for the first time in two years; he had good pace in the first half of the race. Not happy with tyre decisions made in the box, he’ll aim to iron them out this weekend to be competitive for a maiden win. As for Rea, he hailed it as “one of the best” weekends of 2023 with third in both feature-length races and fourth in the Superpole Race; he and Kawasaki never won at Most unlike Yamaha and Ducati, something he’d like to change Seven points split the 2020 WorldSSP Champion and the six-time WorldSBK Champion.

INDEPENDENT GAINS: more of Imola’s prowess at Most?

Fighting valiantly but in the end being denied with four laps to go, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) took a joint-career-best P2 at Imola in Race 2 and won a lot of fans with his tenacity as race leader throughout the weekend. Now he heads to Most, a circuit he knows and that is somewhat similar to Imola with fast, sweeping corners and an undulating layout. Expect Bassani to be competitive again. It’s as close to a home round as Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) gets and he’ll want to impress, whilst it’s an all-new experience for Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), who will have the task of getting his head around Most’s wild layout. After a P6 in Race 2 last time out, Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) misses the Acerbis Czech Round to fix an ongoing shoulder issue; he’ll be back at Magny-Cours.

REDEMPTION IN THE OFFING: Rinaldi, Lowes and factory stars keen to strike

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had his most consistent weekend of the year despite being injured, with three top five finishes – the first time he’s managed it all season. He crashed out of the podium battle early on in Race 2 at Most last year, whilst Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) slid out of Imola’s Race 2 and heads to a track where he crashed last year too, albeit whilst being ill. 20 points split both, with ‘Petrux’ in the middle.

Then, there’s the BMW of Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK), who is making plenty of headlines about his future in recent rounds; no announcement was eventually made at Imola, but on his Instagram last week, he announced that he’ll be staying in WorldSBK, but that was all. Either way, a good weekend at Most like years gone by will be just what he needs going to summer, although he’s had drama with Razgatlioglu after last lap battles both in 2021 and 2022. Will it be a hat-trick in 2023, at a circuit where Redding and the BMW were more competitive with a podium last year? He’s re-joined by teammate Michael van der Mark this weekend, subject to the Dutchman’s medical check on Thursday. The 2014 WorldSSP Champion missed last year and has a best of seventh at what is, with no German round, as close to home as BMW get. Finally, at Honda, Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) returned to the top ten at Imola and they’ll hope to be right on the pace in the Czech Republic; teammate Xavi Vierge seeks an improvement in his Superpole performance on his return to Most.

WORK TO DO: the battle for a top ten before summer

Down the order and outside the top ten, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) prepares for a first taste of Most’s layout and is keen to get inside the top ten overall, whilst further back, Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) aims to impress, at a round where it’s possible that the team’s 2024 plans will be decided. He’s just behind Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) who occupies 14^th overall and after a disappointing Imola that showed potential, he’ll take to Most for the first time on BMW machinery. Again, his German-based team will consider Most as a home round. After finishing the two full races at Imola as top BMW – the first time since joining the project in 2022 – teammate Loris Baz hopes to deliver another timely reminder as he rides for his own future, whereas Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) hopes that he can be competitive after a tough Imola.

COMPLETING THE FIELD: a home-hero ready to get stuck in

Heading home, it’d be the perfect time for Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) to deliver points; he took his only podium in World Championship competition at Most in WorldSSP300 two years ago. Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) is subject to a medical check if he travels to the Czech Republic, otherwise it will be a home-round replacement for the Czech-based team, who will also have Eric Granado tackling Most for the first time. Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) took a strong P12 in Race 1, 2021, and has his eyes on points once again. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) completes the order and searches for his first points of 2023.

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Source: WorldSBK.com