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

After a season’s best P6 at Imola last time out, Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) will miss the Acerbis Czech Round at the Autodrom Most to have surgery on an ongoing shoulder issue. The British rookie had his best weekend of the season last time out and has stated he’d like to go into the remainder of the season as fit as possible and in the best shape. He’ll undergo the surgery on July 26^th in the United Kingdom.

Talking about the surgery and the decision to miss the round, Ray commented: “After such an amazing weekend at Imola, I’ve decided, in agreement with Yamaha and my team, to have an operation to definitively fix an ongoing issue that I’ve been having with my right shoulder, something I’ve been suffering with for a while. Even if it’s not debilitating, it often hinders my performance. Having been able to show at Imola, but also during previous rounds, that I deserve to be here in the Superbike World Championship, I want to tackle the second half of the season stronger than ever.

“I’m obviously really sorry I can’t go to the Czech Republic and the Most circuit, but I’ll now have a lot of time to fully recovery and, once the surgery is done, I’ll be aiming to score even better results. I’d like to personally thank Andrea Dosoli, the entire Yamaha Motor Europe team and the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team of course for their understanding. I can’t wait to see you all again after the summer break!”

Team manager Sandro Carusi supported Ray’s decision to miss Most and to come back ready to tackle the final rounds of the season: “I’m really sorry that Bradley has to take this enforced break, just as some strong results were coming. We’ve decided to stop now in order to give him the time to recovery and then aim for the best possible final part of the season.”

Ray’s rookie season features just the European rounds, meaning he started at Assen, unable to score points. However, in Barcelona, he was more competitive and took a best finish of 12^th in Race 1. Misano and Donington Park both promised so much but a technical problem in the former and being taken out at Turn 1 on Lap 1 in Race 1 in the latter cast clouds over the weekend. However, a P6 on the grid before a fine P6 in Race 2 at Imola – his and the team’s first time there – showed their capabilities as a package.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returns to the Autodrom Most next week for Round 8 of the 2023 season and with the high drama from previous visits, coupled with the title race twists last time out at Imola, the 2023 Acerbis Czech Round is one not to be missed. There’s been no shortage of action at the Czech circuit since WorldSBK first started visiting and this season promises to be the same, while the Paddock Show has a new location in the heart of the paddock. Buy your tickets for the Czech Round HERE.

With three different winners from six races run there, including Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who won when at Ducati, and plenty of late-race fights over the last three years, the Czech Round has become a must-visit. Not only will the WorldSBK action deliver but there will also be WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 machines on track to provide even more entertainment for spectators at the track.

New for 2023 is a change of location for the WorldSBK Paddock Show. For the first time since WorldSBK started going to the Autodrom Most, the stage will be in the heart of the paddock and there will be plenty of opportunities to get close to your favourite riders. With meet and greet sessions, chats, interactive games, and the iconic podium celebrations in the middle of the paddock, this is something not to be missed.

Make sure you get your tickets for the Czech Round right HERE!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is now in its second half of what is an intriguing season of action, but with each passing day, stories surface with regards to 2024’s grid. With rumours seemingly coming about every day about a whole host of teams and riders, one key player isn’t actually on the 2023 grid. Andrea Iannone is eyeing a return to racing and he has stated that he’ll soon know what his future will be. As always, check out our silly season article for a full run-down of what we know – and don’t know – so far, here!

THE TALKS: “We’ve spoken to all the teams who’ve shown interest, not just the ones you mention”

The big question is whether or not Andrea Iannone is close an agreement being reached, but it seems that nothing is clear, whilst there have been other teams than Team GoEleven and Barni Ducati that he’s been in contact with: “I don’t know if we’re close or far from an agreement, I just know that we’ll soon know what will become of my future as a rider. I think we’ve spoken to all the teams who’ve shown interest, not just the ones you mention.”

THE PROSPECT: “Come back to win? It must be our goal… it will be magical”

Having been in the paddock at both Misano and Imola, the atmosphere is something unique in World Championship racing, with the fans at the heart of it all, something ‘The Maniac’ enjoyed: “I missed the paddock a lot, not just the bikes, but the passion of the people, the fans, I missed everything a lot. I think the level of WorldSBK today is the highest ever. Come back to win? I don’t think it will be easy… but this must be our goal. If I ever succeed, it will be magical.”

THE OPPOSITION: “Alvaro is riding in an extraordinary way… I have little time and a lot of work ahead of me”

With the key teams Iannone could be partnering up with being Ducati, what does the 2016 Austrian MotoGP™ Grand Prix winner think of perhaps challenging reigning World Champion Alvaro Bautista? “Alvaro is riding in an extraordinary way,” began Iannone. “It would be nice to be able to find him on the track again; to duel with him is a path that must be built step-by-step. He is already at the top, I have little time and a lot of work ahead of me.”

THE OPTION: “We’re working on it, he’s a big talent and he deserves a place in this Championship” – Team GoEleven”

Denis Sacchetti, team manager for Team GoEleven Ducati, spoke about the possibility of welcoming Iannone to the line-up for 2024, with potentially knowing more about the team’s plans at the Most round: “We’re working on it, but we need to understand if it’s possible or not. Iannone for me is a talent, a big talent. He’s been out for four years but he’s a big talent and he deserves a place in this Championship. I spoke with him this weekend, but as a friend. There’s nothing decided; he have different options but anyway, I’ll be happy if he’s able to return to the Championship and ride and be competitive. Let’s see.”

THE OTHER GOELEVEN RUMOURS: “It’s important for us to have different options; I hope it’s possible to understand our future in the next two weeks, around Most”

Speaking about the team’s general approach to 2024, Sacchetti said: “It’s not easy to talk about the riders now; it’s time to speak and talk about contracts with the riders. This is our second year with Philipp and the relationship with him is very good. I think he’s fast, with big potential and he’s really close to the top five. But it’s not an easy gap to close because the level of the Championship is really, really high. The bikes, the riders, the teams, World Champions, so, it’s not easy for a young rider. We’re talking with him and other riders about next season. At the moment, it’s important for us to have different options to decide which is best for us for our future. Nothing is decided yet, I hope it’s possible to understand our future in the next two weeks before the break. Around the Most round.”

Attention then turned to whether or not Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) could return to the team, if he isn’t in the factory Ducati seat for 2024: “The first thing that matters is what happens from Ducati, as maybe he stays there. Michael is a big friend to us and a fast rider and I think he can stay every race inside the top three. He’s an interesting rider for every team in this Championship for everyone I think.”

Finally, Sacchetti spoke about the possibility of the team expanding, but budget means that nothing is decided just yet: “I think that every private team has the same dream to have two bikes; with that, we have a complete team. The main problem is the budget and it’s important to have all the budget you need to start with two bikes. We’re working on it, like other Ducati teams. This isn’t decided yet.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship races at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola for the first time since 2018, with the 2019 race cancelled due to inclement weather conditions, and one of the few on the grid who knew the track was Marc Garcia (China Racing Team). He raced and won at Imola in 2017, the year he was crowned World Champion. Six years after that victory, he returned to the category with the China Racing Team for the rounds in Italy and the Czech Republic, and in his first weekend he became the first rider to score points on the Kove 312RR on the world stage.

WEEKEND IN REVIEW: a new manufacturer scores in WorldSSP300

The weekend started with a sixth position in Free Practice 1, the best result in any session for the Chinese manufacturer. In FP2, he improved his time by just over three tenths, but finished ninth in the session, which left him 11^th in the combined classification. His best time on Friday was a 2’07.771s, less than a second behind pacesetter and Race 1 winner Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha).

Despite the fact he improved his Friday time by six thousandths in Saturday’s Tissot Superpole session, he could only take 19^th on the grid and started from the seventh row. His time was 1.310s down on polesitter Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing). Even starting so far back, in Race 1, he was able to climb back and fight in the second group for most laps; Geiger and Vannucci had broken away and fought for victory. He finished the race eighth, behind Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) and ahead of Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing), only 1.542s off the podium. On Sunday morning, he was eighth in Warm Up but he was unable to replicate the result in Race 2 where he finished 21^st.

Due to this result, the Spaniard was less satisfied than he should have been, clarifying that the bike has the potential to be higher. He said: “It could have gone better. The problem was the Superpole. In this category, you can be fast in all sectors, but when you get to the last one it becomes a funnel, and you cannot improve the lap. I was in the top ten all weekend, and in Superpole we could have easily been in the top five, but I couldn’t improve my lap and that hurt me all weekend. On Saturday, I was able to come back, but it is very difficult to start the race from so far back… We could have fought for the top five. On Sunday, it was the other around. Something happened with the bike and I couldn’t be fast.”

Garcia is, however, aware that this is common with a new manufacturer: “It is normal for these things to happen. We are the only team with this motorbike, and it is difficult to work like this. When the Championship started, there were 10 Yamahas, 10 Kawasakis and four KTMs. It’s very different to work with a single motorbike. You can’t compare data, and if there is a mistake, it’s just one motorbike. But the weekend was very positive, and I’m sure it’s going to be better at Most.”

TECHNICAL CONDITIONS OF THE 321RR: “Kove can get on the podium and win races!”

It was the first time Garcia had ridden the bike, although he was not the first Spaniard to ride the Kove, as Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing GR) achieved a double victory in Valencia in the ESBK Supersport 300 in May, when he raced alongside Junhao Zhan. After a weekend at Imola, Garcia explained the differences to the other bikes on the grid. Garcia also stated what he thinks the potential is: “It’s somewhere between the Kawasaki and the Yamaha. The chassis is similar to the Yamaha, but a little stiffer, although it looks more like the Kawasaki. Same aspects need to be improved, such as aerodynamics, but that requires time and mileage. Kove can win and get on the podium.”

ABOUT THE PROJECT: a possible future together

The China Racing Team has had three riders in four rounds. The first was Shengjunjie Zhou, who raced at Assen and Catalunya, while Junhao Zhan only participated at Misano, although he did not start the race as he was outside the 105% time in Superpole. For the Italian and Czech Rounds, the team has decided to field Garcia; an experienced rider with more than 50 starts under his belt, including seven victories, 14 podiums and the first WorldSSP300 Champion.

Discussing how he secured the seat for two rounds, Garcia said: “Jesus Rincon, the Team Manager, called me at the beginning of the year to do the entire season, but I had to reject him because he had something else quite advanced. He called me again because he needed a rider and, since I wasn’t racing this year, I didn’t even think about it. I already knew the team because I worked with them in 2019 with Kawasaki. They are an incredible group of people, the environment is healthy, there is a very good vibe and that helps a lot when it comes to working and making things work out as they should.”

Garcia also confessed that he’d like a long-term relationship with the team: “At first, it will just be Imola and Most, but I guess we’ll have to talk. Things are going well, and everyone is happy with me. I would like to finish the season here, and even continue next year with them. I can contribute experience and professionalism. Both the team and I want to win, but for that you need a good rider and a competitive bike, and to have a competitive bike you need an experienced rider. The level of competition is China is very different from what we have here, and so is the rhythm.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) has become one of the key players in the silly season for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock. With the German manufacturer signing Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) for the factory team for 2024, speculation about who will be his teammate has been rife with both Michael van der Mark and Redding admitting their desire to stay with BMW.

With the incumbents expressing their wish to stay, BMW have a decision to make about Razgatlioglu’s partner. At the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola, Redding on Thursday teased that there would be an announcement on Sunday but there was silence about his future, while Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) has also stated his future depends on what Redding does for 2024, seemingly putting a shake up in the Independent BMW line-up on the table.

With no announcements coming about his future, British rider Redding provided an update via his Instagram Stories. He said: “I’ve had more DMs about what I’m doing next year than when I’ve had a good result from racing! I said at Imola the news will be coming out on Sunday. All I can tell you is that I will be staying in World Superbike. That’s all I can give you. I really appreciate that you guys want to know what I’m doing, but it still can’t be said what’s going on. I’ll be staying in the World Superbike paddock, so see you there again.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team will have a new line-up on the FIM Supersport World Championship grid from the Acerbis Czech Round onwards, as Lorenzo Dalla Porta steps in for Andrea Mantovani. The team mutually agreed to part ways with the MotoE™ race winner after the Prometeon Italian Round, where Mantovani did not race due to injuries sustained at Donington, with 2019 Moto3™ Champion Lorenzo Dalla Porta stepping in.

The Italian joined Evan Bros. Yamaha for the 2023 season after making two wildcard appearances in WorldSBK in 2021, while he also raced in STK1000 between 2016 and 2018; finishing in the top ten of the standings in his rookie campaign. However, strong results this year have been hard to come by for a team that have been so used to fighting at the front in recent years. Mantovani’s best was 12^th in Race 2 at the TT Circuit Assen while he missed the UK and Italian Rounds through injury he sustained on Friday at Donington Park.

The squad have been used to fighting for titles in recent seasons. In 2019, the won the Championship with Randy Krummenacher while teammate Federico Caricasulo was second. A year later, Andrea Locatelli dominated the season to claim the World Championship while, in 2021 and 2022, the team finished runners-up to Dominique Aegerter with riders Steven Odendaal and Lorenzo Baldassarri.

In a post on Instagram, Mantovani said: “I announce with great regret that, by mutual agreement with the Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team, it has been decided to interrupt the collaboration. Thank you all for the work done together and I wish the team all the best for the rest of the season!”

From the Autodrom Most onwards, Lorenzo Dalla Porta will join the team as he steps across from a disrupted Moto2™ campaign. After making his Moto3™ debut in 2015, he claimed the World Championship title in 2019 before he moved up to Moto2™; scoring five points in his rookie campaign. He doubled that a year later as he remained with the Italtrans Racing Team outfit until the end of the 2022 season. This year, he has raced five times for the Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team and twice for the Forward Team, and now he will start a WorldSSP campaign more than halfway through the season.

Discussing his arrival to WorldSSP, 26-year-old Dalla Porta said: “I am really happy to have this opportunity with the Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team, certainly one of the best teams in the category. I want to give my best, to obtain the results that the team and I deserve. The project is good and ambitious, so we just have to start and work hard, to improve quickly and have fun. I thank the team for the opportunity, I am really motivated.”

Team Principal Fabio Evangelista said: “I am obviously very sorry that I was not able, together with my team, to bring Andrea Mantovani to the top positions. Together we decided that stopping was the best decision. I wish Andrea all the best for the continuation of his career. I am very happy to welcome Lorenzo to our team. The first mission is to help him adapt to the category and to the tyres, and then to start improving step by step, aiming for great results. The team is ready to work hard, as it has always done, to experience a second half of the season as protagonists.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Despite another tricky weekend for Honda, there was some solace when Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) returned the manufacturer to the top ten for the first time since the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship visited Italy at Misano. In what had been a difficult period where both Lecuona and teammate Xavi Vierge struggled to crack the top ten and show any kind of form, Valencia-born Lecuona rode to his first top ten in over a month.

However, Imola was yet another challenging weekend for the Japanese manufacturer, perhaps not a surprise. Team HRC only returned in 2020 and this was the first trip for them to the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari. For the riders, it was also their first venture out into one of the most technically-challenging and undulating circuits on the calendar, where past experience really can make a difference. After no points in Race 1 (due to retirement) or the Superpole Race (due to finishing outside the points in 13^th), it was relief for Lecuona to deliver a 10^th on Sunday afternoon.

Speaking about the result, whilst it being far from ideal, it’s something to build from moving forward for the #7: “In the end I’m happy with how we’ve ended the weekend, because after struggling a lot in the beginning and qualifying a way back on the grid, step-by-step we’ve been able to turn the weekend around. For this, I want to say a big thank you to my team because they always had faith in me, just as I had faith that we’d be able to make a step forward with the bike. Already in today’s Superpole Race, I felt better lap after lap and realised I had quicker pace and could at least make up some positions.

In Race 2, the first laps were tough; it was not easy to overtake the riders ahead but once I was able to do that and move close to the group of riders fighting for tenth place, I managed to pass them too. On the last lap Remy tried to pass me back, but I was feeling very strong and could defend my position. Starting so far back meant it was impossible to do more but I’m happy to have finished in the top ten. I’m happy to finally have one week to rest after seven consecutive weekends of racing and testing. So, I’ll exploit these few days as a little ‘holiday’.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The story of the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship at the Prometeon Italian Round was the weekend-long duel between Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) and Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) in the sweltering conditions. The duo split the wins at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola as they both surged up the Championship standings, with Geiger leading the way after five rounds.

The #91 Yamaha was the quickest rider on Friday, but he was beaten to pole position by Geiger in the Tissot Superpole session by four tenths as the German took KTM’s first pole since the late Victor Steeman at Most in 2021. In Race 1, the pair quickly broke away from the chasing pack and had more than two seconds in hand over third placed Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) at the end of Lap 1. From there, the pair fought it out for victory although passing was limited; the duo opting to keep pulling out a gap. Vannucci was able to lead every lap despite Geiger’s late-race efforts to overtake him, giving him his third win in WorldSSP300.

Discussing his Race 1 win, the Italian said: “It’s a fantastic win. The race was difficult due to the hot conditions. The asphalt was so hot. The bike was sliding in the corners, but I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the race. I had a big fight with Dirk Geiger. In the last corner, I went in sliding. I said ‘f**k, he could pass me!’. I crossed the line in first place so I’m very happy about this.”

Race 2 was a similar story as the pair broke away, although this time they were joined by Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team). He dropped off Vannucci and Geiger in the closing stages, allowing them to fight hard for victory. The three-time race winner had crossed the line first and thought he’d done the double, but a post-race investigation found he’d exceeded track limits at Turn 13 on the final lap. This demoted him to P2 with Geiger winning; KTM’s first win since the same weekend Steeman claimed pole.

Looking back on Race 2, the #60 KTM rider said: “On Sunday morning we found something in the Warm Up by trying out something on the gearbox and changing it. It worked wonderfully. The second race was an incredible challenge because of the temperatures. It wasn’t easy to stay focused in this heat. It was another great race at the end. In the last few laps, I gave everything to prevent Vannucci from taking his second win at his home race. The FIM Stewards changed the result. The trophy and the cap for second place had been stowed away; they will only be exchanged at Most.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com