Six weeks on from the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s last racing action, the TT Circuit Assen hosted Round 3 of the 2023 campaign and there were many ups and downs across the grid during the Pirelli Dutch Round. History was rewritten in the Netherlands, there were positives for riders at the front of the field but also some negatives in the lead group while there were difficult weekends for others as WorldSBK burst back into action for the start of the European leg of the season.

It was a weekend to remember for Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as he claimed a hat-trick of wins to extend his Championship lead. Race 2 victory gave him his 40^th win in WorldSBK but it was also a momentous occasion for Ducati: they became the first manufacturer to record 400 victories in WorldSBK history and it was also their 700^th race on the podium in the Championship’s history. Bautista has now taken Ducati’s 350^th win, which came at Aragon in 2019, in WorldSBK and their 400^th victory.

At Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK, there were positives to take from the Dutch Round even if the victories they wanted did not come. Toprak Razgatlioglu was able to fight with Bautista through the first half of races at Assen, looking to disrupt the reigning Champion’s rhythm in order to stay ahead, while Andrea Locatelli continued his run of incredible consistency in 2023. In nine races this year, his lowest finishing position is fifth and he has already matched his podium tally from 2021, with four, and doubled his podium visits from last season. At Assen specifically, in nine races, he has three podiums in three visits and has never been lower than fifth.

Independent teams and riders also had positives at Assen. Although 2013 Champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) will be aiming much higher than 15^th place, he claimed his first point since returning to the Championship after the start to his season was plagued by technical issues and he and the team will be hoping this is a turning point. At the front, there was an incredible battle for fourth place between Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team9 and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). Bassani took fourth place across the line but was demoted one place for exceeding track limits on the final lap as the pair made contact. Fourth is Aegerter’s best WorldSBK result to date, beating the sixth-place he secured in Race 1 at Assen.

As Bautista was taking victories in the Netherlands, teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi was having a difficult weekend. Technical issues on Friday limited his running and a wet Free Practice 3 meant he couldn’t work on the bike for dry conditions, with all three races held in the dry. He was 15^th after Saturday’s Tissot Superpole session and finished Race 1 in the same position. In the Superpole Race, he did make gains on Lap 1 but dropped down to 13^th at the end of the eight-lap fight before making his way into tenth place in Race 2.

While there were some positives for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) to take from Assen, there were also some negatives. Rea has 17 wins at the iconic circuit, more than any rider at any track, and he now has a record 25 podiums there after taking second place in Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race. Despite his incredible record, and showing strong pace, he was unable to pick up another victory and his weekend ended when he crashed into the gravel at Turn 9 on Lap 6.

After appearing to make a step forward in the two tests between rounds, Assen proved to be difficult for Team HRC. Lecuona left the Dutch Round without scoring points, after crashing out in Race 1 at Turn 1 and Race 2 at Turn 4 while he finished 11^th in the Superpole Race. For teammate Vierge, he claimed 11^th in Race 1 and ninth in the Superpole Race but he was unable to convert his third-row start in Race 2 into a strong result, as he crashed out of the race at Turn 1.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Home hero Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had a premature end to Race 2 during the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship visit to the TT Circuit Assen for the Pirelli Dutch Round. The Dutchman had a highside during Lap 2 of the 21-lap race at the final chicane which launched him off his bike and out of the race. He was initially taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash, before being transported to Assen Hospital for further assessments on a suspected left femur fracture. Following the further checks at hospital, the left femur fracture has been confirmed for van der Mark.

Van der Mark had been enjoying his home round and took 13^th place in Race 1 before taking tenth in the Tissot Superpole Race on Sunday morning. The Dutchman had been looking to move up the order before his crash as he looked to give his fans on home soil a reason to cheer but he crashed at the chicane off his BMW M 1000 RR machine. Van der Mark had secured one top-six result in the 2023 season, which he came into fully fit after last year’s injuries, as well as scoring points on a regular basis.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The opening European round of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship saw a return to form for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), with the Ulsterman back on the podium in two of the three races. However, Race 2 saw him swap places and trade paint once again with his fellow ‘titanic trio’ members Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK). In the heat of the battle, Rea crashed out at Turn 9 from a podium position as he pushed for a first win of the year.

Speaking about the crash, Rea spoke of the incident and offered insight into renewing his rivalry with Bautista and Razgatlioglu, with the three most-recent Champions duking it out: “It’s unfortunate that the weekend ended like that as we have a lot of positives to take away. I lost track position with Toprak early on but when I got back through, I had a little bobble coming out of the last corner and he came back through into Turn 1. From there, it was difficult, because with Alvaro in front, it was able to understand the gap coming through the fast sections where I could grit my teeth and make up the margin coming through Turn 6 to Turn 8. With Toprak in the middle, he was also in between mine and Alvaro’s speed there, so I wasn’t able to fully gain. Anyway, I was there and I was more comfortable than yesterday.”

On the first race day on Saturday, Rea was in the fight for victory and led the opening eight laps before being passed on Lap 9 by Championship leader Bautista, who used the Ducati power on the run to Turn 13 to get ahead. Rea managed the gap to Razgatlioglu to secure P2 and his first dry podium of the season, but cited that front tyre wear was key in ending any hopes of the top step. With the improved feeling on Sunday, it’s a story of what could have been for the six-time World Champion.

“Going into Turn 9, I crashed on the front, zero idea how, we’ll have to check some data,” explained Rea. “There was some pressure on the gear cell, maybe I was putting some pressure on the arm of the gear lever… it’s been happening all weekend to be honest, but this one time, at Turn 9, as soon as I opened the throttle and engaged third gear, that was enough to take the engine breaking, lose traction and crash. Frustrated, but we have more positives to take from this weekend than negatives. I felt like I wasn’t over my head, so whether it was clumsy big feet or mechanically how the arm of the gear shifter was and maybe we can improve something.

“It’s been a tough start to the year but I feel like we’re competitive; we can expect to fight for podiums every weekend. This weekend, I felt more comfortable and I didn’t feel like the mistake was because of that. It’s a long season, we need to take the small positives and sometimes; a podium can feel like a win at the moment for KRT. We have to absorb that feeling and be happy with the job we’ve done, but there’s a lot of work to do. We’ll roll our sleeves up ready for Barcelona!”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 FIM Supersport World Championship got underway at TT Circuit Assen this weekend with the Pirelli Dutch Round and Race 2 provided to be as unpredictable as ever as Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) became the first Brazilian rider to claim victory in WorldSSP300 in the Championship as he held off Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) with just 0.045s separating the podium trio.

THE FIGHT FOR VICTORY: 0.045s across the top three…

The race was as unpredictable as ever in WorldSSP300 as Maier held on to take victory through the final chicane, ahead of Vannucci in second place and Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) in third. The trio were separated by 0.045s across the line at the end of the 14-lap race with the three riders so close, they were making contact across the line as they battled it out for victory.

Maier’s victory means he becomes the fourth youngest winner in WorldSSP300 at 17 years, five months and 26 days old; behind only Unai Orradre, Manuel Gonzalez and Bahattin Sofuoglu. Brazil become the tenth country to win in WorldSSP00 and it is Maier’s second podium in the Championship. Vannucci’s second place gives him his fourth podium and Yamaha’s 70^th in WorldSSP300, while Svoboda doubled up on podiums with Kawasaki’s 140^th podium in WorldSSP300.

JUST MISSING OUT: in the top six and close to the rostrum

Fourth place went to Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) in the hard-fought 14-lap race at Assen as he finished ahead of German rider Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) in fifth place. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) took fifth place and all of the riders in the top six took turns to lead the race at some point, proving once again how competitive and unpredictable WorldSSP300 will be this season.

COMPLETING THE TOP TEN: a fierce fight for strong points

Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing), who crossed the line in third place in Race 1 but was demoted to fourth for a yellow flag infringement, was seventh in Race 2 as he looked to continue his strong start to the campaign while eighth place went to Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo-PI Performances). Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) battled his way up the order to take ninth place in the classification, ahead of Enzo Valentim (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) who rounded out the top ten.

IN THE POINTS: leaving the Netherlands with points in the bag

British rider Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project), who switched manufacturers from Yamaha to Kawasaki for 2023, was 11^th ahead of Ruben Bijman (Arco Motor University Team) in 12^th during his first weekend for his new team; he switched from Kawasaki to Yamaha for 2023. Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo-PI Performances), who impressed last year as a wildcard at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, was 13^th ahead of compatriot Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) in 14^th. The last point went to Yeray Saiz Marquez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) in 15^th place and he also secured the fastest lap of the race.

Rookie Mattia Martella (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) was 16^th and just missed out on points in Race 2, but he was able to finish ahead of Italian rider Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) in 17^th. Kas Beekmans (Sublime Racing by MS Racing), who received a late call-up for the Dutch Round, was 18^th ahead of Troy Alberto (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) in 19^th and wildcard Thom Molenaar (Molenaar Racing Team) in 20^th. The Dutch rider impressed in Superpole but was not able to convert that into his first points finish, but he did equal his best result in WorldSSP300 with 20^th.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from WorldSSP300 Race 2

Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) crashed out of the race on the opening lap of the race when fighting in the front group when he highsided on the exit of Turn 5 and putting him out of the race. Mexican rider Juan Pablo Uriostegui (Team#109 Kawasaki) was a retirement after he crashed at Turn 8 on Lap 4. Lap 11 proved to be a difficult one for MTM Kawasaki as both of their riders crashed out at different corners. 2020 Champion Jeffrey Buis crashed at Turn 11 before Loris Veneman went down at Turn 16; both riders retired from the race. Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) crashed out of the race at Turn 7 on Lap 13 and he retired from the race.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

There was drama everywhere you looked in Race 2 for the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship as Petr Svoboda (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) claimed his second victory of the Pirelli Dutch Round at the TT Circuit Assen after a track limits penalty for one of his rivals. Across the line, before penalties were applied, just 0.045s covered the top three but penalties for Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) and Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) meant Svoboda started his 2023 campaign with two wins from two in 2023.

THE FIGHT FOR VICTORY: two tenths across the top three…

Maier had initially crossed the line in first place but was deemed to have exceeded track limits on the final lap and was therefore demoted to second place. However, with Vannucci deemed to have committed the same offence, he was also demoted one place and dropped to third with Maier in second and Svoboda being promoted to first place to claim his first double in WorldSSP300 and starting his campaign with a maximum 50 points out of 50 to lead the World Championship standings leaving the Netherlands. 

Svoboda also claimed his second WorldSSP300 podium and it was Kawasaki’s 140^th rostrum in WorldSSP300. Maier took his second podium in his short WorldSSP300 career while it was Vannucci’s fourth in his WorldSSP300 campaigns so far as he took third place, as well as claiming Yamaha’s 70^th podium in the Championship.

JUST MISSING OUT: in the top six and close to the rostrum

Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) had crossed the line in fourth place but was demoted to fifth place for a last-lap track limits infringement with Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) the main beneficiary as he went from seventh to fourth ahead of Gennai. With Gennai in fifth place, French rider Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) claimed sixth spot with Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing), who crossed the line in fifth, demoted to seventh place.

COMPLETING THE TOP TEN: a fierce fight for strong points

Enzo Valentim (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) was classified in eighth place at the end of the 14-lap race with Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo-PI Performances) in ninth and Italian rider Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) in tenth. Sabatucci was penalized with a one-place grid drop for exceeding track limits on the final lap at Turn 17, which was the same offence and penalty handed to Gaggi which demoted him to tenth place.

IN THE POINTS: leaving the Netherlands with points in the bag

British rider Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project), who switched manufacturers from Yamaha to Kawasaki for 2023, was 11^th ahead of Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo-PI Performances) who was promoted ahead of Ruben Bijman (Arco Motor University Team) in 13^th; Bijman was penalised with a one-place penalty for exceeding track limits on the final lap. Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) in 14^th. The last point went to Yeray Saiz Marquez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) in 15^th place and he also secured the fastest lap of the race.

Troy Alberto (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) took 16^th spot after benefitting from other riders being penalised for track limits infringements. Mattia Martella (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) crossed the line in 16^th but was deemed to have exceeded track limits on the final lap at Turn 17 so dropped to 17^th place. Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) was classified in 18^th after he also exceeded track limits at Turn 17 on the final lap, dropping him from 17^th to 18^th, which late call-up Kas Beekmans (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) in 19^th; he was also deemed to have exceeded track limits on the final lap and was demoted one place. Wildcard Thom Molenaar (Molenaar Racing Team) equalled his best WorldSSP300 result with 20^th place.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from WorldSSP300 Race 2

Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) crashed out of the race on the opening lap of the race when fighting in the front group when he highsided on the exit of Turn 5 and putting him out of the race. Mexican rider Juan Pablo Uriostegui (Team#109 Kawasaki) was a retirement after he crashed at Turn 8 on Lap 4. Lap 11 proved to be a difficult one for MTM Kawasaki as both of their riders crashed out at different corners. 2020 Champion Jeffrey Buis crashed at Turn 11 before Loris Veneman went down at Turn 16; both riders retired from the race. Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) crashed out of the race at Turn 7 on Lap 13 and he retired from the race.

The top six from WorldSSP300 Race 2, full results here:

1. Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki)

2. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD Latin America Team) +0.055s

3. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) +0.205s

4. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) +0.392s

5. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) +0.755s

6. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +0.955s

Fastest Lap: Saiz Marquez, Kawasaki – 1’48.962s

Championship standings

1. Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) 50 points

2. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) 30

3. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) 30

4. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) 26

5. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) 25

6. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) 17

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Round 3 of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has concluded and it was a memorable round for everyone as a raucous atmosphere with nearly 55,000 fans in attendance throughout. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) managed to make it a triple at the legendary TT Circuit Assen for the Pirelli Dutch Round, whilst the titanic trio were certainly back in action with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) back on the podium, although a crash in Race 2 left a bitter taste, whilst Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was in contention with three solid podiums.

Top ten in the Riders’ Championship standings below, full standings here:

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 174

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 118

3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 104

4. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) 77

5. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 73

6. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 54

7. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 51

8. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 50

9. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) 49

10. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 44

Manufacturers’ Championship standings can be found here.

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is welcoming records by the round and the Pirelli Dutch Round at the TT Circuit Assen saw a historic milestone for Ducati. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) delivered a 400^th win for the manufacturer and his 40^th with the brand, in what cements them as the most successful manufacturer in WorldSBK. We look back at their best race wins, the iconic numbers along the way and look back at some famous names.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS: Ducati started well, and only got stronger

Ducati’s winning success has been as long as the Championship itself, winning the second ever race at Donington Park with ex 500cc Grand Prix World Champion Marco Lucchinelli, who’d add to the tally later on in the year. Raymond Roche became the first serial winner for them from 1989 to 1992, taking the manufacturer’s first World Championship in the class in 1990 with domination. Into the 1990s and Ducati’s success kept on going with riders such as Doug Polen, Stephene Mertens and Giancarlo Falappa all coming to the fore; American Polen became a double WorldSBK Champion for the brand in 1991 and 1992.

However, it was 1993 onwards where Ducati would be etched into the forefront of everyone’s minds as Britain’s Carl Fogarty became one of the most popular riders ever seen in WorldSBK – and one of the most successful. Missing out on the 1993 title despite 11 wins, Fogarty ran riot in 1994 and 1995, clinching back-to-back titles and becoming a real superstar. Also during that time, the rise of Troy Corser, who became a rookie winner in 1995 at the Salzburgring in Race 1 before Fogarty won Race 2, Ducati’s 100^th.

FIRST GOLDEN ERA: classic fights and unrivalled success

Then, in 1996, John Kocinski’s stunning start to life in WorldSBK was a winning one at Misano. In a memorable race Down Under, Corser clinched the 1996 crown for Ducati in Race 1; there was nothing stopping Ducati. Fogarty was back in Ducati red in 1997 but missed the title, whilst 1998 saw them back on top, with a particular highlight being a podium lockout in the pouring rain of Albacete, as well as Fogarty and Pierfrancesco Chili’s epic battle at Assen. 1999 came and Fogarty dominated to make it a fourth crown, with another memorable race being Phillip Island’s Race 2, as Corser and ‘Foggy’ swapped places on the final lap.

WILDCARD FEVER: new names, fresh faces, same strength, more titles

After Fogarty retired through injury at the start of 2000, the question was who could possibly replace him? Coming over after a BSB title in 1999, Troy Bayliss was the answer, but it would be a wildcard who gave Ducati their first win of the season with Neil Hodgson in a heroic Donington Park Race 2 charge, with him taking Frankie Chili on the final lap, closing in by over a second for his first win. Bayliss won at Hockenheim in Race 1. Another wildcard winner would come in the form of John Reynolds at Brands Hatch at the end of the season whilst a year later, it was Bayliss who returned Ducati to the Championship, winning an epic battle at Monza against rival Colin Edwards for a first win of the year. In 2002, Bayliss started by making history, becoming the first rider in WorldSBK to win six straight races, and whilst he’d fight until the end of the year the title would be missed. However, 2003 welcomed Neil Hodgson’s domination and a mighty nine race wins on the bounce at the start of the year., including Ducati’s 200^th podium. However, wildcard Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne completed a memorable double at Brands Hatch, a highlight in the Italian brand’s campaign.

As Hodgson took the 2003 title and Ducati won every race, 2004 was similar; one of WorldSBK’s finest races was at Misano 2004, when Frankie Chili took his final win with a tyre gamble whilst James Toseland went on to become the youngest ever World Champion. The title was taken in 2006 with Troy Bayliss, who conquered Assen’s Race 2 in 2007 in a classic duel with James Toseland. A year later, it was Lorenzo Lanzi who profited from a final corner shuffle at Valencia in Race 1, whilst it was a final hurrah for Bayliss who retired from racing as a Champion with victory in his final race. In 2009, Michel Fabrizio won at home for the first time, whilst in 2011, the title was back in Bologna with Carlos Checa – Checa took the crown at Magny-Cours, having achieved Ducati’s 300^th win at Silverstone.

SOMETHING NEW: enter the Panigale model

Four wins in 2012 preceded a barren spell in 2013 and 2014 as the new Panigale V-Twin struggled to fight with rivals. However, 2015 called and Chaz Davies was competitive straight away and took the model’s first win at Aragon in 2015, although it was a heroic Sepang Race 2 that saw Davies come to blows with eventual Champion Jonathan Rea, denying the Ulsterman a double. 2016 saw Davies win again but it was Marco Melandri’s return to WorldSBK and winning ways at Misano that came as a highlight of 2017, whilst the Italian beat Rea in a head-to-head belter at Phillip Island a year later.

The current era of success however came with the Panigale V4 R, which came into use in 2019, with rookie Alvaro Bautista at the helm. Nobody saw which was he went for the first 11 races of 2019, with his final race win of the streak coming in Race 2 at Assen, before his title challenge faded. 2020 welcomed Scott Redding and Michael Ruben Rinaldi as race winners at Jerez Race 1 and Teruel Race 1 respectively, whilst Chaz Davies would sign-off his factory Ducati career with a win – his last one –  in an emotional final race for the team at Estoril. With Redding in third overall in 2021, he took a brilliant win at Most in Race 2 – where he’d go on to propose to girlfriend (now wife) Jaycey.

BACK TO BOLOGNA: title back in red in 2022 as records shattered

But it was all about 2022, when Alvaro Bautista was back in the Ducati team and back to winning ways straight away. He racked up victory after victory, including at Most where his win gave Ducati a massive 1000^th podium in WorldSBK. After more wins came through the year, it was a second place at Mandalika that returned the title to Ducati after 11 years with a round to spare. However, the final round at Phillip Island saw one of the greatest comebacks, with Bautista coming from as low as 16^th on Lap 1 to win after a bold tyre gamble. With the #1 back on a Ducati for the first time since 2005, Bautista dominated the opening race of the 2023 season in the rain at Phillip Island, before Ducat’s big 400^th win came at Assen in Race 2, completing his second hat-trick of the year and taking an eighth win from nine races.

IN NUMBERS: the heavy-hitting stats regarding Ducati’s wins

400 – Ducati claim 400 wins in WorldSBK; their nearest rivals are Kawasaki at 177. With their 400^th win, it was also the 700^th different podium that Ducati have been represented on.

60 – The #1 on a Ducati has won a race 60 times, six different riders contributing and the rider with the most #1 Ducati wins is Fogarty, at 24.

55 – Carl Fogarty’s 55 wins for Ducati means he’s the most successful, followed by Troy Bayliss at 52.

40 – Bautista clinched his 40^th win in Race 2 at Assen, exactly 10% of all of Ducati’s wins.

36.840s – The biggest Ducati victory margin was 36.840s at Brands Hatch in 1993’s Race 1 with Giancarlo Falappa finishing ahead of Kawasaki’s Scott Russell.

32 – 32 different riders have won a WorldSBK race for Ducati, with five being one-time victors for the brand: Andreas Meklau at the Osterreichring in Race 1 1993, Jamie Whitham at Sentul Race 1 1994, Anthony Gobert at Laguna Seca in Race 1 1999, John Reynolds at Brands Hatch Race 1 2000 and Garry McCoy at Phillip Island Race 2 2004.

8 – Eight riders from United Kingdom and eight riders from Italy have won races for Ducati, more than any other nationality.

4 – Fogarty’s four titles remain the most by a single rider for Ducati in World Superbike.

0.005s – The closest finish won by a Ducati was actually a Ducati 1-2 with Corser beating Fogarty at Phillip Island in Race 2, 1999.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship had more history written at the TT Circuit Assen during the Pirelli Dutch Round as Italian manufacturer Ducati claimed their 400^th victory in WorldSBK history after Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a hat-trick in the Netherlands. Ducati become the first manufacturer to reach this milestone as Bautista also racked up his 40^th win in WorldSBK after withstanding early pressure in the race.

HISTORY MADE: Bautista records a milestone for Ducati

The battle for the lead involved Bautista, Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the early stages of the race with all three taking their chance to lead throughout the race. Razgatlioglu made his move for the lead on Lap 3 but Bautista responded quickly, before Rea made his move on Lap 5 at the same Turn 8. Bautista was able to respond almost immediately to re-claim the lead and Rea’s race would come to an end on the following lap. He lost the front of his Kawasaki machine at Turn 9 on Lap 6 which put him out of the race.

It meant the fight for victory became between Bautista and Razgatlioglu, but the reigning Champion was able to pull out a gap over Razgatlioglu as he claimed his 40^th WorldSBK win and Ducati’s 400^th win in WorldSBK. Razgatlioglu was unchallenged as he took second place in Race 2 to continue his run of podium finishes, now at six races. He was directly ahead of teammate Andrea Locatelli in third, matching his podium tally from 2021 and doubling his count from 2022. Locatelli had to fend off a challenge from Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) who took fourth place.

Not only did Bautista’s victory give Ducati their 400^th WorldSBK victory, it was also their 700^th race on the podium to hit two milestones in one race. As it was Bautista’s 40^th win, all on Ducati, he has exactly 10% of Ducati’s WorldSBK victories. Razgatlioglu now has 90 podiums to his name while teammate Locatelli has ten, putting him level with Simon Crafar and Max Neukirchner while equalling his best podium tally to date.

LATE DRAMA: last-lap penalty switches fourth place…

Bassani had been running in the lead group during the first half of the race and was promoted to third following Rea’s crash but Locatelli made his way past his compatriot on Lap 8 at Turn 5 with a similar move to the one he made on Saturday against Bassani. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) backed up his sixth-place finish in Race 1 with fourth in Race 2. At the final chicane, the pair made contact with Bassani taking to the green and Aegerter staying on track. The incident was looked at and Bassani, who crossed the line in fourth, was demoted one place due to a track limits infringement on the final lap; Aegerter was therefore classified in fourth place, his best WorldSBK finish, with Bassani in fifth. It was yet another strong result for GRT Yamaha as Aegerter’s teammate, Remy Gardner, took sixth place after fighting his way through the field.

LEAVING ASSEN IN THE TOP TEN: a strong comeback

Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed seventh spot after a hard-fought race for the British rider, finishing just over a second behind Gardner but also withstanding a late charge from rookie Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team). Petrucci finished in eighth place but was only 0.075s behind Redding at the end of the 21-lap race as he charged through the field. Ninth belonged to Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) after a dramatic race for the Brit. On the sighting lap, Lowes went into the gravel and he was able to bring his bike back to the pits for the team to work on. He was able to start the race from the back of the grid, rather than fourth place where he had been scheduled to, but was able to slice his way through the field to ninth place. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took tenth place to end a difficult weekend in the top ten.

TAKING HOME POINTS: inside the top 15

German rider Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) took 11^th place, just over a second behind Rinaldi, while he had to fend off Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) who finished in 12^th place and only four tenths behind Oettl. Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) took 13^th place ahead of Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team) was 14^th ahead of Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing); Sykes claiming his first point since returning to WorldSBK for the 2023 campaign.

Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) was 16^th and almost 10 seconds down on the points-paying positions and he had to fend off Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team) in 17^th place. Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing), making his first start of the 2023 campaign, was 18^th after a late fight with wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing). Ruiu was just 0.020s behind Vinales at the end of the race.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from Race 2

Three riders crashed in quick succession on Laps 2 and 3 in separate incidents. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) crashed at Turn 9 on Lap 2, Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) crashed at Turn 16 and Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) crashed at Turn 1 on Lao 3. Van der Mark was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash and he was subsequently transported to hospital for further assessments on a suspect left femur fracture. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) was another who retired from the race when he crashed at Turn 15 on Lap 8, while Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) crashed at Turn 4 on Lap 12; he did re-join the race but brought his bike into the pits and retired.

The top six following WorldSBK Race 2, full results here:

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +3.915s

3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +7.416s

4. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +9.445s

5. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +9.500s

6. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +12.279s

Fastest Lap: Alvaro Bautista, Ducati – 1’37.607s

Championship standings

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 174 points

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 118

3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +104

4. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) 77

5. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 73

6. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 54

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport World Championship’s visit to the TT Circuit Assen for the Pirelli Dutch Round concluded with a thrilling Race 2 which was won by Nicolo Bulega (Aaruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) as he continued his strong start to the 2023 campaign, while there was an incredible fight for the podium behind Bulega as he took his fourth win in six races this season. Home team Ten Kate Racing Yamaha were able to celebrate a home podium with Stefano Manzi taking second place in the Netherlands.

FIGHTING FOR THE PODIUM: a fierce battle

Bulega has been the only repeat winner in 2023 so far and he continued that record as he claimed victory in Race 2 at Assen. He initially fell behind Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) on the opening lap but he responded at the final chicane to re-claim the lead of the race and, from there, he was able to take advantage of the squabbling behind him to build a gap of more than three seconds.

The battle for the podium had been a group of five or six riders but fracture when Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), teammate Bahattin Sofuoglu and Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) went three-wide into the final chicane. Sofuoglu crashed out after contact with the Dutch rider while Schroetter and van Straalen continued; the incident was placed under investigation by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards and no further action was taken.

It meant the podium fight ended up being between Caricasulo, Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Schroetter, with Manzi and Caricasulo fighting hard for second place. On Lap 16, the pair went side by side into the final chicane before Manzi opened up a gap to Caricasulo with rookie Schroetter fighting back to close the gap on the podium places. Despite Caricasulo and Schroetter fighting hard, Manzi was able to hold on by just 0.086s for second place, with Caricasulo in third.

Victory for Bulega moved Ducati onto nine WorldSSP victories, only one behind Suzuki and MV Agusta in the all-time list while Manzi claimed his eighth podium since joining WorldSSP, putting him in 38^th place in the all-time list. Caricasulo took his 30^th podium in WorldSSP with third place but his podium, coupled with Bulega’s victory, mean Ducati now have 40 podiums in WorldSSP.

JUST MISSING OUT: a late charge but shy of the podium

Schroetter backed up his maiden podium from Race 1 with fourth place in Race 2, finishing just half-a-second away from Caricasulo on the podium. The German rookie had a more than five second margin to the riders fighting hard behind him as Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) and Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) battled it out for fifth place throughout the second half of the race. Finnish rider Tuuli was able to hold on to fifth on his Triumph machine with Debise ending a strong weekend in sixth place.

ROUNDING OUT THE TOP TEN: ending the Dutch Round on a high

Their battle allowed Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) to close the gap to the top-six battle but he finished two seconds away in seventh place, ahead of Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura). De Rosa had been running ahead of Navarro but was ordered to drop one position in Race 2 which dropped him behind Navarro. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) once again pulled off an incredible comeback as he finished in ninth from 28^th on the grid, finishing ahead of van Straalen in tenth; van Straalen ran off at Turn 5 shortly after the incident at the final chicane.

SCORING POINTS: finishing in the top 15

Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) was 11^th after a strong race for the Kawasaki rider and he finished as the lead WorldSSP Challenge rider. Booth-Amos finished just 0.444s behind van Straalen at the end of the race, while he had a similar margin behind him with Andrea Mantovani (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) in 12^th place. Wildcard Simone Corsi (Altogo Racing Team) ended his debut WorldSSP weekend in 13^th place ahead of Nicholas Spinelli (VFT Racing WEBIKE Yamaha) in 14^th and Tom Edwards in 15^th. Spinelli had to serve a Long Lap Penalty for Race 2 following a crash with Edwards in Race 1 on Saturday.

Apiwath Wongthananon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) just missed out on points with 16^th, only 0.125s behind Edwards at the end of the flag, while his teammate was involved in a tight battle for 17^th. John McPhee (Vince64 by Puccetti Racing) finished in 17^th but he was only 0.051s ahead of Anupab Sarmoon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) at the end of the 18-lap race. There was another tight finish for 18^th as Maximilian Kofler (D34G Racing) finished 0.075s ahead of Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE HONDA Team) in 20^th. Harry Truelove (Dynavolt Triumph) finished in 21^st ahead of Adam Norrodin (PETRONAS MIE HONDA Team) and Yuta Okaya (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) who rounded out the classified riders.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from WorldSSP Race 2

Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) crashed out of the race at Turn 1 with both riders retiring from the race. The FIM WorldSBK Stewards opted to investigate the incident after the race. Oncu was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Luke Power (Yart-Yamaha WorldSSP Team) retired from the race after bringing his machine into the pits in the first half of the race, while Federico Fuligni (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) also brought his bike into the pits before taking the chequered flag to retire.

Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing) was declared unfit following a crash on Friday in Free Practice 1, with the Australian showing symptoms of a big toe fracture following the crash.

The top six following WorldSSP Race 2, full results here:

1 Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)

2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +4.437s

3. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +4.523s

4. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +5.088s

5. Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) +10.864s

6. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +11.068s

Fastest Lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati – 1’37.607s – New Lap Record

Championship standings

1 Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 127 points

2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 90

3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 79

4. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) 77

5. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) 63

6. Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) 61

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The shortened Tissot Superpole Race in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was a fierce fight between Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) for victory at the TT Circuit Assen during the Pirelli Dutch Round. The pair could barely be separated throughout the eight-lap race as they secured a front row start for this afternoon’s Race 2 following their battle.

FRONT ROW FOR RACE 2: battling for the win

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) got the holeshot as the lights went out and jumped into the lead of the race but Bautista was able to respond on the opening lap to re-claim first place before looking to build a gap. Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) both kept the pressure on Bautista while Rea’s teammate, Alex Lowes, was also in the four-rider group for victory.

As the race approached the final few laps, Bautista started to pull out a gap over Rea to claim victory in the Superpole Race and claim first on the grid for Race 2, ahead of Rea in second and Razgatlioglu in third. Victory for Bautista moved Ducati onto 399 wins in WorldSBK history and 699 races on the podium, while Rea’s second place set a new record for podiums at one track with 25. Razgatlioglu claimed his 89^th podium in WorldSBK with third place.

RACE 2 FROM ROW TWO: fierce fights for good grid positions

Lowes finished in fourth place after losing time to Razgatlioglu, Rea and Bautista but he also had a margin of more than two seconds over Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) in fifth place after he had a fight with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). Locatelli got through on Lap 6 while Bassani and Aegerter were fighting and separated by just 0.273s at the end of the line.

THIRD ROW START: looking to take advantage of their starting position

Aegerter took seventh and he will lead the third row in Race 2 as he withstood a charging Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in eighth place. Aegerter held on by just 0.071s to take seventh spot in the eight-lap Superpole Race to secure a third-row start for Race 2. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) will start from ninth in Race 2 after taking the same position in the Superpole Race as he looks to emulate his podium from Mandalika.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from the Superpole Race

The race was shortened to eight laps following a technical issue for Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) with possible fluid on the track, with the start delayed for this to be checked. Baz did not take part in the shortened Superpole Race following the issue.

The top nine following the WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race, full results here:

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.916s

3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +1.757s

4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +3.126

5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +6.067s

6. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +6.781s

7. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +7.054s

8. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +7.125s

9. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) +8.568s

Fastest Lap: Alvaro Bautista, Ducati – 1’33.780s

Watch WorldSBK Race 2 from the TT Circuit Assen from 14:00 Local Time (GMT+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com