The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returns to action at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, with plenty of on-track action for to enjoy throughout the round. Track action starts at 09:00 Local Time (GMT+2) with the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship, while WorldSSP300 action starts at 09:45 with Free Practice 1. WorldSBK FP1 follows at 10:30 and then WorldSSP at 11:25. WorldSSP300 Free Practice 2 is at 14:15 with WorldSBK at 15:00 and WorldSSP at 16:00. On Saturday, action starts with WorldSBK Free Practice 3 at 09:00 before jumping into crucial Tissot Superpole sessions: WorldSSP300 at 09:45, WorldSSP at 10:25 and WorldSBK at 11:10. Racing action starts at 12:40 with WorldSSP300 Race 1, WorldSBK Race 1 at 14:00 and WorldSSP Race 1 at 15:15. WorldSBK again starts the action on Sunday at 09:00 with Warm Up, followed immediately by WorldSSP and WorldSSP300, while racing action starts at 11:00 with the Tissot Superpole Race. WorldSSP Race 2 is at 12:30 and WorldSBK Race 2 at 14:00 before WorldSSP300 Race 2 ends the weekend’s action at 15:15.

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Friday, 2^nd June (all times Local Time, GMT+2)

09:00-09:30 – Yamaha R3 European Championship Free Practice

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

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

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

13:30-14:00 – Yamaha R3 European Championship Superpole

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, 3^rd June

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

11:45 – Yamaha R3 European Championship Race 1 (10 laps)

12:40 – WorldSSP300 Race 1 (15 laps)

14:00 – WorldSBK Race 1 (21 laps)

15:15 – WorldSSP Race 1 (18 laps)

16:15 – Yamaha R3 European Championship Race 2 (10 laps)

Sunday, 4^th June

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 (18 laps)

14:00 – WorldSBK Race 2 (21 laps)

15:15 – WorldSSP300 Race 2 (15 laps)

Source: WorldSBK.com

We head to one of the most passionate and atmospheric rounds on the whole 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship calendar, as the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” gets ready to host the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round. With the Ducatisti set to be out in full force, Championship leader Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will hope to dazzle in front of the partisan Ducati crowd, whilst his rivals and a strong Italian contingency themselves will look to knock the #1 off his perch. It’s also a special round for Event Main Sponsor Pirelli, who celebrate 20 seasons of being WorldSBK’s Official Sole Tyre supplier at this very round.

RACE PACE BATTLES: Bautista and Razgatlioglu set for head-to-head classic?

During the recent test at Misano Test, Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) were seemingly in their own league. You can get a full analysis of their race pace here, but to put it simply, they’re looking like the favourites. Last year at Misano, Bautista was able to win the two full length races, whilst Razgatlioglu was relentless in the Superpole Race to take a first win of the 2022 season. Toprak also won in 2021’s Race 2, denying Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) a triple at home. Bautista leads Razgatlioglu by 69 points: can the Turk take advantage of Misano not requiring big top speeds and reel in the #1? He comes into the round with his future secure, leaving Yamaha at the end of the year and chasing a new challenge with BMW for 2024.

HOME HEROES AT ODDS: sparks to fly with Rinaldi vs Bassani at Misano

It was a major talking point last time out in Barcelona, when Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) clashed not once but twice, with the second occasions leaving Rinaldi in the gravel and not best pleased with his fellow countryman and Ducati rider. Now, both head to Misano and there’s reason to believe both will be in close proximity to each other once more. Rinaldi is a double race winner at Misano from 2021, whilst in that same season, it was Bassani’s breakthrough round as he stormed to a career-first top six in just his eighth race in World Superbike. A fourth and two seventh place finishes last year at Misano, Bassani will be eager to shine through for a podium, or perhaps more, and show that he’s the rider who deserves Rinaldi’s seat for next year. Rinaldi has the aim of repeating his 2021 success and leapfrogging Bassani in the title race; he’s currently 19 points behind the #47. In between both in the standings, Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) has been in the top eight in all of the last six races, can he continue that form?

LOCATELLI VS REA: can Misano be their biggest round?

It’s the battle for third in the Championship at the moment and so far, it’s going the way of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), who is 33 points ahead of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and arrives to Misano with a new two-year deal in his pocket with Yamaha. However, Locatelli has yet to take a podium at Misano and usually, his form dips at this track, with three sixth places from 2022 and three ninth places from 2021. By that form, he should find himself on the rostrum if his previous improvement is anything to go by, but that’ll be tough. Not at the Misano Test but completing a private test at Jerez in hotter conditions and thus more beneficial for the Kawasaki ZX-10RR, Rea arrives at Misano with eight wins there and podiums in every Kawasaki year. Despite difficulties at the start of 2023, he’ll be there again and perhaps it’ll serve as a good opportunity to close down Locatelli in the Championship. Rea won his first race at Misano back in 2009 for Honda, so there’re always fond memories for him.

TOP 10 BATTLE: who will make hay at Misano?

Currently in eighth place, it’s been a consistent start to 2023 for Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and he relished a new overslung swingarm in the recent Misano Test, whilst his teammate Iker Lecuona was left wanting more. In between both in the standings is Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), and with a fifth and fourth in the last two races, could he be destined for a podium battle at a circuit he’s yet to take a rostrum at aboard Kawasaki machinery? Last year for Honda, it was one of Vierge’s strongest rounds, with a fine Superpole Race of fourth seeing him push Jonathan Rea for the final podium position, whilst a fast Race 2 crash saw him pick up a hand injury. Lecuona was a double top five man on Sunday last year, so is a podium within reach? Misano is a circuit which offers high grip, something that Vierge will relish. Perhaps, with it being his first WorldSBK round on home-soil, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) can shine at the track where he was on the podium at in MotoGP™ back in 2017. He’s completed a recent test at Mugello, where a new swingarm and setup options seemed to help him with feeling and continue his adaptation to Pirelli tyres.

BMW BOUNCING BACK? Redding lines up a fight back as Sykes returns to factory team

After a first weekend without scoring points in Barcelona, Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) will be hungrier than ever to get BMW back to the pointy end of race action. Last year at Misano, the 30-year-old Brit was battling for the top ten, with two top ten results in the full races but only 11^th in the Superpole Race. It’s a track where he’s tested at before, including just a couple of weeks ago, when he was partnered up with the rider he replaced within the team in 2022, Tom Sykes. The Yorkshireman and 2013 World Champion is back in the factory BMW outfit for Misano and until Michael van der Mark is back from injury, where he took them to a podium in 2019. Whilst Sykes said that “it would be great to repeat” such a result, it’s a good chance to see if he can still pull a lap out of the bag and put himself within top ten contention in the races.

COMPLETING THE ORDER: expect surprises from big names and rookies

12^th in the Championship standings and eager to put on a strong display, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) will hunt down a return to the top ten in the Championship standings come the close of the round, whilst Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) is right in behind him, just seven points adrift of the Australian. Gerloff comes to Misano off the back of three top ten finishes in Barcelona and is keen to continue his form and consolidate his status as top BMW rider in the standings. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) aims for a first top ten since Phillip Island as he races for Ducati on Italian soil, as Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) chases a first top ten of 2023.

Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) was very quick at the Misano Test and up inside the top five and looks on for a good results, whilst Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) and teammate Eric Granado will need to pass a medical check before returning to action after being declared unfit in Barcelona. Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) is likewise keen to shine and get more good points on the board for his third event of the season after a best result of 12^th last time out. Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO), Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing) and Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) all seek their first points of the 2023 season. 

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the 2023 Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round at the start of June but, before then, we are taking a trip down memory lane to get you warmed up for the round. This time, you can watch Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Toprak Razgatlioglu, then at Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, duel it out for victory in one of their now-famous classic battles. Less than half a second separated the pair at the end of the 21-lap race and you can watch the full race for FREE by clicking the video at the top of this article.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Whilst the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is in the final week of a spring break between round four and round five, there’s been plenty of testing for teams and riders across the paddock. After the Supported Test at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was at Mugello, and he was joined by Nicolo Bulega, who was part of a Ducati test team for Ducati Corse aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 R, for a second test on Superbike machinery. 

Speaking about the test, Bulega stated that he was more than happy with his track time and that he’s wishful for future opportunities too: “I was very happy to test the Panigale V4R at Mugello and I thank Ducati and my team for this opportunity. The sensations during the test were very positive, it was an intense two days. I’m very satisfied because I felt good with the bike right away and I was also able to lap quite fast. It was a solid experience and I hope to have other opportunities to test the Panigale V4R, which I really liked.”

In terms of the rider market, there have been plenty of riders linked to the factory Ducati seat alongside Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). Michael Ruben Rinaldi is Bautista’s current teammate but with a deal that takes him to the end of this season, whilst Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) has made it clear that he wants to occupy that seat. Danilo Petrucci has also stated his intentions of moving up, whilst Bulega himself is in fine form. Get a full look at the grid and silly season here!

Photo credit: Alex Farinelli

A breath-taking season is well underway, watch it all unfold in style with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship will soon be back underway for round five at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, but prior to the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round kicking off, one home-hero has been on testing duty. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) took part in a two-day test as he and the Barni Spark Ducati outfit were in track action at Mugello, after missing the Misano Supported Test. Petrucci and the team were scheduled to take part in Misano testing action but the Italian was called up to the factory Ducati MotoGP™ team to replace the still-injured Enea Bastianini for the French Grand Prix at Le Mans, thus clashing with the test.

After two days of track action, Petrucci review the test via an Instagram post: “We tried some new components on the bike. A new swingarm and many setup options brought me improvements in term of feelings and thanks to these kilometres, I’m getting even more familiar with tyres. We are satisfied and ready for Misano.”

A breath-taking season is well underway, watch it all unfold in style with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid will have a slightly new look to it at the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round albeit with a familiar face as Spanish rider Tito Rabat makes a return to the grid at Kawasaki Puccetti Racing. The 2014 Moto2™ World Champion will link up with the team again after racing with them in 2021 and 2022 as he replaces Tom Sykes, who left the team recently and re-joined the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team on a temporary basis.

The 33-year-old will once again ride for the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing squad for the third time in his career, having done so previously in 2021 and 2022. The 2014 Moto2™ World Champion  qbrings a wealth of experience to the team from his time in the MotoGP™ paddock as well as in domestic Superbike championships, having claimed the title in his native Spain in 2022.

Rabat made his WorldSBK debut in 2021 with the Barni Spark Racing Team but he split from Barni Ducati after just a handful of rounds, claiming a best result of ninth in Race 1 at the Circuito Estoril. His split from Barni Ducati came after the French Round in September but he was back in WorldSBK very quickly as he returned with Kawasaki Puccetti Racing for the final few rounds of the season, replacing Lucas Mahias, taking a best result of 11^th in Race 1 at the Circuito San Juan Villicum on the ZX-10RR.

In 2022, Rabat competed in the Spanish Superbike championship with Honda as well as making a one-off appearance in British Superbikes, again with Honda. He claimed the Spanish championship title with two wins and 12 podiums, and he also returned to WorldSBK with Puccetti Kawasaki as a replacement rider for Mahias, who was suffering from injury. He did not score points on his return to the Championship at Misano, which was only his first round of the 2022 campaign on the world stage, finishing in 16^th place in Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race and 17^th in Race 2.

Before he joined WorldSBK, Rabat took third place in the Moto2™ World Championship in 2013 and 2015 with his title coming in 2014. He has 13 wins in the MotoGP™ paddock, all coming between 2013 and 2015. He moved to MotoGP™ for 2016 and scored a best Championship position of 19^th in 2017 and 2018. For 2023, Rabat returned to the MotoGP™ paddock to compete in the MotoE™ World Championship for the full season. He is also competing in the Spanish championship this season and has two wins to his name, both coming at MotorLand Aragon in April.

Discussing his return to WorldSBK and Puccetti Kawasaki, Rabat said: “I’m pleased to return to Team Puccetti and Kawasaki. This is a great opportunity for me to return to WorldSBK but also keep up the race pace, because this year I’m competing in MotoE™ where there are not so many races. I’ll try to make the most of this opportunity and help Manuel Puccetti’s team as they continue to develop their bike. I want to have fun of course, and give it my all, but also complete all the races in order to collect as much data as possible. See you all at Misano!”

Team Principal Manuel Puccetti added: “I’m pleased to announce the return of Tito Rabat to our team. In both 2021 and 2022, the Spaniard was tasked with standing in for an injured rider, which is never easy, and he raced without having chance to test, so without knowing our bike. Despite that, Tito always proved to be the consummate professional, with significant experience under his belt in both the Moto2™ and MotoGP™ Championships. It will be a pleasure for us to have him back in the team for their home round at Misano, where our goal will be to continue developing the bike and try to improve on the results scored thus far.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is four rounds down but there remains plenty of stories to come in a fascinating season of action. So far, we’ve seen it all and the next round at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” will be no exception to delivering the unexpected. We look back at the key themes so far in 2023, what to expect going forward and more.

BOWLING THEM OVER: Bautista’s dominant start to 2023

There was never a doubt that Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) would struggle as he goes to defend his #1 on the front of the Ducati, however few would’ve predicted the sheer dominance of the Spaniard. 11 wins out of 12 so far in 2023, the only race he didn’t win was when he crashed in the Superpole Race at Mandalika, giving Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) a first win of the year. Not just the fact he’s dominated, he’s looked comfortable and in stark contrast to his 2019 display, he now knows why he’s able to ride with such ease and he understands where the limit is a lot more. Add on to that the stunning spectacle he put on in Barcelona last time out, Bautista could be poised for more great things if he keeps up his current form.

RAZGATLIOGLU NEEDING WINS: can the #54 strike gold at Misano?

Toprak Razgatlioglu’s consistency in 2023 so far has been nothing short of outstanding; second in six races this season, including four of the last six, whilst every other race has seen him (besides Phillip Island Race 2 when he was taken out) finish on the podium. 167 points after four rounds, it’s 16 less than his Championship season and a whopping 26 more than last year at the same stage, but Bautista’s been doing all the winning. With only one win so far coming in Indonesia, Razgatlioglu needs to be back on the top step and capitalise at circuits where he’s won multiple races before. Misano, Donington Park and Most are all circuits he’s done just that, whilst Imola has a lottery-feel about it. Can he get the gap down before the summer break ensues? One thing to note about Toprak: he’ll hope to win as many races for Yamaha as possible before leaves the manufacturer at the end of 2023, in search of a new challenge with BMW for 2024.

CHASING DOWN THE TOP 3: Rea’s quest to catch ‘Loka’

Missing from the recent Supported Test at Misano, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Alex Lowes. Both riders opted not to make part in cool temperature testing, with Lowes stating that testing needs to take place when the track is hot. So, they went to Jerez instead and carried out a two-day test there. So far, Kawasaki are experiencing their worst start to a World Superbike season in over a decade, without victory in the opening four rounds and with Jonathan Rea 33 points adrift of a top three slot. For Lowes, he’s on 62 points, his worst tally after four rounds since joining Kawasaki. Whilst the package is still challenging for podiums, wins are not as guaranteed, and the domination of just a few years ago is in the past. Can they turn it around in the upcoming European leg?

RINALDI VS BASSANI: next level in their rivalry

It’s a well-documented rivalry which had been relatively quiet, but with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) holding the factory seat for 2023, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) has never been clearer in his quest to take his place, even if Rinaldi has made a step in performance. In Barcelona, after a hard move by Rinaldi at Turn 3 in Race 1 in Barcelona, Bassani wasn’t having any of it and got back under Rinaldi at Turn 11, only for a collision to come out of it and Rinaldi’s race ending in the gravel trap. Rinaldi slammed his fellow countryman and branded that it was a “deliberate” act to take him out. Bassani was given a Long Lap Penalty but maintained it was a “normal” move. With Misano up next, both will be keen to shine at home, but could they be up against each other once more?

BMW’S STRUGGLES: not the 2023 Redding would have wanted, van der Mark injured

It’s been an uphill struggle for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team in 2023 and whilst Toprak Razgatlioglu’s signing will boost morale and bring excitement to the team, the #54 isn’t arriving until next year. Michael van der Mark has the brand’s best result of sixth at Mandalika in Race 1, whilst Scott Redding had five top ten results on the bounce before a zero-point round in Barcelona. A new aero package has helped with feeling in the corners, but as van der Mark is out injured and Redding’s struggles continue, Donington Park at the start of July could offer the next podium potential.

FINDING STEPS: Honda’s potential and Vierge’s improvements

Honda have been a consistent force in and around the top six in 2023, but there’s been a marked improvement by Xavi Vierge (Team HRC), who was able to take a first podium of his WorldSBK career earlier in the year at Mandalika. Since then, Vierge four top ten results and a best of sixth place, whilst Lecuona has struggled to match his teammates consistency, even if his outright pace remains a little bit better. Lecuona took a fourth place in the Superpole Race in Barcelona after a late rain shower changed things up and it came after a sixth place in Race 1. However, prior to that, Lecuona failed to score any points at all at Assen and since Barcelona, he lamented the Misano Test where a new swingarm left the Valencian “expecting more”, even if teammate Vierge was overjoyed.

A breath-taking season is well underway, watch it all unfold in style with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

With the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock heading to the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the fifth round of the 2023 campaign, the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, Ducati Corse’s General Manager, Gigi Dall’Igna, discussed the upcoming home round for Ducati, Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) form in 2022 and 2023 as well as his potential teammate for the 2024 season.

BAUTISTA’S FORM: “He makes me happy…”

Bautista returned to Ducati for the 2022 campaign after two years with Team HRC and was crowned World Champion at the end of the season after a thrilling, season-long fight with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). Bautista won 16 races and claimed 31 podiums last year in 36 races as he was crowned WorldSBK Champion for the first time, and he’s started 2023 in imperious form with 11 wins from the first 12 races of the season. His form has seen him take a 69-point lead in the Championship standings over Razgatlioglu and Dall’Igna has lavished praise on the 2022 World Champion.

Discussing Bautista’s form, Dall’Igna said: “Every time that I see a race with Alvaro, he makes me happy. I cannot ask for anything better, honestly. I’m really happy with his feeling with the bike, with his style of work because he works very well with all of us. Honestly, it’s really easy to work with him. I cannot ask for anything more.”

WHO WILL JOIN BAUTISTA AT DUCATI? “At the moment, nothing on the table…”

Bautista was one of the earliest riders to sign up for the 2024 grid when he signed a one-year contract to extend his stay with Ducati until the end of 2024 at the very least. However, his teammate for next season is currently unknown. Michael Ruben Rinaldi occupies the seat this season and has done since 2021, but several riders have expressed their interest in joining the factory Ducati team including Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team).

Talking about who will partner Bautista in 2024, Dall’Igna said: “We don’t know. I think that we are in the position that we can wait a little bit. We don’t have to find a solution because we don’t have a good solution at the moment. We are happy and, for sure, we can wait a little bit to understand what happens in reality. Maybe in the middle of the season, we can try to understand if we have to change something or not. At the moment, nothing on the table.”

HOME ROUND: looking for success on home soil

The next round for the WorldSBK field is the Emilia-Romagna Round at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” where Ducati will be looking to continue their success, with Bautista and Rinaldi both winning races there in the last couple of seasons. Discussing the upcoming round, Dall’Igna said: “Misano is another of our home races so, for sure, we would like to do well there with all the people that come only for Ducati and only for Alvaro. We have to prepare quite well for that round and now we are working on that because we tested at Misano with all the other teams in order to prepare for the round very well.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

As the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship prepares for the 2023 Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, we’re taking a trip down memory lane to get ready for the next classic Misano race. This time, we head to 2017 and Race 1 – a race which, seemingly, no one wanted to win. Michael van der Mark, then at Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team, was leading but crashed out followed by Marco Melandri crashing from the podium places shortly after. Then, Ducati’s Chaz Davies and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came together on the final lap, with Davies out of the race and Rea taking third, allowing Tom Sykes of the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK to claim a dramatic victory. Watch the full race for FREE by clicking the video at the top of this article.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is a fascinating season. However, the news that 2021 World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) will leave Yamaha at the end of 2023 and get ready for a new challenge in the factory BMW team has sent shockwaves through the paddock. With this move now official, we look back at ten of the best moments of Toprak’s time at Yamaha, as a memorable four-season partnership will come to a close.

The first win: Phillip Island Race 1, 2020

Few riders win on their WorldSBK debut for a new manufacturer, with Jonathan Rea for Kawasaki in 2015, Leon Haslam for Suzuki in 2010 and John Kocinski for Honda in 1997 doing so. Toprak Razgatlioglu put his name on the list in his first race for Yamaha in 2020, taking the lead on the last lap and holding off a slipstream charge to the line for WorldSBK’s second-closest podium at 0.007s.

Domination at Estoril: Estoril Race 1 and Superpole Race, 2020

At the end of a first campaign with Yamaha, despite the initial high of winning, technical issues and a lack of podium consistency saw Razgatlioglu not feature prominently at the front or in rostrum battle. However, at Estoril, he stormed to a career-first pole position by over seven tenths of a second before checking out in Race 1 and the Superpole Race, whilst being beaten in Race 2, but ending his first year how he’d go on to start the second.

The Senna-like start: Donington Park Race 1, 2021

With just one victory to his name in what would go on to be his Championship year, Razgatlioglu qualified in 13^th at Donington Park, the circuit where he took a first-ever podium at in 2018. Flying off the fifth row, Razgatlioglu was inside the top five by the time they got to Turn 1, with a narrow dry line all he had to work with. He was second by Turn 8 and leading halfway through Lap 2. He checked out for one of his greatest ever wins, with a start similar to Ayrton Senna in F1 at the same track in 1993.

Battle commences with Redding: Most Race 1, 2021 and 2022

Razgatlioglu was in form in 2021 and fighting his way to the front, whilst title rival Jonathan Rea crashed twice in Race 1. On the last lap, he took on Ducati’s Scott Redding, making a bold pass into Turn 15, but running wide, before launching an attack into Turn 20 and barging his way through. The pair had strong words and contrasting emotions over it; then, a year later, in the same race, the BMW-mounted Redding was passed by Razgatlioglu into the fast Turn 13, with Redding running off-track. Again, they clashed over the forcefulness of the move; could they be teammates in 2023?

Celebrating with the rub of the green: Portimao Race 1, 2021

After a late penalty for going onto the green at Magny-Cours in the Superpole Race cost him a heroic last lap battle win, Toprak Razgatlioglu was out to make amends at Portimao. He hit the front into the first turn with three to go and broke clear of Scott Redding, whilst Jonathan Rea had crashed out earlier at the final corner. Razgatlioglu took the win and celebrated by getting a broom and brushing the green on the exit of Turn 5, in reference to Magny-Cours. In Race 2, Toprak crashed at the same corner that Rea had in Race 1, with Rea winning. Rea’s celebration was a burnout on the same bit of green that Toprak had previously cleaned. Oh, the fun and games.

The ‘Marc Marquez style’ save: Estoril Superpole Race, 2022

Round three of his title defence season with the #1 and Razgatlioglu still hadn’t won, but that looked like it was going to change at Estoril in the Superpole Race. After being beaten on a final lap run to the line in Race 1 by Bautista, Razgatlioglu was leading on the last lap ahead of Jonathan Rea. However, into the final chicane at Turn 9, Toprak tucked the front in a massive way, with his elbow on the ground. Somehow, he kept it upright but Rea zipped on through and took victory, although Razgatlioglu was happy enough just to make it to the finish in P2.

Old enemies clash again: Most Superpole Race, 2022

In another final lap showdown, Razgatlioglu and Rea went toe-to-toe. Just a few rounds after their battle at Estoril and their clash and crash at Assen in Race 2, both were embroiled in more drama. On the last lap into Turn 15, Razgatlioglu put his leg out as he got ready for track position, whilst Rea was on the inside and going for a race winning pass. However, both nearly collided and Rea had to let the brakes off as he went into the gravel, but kept it upright. Razgatlioglu scampered clear for victory.

Keeping the title alive: San Juan Superpole Race, 2022

After crashing in the first race, Razgatlioglu’s title defence was now looking like it wasn’t going to happen, but the 54 never knows when he’s beaten. A titanic final three laps with Alvaro Bautista saw the two battle hard, tripping each other up and bringing long-time race leader Jonathan Rea back into play. Bautista lead onto the front on the final lap, only for Razgatlioglu to outbrake him into Turn 1. Bautista tried again on the back straight, but Razgatlioglu responded into Turn 8, holding on until the chequered flag. An instant classic in Argentina.

The first triple, “dream” achieved: Donington Park Race 2, 2022

If Toprak hadn’t been penalised at Magny-Cours in 2021, then he’d have achieved a first triple of his career. It was the only thing missing from his Championship year. However, in his quest to defend the title, he finally achieved his dream. Razgatlioglu was invincible at his “second home” of Donington Park, as he took Paul Denning’s team to victory in all three races, the team’s first triple too. It would be the first of two triples of 2022, with the other coming at Mandalika where in Race 2, despite making it a hat-trick, Razgatlioglu relinquished the crown to Alvaro Bautista and Ducati.

The title-clinching race: Mandalika Race 1, 2021

A thrilling 13-round WorldSBK season was coming to an end but not without drama. The first-ever race at Mandalika was delayed until Sunday due to heavy rain on Saturday. Then, it was delayed one more time on Sunday but eventually, the race got underway. Razgatlioglu almost crashed on the warm-up lap at Turn 1 after a near-miss with Axel Bassani, but then when the race got going, he and Rea did battle once again, the two titans of the title race. But with nine laps to go, Razgatlioglu made a big mistake and went from the lead back to P3. However, he’d fight bike to second, enough to give him the Championship in an incredible first-ever race at Mandalika. Check out The Final Stunt documentary, here!

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Source: WorldSBK.com