Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) secured a dream maiden FIM Supersport 300 World Championship victory in the wet conditions at the Autodrom Most in a shortened Race 2. The Indonesian rider pounced at the start as he took advantage of the difficult conditions before resisting pressure from his rivals in a shortened battle during the Acerbis Czech Round, eventually making a last-lap pass to claim his first victory in his fourth race in the Championship.

DELAYS AND A SHORTENED RACE NO PROBLEM: a last-lap fight for victory

With rain falling as the Warm Up lap started, the decision was made to delay the start and bring all the riders back to the pits. The pitlane opened for the Sighting Lap around 50 minutes after the scheduled start with the race reduced to an eight-lap distance. When the lights went out, Indonesian duo Galang Hendra Pratama (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) and wildcard Mahendra immediately moved to the front of the field.

While Mahendra was fighting a group of riders for second, Hendra Pratama moved clear by around three seconds before he had a technical issue on the start-finish straight, dropping the Indonesian down the order before he brought his bike into the pits. This allowed Mahendra into the lead while he tried to fend off Marc Garcia (China Racing Team) and Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team).

At the end of the penultimate lap, Garcia was running in second but touched the white line on the entry to Turn 20 with the 2017 Champion crashing out from what could’ve been Kove’s first podium. It allowed Osuna Saez and Mahendra to pull away on the last lap as they duelled it out for victory with the Indonesian making his move for the win at Turn 20 on the final lap. Mahendra set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap with a 1’58.987s. It was his first win in the Championship in his fourth race, while Osuna Saez took his maiden podium as WorldSSP300’s “Weekend of Firsts” concluded. Five of the six riders on the podium in the Czech Round were on the rostrum for the first time, while there were two maiden victories and the first flag-to-flag WorldSSP300 race.

MAIDEN PODIUMS AND STRONG RESULTS: a dream Czech weekend

The battle for third concluded on the final lap as Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) ended his run of just missing out on the podium as he claimed third, his first podium, while the results meant he surged into the Championship lead. He was in a battle with Kevin Santos Fontainha (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) taking fourth place; the Brazilian rider was just 0.067s away from a maiden podium. French rider Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) was fifth while Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) surged up the order in the middle part of the race to take sixth. He had been in a podium position on the final lap but dropped down on the final lap.

OVERCOMING A PENALTY: Khan goes from the back to P10

2020 Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) used his experience to take seventh as he finished just a tenth clear of Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) as the home hero finished in the top ten but closed the gap on the top of the Championship with four points separating Perez Gonzalez and Svoboda in third. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) was ninth with Walid Khan (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing), a wildcard, finished as the lead KTM rider despite a grid penalty. The Dutchman was forced to start at the back of the grid by the FIM Stewards.

DOUBLE POINTS SCORING WEEKEND: a debut to remember for Repak

Khan’s compatriot, Ruben Bijman (Arco Motor University Team), missed out on a top ten by just a couple of seconds as he bounced back from a crash-heavy Race 1 on Saturday. Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) took 12^th with Maxim Repark (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR), Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) and Raffaele Tragni (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) completing the points-paying positions.

A DIFFICULT DAY FOR THE TITLE CONTENDERS: outside of the points

Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) had been the Championship leader heading into Most but he failed to score in either race and he fell to second in the standings, one point behind new leader Perez Gonzalez. It was a similar story to Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha). The Italian was second before the Czech Round but also scored no points with the #91 now fourth in the standings.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from Race 2

Troy Alberto (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) did not take to the grid when the pit lane opened while the team worked on his bike, with the Filipino rider not competing in the race. Juan Pablo Uriostegui (Team#109 Kawasaki) retired with an early technical issue. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) and Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) both crashed out at Turn 20 on different laps: Veneman on Lap 4 and Gennai on Lap 6.

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

1 Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse)

2. Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) +0.169s

3. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) +2.796s

4. Kevin Fontainha Santos (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) +2.863s

5. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +2.996s

6. Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) +3.038s

Fastest Lap: Aldi Satya Mahendra (Yamaha) – 1’58.987s

Championship standings

1 Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) 117 points

2. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) 116

3. Petr Svobda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) 113

4. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) 99

5. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) 99

6. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) 99

Watch more WorldSSP300 action throughout 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) completed a remarkable Sunday turnaround as he made MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship history with his 18^th win of the 2023 season as title rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) crashed out from the lead after initially resisting pressure from the reigning Champion. It gave Bautista a 25-point swing in the Championship standings as the #1 wrote his name into the record books.

CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE TWISTS: Bautista wins, Razgatlioglu crashes

Bautista didn’t get away well from the line well as the lights out went but still found himself into the lead heading into Turn 1, before he tried to pull out a gap. In the early stages, Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) battled hard over second with Rea making a move on the #54 at the first chicane on Lap 4 before the 2021 Champion responded almost immediately. From there, the Yamaha star closed the gap on Bautista where they had a barnstorming battle.

The pair were often looking to switch positions with Razgatlioglu claiming the lead on Lap 7 at Turn 13 with Bautista staying close and looking to make a move at Turn 1, but the Turkish star was able to respond under braking at the chicane. On Lap 12, Bautista’s tactic changed as he looked to pass his rival at Turn 20 on the inside, but the Yamaha rider responded through Turn 21 before the pair were battling under braking into Turn 1.

However, on Lap 17, Razgatlioglu’s race came to an end. He had a highside heading out of Turn 2 and into Turn 3 which forced him to retire while leading. This allowed Bautista to claim victory by more than four seconds and gain 25 points on his rival, with the Championship gap expanding to 74 points. The win was his 50^th in WorldSBK, but it was also a historic one: the 18^th win of his season means he has now won more races in one season than any other rider.

THE PODIUM FIGHT: 0.134s between three riders

The battle for second went down to the wire with three riders separated by 0.134s across the line. Rea had been in second after Razgatlioglu’s crash but his pace was slower than Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) as the two Italians closed in on the Kawasaki. On the final lap, Petrucci went around the outside of Turn 21 and got a much better run down the straight to pip Rea to second by just 0.073s. Bassani, who lost a heap of time when he ran through the gravel at the chicane in the early stages, was 0.061s off the podium. Second place gave Petrucci his third podium in WorldSBK and his second of the Czech Round while Rea moved onto 256 career podiums.

RESPONDING IN STYLE: climbing up the order

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) secured fifth place after dropping away from the podium fight in the closing stages, while Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) concluded the strongest weekend of his WorldSBK career with sixth as he finished three seconds down on Rinaldi. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) bounced back from his Tissot Superpole Race crash, and a grid slot outside of the top nine, to finish in seventh. He was ahead of Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in eighth, the best BMW rider, while Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) claimed top Honda honours with ninth. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) completed the top ten.

IN THE POINTS: dropping down but scoring points

Rookie Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was just half-a-second away from a place in the top ten as he came home in 11^th while fending off Iker Lecuona (Team HRC). The Spanish rider was less than a tenth away from the double WorldSSP Champion as he finished 12^th, while Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) duelled it out for 13^th. Lowes was running in the top ten in the early stages but dropped down the order before coming home in 14^th, 16 seconds clear of Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) who concluded his comeback round in the points.

HOUSEKEEPING: classified riders and retirements

Substitute rider Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was nine seconds behind the Dutchman as he finished in 16^th, ahead of Spanish duo Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and Tito Rabat (Barni Spark Racing Team). Estonia’s Hannes Soomer (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) was 19^th while Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was 20^th and two laps down. The American crashed at Turn 1 on Lap 1 and, while he re-joined the race, he spent two laps in the box.

Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) retired after a Turn 7 crash on Lap 2 as his race came to a premature end, while Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) crashed on Lap 4 at Turn 1 which put the Italian out of the race. Home hero Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) brought his Kawasaki machine into the pits in the early stages to retire.

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

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

2. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +4.652s

3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +4.725s

4. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +4.786s

5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +7.538s

6. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +10.717s

Fastest Lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha), 1’31.951s

Championship standings

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 427 points

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 353

3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 251

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 227

5. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) 207

6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 155

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) stunned the FIM Supersport World Championship as he opted not to change tyres when the rain came down during Race 2 at the Autodrom Most on his way to a maiden win. After starting from 22^nd on the grid, Mackenzie’s pace as the track got wetter and then dried out again allowed him to move into the lead of the race during the Acerbis Czech Round, while there were more title race twists. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) and title rival Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) both scored zero points.

THE GAMBLE PAYS OFF: staying on slicks the right decision

Bulega and Manzi tried to pull away as the lights went out in the dry conditions, but their races soon unravelled as they, along with most of the field, opted to switch tyres on Lap 8 as the rain fell harder and soaked the circuit. Manzi was ahead of the #11 when they entered the pits but, on the wet-weather tyres, Bulega was able to get ahead of the #62. However, the track dried out again with Bulega finishing in 16^th and Manzi retiring with a technical problem on Lap 11. 

While most riders opted to pit, several decided not to and this allowed rookie Mackenzie to surge to the front of the field, taking huge chunks out of his rivals by lapping around five seconds quicker than his rivals. Although his pace dropped off as the track dried, the gap was enough to hold off Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) to claim his first win in the Championship and Honda’s first since Lusail in 2016; their 105^th in total.

Schroetter was joined on the podium by teammate Bahattin Sofuoglu who had a dramatic race. In the dry, the one-time winner was rapid as he looked to make his way up the order, but he crashed at Turn 10 on Lap 7 as the rain got heavier. The Turk was able to bounce back from this to finish in third to make it to MV Agustas on the rostrum and giving Sofuoglu his fourth podium albeit almost 19 seconds down on his teammate.

A MIXED-UP RACE 2: Gradinger returns to the top six

John McPhee (Vince64 by Puccetti Racing) made it two Brits in the top as he also opted not to switch tyres to claim his second-best WorldSSP result after his Australia podium. He was ahead of Malaysia’s Adam Norrodin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) in fifth, putting two Hondas in the top five in what has been a challenging year for the Japanese manufacturer. Thomas Gradinger (Eder Racing) secured a top-six finish on his return to the Championship as a wildcard rider for his best result since he was sixth at Donington Park in 2019.

BEST RESULTS: taking advantage of the conditions

Federico Fuligni (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) claimed his best result in WorldSSP as he took P7 ahead of Anupab Sarmoon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) in eighth. Thailand’s Sarmoon had led the race before he crashed at Turn 20 on Lap 10, the same lap he took the lead on, before he bounced back to take eighth. It’s his best result since joining the Championship. Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) and Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), the latter of whom had been fighting at the front in the early stages, completed the top ten.

DRAMA UNTIL THE END: Caricasulo, Debise, Kofler impacted by penalties

Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) and Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) went head-to-head for 11^th in what was a dramatic day. The Frenchman also had to serve a double Long Lap Penalty. He was first given one for incorrectly entering the pits before a second one was handed out for not completing the first. Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) was 13^th ahead of Andreas Kofler (D34G Racing) in 14^th. The debutant was given a 10.935s Pit Intervention Time sanction, for spending less than the required 73 seconds in the pit lane, which dropped him from 12^th to 14^th. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) was considered a retirement, but this was re-evaluated after he was directed into Parc Ferme rather than finishing his final lap, after he unlapped himself on the line. This meant the Spaniard was classified 15^th with Bulega in 16^th.

HOUSEKEEPING: Navarro crashes from the podium places

Luke Power (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) did not start the race after he had a technical problem with his Kawasaki ZX-6R on the grid, which forced the Australian to retire before his race had started. Tom Edwards (Yart – Yamaha WorldSSP Team) crashed out at Turn 1 on Lap 3 which put him out of the race, while Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) brought his bike into the pits after a Lap 1, Turn 15 crash. Dutch rider Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) crashed at Turn 10 shortly after he had been given a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start, with the crash forcing him to retire. Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) crashed at Turn 10 while running in the podium places.

Ondrej Vostatek (PTR Triumph) retired after completing 12 laps while Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was not classified. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) was considered a retirement after he unlapped himself as Mackenzie crossed the start-finish line but brought his bike into the pits on that lap rather than taking the chequered flag. He had been running in 15^th.

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

1. Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team)

2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +2.037s

3. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +18.857s

4. John McPhee (Vince64 by Puccetti Racing) +21.046s

5. Adam Norrodin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) +22.206s

6. Thomas Gradinger (Eder Racing) +38.970s

Fastest Lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati – 1’35.027s – New Lap Record

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 309 points

2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 262

3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 214

4. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) 167

5. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 129

6. Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) 109

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) went head-to-head for victory in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship in Sunday morning’s Tissot Superpole Race with the Turkish star claiming victory and denting Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) Championship lead even further. The #1 battled his way from 14^th on the grid to a podium place as he limited the damage in the title fight, with the gap cut to 49 points.

A FIGHT TO THE END: podium battle decided on the last lap

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) surged from P4 to P1 when the lights went out as he went in search of his first victory, but soon found himself demoted to third behind Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). The pair pulled away from the #47 as they battled it out for victory. The Turkish star gained two places on Lap 4 as he first overtook Rea before passing Bassani as he moved into the lead. On Lap 6, Rea moved ahead of the #54 after he ran wide at Turn 13 with a move into Turn 20, but the Yamaha rider responded at Turn 3 on the next lap.

The pair finished first and second while there was a battle for third raging behind them, which was decided at the penultimate corner on the final lap. With Bassani’s pace dropping off compared to the leaders, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was able to pass him at Turn 20 on Lap 10 to secure a podium finish from 14^th on the grid to secure a front row start for Race 2, alongside Razgatlioglu and Rea.

Razgatlioglu’s win was his 37^th win and his fifth of the year, while he’s closing in on Carl Fogarty’s 109 podiums with the 2021 Champion five down on the Brit. Rea celebrated his 400^th WorldSBK race start with his 255^th podium while Bautista added his 78^th rostrum to his record.

BASSANI DROPS TO P4: narrowly missing out on a podium

Bassani’s fourth place means he starts in the same position as he did in the first two races of the Czech Round after missing out on a podium, and he’ll be joined by Ducati rival Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as he finished fifth. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) converted his front row start into sixth place to secure a second row start for Race 2 as his strong weekend continues.

SECURING A THIRD ROW START: Lowes battles into the top nine

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) will lead away the third row in Sunday afternoon’s race as he took seventh place, ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark racing Team). The Italian dropped down the order after he ran wide at Turn 1 on Lap 1 before fighting back to secure eighth. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was ninth as he secured the final place on the third row for Race 2, with Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) just missing out with tenth.

HOUSEKEEPING: Locatelli, Vierge drop down the Race 2 grid

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) retired from inside the top ten when he had a spectacular crash on the opening lap, ending his points streak which started at Portimao Race 1 last year. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) started from ninth but crashed out on the opening lap when Rinaldi forced his way through on the Spaniard, dropping him down the grid for Race 2.

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

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK)

2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.203s

3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.968s

4. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +3.180s

5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +5.310s

6. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +8.205s

7. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +8.375s

8. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +9.021s

9. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +10.165s

Fastest Lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) – 1’31.254s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Wet weather once again greeted the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship for Sunday morning’s 15-minute Warm Up session, with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) showing his wet-weather prowess to top the times. He was more than half-a-second clear of his rivals in the tricky conditions at the Autodrom Most ahead of the Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2 on Sunday for the Acerbis Czech Round.

Bassani was quick throughout Warm Up as he set a 1’45.402s, the only rider to lap in the 1’45s bracket, as he was 0.660s quicker than Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) in second as the #54 looks to cut the gap to title rival Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) even further. Britain’s Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) completed the top three as he lapped 1.091s slower than Bassani, though was quickest at times.

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) goes in search of back-to-back podiums on Sunday and started his day with fourth, finishing seven tenths clear of Bautista in fifth. The reigning Champion was 1.921s slower than Bassani while he was three tenths clear of sixth-placed Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK).

Rookie Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) impressed in the wet as he took seventh after setting a 1’48.323s, two tenths clear of Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) with the Brit the lead BMW rider on Sunday morning. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) was ninth while Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who will start the Superpole Race from the front row, completed the top ten. Race 1 winner Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) completed a few out laps but did not set a lap time.

The top six from WorldSBK Warm Up, full results here:

1 Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) 1’45.402s

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.660s

3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.091s

4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +1.220s

5. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.921s

6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +2.284s

Don’t miss the WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race from 11am Local Time (GMT+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) extended his FIM Supersport World Championship lead with a commanding Race 1 victory at the Autodrom Most while Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) took second after a hard-fought battle. It means Bulega’s lead has stretched out to 46 points over Manzi after the opening Acerbis Czech Round battle in a red-flagged race following a Turn 1, Lap 1 incident at the start.

DRAMA FROM THE START: Bulega wins red-flagged Race 1

The race was red flagged on the opening lap after fluid was left on the track from Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) after he crashed at the Turn 1-2 chicane. It came after Turn 1 proved to be a pinch point with Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) aiming to gain positions, with several riders having to take to the run-off area to take avoiding action as riders slowed up to avoid any potential incidents directly ahead.

The race was restarted over a 12-lap distance, shortened from the original 19. Bulega got away well while title rival Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) surged to P2 at Turn 1, before dropping behind Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) at Turn 1 on Lap 2. However, he was soon promoted back up to second when the Ducati rider crashed out at Turn 7 with Montella not taking any further part in the race.

Although his target was set firmly on Bulega, the #62 was unable to close the gap on his title rival as he looked to fend off Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), with the #11 pulling out a gap of over 2.6s on Manzi at the end of Lap 4 over Sofuoglu who’d overtaken Manzi. The Italian responded at Turn 1 a lap later. At the start of Lap 7, Sofuoglu overtook the Yamaha into Turn 1 while Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) attempted to pass him but ran wide through the chicane; dropping behind De Rosa and into P5. Huertas’ off-track excursion was placed under investigation by the FIM Stewards and given a Long Lap Penalty for not losing more than one second in Sector 1.

Manzi was able to start pulling away from De Rosa and Sofuoglu behind him as the pair duelled it out for the final podium place. De Rosa led into the final lap after the #54 ran wide at Turn 1 on the penultimate lap although he closed the gap on the final lap. Sofuoglu set a personal best lap on the final lap as he overtook De Rosa at Turn 20 for third, demoting the Italian to fourth.

Bulega claimed his ninth win in WorldSSP, putting him level with 2017 Champion Mahias, while it was also his 22^nd podium to put him level with Sebastien Charpentier at 10^th in the all-time last. Second was Manzi’s 15^th podium and his tenth of the season while Barcelona winner Sofuoglu secured his third rostrum visit.

PENALTY DROPS HUERTAS BACK: strong race ends in P5

Huertas finished fifth after taking his Long Lap Penalty almost immediately as it was given to him, although he didn’t lose position as he had a big margin to the riders behind him. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) took sixth, two seconds away from the 2021 WorldSSP300 Champion, while Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) was seventh and only three tenths away from the German rookie. Five of the six manufacturers competing on a full-time basis in 2023 finished in the top seven in Race 1.

RUNNING WIDE: Caricasulo loses ground

Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) was eighth as he battled for seventh in a multiple-rider group. He crossed the line in ninth but a post-race one-place grid drop for Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) for exceeding track limits on the final lap at Turn 2. The Spaniard was therefore classified in ninth, ahead of Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) in tenth. Caricasulo lost time in the closing stages after he ran wide but was able to secure a top-ten finish.

IN THE POINTS: Booth-Amos extends Challenge lead, Kofler scores on debut

Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) was just two tenths away from a place in the top ten as he finished ahead of compatriot Andy Verdoia (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) in 12^th. The youngest-ever WorldSSP victory was only 0.022s ahead of Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) in 13^th. The Brit finished as the lead WorldSSP Challenge rider while he finished ahead of Mahias, who took to the restarted race after his crash, and Andreas Kofler (D34G Racing). Andreas takes the Kofler family bragging rights on Saturday as he beat brother and teammate Maximilian, with the older sibling missing out on points with 18^th. Ondrej Vostatek (PTR Triumph) and Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) separated the two siblings.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from WorldSSP Race 1

Luke Power (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) didn’t take to the restarted race while fellow Australian rider Tom Edwards (Yart-Yamaha WorldSSP Team) crashed out on Lap 6 at Turn 8. Nicholas Spinelli (VFT Racing WEBIKE Yamaha) went down at Turn 20 on Lap 7, while Alvaro Diaz (Arco Yart Yamaha WorldSSP) had a technical issue which forced him out of the race.

The top six from WorldSSP Race 1, full results here:

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

2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +1.856s

3. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +3.795s

4. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +3.980s

5. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) +6.546s

6. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +8.536s

Fastest Lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati – 1’35.301s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had a difficult Race 1 at the Acerbis Czech Round as he saw Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) eat into his MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship lead again after finishing only 12^th in a flag-to-flag battle at the Autodrom Most. Bautista fought his way up the order in the early stages before a slow pit stop to change tyres cost him almost 20 seconds, and from there he was unable to respond as he finished outside the top ten for the first time since he was 11^th in the Tissot Superpole Race in Argentina in 2021.

The reigning Champion’s Saturday got off to a difficult start with the #1 thinking he would start seventh, but the FIM Stewards deleted this lap time as it was set under yellow flags at Turns 20-21 following a crash for Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). The Ducati rider had to start from 14^th but, with rain falling before Race 1, opted for wet tyres, and surged up the order as Pirelli’s SCR1 tyres were in their element.

He was running third for the first four laps before he opted to switch his rain tyres for slicks as he looked to surge back up the order, but he lost around 18 seconds in the pit stops which meant he dropped behind Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team); both of whom were behind Bautista on track when the #1 boxed.

Explaining what caused the 20 second delay, which potentially cost him ninth place and a chance to fight with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Aegerter, Bautista said: “I thought about putting the slicks on, but it was too risky, and with the intermediate tyres, I’ve never felt good because I don’t go fast in the wet or dry. I just tried to take some advantage in the first few laps but starting from the back is always more difficult because I had to overtake other riders. When I entered the box to change tyres, we had a problem with the parts. They were a bit closer, and the front tyre didn’t go on. They had to take it out, open it and put it back on so I lost around 20 seconds.”

Summing up his Saturday in general, Bautista said: “It hasn’t been our best day in the office! I have to take the positives. We could do some laps in the dry, with the dry setup, and that’s the important thing; that I started to feel not so bad with the bikes. We made some changes from yesterday and I felt better. We have some data and feeling. Let’s see if we tomorrow will be a bit better tomorrow!”

With Bautista down in P12 and Razgatlioglu finishing ten places ahead, the gap in the Championship was cut further. After the #54 brought it down to 70 points after Race 2 at Imola, he cut another 16 points out of Bautista’s lead in the Czech Republic, with 54 points separating the duo now. Bautista will be looking to fight back on Sunday with the Tissot Superpole Race, where he will again start from 14^th, and Race 2 in the afternoon for the last race before the summer break.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship featured breath-taking action from the Autodrom Most, with the Acerbis Czech Round’s WorldSBK action kicking off in far from ideal weather, resulting in a flag-to-flag race. Despite starting the Warm-Up Lap with wet tyres, a late decision to come into pitlane and change to intermediates would eventually pay dividends for Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who came through from a pitlane start to P4 in another mighty Most display by the #45.

There was an element of ‘not much to lose’ for Redding anyway, who lost his Superpole lap time due to it being set under yellow flags, meaning he was forced to go from row five and 15^th position. However, despite rain on the grid and before the race started, the track was drying quickly, so by the time the Warm-Up Lap was underway, Redding’s initial choice of full wets needed re-evaluating. Changing for intermediates, Redding came from the back to force his way into contention, battling with the likes of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK). Fighting hard for P4 in the closing stages with Toprak’s teammate Andrea Locatelli, 30-year-old Redding was able to get through on the #55 after the Italian tried an ambitious overtake at Turn 20. Coming home in P4, it’s the joint-best result of Redding’s season so far.

Explaining the race and his last-minute decision to go for intermediate tyres instead of wets, Redding revelled in a tenacious fightback through the field. “It was quite an interesting race from the start! I was on the grid and I was like, ‘I can see it raining, stay with the wet tyre’ as it was risky wet weather. Then, on the Warm-Up lap, they guys on the intermediates had the same speed as I did with wets. I made the change then; anyway, I was pushed down to P15 after Superpole, so it wasn’t too much further back, I saved the time and changed.

“I had to come through a lot of people with not really a perfect circuit. I came through pretty quickly, I was up into P2 which I was surprised about, I was a man on a mission at that point! We needed to push hard for a podium but when Toprak and Petrucci came through, they just had a step more than me. I was pushing but not there. I was playing around with the mapping on the bike later on in the race to allow me to be faster but I was trying to save the intermediate as I did a whole dry race on that and it isn’t really normal. Maybe I saved a bit too much.”

Redding’s fourth place was an important one in the Championship, with him edging closer to the top ten and thus getting ahead of Honda rival Xavi Vierge (Team HRC). It also extends his advantage as top BMW overall ahead of Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), with the gap now at 24. For BMW in the manufacturers’ standings, they close down Honda, with the gap shrunk to three points.

With fourth place from last, it was a race to remember for the #45, who enjoyed the action and being able to make a difference: “I enjoy races like that, as if you start from the back and you’re coming through, it’s always fun because you’re like zero to hero and you can make it happen, and it’s good to be overtaking, feel competitive etc. At Most, I feel quite good anyway. We’ll see tomorrow as we start from 15^th position again which is unlucky after the yellow flags in Superpole. It’ll be hard that in ten laps, to get in the top nine to give ourselves the chance of a top five in the race.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

252 days. 23 races. Eight rounds. Finally, a race win! Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took one of the most incredible victories of his career in Race 1 at Most, ending the win drought and taking a first win of the year. In a flag-to-flag wet-starting dry-ending race, Rea used his experience and put it all on the line to storm through from the second row and to put himself in the perfect position early on to deliver 25 points.

With rain falling during the WorldSSP300 race and before WorldSBK Race 1, the track was wet but drying, meaning it would be a lottery on the grid in terms of tyre choice. Early on, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) got off the line like a rocket and was the early race leader but he had full wet tyres on. Jonathan Rea was on intermediates, but fighting with those who were on wet tyres, well ahead of any other intermediate tyre riders. Taking his time put putting it all on the line, Rea sliced his way through the field and when Bassani came in for a tyre change, he inherited the lead and had over 12 seconds over Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), who was on inters. Despite the Turkish star getting the gap down to less than five seconds by the end of the race, Rea played a masterstroke for a fine win, managing the situation to perfection.

Speaking about the race itself, Rea was happy to get the 2023-win monkey off his back and use all of his knowledge to bring the #65 to the top step: “I knew that today, sat on the grid in these conditions, it would be a good opportunity to push for a race win. I got a good start and was with the guys on wet tyres at the beginning. I knew the intermediates were the right choice. The gap in the middle of the race was quite big to Toprak and the others. The bike started moving a lot as the setup was quite soft, so I could benefit early on and then manage the race. What can I say? It’s such a nice present for my team, my crew… all their hard work! We look forward to tomorrow now and try to get back on the podium then too.”

It’s a pleasing circularity to be winning in the Czech Republic for Rea, especially at the Autodrom Most, with it being his first at the venue. However, it comes 15 years after his first World Championship win, which came in the Czech Republic but at Brno in WorldSSP. The win also means it’s the 15^th winning WorldSBK season for Rea, whilst the circuit is the 22^nd track he’s won at in the class, also meaning he’s won at every track on the current calendar. It’s the 104^th win for Rea with Kawasaki and his 119^th victory in the class, 60 more than his next rival in the all-time charts, Carl Fogarty.

Continuing to talk about his decision to go on the intermediate tyres, Rea said: “I was quite convinced actually. Even in the garage, I watched the WorldSSP300 race and the guys in front stayed out there on wets and OK, the lap times weren’t great but I could see that even with slick tyres were much more performance in the ‘mizzling’ conditions. So, from that point of view, I was convinced that to get anything out of today, then the right choice was intermediates to generate heat in the tyre. On the sighting lap, I used wet knee sliders and got my knee down a couple of times and felt OK. I convinced myself to put heat in the tyres because the worst thing you can do is not put temperature in the tyre. It worked from Lap 2.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com