This is it; World Superbike is nearly out for summer! However, the Acerbis Czech Round at the iconic Autodrom Most provides one last roll of the dice to see who will carry the momentum in the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship into August’s month off. Adding to the challenge, Pirelli continue at the forefront of development and will bring an all-new SC1 development rear tyre – named the SC1 C0567 – as well as bringing the A1126 specification, the tyre of choice from Phillip Island. The other big news is that the SC0 will effectively replace the SCQ tyre for this round, being able to be used for the Superpole and the Superpole Race only. There will be eight tyres available for each compound, apart from the SC0, which has four (the same as the usual SCQ tyre).
SOLUTIONS, SOLUTIONS: harder on the front, all-new tyre for the rear
With it all about going harder at the front, there’s no SC0 but instead standard solutions of the SC1 and SC2. For the rear, the SC1 C0567 has the same compound as the A1126 but a different structure, aimed at improving performance and consistency in high-working ranges compared to the A1126 and standard SC1. The tyre makes its competition debut this weekend and could be the tyre of choice with it being designed for this style of circuit in mind. Most has 21 corners with an abundance of fast direction changes, heavy braking and sweeping corners, where front tyre performance is crucial.
As for the A1126 spec, it makes a comeback this weekend and was the favoured option earlier on in the year at Phillip Island in Australia, which like Most, has a rather demanding surface. This tyre, in comparison to the standard SC1, has a more robust structure, designed at working better in high temperatures, offering a compromise between high performance and low wear. The standard SCQ tyre is not in use for Tissot Superpole, replaced with the SC0 for this occasion. A brief mention to WorldSSP, who will have a standard SC0 for the rear or the development SC0 A1128, which all riders chose at Phillip Island.
MOST AND PHILLIP ISLAND: “Each other’s testing ground”
Elaborating on the tyre allocation for this round, Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli’s Motorcycle Racing Director, said: “Although different from each other, Most and Phillip Island have some similarities which make them the two most demanding tracks for tyres on the calendar and, in some ways, they are each other’s testing ground in terms of tyres. In the last couple of years, Most has undergone modernisation works that have made it a safer and a more modern circuit, but it still remains a circuit with a classic and fast layout like Phillip Island: old-style circuits that always offer spectacular racing. Given their particularity, it is better to focus on rear development solutions specifically designed to offer a more robust structure and greater performance consistency.
“It is therefore no coincidence that the reference solutions we bring to Most are the development SC1 A1126 for World Superbike and the A1128 for World Supersport, both of which have already been successfully used in the last two rounds held at Phillip Island. The new development SC1 C0567 has instead been designed to offer even better performance than the A1126 and, should it be confirmed, it could certainly become a valid option also for next year’s Australian round. The standard SC0 will be entrusted with the role of Superpole and Superpole Race tyre which on the other tracks is typical of the SCQ.”
WHO COULD IT FAVOUR? Kawasaki grinning?
Traditionally, Kawasaki have been able to be a lot more competitive with harder tyre options, something both Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Alex Lowes have touched on at various times. The Japanese brand have yet to win at Most and whilst their aims will be the podium, the tyres on offer could be one of the most favourable towards them this year.
Elsewhere, Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) have generally preferred to use softer compounds, with the package working well with the lightweight Spaniard; could this harder range in the Czech Republic translate to a harder time of things on-track for the reigning World Champion and Championship leader? He’ll be eager to bounce back after his Imola crash, and hope that his 70-point lead isn’t reduced further.
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Source: WorldSBK.com