Category Archives: WSBK

World Superbike Championship

“This week I will get back on a bike” – Lecuona planning for Donington return

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is on a hiatus after the fifth round of the season, but this is giving Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) the chance to fully recover after a crash at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”. The Spaniard was injured after an incident involving Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in the Tissot Superpole Race which ruled him out of Race 2. Now, Lecuona has shared an update and explained his intention to return at the UK Round.

RECOVERY UPDATE: returning to two wheels to prepare for Donington

Petrucci was having his strongest weekend since joining WorldSBK as he claimed third place in the combined Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2 times and taking fourth place in Saturday’s Tissot Superpole session. However, in Race 1, he crashed out while fighting for the podium and he was also involved in an incident with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team duo at the start of the Superpole Race. The two-time MotoGP™ race winner tagged Dominique Aegerter who fell to the ground and this, in turn, caused Remy Gardner to fall. Aegerter finished 21st and last, while the Australian had to retire.

For this, the FIM Stewards penalised Petrucci with a Long Lap Penalty which he completed when running in sixth place. This dropped him down the order into tenth place, behind Lecuona and his teammate, Xavi Vierge, as they battled it out for a third-row grid start in Race 2. On Lap 7 at Turn 8, Petrucci collided with Lecuona which took both riders out of the race and brought out the red flags as the leaders started Lap 8; the Honda rider was declared unfit with a left hip injury and left ankle contusion.

As part of his rehabilitation and recovery, Lecuona is using a specialised centre in Madrid as he prepares for his return at the UK Round at the start of July; he will need to undergo medical checks at Donington to be declared fit to ride. Talking about the incident and his current status, Lecuona said: “It was an unexpected crash. I was doing the normal corner, like every lap, and Danilo touched me. In half a second, he was on the ground. It wasn’t a big crash, but the problem was that the bike started spinning and crushed my leg.

“At first, it seemed that 50% of my psoas muscle was torn, but later tests confirmed that this was not the case; probably due to the inflammation and bruising. I’m fine, no discomfort, so 100% I’ll be at Donington. I am doing a lot of cycling and working for the abdominal area so as not to overload the hip area. This week I will be back on the bike to prepare for Donington.”

“IT SEEMS THAT WE ARE A BIT LOST”: Lecuona aiming to find a direction

The 23-year-old also spoke about how the Emilia-Romagna Round was going up to the crash, explaining that the improvements that Honda brought to the Aragon, Catalunya and Misano tests may not be working for him as expected: “Up to that point, It was a weekend of ups and downs. Friday didn’t go very well, but we made some changes for Saturday and had a good Superpole. In Race 1, in the beginning, we found ourselves in a traffic jam, but little by little we improved and finished with podium pace.

“Sunday was more complicated as we didn’t have the same feelings. Warm Up and the Superpole Race didn’t go so well. I was going very close to the limit and, in fact, I was going backwards before the crash. On Saturday at Misano, we went back to last year’s setup because we weren’t finding a way to go fast. It seems that we are a bit lost and we don’t know exactly what is the line of progression that we should follow. At the moment, the improvements are all ups and downs. One day they go well and another day they go wrong.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Motocorsa Racing’s Lorenzo Mauri: “In 2024, we would like to field two bikes”

Motocorsa Racing have been one of the shining lights in the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with their sole rider, Axel Bassani, currently sitting fifth in the Riders’ Championship standings. After the team’s home round at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, Team Manager Lorenzo Mauri spoke about the squad’s season so far and how he would like the team to expand to two bikes in 2024.

ONE PODIUM, CONSISTENT RESULTS: emotional Misano, Independent title hopes

Bassani joined the team for the 2021 campaign and scored his maiden podium in the same season, in a rain-affected race in Barcelona, before adding three more to his tally in 2022. This season, Bassani has been consistent with his results with only one finish outside the top ten while he also took his first podium of the season at Misano in Race 2; his first and the team’s first in Italy. He has 126 points to his name, putting him only three behind Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) while he is also 27 ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).

Reflecting on 2023 so far and the Misano podium, Mauri said: “We are enthusiastic and very happy with the work done by the team and Axel. This winter, we spent a lot of time on the development of the bike to further improve the rider’s performance. We really believe in Axel: he joined our family when he was a kid. We’ve seen him grow in terms of performance and riding style. The podium was wonderful, for us it was an indescribable emotion, as was having so many people outside the garage shouting not only ‘Axel Bassani’ but also ‘Motocorsa’, giving us a great boost given they feel part of the team. I’ve rarely seen things like this in 25 years in the paddock. I don’t deny that everyone in the team was moved. We have an excellent relationship with Ducati, with whom we exchange information on different aspects every day. We want to fight for the Independent Riders’ title. We will do everything to succeed, the Championship is long.”

POTENTIAL GROWTH: could there be two Motocorsa Ducatis on the grid in 2024?

Motocorsa Racing have been a one-bike outfit since joining WorldSBK in 2020 but Mauri spoke about potentially moving to two bikes for the 2024 season, although nothing has been officially confirmed. The one-time STK1000 podium finisher also explained the profile of the rider he would like to join the team if they are able to expand to two Panigale V4 R machines next year, revealing he would like them to “make sacrifices” like Bassani.

Expanding on this, Mauri said: “I’m receiving so many requests to race with us, even from riders who, years ago, didn’t even answer my calls. Everything about this makes me really happy since I remember very well all the sacrifices we have made over the years. This is the demonstration that the commitment and the resources we have invested are paying off. In 2024, we would like to field two bikes. We are evaluating this opportunity. Ducati will remain this way, there will be no new homologations but only small updates. If we decide to take to the track with two bikes, we will do it to be competitive. Our next step will be to have two riders. For Motocorsa, it would be a big leap. My ideal rider would have to impress me, they have to be coherent and serious. They have to be willing to make sacrifices like Axel did.”

WHERE IT ALL STARTED: Mauri’s racing career and being Team Manager

Mauri is no stranger to motorcycle racing given his experience both on and off track with a podium finish in STK1000 as well as seven WorldSBK across three partial campaigns. The team were founded in 2013 competing in Italy before wildcard appearances in the World Superbike Championship in 2019 as they made their debut on the world stage. In 2020, the team competed in the European rounds of the WorldSBK campaign, skipping only Australia, before taking part full-time in 2021.

Explaining the career path for both him and the team, Mauri said: “My career began when I was 18 as a private rider and then moved onto sports production bikes in the CIV and the Endurance World Championship. Then, I competed as a wildcard in WorldSBK at the time of Carl Fogarty and Troy Bayliss. I won a few races in Superstock and also got on the podium in CIV. The team was born in 2013 and has grown step by step. It has been a process of continuous growth. In 2019, we competed in our first races in WorldSBK, fielding Lorenzo Zanetti and Samuele Cavalieri as wildcards. 2020 was our first year as a constant presence, skipping only the Round at Phillip Island. In the following season, we began to enjoy ourselves, bringing home some good results.”

Watch the 2023 WorldSBK season unfold in style using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

TECH GALLERY: get up close and personal with the 2023 BMW M1000RR machine!

Five manufacturers are taking part in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship in 2023 and a series of tech gallery articles will allow you to get closer than ever to the incredible bikes competing for glory this season. First up is German manufacturer BMW and their M1000RR model which featured vast upgrades compared to its predecessor when the new model was unveiled. This is your chance to check out the intricate details of the M1000RR machine that Scott Redding, Michael van der Mark, Tom Sykes and Ivo Lopes at the factory ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and Garrett Gerloff and Loris Baz at Bonovo Action BMW hope to take to winning ways this year. Look at all the details of the M1000RR machine in the gallery at the top of this page!

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Dall’Igna reviews 2023 so far, ‘no big changes’ planned for next season

Five rounds have been completed in the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign with Ducati leading the way so far. During the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, Ducati Corse General Manager, Gigi Dall’Igna, gave his thoughts on Ducati’s season so far and looked ahead to 2024 including the future of the Panigale V4 R and who could be Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) teammate next season.

SEASON SO FAR: 14 wins, 20 podiums for Ducati

Bautista’s title defence after five rounds has gone almost perfectly for the Spanish rider with 14 wins in 15 races in 2023, and he has won every race he’s finished this year; dropping only 12 points. The remaining six podiums come from a combination of Bautista’s teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, and Independent rider Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). The results mean Ducati lead the Riders’, Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championships. Bassani’s strong form in 2023 means he is in control of the Independent Riders’ standings with a 38-point lead over Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team).

Reviewing the 2023 season so far, Dall’Igna said: “I’m really happy with the performance of our bike and, above all, our riders. We are leading the Championship at the moment. For sure, our competitors are really, really fast and we have to do our best to try to win the Championship at the end of the year.”

THE FUTURE: evolution, not revolution, coming in 2024

Bautista’s status as a factory Ducati rider for next season was confirmed ahead of the Catalunya Round but the name of his teammate is currently unknown. Bautista has said he has “no preference” about who rides alongside him in 2024 but several riders have expressed an interest in taking the seat occupied by Rinaldi. Dall’Igna also spoke about how changes for the 2024 Panigale V4 R machine, ruling out big changes but evolving the bike.

He said: “I think it’s not the time to speak about the second seat of our team. For sure, with Alvaro with us, we can have time to take the proper decision and wait a little bit to understand which is the best opportunity for us. I’m really happy with all the Ducati riders at the moment. We have to wait. I think it’s the best, not only for us but for the riders who would like to jump on our bike. I don’t have a deadline for WorldSBK at the moment. I think for next year we will evolve our bike but not have big changes.”

PROMOTION FOR BULEGA? “He was quite fast when he rode that bike…”

One name who is being linked with a move to WorldSBK is Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team). The Italian leads the WorldSSP standings by 36 points ahead of Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and he has six wins to his name this season. The 23-year-old has tested the Panigale V4 R on a couple of occasions, most recently at Mugello, while Dall’Igna revealed Bulega was the test rider for the WorldSBK team.

Discussing Bulega’s chances of a WorldSBK seat, Dall’Igna said: “He’s doing a fantastic job right now in World Supersport. He’s leading the Championship. He is our test rider in WorldSBK and, honestly speaking, he was quite fast when he rode that bike. We will see.”

Watch more incredible WorldSBK action throughout 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

DATES CONFIRMED: Bautista to test Ducati MotoGP™ bike at Misano in June

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will take advantage of the break in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship to complete a two-day test at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” with the Ducati MotoGP™ bike. The test will take place on June 20th and 21st at the venue where Bautista claimed a hat-trick of wins in WorldSBK as he enjoys an outing on the Desmosedici GP machine.

THE TEST: dates confirmed for the two-day test

Bautista has been talking about completing a test with the MotoGP™ machine after winning the WorldSBK title last year and he is currently on top of the standings in 2023 with 14 wins in the first 15 races this year. However, with a three-weekend break between the Emilia-Romagna and UK Rounds, Bautista will swap his Panigale V4 R machine for the Desmosedici GP bike across a two-day test at Misano, running as part of the Aruba.it Racing team that competed at the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello last weekend with Michele Pirro.

Misano has been a happy hunting ground for Bautista in WorldSBK on Ducati machinery with three wins in 2023 and two more in 2022. He also claimed a podium finish there in 2019 in Race 1 on his first race with Ducati at Misano in WorldSBK, as well as winning the Tissot Superpole Race on Sunday morning. With so much knowledge of the track already, both from WorldSBK and MotoGP™, as well as a lot of success there in recent times, Bautista will be able enjoy the test to the fullest. 

IS A RACE OUTING ON THE CARDS? Bautista has his say…

While the test will take place in June, there has been speculation about a potential wildcard for Bautista as part of the programme although nothing has been confirmed by the team, manufacturer or the rider. Discussing a potential wildcard in MotoGP™, Bautista said in a feature interview: “After I won the World Championship in WorldSBK, I asked Ducati to have a test with the MotoGP™ bike because, from the outside, it seems like a really fun bike. We will do the test very soon. I don’t do the test with an intention to do a wildcard. I’d like to do the test and let’s see what happens. I don’t think there’s a lot of chance to repeat what Troy Bayliss did in 2006. It was another time and it was different. At the moment, in my mind, it’s only the World Superbike Championship. I just take the test like a prize and don’t think about Troy Bayliss.”

COVERAGE OF THE TEST: how to follow it on WorldSBK.com

With the dates now confirmed for the test, plans are in place to cover Bautista’s return to MotoGP™ machinery. There will be a team on the ground at Misano to produce footage of Bautista on track and in the box across both days, while there will also be interviews conducted at Misano to get instant thoughts about the test and much more from Bautista’s test. There will also be pictures of the test for you to see incredible images of Bautista back in MotoGP™ machinery.

Follow the two-day test on WorldSBK.com and follow more action from WorldSBK in 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Kenan Sofuoglu: “I think Bahattin’s dream is to move to WorldSBK like Toprak…”

The 2023 FIM Supersport World Championship has featured three new race winners in ten races so far with two of them coming from Kenan Sofuoglu’s umbrella of riders. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) took victory in Race 1 at Mandalika while Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), Kenan’s nephew, took his first win in Race 2 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Speaking ahead of the Championship’s visit to Misano, Kenan spoke about his nephew’s future in the paddock and the potential of following in the footsteps of 2021 Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK).

Bahattin Sofuoglu made his WorldSSP debut last year as he competed in the WorldSSP Challenge and he won that with 72 points to his name, taking a best finish of fifth on three occasions. For his second season, Sofuoglu is taking on every round including the flyaway rounds in Australia, Indonesia and Argentina. The highlight of his season so far came at the Catalunya Round at the start of May when he took third in Race 1 and won Race 2 after a last-lap fight with Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha).

Looking back on Bahattin’s win, Kenan said: “Many years ago, I was excited when Toprak won, but he made it so we were used to winning with him! For Bahattin, I was still waiting. I believed he still needed time. It took Can almost four years to win in WorldSSP and for Bahattin, I thought maybe he would get podiums but, especially in Barcelona, he was extremely strong. When he was on the last lap, battling with Manzi, I was shaking! It was like many years ago with Toprak when he started to win and started to fight with Jonny in WorldSBK.”

Although his second season has not reached the halfway stage yet, with Round 6 at Donington Park marking the halfway point of the campaign, Kenan spoke about Bahattin’s future and whether he could follow in the footsteps of Razgatlioglu into WorldSBK. The 2021 Champion’s path to WorldSBK involved racing in STK600 in 2014 and 2015, winning the title in his second campaign, before two seasons in STK100. He finished second in 2017 after a season-long fight with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with just eight points separating the pair.

Discussing whether Bahattin could follow in Razgatlioglu’s footsteps and compete in WorldSBK, Kenan said: “I think Toprak was very lucky because, at that time, there was a 1000cc category. It’s a much better way to go into WorldSBK. Riding in World Supersport and moving to WorldSBK is not very easy. It can take longer to adapt to the bike, especially if you are a Champion in WorldSSP going into WorldSBK and accepting finishes in fifth, sixth, eighth, tenth… it’s not very easy mentally. The New Generation of WorldSSP features 800cc, 955cc bikes so maybe the New Generation riders are luckier to move to WorldSBK because the direction is changing. Bahattin is riding an 800cc bike right now. I’m advising him, if he’s winning the Championship, to move to WorldSBK and not Moto2™ and Bahattin wants that direction. For example, maybe Can wants to move to Moto2™ for the future. I’m always asking the riders what they have in mind and I try to support them as it’s their dream. I think Bahattin’s dream is to move to WorldSBK like Toprak did.”

Speaking ahead of the Emilia-Romagna Round, Kenan spoke about Razgatlioglu’s switch to BMW from the 2024 season which was announced prior to WorldSBK’s visit to Misano. He said: “BMW are a very big brand and they are very excited to give us what we need. Toprak has enough talent to cover missing points. He has a two-year contract and, I believe, we will win the Championship. I can’t say which year, but we come to BMW to make BMW and ourselves Champions. They are fully ready for what Toprak needs to make it, even in the future. If Toprak asks, BMW are ready to deliver to Toprak what he needs to make the bike a Championship winning bike. This partnership came together to be Champions. We came together to make BMW World Champions. This is our main goal.”

Read the full interview with Sofuoglu about Razgatlioglu’s switch to BMW right HERE and don’t miss out on more incredible action in 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Sam Lowes on the prospect of switching to WorldSBK: “Definitely, in my career, I’d like to go there”

The rider market for the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid is in full flow with plenty of riders confirmed in place, some riders making changes for next year and, as always, some looking to make the switch from other paddocks. One rider who could be joining the paddock soon is Moto2™’s Sam Lowes, who addressed rumours about his future at the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello on Thursday ahead of track action.

Lowes has competed in the WorldSBK paddock before, taking part in the 2008 STK1000 campaign and having three full WorldSSP campaigns to his name. He was crowned World Supersport Champion in 2013 before he made the switch to Moto2™ between 2014 and 2016, taking three wins in his initial stint. A season in MotoGP™ followed with Aprilia Racing Team Gresini before he returned to Moto2™ in 2018 and has stayed there ever since; he finished third in the 2020 Moto2™ World Championship.

Speaking on Friday at Misano during the Pirelli, Emilia-Romagna Round, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) addressed his future and also spoke about whether twin brother Sam could make the step across from the MotoGP™ paddock to the WorldSBK paddock. He said: “My brother wants to come to WorldSBK, so I need to fight him for a job! This would be nice if I can race against him next year.”

Sam Lowes addressed the talk about his future and joining WorldSBK in the future on Thursday at the Italian Grand Prix. He said: “If you look at me and my career, I’m 32 years old now, so as much as I feel young, in this paddock it’s a little bit older. I know, even if there’s not a way back to MotoGP™, I had a chance in the past that didn’t quite go how I expected. I won’t be going there. For me, it’s normal to be looking at that a bit. Alex is there. Maybe for next year, maybe in a couple of years, but definitely, in my career, I’d like to go there, have a go on a Superbike and if he’s there as well it’ll be fun. At the minute, it’s really early. I’m lucky to have a great team here and a great position. It’s just nice to go there, assess the situation a little bit but, at the minute, we’re only just into June so it’s early.”

Both Sam and Alex have stated that they would like to race together on track, with Sam doing so at Mugello while Alex said so at Misano. Both have described racing with their twin brother in a positive way but, of course, there will be an inter-sibling rivalry going on to see who is the faster of the twin brothers.

Talking about racing with Alex, Sam said: “it’d be nice, we’re really close. It’s a good thing but also, I’ve been in Moto2™ for quite a long time now and the way for me to progress my career more would be to maybe make a bit of a change. That said, when you have weekends like Jerez and you’re fighting at Le Mans, it’s nice to be here in this paddock. For me and Alex, to race against each other so I can try and beat him and show that I’m the faster twin would be nice!”

Watch more WorldSBK action throughout 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Razgatlioglu on his BMW move: “Big dream, big new challenge… I hope we win the Championship”

The big news as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock headed to the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round was that Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) would leave Yamaha at the end of the 2023 campaign and join the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team for the 2024 campaign. During the lead up to the Round, Razgatlioglu’s manager, Kenan Sofuoglu, spoke about the move and said he believed Razgatlioglu would be Champion with the German manufacturer.

After four seasons with Yamaha and 31 race wins, plus the 2021 title after a season-long showdown with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), Razgatlioglu will switch from Yamaha to BMW next season as he embarks on what he described as a ‘new challenge’ next year. It means he is switching from a race-winning package to a manufacturer who are looking to become regular podium and win contenders as they develop the M1000RR machine.

Explaining the decision to switch to BMW on Thursday at Misano, Razgatlioglu said: “I say if I stay in WorldSBK, I need a new challenge. This is good motivation for me, I’m feeling more than 100% motivated. First, I am happy I have signed with a new team. I see people say, ‘this is not a winning bike, this is not easy’. This motivates me more because I listen to some people and I feel more motivated now because now my dream is that, after the first win, I can just ride. It’s possible this is a winning bike. It’s a big dream for me and a big new challenge. It’s not easy, I know. WorldSBK is very fast. I’ll do my best like I did with Yamaha. I try my best in the next two seasons.”

Sofuoglu’s comments were put to Razgatlioglu with the 26-year-old aiming to become World Champion for two different manufacturers in WorldSBK, as well as looking to become the sixth rider to win with three different manufacturers in WorldSBK, having won races for both Kawasaki and Yamaha during his career.

Responding to Sofuoglu’s claim that he believes Razgatlioglu will be Champion with BMW, Razgatlioglu said: “Kenan and I always talk, especially before signing. We both said if I stay in WorldSBK, I’ll go to a different team. I’m very happy because he’s always giving me 100% motivation. This is a big dream for Kenan and for me. Next year and maybe also 2025, we don’t know, we are fighting for the Championship. I hope we win it! This is the big dream.”

The move generated plenty of intrigue from other riders on the grid, including current BMW rider Scott Redding, while Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director, also shared his thoughts, declaring that it was ‘very exciting’ for BMW and that his arrival will add ‘another level’ to BMW’s rider line-up. Bongers, however, did not disclose who Razgatlioglu’s teammate will be next season with the second seat at BMW still up for grabs.

Watch more incredible WorldSBK action throughout 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

THE STORY OF KOVE: get to know the history-making manufacturer that joined the paddock in 2023

The 2023 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship made headlines with the debut of a new manufacturer in the Championship, bringing the total currently competing to four and five since the Championship’s inception. Kove became the first Chinese manufacturer to enter WorldSSP300 with their 312RR machine and Kove CEO, Zhang Xue, has given an interview to explain why the manufacturer entered WorldSSP300, where his passion for motorsport came from and technical details about the bike.

Kove, running with the China Racing Team, have used two Chinese riders this season with Shengjunjie Zhou competing at Assen and Catalunya while Junhao Zhan took over the bike at Misano. Neither rider has scored a point so far after making their WorldSSP300 debut this season with Zhou taking a best result of 22nd for the team. However, the team have also competed in the Spanish Superbike championship and enlisted the services of Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez, a WorldSSP300 regular, who scored two wins with Kove. Xue, a former motocross rider, also helped Kove to enter the Dakar with the Dakar Rally Team in 2023.

The story for Kove begins a long time before joining WorldSSP300 though as Xue explains: “I have loved motorcycles since I was a kid. From my first memories, I knew I loved motorcycles. There was once a time my mom took me to my grandma’s home. It was 1am and I saw the Dakar Rally on TV. I didn’t know that was Dakar but saw lots of bikes running on the sand. The bike was a very old KTM and I felt I loved it so much! From there, I kept loving it, never changed.”

The 2023 campaign is only three rounds in but Xue and the China Racing Team will be able to have a good idea of the team’s performance and where they can improve, both from an off-track and on-track perspective. Already making history by becoming the first Chinese manufacturer to race in the WorldSBK paddock, and with the first two Chinese riders, there will be lots of history for Kove to make during their time in the paddock.

Discussing the team performance, and making history, Xue said: “I think it’s my responsibility. I must do it. The team and the structure are pretty good. But for the rider, I think Chinese riders need to improve a lot. I hope they can learn more and improve quickly in the coming practices and races. I hope to have one more entry that would involve a foreign rider. In the Spanish championship, we already proved that the bike performance is good. The key point was when we prove our bike is okay then it’s possible for other riders to use our bike. If we don’t do that when we talk to a rider, they may think our bike is not ready so I could not have a good rider. The long-term goal is to win the highest category, which means WorldSBK.”

Xue also expanded on the best features of the 321RR machine, which is used in WorldSSP300, with the aim of scoring the bike’s and manufacturer’s first points in the Championship: “The torque of low rpm is stronger, and better brake performance. A single swingarm would be faster when changing tyre.”

Watch Kove’s progress throughout 2023 in WorldSSP300 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com