The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field heads to the Adriatic coast and the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for Round 4 of the 2023 campaign at the start of June, and now is the perfect opportunity to take a trip down memory lane. The first visit is way back to 2001 as Troy Bayliss and Ben Bostrom battled it out for victory on their Ducati 996 R machines to take a home win for Ducati. The pair were separated by just 0.482s at the end of the 25-lap fight. Watch the full race for free by clicking the video at the top of this article!

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With the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round coming up for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock, the small break between rounds is the perfect chance to take a look back at some of the best moments from 2023 using the post-round Unfiltered videos. The Australian Round was a dramatic affair with mixed conditions throughout to create an unforgettable round, while the Indonesian Round a week later featured Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) claiming his maiden podium and fighting talk from the frontrunners. As WorldSBK returned to Europe, so did the drama. The Dutch Round Unfiltered featured Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) their tactics to fight Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) while the Catalunya Round had fallout from Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) colliding in Spain. Watch all the incredible behind-the-scenes moments from WorldSBK in 2023 with the videos at the top of this article!

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The Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” is the next venue for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship for the fifth round of the 2023 campaign, the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round. Before then, why not catch up on some of the incredible action WorldSBK has delivered so far this year? Relive videos for the first rounds of the campaign are available to watch in one easy place at the top of this article, with all the drama from Indonesia, Australia, the Netherlands and Catalunya in one place for you to catch up on.

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While the majority of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field headed to the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for a two-day test recently, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Alex Lowes opted not to go with KRT sending a smaller team with test rider Florian Marino. On Thursday, 18^th May, Rea and Lowes were back on track at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for a one-day test.

With the forecast heading into the Misano test featuring rain and cooler track conditions, the two KRT riders opted to skip the test to be able to test their ZX-10RR machines in hotter track conditions, which was possible on Thursday at Jerez. In a post on Instagram, Rea said they got the 50-degree track temperatures they were after while he was also able to complete a race simulation at the end of the day.

With track temperatures where both Rea and Lowes needed them to test as WorldSBK heads into a busy summer period, starting at Misano at the start of June before heading to Donington Park, Imola and Most in July. With four rounds coming up in the next two months at the height of summer, KRT will be hoping their one-day Jerez test, including where they did a race simulation in warmer conditions, will prove beneficial to the team and the ZX-10RR as they go in search of their first win of the 2023 campaign.

Speaking after the Misano test, where Marino completed one day, KRT Team Manager, Guim Roda, said: “Testing is so important, especially when things do not work out as planned, and especially because we don’t give up. In 2019 Alvaro Bautista won at the first four rounds, but we won the title. Of course, we are in a worse position than 2019, we are not naive, but the concept is to never give up until game is over. Not winning empowers us to work really hard to come back stronger. We need to explore all the areas to find the way to fight to win every race. That’s the target. We could not finish some upgrades we were working on with the bike, so we will try to find other options to test before Misano. We are especially trying to find more than 45-degree tarmac conditions to test on. The track temperature at Misano was not enough to work with items we wanted to work on with Alex and Jonny but checking the functionality of some software adjustments has been very useful.”

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There was a first-time winner last time out in the FIM Supersport World Championship as Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) took his maiden victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and he will be looking to add more to his collection as the season progresses. With his first win in the bag, we take a look at some of the riders whose first victories in WorldSSP propelled them on to bigger things including World Championship success. Can Sofuoglu follow in their footsteps?

SOUFOGLU’S FIRST OF 43: victory at Assen

Five-time Champion Kenan Sofuoglu claimed his first win in WorldSSP at Assen in 2006, his first full season in the Championship. He won by more than four seconds ahead of Kevin Curtain for the first of his 43 WorldSSP wins and it sent him on a path to greatness. In ten full seasons of WorldSSP, Sofuoglu, who now manages Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and nephew Bahattin Sofuoglu, went on to win five Championships, 43 races and claimed 85 podiums.

DAVIES PULLS CLEAR AT ASSEN: same venue as Sofuoglu

Before entering WorldSBK and becoming a three-time runner-up, Chaz Davies made his name in WorldSSP. In two full seasons, he claimed six victories which all came in his title-winning campaign in 2011 where he won six out of 12 races. The first came at Assen, like Sofuoglu, where he blew away the opposition to win by more than seven seconds ahead of Fabien Foret and that was followed up by wins at Monza, Aragon, Silverstone, Nurburgring and Portimao as he was crowned World Champion.

HOME VICTORY: Michael van der Mark takes stunning home win

The first win is always special for a rider but the first win coming on home soil must feel even sweeter and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) can vouch for this. In his second WorldSSP campaign, he took victory at Assen by 9.5 seconds ahead Florian Marino for his first of six wins and, like Davies a few years before, it led to a title in 2014. His Assen win was followed up with victories at Donington Park, Sepang, Portimao, Jerez and Lusail before he moved to WorldSBK with Honda; the manufacturer he took the WorldSSP title with.

STARTING 2023 IN STUNNING FORM: one win leads to another for Bulega

Ducati returned to WorldSSP in 2022 and were the only manufacturer not to claim victory, although not without trying. 17 podiums were scored in 2022 including seven second place finishes, but the first win since 2005 eluded them. That was until the 2023 Australian Round, the season opener, when Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team), took victory in Race 1 at Phillip Island. This was followed up by Race 2 victory and then the double at Assen as well. In total, he has five wins from eight races this season; can he follow in the footsteps of Sofuoglu, Davies and van der Mark and be crowned World Champion after his breakthrough win?

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Turkish youngsters finding form…

Oncu has been in WorldSSP since 2020 and had been edging closer to victory ever since, and his first win finally came in Race 1 at Mandalika this year. He was unable to follow that up with Race 2 victory, or in Race 1 at Assen, and he missed the Catalunya Round through injury. When he returns, he’ll be hoping his first win was a breakthrough and leads to more. Bahattin Sofuoglu took his maiden podium and win in the same round when he finished third in Race 1 in Barcelona and won Race 2, returning the Sofuoglu name to the top step of the podium. He showed strong pace towards the end of his maiden WorldSSP campaign, so will he be able to repeat his victory as the season progresses?

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Four rounds are done in the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship and although there’s a break until the next round at the start of June, action continued as a Supported Test was undertaken at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”. With the circuit, a stone’s throw from the Adriatic Sea, hosting the fifth round of the season, it was all-important in terms of dialling setup in and trying to improve pace with new parts, so what were the key takeaways from two days of testing action?

BAUTISTA VS RAZGATLIOGLU: race pace tells a tale

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was in a league of his own in the previous two rounds at Assen and in Barcelona, strolling to a triple in each. His race pace was once again strong at the Misano Test, where he was lapping consistently in the low 1’34s and 1’33s, faster than his pace from last year’s full races. However, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was also fast, with Bautista calling the Turk’s race pace as “amazing”, with him able to get down to a very similar pace as Bautista. It’s two all in the win tally at Misano between them over the last two years, so who will make it three – or perhaps four – first? For a full, in-depth analysis of their pace, click here.

HONDA RIDERS’ CONTRASTING EMOTIONS: Vierge’s joy is Lecuona’s disappointment

So often, they’ve echoed the same feedback in development and been close on track, but the Misano Test saw Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and teammate Iker Lecuona share two very different thoughts on the latest new parts. Starting positively, Vierge stated that perhaps a “new base setup” had been established, with a positive reaction to Honda’s new overslung swingarm. On the contrary, Lecuona didn’t hold back, with the Valencian stating that he “expected more” and that he “can’t be happy”, seemingly at a loss, hailing the test as “very difficult.” Team boss Leon Camier stated the new parts helped Vierge “quite a lot”, although for Lecuona, the feeling was a bit better but lap time didn’t really improve. A careful analysis is needed, but Camier maintained that a step had been made, but that the bike is still needing to be improved in all areas.

SYKES IS BACK AT BMW: a positive return for the #66

It was a bright return to the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team for 2013 World Champion Tom Sykes, as the Yorkshireman was back to grinning ways at Misano. A consistent pace saw him finish as top factory BMW on day one, with a fast lap time but also a decent pace. Although teammate Scott Redding’s pace may have been a bit better over the course of long race distance, Sykes made gains throughout the opening day and was able to run well in the 1’34s. The atmosphere was also good within the BMW camp, with team principal Shaun Muir praising Sykes’ return and although no commitment can be made in the future, in the words of Muir himself, “the old Tom is there”, so it remains to be seen how the race rounds themselves go. For an in-depth look at Sykes’ comeback to BMW, read a full round-up here.

SURPRISES: Baldassarri and Gerloff feature at the front

It was a positive test for both Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) and Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), as they were able to showcase some serious speed across the two days of action. Starting with ‘Iron Balda’, the 26-year-old Italian was up inside the top five at points on day one before finishing P11 at the end of the day, whilst on day two, he improved his race pace and outright one-lap speed to finish fourth and second Yamaha, behind fellow countryman Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK). For Gerloff, he was top BMW rider and setting a strong pace, completing the top five on day one. He set times in the high 1’34s and low 1’35s, with that pace good enough for the top ten last year. Finishing the test as top BMW overall, Gerloff has plenty of information for the round to build on a decent showing in Barcelona.

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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is a third of the way down after the Prosecco DOC Catalunya Round and 2011 Champion Carlos Checa recently reviewed the season so far in an interview at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The Spanish rider, who was the last Ducati Champion in WorldSBK before Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)’s success last year, spoke about the 2023 campaign, WorldSBK this season and Bautista’s season so far.

CHECA ON 2023: “It’s very exciting…”

2011 Champion Checa visited the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as he took in the stunning atmosphere and incredible track action in Spain, with the Catalunya Round hosting the fourth round of the 2023 season. He watched Bautista take a hat-trick on home soil as he extended his Championship lead, as well as thrilling fights and dramatic collisions behind him, as well as the other races he has followed from home.

Reflecting on the 2023 campaign so far, Checa said: “I’m feeling very well, I’m enjoying my life and especially the racing from outside. I have the opportunity to be in Barcelona and to follow all the races. I try to see every race. It’s very exciting. I think it’s a very well-balanced sport even if, now, Bautista is taking a clear advantage. I like these kinds of bikes, the programme during the weekend with different classes and I think it’s a good Championship where the performance is increasing every year. Even now, Bautista is one step in front.”

BAUTISTA’S 2023 CAMPAIGN: “It’s a pleasure to watch him riding like that!”

Bautista, in 2022, became the first Ducati Champion in WorldSBK since Checa won the title in 2011 and his form in 2023 so far, with 11 wins from 12 races, has put him in pole position for a second consecutive WorldSBK title. Ducati introduced a new model of the Panigale V4 R in 2023 and Bautista has already ridden it to so much success in four rounds this season and Checa commented on his compatriot’s results this season and how he is getting the most out of the bike.

Checa said: “He’s doing his talking on the track, it’s quite clear. He is a rider who, from the beginning, felt very good with this bike. Even in 2019 when he was leading the Championship and, in the end, he lost it and then moved to Honda. This year, he demonstrated that he’s integrated into this bike perfectly. When he returned last year, he was probably struggling a little bit and he had a clear advantage maybe in acceleration and speed. For me, this year, he made a great evolution because, with his turning and braking, he’s riding even better than his competitors and taking a little bit of advantage under acceleration, but also this is because he’s turning quite well. I saw some races, especially at Assen, where it seems like he’s doing less distance and turning so well with the bike. It’s a pleasure to watch him riding like that.”

WHO JOINS BAUTISTA IN 2024? Checa’s criteria laid out

With Bautista putting talk about his future behind him by signing a new contract with Ducati for 2024, talk about who will join him has started. Current teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, will be aiming to keep the seat for a fourth season in 2024 however several other riders have expressed their desire for a factory seat, including Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team). Checa gave his thoughts on who could join Bautista next season and, while he didn’t name any names, did explain the decision-making process.

He said: “All the riders are quite good; this is something related to the team and maybe Alvaro has something to say. Especially the team, or Ducati, will decide which one they prefer. The season is long with many races to come and the riders who take more results from now until the end probably will have a strong reason for the team to decide which one. I don’t know what Ducati’s or the team’s priorities are, the standings should do the talking. But there’s always other conditions, having a teammate that can help Alvaro or not bother him like until now is positive, and also that does good work for the team. But if there’s someone who stands out after Bautista in the standings, I think they will be the chosen one.”

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Whilst the racing action in the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship doesn’t resume until round five of the season at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” in June, the circuit has already hosted an all-important Supported-Test. Across two days, riders took to the track but there was one rider who particularly stood out: Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha). The Italian rider has always been strong across all classes at Misano, dating back to his time in the Moto2™ World Championship, but it could perhaps be the circuit where a breakthrough could come.

POSITIVE TESTING: Baldassarri shines on familiar territory

‘Iron Balda’ set a strong pace during day one and completed the day in 11^th place, having been inside the top five for part of it. On the second day of action, the Italian was a mighty fourth, setting a 1’34.681 to finish as second Yamaha behind Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), impressively improving his time compared to the opening day, unlike many other riders, with day two being impacted by rain. The #34’s race pace was promising, with plenty of times in the 1’35s on the opening day, although they weren’t as consistent as he’d have liked. One the second day, the dry opening part of the action saw him start in a much better shape than day one and he also improved his consistency in comparison to the opening day. With the improved consistency also came an improvement in lap time, with a few laps set in the low-to-mid 1’35s, before he improved his lap time on his final flying lap of the test.

Speaking about his feeling after the test, Baldassarri was happy with two days of action at a circuit he goes well at: “We needed this test because we have to get the speed back from Barcelona, where we struggled a lot. We missed the test there so I needed to find the speed and understand the bike better at a circuit I know well. We focused in braking area as we knew from Barcelona that we needed to change something with the geometry of the bike. On the first day, we did this and I adapted my riding style and for sure, we have to continue pushing in that way and continue improving. We made a step in braking, so we turn better and I exit the corner with the bike in a better position. We started in Barcelona to work on the electronics, but we were missing something on the entry to the corner, so we struggled in the exit too. We’ve done good work on the electronics.”

BREAKTHROUGH FOR BALDA? Misano a circuit he’s gone well at before

Whilst matching his top four showing from the test in the race may be difficult and unlikely, Baldassarri will be searching for his personal best results of his rookie 2023 season thus far. After two podiums at the circuit last year in WorldSSP, Baldassarri also has a Moto2™ Grand Prix victory to his name from 2016. However, he’s yet to crack the top ten, with three points-scoring finishes to his name and a best of 13^th in Race 2 at Assen, whilst a tricky Barcelona weekend resulted in no points. The GMT94 Yamaha team are also chasing a top ten, their first in WorldSBK since the 2005 with David Checa at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, when he was ninth in Race 2, which remains the team’s best result in WorldSBK.

“Talking about what he’s looking forward to at home, the 26-year-old said: “I think we can enjoy! Finally, we can be in the Superbike world and riding a Superbike like the strong riders. Sometimes, in the last races, I was strong but with more up and downs, so I hope that in a normal weekend to be consistent in every practice and growing after each one.”

ITALIANS AT HOME: magic in the air?

Misano has always been a place where Italian riders find extra performance; in recent years, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) enjoyed a double win back in 2021, whilst that was also the year Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) took a first top ten in WorldSBK, with a sixth in the Superpole Race. On top of that, Marco Melandri won for Ducati in 2017 in his comeback season, whereas Max Biaggi achieved a double in 2012 and 2010 for Aprilia.

In 2004, an inspired tyre choice by Pierfrancesco Chili saw him storm through the field to hit the front on the final lap, taking his last race win. In 1995, Mauro Lucchiari took his only WorldSBK wins with a double, whilst it was the scene of his first podium with third in Race 2 the year before. In that very same race, Giancarlo Falappa took his final WorldSBK win in his last race before suffering a career-ending injury in testing at Albacete. In terms of manufacturer, it’s Ducati territory, with 34 wins and 89 podiums.

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With two days of testing for the majority of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship now completed at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, there’s a chance to review the action for some teams and riders, including Team HRC duo Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge. The pair were testing different swingarms on their bikes as they look to take a step forward and Team Manager Leon Camier reviewed the test as well as explaining what the Japanese manufacturer wanted to bring with their two swingarms.

REVIEWING MISANO: lots learnt, lots to understand

Honda were represented at the test by regular riders Vierge and Lecuona as they looked to continue their forward progress this season. Vierge was the fastest of the two, setting his best time of the test on Day 2 when he posted a 1’34.034s which was just over a second slower than pacesetter Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). Lecuona’s best time also came on Day 2 when he set a 1’34.602s while the pair racked up a combined 226 laps on their CBR1000RR-R machines across both days, despite rain interrupting running throughout Day 2.

Reflecting on the test, Camier said: “Overall, I think it’s been a productive test. On Xavi’s side, we understood some things and some new parts have helped him quite a lot. I think we need to also understand this at other circuits. In the past, we’ve tested here and it’s very easy to understand something here, but this track has very high grip levels and this can confuse at other circuits which have low grip. In general, our feeling is that we’ve made a step, we’ve understood where we can improve. On Iker’s side, it’s not been such an easy test. I think it’s a combination of a few reasons why but, in general, we need to go away and understand deeply why we’ve understood what we’ve understood. I think, for the next race weekend, we’ll probably start with some different parts and we’ll see how the path goes from there.”

NEW COMPONENTS: Vierge and Lecuona test swingarms with mixed results

One of the key talking points from the test was Honda bringing two new swingarms for Vierge and Lecuona to try. Lecuona tried both on Day 1 while Vierge was able to try one on Day 1 and one on Day 2 despite poor weather conditions. The pair gave their thoughts on the new swingarms on Thursday after track action while Leon Camier, speaking on Friday, gave an overview from Team HRC’s perspective as well as where they are trying to benefit from the new swingarms.

He said: “For Xavi, one was very positive, and we also saw in the lap times it went very well for him. It’s fixed some of the problems he’s been having which is positive. This circuit can lead you in wrong directions, so we need to understand deeply that it works at other circuits. On Iker’s side, it wasn’t so clear. The feeling was a little bit better, but the lap time wasn’t really different. We need to analyse this careful before we understand which direction to go. We have to improve the bike in all areas. This is clear. One of the main things for Xavi has been grip, also entry grip and turning. This is what we understand from one of these swingarms that we’ve been able to improve a little bit.”

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The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is four rounds down and whilst there’s just under a month off until the next round at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, the track has already hosted testing action. There was plenty to get our teeth into has the chequered flag waved at the end of day two, from strong race pace, podium potential and whether or not one team’s factory riders not participating is as bad as it sounds. Let’s dive deep into the times and see what’s what.

BAUTISTA’S STUNNING PACE: has he already checked in for another triple?

Alvaro’s opening day pace was something to behold; besides his storming one lap at the end of the day that put him on a 1’33.0, the reigning World Champion put in a 15-lap run, of which 14 laps were all in the 1’34s. He went out and improved it again in the next run, with 11 laps in the 1’34s and then in the 1’33s. That was followed up by two more runs, one of nine laps and the other of ten, all in the same region, before a time attack came with a four-lap run delivering a 1’33.035, the fastest lap of the test. The follow runs at the end of the day mirrored the ones he set at the start, proving that Bautista’s metronomic consistency is as dangerous to his rivals as the pace itself.

Despite rain on day two, Bautista’s pace was once again strong. Before the rain shower, the Spaniard put together a run in the low 1’34s and high 1’33s, stronger than his rivals on day two. He got back out at the end of the day and went faster, setting five laps in the mid-to-high 1’33s and in back-to-back fashion. Although not able to replicate his storming pace compared to day one, it was nonetheless impressive for the #19 given the tricky conditions.

RAZGATLIOGLU ON THE CHARGE: we’ll have a fight at the front

However, his main rival over race pace looks to be Toprak Razgatlioglu, with the 2021 World Champion looking good to take the fight to Bautista, the rider who snatched the title from him in 2022. On the opening day, after two five-lap runs in the low-to-mid 1’34s, Razgatlioglu tailored a 14-lap run, with lap times ranging from high 1’33s to mid 1’34s. He went out to complete a time attack at the end but was half a second away from Bautista’s ultimate pace.

On the second day, Razgatlioglu only did a handful of laps on his #54 Yamaha, but he did have a good run out with new items on the YME test bike. A few laps in the low-to-mid 1’34s served him well in far from ideal conditions, but his pace on day one was enough to rival Bautista over a race simulation. It caught the attention of Bautista himself, with him hailing Razgatlioglu’s pace as “amazing”, so perhaps, after two triples at Assen and in Barcelona, will he be caught at Misano.

HISTORY SAYS: in the last two years, it’s 2-2

In 2022, Alvaro Bautista looked invincible in the long races, but one rider managed to stop him in the Superpole Race: Toprak Razgatlioglu. He stretched away and set a frightening pace in the 1’33s, achieving a first victory of the season. He put up a strong fight in Race 2, with Bautista passing on the run to Curvone, only for Razgatlioglu to respond on the exit of the turn. It took Bautista three attempts to tame Toprak. In 2021, with Bautista was at Honda, Razgatlioglu was beaten in Race 1 and the Superpole Race by an inspired Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), but a block pass at Turn 14 by Razgatlioglu saw him stride to victory – again, a first of the year. In the last two years, it’s two apiece for Razgatlioglu and Bautista; it’s the fight to make it three in the racing weekend.

OTHERS TO WATCH OUT FOR: a home-hero surprise?

Rinaldi’s pace during the Misano test was impressive, and whilst not quite as fast as his teammate, he has the potential for a podium, with him setting 1’34s rather comfortably. Don’t forget, Italians at home always find extra performance from their home crowd. As for Rinaldi’s arch-rival, perhaps nemesis, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), his testing pace wasn’t the most convincing, with 1’35s and 1’34s dominating his chronological analysis, although, in his own words, he’s never giving it 100% during tests and always pulls out the stops come the weekend. Andrea Locatelli’s (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) pace looks good, although he’s missing something if he wants to get on terms with teammate Razgatlioglu and reigning World Champion Bautista. As for the Kawasaki’s pace, it’s unknown, with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Alex Lowes sitting the Misano Test out, something Bautista said could be a disadvantage in terms of round preparation.

THEIR OWN WORDS: Bautista and Razgatlioglu speak about each other’s pace

Top after the test, Bautista is confident ahead of the round: “Day two was more complicated as we had some rain in the morning. We did a couple of exits before that in the dry and the feeling was a bit different to day one, maybe after the rain overnight. The track was a bit more slippery. We worked on the setup and then in the wet, we did a couple of tests on the electronics side and we found something very positive that helps us to have a better performance in the wet, so I’m quite happy. The conditions we found at the test will be very different compared to the race weekend. It’ll be more difficult as my teammate is like a specialist at this track, but also Toprak is very, very strong with an amazing pace; he showed on day one that he’s ready to win the races. Jonathan is a question mark because he missed the test, so for sure, the other guys will arrive more prepared.”

Giving his thoughts, Razgatlioglu said: “I’m really happy; on day one, we did a really good test, especially in the race simulation, it was unbelievable. On day two, I tested the test bike and we tried new parts to improve the bike, but everything is new, so we tried a new setup and the weather wasn’t nice. In the wet conditions, we were also quite fast. We tried many parts and were still strong. Jonny and Alvaro are very strong here, also Michael Ruben Rinaldi. I hope that we are fighting for the win as it looks like the potential is very high. Last year, I got my first win the Superpole Race but this year I am focused on Race 1 and Race 2, as I need a ‘real win’ this year. Bautista is really strong here, but we did a good job on day one. We’ll keep fighting but it’s a good track for him. After Assen and Barcelona, finally I am riding my 100%.”

IN CONCLUSION: it’s only testing, but…

It’s important to have balance; off the back of Bautista’s thoughts on KRT sitting it out, there is some truth to it. However, conditions during testing are expected to be wildly different to those the riders will face during the round, when the track temperature is set to come up into the 50s. Alex Lowes stated in his media debrief in Barcelona on Sunday that he and the team need to test when the track temperature is up, not when it’s cool, as the ZX-10RR is working fine in cooler conditions, therefore the Misano test wouldn’t have been beneficial for the weather expected in the round.

Is there an argument to say that some testing is better than no testing? Perhaps. However, with factors such as limits on testing days, rest days following an intense round and the fact that testing is one thing and racing is another, there’s also an argument for not testing. Rea and Lowes are strong in the wet, their package is strong in cooler conditions and Misano is a familiar circuit where both have achieved good results before. However, we can only go off what we see, and what we saw is that Alvaro Bautista looks to be the favourite again, but perhaps it’ll be tougher than previous rounds with Razgatlioglu in the mix over the course of race distance too. We’ll just have to wait and see.

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Source: WorldSBK.com