The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is back underway after the mid-season break came to a close and the return to racing action reignited the various battles on track. After a crazy week of rider market news, the on-track headlines continued to be dominated by Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who took top spot in FP1 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. The session was ended early following a big crash for Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) at Turn 7, although the Italian was able to walk away.

The most successful rider at Magny-Cours with nine wins, Jonathan Rea was relentless from the green light after writing the headlines off-track coming into the round. With a move to Yamaha coming for 2024, Rea started his final four rounds with Kawasaki in a strong way, leading the way for most of the session. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) undertook a time attack at the end of the session and was a revelation in P2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) took third and made it three different manufacturers inside the top three, one place ahead of teammate Andrea Locatelli, with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in P5 at a track he always goes well at.

In sixth place and after a Thursday where he wasn’t well, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was over half a second adrift of Rea at the top, with the Championship leader just one place ahead of teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi, who will be looking for a ride for 2024. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was eighth at the track where he led a race for the first time for BMW 12 months ago, one place ahead of Axel Bassani. He had a massive crash at Turn 7 when he lost control on the direction change, with the Ducati and Bassani flying through the air. ‘El Bocia’ was able to walk away whilst his bike took a battering, but a red flag was shown which signified the end of the session. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) took P10 after a chain issue at the start of the session. An electronics issue for Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) kept the home hero – who sports a resplendent special helmet in tribute to the late F1 driver Francois Cevert – in the pits, although he got out with 15 minutes to go.

Top six after WorldSBK FP1 at Magny-Cours, full results here:

1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’36.900s

2. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.157s

3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.160s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.242s

5. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.431s

6. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.567s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

After a long break, the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship resumed at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours and Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) was claimed top spot in Free Practice 1. The Italian was just ahead of compatriot Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) in the first session of the Pirelli French Round, as three manufacturers finished in the top three during the 30-minute session.

After the first few laps, it was Vannucci who was leading the way comfortably but, as faster times came in, he dropped down the order before returning to the sharp end. In the end, it was compatriot Sabatucci who topped the times as he set a 1’53.277s as he finished a tenth clear of Vannucci, one of several title contenders looking to steal a march on his rivals. The #91 had a trip through the gravel in the second half of the 30-minute session but was still able to finish in second, 0.015s clear of Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) in third.

Rookie Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) enjoyed a strong FP1 session as he finished in fourth but had been running in the top three throughout. His best time was a 1’53.492s to finish 0.215s down on Sabatucci’s time while he was 0.021s clear of Championship leader Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) in fifth. Home hero Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) completed the top six as he goes in search of home glory at Magny-Cours.

2020 Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) was seventh after posting a 1’53.636s and he was around a tenth clear of fellow Dutch rider Ruben Bijman (Arco Motor University Team) in eighth. Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) was ninth, 0.525s down on top spot, while Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) rounded out the top ten after lapping just 0.003s slower than Hendra Pratama.

In terms of other title contenders, Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) was 18^th as he set a 1’54.644s, while Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America) was just a place ahead.

The top six from WorldSSP300 FP1, full results here:

1. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) 1’53.277s

2. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) +0.113s

3. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) +0.128s

4. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) +0.215s

5. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) +0.236s

6. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +0.337s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

On the eve of the Pirelli French Round, the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) and Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) have announced that a new chassis for Honda has been approved by the FIM SBK® Technical Director.

As per article 2.4.3.1 of the regulations, Honda have elected to use 15 tokens to introduce a superconcession chassis from this round onwards.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Another piece of the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid has fallen into place. Remy Gardner will stay at the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team for 2024 as he secured his place on next season’s grid, with the Australian rookie lining up alongside Dominique Aegerter for their second season together. With Aegerter’s renewal announced earlier, but for Yamaha with no team specified, the Independent team now have their line-up secured for next year.

Gardner moved into WorldSBK for 2023 after one year in MotoGP™ with KTM, where he scored 13 points and finished 23^rd in the World Championship. His year in MotoGP™ came off the back of his 2021 Moto2™ title success after he beat teammate Raul Fernandez in a season-long fight, with the title decided at the year-ending Valencian Grand Prix. Following his one season in MotoGP™, the Australian switched to WorldSBK where he has scored a best result of sixth, on three occasions including twice last time out at Most.

The 25-year-old has had an up and down rookie season but ended the first part of the season in style with two six-place finishes at the Autodrom Most. He had a strong Indonesian Round despite illness as he battled from the back of the grid to seventh in Race 2 as he ended his first two rounds of the season strongly. Two more top-tens came at Assen and he was again in the top ten in Barcelona as well as Misano. However, Donington and Imola in July would prove to be difficult for the rookie as he failed to score a top-ten finish, before returning there at Most with two P6 finishes on Sunday.

For 2024, he will again partner Aegerter after the two-time World Supersport Champion was announced back in August. Discussing his renewal, the #87 said: “I am really thrilled to announce my renewal with Yamaha for the 2024 season and I believe we have a promising future together. Next year will be my second year with the R1, and I couldn’t be happier with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team. With an additional year of experience under our belts, I have high hopes for our performance. I already feel right at home, so it’s a great feeling to continue this journey, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to Yamaha for this fantastic opportunity.”

Reacting to Gardner’s extension, Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager, Andrea Dosoli, said: “We are happy to be able to announce the extension of our partnership with Remy, and to finalise an unchanged rider line up at the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team for the 2024 season. We can see both the talent and the potential that Remy possesses and, although it’s been something of an inconsistent debut season for him in WorldSBK so far, we remain confident that we can achieve our goals together during the remainder of this season and the next.

“With Remy now onboard, we are looking forward to what promises to be an exciting 2024 season, which Yamaha will be contesting with an incredibly strong line up, with the four riders racing for the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK and GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK teams counting several World Championship titles between them. This exceptional rider line up comes with significant responsibility for Yamaha, but we are committed to providing a competitive package that matches the talent of our riders and we have secured the resources and support required.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

It’s been a bombshell week in 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship; in what has turned into one of the most sensational silly seasons ever seen, this week’s hottest quotes ahead of our return to racing for the final third of 2023 need to introduction. With a seismic switch for next year, continuous speculation and talking about who the favourite to do the business this weekend at Magny-Cours will be, we’re certainly not a sandwich short of a picnic.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “One of the hardest decisions of my career… I need something new”

In what was arguably one of the most emotional Thursdays, Jonathan Rea spoke for the first time about his decision to leave KRT: “As you can imagine, after six World Championships, nine years working together and so many memories, it’s been one of the hardest decisions in my career. In the end, it all boils down to the fact that I need something new, a new challenge and I had the opportunity somewhere else to find that. The time is right to make the next chapter in my career and we’ll deal with that later, but it was a very hard decision. I’ll never forget my first World Championship or the first feelings with the team, pleading my team manager Guim to give me a chance on this bike. I’ll always remember my time with Kawasaki as the people who gave me the chance to fulfil a childhood dream. I’ll try not to be sad. This chapter might come to a close but I’ll be so happy with what we’ve achieved. I love this team. We’re going to try to create some amazing stories until the end of the season and try to enjoy my bike. When I can find that magic, I can make it happen on the track.” You can enjoy a full story and instant reaction here!

Guim Roda (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK team principal): “It’s a reality we need to accept; we need to understand the market and which riders can fit”

Team boss for KRT’s effort Guim Roda admitted it is a heavy loss and looked ahead to potential replacements: “We feel a little bit sad. It’s been a long journey that we’ve been on together. It’s a reality we need to accept, keep working and we will continue our way and try our best. It’s difficult to find one moment because we have so many, but I’d like to mark those moments especially people cannot see because it happened between races. Those chats, meetings and all this time where he’s been working and talking about how to improve the team, the package, and the bike. All these things happen between races that people don’t see is maybe one of the key points we’ll keep apart from the success, winning and Championships. We need to understand the market and which riders can fit in Kawasaki’s wishes to have a rider represent them. We are on this now.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK): “We have many new parts”

With updates on his #54 Yamaha, Toprak Razgatlioglu is relishing a return to ‘Toprak territory’ this weekend: “We have many new parts and we’ll try them on Friday to check which are better and which aren’t. I think we should improve a little bit, enough to win. For the top speed, it will be similar, we just need better stopping and turning. The first and second sector have the long straights but after that, there are many corners. I will fight there! In general, I feel very positive.”

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “We split in a friendly way… 99.9% I’ll be in WorldSBK”

With his future not lying with the factory Ducati team, Michael Ruben Rinaldi confirmed he’ll be back on the grid next year, but not where: “It’s been a good time and there’s been a lot of beautiful moments with the team and I can be happy about the great people I’ve met during these years. Even if our ways will split, I’ll continue having friends that I didn’t have before. It’s life; things start and things end. We’re in motorsport and I’m not that old, so never say never. It could be a goodbye but not farewell. For three years, they gave me the opportunity to ride the factory bike and I always gave my best and tried every year to improve. From my point of view, after many efforts, it’s time for new challenges. At the moment, I’m still talking and I have a few options which will not take too much time to understand where I’ll be. For sure, I can say that 99.9% I will be in WorldSBK, but we have to understand the details better, to know which will be my best choice.” 

Serafino Foti (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team principal): “Our relationship with Michael doesn’t change; Bulega deserves this opportunity”

Welcoming new talent into WorldSBK, Serafino Foti readies for Nicolo Bulega’s arrival: “I think Bulega deserves this opportunity because he did a really good job in the last two years in WorldSSP. He’s still young but he has a lot of experience from Moto2™ and Moto3™ so I think this is the best choice regarding our line-up. On one side of the garage, we have a Champion, and we can give the opportunity to a young rider, and I think he can do a good job. It’s never easy to take a decision but racing is racing. The journey is over but our relationship with Michael doesn’t change. I wish him all the best and I hope he can find a really good opportunity, he’s so fast and an unbelievable talent. He deserves another opportunity. The wildcard is exciting for Aruba, and we decided after the second test. Our engineers analysed the data and they said ‘Alvaro could do a good job, it could be a good choice’ because he was impressive and quite fast.”

Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “My future is something you’ll know in the coming weeks”

After a two-day test at Aragon where communication was limited to the media, Scott Redding revealed some he’s excited after it and looked to 2024 too: “The Aragon test was quite good; it was good to get back there and get back riding without the pressure of a race weekend. We tested a few items with the setup and bigger things I can’t test in a race weekend. I’m quite excited; I’m making a few steps with the bike, and I hope we can show that again here. It’s a track that I like. My future is something you’ll know in the coming weeks. There’s nothing I can say on what’s happening. That’s where we’re at really; you can ask me the question all the time but I’m not in a position to say anything at the moment.”

Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW): “The cards aren’t in my hands… we’ll see where I’ll end up”

Once more stating that his future isn’t clear, home-hero Loris Baz said: “I’m looking forward to it and it’s always nice to race at home; it’s once a year and I enjoy it a lot. WorldSBK is really popular in France so it’s good to see all the fans that come around. We had a good end to the first part and now I’m looking forward to ending the season as well as possible. The test was about getting ready for Aragon but also here, a base setup that works well at both. We were trying to get some confidence in our pocket for the rest of the season. For 2024, the cards aren’t in my hands and it will get sorted sooner or later. We’ll see where I’ll end up.”

Xavi Vierge (Team HRC): “The idea is to continue with Honda; we have a big goal”

With his future still unknown at round nine, Xavi Vierge provided an update on his 2024 situation: “I hope we will know something soon, but we can’t say anything right now. The idea is to continue with Honda. We have a big goal together and we haven’t achieved it yet. We had a good test at MotorLand. It’s always good to have a test in the summer break. You arrive more ready for the last part of the season. The test was good. We focused on the bike setup and made some big changes to make a step forward. We understood some things and we’ll try to take this to make a step. After the break, I’m looking forward to resuming the season. We started the season really strong but the last three rounds have been a bit lower than we expected. I think the final four rounds are tracks that are good for us.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

This week has seen one of, or perhaps, the biggest transfer in MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship history with the news that Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) would move to the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK team for 2024 and 2025. It comes after the Ulsterman won six titles and more than 100 races with Kawasaki, but a new challenge awaits next year and, for the first time, Paul Denning and Andrea Dosoli have reacted to the news that the six-time Champion will race for them.

Rea’s career started with Honda in WorldSBK, and his talent was on display immediately as he became a race winner with the Japanese manufacturer before he switched to Kawasaki for the 2015 season. He won the title in his first season in green and won six on the bounce. He was beaten to the 2021 title by Toprak Razgatlioglu, the rider he will replace at Yamaha, after a season-long fight while Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) stormed to the 2022 title.

At the Pirelli French Round, key figures from Yamaha have reacted to the news for the first time. With Rea racing for Paul Denning’s Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK squad alongside Andrea Locatelli, the Team Principal was on hand to discuss his thoughts on Rea’s signing as was Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager Andrea Dosoli, both of whom were delighted with the signing of the 119-time WorldSBK race winner.

Discussing the news, Denning said: “First of all, we have to go back to the loss of Toprak which was a big disappointment, and to replace a rider of Toprak’s skill level, you have to start at the very top of the list. Luckily, we didn’t have to work our way down very far and we achieved our first target. We’re delighted to do that; it’s been a real team effort in terms of Yamaha Motor Europe, and everyone involved in the process. It’s a nice story in the end which is of course exciting for us and Yamaha but also for the Championship. We’re lucky that it’s a six-time World Champion who seems to be highly motivated and as passionate about winning another Championship as he’s ever been.

“I can’t speak for Jonny but the reason for the move is purely to perform better. Hopefully on the technical side, we can give him something that is a step ahead. His target is clearly to win another Championship and this time in blue. He brings a huge rebound from the loss of Toprak into something that we couldn’t even imagine would be this exciting and motivating for the team. Just by him agreeing to join us, it gives everyone the development and operational side a fresh motivation. I don’t see any difficulties in how he can fit in.”

Dosoli added: “It was a big announcement! We’re really happy to welcome Jonathan to the Yamaha family. I was impressed by his motivation despite all the results he has achieved in his career, with six titles and a lot of wins. He kept pushing always. This means a lot to us. I strongly believe that it’s special. His motivation will match our motivation very well and push our project. We are all looking forward to working together with Jonathan.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) has been left without a factory Ducati seat for the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season and his quest now is simple: find a seat for next season. There are some openings still available, and the #21 spoke about his future ahead of the Pirelli French Round. Although he didn’t name any teams he’s in discussion with, Rinaldi did say he was “99.9% sure” he’d be on the WorldSBK grid next season.

After taking the 2017 STK1000 title with the Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team, Rinaldi graduated to WorldSBK with the same squad the following year. He took a best finish of sixth at Brno and remained in WorldSBK for 2019 but this time with the Barni Spark Racing Team. A fourth place in Jerez at Race 2 was the highlight and another new team beckoned for 2020 as he joined Team GoEleven, which would be his breakthrough season. Three podiums including a win, all at Aragon, followed and he earnt a promotion to the factory team for 2021.

The Rimini-born star claimed three wins in his first season with the team, including two on home soil at Misano which would be one of his highlights. The other came in Barcelona. In total, he has scored 16 podiums for the factory team and helped win the Manufacturers’ Championship in 2022 as teammate Alvaro Bautista took the Riders’ Championship. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team also claimed the Teams’ title. However, after three seasons with the team, Rinaldi will leave at the end of the season to make way for Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team).

Reflecting on his time with Ducati, Rinaldi said: “I feel good because it’s been a really good time. We’ve had a lot of beautiful moments and I can be happy about great people I have met during these years. Even if our ways split, I will continue to have friends that before I didn’t have so it’s good. It’s life. Things start and things end. We are in motorsport and I’m not that old, so never say never. It could be a goodbye and not an adios. The beginning of this journey was in STK1000 with the Aruba Junior Team but the best moment for me was Misano 2021 because it was the first victory with the factory team, and it was in front of my crowd. That moment was really special for me, and I’ll remember it for all my life. Also, last year, when we won the Championship with Alvaro but also as a team and manufacturer.”

After the announcement, Rinaldi penned an emotional letter to Ducati thanking them for the good times he had with the team. With his future at the team no longer in question, Rinaldi will be looking for a new seat to show his talent and potential. There are several seats up for grabs still, at factory and Independent outfits, with Rinaldi aiming to secure the best possible one for his future.

When asked about his future, Rinaldi said: “At the moment, I cannot answer your question because I’m still talking, and I have a few options. It won’t take too much time to understand where I will be. I can say that I am 99.9% sure I will be in WorldSBK, but we have to understand better the details and what will be my best choice.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Just days after a bombshell announcement, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) spoke to the media for the first time since confirming his departure from Kawasaki at the close of 2023, joining Yamaha in 2024. In what is being widely considered as the biggest move in FIM Superbike World Championship history, the 36-year-old Ulsterman – who has achieved six consecutive World Championships and amassed over 100 wins with Kawasaki – will go into the final four rounds of the year being his last appearances in green. That final third all starts at Magny-Cours, one of his and Kawasaki’s most successful circuits, where the microphones were relatively toasty.

Addressing his recent announcement to break up one of motorsport’s most successful collaborations in pursuit of a new challenge and a return to title-contending form, Rea said: “As you can imagine, after six World Championships, nine years working together and so many memories, it’s been one of the hardest decisions in my career. In the end, it all boils down to the fact that I need something new, a new challenge and I had the opportunity somewhere else to find that. It’s mixed emotions because it was a very emotional time to leave such a family and a place where I’ve created so many amazing memories, not just on the track but off of it. The time is right to make the next chapter in my career and we’ll deal with that later, but it was a very hard decision.”

The six-time World Champion has always had humility and gratitude towards KRT and indeed the Provec Racing force that steers Kawasaki’s WorldSBK ship. It was the team that allowed him to achieve a childhood dream of becoming World Champion, whilst both would go hand-in-hand as they ripped up previous records like a hurricane. The first rider to win three straight titles would go on to make it six; the first rider to take 100 wins in WorldSBK would go on to win more than 100 races in green and beyond that, would become synonymous with the brand the world-over.

Recapping some of the success, the first title remains the sweetest: “Of course, I’ll never forget my first World Championship or the first feelings with the team, pleading my team manager Guim to give me a chance on this bike. Rolling up to the first test, working with my mechanics and creating that bond inside the garage. There’re things I’ll take with me in life, such as dealing with people and creating an atmosphere. The team helped me with that and my childhood dream was to be World Champion and I’ll always remember my time with Kawasaki as the people who gave me the chance to fulfil a childhood dream.

“Taking the chequered flag at Jerez in 2015 was incredible and the story we created after that is beyond not just my wildest dreams but you literally couldn’t dream it up. To win six World Championships on the bounce, continuing racing and to win races every year has been phenomenal. There are too many memories; I could go on for hours but it made it even tougher.”

Team boss Guim Roda shared his thoughts too, with it being a hard pill to swallow but remaining philosophical that it’s racing and anything can happen – on or off the track: “We feel a little bit sad. It’s been a long journey that we’ve been on together. It’s a reality we need to accept, keep working and we will continue our way and try our best. It’s difficult to find one moment because we have so many, but I’d like to mark the moments people can’t see because it happened between races. Those chats, meetings and all this time where he’s been working and talking about how to improve the team, the package, the bike. All these conversations and all this effort, all the mechanical situations with how to improve, all the training programmes… all these things happen between races that people don’t see is maybe one of the key points we’ll keep apart from the success, winning and Championships.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The final round of a thrilling R3 bLU cRU European Championship season will take place this weekend at Magny-Cours, France, where six riders remain in mathematical contention for the title and the chance for promotion to WorldSSP300 in 2024.

Italy’s Emiliano Ercolani currently leads the way after his great tally of three wins and three second places, although the 19-year-old has suffered two crashes in the last two races, putting paid to his previously sizeable advantage. Ercolani wowed onlookers by winning last year’s R3 SuperFinale, giving him an automatic spot in this year’s R3 season, which he has certainly put to good use.

Closing in rapidly is Indonesia’s Aldi Satya Mahendra, currently in second overall and just 16 points behind Ercolani. Mahendra has learned from his early-season mistakes and has become one of the fastest in the class, taking four wins, including victory by a huge margin of seven seconds at Round 5 in Imola. The 17-year-old has also had a victory in WorldSSP300 this year as a wildcard, proving he is keen and ready to make the step up.

Trailing 28 points behind the lead is Brazil’s Kevin Fontainha, a rider who has proven the adage of “consistency is key”. With no wins to his name this season, Fontainha has climbed the standings simply by finishing every race. Five podiums have also brought him well into contention. The 17-year-old finished second in last year’s championship, so he will give everything to go one better in 2023.

Fontainha’s compatriot, Gustavo Manso has also been a consistent performer throughout the year, winning two races at the start of the season and always placing himself within the lead group. The battle of the Brazilians will be an interesting one, as Manso is just five points behind Fontainha, and 33 points from the top. 

Two more riders, Marc Vich (Spain) and Krittapat Keankum (Thailand), are also mathematically in contention as they sit fewer than 50 points from the top with 50 points left on the table. Vich has achieved two podiums and one win this year and is currently 35 points from the top, while Keankum has clocked three podiums and is 49 points from Ercolani. While plenty of other riders will want to show their potential and shine at the final round of the year, including home favourite Dorian Joulin.

The grand finale of the 2023 R3 bLU cRU season will take place Saturday September 9th at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours and you can follow the title showdown via the WorldSBK app and on the Yamaha bLU cRU Instagram page.

Source: WorldSBK.com

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) is ruthless; we’ve seen it time and again on the track when he’s cut through on a rival and now we’ve seen it off-track with confirmation that the six-time FIM Superbike World Champion will switch from Kawasaki machinery to Yamaha for the 2024 campaign. With only two wins to his name over the last 15 months, Rea has been reminded constantly that the glory days are over. In Rea’s mind, Kawasaki are a spent force and the fact that he was willing to pay a reputed €800,000 to get out of his commitment for 2024 gives that viewpoint an exclamation mark. Rea’s been the reference for so long in WorldSBK but for the first time in his career, he now faces questions. Can he be successful at Yamaha? Can he stack up to Toprak Razgatlioglu’s success on the blue machine? Can he make it work next year?

MOTIVATION STILL THERE: a new approach to challenging for title #7

Rea is still an elite rider and competitor and he will have total belief in his ability to prove that he is still the best rider in Superbike racing. Motivation won’t be a problem over the winter and he should adapt to the Yamaha quite easily. So many riders have jumped onto that bike with totally different styles and been successful so there’s little reason to suggest Rea won’t adapt quickly to it.

For Rea, the change of scenery will be a shot in the arm. He’ll have new challenges and new relationships to build, he’ll have to galvanise a team around him in a similar way to when he joined Kawasaki in 2014 and there’ll be familiar faces in the Yamaha pit box, such as his former electronics engineer Davide Gentile. There’ll be a long queue of engineers looking to work with Rea but the queue will start with his current crew chief, Pere Riba.

WILL RIBA MOVE? A new dynamic for one of the most successful crew chiefs

Riba has been instrumental to the success of Kawasaki’s WorldSBK programme. Going back to the early days of Provec with Joan Lascorz it was Riba that was at his side. The Spaniard has developed a reputation as one of the best in getting the most out of his riders. Whether it was Lascorz or Loris Baz in those early days, Riba gave the rider the confidence to push to their limit. It was the same with Rea from the outside. The only difference was that Rea wasn’t a raw rookie, he was already the finished article. That talent and experience matched perfectly with Riba.

Will they rekindle their relationship in blue? That remains to be seen and no doubt, this weekend at Magny-Cours, there will be negotiations to force Riba to make a decision. It’s no guarantee that he’ll leave to sign with Rea either. Closer to the end of his crew chief career than the start, would Riba run out of a safe contract with Kawasaki just to be alongside Rea for what is likely to be the final two years of his contract?

REA’S REPLACEMENT: multiple names in the frame

A big deciding factor could be who Kawasaki replaces Rea with. Scott Redding, Axel Bassani, Xavi Vierge and Adrian Huertas were the names being talked about the paddock before Rea’s announcement. Huertas is the interesting one. He stepped onto Rea’s bike for a day at Aragon and impressed with his speed. His times were aided by Superpole tyres at the end of the day but he has impressed in the Supersport class this year.

YAMAHA’S STATEMENT OF INTENT: they want the title back

The signing of Rea is one that also shows Yamaha are willing to push the boat out. Having spoken so often about their bLU cRU development programme and bringing riders through the ranks, it was a surprise to see that they would leave that approach for 2024. However, it’s also obvious that they had no chance of replacing Toprak with a sure-fire replacement unless they hired the six-time World Champion. Winning races and titles are what Yamaha expect and they didn’t feel that the other riders in their ranks offered them the same opportunities.

WHEN CAN WE SEE REA’S FIRST TEST? We already can’t wait 

With Rea and Razgatlioglu in different colours for 2024, the opening round of the season is one that can’t come soon enough. Their first outings on their new machinery will also be a massive moment for WorldSBK. It’s expected that Rea will be released from his Kawasaki commitments and ride the Yamaha in November whereas Toprak will have to wait until January. The silly season for WorldSBK this year has been the craziest we’ve ever seen. The hope is that next season will be one to remember.

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Source: WorldSBK.com