The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s fifth round is signed into the history books and it certainly will be one to remember as major history was made. However, the narratives emitting from the media scrums also gave plenty of insight, intrigue and perhaps, left us needing more question time than ever before. From potential moves and partnering up with WorldSBK royalty to going slower bringing more risk and the latest episode in a difficult year, Misano’s Hot Headlines are rather speziato this week.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “It’s better to go close to the limit than relax and go four tenths slower”

Speaking about the interesting dynamic of needing to push to the limit and not relax as it’s more likely a mistake is made, Bautista gave a detailed answer about his success on Sunday: “The result is a consequence of the hard work, the feeling, the confidence, I am so happy that we achieved this milestone, but the important thing is how we achieve it. I feel solid and confident, and it’s important to stay this way. If you see my pace, I try to keep a consistent lap time. If I try and go three or four tenths slower, then it’s like I’m risking more than if I go faster. It’s strange, but it’s the setup we have for the bike right now. The electronics work different, the stroke… at the end, it’s better to go close to the limit than relax and go four tenths slower. For that, I tried to maybe not go ‘limit, limit, limit’ but pushing hard because otherwise, there’s more risk, you’re slower and there’s less focus.”

Two further topics from Bautista but from Saturday: the date of his MotoGP™ could be getting closer to becoming knowledge to the Spaniard: “I think, after this weekend, Ducati will tell me the date. I hope soon because otherwise, we will get to wintertime, and it’ll be too cold for the other bike. I prefer the hot.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) “I am sorry for Michael… I felt him”

Try as he might, the luck just wasn’t with Toprak to get back winning: “I finished in second but I am sorry for Michael, as he crashed at Turn 1. I am lucky today as I felt him, but I didn’t crash. I tried hard braking into Turn 1 as I know the Ducati is very strong on the straight and I tried to stop more before leaning more. Maybe he didn’t understand and tried to enter faster and made a mistake. I don’t know. I am happy because I managed to get three podiums, one third place and two second places. It was bad luck in the Superpole Race, because I felt I could win as the level is similar. To finish the weekend, we didn’t crash and took points but not important points as the gap is very bag.”

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “It’s the worst way to end; it sucks”

Discussing his Race 2 fall and the missed opportunity of a triple podium at home, Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s dejection was clear: “Toprak overtook me and I saw on the board, that I have eight second to Bassani so I said, ‘OK, if it goes wrong, I’ll arrive in third, no problem’. Then we arrived at Turn 1 and for me, it was the first time behind a rider. I broke at the same point as the lap before where I had no slipstream. But Toprak’s slipstream sucked me in; I was fast and Toprak brakes late, but when he brakes late, the bike stops a lot. I didn’t expect either of these things, so my speed was too high and if I went to the inside, maybe I’ll take him out, so I tried to go long, but unfortunately the front tyre touched his rear tyre. It was really unlucky, I didn’t want to overtake Toprak or make a mistake, just do the same thing as the laps before, but with the slipstream, everything changed. After a strong weekend, it’s the worst way to end; it sucks. Every weekend, there’s something. At Phillip Island for example, two podiums on Sunday but rain on Saturday. I’m sad, because Race 2 was a podium 100%. It’s racing; it’s easy to give up but I won’t, and at Donington Park, I will have more hunger than here and we’ll prove that we can stay there. For sure, my potential is higher than my position in the Championship, but I’ve made mistakes.”

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team): “I don’t think the Stewards have been so nice with me this year”

Speaking about his incident in the Superpole Race, Danilo Petrucci shared his thoughts on the decision of the FIM Stewards to hand him a Long Lap Penalty: “In the Superpole Race, I didn’t have a good start but I was on the inside at Turn 2 unfortunately. Me and Domi… I was on the inside and he closed the door. It felt like somebody touched the rear end of my bike but for me the decision of the Stewards is not correct. Every time something happens on the first lap, they always say ‘it’s the first lap and it’s difficult to judge’. Today they were so quick to give me a Long Lap. They didn’t even listen to my opinion. They give me a Long Lap in the race, sending me to P10. I don’t think the stewards have been so nice with me this year, always in this situation. At least we can talk and then give me a penalisation at the end of the race, don’t give me a Long Lap on the second lap. For me, it’s not right. On the inside, where can I go? I’m sorry for him and Remy. For me, the FIM Stewards’ decision is absolutely wrong.”

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing): “Jonny is a legend; if he was my teammate, no problem”

Starting with a review of his first podium of 2023 and touching on his Superpole Race battle with Rinaldi, Axel was glad to be back on the box: “It’s really, really special, like a victory. You feel the warmth of the fans, not only for the Italian riders but for all. I knew I was in P3 as I saw the crash, the yellow flag! I thought I was in P2, because it was Toprak and Michael but I was n P3. I tried to manage the position and the front tyre… I didn’t feel good with the soft tyre. I tried to get to the end, stay calm and we arrived on the podium! In the Superpole Race, with Rinaldi, I did a normal overtake but he didn’t do a normal overtake… it’s Michael, it’s OK!”

Asked directly about his perhaps one day, being teammates with long-time on-track sparring partner Jonathan Rea, Bassani welcomed the idea: “It’s OK! Jonny has a lot of experience, he’s a really good guy. For me, a legend and the best rider in WorldSBK. I’m happy to ride with him and when I beat him! If he was my teammate, then no problem. I have a lot of things to understand from him.”

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “I had an issue with my brake adjuster… I ran into some arm-pump”

A brake lever problem hindered Rea throughout Race 2, but he took positives anyway: “I had an issue with my brake adjuster from the off, the lever was stuck so I basically didn’t have a lot of brake force at some corners – Turn 4, Turn 8 and Turn 14. Braking with one finger, as it was stuck between fingers, I couldn’t put a lot of pressure and then I ran into some arm-pump. With Axel, in the slipstream, the lever was overheating and coming back too much but out of the slipstream, it was manageable, but the lever was stuck in the same position all race. It stopped me fighting with him and I didn’t feel safe to try and do anything behind him. When I had some space, I could just maintain my lap time.

“We closed the gap to Locatelli in the Championship, as much as that’s a small win. We stayed upright all weekend, and we didn’t test here and arrived quite far behind. Step by step, I went 5^th, 5^th, 4^th. The gap to the front is too big… this is the situation. What we can’t accept is be the same pace and race time as last year, we need to be better, and we weren’t.”

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK): “Not the best weekend for us… this is the best we could do”

After a strong opening four rounds, Misano difficulties came again for Andrea Locatelli, but he improved to P6 in Sunday’s Race 2: “Not the best weekend for us but we got some points for the Championship. We need to look forward and understand what we can do, especially at this track. It’s a bit strange, especially in braking and the entry of the corners. It’s not possible to brake and stop the bike. It was difficult, so in the end we need to be happy because we were fighting today in Race 2, the gap was a bit less and that’s what we could do. I’d like to show more as we’re in Italy, but this is the best that we could do.”

Watch the 2023 season continue to unfold in dramatic fashion with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round was a weekend of mixed fortunes for Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) during his first MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship home round at the iconic Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”. The Italian rookie had shown good pace throughout the weekend but incidents in both Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race meant Petrucci did not score as highly as the pace he had suggested he might.

In Friday’s combined classification, Petrucci was third and only four tenths down on pacesetter Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) time after FP1 and FP2. His pace was strong on Saturday too as he took fourth on the grid in the Tissot Superpole session after posting a 1’33.403s, lapping, again, four tenths down on Bautista’s pole time. This put him in a strong position for Race 1 and, in the early stages, he was fighting with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) for third place.

As the race progressed, Razgatlioglu started pulling away from Petrucci although the gap remained around one second between the pair with Petrucci chasing a maiden WorldSBK podium on home soil. However, his race came to an end on Lap 15 when he crashed out at Turn 8 when he lost the front of his Panigale V4 R, with Petrucci unable to continue in the race and scoring no points when he was on for his best-ever result.

Discussing the Race 1 crash, Petrucci said: “I’m okay. It was a strange crash; I still don’t know why I crashed. I just checked with the team and I was slower compared to the other laps. In general, I wasn’t letting the bike slide into that corner but it’s a problem we have to solve for Sunday because we are there but it’s a bad situation. I was slowing down a bit, but I crashed. I’m so sorry due to all the team the work did this weekend. Fourth position was really good. I tried to stay with Toprak until the end. I don’t remember the last time I crashed in a race.”

In Sunday’s Tissot Superpole Race, the Italian once again started from fourth place and got a good start, but his race started to unravel at Turn 2. He tried to make gains on GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK duo Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner, with Petrucci given a Long Lap Penalty for his role in the crash where Gardner retired and Aegerter continued but finished last. After serving his penalty, Petrucci dropped down to tenth and was directly behind the Team HRC pair of Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona. Heading into Turn 8 on Lap 7, Petrucci made contact with Lecuona with the pair retiring from the race and the red flags deployed at the start of Lap 8.

Explaining his two incidents in the Superpole Race, Petrucci said: “It’s been a really challenging weekend. Fortunately, I have nothing broken. When I crashed, I thought I had broken my femur but fortunately nothing is broken. For me, it was not really the right decision. First of all, I’m sorry about Dominique and Remy’s crash. I was on the inside and I think I was a little bit ahead because I just felt Dominique touching the rear end of my bike. Normally, especially in the first laps, they don’t give any penalty. They didn’t want even two laps to even understand the situation. They gave me a Long Lap immediately. At least, I would have preferred to speak with the FIM Stewards and maybe receive a penalty after the race, because, even with the Long Lap Penalty, my race was finished because I came out in tenth position. Then I was behind the two Honda guys. Xavi passed Iker at Turn 8, Iker went a little bit wide and I was there, and we touched. I’m so sorry for Iker. I had no space to go. Unfortunately, we both crashed.”

In Race 2, Petrucci finished in seventh place after a race-long battle with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK). Discussing this battle, Petrucci said: “With this bike, I’m still struggling to make overtakes. I knew that it was really difficult to pass Andrea. In some corners, he was slower than me, but he had a really good race. He was never wide at any corner. Even if I had better pace, I was stuck behind him. I’m sorry because I think we had the potential to stand on the podium in at least one of the three races but we just leave with a seventh place.”

Watch more WorldSBK action throughout 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was a dramatic affair with plenty of ups and downs across the grid at the iconic Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a stunning hat-trick while there were impressive results for Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW). It was also a difficult weekend for some riders despite having impressive pace at times during the round.

LEAVING ITALY ON A HIGH: hat-tricks and podiums…

The undoubted high belongs to Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) after he took a hat-trick at Misano. Using a special yellow livery that represented Ducati’s past, Bautista won all three races despite the best efforts of teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi and rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK). He’s now 86 points clear of Razgatlioglu in the Championship standings while on a run of 10 consecutive victories. Can he match his own run of 11 from 2019, which was also set by Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in 2018?

Independent riders also enjoyed the Emilia-Romagna Round with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) claiming his first WorldSBK podium of the season with third place in Race 2 after showing impressive pace throughout the weekend. It capped off a memorable weekend for Bassani who secured two fourth-place finishes in Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race but ended the weekend on the rostrum, his fifth WorldSBK podium. It was also a strong weekend for Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) who ended the round as BMW’s highest scorer. 13^th in Race 1 was his lowest result of the weekend after he claimed ninth in the Superpole Race and eighth in Race 2.

MIXED EMOTIONS: two podiums but missing out on a third

It had looked like Rinaldi would claim three podiums at his home round for one of his strongest rounds of the season, and he claimed second in Race 1 and third in the Tissot Superpole Race. In Race 2, he was battling with Razgatlioglu for second place with Rinaldi ahead of the 2021 Champion for the majority of the race. Razgatlioglu got through on Rinaldi on Lap 15 and then, at Lap 16, Rinaldi tried to pass him at Turn 1 but made contact with Razgatlioglu, with Rinaldi tumbling into the gravel and out of the race. A case of what might have been for the Italian.

HOPING TO BOUNCE BACK: a difficult weekend

A few riders had weekends to forget at Misano despite show potential at various points, including Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) who, in terms of pace, had his best weekend of the season. He took fourth in Saturday’s Superpole session, only four tenths down on Bautista, and was running in that position in Race 1 before he crashed out on his own at Turn 8. In the Superpole Race, Petrucci was given a Long Lap Penalty for causing a collision with GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team duo Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter, which dropped him down to tenth, and as he was fighting with Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) to take ninth, the pair collided with both retiring from the race.

For the second round in a row, it was a difficult weekend for Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) as he tumbled down the order in Race 2 on Sunday. 12^th in Superpole was backed up with 11^th in Race 1 and in the Tissot Superpole Race, but Race 2 would prove to be the low point of the weekend for Redding. The British rider finished 14 seconds behind teammate Tom Sykes on his return to BMW after struggling with inconsistencies with his engine brake and he was 52 seconds down on race winner Bautista, although with several retirements in the race he was able to pick up two points with 14^th place.

Watch more WorldSBK action throughout 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

As the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock headed to the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, home hero Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) would have been hoping for a strong weekend on home soil. At the circuit he claimed his first wins for the factory Ducati team at back in 2021, Rinaldi walked away from Misano with two more podiums to his name, but he missed out on a third one after a Race 2 crash.

Rinaldi took second place in Race 2 and third in the Tissot Superpole Race after finishing behind Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) in the shortened eight-lap race on Sunday morning while teammate Alvaro Bautista claimed wins in both of those races, as well as Race 2. Rinaldi had been competitive from the start of the Emilia-Romagna Round with fourth in Friday’s combined classification and third on the grid after a strong Tissot Superpole session on Saturday.

In Race 2, Razgatlioglu and Rinaldi battled it out in the early stages of the race before the 2021 Champion moved ahead of Bautista briefly with Rinaldi also ahead of his teammate. Bautista was soon back ahead of the pair of them. It left Rinaldi and Razgatlioglu battling it out for second place and, while Rinaldi was ahead for the majority of the battle, Razgatlioglu came through on Lap 15 to move into second place. At Turn 1 a lap later, the pair made contact with Rinaldi going through the gravel and out of the race.

Reviewing his home round and explaining the Race 2 crash, Rinaldi said: “It’s been a really positive weekend for me overall. I was able to have good speed in all practice sessions and all races. In Race 2, I didn’t have the same feeling as Race 1, so I was a few tenths slower and that allowed Toprak to stay with me. I tried to not risk too much and six or seven laps from the end, Toprak overtook me. I thought the guy behind me was seven or eight seconds back, I’ll take the podium; at the end of the race, if I can make the move, I will.

“What happened was for the first time in two days, I was behind a rider at the first corner and I didn’t expect that Toprak’s slipstream would drag me in. I braked at the same point as the lap before, but I wasn’t able to stop the bike. Toprak is a rider that, when he starts braking, he stops the bike completely. Both things made me crash because maybe, for three centimetres, I touched his rear wheel. I was, I can say, a little bit unlucky because I crashed, and we could easily have finished third or maybe second. Ending like this is so bad for morale but the performance was good, and I cannot complain too much; it’s racing.”

Watch more WorldSBK action throughout 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

A huge crowd gathered at the iconic Misano World “Marco Simoncelli” during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship descended on the Adriatic coast in Italy for Round 5 of the 2023 campaign. More than 70,000 fans enjoyed the action at Misano with plenty of reasons to cheer for the Ducatisti at the venue as well as a chance to meet their heroes in the paddock or during the Paddock Show.

The fans in attendance enjoyed plenty of on-track action with every race providing drama and excitement throughout in WorldSBK, WorldSSP and WorldSSP300. The total number of spectators, 70,815 people, were able to watch Stefano Manzi’s (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) stunning last-lap fight with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) for home victory in Race 2, as well as wildcard Bruno Ieraci (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) taking a double win on his return to WorldSSP300 action.

Of course, in WorldSBK, they were able to enjoy local riders standing on the podium with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) taking two and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) one on Sunday, as well as Ducati winning all three races thanks to reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). The passionate and partisan Italian crowd also saw Danilo Petrucci’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) strongest round of the season in terms of pace, even if the results weren’t quite there for the two-time MotoGP™ race winner.

Last year, almost 66,000 spectators travelled to the stunning Misano circuit meaning an increase of around 7.6% when compared to 2022, while the numbers were slightly higher than in 2019; the last visit before the pandemic. In 2019, 70,447 spectators watched the incredible WorldSBK action at Misano. Not only did fans get to enjoy the on-track action but there was plenty of off-track activities too, from the famous Paddock Show where fans can play interactive games and meet their favourite riders, as well as be in the heart of the podium celebrations with fans able to get as close as possible to watch the riders celebrate their success.

Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director, said: “After a fantastic weekend of races we are happy to reflect on the success of the WorldSBK Round in Misano. This event not only demonstrated the unwavering passion of fans for the competitive tradition of Emilia-Romagna, but also highlighted the strong link between WorldSBK and Misano World Circuit. Together we demonstrated the power of unity and the ability of motorsport to bring people together even in difficult times.”

Andrea Albani, Managing Director at the Misano World Circuit, added: “The WorldSBK Emilia-Romagna Round success is an important signal for the area and motorsport. It is important in these weeks in which some Romagna areas have been wounded deeply. Everyone needed such an ‘answer’ like this. Tens of thousands people attending the Round and these last three weekends mean welcome organisation is at operating speed. We have welcomed fans and world level businessmen, involved by the events in a propositional atmosphere and choosing Motor Valley for their industrial and communication projects. It’s the success of a system that works in a context addressed to keep growing.”

WE MAKE EXCITEMENT: don’t miss out on your chance to enjoy WorldSBK action on site, buy your tickets HERE!

Source: WorldSBK.com

There was action everywhere you looked in Race 2 for the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship on Sunday during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round at the iconic Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” as wildcard Bruno Ieraci (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) doubled up on victories as a wildcard. After his Race 1 success on Saturday, the Italian rider was able to make his move to claim victory on Sunday on the last lap of 15 in an unpredictable Race 2.

ANOTHER WILDCARD WIN: Ieraci remains on top at Misano

As ever in WorldSSP300, the Championship was unpredictable throughout the 15-lap race as Ieraci added to his win tally to back up his Race 1 victory on Sunday in Race 2. He made the race-winning move on the last lap to take his points tally to 50 points for the season as he fended off German rider Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) by just 0.062s at the end of the race, while Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM.- Kawasaki) bounced back from his Race 1 crash to claim a podium finish at Misano. Ieraci becomes only the third rider in WorldSSP300 to take his first two wins on consecutive days, following in the footsteps of rivals Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) and Petr Svoboda (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR), while Geiger and Svoboda both took their third WorldSSP300 podium in their careers.

IN THE TOP SIX: strong results on Sunday

Dutch rookie Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) took his best result of the season so far with fourth place, only 0.740s down on Ieraci at the end of the race despite having to serve a Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding in Warm Up, while he was ahead of Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) in fifth; the British rider had to serve a Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding in Warm Up. Like Veneman, it was Seabright’s best result for him in WorldSSP300 so far as he claimed his first top-five finish in the Championship. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) led home teammate Mirko Gennai in seventh place, with Gennai battling from 28^th on the grid after having to start from the back of the grid due to a tyre pressure limits infringement on the grid.

SCORING A TOP TEN: ending the weekend on a high

Spanish rider Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) took eighth place and was only 1.3 seconds away from Ieraci at the end of the 15-lap race, while French rider Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) was one of several riders who led the race at points during the battle. Ruben Bijman (Arco Motor University Team) rounded out the top ten despite a Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding in Warm Up on Sunday morning.

TAKING HOME POINTS: leaving Misano with points

Rookie Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) took 11^th place, less than a tenth away from finishing in the top ten, as he also set the fastest lap of the race ahead of Galang Hendra Pratama (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) in 12^th place. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) was 13^th on home soil ahead of Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) in 14^th and Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) who rounded out the points-paying positions.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from WorldSSP300 Race 2

Emanuele Cazzaniga (Racestar) started from the back of the grid due to a tyre pressure infringement on the grid and he was able to fight his way back up to 19^th place, finishing ahead of Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) in 20^th. Garcia had to serve a Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding during Warm Up.

Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) was forced out of the race when he had a technical problem with his bike towards the end of Lap 5, with the Brazilian bringing his bike into the pits. Yeray Saiz Marquez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) was another who retired with a technical issue as he pulled out of the race on Lap 7 at Turn 16. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) retired after contact with Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) on Lap 11, with Zanca retiring from the race by bringing into the pits. Earlier on in the last, at Turn 10, Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) and Mattia Martella (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) crashed out. The incident was placed under investigation by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards.

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

1 Bruno Ieraci (ProDina Kawasaki Racing)

2. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) +0.062s

3. Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) +0.411s

4. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) +0.740s

5. Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) +0.934s

6. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) +1.071s

Fastest Lap: Devis Bergamini (Yamaha) – 1’49.881s

Championship standings

1 Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) 86 points

2. Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) 85

3. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) 71

4. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) 67

5. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) 65

6. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) 65

Watch more WorldSSP300 action from 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

There was a hat-trick of podium finishes for Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) during the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship visit to the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” as he claimed two second places and one third place during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round. It means Razgatlioglu lost ground in the Championship fight and is now 86 points behind Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) after five rounds.

Razgatlioglu was second in Saturday’s Tissot Superpole session after he posted a 1’33.182s to take second on the grid, only behind Bautista. In Race 1, he lost out to Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as he came home in third place but the 2021 Champion ensured he fought with Bautista in both the Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2 on Sunday as he looked to prevent Bautista from scoring a Misano hat-trick.

In the Superpole Race, Razgatlioglu and Bautista swapped positions several times as they battled it out for the win but, with the red flags shown in the early part of Lap 8, Bautista’s move towards the end of Lap 7 proved to be crucial as he passed Razgatlioglu to take the lead. It meant, with results taken at the last timing point completed by each rider, Bautista claimed victory after his SCX tyre gamble paid off as the majority of the field used the SCQ.

Discussing the Superpole Race, Razgatlioglu said: “I saw the red flag and we didn’t do the last two or three laps, I can’t remember, but the feeling was very good. The rear tyre especially had good grip and the race pace was unbelievable. I saw Bautista’s level was similar because his tyre was spinning a little, mine was sliding. I thought we’d be fighting in the last laps and I hoped I would win! I like fighting. I saw the red flag. I was very angry because I was very close to winning! I needed this win.”

Razgatlioglu once again got a good start from the front row as he moved ahead of Bautista who, on Lap 1, was demoted to third behind his teammate. However, it did not take long for Bautista to be back in the lead as passed both Rinaldi and Razgatlioglu in quick succession. Although Bautista was able to pull away from Razgatlioglu, the fight for second raged on as Rinaldi tried to take his third podium of the round. However, on Lap 16 of 21, Rinaldi was trying to re-pass Razgatlioglu after losing the position and made contact with the Turkish rider at Turn 1, putting Rinaldi out of the race.

On Race 2, Razgatlioglu said: “For me, Race 2 was not an easy race because the pace was very strong. I tried to stay with Michael, but I saw his tyres started to drop. I passed him but after he made a mistake, I haven’t seen the video, but he crashed, and I felt that he touched me. In general, I’m not really happy because my plan for this weekend was to win, especially in the Superpole Race which I was very close to winning but I had bad luck with the red flag. In general, not a bad weekend because I had three podiums.”

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

Source: WorldSBK.com

The Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship belonged to one rider at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a stunning hat-trick on Ducati’s home soil to extend his Championship lead, as he added two more wins to his collection on Sunday. It now means Bautista has won 14 out of the 15 races run so far in 2023 as he sits 86 points clear of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) in the Championship standings.

After claiming victory in Race 1 on Sunday, Bautista endured a tougher Tissot Superpole Race as he battled with Razgatlioglu for victory. Bautista made his move on the 2021 Champion on what turned out to be the penultimate lap, with the race red flagged on Lap 8 after a crash involving Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Iker Lecuona (Team HRC). In Race 2, Razgatlioglu once again got a good start and tried to fight with Bautista but the reigning Champion was able to pull away from Razgatlioglu as the race went on as he claimed a Misano hat-trick

On his hat-trick, which he took in a special yellow livery, Bautista said: “Fortunately, in red or yellow, I have the same feeling with the bike. We had the same performance, so the colour doesn’t matter, what’s important is inside. It was a very special weekend for Ducati and also for me because, in the end, I feel half-Italian half-Spanish because I’ve worked with Ducati for many years and I feel so good. Last year, we won two out of three races but this year we did the hat-trick so I’m happy.”

With 14 wins in the first 15 races of the 2023 season, Bautista is the only rider to have enjoyed such a strong start to the campaign with the reigning Champion only dropping 12 points after he crashed out of the Tissot Superpole Race at Mandalika. He is also now on a run of 10 consecutive wins, the second-longest in WorldSBK history; behind only his own run from 2019 and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) when they won 11 in a row.

Looking back on the first five rounds of the season, Bautista explained: “It’s unbelievable how we started the season, but the important thing is the feeling I have with the bike. I can ride it at my best, and I can get to the limit of the bike at all tracks and in all situations so I’m really happy for that. Records are to be looked at after my retirement but, now, we are building our way to try and keep this feeling with the bike to work. This is not the end. We have to keep working like this.”

Watch more WorldSBK action throughout 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship had a special atmosphere in front of a massive Italian crowd, as more than 70,000 fans packed out the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” and witness an immense efforts from Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). Bassani was solid right the way through the weekend and was a firm fixture inside the top five, having qualified fifth on the grid and he converted each of his starts into eventually being the third-highest points-scorer of the round after Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK).

Race 2 got underway and Bassani was battling as usual from the start, muscling his way through into P4. He couldn’t quite make it into the top three but was settled in P4. The #47 made a mistake at Turn 10 on Lap 4 and went elbow-to-elbow with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) down the back straight towards Curvone at Turn 11, the fastest corner in WorldSBK. He held position and was then able to capitalise on Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) crash at Turn 1 after a collision with Razgatlioglu on Lap 15. This promoted ‘El Bocia’ up to third, where he sat comfortably until the end of the race.

“It’s a really special place for a first podium of the year,” began an elated Bassani, who is fifth in the standings after the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round. I’m really happy for the team because we worked really hard and never gave up. I’m really happy and want to continue in this way but now we need to enjoy the moment and then focus on the next races after! I’m totally happy, I don’t have a lot of words to say! To have a podium at home is like a victory!”

Talking about his battle with Rea, Bassani once again relished getting his elbows out with his old rival: “It’s always special to battle with Jonathan; for me, he’s the best rider in WorldSBK as he’s a legend! To have some laps with him is good but it’s also good to beat him! Today, it was hard to do, because he’s crazy and like an animal! He pushes every lap until the end, but I’m happy to beat him. I made a mistake but recovered the position and tried to get to Toprak and Michael. I tried, but these are the races! I’m very happy!”

Elsewhere in the weekend, Bassani was fourth in Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race, before taking advantage of Rinaldi’s error at Turn 1. In the Championship standings, Bassani remains fifth but made gains on two of the four riders ahead of him. He outscored Jonathan Rea by six points and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), who is third in the standings, by 19, reducing the gap to Rea to just three, whilst he’s 24 adrift of third-placed Locatelli. In terms of his rivalry with Rinaldi, which reignited in the Tissot Superpole Race, he outscored him by eight points and thus extended his gap back to him in the title race to 27, as he continues to chase down Rinaldi’s ride for 2024.

Watch the remaining action from WorldSBK in 2023 with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

There were fights up and down the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid during Race 2 at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a stunning win to take a Misano hat-trick wearing a special yellow livery for Ducati, while his teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, crashed out from third place when fighting for the podium.

FIGHTING FOR THE PODIUM: drama during Race 2…

As the lights went out, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) got the holeshot to lead into Turn 1 before Rinaldi battled his way through on his teammate at Turn 4 to move into second. However, it did not take long for Bautista to head to the front of the field as he overtook his teammate and then went through on Razgatlioglu at Turn 8 on Lap 2. From there, he was able to build a gap to Razgatlioglu behind him as the Turkish star found himself under pressure from Rinaldi.

That pressure soon told for Razgatlioglu as the pair battled it out for second place before Rinaldi overtook the 2021 Champion heading into Turn 8 on Lap 3. Despite Rinaldi pulling away, Razgatlioglu started closing the gap but, by the halfway point of the race, Rinaldi had stabilised the gap slightly to around three tenths. On Lap 13, Razgatlioglu again closed the gap on Rinaldi as he looked to take second place from the home hero. Razgatlioglu made his overtake on Rinaldi at Turn 8 on Lap 15 to move into second but Rinaldi kept the pressure on, with the pair making contact at Turn 1 when Rinaldi looked to re-gain second place; Rinaldi’s race ended when he went into the gravel.

Originally a battle for fourth but turning into a podium fight after Rinaldi’s crash, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) went head to head with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). Rea got ahead in the early stages before Bassani responded on Lap 3 to move ahead of Rea to claim what turned into third place to claim his first podium on home soil and his first of the 2023 campaign as he pulled out a gap over Rea behind him.

Bautista’s victory gave him his 46^th win in WorldSBK and is now on a streak of 10 consecutive wins in WorldSBK, while he also has 14 wins in 15 races this season with his fourth hat-trick of the season. It means he is the first rider to win 14 victories in the first 15 races of the season. Razgatlioglu is now even closer to 100 podiums, with 96 to his name following his Race 2 second place, while it is also Yamaha’s best ever streak of podiums at 15 races. Bassani claimed his fifth podium in WorldSBK, his first since San Juan last year.

FENDING OFF RIVALS: strong fights throughout the field

Rea claimed fourth place after losing touch with Bassani as the race progressed, but he was able to finish more than two seconds clear of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) in fifth place as he enjoyed a strong Emilia-Romagna Round. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) came home in sixth place after fending off Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in the closing stages of the race to take six, finishing a second behind Vierge and 0.245s clear of Petrucci in seventh after he bounced back from two incidents in the Tissot Superpole Race.

MIXED EMOTIONS: ups and downs

American star Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) claimed eighth place and finished as the top BMW rider in Race 2 after a race-long battle with Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven), with the American coming through on the final lap to take eighth place. Oettl was ninth at the end of the race, only 0.350s down on Gerloff at the end of the 21-lap race, while Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and teammate Dominique Aegerter had a fight for 10^th place; the Australian having the better of Aegerter after they were involved in a crash in the Superpole Race.

TAKING HOME POINTS: finishing in the top 15

Aegerter had a nine second advantage over Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) who claimed 12^th place despite having to start from the back of the grid. On the sighting lap, Baz had a technical issue with his M1000RR machine, and he was able to bring it back to the pits and, while he was able to start the race, he started from last place. Baz was at the front of a trio of BMW riders with Tom Sykes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in 13^th with the 2013 Champion finishing ahead of teammate Scott Redding in 14^th. Redding had been fighting in the top ten in the early stages of the race, but he dropped down the order as the race progressed, finishing 14 seconds behind Sykes. Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) was the final points scorer with 15^th place, while Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing) was the last classified rider in 16^th place.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from Race 2

Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the first retirement of the race when he had a technical problem at Turn 8 on the opening lap. On Lap 3, Ryo Mizuno (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) ceashed out of the race at Turn 4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was running in the top six during the first third of the race but a Turn 4 crash put him out of the race. Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) retired after a crash at the Turn 1-2 chicane when fighting for a strong points position, while Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) brought his bike into the pits at the end of Lap 19. Gabriele Rui (Bmax Racing) did not race in Race 2.

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

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

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +8.446s

3. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +18.368s

4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +20.174s

5. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) +22.344s

6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +23.307s

Fastest Lap: Alvaro Bautista, Ducati – 1’33.936s

Championship standings

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 298 points

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 212

3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 150

4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 129

5. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) 126

6. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 99

Don’t miss any action as WorldSBK heads to Donington Park using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com