Almost 600,000 spectators witnessed the thrilling action throughout the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed his second title despite fierce competition from Toprak Razgatlioglu as he raced for the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK outfit during his final season in blue. With the title decided at the final round of the season, fans came in their droves to watch the action unfold and witnesses incredible fights, intense rivalries, and a lot more during an unforgettable year.
THE OVERALL PICTURE: big attendances across the board
A total of 593,369 spectators came to watch the WorldSBK title fight unfold throughout the year as the Championship travelled to nine different countries around the world. Each Round was attended by an average of just under 50,000 people each to highlight the attraction of WorldSBK and the stunning action on-track, as well as the off-track entertainment and being able to get close to your favourite riders at the podium ceremonies and at the Paddock Show. Overall, this is a growth of 8.22%.
THE MOST-ATTENDED EVENT: magical Misano and the Ducatisti celebrate
WorldSBK rocked up to the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the fifth round of the season, and it was one the passionate Italian fans won’t forget. Bautista took his fourth hat-trick of the 2023 season at the time on his manufacturer’s home soil, with Ducati running a special yellow livery in Race 2 as they took a nod to the past. The 70,815-strong crowd also got to cheer a double podium for Bautista’s teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, a first rostrum of 2023 for Axel Bassani at Motocorsa Racing and Danilo Petrucci’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) breakthrough weekend, even if the results didn’t reflect his pace.
BIGGEST GROWTH: huge increases at events
There were two events in 2023 which recorded attendance growth of more than 40% this year. At Most, a round which will live long in the memory thanks to the incredible Bautista vs Razgatlioglu fight, there was a 45% increase compared to last year. And then, at Jerez, there was another huge increase compared to the last time WorldSBK visited there without restrictions in 2019. A massive 42% increase in spectators was recorded for the season finale, which was the host of one of the best races ever as the top two in the Championship passed each other 38 times in the last ten laps.
OTHER NEWS: increases all round
While Most and Jerez headline the increase in spectators thanks to their incredible swell, there was also good news at other circuits. Across the season, venues recorded a higher attendance compared to before with the values ranging from between 4.4% to 15% as fans flocked to watch the stunning WorldSBK action throughout the year.
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Source: WorldSBK.com