There could be a big milestone to come for Ducati on Sunday at the TT Circuit Assen in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as they Italian manufacturer stand just two wins away from 400 victories in WorldSBK. Victory in Race 1 for Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) put Ducati on 398 wins so far and two wins from Sunday’s two races will mean Ducati hit the milestone and they would become the first manufacturer to do so with their nearest rivals, Kawasaki, on 177.

Bautista claimed victory on Saturday to cement his place in third-place in the win list on Ducati machinery, with 38 wins to his name. He is behind only Troy Bayliss, on 52, and Carl Fogarty on 55 on that list and he will be aiming to write his name in Ducati’s history books again to claim their 400^th victory in WorldSBK. He will start from pole position in the Tissot Superpole Race and his starting position for Race 2 will be determined by the outcome of that race.

Of course, hitting the milestone for Ducati does depend on claiming victory in the Tissot Superpole Race and anything less than that will delay the milestone to the next round at least, coming up in two weeks at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya where Bautista claimed a hat-trick in 2022. Bautista, speaking after his Race 1 victory, discussed the possibility of hitting 400 wins for Ducati.

He said: “This is not my main target but, for sure, it’s always very nice to get some milestones for Ducati. Right now, it’s not our target. We have some details to improve for tomorrow’s race, especially the Superpole Race, to make the bike work better for better initial grip. We will see. It’s not our target but I will try to enjoy the day and, if we get it, it will be fantastic.”

Bautista has been in outstanding form so far in 2023 with six wins out of seven races to his name and Sunday could provide another opportunity to make more history with Ducati following his return to the Bologna-based manufacturer but the other Ducati riders will be aiming to add their name to Ducati’s history books in search of their 400^th victory in WorldSBK.

Several other riders on the 2023 grid will be looking to take the milestone for Ducati, with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven), Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) also competing on the Panigale V4 R. Rinaldi has already won for Ducati on four occasions including for the factory team and the Independent Team GoEleven squad. Petrucci, Oettl and Bassani will be aiming to become the 32^nd rider to win on Ducati machinery in WorldSBK if they can fight their way to the front of field and battle for victory.

Ducati’s wins so far have come from 31 different riders with Fogarty, Bayliss and Bautista leading the way. Chaz Davies, who still works with the team as a rider coach, has 28 victories to his name in fourth place in the list while Doug Polen has 23, Carlos Checha has 22 and Troy Corser, Neil Hodgson and Noriyuki Haga finished their careers with 16 wins for Ducati throughout their time in WorldSBK to make up the top ten list of Ducati winners.

Find out whether Ducati can make more WorldSBK history on Sunday at Assen using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s Race 1 at the TT Circuit Assen welcomed the return to the podium for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), with the Ulsterman taking a hard-fought second place. The 24^th podium for Rea at Assen means he is now equal with his other all-time records for podiums at a circuit, the others being Aragon and Portimao.

The six-time World Champion grabbed the holeshot at Turn 1 ahead of rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Championship leader Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), the latter of which was coming from P4 on the grid after a penalty in Superpole. Eight laps went by with Rea in the lead but the pressure was building from behind, and on Lap 9, Bautista hit the front at Turn 6 and held on until the end. But it wasn’t that simple; Rea latched onto the back for as long as he could but couldn’t quite make it count and after five laps, Rea was a second back and the race win was out of sight. He held on and managed the gap back to Razgatlioglu and despite a late charge by the Turk, Rea took P2.

Talking about the race, Rea stated he wished he had a bit more pace and that he pushed the front tyre too much: “It was good; nice to battle for the podium but I thought I had a little bit more pace to go with Alvaro but it was just clear in the race that he was taking too much time in certain areas and I was riding over myself and my package just to be there. In doing that, I over-stressed the front tyre and was nursing it a little bit at the end. I could see the gap to Toprak was enough; there’s work to do to make riding at that pace more comfortable. When he came, he went past and it seemed it was at ease. Congratulations to him, he’s done a very good job with his team but certainly a step forward for us.”

Asked whether or not it was a turning point, Rea quickly dismissed that, but was back into familiar territory: “Not a turning point but back to where I feel like I should be; battling for a podium, to win a race. It’s a long season and I feel like we got off to a bad start in the flyaway races but now we’re in normal conditions. I’m looking forward to Sunday, if we can just make some small changes tomorrow and look after the front. We’ll need to keep one eye on the weather tomorrow as it seems it could be more inconsistent than today. We’ll see what we can do; a good Superpole, a good Race 1 so I have to be happy with today.

“I feel like I am there or there abouts; it’s like when he says he can go and be for real, he can go. It’s not like we blow up, they’re just doing a better job over longer distance. We need to put some more performance back in the ZX-10RR, it’s very hard right now but we’re getting everything out of it. We need more, we need to be more competitive, especially in the acceleration areas and the straights. I was giving away a pretty free pass coming back towards the paddock but there was nothing I could do. We’ll keep fighting and it’s back to something nice, fighting for the podium.”

Watch the 2023 season in style throughout the year with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Three different manufacturers stood on the FIM Supersport World Championship podium in Race 1 at the TT Circuit Assen for the Pirelli Dutch Round as Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) claimed victory by more than four seconds ahead of his rivals. Behind Bulega, there was an incredible fight for the podium where one rider was able to claim their first podium in the Championship and another took an emotional home podium.

FIERCE FIGHTS: battling for the rostrum

Bulega started the race from pole position but initially lost out to Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) as the lights went out for the 18-lap race, but he was able to respond on Lap 1 to re-claim the lead. He was under early pressure from Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who quickly recovered from contact with Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) at the start, to move into second place where he could put pressure on Bulega.

Bulega resisted his pressure before starting to pull a gap to Oncu while the Turkish rider dropped into the clutches of home hero van Straalen, with the Dutch rider opting to use the SCX tyre while Oncu used the harder SC0 tyre. The Dutch rider closed in by a second on Oncu on Lap 12 before making the move on Oncu at Turn 5 on Lap 13. Van Straalen was able to then pull a gap to Oncu who had to focus on defending from the chasing pack, eventually dropping behind Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) who passed him on Lap 16 for third place.

Van Straalen was ahead of the group but found himself under late pressure from rookie Schroetter who made the move on the final lap through the final sector to deny van Straalen second place, while claiming his first podium in WorldSSP with van Straalen settling for third in home soil; only 0.107s behind Schroetter and he also had the exact same margin over Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) who missed out on his maiden WorldSSP podium.

Bulega was able to claim his third WorldSSP victory, all coming this season, to extend his lead in the Championship standings while it was also Ducati’s eighth win in WorldSSP. Schroetter’s maiden podium meant he became the 101^st different rider to stand on the WorldSSP podium as well as taking Germany’s 40^th podium, while van Straalen was the 30^th for Dutch riders in the Championship.

A BIG BATTLE: five riders within a second at the flag

Fifth place went to Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) at the end of the race with the Italian consistently in the group fighting for the podium and he was only 0.152s behind Debise after 18 laps. Caricasulo took sixth place after running at the front the early stages of the race while Turkish star Oncu dropped down to seventh at the end of the race; more than one second behind Caricasulo but also with a similar margin to the riders behind.

COMPLETING THE TOP TEN: in the fight tomorrow?

The returning Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) claimed eighth place, 1.779s behind Oncu, with Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was ninth after fighting in the podium battle in the early stages. Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) rounded out the top ten as he finished 2.074s behind De Rosa at the end of the race and only a couple of seconds further back away from the battle for the podium group.

POINTS IN THE BAG: incredible fight back to take points

Two WorldSSP300 graduates were fighting for 11^th place at the end of the race with Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in 11^th place ahead of Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) who crossed the line in 12^th place. Huertas, returning from injury sustained in Australia, was forced to start from 29^th and last on the grid after he was disqualified from Tissot Superpole due to a weight limit infringement, was also penalised to drop one place in the race classification for exceeding track limits on the final lap. He was therefore classified in 13^th place, with Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) promoted to 12^th place. Andrea Mantovani (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) was 14^th ahead of Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) in 15^th; Booth-Amos had crossed the line in 14^th but he was also penalised with a one-place penalty for a last-lap track limits infringement.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from WorldSSP Race 1

John McPhee (Vince64 by Puccetti Racing) was the first rider to retire from Race 1 when he crashed at Turn 4 on Lap 4 with the British rider unable to re-join the race following the crash. Luke Power (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) crashed out on Lap 5 at Turn 10, shortly after he was given a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start. Thai rider Apiwath Wongthananon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) was a retirement after running in the points in the early stages before he dropped down to last place. Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing) also retired from the race after he was given a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start.

With just a couple of laps to go, Tom Edwards (Yart-Yamaha WorldSSP Team) and Nicholas Spinelli (VFT Racing WEBIKE Yamaha) collided at the final chicane, taking both riders out of the race. Edwards was ahead of Spinelli with the Italian running into the back of Edwards, and the FIM WorldSBK Stewards decided to investigate the incident after the race. Alvaro Diaz (Arco Yart Yamaha WorldSSP) and Maiki Abe (VFT Racing WEBIKE Yamaha) both did not take part in the race after not setting a lap time within 105% of the fastest rider in Tissot Superpole.

The top six following WorldSSP Race 1, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)

2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +4.017s

3. Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) +4.124s

4. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +4.231s

5. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +4.383s

6. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +4.655s

Fastest Lap – Nicolo Bulega, Ducati – 1’37.831s

Watch more WorldSSP action from the TT Circuit Assen using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

There was no shortage of thrilling action in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the iconic TT Circuit Assen in Race 1 during the Pirelli Dutch Round as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a hard-fought victory in the Netherlands. He overcame his rivals and a three-place grid drop to fight his way from fourth place on the grid to finish ahead of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the 21-lap race.

FIGHTING BACK: overcoming a penalty for victory

Bautista was given a three-place grid drop for the Race 1 grid for slow riding on the racing line in the Tissot Superpole session, which dropped him from pole position to fourth place. He was into the top three from the start before fighting with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) who passed him into the chicane on the opening lap. Bautista was able to respond at Turn 1 to move back into the top three, before he started chasing down Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK).

Razgatlioglu was running in second place and looked to close down Rea to put a bike between him and Bautista but the reigning Champion overtook Razgatlioglu at the chicane on Lap 5 to move into second place, before moving into the lead on Lap 9 when he overtook Rea at the high-speed right-hander of Turn 6 to move into the lead. Although Rea tried to keep the pressure on Bautista, the Spanish rider pulled a gap on the six-time Champion with the trio setting into their respective positions.

Bautista’s victory was his 38^th WorldSBK win and puts Ducati on 398 in WorldSBK with the Italian manufacturer just two away from a milestone 400^th victory. It was also Ducati’s 698^th race on the podium, meaning they could hit 400 wins and 700 races on the podium in the same race. Rea’s second place was his 247^th in WorldSBK, as well as his 24^th at Assen which puts the track level with Aragon and Portimao.

LATE SURGES: moving up the field

Fourth place went to a charging Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) after he moved up the order. He had been running in seventh place, behind Lowes, Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) but, as the laps progressed, he made his way up the order. Locatelli made a move on Lowes at Turn 5 on Lap 15 before following that up two laps later by overtaking Redding. He closed the gap to Bassani and overtook him on the last lap to claim fourth spot; continuing his record of not finishing outside the top five in 2023 and at the TT Circuit Assen. Bassani was fifth at the end of the race, ahead of Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who passed Lowes and Redding in the closing stages, in sixth.

IN THE TOP TEN: claiming a top ten finish in Race 1

Lowes claimed seventh place at the end of the race, just over a tenth behind Aegerter, while Aegerter’s teammate, Remy Gardner, was eighth after a strong Race 1 for the Independent Yamaha team. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was another who made moves late on in the race as he claimed ninth place with Redding eventually finish in tenth. Redding had been fighting for fourth in the early stages of the 21-lap race but he fell down the order in the closing stages of the 21-lap race, finishing 0.259s behind Petrucci.

SCORING POINTS: rounding out the top 15

Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) was 11^th after he bounced back from an incident with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) where Vierge ran wide at the chicane and lost positions when Rinaldi overtook him. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), like a lot of riders, made moves in the latter stages of the race as he took 12^th place; finishing just 0.187s ahead of Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK) in 13^th. Two Ducati riders completed the points-paying positions with Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) in 14^th and Rinaldi in 15^th.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from WorldSBK Race 1

Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) finished in 16^th place after a late-race battle with French rider Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW), with Baz making his return from injury. Rookie Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was 18^th in his first race for Yamaha although he was fighting in the points during the early stages of the race. Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team) was 19^th ahead of Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO), Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team), wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) and Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing) in 23^rd.

Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was the first retirement of the race when he crashed out at Turn 1 on Lap 6, forcing him to retire from the race. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) retired after bringing his bike back to the pitlane after he suffered a technical issue.

The top six following WorldSBK Race 1, full results here:

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

2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +3.148s

3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +3.891s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +10.105s

5. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +10.498s

6. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +13.952s

Fastest lap: Alvaro Bautista, Ducati – 1’34.368s

Watch more incredible WorldSBK action on Sunday from Assen using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The opening race of the 2023 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship was a dramatic affair and not decided until the final corners of the 14-lap race as Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) claimed his first victory of his WorldSSP300 career in Race 1 at the TT Circuit Assen during the Pirelli Dutch Round. Svoboda’s victory meant he claimed his and the Czech Republic’s first win in the Championship and only their second podium.

FIRST WIN: a dramatic fight for victory

Svoboda made his move into the chicane on Lap 14 of 14 to move ahead of Samuel Di Sora (Prodina Kawasaki Racing) after the French rider went defensive on the final lap and he also made a mistake in the second half of the final lap. It allowed Svoboda to make a move into the chicane and he was able to take victory by 0.481s ahead of Di Sora, whose second place gave him his 12^th podium in WorldSSP300 which puts him level with 2022 Champion Alvaro Diaz and 2017 Champion Ana Carrasco. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing) completed the podium as he finished just 0.008s away from Di Sora in second place. It was Perez Gonzalez’s maiden podium finish in WorldSSP300, and it also gave Kawasaki their first podium lockout since Portimao in 2021.

SIX RIDERS, SEVEN TENTHS: a close-fought battle

German rider Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) took a hard-fought fourth position in his first race for the Austrian manufacturer, less than half-a-second away from Svoboda at the end of the 14-lap race. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) took fifth after a strong opening race of the season, holding off the challenge from Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) with the Italian taking sixth spot.

ROUNDING OUT THE TOP TEN: track limits infringements change the order…

Rookie Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) was classified in seventh place after riders above him were penalised for track limits infringements. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) and teammate Loris Veneman had crossed the line in seventh and eighth respectively but both dropped a position for a track limits infringement on the final lap so were classified in eighth and ninth place. Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) secured a top ten position following a penalty for Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) with the Italian dropping two places for two track limits infringements on the final lap. It meant Gennai, who started in 19^th place, finished in 11^th.

SCORING POINTS: starting the season in the top 15

Enzo Valentim (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) was 12^th, just over 10 seconds down on the race winner, while Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo-PI Performances) was 13^th. Garcia made an impressive wildcard appearance in 2022 and secured a full-time rider for this season, scoring points in his first race of the season. Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) was 14^th ahead of fellow Italian rider compatriot Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo-PI Performances) who was the last points scorer in Race 1.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from Race 1

Polesitter Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) had been running in the lead group but crashed out on Lap 4 at Turn 5, eventually re-joining to take 24^th spot. Debutant Clement Rouge (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) was another who crashed, also at Turn 5, and he re-mounted to take 25^th spot. Kas Beekmans (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) was 21^st after he received a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start.

Wildcard Thom Molenaar (Molenaar Racing Team) had a strong Tissot Superpole session to qualify in the top ten, but his race came to an end when he crashed at Turn 8 on Lap 2. A lap later, at the same corner Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) had a highside at Turn 8 which put him out of the race. Debutant Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) crashed at Turn 1 on Lap 5, while Mattia Martell’s (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) race came to an end at the chicane on Lap 5 when he lost the front of his machine and crashed out, retiring from the race. Lehmann and Osuna Saez were taken to the medical centre for a check-up following their respective crashes with Lehmann declared fit, while Osuna Saez will be transported to hospital for further assessments with a low back/pelvic contusion. At Turn 1, teammates Ruben Bijman (Arco Motor University Team) and Gabriele Mastroluca crashed on Lap 7 to put them out of the race. Shengjunjie Zhou (China Racing Team) retired from the race after he had a technical issue around the halfway mark of the 14-lap race.

The top six following WorldSSP300 Race 1, full results here:

1. Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki)

2. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +0.481s

3. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) +0.489s

4. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) +0.551s

5. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/A78 Latin America Team) +0.618s

6. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) +0.768s

Watch more WorldSSP300 action from the TT Circuit Assen using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The first European round of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has already been a corker and the Tissot Superpole session at the TT Circuit Assen was a classic too. After a wet FP3 morning session, dark clouds remained but the track had dried out sufficiently for slick tyres to be used. The 15-minute shootout saw Alvaro Bautista snatch a first pole position of 2023 in what was a mighty battle which saw the titanic trio return to the front row.

STORY OF SUPERPOLE: mixed strategies, Championship leader angering opponents

Straight down to business, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) went half a second quicker than anything we’d previously seen all weekend, albeit it was teammate Alex Lowes who pipped him after the opening fast lap was in. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was only P7, as both Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and his teammate Andrea Locatelli went into the top five and were lapping together. Bautista went P3 on his second flying lap using the SCQ tyre, whilst Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was up in fourth until Locatelli demoted him. For Honda, Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and Iker Lecuona were both provisionally in the top ten, whilst home hero, with eight minutes, Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was in 14^th.

With seven minutes to go, riders returned to the circuit for their second run, with Rea hitting the track on his own and the only rider on track, opting for a different strategy to the opposition. He went provisional pole with a 1’33.668, but now his rivals were all out on track. With just over five minutes to go, the majority of the remaining riders hit the circuit and completed their outlaps whilst Rea was back in the pits and ready to go for a third run. Meanwhile, as Alvaro Bautista and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) came out of the pitlane, both riders angered Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) and teammate Garrett Gerloff. That didn’t stop Bautista going provisional pole with two minutes to go ahead of Rea and Lowes, whilst Bassani was P4.

FRONT ROW: late charges and a familiar front row

Down in 11^th, Toprak Razgatlioglu was in desperate need of a fast lap and the 2022 Assen polesitter was on a flying lap. Meanwhile, Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK) was up into P4 until Razgatlioglu leapt up to second as the order chopped and changed frantically. However, coming out on top for a first pole at Assen since his rookie 2019 campaign, Bautista sealed a first pole position of 2023 ahead of Assen’s most successful rider Jonathan Rea – in turn taking a first front row of the year – and with Razgatlioglu going from third place. The titanic trio are back at Assen.

SECOND ROW: Lowes and Redding work together

The second row is headed by two Brits; Alex Lowes’ stunning run of top five Superpole results at Assen – dating back to his only career pole in 2018 – continued with a fourth place, as he dragged Scott Redding aboard the M 1000 RR to a top five too. Redding was only 13^th in 2022 for BMW and it’s his first top five on the grid of the season, also setting the fastest final sector of anyone in the session. Rounding out the second row, looking to make it a hat-trick of Assen podiums in as many seasons, Andrea Locatelli.

INDEPENDENTS SHINE: row three has a big battle brewing

Top Independent honours went to Swiss star Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) who always goes well at Assen; he’s seventh and less than half a second away from pole position. Axel Bassani took eighth place in the middle of the third row, whilst fellow Independent Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was ninth and completed the third row. First Honda home was Iker Lecuona (Team HRC), tenth but 0.657s away from top spot.

NOTABLE NAMES: falling stars way down the order

Elsewhere on the grid, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took 11^th, although he’ll have wanted more after his top three pace on Friday and topping Saturday’s FP3. Xavi Vierge clinched 12^thplace to complete the fourth row, ahead of the returning Loris Baz, Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) and Michael van der Mark in 15^th. It was a dismal session for Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who could only manage 16^th and was the last Ducati, ahead of American rider Garrett Gerloff and Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), who was only 1.253s off pole, emphasising how close the WorldSBK field is.

Completing the order, Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) was 19^th ahead of Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 20^th, Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team), Isaac Vinales (Pedercini by Vinales Racing), Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing), Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team) and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO), with the entire field covered by less than three seconds.

Top six after WorldSBK Superpole at Assen, full results here:

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’33.542s

2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.027s

3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.119s

4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.199s

5. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.212s

6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK)) +0.257s

Watch the 2023 season in style throughout the year with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The Tissot Superpole session in the FIM Supersport World Championship was a tense and dramatic affair at the TT Circuit Assen for the Pirelli Dutch round as Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) claimed pole position with a new lap record at the Dutch circuit. Bulega was 0.006s faster than the previous Superpole lap record as he claimed pole position by just over two tenths ahead of his nearest rivals.

BREAKING RECORDS: Bulega takes back-to-back poles

Bulega was on pole position at Mandalika in Round 2 and he backed that up at Assen with his second consecutive pole position as he set a 1’36.900s to go under the Superpole lap record, set by Dominique Aegerter in 2022. He was 0.203s clear of compatriot Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) in second place, his 34^th front row start, as he put in a late surge to move up the order with Caricasulo ahead of Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) will start from third place for his home round; his third front-row start.

LOOKING FOR THE PODIUM: starting from row two

Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) took fourth place as he looks to kickstart his season as WorldSSP returns to Europe, with Debise 0.693s slower than Bulega. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was fifth after a dramatic session. He crashed at Turn 1 around halfway through the session when he had gone fastest before returning to the track with time left for one flying lap. On this flying lap, he moved back up the order to take fifth place ahead of Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in sixth with the Italian fighting at the front during the Superpole session.

COMPLETING THE TOP TEN: in content at Assen

The returning Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was seventh and 0.889s slower than Bulega at the end of the 20-minute session, with Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in eighth place as he looks to take a home win for Ten Kate Racing at Assen. German rider Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was another who briefly led the times but he dropped to ninth place as the session progressed, finishing ahead of Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) who rounded out the top ten.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from WorldSSP

Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) will lead Triumph’s charge in the Dutch Round as he took 13^th  place in Superpole, while Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE HONDA Team) was the lead Honda rider despite a technical issue towards the end of the session. Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) was the highest-placed WorldSSP Challenge rider in 17^th place on the grid, lapping 2.265s slower than Bulega’s time.

Maiki Abe (VFT Racing WEBIKE Yamaha) was the first crasher in the session when he crashed at Turn 5 after a highside off his Yamaha YZF R6 machine. He got back to the pits. 2022 WorldSSP300 Champion Alvaro Diaz (Arco Yart Yamaha WorldSSP) had a disrupted session with a technical issue ending his session with around five minutes to go. Diaz and Abe rounded out the WorldSSP field in the classification.

The top six from WorldSSP Superpole, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’36.900s

2. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +0.203s

3. Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) +0.688s

4. Valentin Debise (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.693s
5. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.734s

6. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +0.803s

Watch WorldSSP Race 1 from 15:15 Local Time (GMT+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

A wet-but-drying track in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship provided plenty of drama at the TT Circuit Assen for the Pirelli Dutch Round for the Championship’s first Tissot Superpole session of the 2023 campaign as Italian rider Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) claimed his second pole position in his career with a last-gasp lap. Vannucci was more than half-a-second clear of his rivals with the Italian one of the last riders to complete their lap as the track dried out throughout the 20-minute session.

MASTERING THE CONDITIONS: leaving it late as the track dried

Vannucci was quick at the halfway stage of the season but a switch to slick tyres halfway through the session, like the majority of the field, paid dividends. Vannucci’s time was a 1’51.220s to top the times and claim his second pole position in WorldSSP300. He was ahead of Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) in second place after he set a 1’51.804s to claim second spot and he will be hoping this start of a change of Superpole fortunes after completing several comebacks in 2022. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) took third, 0.728s down on Vannucci’s time, ahead of teammate Mattia Martella in fourth. Di Sora’s third place ensured three of the four manufacturers in 2023 will start from the front row.

A MIXED-UP GRID? Surprises throughout…

Brazilian rider Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) took fifth place after setting a 1’52.348s, finishing ahead of Troy Alberto (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) with the rider from the Philippines showing strong pace throughout the 20-minute Superpole session. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) was seventh with both KTM machines inside the top seven after being one of the first riders to come into the pits as the track tried out.

WILDCARD SURPRISE, DEBUTANTS IMPRESS: completing the top ten

Wildcard Thom Molenaar (Molenaar Racing Team) was a surprise of the session as he took eighth place following a late lap on the drying track, posting a best time of 1’53.210s to take a third-row start. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) was ninth and he was one of several riders who topped the timesheets as the track conditions improved, while debutant Clement Rouge (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) secured a maiden top-ten start following an impressive start to his WorldSSP300 career.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from Superpole

2020 Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) was 18^th in his first Superpole session since returning to the Championship. Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) was the one rider who crashed during the session when he crashed at Turn 10 with around six minutes to go. He was 28^th in the classification at the end of the 20-minute session.

The top six following WorldSSP300 Tissot Superpole, full results here:

1. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) 1’51.220s

2. Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) +0.584s

3. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +0.728s

4. Mattia Martella (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +0.871s

5. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) +1.128s

6. Troy Albero (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) +1.394s

Watch WorldSSP300 Race 1 from Assen at 12:40 Local Time (GMT+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Saturday action went green for the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, but the weather had turned against the 25-rider line-up. Free Practice 3 was wet, meaning that times were far from ideal. As was forecasted, wet weather has played a part but the question is whether or not it will dry up before Tissot Superpole and Race 1. Leading the way after FP3 in the wet, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who topped a WorldSBK session for the first time.

Looking comfortable in the dry on Friday and now in the wet, Gardner completed ten laps and had a 0.711s advantage over Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). The Spaniard was fast throughout and having been fastest on Friday, he was competitive in the wet, setting his fastest lap on his 15th and final lap. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) took third ahead of Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) who always shines in the wet and at Assen. Completing the top five was Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), having been briefly on top with ten minutes to go.

Best BMW honours went the way of the returning Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW), with the Frenchman taking advantage of the wet conditions which will unquestionably reduce the strain on his recovering right leg. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) put Honda in P7, ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). Setting a fast lap at the end of the session by following Alvaro Bautista, rookie Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was strong in ninth, ahead of Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), with a dry line forming towards the end of the session. Riders who go well in the wet weather – such as Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) were 11^th, 19^th and 20^th respectively.

Opting not to head out on track were Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team) and  Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK).

Top six after WorldSBK FP3 at Assen, full results here:

1. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’44.648s

2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.711s

3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.999s

4. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +1.095s

5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometon WorldSBK) +1.125s

6. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) +1.432s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has arrived at Assen and is ready to witness true classics, however elsewhere in the paddock, a sustainable future is likewise underway. As part of a wider vision from KRT, the opportunity to explore green and potentially carbon neutral technologies, channelled toward environmentally-respectful motorsport, has resulted in a custom-made hospitality unit equipped with twelve roof mounted solar panels feeding green harvested electricity into a bank of Lithium-ion batteries. These batteries provide 100% of the energy needs of both the kitchen and general public areas of a vast double deck hospitality unit that can cater for over eighty guests at any one time. The turn to renewables for the hospitality truck is in partnership with racing partner Elf, with the vision of a greener and more environmentally sustainable future in motorsport shared by the entirety of the WorldSBK paddock.

Controlled via a monitoring and distribution panel in the kitchen area, or via a Smartphone App, the SPU is even able to maintain and add charge to the batteries while the vehicle is in transit between KRT’s base in Catalunya and the nine European rounds in the 2023 WorldSBK Championship. In addition to the ‘on site’ benefits, this also means the fridge and freezer compartments within the kitchen area of the hospitality unit can be maintained at a constant temperature while in transit, without requiring a feed using traditional fuel from the tractor unit. This efficiency alone has been calculated by the team as offering a saving in excess of 1200l of fuel annually.

Constructed in partnership with Barcelona-based technology experts Neutral Carbon S.L., KRT are justifiably proud of this welcome and significant use of renewable, green technology as KRT Marketing Manager, Biel Roda explains: “Like anything we do at KRT we are looking for maximum performance and the SPU has exceeded even our ambitious expectations. In terms of headline figures we estimate we will now save over 2000kg of CO2 emissions per year with a total energy generation figure of 40kW powering a hospitality unit with a kitchen that includes two fridges plus all the air conditioning units, lights and electrical appliances within the hospitality area.

Unusually in racing, although we think we may have won this particular race towards the goal of carbon neutrality, we hope other teams in the paddock will now follow suit making this KRT and Elf initiative fulfil a wider vision of environmentally respectful motorsport.”

On behalf of Championship organiser Dorna, WorldSBK Executive Director Gregorio Lavilla commented shared his thoughts: ““The important thing for me is the gesture to invest and make this kind of thing. Normally you come to a track and you connect your air-conditioner, etc, but who is paying the bills? Someone pays the bills, normally it is the circuits, and not all of them have green regeneration, so they have to pay the bill. So, it is very interesting that someone decided to invest money from their pocket to do this. It is something we need to recognise and be proud of. I would like that more and more teams, after this gesture, start understanding the steps we need to take and all of us can do something. Congratulations and well done to all involved.”

From the FIM, President Jorge Viegas, concluded: “What is being done here is called decentralised energy production. This is the future but it is more than the future – it is the present. Many of you may already have photovoltaic panels on your house and at this moment that is the cheapest and most sustainable way to produce electricity. There is a long way to go but what you are doing here, I am sure, all the trucks here in the paddock will have, because it is the cheapest way and good for the planet. We must do our share and this is a very good example.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com