With the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returning to action for the Pirelli Dutch Round at the TT Circuit Assen, the tyre solutions brought by Pirelli have been revealed for all three classes in action. Teams and riders will have plenty of solutions and compounds to choose from in the event of either dry or wet conditions, while there’s also a new size front tyre in WorldSSP which looks ahead to the future.

In WorldSBK, the riders will have two front solutions to choose from of differing compounds and both are from the standard range. The SC1 tyre is the standard medium tyre used a lot by teams and riders, while the other compound is the standard SC2 hard compound tyre; offering a better mechanical resistance and therefore ideal for circuits that stress the front tyres more. These are the two slick tyre options for the front, with eight of each to use throughout the weekend. there are three options in case of wet weather.

Pirelli will bring the standard intermediate tyre to Assen to help in conditions that are not fully wet or fully dry and there will be two full-wet tyres if needed. One of these is the standard SCR1 full wet tyre and riders will have six of the standard tyres to use. Pirelli will also have the SCR-X development rain tyre, aiming to offer better grip in corner entry and at maximum lean angle even in low track temperatures or with smooth asphalt; riders will be able to use four of these during the weekend.

For rear tyres, the WorldSBK field will have four slick options to choose from, ranging from soft to extra soft. The SCQ tyre is back for Assen, to be used in the Tissot Superpole session and Tissot Superpole Race, while the three race tyres are the standard SC0 soft compound, standard SCX super soft compound and the SCX-A development super soft compound which was used in Indonesia this year. Riders have eight of both SCX tyres, four of the SC0 tyres and four of the SCQ tyres.

In WorldSSP, there’s a new tyre size available to the field which comes from the WorldSBK class. The SC1-A tyre is the standard medium tyre from WorldSBK in the 125/70 size as Pirelli evaluate whether to bring this tyre size to WorldSSP; Assen will be the first test. Also available for front tyres is the standard SC1 soft tyre, in 120/70 size as usual, and the standard SC2 medium tyre. In the event of rain, WorldSSP riders will have either the standard intermediate or wet tyre. At the rear, the tyres WorldSSP riders can use will be the standard SCX super soft compound or the standard SC0 soft compound. As with the front tyres, standard intermediate and wet tyres are available if it rains.

There is also a slight change to the solutions for WorldSSP300 riders who start their season at Assen. Previously, the standard SC1 tyre was the reference tyre for the Championship but for 2023, with the aim of guaranteeing better performance on colder tracks and to allow the riders to understand the differences between the two compounds, there will be a SC2 tyre available. At Assen, the riders will have the SC2 tyre at their disposal.

Watch all the action from Assen in style using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

During my time working in the MotoGP™ and MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddocks, only a handful of riders truly move the needle and do things that take your breath away. Casey Stoner was the man to watch when I first ventured into a Grand Prix paddock but I remember Cal Crutchlow telling the media that “the second Marc Marquez jumps onto a MotoGP™ bike, he’ll be the best rider in the world. 

RAZGATLIOGLU TO MotoGP™? It’s a hard switch

We took it with a pinch of salt and assumed Crutchlow was exaggerating how good Marquez is…history has shown that he might even have undersold us on the Spaniard! Stoner and Marquez found new ways to ride their bikes and did things that other riders couldn’t do. They made the super-talented look ordinary. In the WorldSBK paddock, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) is the rider that has emulated this feat.

The Turkish superstar can do things that others can’t; he has an ability on corner entry that for much of the last four years has almost seemed like a cheat code! Toprak lives up to the hype and speaking to riders about him, they all say the same thing; he deserves a shot at MotoGP™. Whether he gets it will depend a lot on circumstances.

Yamaha gave him a two-day test at Aragon last week to assess whether or not he can make the switch. It was fitting that Toprak was on track with Crutchlow, who made the switch in 2011, to MotoGP™ from WorldSBK. The move almost broke the Brit and he admitted many times that he thought about returning to his production racing roots, such was the challenge of adapting to a prototype. That’s an adaptation that Toprak would have to make too.

LIN JARVIS: “It wasn’t easy for him to really the get the feeling on the bike”

Lin Jarvis, Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director, didn’t beat around the bush when he spoke to MotoGP.com about the challenge: “Riding an R1 on Pirelli tyres and riding a MotoGP M1 on Michelins is very different,” said Jarvis from the Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas. “You need more time to adapt. If I would sum it up, probably it was not easy for him to really get the feeling on the bike. If you watch Toprak riding a Superbike, he is able to do miracles, he has an incredibly good feeling on the front end in particular; we’ve seen that from his stoppies and incredible corner entry and braking. That was not so easy to find on the M1. The bike is much more rigid than the superbike, so really, I think to gain the speed on a MotoGP bike he would need to adapt his style quite significantly.”

Toprak’s area of expertise is the front-end confidence and generating tremendous braking performance with the rear wheel in the air. A MotoGP™ bike with a much more rigid chassis and aerodynamics is all about trying to maintain that rear contact in braking. If the rear wheel is in the air the engine braking doesn’t work. This is one area where Toprak would need to adjust his style. 

MORBIDELLI’S PLACE AT RISK? Jarvis says he is “number one choice” for 2024, IF…

Whilst Yamaha gave Toprak two days on the bike and he would have learned a lot, it’s also been rumoured that at the Aragon test his riding position wasn’t optimised. This is something which he would certainly address if he was to move to MotoGP™ and can be a huge factor in performance. Toprak has the talent to switch to MotoGP™ and be a success but circumstances could work against him. Franco Morbidelli has had a miserable run of form in recent years. His top five finishes at Argentina this year are, until he backs them up with similar results, an outlier and to hear Jarvis talk about the Italian is clearly where hope rather than expectation is the key.

“The ideal scenario for us is that Franky continues to show the speed he displayed in Argentina. Our number one choice would be to continue with Franky but if not, we will be obliged to find another candidate and that’s also why we were interested to look at Toprak. The test was a chance for Toprak to start to understand better the needs for MotoGP™ and for us to see his speed. We can’t say very much from two days of testing. I think the conclusion he’d would probably give you and from our side as well, is that it’s very different to his R1 on Pirelli’s. You need time to adapt.”

CLOCK TICKING: Many factors, limited time – a big decision for the future

Time…it’s the one thing that riders don’t tend to get too much of these days. At Yamaha, the paddock rumour mill has linked them to Jorge Martin to replace Morbidelli. The Spaniard, a Ducati protege since joining the premier class, is already a race winner and established front runner. Would anyone blame them for taking Martin over Razgatlioglu? 

Toprak has a major decision to make. Yamaha has a major decision to make. It could well be that they both make a choice that keeps Toprak off an M1, but could that also push him closer to another manufacturer? It’s always worth remembering that Toprak was once as close to Kawasaki as he is now to Yamaha. If he is offered the right opportunity, he could well look elsewhere. Toprak is the centre of attention once again, but he knows that the music stops very quickly when you’re looking for a seat at the biggest table in motorcycle racing.

Watch the 2023 WorldSBK season unfold with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 FIM Supersport World Championship is back in action at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands this weekend and with that, the FIM WorldSSP Challenge is also back. Eight riders will join the rest of the field to see if they can become the winner of the class, and there’s particular interest with one name. Maiki Abe (VFT Racing WEBIKE Yamaha), the son of the late great Norick Abe, will be making his World Supersport debut at Assen.

Abe has been racing in the Asian Road Race series in recent years and after showing potential, joins up with Fabio Menghi’s VFT outfit, already podium finishers in WorldSSP in 2023, building on their podium from 2022. Abe’s father, Norick, was revered in every paddock he raced in for his unique charisma and attitude, as well as he determination on-track. Norick won his home Grand Prix twice at Suzuka, in 1996 and 2000, as well as taking one other win and 14 other podiums. In 2005, he switched to WorldSBK aboard Yamaha R1 machinery, with plenty of top ten results and a best of fourth achieved at Brno, with two more fourth places coming in 2006. He finished 13^th in both seasons. Now, his son aims to follow in his footsteps and return the Abe name to the front.

Talking about his excitement ahead of his highly anticipated World Supersport debut, Abe said: “I am very excited because I can ride with world top class riders. My teammate is very fast so I am looking forward to join VFT team. My optimistic target is top ten or even top five, but first of all, I’d like to compete with my teammate.”

Abe’s teammate this year is none other than reigning Italian champion Nicholas Spinelli, who made an emphatic start in Australia, with second place in Phillip Island’s Race 1. Spinelli is currently ninth in the Championship standings, but just four points away from seventh-placed John McPhee (Vince64 by Puccetti).

Talking about the legacy of his father and what it means to return the Abe name to the world stage, if he’s proud to do so and which other Japanese riders have inspired his journey: “Of course, but Norick Abe name was made because of my father; I would like to make Maiki Abe a name by myself. I respect Katsuyuki Nakasuga because I rode together with him, and then I can see his technique and riding skill. He has been at the top for many years in Japan.”

Returning to the topic of his World Championship debut, the weekend-specific aims and ambitions are to firstly get through it without dramas: “First of all, I would like to complete race week without any mistakes. It’s my first time at Assen and my first WorldSSP race, and Assen is a difficult circuit, so I have to stay strong and riding as much as I can to get use to the circuits.”

The 2023 WorldSSP field has a next generational feel to it: Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing) is back on the grid, son of three-time WorldSBK Champion and MotoGP™ race winner, Troy. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) returns and the 2022 WorldSSP Challenge winner is the nephew of five-time WorldSSP Champion, Kenan. Tarran Mackenzie (Petronas MIE Honda Team) is on the grid too, son of three-time BSB champion and seven-time Grand Prix podium finisher, Niall Mackenzie – fourth in the 500cc World Championship in 1990. Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) is the son of top ten 250cc Grand Prix finisher Davide Bulega too.

Watch all the 2023 season unfold chapter-by-chapter with the comprehensive WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship returns to action to start the 2023 season at the TT Circuit Assen during the Pirelli Dutch Round with the first two races of what is set to be a thrilling and unpredictable campaign. With a new manufacturer joining the grid, the reigning Champion moving to WorldSSP, a Champion returning the class and a host of riders aiming to write their names in the history books in 2023, the Dutch Round will kick off the season in style.

DEBUTS AND A RETURNING CHAMPION: Kove debut, Buis is back

The start of the 2023 campaign will mark a historic moment as Chinese manufacturer Kove join the grid with Shengjunjie Zhou (China Racing Team) making his WorldSSP debut, with four manufacturers competing in 2023. The 312RR recently raced in the Spanish championship with Zhou, giving him some experience ahead of his WorldSSP debut. The Dutch Round also marks the return of 2020 Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) to the Championship as he looks to make history and he will be joined by Loris Veneman in 2023. Buis has seven WorldSSP300 wins to his name and one more would make him the rider with the most wins in the Championship’s history. Could he make history at his home track.

EXPANDING TEAMS: reigning Champions to two bikes…

After taking Alvaro Diaz to the title in 2022, the Arco Motor University Team have expanded to two bikes for 2023. Ruben Bijman and Gabriele Mastroluca look to pick up where Diaz left off in 2022 by fighting at the front consistently. The AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha squad have also expanded to two bikes with Raffaele Tragni race winner Matteo Vannucci at the team. There are also new teams on the grid: China Racing Team will make their debut with Zhou while Deza-Box 77 Racing Team will debut with Jose Manuel Osuna Saez.

ROOKIES LOOKING TO IMPRESS: hoping for an early impact

There are several other rookies on the grid too with Mattia Martella (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) returning for his first full-time campaign alongside Samuel Di Sora. Like Martella, Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo-PI Performances) returns after an impressive one-off appearance in 2022 when he fought for the podium while several riders will make their debut. Clement Rouge (Sublime Racing by MS Racing), Raffaele Tragni, Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) – who was third in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship in 2022 – Mexican Juan Pablo Uriostegui (Team#109 Kawasaki) and Osuna Saez will all make their debuts at Assen.

RACE WINNERS GO FOR MORE: six previous race winners on track

There will be six riders who have won a race prior to 2023 on the grid this season including the aforementioned Buis. Three one-time winners, Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo-PI Performances), Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) and Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) will be joined by two-time winners Vannucci and Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing). Will any of these riders be able to add to their win tally, or will 2023 feature new riders standing on the top step of the podium?

WILDCARDS: double Dutch at Assen

There will be two wildcard riders at the TT Circuit Assen and both hail from the Netherlands and both will compete for the same team. Sven Doornebal and Thom Molenaar will both compete for the Molenaar Racing Team at the Dutch Round as they did in 2021 and 2022. Molenaar’s best result is 20^th, in Race 1 in 2021, while Doornebal also has a best result of 20^th which came in Race 1 last year.

Watch all the WorldSSP300 action from Assen in style using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

With the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock heading to the Netherlands and the iconic TT Circuit Assen for the 2023 Pirelli Dutch Round, there will be several home heroes looking to celebrate glory in style. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) leads the charge in WorldSBK but there are several riders in WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 who will represent the Netherland on home soil and look to entertain the Dutch crowd and give them something to celebrate across the weekend.

FLYING THE FLAG: van Straalen aiming to repeat home podium, Ten Kate aiming high

There is only one Dutch rider in WorldSSP in 2023 with Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) flying the flag for the Netherlands at Assen. The Hoogkarspel-born rider claimed two podiums in 2022 including one at Assen where he was fighting with double Champion Dominique Aegerter for victory. He finished second in Race 1 when a red flag was shown just seconds after Aegerter had overtaken the home hero, denying him an emotional victory at Assen. Could van Straalen repeat his podium performance in 2023 or go one better and claim his first World Championship victory?

Aegerter was with the Ten Kate Racing Yamaha team in 2021 and 2022 when he won the Championship in each year and that included success for the team at their home round. He won four races out of four across the two years he was with them but, with Aegerter now in WorldSBK, it falls to Stefano Manzi and Jorge Navarro to aim for victories for Ten Kate Racing. The pair completed a test at the circuit recently and will be hoping this puts them in good stead for the team’s home round.

FIVE REPRESENTATIVES: a mix of experience across the grid

The WorldSSP300 field features five Dutch riders for the Dutch Round with a wide range of experience between the four. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) returns to the Championship as he goes in search of a second WorldSSP300 title and he is back with the team that he won the Championship with in 2020. He has one podium at Assen and he will be aiming to repeat that in 2023 while his teammate, Loris Veneman, will make his WorldSSP300 debut at the circuit. He did race on home soil last year in the Northern Talent Cup, finishing fifth in Race 2 after a retirement in Race 1. The MTM Kawasaki riders will be joined by Ruben Bijman (Arco Motor University Team) who changes teams for 2023 and, with four races at Assen to his name, will be aiming to fight for a first WorldSSP300 podium on home soil.

The two MTM Kawasaki riders and Bijman are joined by two wildcard riders for the Dutch Round as Sven Doornebal (Molenaar Racing Team) is joined by teammate Thom Molenaar. Both have raced in WorldSSP300 in the past, as wildcard riders, and both Doornebal and Molenaar have recorded a best finish of 20^th at Assen. Could their first points finish in WorldSSP300 await as they make their third wildcard appearance in the Championship?

Watch the Dutch Round LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is in full flow with two rounds in the history books, which were the first two rounds of Danilo Petrucci’s (Barni Spark Racing Ducati) WorldSBK career. In a sit-down interview, the Italian spoke about his goals of looking to make history by winning in MotoGP™, WorldSBK and the Dakar Rally, adapting to WorldSBK and his long-term goals of joining a factory team to fight for the title.

CHASING HISTORY: “I could be the only man in the world to do that…”

Petrucci comes into his debut WorldSBK campaign with two MotoGP™ wins to his name, five MotoAmerica wins, four STK1000 victories and a stage win in the Dakar Rally. Should he win a WorldSBK race, he would become the 18^th rider to win in both WorldSBK and MotoGP™, something which he admitted was on his mind when returning to the WorldSBK paddock. If he manages this, he would become the first rider since Nicky Hayden at Sepang in 2016 to win in both Championships. However, he would become the only rider to win in WorldSBK, MotoGP™, STK1000 and in the Dakar Rally after he won a stage in the historic rally in 2022. Petrucci also opened up on his long-term goals in WorldSBK as he looks to become a Championship contender and, potentially, join a factory team.

Discussing the possibility of making history, Petrucci said: “I was still in the USA, doing the last races of the season. We were in talks with Ducati and Barni to make a path to come into WorldSBK and I started to look on Google which riders were able to win in MotoGP™ and WorldSBK. They are all big names. I said I could be one of them and then because I also have the Dakar Rally stage win… I could be the only man in the world to do that. I’m here for this reason in WorldSBK, to at least try to win a race. I would like to join a factory team to see if I am able to win the Championship. I can’t quit my career without trying! I don’t know if I am able to win a World Championship, but I need to try. I have to quit my career thinking I gave it all. This year is to understand whether next year I can do that.”

PETRUCCI’S PATH: “My career has been quite crazy”

Petrucci’s career started out in his native Italy but he soon made a name for himself in the WorldSBK paddock when he made a wildcard appearance at Monza in 2007 in STK600. He spent 2008 and 2009 in STK600 before making the jump to STK1000 where he fought for the title in his second campaign with Barni Ducati. His success there propelled him to MotoGP™ where he spent ten full seasons and won two races. At the end of 2021, he left MotoGP™ full-time, although returned in 2022 for a one-off appearance, and made his Dakar Rally debut in 2022 as well as racing in MotoAmerica.

Looking back on his “crazy” career, Petrucci said: “I’m very happy to be in the WorldSBK paddock again because it’s where everything began. The first time I joined this paddock was in 2007 and it was nice to finally join. I was a wildcard in STK600. I remember the first time I won in STK600 in Valencia in 2009 really well. Then I switched to STK1000 with Team Pedercini and Kawasaki. It was really a big, big jump. 2011 was, for sure, one of the best years for me with Barni. I was able to win my first Championship race at Silverstone. It was really good to win at Imola and I’m really happy to go back there this year in WorldSBK. I have really good memories.

“My career has been quite crazy. I won here in STK1000 which allowed me to go to MotoGP™. I was able to win in MotoGP™ a couple of races. I left MotoGP™ thinking I would go race the Dakar Rally and I would never come back to a World Championship. I won a stage which was totally unexpected, and then I went to MotoAmerica and I almost won the championship. I won many races and then the opportunity came again with Barni. I said: ‘I’m still young, I can’t quit my career without trying WorldSBK!’”

MAKING THE SWITCH: “There are a lot of challenges. I thought it was hard, but not as hard as it is!”

Petrucci’s WorldSBK career is only two rounds old and he has already recorded a top-five finish, in Race 1 at Mandalika, as well as securing top Independent honours. In all six races so far, he has been either fighting for the top ten or well inside it as he continues to adapt to the WorldSBK Panigale V4 R having ridden the Ducati in MotoAmerica in 2022. However, despite the manufacturer being the same, Petrucci has had to adapt to Pirelli tyres after using a different brand in the USA as well as the 10-lap Superpole Race

Explaining how his adaptation to WorldSBK is going, Petrucci said: “My adaptation is going quite well. For sure, WorldSBK is a big challenge for me because everything is new, even if I’m quite experienced. It’s unique in the format. We have three races and one of them, the Superpole Race, is really short and it’s like 10 laps of Superpole. Adapting to the Pirelli tyres, they are really good in performance, but I need to understand them. I still need to learn a lot. Last but not least, the level of the riders here is really, really high. There are a lot of challenges. I thought it was hard, but not as hard as it is!”

Watch Petrucci’s rookie WorldSBK campaign unfold throughout 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

It’s historic. It’s famous. It’s got a legacy that is almost unrivalled. ‘It’ is of course the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands as the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship rolls into town for round three of the season. The Pirelli Dutch Round has always been a classic on the calendar and this year promises to be no different. It’s only right that we picked out some of the best Assen classics for you to enjoy ahead of the modern-day thrillers that await this weekend.

Race 2, 1996: the top three split by 0.070s, Fogarty resists Kocinski

After switched from Ducati, where he was Champion in 1994 and 1995, to the RC45 Honda, Carl Fogarty was on the backfoot. However, Assen was ‘Foggy’ territory and since 1993, he’d been unbeaten. Race 1 in 1996 was no different but the Race 2 saw his rivals out to spoil the fun. Heading into the final lap, the British rider had a marginal lead but a golden final sector for Kocinski put the American in a position to pass; he got down the inside of Fogarty but ran wide in the chicane, with ‘Foggy’ pulling it back and getting the power down to the line, whilst Troy Corser put in a big charge too. Fogarty just held on to the roar of the crowd for what would be his final victory with Honda.

Race 2, 1998: Fogarty and Chili come to blows

One of the most iconic showdowns, Carl Fogarty and Pierfrancesco Chili were both going for the title in 1998’s titanic season and with Chili beating ‘Foggy’ in Race 1 at Assen – only the second rider to beat Fogarty there – Race 2 was tense and dramatic. Chili had the lead coming into the final sector, but Fogarty wasn’t going to be beaten again and passed him into the final chicane on the last lap. Chili crashed all of his own accord and by the time Fogarty had got to the same point on the slow-down lap, tempers were flaring. Chili was visibly unhappy, Fogarty was angry in retaliation, Fogarty’s team manager Davide Tardozzi tried to calm the situation and a dramatic press conference followed. Chili went on to talk about the incident in 2021, Fogarty went on to take the 1998 crown.

Race 2, 2004: battle of the youngsters between Vermeulen and Toseland

Chris Vermeulen was a rookie in WorldSBK in 2004, having won the 2003 WorldSSP title with Ten Kate Honda and both graduating to the top class. However, a title challenge was on, and James Toseland was likewise bidding to be an underdog Champion in the shadow of his Fila Ducati team leader Regis Laconi. The last lap at Assen in Race 2 was a classic with the lead changing three times before eventually, it was Vermeulen who kept his title hopes alive, beating Toseland in a true thriller in the Netherlands, giving the Dutch Ten Kate Honda team a WorldSBK home debut to remember.

Race 2, 2007: Bayliss denies Toseland by 0.007s

Assen gave us a true classic in 2007 as two of the greatest went head-to-head for supremacy. Having taken a Race 1 win, James Toseland was aiming to go double Dutch and give the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team a first home double. However, Race 2 saw Xerox Ducati’s Troy Bayliss back in the mix and with only one win in the opening nine races, the reigning Champion was eager to come back strong. Leaving his braking late into the chicane on the last lap, Toseland compromised his exit speed onto the straight, whilst Bayliss got his Ducati 999 F07 driving to the line, pipping ‘JT’ by 0.007s. Both riders sat down and spoke about the moment later in life, with the emotions still as pure as that day.

Race 1, 2009: Spies beats Haga in final lap thriller

The 2009 season was a classic from the start and Race 1 at Assen gave one of the best races of the year. A three-way fight between Yamaha’s Ben Spies, Ducati’s Noriyuki Haga and Honda’s Leon Haslam made for great racing, but in the end, it’d be the title contenders of Spies and Haga who battled. Haga led into the final sector, but Spies surprised the Japanese rider with a stunning pass at the fast Hoge Heide right-hander; Haga tried to retaliate at Ramshoek, but Spies had it covered, braking later into the final chicane and getting the job done –one of the best races in WorldSBK.

Race 2, 2019: Bautista makes it 11, van der Mark beats Rea on the line

2019 was a stunning season, with Ducati’s rookie revelation Alvaro Bautista on fire as he cruised to victory after victory. Following a snowstorm on Saturday, both full-distance races were rescheduled to Sunday and after a Race 1 win, Bautista aimed for an eleventh straight win at the start of the year, nothing ever seen before. With early laps spent battling Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea, Bautista broke clear on Lap 6 to head of victory, but it was home-hero Michael van der Mark who had a thrilling battle with Rea in the closing stages, before pipping him on the line on the final lap to take second, sending the home crowd wild. Will Bautista and Rea be fighting hard again in 2022?

Race 2, 2022: “It had to happen!” – Razgatlioglu and Rea finally clash and crash

The most recent clap of thunder at the Cathedral of Speed came in 2022, when Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu – after all of their battles in 2021’s title race – finally came to blows and ended in the gravel trap. Running wide but not off track at Turn 1, Razgatlioglu came back on line whilst Rea had already committed underneath him. The two tangled as the lines converged, leading to a spicy post-race debrief session. Perhaps the best rider to sum it up was Alvaro Bautista who narrowly avoided the chaos to go on and win the race: “One day, it had to happen!”

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: you can’t afford to miss these…

Race 2 from 2021 had stories everywhere. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was taken out by fellow Yamaha rider Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) at Turn 1 on the opening lap, whilst Toprak’s teammate Andrea Locatelli led on his way to third and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) taking victory and completing his last triple so far. As well as that, there’s Tom Sykes’ last win from 2018’s Race 2, Sykes battling with Eugene Laverty for the win in Race 2, 2013 and Sylvain Guintoli’s first win in 2012. Dating further back, 2006 saw Chris Walker come from last and in the gravel at Turn 1 to the top step of the podium in a miraculous comeback in Race 1, whilst Troy Bayliss clinched his first title at the track in Race 2, 2001.

Watch more classics this weekend LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport World Championship returns to action at the iconic TT Circuit Assen for round three of the 2023 campaign with the Pirelli Dutch Round, while it’s also the first round for the WorldSSP Challenge competitors. After the drama of Australia and Indonesia, the Championship resumes in the Netherlands with plenty up for grabs across the Championship’s two races over the Dutch Round.

TEN KATE RACING’S HOME ROUND: can Manzi or Navarro put Ten Kate on top?

The Dutch Round marks Ten Kate Racing Yamaha’s home round and the team will also go in search of their 100^th WorldSSP victory with riders Jorge Navarro and Stefano Manzi. Both enjoyed a test at the circuit between the Indonesian and Dutch rounds to prepare in the best possible way for the team’s home round with new items to try, while it was also another chance for Navarro to be on the bike in search of full fitness. Can either take the team’s, and Yamaha’s, first win of 2023 as well as the 100^th in WorldSSP for Ten Kate Racing Yamaha? Another Yamaha rider to potentially look out for is Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) after the Dutch rider narrowly missed out on his first WorldSSP win at Assen last year, after he was overtaken by Dominique Aegerter mere seconds before red flags were shown. Second in Race 1 last year, could he go one better this year?

BULEGA TOPS THE STANDINGS: looking to extend his lead

Two wins and three podiums in 2023 means Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) leads the Championship standings after two rounds, 18 points clear of Manzi. The Italian took third and fourth in Race 1 and Race 2 respectively in 2022 and he will be aiming to build on that in 2023. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) comes into the Dutch Round off the back of his first WorldSSP victory in Indonesia and, with a podium finish at Assen to his name from 2022, will be looking to add to that and close the gap in the Championship standings. Mandalika Race 2 winner, Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) is a race winner at Assen from 2019 and he will be looking to extend his winning run after a strong start to the 2023 campaign.

AIMING HIGH: Triumph and MV Agusta to be in the mix

Both Triumph and MV Agusta will be hoping they are in the fight for victory having been so in Australia and Indonesia. Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) has been in the top eight in his last three races at Assen, and four times in his last five outings here, and he has a podium to his name this season. For MV Agusta, Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) is currently leading their charge in his rookie campaign. Although he hasn’t been to Assen in WorldSSP, it’s a circuit he knows very well from his time in the 125cc World Championship, Moto3™ and Moto2™ with a best result of fourth.

WorldSSP CHALLENGE RIDERS BEGIN THEIR CAMPAIGN: WorldSSP300 Champion debuts in WorldSSP

The WorldSSP Challenge begins at Assen and it will mark the WorldSSP debut of 2022 WorldSSP300 Champion Alvaro Diaz (Arco Yart Yamaha WorldSSP) as he graduates with the same team that took him to the 2022 World Championship. Yuta Okaya (Prodina Kawasaki Racing WorldSSP) also makes the step up in 2023. Maiki Abe (VFT Racing WEBIKE Yamaha), son of the late, great Norick Abe, makes his WorldSSP debut, as does Luke Power (MOTOZOO ME AIR RACING TEAM) this season while Tom Edwards (Yart – Yamaha WorldSSP Team) will take part in his first full campaign. In terms of returning riders, Federico Fuligni (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) returns to WorldSSP on Ducati machinery, Maximilian Kofler (D34G Racing) sticks with Ducati but switches teams to be alongside Oli Bayliss while Tom Booth-Amos (MOTOZOO ME AIR RACING TEAM) sticks with the same team for a second campaign.

RIDER NEWS: injury updates and wildcards

Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) missed the Indonesian Round through injury but he is aiming to be back on a bike, subject to medical clearance, at Assen along with Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) who was injured in the same crash; Montella was riding at the recent Catalunya Test. In terms of wildcards, there is only one for the Dutch Round as Simone Corsi (Altogo Racing Team) makes his WorldSSP debut after 12 seasons in Moto2™.

Watch every moment of action from the iconic TT Circuit Assen using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

After a lengthy pause since round two, the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is back in action at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands, the northern-most circuit on the WorldSBK calendar. In recent years, this has been a happy hunting ground for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) but with a rough start to the year, he’s not as guaranteed for success as previous years, whilst the Ducati Panigale V4 R – which has won five of the opening six races – could make it 400 victories in World Superbike for the legendary Italian brand.

700 – With at least a rider on the podium in the three Assen races, Ducati will reach the milestone of 700 races on the podium, as they stand now at 697. Ducati has already celebrated a podium-related milestone last year in Most, when they reached 1000 podium places. Ducati’s best opponent is Kawasaki, at 405 races on the podium.

540 – Jonathan Rea has taken 540 points at Assen: an all-time record. His best rival is Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) with 411 at Donington.

400 – With 397 race wins, Ducati has its first shot at the milestone of 400 at Assen.

48 – 48 different riders have qualified on the front row at Assen since 1992, with the 50^th possible this weekend. On the current grid, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), teammate Jonathan Rea, Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), teammate Michael van der Mark, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Tom Sykes and Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) have achieved it. In WorldSBK history, Donington Park has the most at 55.

35 – Assen is a home for British wins: no less than 35 out of 62. The next country for wins at Assen is Australia on nine, the last of which came with Troy Bayliss in 2008 with a dominant double.

23 – Rea can equal and surpass his all-time record of podiums on a given track in WorldSBK, 24, set at Aragon and at Portimao. He has 23 Assen podiums; Tom Sykes is his best rival with 17 Donington Park podiums.

20 – No less than 20 different riders have won a WorldSBK race at Assen but just three of them are present in the 2023 field: Rea, Bautista and Sykes. Interestingly, double Champion Troy Corser is not among the 20, despite having run 30 races here and finishing on the podium seven times.

17 – 17 wins for Rea at Assen: the absolute record for a rider on any given track.

14 – The last of the two Assen Yamaha wins came 14 years ago, with Ben Spies in Race 1, 2009.

5 – Rea has not climbed on the podium in the last five races: that’s a rare occurrence, as the last time he went for such a podium-less streak was nine years ago: seven from Donington Park Race 1 to Portimao Race 1, 2014.

4 – Sykes holds the record for Assen poles: 4. Corser (1995, 1999, 2006), Pierfrancesco Chili (1998, 2003, 2004) and Rea (2010, 2017, 2021) are his nearest rivals.

2 – Only two riders managed to get a maiden WorldSBK win at Assen: Chris Walker (Race 1, 2006) and Sylvain Guintoli (Race 1, 2012).

1 – Only one rider was able to win a dry race here starting outside the top five on the grid: that was Jonathan Rea in 2017 in Race 2, from ninth.

0.002s – The closest WorldSSP300 finish in history came at Assen in Race 2, 2022: Hugo De Cancellis took a career-first win by 0.002s ahead of eventual Champion Alvaro Diaz.

SHORTHAND NOTEBOOK

2022 race winners:

• Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki, Race 1, Tissot Superpole Race)
• Alvaro Bautista (Ducati, Race 2)

Last three pole-sitters at Assen:

• 2022: Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) 1’32.934
• 2021: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) 1’33.842
• 2019: Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) 1’34.740

Manufacturer podium places (and wins) accumulated from all races at Assen:

• Ducati: 81 (28)
• Honda: 39 (15)
• Kawasaki: 30 (15)
• Yamaha: 22 (2)
• Aprilia: 9 (2)
• Suzuki: 5

Key gaps from Assen 2022:

• Front row covered by: 0.687s
• 1 second in Superpole covered… the top four: 0.954s
• Closest race gap between 1st and 2nd: 0.103s (Rea 1st, Bautista 2nd, Race 1)
• Closest race podium: 0.300s (Rea 1st, Razgatlioglu 2nd, Bautista 3rd, Superpole Race)
• Closest Assen podium of all-time: 0.070s (Fogarty 1st, Corser 2nd, Kocinski 3rd, Race 2 1996)

Manufacturer top speeds at Assen, 2022:

• Ducati: Alvaro Bautista – 302.5 km/h, Superpole Race
• Honda: Xavi Vierge – 300.8. km/h, Superpole Race
• Kawasaki: Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes and – 298.3 km/h, Superpole Race and Race 2
• Yamaha: Andrea Locatelli – 298.3 km/h, Race 2
• BMW: Scott Redding – 299.1 km/h, Race 2

Watch all the 2023 season unfold chapter-by-chapter with the comprehensive WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

With the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returning to action at the iconic TT Circuit Assen, tickets for the Pirelli Dutch Round are still available to purchase so you can enjoy all the action from the Cathedral of Speed. With WorldSBK, WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 all in action, joined by the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship and the Northern Talent Cup, there will be plenty of on-track action for fans at the track to enjoy and you can purchase your tickets HERE.

With the five different classes taking place throughout the weekend, there will be no shortage of on-track action from Friday to Sunday to watch at the circuit, but the on-track action is not the only reason to buy tickets. Buying a ticket will get you access to all the grandstands and general admission areas, but it will also give you access to the Paddock and the Paddock Show where several activities take place including the podium ceremonies. The Paddock Show features interactive activities, quizzes, and chats with riders as well as Meet ‘N’ Greet sessions. All of these activities are included with your ticket to the Dutch Round and there are several activities per day for fans to enjoy.

Purchase your tickets for the 2023 Dutch Round HERE!

Source: WorldSBK.com