The vast majority of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field descended on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya test for two days of testing, and there were plenty of innovations on display from the manufacturers. BMW brought some new swingarms, chassis items and rider ergonomic items, Honda continued testing items from Aragon while there were changes to the Kawasaki, Yamaha and Ducatis too. From swingarm variations to geometry changes, no stone was left unturned up and down the grid in order to refine their packages. Check out some of the incredible images from the test at the top of this article!

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It was a dramatic second morning of action in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped the times and edged closer to the all-time lap record despite a crash, while a red flag was brought out following a crash for Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) at Turn 14. The pair were separated by less than a tenth as the second morning concluded with Lecuona matching Bautista’s pace from Day 1 before his crash.

Bautista set a best time of 1’40.459s, around half-a-tenth slower than the all-time lap record set by Tom Sykes in 2021 in the Tissot Superpole session, but his morning was disrupted by a Turn 11 crash. He returned to the box and was back out on track on his second bike shortly afterwards. Lecuona took second spot after lapping less than a tenth slower than Bautista. His morning ended when he crashed at Turn 14, the final corner of the circuit, which brought out the red flags. He was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took third spot as he posted a 1’41.353s.

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) impressed despite carrying an injury on his right index finger as he took fourth spot after posting a 1’41.432s on his Yamaha YZF R1 machine. He was only 0.011s ahead of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in fifth place as he takes part in the Catalunya test for the second day only. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) took sixth spot on his CBR1000RR-R machine after setting a 1’41.646s as he looked to continue his strong form from Day 1.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was seventh as he continued his strong test with the Italian just over a second away from Bautista’s fastest lap and he was more than two tenths ahead of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in eighth. Lowes’ morning was interrupted by a small crash at Turn 5, with the British rider bringing his bike back to the pits. ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team pairing Michael van der Mark and Scott Redding were once again inseparable as they finished ninth and tenth respectively as they continued to look for steps forward. Elsewhere, there were also crashes for Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) at Turn 5 and Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) at Turns 6/7 on his first timed lap.

In WorldSSP, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) once again led the way and finished more than a second clear of Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in second place. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was third as he continues his recovery from the injury he sustained in Australia.

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Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was a jubilant figure after Day 1 of testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after testing some new electronic settings on his Yamaha YZF R1 machine for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. The settings came from teammate Andrea Locatelli’s side of the garage but Razgatlioglu was able to use them and described the changes “as positive”, although his day was disrupted by a crash in the morning.

Razgatlioglu was sixth at the end of the day’s running after setting a 1’41.433s but he had a crash in the morning which cost him some valuable running time. He had a lowside on the exit of Turn 2 a few hours into the running but, despite this, he was happy with his day after getting to try some new components on his bike. After his day had concluded, Razgatlioglu spoke about the positive impact of the new electronics and how it could help him during the 2023 campaign.

Razgatlioglu said: “For me, the first day was not bad because we tried new setups on my bike, and we tried to improve. This morning, I was very happy, I was enjoying riding the bike. After the crash, a very small crash, but very strange for me because I used a new front tyre and I don’t understand the lowside because it was very fast. I’m okay. The bike was a little bit destroyed but, in the afternoon, we tried a different swingarm again. In the afternoon, I am not really happy because we are a little bit lost. This is a test; we just tried some new parts to see whether they look good or not. Tomorrow is a new day. We try again the new parts to improve the bike because the Championship is very long, we need a good bike to fight. Maybe tomorrow I will try a time attack.”

Razgatlioglu has one victory to his name in 2023 so far, the Tissot Superpole Race at Mandalika, although he does have five podiums out of six races this season. The only race he did not score a podium in was Race 2 at Phillip Island, when he was collected by Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in a crash when Lowes crashed initially on his own. Now, with the break in the calendar, Razgatlioglu has been able to test some new items to try and add more wins to his name.

Discussing the new electronics, Razgatlioglu said: “Now, I am feeling good because the new electronics, the level is much better. The bike is getting better and I hope tomorrow we can improve again. It’s a good feeling, the engine brake is working a lot especially. This is good for me because I can be happy when entering the corner. Now I am enjoying riding the bike more. Before, I tried hard braking, but the bike is not easy to stop. Now it helps me a lot when entering the corner. This is positive for the Championship because I need a lot of engine brake. The traction is feeling much better. It’s working smoother. This is a good step for the R1.”

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The first of two days of testing for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field got underway at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and it was reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who led the way on Day 1. He was two tenths clear of 2022 polesitter Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) at the end of the day’s running although Bautista’s lap time was set in the morning while Lecuona’s best time came in the final stages of the day’s action.

BAUTISTA LEADS THE WAY: rear suspension items at Ducati

Bautista’s best time of the day came on his 20^th lap in the morning when he posted a 1’40.500s to top the timesheets. The time came in the morning and was only a tenth slower than the outright lap record set in 2021 by Tom Sykes when at BMW. It was a strong day for the Bologna-based manufacturer with Bautista’s teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, in third place and around four tenths down on Bautista. Ducati had new parts on rear suspension to try with the aim of improving stability and grip, while there was also development on the front of the bike to achieve faster corner entry.

In terms on Independent teams for Ducati, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) were on track. Petrucci was the fastest of the two as he took 11^th spot after posting a 1’42.355s with the Italian rider testing a new fuel tank to improve his position on the bike. Bassani took 12^th spot as he worked on solving some issues with electronics that came up during the first two rounds of the season.

TWO HONDAS IN THE TOP FIVE: Lecuona, Vierge impress on home soil

Both Team HRC riders featured inside the top five at the end of day one with Iker Lecuona in second and Xavi Vierge in fifth place. The pair were separated by around six tenths at the end of the day’s running on the CBR1000RR-R with Lecuona posting a 1’40.721s for second spot. Honda were mostly comparing the new items tested recently at MotorLand Aragon to ensure they were working at more circuits, with this including chassis bracing and an exhaust. They also continued to test some electronic setting as well as smaller items, while also looking at setup and trying to understand the machine.

For PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team, Hafizh Syahrin was the lead rider out of him and Eric Granado with the pair towards the back of the field with Syahrin 16th and Granado 17^th. The team had some testing material from Nissin to test, including brake discs and cylinders, while they wanted to get some more mileage with the swingarm. The team also hoped to work on some data related to riding style which came up during the first two rounds of 2023.

FIGHTING INSIDE THE TOP FIVE: Gerloff leads the way for BMW

Three BMW riders were on track at the Catalunya test with Independent rider Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) leading the way for the German manufacturer. The American posted a 1’41.150s late in the session to move into fourth eighth place, while the two factory riders, Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and teammate Scott Redding, were tenth and 11^th respectively at the end of Day 1.

RAZGATLIOGLU SIXTH DESPITE CRASH: electronics work at Yamaha

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) had a disrupted day of running following a crash at Turn 2 in the morning, but he was able to take fifth spot in the classification. The 2021 Champion posted a 1’41.433s to finish in sixth while teammate Andrea Locatelli took eighth spot. Razgatlioglu’s test began yesterday as he joined a track day for the afternoon to test some electronic settings, as well as looking to improve rear grip and position which would help increase traction and drive.

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) led the charge for the Independent Yamaha teams with seventh place on Day 1, his first time at the circuit with WorldSBK machinery. Teammate Dominique Aegerter, testing some settings and electronic parts as well as potentially testing some rider position items, was just behind in ninth place. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), preparing for his maiden WorldSBK campaign, was in 14^th spot as he got to learn the track on WorldSBK machinery.

NO KRT TESTING ON DAY 1: Rea, Lowes opt to miss the opening day

Both Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Alex Lowes opted to not run on Day 1 of 2 at the test, leaving just one Kawasaki rider on track. Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) was the last runner in WorldSBK on Day 1 as he set a 1’44.182s, with the Czech rider hoping to reset after a difficult first two rounds.

BULEGA ON TOP: Italian leads the way in WorldSSP

Four WorldSSP riders took to the track on Day 1, with all four running the Ducati Panigale V2 machine. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was the fastest rider on Day 1 as he searched for a good feeling on his bike, posting a 1’44.846s, to finish ahead of Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) as he returns from injury. Orelac Racing VerdNatura duo Raffaele De Rosa and Federico Fuligni rounded out the WorldSSP field.

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Testing gives teams and riders a chance to test new components in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, but it also gives tyre supplier Pirelli a chance to introduce new tyres for the grid to try. This is exactly what has happened at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with two new tyres for the WorldSBK grid with front and rear tyres brought to the test to try throughout the two-day test in Spain.

Riders will be able to test new SC0 tyres for the front of their machine while the rear tyres brought by Pirelli are SCQ. At the test, Pirelli’s Motorcycle Racing Director, Giorgio Barbier, explained the decision to bring new tyres to the test and how they will benefit the riders. Teams and riders do not have to use them during testing but, with the possibility they will be introduced during rounds, there’s a chance teams will try to find time to test these tyres.

Explaining the new tyres, Barbier said: “We carry on from where we started in January at Jerez and Portimao but temperatures were really too low to consider. Really, this is the first test in which we are looking at the race. In May, the temperature will not be such a big difference and the track is fine today. We can test something and, if it will be fine, we will bring it for the round too. We are testing this year a softer front and a different SCQ for the rear. I think tomorrow, around midday, we will have an idea because all the manufacturers have them and they decide when to test them.”

The SCQ tyre was introduced in 2022 to be used in the Tissot Superpole sessions and Tissot Superpole Races at track where Pirelli opt to bring it, with the SCX tyre traditionally used in these sessions now used in feature-length races by a lot of teams and riders. Barbier explained the long-term intention of bringing the new SCQ tyre as well as explaining how the front SC0 tyre differs from the current solution.

Barbier said: “For the front, we have the same SC1 carcass with the softest compound and then the same compound as the SC0 but a slightly different casing. We wait for the feedback. The SCQ is a different compound and with some different casing to try and give more life to the SCQ. We have the target to have more Superpole Races on the SCQ.”

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Testing for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship got underway at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Thursday morning with reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on top of the timesheets after four hours of running. The Spaniard posted a lap time just a tenth slower than the outright lap record to secure his place in top spot, while it was a dramatic morning for Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) after he finished in fourth place despite a Turn 2 crash.

Bautista was one of the first riders to hit the track when the green flags waved at 10:00am Local Time (GMT+1) and he was quick straight out of the blocks. He posted a 1’40.500s to record the fastest time of the morning, a time that was just one tenth away from Tom Sykes’ (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) outright lap record from the Tissot Superpole session in 2021 when he was with BMW. 2022 polesitter Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was second after he posted a 1’41.276s and he was around a tenth ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in third place.

2021 Champion Razgatlioglu was fourth fastest after he set a 1’41.619s, more than a second down on Bautista’s time, but he had a crash at Turn 2 which disrupted his running in the morning before he returned to the track around 45 minutes later. Razgatlioglu’s teammate, Andrea Locatelli, moved into fifth place right before the mid-point of the day as he posted a 1’41.879s to demote Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) to sixth.

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was the fastest BMW rider on the first morning of the test as he posted a 1’31.935s, almost 1.5 seconds down on Bautista’s time but within eight tenths of second-place Lecuona. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took eighth despite technical problems at Turns 9-10 in the morning, with the two-time WorldSSP Champion helped back to the pits by Rinaldi. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) took ninth spot in the morning with Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) rounding out the top ten.

In WorldSSP, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) took top spot after posing a 1’44.846s in the morning, finishing 1.3 seconds ahead of Raffaele De Rose (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in second spot. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), making his return from injury sustained in Australia, completed the top three in WorldSSP.

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The two-day private test for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya gives teams and riders a chance to test new components ahead of the season resuming in the Netherlands in April, and Ducati have brought upgrades to the test as they look to continue their strong start to the season. During the first day of testing, Ducati Corse’s Technical Coordinator, Marco Zambenedetti, explained what the Ducati factory team will test in Spain.

The Panigale V4 R has won five of the first six races in the 2023 season but the search for improvements continues for all teams up and down the grid and Ducati are no exception to this as they look to retain the Riders’, Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championships they won in 2022 with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi. For 2023, the Bologna-based manufacturer introduced a new Panigale V4 R model and have started the campaign with five wins, all for Bautista, with the Spanish rider leading the Championship standings.

Despite their strong start to the campaign, Ducati have introduced new components to test in Spain with Zambenedetti outlining what these are and what the benefits will be for the Panigale V4 R. He said: “Here, we bring some new parts. Some of these parts are concentrated in the rear suspension with the target to achieve more grip and better stability. Apart from this, we have some development on the front to achieve faster entry to the corners. We need to test with both riders just to understand which is the direction for the development.”

 Zambenedetti also outlined the programme Ducati will follow during the two-day test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. With the circuit traditionally hard on tyres and brakes, teams will use the test to prepare for the Catalunya Round specifically, but they will also be able to learn new things that could potentially help them throughout the 2023 campaign as they look to secure the best possible results.

Expanding on Ducati’s test, Zambenedetti said: “During this test, we would like to prepare for the round. We will test some new front and rear tyres that Pirelli has brought and that could be something interesting for the Superpole Race. In addition, we are quite happy about how the new bike has started in racing. Of course, we need to continue testing in order to explore more in-depth the new bike configuration to achieve the best. There are some differences and we need to gain the maximum possible. Especially because other competitors are still working. For example, we see on the engine or top speed, we see that BMW and Honda are, for sure, quite fast and sometimes more than us. For this reason, we need to continue to push in all areas with our technical suppliers and internal development staff.”

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The break between the Indonesian and Dutch Rounds in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship calendar is providing teams and riders an opportunity to complete some in-season testing, with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosting two days of action on Thursday, 30^th and Friday, 31^st March. The majority of the grid will be present at the test, including all five factory teams, giving them the chance to work on their package ahead of racing resuming at the TT Circuit Assen in April.

A BUSY TEST: the five factories on track together

The Catalunya test will mark the first time the five manufacturers have been on track together since the Indonesian Round as all five teams search for forward steps and more progress. Championship leaders Ducati will have Aruba.it Racing – Ducati duo Alvaro Bautista and Michael Ruben Rinaldi together in Barcelona, joined by Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK’s Toprak Razgatlioglu and Andrea Locatelli as they look to take a step forward with the Yamaha YZF R1 machine. Razgatlioglu actually took part in a half-a-day track day at the same circuit as Yamaha tested a “new development”. BMW will have their first test between rounds with riders Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and teammate Michael van der Mark.

Two manufacturers who already tested in the gap will be back out on track. Both the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK and Team HRC squads tested recently at MotorLand Aragon and they will return to track action in Spain for two more days of testing in Barcelona. KRT’s Jonathan Rea recently spoke in-depth about the 2023 campaign, which you can read here, and he will be on track with teammate Alex Lowes. Both Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona, who took pole position in the 2022 Catalunya Round, will be at the test after they recently tested different chassis bracing and exhaust at Aragon.

INDEPENDENTS ON TRACK: new parts for Petrucci?

Plenty of Independent riders will take to the track too, with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) hoping he will be able to test a new fuel tank to aid his comfort on the bike as he goes in search of a maiden WorldSBK podium. Bradley Ray’s (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) preparations for his maiden campaign continue with the two-day test in Barcelona. From BMW’s Independent team, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) will be the sole rider on track for the Bonovo BMW team as teammate Loris Baz continues his recovery, while Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team) and Hafizh Syahrin will be the Independent Honda riders on track.

AN IMPORTANT TEST: looking to continue strong starts to 2023

Lying fourth in the Championship standings after two rounds, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) will look to continue his fine start to the season and the test will be an important part of this at the circuit he took his first WorldSBK podium at. GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK duo Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter, who showed strong pace in their first two WorldSBK rounds, will look to continue their strong form heading to Assen while Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) will also be on track during the test as he looks to make a step forward.

DUCATIS ON TRACK: four WorldSSP riders at the test

The two-day test gives four riders from WorldSSP to complete some testing ahead of the Dutch Round, with all four running the Ducati Panigale V2 machine. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) will make his return from injury at the test after he suffered a broken collarbone in Australia. Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) will be on track as he goes in search of a good feeling at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on his bike, while Orelac Racing VerdNatura duo Raffaele De Rosa and Federico Fuligni will be on track during the test.

REFERENCES: lap records and top speed

WorldSBK outright lap record: 1’40.408s – Tom Sykes, BMW, Superpole, 2021
WorldSBK fastest race lap: 1’41.135 – Alvaro Bautista, Ducati, Superpole Race, 2022
WorldSBK Top Speed record: 331.3km/h – Alvaro Bautista, Honda, 2021

WorldSSP outright lap record: 1’43.983s – Dominique Aegerter, Yamaha, Superpole, 2022
WorldSSP fastest race lap: 1’45.157s – Dominique Aegerter, Yamaha, Race 1, 2022
WorldSSP Top Speed record: 285.7km/h – Oli Bayliss, Ducati & Leonardo Taccini, Yamaha, 2022

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The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is well underway but there’s a strange feeling at the front of the field; missing from battle, six-time World Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) has endured a torrid start to his ninth season with Kawasaki. Just one podium, sixth in the Championship standings and with a bike that isn’t the force it was in previous seasons, Rea speaks out on just how tough it has been and how he and his team are maximising their package.

TALKING TOUGH: “It’s very hard because we need to improve but I don’t think it’s our reality”

“I expected it to be tough, but not that tough,” begins Rea, after completing the MotorLand Aragon test and in a ‘no pressure’ environment. “It’s very hard because we need to improve but I don’t think it’s our reality. We got it wrong by not maximising our setup in both weekends. Phillip Island was a real curve ball, but I feel like we threw away a race win in the first race, but I had a shifter problem, so I had to manually shift up and down the gearbox all race, which took away a chance to fight for a win. Not that it’d change much about Sunday’s races, as again I had two riders up the inside of me at Turn 4 – Aegerter in the Superpole Race and Bassani in the long race, and that dictated my race. This concerned us as I was looking after my tyre and it was a strange situation, not something we expected.”

“Then, in Indonesia, we just got things wrong setup-wise, I don’t think it’s our true reality, but I know we need to improve. Right now, in WorldSBK, Ducati have a real strong package and their Independent bikes are at the front now and they’re fighting in the mix with the top five or six riders. Andrea Locatelli’s improved and so has my teammate Alex, so those top seven or eight riders are fast and if you don’t get away with Alvaro and Toprak, then you’re in that melee and if you’re struggling to pass already, then you can’t make progress anyway. That’s how it was in the first two rounds.”

HARD FACTS: “Our bike has been very similar for a few years… we need more”

Despite an engine upgrade for 2023, Rea’s battled hard in the opening rounds, albeit in unfamiliar territory, but the bike isn’t getting younger and a step still needs to be made: “We did a lot of laps at Aragon, trying to give as much feedback as I can and leave it up to my team and Kawasaki; they need to improve. Our bike has been very similar now for a few years and we’re working hard with what we have, but we need more.”

COMPANY ASPECT: “We need to think forward, I’m not privy to the future direction of Kawasaki”

Asked whether the bike is now in need of a more radical overhauling to bring him back to a constant race win threat, Rea responded: “I don’t really follow the company direction; Kawasaki is Kawasaki and they’ve been incredibly amazing to me, and I can’t grumble as they do keep improving a bike. It’s a big decision for a production company like Kawasaki to make an adjustment to their homologation. We’ve had a couple of them but they’re very reactionary to what is going on in WorldSBK; we need to think forward now but I’m not privy to the future direction of Kawasaki. We give them a lot of information and data from the track and hopefully we’ll see that start to filter down to the production models soon.”

MORE INDEPENDENT SUPPORT? “You need the exact same spec bike… Yamaha got it right”

Asked as to whether or not a stronger Independent team – such as the structure of Yamaha, Ducati and BMW – would help, Rea explained that it isn’t that easy: “The thing with private teams is that unless they have the exact same equipment… the Puccetti bike now, although it’s green, it doesn’t have many components the same: the fuel tank, chassis, swingarm, engine builders, suspension, exhaust.

“So, to have any benefit from a private team, it needs to start with the exact same spec bike and the rider needs to be very good. Then you have three or four bikes that you can understand. I think that’s where Yamaha got it right with the GRT team; their bikes are very similar specs and for Ducati, their customer bikes are the same apart from one bike. That’s what you need. Kawasaki’s motorcycle department is very small in comparison, and I think they do incredibly well for how they are, but it is certainly new territory trying to catch up but that’s exciting as well.”

Read Part 2 of the interview here and watch the 2023 season unfold in style with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com