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.

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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

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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

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship bursts back into action at the TT Circuit Assen for the Pirelli Dutch Round, the third round of the 2023 campaign. WorldSBK and WorldSSP action resumes while the WorldSSP300 campaign gets underway at the cathedral of speed; plus, the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship and Northern Talent Cup will be in action. The action starts on Friday for WorldSSP300 at 09:45 Local Time (GMT+1) with Free Practice 1, followed by WorldSBK at 10:30 and WorldSSP at 11:25. In the afternoon, it is the same order with WorldSSP300 at 14:15, WorldSBK at 15:00 and WorldSSP at 16:00. The first race day on Saturday gets underway with WorldSBK Free Practice 3 at 09:00 before diving straight into Tissot Superpole: WorldSSP300 at 09:45, WorldSSP at 10:25 and WorldSBK at 11:10. Racing gets underway at 12:40 with WorldSSP300 Race 1, followed by WorldSBK Race 1 and WorldSSP Race 1 at 14:00 and 15:15 respectively. On Sunday, the three Warm Up sessions start the day from 09:00 before racing resumes at 11:00 with the WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race. WorldSSP Race 2 begins at 12:30 followed by WorldSBK Race 2 at 14:00 and WorldSSP300 Race 2 at 15:15.

Watch every moment from Assen LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Friday, 21^st April (all times Local Time, GMT+1)

09:00-09:30 – Northern Talent Cup Free Practice 1

09:45-10:15 – WorldSSP300 Free Practice 1

10:30-11:15 – WorldSBK Free Practice 1

11:25-12:10 – WorldSSP Free Practice 1

12:25-12:55 – Yamaha R3 Championship Free Practice

14:15-14:45 – WorldSSP300 Free Practice 2

15:00-15:45 – WorldSBK Free Practice 2

16:00-16:45 – WorldSSP Free Practice 2

17:00-17:30 – Yamaha R3 Championship Superpole

17:45-18:15 – Northern Talent Cup Qualifying

Saturday, 22^nd April

09:00-09:30 – WorldSBK Free Practice 3

09:45-10:05 – WorldSSP300 Tissot Superpole

10:25-10:45 – WorldSSP Tissot Superpole

11:10-11:25 – WorldSBK Tissot Superpole

11:45 – Yamaha R3 Championship Race 1 (10 laps)

12:40 – WorldSSP300 Race 1 (14 laps)

14:00 – WorldSBK Race 1 (21 laps)

15:15 – WorldSSP300 Race 1 (18 laps)

16:15 – Yamaha R3 Championship Race 2 (10 laps)

17:15 – Northern Talent Cup Race 1 (14 laps)

Sunday, 23^rd April

09:00-09.15 – WorldSBK Warm Up

09:25-09:40 – WorldSSP Warm Up

09:50-10:05 – WorldSSP300 Warm Up

11:00 – WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race (10 laps)

12:30 – WorldSSP Race 2 (18 laps)

14:00 – WorldSBK Race 2 (21 laps)

15:15 – WorldSSP300 Race 2 (14 laps)

16:15 – Northern Talent Cup Race 2 (14 laps)

Source: WorldSBK.com

The Cathedral of speed, a place of timeless classics. New and old, modern or vintage, multi-generational or for the first timers; everyone who visits the TT Circuit Assen knows just what kind of special place it really is. An atmosphere few can rival, let alone match, on a hallowed turf where memories, battles, clashes, crashes, rivalries and celebrations have all been born, this is a place where history has been made for over 30 years. The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s Pirelli Dutch Round will be no different. A title race alive and kicking, stars struggling as new contenders emerge and manufacturers making one small step up but one giant leap in competitivity, this weekend promises to have it all. And in the very real chance of an unpredictable result, there’s only one explanation: ‘it’s Assen’, and these things happens here.

PENDULUM SWINGING: Bautista vs Razgatlioglu in the title race

Whilst it may be Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who leads Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) in the Championship standings by 37 points, don’t count any unhatched chickens just yet. Bautista won Race 2 last year and two races in 2019, so he’ll be in the mix again as the Ducati Panigale V4 R continues to make strides, but Razgatlioglu was right there last year. Not a circuit that is naturally suiting Toprak, but indeed one that suits his bike, could Assen be the place where he picks up a first full-race victory? Four podiums from the last six Assen races (with Race 2 being unlucky for the Turk in both years with collisions), are we set to see an Assen showdown at the chicane to remember?

CATHEDRAL OF DREAMS? Maiden wins, home-hero set to shine or something else?

He’s third in the Championship and without a race win, despite finishing inside the top five in all races so far and with three podiums to his name, but can Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) convert his previous Assen success onto the top step? A maiden podium with third in 2021’s Race 2 followed up by a fine second in Race 2 last year, the trend says that an in-form Locatelli could be one to watch. He’ll certainly be in the fight for the podium. Or perhaps, there’ll be some magic from home-hero Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). Keen and hoping to step on the rostrum at home, van der Mark always find a step on home turf. Podiums in the past for Honda and Yamaha, can he now deliver a first rostrum of the year for BMW? Perhaps it will be a weekend to remember for Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) – fourth in the standings and yet to take a podium, but at a circuit he goes well at (never outside of the top ten in WorldSBK), it may well be his time to shine.

17 ASSEN WINS: Discard Rea and Kawasaki at your own peril

He’s the master of Assen, with more race wins at the historic Dutch venue than anyone else at any other circuit. In fact, Jonathan Rea’s (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) win tally at Assen is so high, he’d be 16^th in the all-time WorldSBK win rankings with them alone. This season hasn’t gone to plan for Rea, with a bike that’s being pushed to its absolute limits and, in Rea’s own words, “our bike has been very similar for a few years now… we need more.” However, if there’s one place that the #65 can return to the top step, Assen may well be that place. Even in 2022, when in the end, the title was missed by nearly 100 points, he was a dominant force in the Netherlands. Teammate Alex Lowes also enjoys Assen and had it not been for two technical DNFs last year, would’ve had a solid round himself. Elsewhere for Kawasaki, Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) will be hoping for a turnaround in form with the European season now underway, at a circuit he took his last win at in 2018. Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) goes for points, whilst there’s a fifth Kawasaki on the grid with Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing) returning.

DARK HORSES TO WATCH: Honda’s step forward, Rinaldi a contender?

One of the stand-out stories from the previous round at Mandalika was Xavi Vierge’s (Team HRC) big step forward to his first WorldSBK podium, and he’s hoping to carry that form onto Assen, where he’ll be fully fit, unlike last year. Teammate Iker Lecuona was rapid during testing at Aragon and Barcelona during the break, but a big crash on day two in Barcelona left him injured – albeit in good spirits and back to the circuit for the afternoon. He took a first podium at Assen last year, and hopes for the same again this year, perhaps even more. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was within striking distance of victory in Indonesia but a red flag hampered his chances and eventually cost him a podium. His step forward has been clear, and Assen has seen him show strengths before.

Meanwhile, it’s back to the scene of his first top five for BMW for Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who has had a difficult start to 2023. Also hoping to give BWM something to cheer about is Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), whilst teammate Loris Baz awaits to be confirmed fit or not. Don’t discount Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) either, with the German showing strong at Assen last year.

STRONG OUTSIDERS: rookies set to bring the fight, Brad Ray in action

It’s a stacked field for WorldSBK in 2023 and there’re big names right the way through. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) won four out of four WorldSSP races over the last two years and will be keen to demonstrate top ten potential in WorldSBK, as will teammate Remy Gardner. The Australian is back at a familiar track and after a charge through the field in Race 2 at Mandalika – far from his peak physical fitness following illness on Saturday – he’ll hope to challenge for top positions. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) is top rookie in the Championship and will look to put his Assen experience to good use; he led at Assen in MotoGP™ back in 2017, on his way to second, behind Valentino Rossi – who took his last ever win. Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) and Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team) both hope for a step forward, as does Granado’s teammate Hafizh Syahrin, whilst Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) makes his highly anticipated debut at a track he knows.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 FIM Supersport World Championship kicked off last February at the iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Australia but, starting at Assen, the WorldSSP Challenge riders will compete in the European rounds of the season. Among them will be reigning WorldSSP300 Champion, Alvaro Diaz (Arco Yart Yamaha WorldSSP). Ahead of his debut in WorldSSP, Diaz spoke about his feelings heading into the new challenge and his goals for 2023.

Diaz is the fifth WorldSSP300 Champion in six seasons, and he claimed the title last year with record-breaking consistency, taking two wins and 11 podiums in 16 races. The Valencian rider admitted that he is “so focused on the new category” that he was forgotten “quite a few moments of 2022.” He said: “Last year was incredible, I have many memories. As we are very focused on the new bike and the new category, there are many things that I have been forgetting.”

In 2023, Diaz will go from a category where practically all the races are decided on the last lap to a totally different one and with more overtaking through corners. The Spanish rider did try a WorldSSP machine after his title-winning season concluded when he wildcard in the Spanish championship. He explains: “The change from WorldSSP300 to WorldSSP is very big, it has absolutely nothing to do with the other category. As for the line, the WorldSSP300 machine is all about cornering, while the WorldSSP bike is the other way around; you have to brake very hard, make the V-turn, lift the bike up and give it full throttle.”

Despite the great change in riding style, the WorldSSP rookie explains how important it is that his team, the Arco Yart Yamaha WorldSSP squad, accompany him in his new challenge. He was with the team in 2022 – without Yart, when the team was known as the Arco Motor University Team – and will remain with them in 2023. He added: “It is a team that has been supporting me for five years. We complement each other very well. We understand each other, we know each other, and we have decided that together we can achieve it again. My team also collaborates with Yart, who will give us support, and together we will prepare the bike as well as possible and I will give my best. I believe that we can achieve good things together.”

Several months have passed since the 2022 season ended and the Valencian rider has explained that, while he has not been able to train as much as he would have liked, he has been able to get to several Spanish circuits to train albeit not on his race bike. He said: “We have trained little compared to what I would have liked. I did the last race of the Spanish championship. As soon as we finished at Portimao, we went to Jerez, and there were good results. Then we have done several tests at Valencia, Jerez and Barcelona but it is not the same bike as the one I will compete with at Assen. It is more of a street motorcycle, not so prepared. We used the same suspension as in WorldSSP, and I felt very comfortable and set good times, so I look quite strong.”

A week ahead of his debut in WorldSSP, Diaz claims the first race will be a return to reality because he hasn’t competed for a long time but also that he can’t wait for his WorldSSP debut. He said: “In the first race, the objective is to understand each other well, to make everything clear and, above all, to finish in a good position; to show from the beginning that I am a fast rider. I think I can get a top ten with no problem.”

Diaz also outlined his goals for the entire 2023 campaign in his rookie WorldSSP season. He added: “The objective is to gradually learn, because it is a new motorcycle, a new category… We have clear objectives, such as try to be in the top five in the last races or in the middle of the season. But, in the beginning, you have to test the bike, the Championship and your rivals. You have to see what a 19-lap race is like because, until now, we id 13 in WorldSSP300 and one race has nothing to do with another, especially in terms of managing tyres. In the last few races, let’s see if a podium comes.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

At a recent test for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, team managers from factory teams in WorldSBK were on hand to preview the upcoming Pirelli Dutch Round at the TT Circuit Assen. Every factory team has cause for optimism heading into the Dutch Round as the season resumes, with high hopes and optimism up and down the grid at the first European round of 2023.

Ducati come into the Dutch Round on the back of five wins out of six in 2023, all through Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) but his teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, has shown strong pace this season. Bautista has three wins at Assen, all with Ducati in 2019 and 2022, while Rinaldi has a podium there. Discussing Ducati’s chances at Assen, Team Manager Serafino Foti, said: “The feeling for the round in Assen is good but at the same time peculiar. It’s the first European round and it’s a bit like the first race of the championship. It will be a very demanding round where our rivals will undoubtedly be extremely competitive, as they have always been in previous years. It will be a great battle and I expect a close fight, but we go in the knowledge that we can do well and that we have everything we need to fight for victory. We expect as we did in both Australia and Indonesia, to fight for the top positions with both riders. Alvaro is a guarantee and Michael, after changing his approach, has grown a lot in terms of speed. Our goal is to be extremely competitive with both Bautista and Rinaldi.”

The Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK team have had good results in the past at Assen with both Toprak Razgatlioglu scoring four podiums in six races with Yamaha and Andrea Locatelli taking two and never finishing outside the top five in WorldSBK at Assen; a record he also has in the 2023 season from Australia and Indonesia. Team Principal Paul Denning said: “We should be competitive. We were leading the race last year before the incident with Jonathan. Loka’s scored podiums every time we’ve been there. The Ducatis are going to be incredibly strong. It’s one of Alex’s favourite tracks on the Kawasaki and Jonathan’s obviously a legend around there. You need to be on top of your game to even sniff a podium. Our lads are second and third in the Championship and we’ve won a race and we’d like to win another one. There’s no reason we can’t do that at Assen if we get everything right from FP1 onwards. A win has to Locatelli’s target, the next step in his self-belief and I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t aim at that and try to achieve it.”

Team HRC head into the Dutch Round knowing it is the scene of their only podium in 2022, courtesy of Iker Lecuona, while teammate Xavi Vierge took his first WorldSBK podium last time out in Indonesia. Two strong tests for Honda followed after the Indonesian Round and Team Manager Leon Camier is hopeful heading into Assen. He said: “It’ll be interesting. Let’s see how we fare. I don’t think it’ll be too bad a track, especially for Iker. Having said that, they were both, last year, more or less matching each other. We need to be able to qualify a little bit better than we have been lately. It’s something we understood with the direction we went in maybe wasn’t helpful for Superpole but was better over race distance, especially for Iker. Let’s see. If we have a good Superpole, I think we can be optimistic for Assen. I think we can be quietly optimistic.”

Kawasaki have had a tough start to the season with two podiums, shared equally between Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Alex Lowes, but the former is the most successful rider ever at Assen with 17 wins to his name, more than any other rider at any other circuit. Could Assen mark a turning point in Kawasaki’s season? Team Principal Guim Roda said: “With the way the rules are done now and our base bike is from 2011 with some improvements over the years, we always need to maximise our best, take the maximum profit from all details and when all those details are not properly aligned, we suffer a bit more. We need to pay a lot of attention to not leave anything missing and do our best. I think it’s a circuit that both riders like a lot and both riders performed well in the past. We need to check how much others improved their performance. Honda looks like they’ve made a step here and at MotorLand, so we need to see what’s going on.”

It has also been a tough start to the season for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team but will have some optimism heading into the Dutch Round. It’s the scene of Scott Redding’s first top-five finish with BMW in 2022, while Michael van der Mark knows the circuit like the back of his hand and has seven podiums on home soil. Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director, previewed Assen and said: “We are looking forward to kick off the European season at Assen. The TT Circuit is always a very special place, not just due to the facts that we have the local hero Michael van der Mark and I am Dutch, too. The history, the atmosphere and the passionate fans are just amazing. We used the break since Indonesia to further improve our new BMW M 1000 RR. Our aim is to build on the progress we have seen in Mandalika and to close the gap to the front with all four riders, Michael, Scott Redding, Garrett Gerloff and Loris Baz, who prepares to race at Assen after he fractured his leg in Indonesia. Of course, we also have to wait and see what weather conditions Assen has to offer, but we need to be best prepared for dry and wet.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is back in action after a spring break next week, with one rider being the talk of the WorldSBK paddock as well as being spoken about in abundance in the MotoGP™ paddock. 2021 World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) recently completed his second test aboard the Yamaha MotoGP™ YZR M1, this time with Lin Jarvis in attendance, and with room for a potential change in the factory team in MotoGP™, Jarvis faced questions surrounding the Turk’s test.

With the test itself, Razgatlioglu set 116 laps across two days and set a lap time of 1’38.860, just seven tenths away from official Yamaha MotoGP™ test rider Cal Crutchlow and less than two seconds away from the top time, set by KTM’s Dani Pedrosa. In 2022, Razgatlioglu tested at MotorLand Aragon but the test was hit by rain and therefore didn’t give us a true indication of Toprak’s pace and potential on new tyres and a completely different motorcycle. Ahead of the recent Jerez test, Jarvis described Razgatlioglu as “extraordinarily talented” and stated his ‘curiosity’ about Toprak’s potential in MotoGP™.

“HE’S EXPRESSED AN INTEREST… A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER”

Talking about the future of the Turkish star, Jarvis confirmed that Toprak’s has shown an interest in a potential switch to MotoGP™: “Toprak is in WorldSBK right now but he’s expressed an interest; any rider eventually has an interest to see how they’d do in MotoGP™. I think it was for him to start to understand better the need of MotoGP™, and for us to see his speed. We can’t say much from two days of testing, it’s just very different; I think the conclusion he’d probably give you and from our side as well is that it’s very different riding an R1 on Pirellis to a MotoGP™ M1 on Michelins, and you need more time to adapt. It was interesting, a good test and a good opportunity to spend time together. From our side, I was there, Maio Meregalli was there, we had a dedicated test team for Cal and for Toprak. We had a 2023-spec YZR M1 for him, so it was a good two days.”

Speaking about Razgatlioglu’s test at Jerez from trackside at the Circuit of the Americas, Jarvis explained the purpose: “We did a test last year for him at Aragon for him but unfortunately, that test didn’t work out. He didn’t get as much track time as he wanted or that we would’ve liked as it started raining, so I think he got about 20 laps or something, which isn’t enough to enjoy or to get to know things.”

“A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK HOW HIS POTENTIAL IS FOR MotoGP™ IN THE FUTURE”

Going into the exact reasons, Jarvis continued: “We found this great opportunity as there’s a bit of a gap at the moment in the Superbike season; the next race is at Assen in a week or so, so we found this window of opportunity as we had to be there with Cal anyway for the private test. It wasn’t a Yamaha-exclusive test, it was a MotoGP™ private test with KTM, Aprilia, Honda and Yamaha there. It was very quiet without media, which was very welcome for us and it was a great opportunity to spend a relaxed time. Weather conditions were perfect on both days, the first a bit hotter than the second but we had sunshine. 

“Toprak spent time with Cal, who was explaining the bike to him. The most important thing for Toprak on this test was to get to know and to understand what type of a machinery a MotoGP™ bike is, what its demands are, his feelings about it. It was a good opportunity to check how his potential is for MotoGP™ in the future.”

“If I were to sum it up, it wasn’t easy for him to really get the feeling on the bike; if you watch Toprak riding a Superbike, he’s able to do miracles on the bike and he has an incredibly good feeling from the front end of the bike in particular. We’ve seen that from his stoppies and his incredible corner entry! That was not so easy to find on the M1, as the bike is much more rigid than the Superbike, which is logical as that’s based on a production bike. I think for him to get the speed on a MotoGP™ bike, he’d need to adapt his riding style quite significantly. That’s my takeaway from these couple of days.”

“ONE OF THE PRIME CANDIDATES IF HE WANTS TO MAKE A MOVE”

“At this moment, to have a satellite team for 2024 is very difficult; that’s the reality. We’d like to have four bikes back on the grid at the earliest opportunity but I think it’ll be difficult for 2024 for various reasons. So, for sure we’ll have the factory team there and we have Franky on a contract until the end of 2023, so the ideal scenario for us is that Franky continues to show the speed that he displayed in the last Grand Prix and Portimao, and if he can continue to perform very, very well, that’s better for us right now as we need two fast riders on the bike and it will automatically guarantee him a continuity in the future. Our number one choice would be to continue with Franky; if it’s not Franky, then we’ll be obliged to look at another candidate rider and that’s why we were interested to look at Toprak because in our Yamaha Road Racing world, he’s one of the prime candidates if he wants to make a move. Otherwise, we’d look in the MotoGP™ paddock but I hope that for us and for him, Franky is able to continue this newly-found speed and confidence.”

Talking about a time frame for the decision, Jarvis stated: “Obviously, to be frank, all of these type of considerations really it’s the end of the first half of the season, then we need to know, he needs to know, everyone needs to know for their planning for next year. There’s no specific deadline set in stone.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

With the Pirelli Dutch Round just around the corner, teams and riders from the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship will be gearing up for the start of their 2023 campaign and there is plenty of intrigue up and down the paddock about the upcoming campaign. A Champion returns to the gird to go in search for a second title, a new manufacturer joins the grid and teams expand while a new outfit joins the grid.

RETURN OF THE CHAMPION: Buis back in WorldSSP300

Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) took the 2020 title in stunning fashion with four wins and eight podiums from 14 races and he remained in WorldSSP300 in 2021 as he looked to retain his title. He finished third in 2021, behind teammate Adrian Huertas and Tom Booth-Amos who both now compete in WorldSSP. Back for what will be his fourth campaign in WorldSSP300 with MTM Kawasaki, and with a season of WorldSSP experience under his belt, will Buis become the first two-time Champion in WorldSSP300?

A NEW MANUFACTURER JOINS: Kove look to take on Yamaha, Kawasaki and KTM

The 2023 season will feature a new manufacturer on the grid as Chinese manufacturer Kove aim for glory with their 321RR machine. They have one bike on the grid with Shengjunjie Zhou representing the China Racing Team. Four manufacturers will be on the 2023 grid as they all go in search of glory and Kove will also become the fifth manufacturer to compete in WorldSSP300. Honda were represented on the grid for two full seasons between 2017 and 2018, while Kove will take on reigning Champions Yamaha this season as well as Kawasaki and KTM. Zhou will also make history as the first Chinese rider to compete in WorldSSP300.

REIGNING CHAMPIONS EXPAND: can Arco Motor University Team make it two from two?

In 2022, the Arco Motor University Team took Alvaro Diaz to the title after a season of record-breaking consistency with a one-bike effort in the full season. This season the team have not only expanded into WorldSSP, with Diaz, but also expanded their WorldSSP300 effort to a two-rider team. Dutch rider Ruben Bijman and Italian rider Gabriele Mastroluca join the reigning Champions as they look to replicate Diaz’s success from 2022. Another team who have expanded to two bikes is the AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha squad with Matteo Vannucci, a race winner last year with the team, joined by Raffaele Tragni. A new team also joins the grid for 2023 as Deza – Box 77 Racing Team make the step up from the Spanish championship with Jose Manuel Osuna Saez.

KTM GO TO TWO BIKES: looking to return to the top step

After having one full-time entry for the past couple of seasons, KTM’s effort in the Championship is doubled for 2023 with the Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing squad. Lennox Lehmann, who stunned in 2022 with some incredible comebacks, is joined by Dirk Geiger for his second full campaign in the Championship. Last season, German rider Geiger was on Kawasaki machinery, but he has now switched to the KTM RC 390 R as the Austrian manufacturer aims high in the Championship where they have three wins.

 ROOKIES AIMING TO IMPRESS: can they shine in 2023?

There are several rookies competing in 2023 as they look to make a name for themselves on the world stage. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki), son of WorldSSP podium finisher Barry, joins Buis for his maiden season after competing in the Northern Talent Cup in 2022. Mattia Martella had a one-off appearance last season but joins full-time for 2023 with Prodina Kawasaki Racing WorldSSP300, as does Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) and Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo – PI Performances). Zhou will make his debut this season, along with Juan Pablo Uriostegui (Team#109 Kawasaki) and Clement Rouge (Sublime Racing by MS Racing), as well as the aforementioned Tragni and Osuna Saez.

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Source: WorldSBK.com