Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will become the latest MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship star to make an appearance in MotoGP™ when he wildcards at this week’s Malaysian Grand Prix for the Aruba.it Ducati squad. There have been several others who have done similar – as a wildcard or replacement rider – with success falling their way. Will the double WorldSBK Champion be able add his name to the list of riders who stun when switching between paddocks?

THE BIGGEST STORY: brilliant Bayliss battles for Valencia win

Troy Bayliss wrapped up the 2006 WorldSBK title before getting a call-up to replace the injured Sete Gibernau at Ducati at Valencia. The Australian put his Ducati second on the grid, two tenths slower than the legendary Valentino Rossi. A crash for the #46 in the early stages allowed the three-time WorldSBK Champion to take the lead and from there, he didn’t look back. Leading 29 out of 30 laps, Bayliss came home to win on his MotoGP™ return ahead of teammate Loris Capirossi in second.

SPIES SURGES INTO TOP TEN: the 2009 Champion is strong on MotoGP™ wildcard appearance

Ben Spies’ path is most similar to Bautista’s, in that he completed his MotoGP™ wildcard a few weeks after winning the WorldSBK title. For the American, he took 12^th on the grid but showed why Yamaha opted to bring him across from WorldSBK to MotoGP™ for 2010 onwards. The 2009 Champion battled his way into the top ten to take an impressive seventh place ahead of a full-time switch to the Championship the following year.

HAGA STORMS TO PODIUM: home rostrum for the Japanese star

Back in 1998, Noriyuki Haga made a full-time switch to WorldSBK with Yamaha after several years with wildcard appearances. With the same manufacturer in the same year, the Japanese rider also made his 500cc World Championship debut at Suzuka. He took a remarkable sixth on the grid before Haga, running the #50 in the 500cc event, went three places better with a podium. It came after he took two podiums at Phillip Island, including a win, to start his WorldSBK season in almost perfect fashion. He’d go on to finish sixth in the WorldSBK standings that year.

SO CLOSE BUT SO FAR: Fogarty narrowly misses out on a podium

Carl Fogarty was on his way to second in the WorldSBK standings when he wildcard at Donington Park in the 500cc World Championship in 1993. ‘Foggy’ put his Cagiva machine fifth on the grid and was running in second when three rivals crashed out ahead of him on the first lap, but Fogarty ended up in fourth at the end. He ran out of fuel and had to coast across the line behind a trio of Yamahas, including Niall Mackenzie who took the final podium spot.

ANOTHER HOME PODIUM: Ryo takes Suzuka podium

Although he wasn’t a full-time WorldSBK rider, Akira Ryo was a winner in the Championship having won at Sugo in 1999. He made his 500cc World Championship debut in 2000 at Suzuka, before returning in 2001 and again in 2002, at the start of the MotoGP™ era. In his first two appearances with Suzuki’s 500cc machine, he took a best of tenth but the new era heralded success at Suzuka for Ryo, finishing second and only 1.5 seconds down on Rossi.

THE TOP TEN ON HOME SOIL: Chili uses 500cc success for WorldSBK glory

Although Pierfrancesco Chili had previously been a full-time rider, and race winner in both the 500cc and 250cc World Championships, his move to WorldSBK meant he returned to the 500cc World Championship as a wildcard at Mugello in 1995. Running a Cagiva machine, the Italian was the lead rider on that bike as he came home in tenth place. A week after his top-ten at Mugello, Chili returned to WorldSBK action at Monza and took the first of his 17 wins in the production-based Championship.

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Philipp Oettl will remain on the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid after inking a deal with GMT94 Yamaha for 2024. The German will switch from Ducati to Yamaha machinery after two years with Team GoEleven as he ensures his presence stays in WorldSBK heading into next year, taking the seat vacated by Lorenzo Baldassarri. The deal keeps the #5 on the grid for at least another year after he finished his 2023 campaign strongly despite losing his seat to Andrea Iannone at the Independent Ducati outfit.

OETTL’S 2023: a strong start and finish

The German rider started his season in fine form with two top-six finishes at Phillip Island, but this turned out to be the high point until after the August break. A few top ten finishes came between Indonesia and Most, but it was Magny-Cours that kicked off the final third of the season where Oettl’s potential began to shine. Three top-tens in France were followed up with three top-eights at Aragon, including sixth in Race 1. He stayed in the top ten at Portimao before his strongest weekend of the season in terms of points at Jerez – taking sixth in Race 1 and two more P7s. He finished the season in 15^th place, two points behind Scott Redding who was with the factory BMW team.

THE JOURNEY TO NOW: Jerez the scene of so much success

Oettl’s road to WorldSBK started back in 2010, where he started a three-year stint in the Red Bull Rookies Cup. In 2012, he doubled up this campaign with a year in what was then the CEV Moto3™ Championship, winning at Jerez – a phrase that would become integrally linked to his career. He also won there in 2011 in the Rookies Cup. For 2013, he secured a full-time move to Moto3™ and his first podium came at Indianapolis in 2015 with third. The next came two years later in Austria, before his first win in 2018 at Jerez. A move to Moto2™ followed but a point-less year meant he found himself on the sidelines, before a switch to WorldSSP and the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Team.

INSIDE THIS PADDOCK: a WorldSSP podium challenge

The 27-year-old’s WorldSSP career started in Australia in 2020, but his first podium came in his second race at Jerez. He took four podiums in his rookie season on his way to third in the standings, behind Andrea Locatelli and Lucas Mahias. He remained on the same bike with the same team for 2021, accumulating seven podiums but dropping to fifth in the standings. Nevertheless, he earned a seat in WorldSBK with Team GoEleven for 2022 where he remained for two seasons. 13^th in the standings in his maiden campaign was followed by 15^th this year, taking a best of P5 in Australia this year.

IN OETTL’S WORDS: ”I took a step forward… I would like to continue it next year too”

After losing his Team GoEleven seat to Andrea Iannone for 2024, Oettl has found a new home on the grid. He will link up with GMT94 Yamaha for next year, hoping he can adapt to the R1 machine quickly and challenge at the sharp end of the grid. On his move, he said: “I am very happy to join GMT94 for the 2024 season. Christophe and his team have been working at a very high level for decades and I am honoured to be able to join the team. During the last events of the 2023 season, I took a step forward and I would like to continue it next year too. Of course, it’s a difficult goal, but I will prepare well during the winter holidays to be ready for the first tests. I can’t wait to meet the team and start working.”

THE TEAM SAYS: “we hope to finish in the top ten next season”

Elaborating on the choice to sign Oettl, Team Manager Christophe Guyot said: “Grand Prix winner in Moto3™ with a total of three podiums in the category, Philipp Oettl made his debut in the WorldSSP in 2020. After achieving 11 podiums, he reached WorldSBK in 2022. In 2023, he demonstrated his speed finishing fifth in Australia and six times in the top seven. We hope to finish in the top 10 next season, we will help Philipp achieve his goals as a rider.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The first big reveal from EICMA is here with Honda unveiling the first glimpse at their upgraded CBR1000RR-R Fireblade machine! The new bike features several upgrades including to the gearbox, aerodynamics, power delivery and a rebalanced chassis as the Japanese manufacturer goes in search of more performance, both with the road version and on the track for Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and teammate Xavi Vierge to utilise. Check out the first pictures of the new bike in the gallery at the top of this page!

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One of the key stories from last week’s test at Jerez was Jonathan Rea’s debut with the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK team. After nine seasons in green, the six-time MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship title winner made the shock move to Yamaha for 2024 but his first days with the team came in Spain last week at the two-day test. You can see his first on-track action on the YZF-R1 machine HERE while the Northern Irishman has produced a vlog to give more behind-the-scenes content from his first day in blue. From the moment he put the shirt on, meeting the team and much more, watch all the details in his vlog below.

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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s 2023 campaign might be done and dusted but one rider is keeping busy. Double Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) is heading to Malaysia for a return to MotoGP™ action for the first time since 2018, taking part as a wildcard at this year’s Malaysian Grand Prix. With the race taking place this weekend, Troy Bayliss, speaking at the Australian Grand Prix, gave his thoughts on the Spaniard’s wildcard and what we could expect from the #1.

Bautista’s story is similar to Bayliss’ in that they both went back to MotoGP™ after winning the title, although under different circumstances. The Australian was asked back to replace the injured Sete Gibernau at the 2006 Valencian Grand Prix, with the three-time WorldSBK Champion pulling off a miraculous victory in Spain, finishing a second clear of teammate Loris Capirossi at the end of the 30-lap race.

Discussing his own MotoGP™ return and alluding to what Bautista might be able to do, Bayliss said: “I’m really happy with Bautista and this situation that’s going to happen for him. I came in when Sete was injured and, of course, our Championship was just finished as well. After Sete was injured, they asked if I would come and ride the bike for the last race in Valencia and to be part of the last race of the 990s at the time, to finish the project that Loris and I started together in 2003. It made a lot of sense. We went along for that race and the story goes that I took Paolo Ciabatti and Ernest Maranello, some of the guys from the WorldSBK team, and the weekend turned into a bit of a fairytale. Something I’ll never forget; it was very special. You never know. Bautista’s really been on form on the Ducati WorldSBK bike. I think it’s great that he’s going to Sepang. He’s ridden there in the past; he’s got some experience there. He did have a test on the MotoGP™ bike at Misano and was quite good. It could turn out to be such a great weekend for him as well. Time well time.”

For Bautista, the choice to return to MotoGP™ is as a wildcard rather than a replacement rider but he will head to Sepang full of confidence after securing his second title in Race 1 at Jerez and winning an epic battle in Race 2 against Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu with an incredible 38 passes between the pair over the final 10 laps of 2023. With the title wrapped up, Team Principal Stefano Cecconi said that Bautista is “not just going there to have fun” as he looks for a strong result on his first appearance in MotoGP™ since the 2018 Valencian Grand Prix.

Expanding on how he thinks the #1 will be feeling, Bayliss said: “He’ll have no pressure. We know he’s fast on the bike already and we know anything can happen. He’ll go and enjoy himself, I’m sure. There’s going to be plenty for him to learn, but he did test the bike at Misano, so he’s got an idea of the bike. Now he’s got to face all these guys face-to-face and he’s going to feel like he wants to prove something to himself and maybe to the WorldSBK paddock, who knows? That’s how I felt when it happened to me. I wish him the best and I hope he has a great time doing it. That’s all it’s about.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is over for 2023, but one rider has ensured he’ll be busy for another couple of weeks. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will head from Spain to Malaysia to take part in this year’s Malaysian Grand Prix as a wildcard. It’ll be the #1’s first time racing in MotoGP™ since 2018 and, ahead of his return, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati’s Team Principal, Stefano Cecconi, previewed the event.

Sepang will not be the first time the double WorldSBK Champion has got onboard the Ducati Desmosedici GP having tested it on a few occasions this year. The first came at Misano back in June and he set a best time from the test of a 1’32.590s, showing impressive pace despite not going for a time attack for his first appearance back on MotoGP™ machinery. Another test followed later in the year as he was a late call-up for test rider Michele Pirro, who was injured, with the Spaniard testing 2024 parts for the Bologna-based manufacturer.

However, for Bautista, the preparation is over, and the Grand Prix is just around the corner. For his first race in five years in the Championship, expectations will be limited but every rider would be looking to do a good job. Speaking at the season-ending Spanish Round, Cecconi looked ahead to the wildcard as he expressed how he thought the #1 was feeling ahead of the race as well as answering a question about his expectations.

Cecconi said: “It’s hard to say because Alvaro is not going there just to be on the grid. He did the test and enjoyed it; it was a prize test. He did a second one by chance. I think, in his heart, he’s started to think big. Of course, you cannot aim for the win in just one event. I don’t see him going there just to have some fun. I think he’s expecting to be strong on that track, especially if it’ll be hot. With no pressure because the Championship is over here, so he can enjoy the wildcard without caring about his own Championship. It’ll be fun, I think.”

The Malaysian Grand Prix takes place next week at Sepang, with action starting on Friday with Free Practice 1 at 10:45 Local Time (GMT+8) before Practice at 15:00. On Saturday, it’s an action-packed day with Free Practice 2 before jumping straight into qualifying from 10:50. The Tissot Sprint is at 15:00 and then, on Sunday, the Grand Prix is at 15:00 once again.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

On the ground covering the Jerez test, headlines were breaking each hour. New signings got used to their new teams, new stories from old emerged and dream opportunities were grabbed with both hands. From major debuts and big names to sour ends and new regulation work, all the key stories are in one place for the first hot headlines of the 2024 season (kind of) from the Jerez test in Spain. It also gives us the perfect opportunity to start practicing getting the correct team names for those riders who have switched!

Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK): “My father raced Yamahas most of his life… I think we’ll be a formidable team!”

Jonathan Rea’s dad used to race Yamahas, Rea himself has ex-teammate Andrew Pitt as crew chief and he’s riding for Paul Denning – who tried to sign a then whipper-snapper Rea for his BSB Suzuki team for 2007 – so whilst it’s all new, there’s more history than you may think: “There’s heap of history and whilst I’ve never actually raced with Yamaha before – besides a PW50 when I was 6 – my father raced Yamahas most of his life. From TZs in the beginning to YZF-750s and in the latter part of his career, I remember in 1994, always seeing that Millar Racing Yamaha in the family garage!

“The team has a very family feel; my mechanic Uri has come across from KRT which is really familiar for me and that’s really nice, so I appreciate that. Working with Andrew too, he is a great friend of mine from back when we were teammates in 2008 in WorldSSP; in fact, he beat me to the Championship that year! Working with him is a bit like working with Pere Riba: he has a racer’s outlook, approach and understands rider mentality. From a technical side, I can see he is at a really good level and of course, that relationship needs time to build and build. I think we’ll be a formidable team that can develop the R1 to greater heights.”

Andera Iannone (Team GoEleven): “I saw the race on Sunday at Jerez and it was unbelievable… I hope to arrive to this fight soon!”

HE’S BACK: formerly known as ‘Crazy Joe’, Andrea Iannone – now ‘The Maniac’ debriefed his very first sensations on day one of the test: “I’m really happy. I exited the pitlane to ride a race bike and this is a really good feeling for me. I felt very comfortable with everybody, in the paddock and especially in the team. Here in the garage, the feeling is really good. I think the first day was a little bit of everything; a bit confusing! After a long time, I’ve come back and the feeling with the bike is really good. At Jerez, on the first lap, I thought ‘wow, one more time I’m at this track!’. The first five laps were just fun.”

On the biggest challenge for 2024, Iannone spoke of the high level of talent in the WorldSBK line-up and likewise referenced 2023’s final race: “I don’t want to promise anything but we have a good ambition. It’s really good for us if we achieve a good result. I saw the race on Sunday at Jerez and it was unbelievable; an unbelievable fight from Toprak and Alvaro and the paddock is full of talent. I think it’s quite fun. I hope to arrive to this fight soon! In the end, we’ll see after the first race.”

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “If you put 7kg on the bike, it feels different; in the fast section, it is more difficult”

The reigning double World Champion was prioritising the new regulations and the weight ballast: “We were focused on the 2024 regulations, especially with the weight. We tried many solutions, putting it in some areas of the bike and inside the engine. We did many tests to understand how the bike works. In the end it isn’t easy as the bike works well; if you put 7kg, the bike feels different, especially in the fast corner. We made some distribution to have more data and we have that for the winter to try and work and what could be the base to start pre-season next year. On acceleration, I couldn’t really feel any difference; just more inertia in the corners and in the fast section, it is more difficult. I feel more inertia to stop the bike but for me, I struggled in the fast corners.”

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “I don’t want to beat Alvaro, I’d like to beat everybody!”

His first test as a factory Ducati rider in WorldSBK is done and it was fair to say that Nicolo Bulega finishing ahead of teammate Bautista wasn’t planned: “It was very good but unfortunately, we didn’t ride a lot during these two days. On day one, we only did 20 laps. On day two, we did half a day. I’m happy because I didn’t ride a lot but I was already fast. I was fast, but I was at 85%. I’m learning the bike, learning to speak with my new team so it’s important for me to do a lot of kilometres with this bike. Honestly, I don’t know what kind of work Alvaro did. I don’t want to beat Alvaro, I would like to beat everybody! Alvaro is now the reference point for Ducati because he’s the best. He’s fast and it’ll be very difficult to beat him. We still have a lot of work to do and I’m still trying to learn the bike to understand better the DNA of this bike because it’s more difficult than WorldSSP. It’s all more. More brakes, more engine, more electronics.”

Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “We need more time; the right answer is time”

From Independent Ducati star to factory Kawasaki youngster, Axel Bassani spoke of what’s different for him after two days: “It’s different in all areas! The brakes and also in acceleration but it’s good; when something is new, you need time to understand and after, when you’re ready, you can push. It’s not easy to have a different engine – V4 compared to inline four. We need more time; the right answer is ‘time’. It’s special in KRT as there’s a lot of people with a lot of experience and it is nice to be part of this team. I hope in the future to be like Tom Sykes or, maybe not like Jonny because it’s not easy but 10% of Jonny!”

Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team): “With the engine, I feel more power”

Dominique Aegerter confirmed that he had an updated engine spec for the test and he could feel the difference straight away: “We tested many things that Yamaha brought, such as swingarm, engine and from front suspension from Ohlins. I had a small crash which for sure didn’t help. The lap after I had the Q tyre and in that lap, I made a small mistake so the timesheet doesn’t look so good. We were always in the top five and consistent and have great data to work on. With the engine, the power side, when I open the throttle fully, I feel there’s more power. This is what we’re looking for; we need to put it on the ground to make sure we’re not spinning or wheelieing but the new spec was a step forward.”

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW): “I’m sorry to the whole team, they don’t deserve it”

A big crash for Garrett Gerloff in the closing stages of the test left a bitter taste in his mouth: “It was stupid; it’s pissing me off. I used the inside kerb at Turn 3 like I always do and lost the front. I’m sorry to the whole team; this weekend has just been awful. The test wasn’t bad in general. We got to try some different setting stuff but I am just annoyed with another crash. The team doesn’t deserve it.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Firstly, it’s important to say that ‘testing is testing’ and ‘races are a different story’, however, we can only extrapolate and interpret what we’ve seen by exactly that. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and teammate Nicolo Bulega got off to contrasting starts to 2024, with the #1 focusing solely on weight added to his bike, whilst reigning WorldSSP Champion Bulega had a keen eye on getting to grips with his new toy for next year. However, despite that, did we expect that it would be Bulega on top from the start?

“THE FIRST RIDER YOU WANT TO BEAT IS YOUR TEAMMATE” – Bautista talks Bulega and extra motivation

“I knew that Nicolo was very fast and he rode the bike some times before in other tests, so he knew the bike already,” began a somewhat dismissive Bautista when asked if he expected it. He has more or less a base setup. Sincerely, I didn’t expect it but I also expect it; he is fast and he got the feeling very quick with the bike. At the moment, I am focused on myself and to try and improve the bike with the weight. Fortunately, this is the first test so we have many days before the first race to find a good solution for our problems.”

Bautista had said on day one: “He’s a nice guy and talented rider, winning the title last year so for sure he’s fast. He knows more or less the bike and has a base set-up. He will be one of the riders who fights for podiums and victories during the season and it is nice to have a young rider like him because the first rider you want to beat is your teammate. In the box, it’s like an extra motivation for me and the team on my side.”

“I DON’T WANT TO BEAT ALVARO; I WANT TO BEAT EVERYBODY” – fighting talking from ‘Bulegas’

For Bulega himself, his lap time – like many – was set with the SCQ tyre, something he spoke about before likewise responding to the same question about whether he expected to be ahead of his teammate: “Pirelli are doing an incredible job with the tyres like always; I tried the SCQ and I felt good but it’s a bit difficult to understand. With a lot of horsepower, you have to understand the characteristics of the tyre a little bit but I was happy.”

Responding to Bautista’s “first rider you want to beat is your teammate” quote from day one, Bulega mirrored his teammate’s dismissiveness: “Honestly, I don’t know what kind of work Alvaro did today. I don’t want to beat Alvaro, I want to beat everybody. For sure, Alvaro is the point of reference for Ducati because he’s the best and he’s fast. It’ll be very difficult to beat him.”

The 2024 title race starts here: keep up with all the action with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport World Championship grid for 2024 is starting to take shape with riders already beginning to know their future. There will be changes up and down the grid as teams search for the best riders for their project, and riders look for the best team to fight for the title with. This is also the case in WorldSSP300 with a huge move already announced for double Champion Jeffrey Buis. As riders get confirmed, this article will be updated as more plans become known with the last update on Friday, 3^rd November.

FRONT RUNNERS STAY IN PLACE: some continuity on the WorldSSP grid

The Barni Spark Racing Team announced that Yari Montella would stay for a second campaign after an impressive first season on the Panigale V2 with the #55 scoring five podiums this year. It’ll be the one-time race winner’s third full campaign in WorldSSP, and he’ll be looking to return to the top step of the rostrum; his first win was at Phillip Island in 2022. Despite an injury-hit campaign, Kawasaki Puccetti Racing tied down Can Oncu for 2024 and this was one of the first announcements to be made in a busy October period for the Championship. Oncu is a race winner, taking victory at Mandalika this year, but missed a substantial part of the season through injury, although he did return to the rostrum at Jerez with a remarkable performance.

German rookie Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) has impressed this season and became a consistent podium contender from the off. Although it was teammate Bahattin Sofuoglu who took the team’s only win so far (prior to the Spanish Round), Schroetter earned himself a renewal as he claimed third in the standings with a round to spare.

CHANGES AT THE CHAMPIONS: Huertas switches manufacturers, Tuuli too

With Nicolo Bulega moving to WorldSBK for 2024, it was announced that Adrian Huertas would take Bulega’s seat for 2024 as he switches from Kawasaki to Ducati machinery. Niki Tuuli’s move from PTR Triumph to the EAB Racing Team was announced, with the team swapping to Ducati machinery for 2024. The Finn has plenty of experience to bring to his new team for 2024, with two wins and 10 podiums under his belt already. The Bologna-based manufacturer will be the #66’s fifth brand he has raced for in his WorldSSP career.

CHAMPION ON THE MOVE: Kawasaki to KTM for Buis, race winner replaces him in WorldSSP300

Before he secured his second WorldSSP300 title, Jeffrey Buis’ future was already known. He’s departed the MTM Kawasaki squad, the team he won both Championships with, to move to the Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing outfit. A new team, new colours and a new bike for the #6 to ride. His seat at MTM Kawasaki will be filled by Mirko Gennai, as he switches from Yamaha to Kawasaki as he looks to keep up the team’s remarkable success; the Italian will race alongside Loris Veneman for his second season. Also announced was inigo Iglesias’ return to WorldSSP300, after he raced and won in the IDM Supersport 300 championship this year.

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Source: WorldSBK.com