Six rounds are done, six rounds are left to go in the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. There have been thrilling battles, fierce fights and plenty of drama in the first half of the season but attention has already turned to the second part of the campaign. Two rounds in July take place before the August break, and then there are four crucial rounds in six weeks to end the season in September and October. You can watch every single moment using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now HALF PRICE.

2023 has seen some incredible moments so far, from a stunning wet race in Australia, a dramatic conclusion to Race 2 in Indonesia, thrilling fights as WorldSBK returned to Europe and much more. Misano had a late-race twist for the podium fight while Donington featured the ‘Titanic Trio’ scrapping it out for victory as a rookie stunned for his first WorldSBK podium after taking a huge step forward in recent rounds.

World Superbike makes a return to the historic Imola venue next time out before the Autodrom Most, a circuit which has become an instant hit, hosts Round 8. A well-deserved summer break in August follows. Magny-Cours is the venue to resume WorldSBK action before an Aragon-Portimao double header and the season finale taking place at the stunning San Juan in Argentina. You can watch all the action in the second half of the season for just €34.99 when you subscribe for the second half of the season.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) currently leads the standings but faces stiff competition from his rivals after a hard-fought UK Round last time out. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) is looking to end his Yamaha association with the title before a switch to BMW, while there’s also an unpredictable battle for the bronze medal between Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing).

Not only will you be able to watch every session LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED throughout the rest of 2023, you will get access to an extensive historic archive. You can relive the best bits from recent seasons or take a longer trip down memory lane and enjoy classic races from years gone by. As well as archive content, you will get access to the ‘UNFILTERED’ series, a behind-the-scenes look at rounds, as well as ‘RELIVE’ videos; to catch up on all the action in a shorter time. Don’t forget there is also the post-round highlights show, a comprehensive review of all the action from each round.

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The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season is halfway there, but some of the key headlines are surrounding the 2024 grid. Silly season is sillier than ever before, and the talk is centred around BMW for the time being. After Toprak Razgatlioglu’s bombshell switch from his current Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK team to the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, the transfer market has hit overdrive and it shows no signs of relenting. Current factory BMW riders Scott Redding and Michael van der Mark are both vying to remain inside the factory camp, and both spoke to the media across the weekend to share their views on their 2024 whereabouts.

VAN DER MARK VYING TO PARTNER TOPRAK: “I have nothing to worry about”

Speaking on Friday, van der Mark – who has been out injured since his home round at Assen – was adamant in his future, saying that he’s got no reason be worried: “I’ve been staying home for a while now and I haven’t enjoyed it! I’ll be back on the grid next year, I have nothing to worry about. That’s all I can say.”

Asked about whether the idea is to continue with BMW or not, the Dutchman responded: “That’s my idea for sure… like I say, I have nothing to worry about and first of all, I need to be fully fit. We have had 2 years with a lot of injuries so hopefully, the bad luck is over.” Questioned on when we can expect an announcement, the 2014 WorldSSP Champion was coy: “I have no idea but we’ll see.”

The five-time WorldSBK race winner – including being the only one to achieve it with BMW in the last 10 seasons so far – also shared his thoughts on good friend Toprak joining the team for 2024, something he welcomed publicly at the time, giving intrigue about his own future: “I think it is good; Toprak is always motivated and pushes hard. He has a different way riding style, that’s for sure, so it will be interesting to see how he works on our bike. BMW is pushing really hard on development which is what we need, so the commitment is there and Toprak will be there. Everyone can’t wait to see what happens!”

REDDING PRIORITY TO STAY WITH BMW? “I have the BMW option which is important for me”

Across the box and Scott Redding has already confirmed that he has until July 15^th to decide whether he’d like to take up his option to remain with BMW or to walk away after two seasons. It’s been a tough two years for the #45, with no victories, although a strong home round at Donington Park could have given him plenty of food for thought regarding whether he stays or goes.

Speaking about his own future ahead of the round, Redding said that “time is running out” to make a decision, but his “priority” was to continue with BMW and in WorldSBK, although he’s “looking at all other options”, wherever that might be. He also said that “I need to believe in the project like they’ve believed in me, and I just think that this weekend, having a reset and regroup and to understand a bit more, will help me make some decisions for the future.”

So, the reset brought a first top four finish of the season and general competitivity across the full-distance races, so what did the 30-year-old say at the close of the weekend: “It feels nice to feel like Scott Redding on the bike! It’s been a tough season but to have the feeling of the bike talking to me, I can understand what to do and how to ride and be able to push the bike in the way that I want. It’s been an enjoyable two races!”

However, 2024 is where the juicy stuff is, so with the improved feeling, has it helped at all in his decision making? “There’s obviously a lot of talk going on at the moment and just to show people that I’ve still got it… I know that I have it and it is hard to convince people when the results aren’t showing. When I’m racing, I know what I can or can’t do but I can express that as much as I want but in reality, people don’t care, they want results. Sunday was good to be top BMW and come through so strong, I’m happy. I can come in and say ‘this is me able to ride a bike, not a passenger’ so I hope in the next races, we can have something good as well.”

Getting the spicy part of his future, Redding confirmed that he’s like to be staying in WorldSBK: “I think you’ll be seeing me in this paddock, that’s for sure. We need to see. I have the BMW option which is important for me and that’s where I’m at. Let’s see in the next couple of weeks and see if I can get something to be at the front.”

ALTERNATIVE OPTION: both are teammates to Toprak?

It’s unconventional but it has been done before and it is allowed. A team can field three bikes within one team and maybe if Redding does take up his option to remain and van der Mark stays – he said on the grid at Assen for the Dutch GP to MotoGP.com that his “teammate will be fast next year” when talking about Toprak’s arrival – then the rules do permit a three-bike team.

In 2008, the Alstare Suzuki outfit did this with riders Fonsi Nieto, Yukio Kagayama and Max Neukirchner and in the same year, the Ten Kate Honda team had Carlos Checa, Kenan Sofuoglu and Ryuichi Kiyonari in their team. In 2012, Effenbert Liberty Ducati had a three-rider team of Sylvain Guintoli, Jakub Smrz and the late Maxime Berger. In 2013, the Goldbet BMW outfit put an extra bike on the grid at Magny-Cours for a wildcard with Sylvain Barrier alongside regular riders Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies whilst in 2018, Aruba.it Racing Ducati’s presence expanded to three riders, albeit with Michael Ruben Rinaldi in the “Junior Team”, with riders Davies and Melandri up in the main factory setup.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Following in the footsteps of recent documentaries in ‘The Final Stunt’ and ‘The Return’, the latest WorldSBK documentary tells the story of one of the greatest season-long battles ever seen in motorcycle racing. ‘The Showdown – Imola 2002’ rekindles the magic of Sunday, 29th of September, 2002, when fierce rivals Colin Edwards and Troy Bayliss duked it out for the Championship until the final lap of the season and ahead of our return to Imola in 2023, the magic remains unrivalled from over 20 years ago.

However, this latest WorldSBK documentary doesn’t just go back to the day of that famous race, but it looks at the 2002 season and how Troy Bayliss and Ducati’s domination at the start of the year couldn’t resist the late charge and tenacity of Colin Edwards and his Honda team. From six race wins and making history in the opening three rounds, the Championship lead was 58 points with nine races to go; it would need to be the greatest comeback ever seen for Colin Edwards to have a real chance at the title. Laguna Seca’s Race 2 welcomed a home win for Edwards and whilst Bayliss encountered bad luck in the next rounds – notably a scary Warm Up crash at the next round at Brands Hatch and a crash from the podium at the penultimate round at Assen – Edwards kept winning.

Arriving to Imola as the new Championship leader and going into the final race with just six points between them, the stage was set for one of the biggest battles in dramatic fashion. With a capacity 97,700 crowd watching on, countless passes for victory, the strategy of tactics and of course, the sensational, hair-raising final lap, the story and rivalry comes alive just like it did on the day itself.

With all of the emotion of that day revisited by people who were part of it first-hand, including Edwards and Bayliss themselves, Edwards’ crew chief Adrian Gorst, Ducati team manager Davide Tardozzi and Ducati project director Paolo Ciabatti. The most successful rider of all-time in WorldSBK, six-time World Champion Jonathan Rea, casts his mind back to that incredible day, whilst double WorldSBK Champion and current commentator within the paddock James Toseland reflects on it all too. There’s also valuable insight from journalists Gordon Ritchie and Carlo Baldi.

For many, this is you – the fans’ – favourite race of all-time and the one that remains synonymous with WorldSBK to this day. Now, you can enjoy it like you’ve never been able to before, with all the edge-of-your-seat drama, tense moments of doubt, illustrious times of celebration and the story from the stars themselves – from both then and now – in a compelling documentary.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship headed to Donington Park for Round 6 as the 2023 campaign hit the halfway stage. The wins were shared between Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) while rookie Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) secured a first rostrum. However, there were also disappointments further down the grid after a dramatic Prosecco DOC UK Round.

A ROOKIE PODIUM: Petrucci’s step forward shows

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) made a big step forward last time out at Misano but a couple of incidents meant he didn’t realise his potential. Fast forward to Donington and the rookie shone throughout the round. A first front row in Tissot Superpole was followed by fourth in Race 1 – his best result in 2023; for a day, at least – before he stepped onto the rostrum for the first time in Race 2 after a brilliant charge through the field. He’s stated his goal is to win in WorldSBK… how long until ‘Petrux’ is on the top step after his breakthrough on the Panigale V4 R?

THE RETURN OF THE ‘TITANIC TRIO’: their fierce fights reoccur

Donington Park featured the ‘Titanic Trio’ resuming their rivalries at the front of the order. While Bautista and Razgatligolu shared the wins, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) made it difficult for them as he went in search of his first win of 2023. In the Tissot Superpole Race, the Ulsterman led for the majority before being demoted to third over the last two laps as the fights intensified. Race 2 was another unforgettable bout between the trio as they all battled hard for victory. It also meant Bautista ended Ducati’s Donington difficulties with two wins; extending his lead in the Championship to 93 points.

A NEW MILESTONE: podium 250 for the #65…

While the six-time Champion was unable to end his win drought, he did rack up a new milestone. His Race 1 rostrum was his 250^th in WorldSBK as he became the first rider to hit this incredible record and he made it 251 in the Superpole Race. He is now 121 clear of Troy Corser in second place in the all-time list. His two UK Round podiums meant he moved onto 18 at Donington, moving him ahead of Tom Sykes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) for rostrums at the historic circuit.

WHAT COULD’VE BEEN? disappointment but not necessarily a down…

British rookie Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) had high hopes coming into his home round but his goal of reaching the top ten was left unfulfilled. He was taken out in Race 1, leaving his bike parked upside down in the gravel. He battled for 12^th in the Superpole Race – his joint best of the season – before securing points in Race 2 with 13^th. The reigning British champion will head to Imola with his head held high after a strong performance, but perhaps ruing what might have been after showing strong pace in Friday’s mixed conditions.

HONDA’S PERFORMANCE: only one top-ten appearance for Team HRC all weekend

There will undoubtedly be questions asked about Honda’s performance at Donington Park after a disaster of a weekend. Only once did Team HRC secure a top-ten result and that was in FP1 on Friday, where running was limited due to the conditions. Their best result was in Race 1 when Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) took 11^th and narrowly missed out on a top-ten spot, but the British venue was a far cry from last year’s UK Round when Honda were represented in the top ten in all three races by Iker Lecuona (Team HRC).

RINALDI’S LACK OF PERFORMANCE: more woes for the Italian

Another talking about from the UK was Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) struggles. While his Race 2 non-score was due to him trying to avoid someone else’s crash and being put into the gravel by someone who couldn’t avoid Rinaldi’s evasive action, he made two mistakes in Race 1 and the Superpole Race which cost him time and position. In Saturday’s encounter, he ran wide at Coppice which dropped him to the back and the field, and it was a similar story in Sunday’s 10-lap battle when he went into the gravel at Turn 11 on Lap 1. After his Race 2 crash, Rinaldi was diagnosed with a mild concussion and a right ankle injury, but he will hope to be back in action for Imola.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) secured a double at the Prosecco DOC UK Round to end Ducati’s Donington Park difficulties and extend his Championship lead over his rivals. As the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship hit the halfway stage of the season, the Spaniard claimed two victories at Donington Park, a circuit he hadn’t won at previously, as he ended the Italian manufacturer’s drought at the iconic circuit which stretched back to 2011.

Bautista lined up from second place after Saturday’s Tissot Superpole session but made his move for the lead just shy of the halfway point of Race 1 and, from there, he didn’t look back as he secured his first win at Donington and ended Ducati’s drought. Before Saturday, the Bologna-based factory hadn’t won at the stunning British venue since Carlos Checa took Race 2 victory in 2011 but they returned to the top step of the rostrum thanks to Bautista.

In the Tissot Superpole race, the Spaniard was demoted to second. He fought hard with rivals Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), with the Ulsterman leading for the majority of the 10-lap fight before the 2021 Champion overtook him and then Bautista went through on the final lap. In Race 2, Razgatlioglu was able to keep the Ducati rider at bay for the first two-thirds for Bautista got ahead to claim his second win of the weekend as he extended his Championship lead to 93 points, and now has 16 wins to his name this season.

Summing up the weekend, Bautista said: “It was a great weekend for me because if you told me before we came here, I would have a first, second and first, maybe I wouldn’t have believed you! At this track, we always struggled a little bit. Every year is different. The feeling with the bike was amazing, it was like at other tracks. I could ride as I want. I enjoyed Race 1 a lot. Everything was new for everybody with the asphalt. We had some data on Sunday. The pace in the Superpole Race was amazing with Jonathan pushing really hard and then Toprak trying to follow him. In the end, he tried to stay in front of Jonathan. When I saw that, I thought, ‘maybe they’ll start to fight’ and I have the chance to overtake them. The pace was also amazing in Race 2, it was really fast. Toprak was very strong. I thought I could go a couple of tenths faster than him and I tried to stay in front. He tried to not let me lead the race, but I could make a gap and get some advantage.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Tom Sykes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) have both been declared unfit following their Race 2 crash at Donington Park. The crash occurred at Coppice corner on Lap 1 after Sykes highsided off his M1000RR machine, with Rinaldi and Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) also involved in the last MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race of the Prosecco DOC UK Round.

Sykes was declared unfit after breaking ten rear ribs, including three in two places, in the crash while he also sustained a thoracic injury and a left ankle injury. Sykes, who was standing in for Michael van der Mark as the Dutchman continues his recovery, was enjoying a strong weekend on home soil as he raced inside the top ten during all three races and narrowly missed out on a 52^nd pole position in Saturday’s Superpole session.

Italian rider Rinaldi was knocked off the track by Baz in the incident and he was taken to the medical centre following the crash. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion and a right ankle injury. Rinaldi’s UK Round had proven to be difficult after he ran wide on the opening lap of both Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race which dropped him down the order.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was able to end his win drought in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship by claiming victory in the Tissot Superpole Race at Donington Park. He took the win after a race-long fight with his rivals and ended Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) winning run when the Spaniard was on the verge of writing more WorldSBK history.

Razgatlioglu started from the second row but he was soon into the lead group as soon as the lights went out as he fought with Bautista and six-time World Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). The fight for victory went down to the wire with just half-a-second separating the last three WorldSBK Champions at the end of the 10-lap race. Rea was the long-time race leader but Razgatlioglu got the better of him at Turn 11 on Lap 9, before Bautista overtook the Ulsterman on the final lap at Turn 9.

On his Superpole Race win, Razgatlioglu said: “It wasn’t a bad weekend. I tried more than 100% to win. The Superpole Race was a good race for me. We got first place. Race 2 was important, I tried my best, and I got second place. I’m already looking ahead to Imola. I hope we are winning again but in Race 1 and Race 2, because I miss winning the in the feature length races. I’m not thinking about the Championship points. I’m just focused on winning races because it’s important for me. The Championship is long, but Bautista is very strong this year. I’m just looking at winning a long race and maybe this changes everything.”

A win in the Superpole Race would have put Bautista on 12 consecutive wins, an outright record in WorldSBK. The current record is 11 with Bautista reaching the milestone twice and Rea once. It also would have meant Bautista could have had a shot at racking up the most wins in a season at Donington, but he leaves the UK on 16, tying his best, but the record for victories in a single campaign will have to wait until at least Imola.

Razgatlioglu also claimed two second place finishes during the UK Round but, with Bautista claiming Race 1 and Race 2 wins, lost ground in the Championship race. The reigning Champion now leads Razgatlioglu by 93 points at the halfway stage of the season with the paddock heading to Imola in two weeks for the Prometeon Italian Round. Will Razgatlioglu be able to fight back as Imola returns for more incredible WorldSBK action?

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Sunday at Donington Park proved to be Scott Redding’s (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) best result of the season so far as he claimed a brilliant fourth place in front of the partisan British crowd. The Brit battled from ninth on the grid to take P4 during Race 2 at the Prosecco DOC UK Round as he hopes to kickstart a strong run of form in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, as he did at this venue 12 months ago.

Redding started Race 2 from the third row and he gained a place as the lights went out to move into eighth ahead of double WorldSSP Champion Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). He remained in eighth place until the second half of the race where his progress was clear to see. He picked off four riders between Laps 13 and 18 to claim a season-best fourth on home soil; the same circuit which kickstarted an impressive run of form for the Brit last year.

His move up the field started with a pass on Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) on Lap 13 and he stayed in seventh for two laps before passing Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) for sixth two laps later at Turn 11 to move into sixth. Another two laps in P6 followed before he made his move on Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), again at Turn 11, for fifth with his old title rival next up.

Redding and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) battled for several laps as the race neared its conclusion. The BMW rider passed him at Turn 11 on Lap 19 before Rea responded on Lap 21, the penultimate lap, under braking into the Foggy Esses. Despite being ahead, the six-time Champion was unable to remain there as the 12-time race winner re-passed his rival at Turn 11 to re-gain fourth place. From there, he was able to build a gap to stay in fourth. It is Redding’s best result of the season and his best since Race 1 at Magny-Cours last year.

Discussing his strong Sunday, Redding said: “It feels nice to feel like Scott Redding on the bike! It’s been a really tough season and to get the feeling of the bike talking to me and I can understand what to do and be able to ride and push the bike in the way that I want… it’s been an enjoyable two races. Race 1 was the same. In Race 2, I just let it come to me and there’s no better feeling than when you have tyre underneath you for the second half of the race. It was great to have that.”

Redding’s fight with Rea is not the only time he’s battled a KRT rider for a top position on home soil. Last year, he had a brilliant battle with Lowes as they squabbled over third place in Race 1 with the Kawasaki rider coming out on top on that occasion. However, this season, Redding was able to get the better of his compatriot as he fended off Rea’s late resurgence to hold on to fourth place.

Discussing his battle with Rea, Redding said: “I could see the guys coming and I thought I felt good and the tyre felt good. I was trying to get there so I could try to get to Petrucci and go for the podium. He was too strong. I got to the Kawasakis, got past Alex and we had the battle last year. I got to Jonathan and passed him from quite a long way back because it was the only place I was strong. I thought I won’t see him again. At the Foggy Esses, I had a Kawasaki steaming up the inside! I thought ‘oh, here we go’ because this was like 12 months ago with Alex. I came back, overtook him again and kept it clean. I was really surprised when he came back!”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Emotions were in full flow – just like the Prosecco DOC – for Danilo Petrucci and the Barni Spark Racing Team, as one of the fans’ favourites took a first podium in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. The Italian rookie, back at Donington Park for the first time since 2009, was knocking on the podium door all weekend and finally, with a fantastic final push towards the end of the race, he came through the riders ahead of him, ending Marco Barnabo’s team’s five-year drought without standing on the box.

The weekend started strongly for ‘Petrux’, as he took a first front row in WorldSBK, before finishing fourth in Race 1, where he admitted after that he had “the image of my team boss with his head in his hands from Misano”, and how he wanted to avoid a repeat performance. In the Tissot Superpole Race, Petrucci battled hard and came away with P5, whilst it was a late charge in Race 2, when he got ahead of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and his teammate Alex Lowes, that put Petrucci in with a podium shot. He broke clear of Rea and at last, returned to the rostrum, with great scenes of triumph and jubilation in Parc Ferme.

Speaking after the race, Petrucci’s smile and happiness said it all: “I’m so happy especially for my team and for myself. Just two rounds ago, in Barcelona, I said ‘this is tougher than I thought’. We did a good job. After the Superpole Race, I wasn’t feeling so good. I was quite far away in the middle part of Race 2 but then I found a really good rhythm. I was really fast in the flowing part but then, in the chicane and hairpin, I was not really good, and this is where you can pass other riders. It was difficult for me. I did not expect to reach my first podium today.”

Making his own bit of history, the 32-year-old became the 34^th different rider to have achieved a MotoGP™/500cc World Championship podium, as well as one in WorldSBK. He also becomes the 129^th different rider to achieve a WorldSBK podium, the 21^st from Italy and the 53^rd to do so with Ducati. To secure this history, Petrucci had to battle with six-time World Champion Rea for the second time in two days.

On this battle, ‘Petrux’ said: “I didn’t have the pace in Race 1. I reached Jonny because he did two or three laps that weren’t perfect but, in the end, I was not feeling good with the bike. Today, I smelt the podium and I said, ‘I need to try’. It was good because I passed Gerloff, Loka and Lowes, I said ‘no, Jonny again for the podium… in England, a six-time World Champion and 250 podiums… how can I do it!?’. I immediately found a way and I passed him. I had a really good pace. We made a small modification of the setup but not major things. The confidence is growing.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had to fight hard for his Race 2 victory at Donington Park after a fierce fight with title rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) throughout the shortened and red-flagged race. It was also a day to remember for Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) as he stood on the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship podium for the first time since he arrived in the paddock after an incredible Prosecco DOC UK Round.

BRILLIANT BATTLE FOR THE WIN: Bautista overcomes Razgatlioglu’s pressure

The race was red flagged on the opening lap following a crash involving Tom Sykes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) on the exit of Coppice. All riders were conscious following the crash. The race was restarted over a 22-lap distance, one shorter than the original distance, although it did not feature the three riders involved. The new race grid was based on the Tissot Superpole Race results. Sykes was diagnosed with a thoracic injury, rib fractures on his right-hand side and a left ankle injury; he was transported to Queen’s Medical Centre for further assessment. Rinaldi was diagnosed with a mild concussion and a right ankle injury.

As the lights went out for the new race, Bautista got the holeshot to take the lead before rival Rea attempted to move from third to first at Turn 4. At the Old Hairpin, he was able to pass Razgatlioglu but ran wide when overtaking the Championship leader and stayed second. However, in the same lap, Razgatlioglu made his move on Rea at Turn 11 to re-claim P2. A lap later and there was a thrilling fight as Razgatlioglu stood Bautista up at Turn 11 which allowed the six-time Champion through to demote the reigning Champion to third.

On Lap 7, Bautista made a small error at Turn 7 when he ran wide but he was able to recover without losing position and his pace allowed him to close back in on the leading duo by the end of the lap. The Spaniard ran wide a couple more times, but he soon promoted himself to second when he overtook his rival at Turn 9 on Lap 10. Rea’s pace dropped into the 1’27s while the top two remained in the 1’26s, allowing them to pull a gap over the Ulsterman.

The battle between the last two Champions reached a crescendo on Laps 13 and 14 as the duo switched positions on several occasions. Bautista had tried to move ahead on Lap 12, but the move came at Turn 1 the next lap before Razgatlioglu responded at Turn 4. Bautista repeated the Turn 1 move a lap later but was able to create a gap and resist Razgatlioglu’s pressure to claim his second victory at Donington with the Turkish star in second.

Bautista’s win means he is now only one shy of record victories in a season with 16 in 2023, with the all-time record standing at 17. He has also gone level with Colin Edwards and Marco Melandri with 75 podiums. Razgatlioglu is closing in on a century of podiums and now has 99, putting him level with Chaz Davies.

A MAIDEN PODIUM: Petrucci fights back for his first rostrum

With Rea dropping back from the lead pair, the battle for the podium heated up. Rea was initially under pressure from teammate Alex Lowes but, as the race progressed, other riders were joining the party. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) started from the second row but his pace, like in Race 1, allowed him to fight for the podium as he did in Race 1. He moved into fifth place by passing Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) on Lap 15 at Turn 11 before moving into fourth by overtaking Lowes at Turn 9 two laps later. The Italian rookie’s crucial move for the podium came on Lap 18 when he overtook Rea at Turn 4 before he pulled a gap to take his maiden WorldSBK rostrum and Barni Ducati’s first since Argentina 2018. He also became the 129^th different rider to stand on the podium.

A BEST OF 2023: Redding powers into the top four

Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) enjoyed his best result of the season so far as he claimed fourth place after he passed both KRT riders in the closing stages. He overtook Lowes for fifth on Lap 18 at Turn 11 before a sensational fight with Rea over the next few laps. On Lap 19, Redding overtook Rea at Turn 11 before the pair switched positions on the penultimate lap although the BMW was able to hold on for his best result of the season. Rea took fifth on home soil after two podiums in three races at Donington, while Lowes finished sixth.

SIX RIDERS IN THE FIGHT: an unpredictable Race 2 at Donington

The fight for the top four featured six riders throughout the race. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) took seventh place as he showed impressive late-race pace to finish ahead of Locatelli. The Yamaha rider got off to a good start as he moved into the top four, and put pressure on the leading trio, but he dropped down the order to finish in seventh. It was a similar story for Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) who claimed ninth while German rider Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven), who had a strong weekend, rounded out the top ten.

IN THE POINTS: ending the weekend on a high

Swiss rookie Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished just outside the top ten with 11^th place, six seconds clear of teammate Remy Gardner after what had been a trickier weekend than usual for the GRT Yamaha squad. Home hero Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) took 13^th place as he, Gardner and Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) scrapped. Lecuona finished in 14^th place with Malaysian rider Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) securing the final points-paying position.

Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) narrowly missed out on a second points finish of the UK Round with 16^th, just two seconds down on the Honda rider. Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO), Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) completed the last of the classified finishers. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) retired after bringing their machines into the pits.

The top six from WorldSBK Race 2, full results here:

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

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +2.650s

3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +7.936

4. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +9.198s

5. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +9.506s

6. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +9.960s

Fastest lap: Alvaro Bautista, Ducati – 1’26.089s

Championship standings

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 357 points

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 264

3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 175

4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 163

5. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) 146

6. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 102

Next stop, Imola: don’t miss any action from WorldSBK’s return to Italy using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com