After a tough season which has seen him come back from a leg fracture, battle hard to get back to full fitness and struggle to demonstrate his true potential, Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) enjoyed his best results of the season so far. Taking three top ten finishes – including two top eights in the full races, Baz was able to take top BMW honours in both Race 1 and Race 2, showcasing what he’s capable of as he beat the likes of Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) for top BMW honours.

WEEKEND IN REVIEW: Baz dazzles with fine rides to three top ten finishes

Baz’s weekend didn’t start in the best way, after teammate Garrett Gerloff skittled him at Rivazza in a strange out-lap incident in FP2. However, despite a pain in his wrist, Baz dusted himself off to put himself in contention for the races with ninth on the grid, a second top ten of the season in Superpole. He converted that into P8 in Race 1, his best result of the season, whilst a P10 in the Superpole Race meant he didn’t improve his position on the grid, instead starting from the fourth row.

However, Baz was fighting for sixth with the likes of Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Scott Redding, after clearing Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) on Lap 2. He and Ray got ahead of Redding on Lap 12, with the 30-year-old dropping to eighth, and despite digging deep, Baz couldn’t crack the top six. Taking P7 was still a personal best of his season though, as he aims to prove what he can still offer, with his future in WorldSBK not certain for 2024.

IN HIS OWN WORDS: “I can start my season”

Talking about his first “normal” weekend of 2023, Baz was happy to just be back to something of his and the package’s best: “It was a great, first normal weekend for me; I didn’t have a normal Phillip Island and then I got injured at Mandalika. Then, a problem in every round. The main highlight of the weekend was coming back to the box and seeing my guys smiling in the box, after so many tough moments for me and also for them, because we are like a family and we all fight together. I was a bit disappointed to not get in the top nine in the Superpole Race, I just took too long to come up on Scott.

“Then, in Race 2, it was good. I lost a bit too much time behind Bradley in the early laps and then took Scott in the last laps. I wasn’t really faster than him but I managed to do less mistakes. Brad was just too fast but I am really happy to bring good results. Not what we want but what we and the BMW M 1000 RR can do at the moment. I’ve been struggling with injuries but I am happy that it is finally over and that I can start my season.”

“JUST NO LUCK” – is Imola the turning point for Baz in second half of 2023?

It’s been a season of disappointment until Imola for the Frenchman, who suffered a leg fracture at Mandalika, before returning to Assen with the injury, as well as technical issues that carried on in the upcoming rounds. Without a top ten and just 13 points after six rounds, Imola was a timely turnaround and a good way to more than double his points tally for the year.

“The target is to not be top BMW but to improve the bike and fight for better results,” continued Baz, who was the first BMW home in both full-length races for the first time since joining the German brand in 2022. “The Superpole helped a lot but the main thing was to do lots of laps and long runs in FP1 and FP2, even if we had the crash. Then, you know what to expect in the race and we haven’t been able to do that since Phillip Island. Mandalika was a rough weekend with the injury, then at Assen, we had a technical issue and I was injured and Barcelona was the same. We were unlucky at Misano and Donington Park; I think I did more laps in FP1 here than I did in the full weekend at Donington Park! That’s life; not anyone’s fault, just no luck.”

THE FUTURE: “I don’t think it will change much, everything is in Scott’s hands”

Baz’s future is a key talking point in the paddock; Scott Redding had until July 15^th – Saturday at Imola – to decide whether to remain with BMW or not and if the decision has been made to stay, it could be Baz that’s moved out: “It’s always time to go fast and I never doubted that I could. It was a big injury and I spent a full month on my sofa, and you can’t expect anyone to be fast when they come back from that. I am still struggling with the foot, not on the bike in life day by day, it’s still painful. It’s not like ten years ago when you come back and could do a top five or top six. The level is so high right now. So, it was the right time but I don’t think it’s going to change much, everything is in Scott’s hands so I’ll just take this weekend.”

Watch the round highlights from our return to Imola here, whilst enjoying the 2023 season with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Jonathan Rea’s (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) efforts at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola were rewarded with two podiums during the Prometeon Italian Round. It’s the first time in the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign that the Ulsterman has taken two feature-length rostrum finishes as he consistently battled for the top three places, including two memorable Sunday duels with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK).

The six-time World Champion was fourth in the Superpole Race as he finished just two tenths behind the Italian. Locatelli led the first half of the race ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu, with the Turk claiming his first of two Imola victories on Sunday. Although ‘Loka’ dropped back from the lead duo, he was able to hold on for his first podium in front of the Italian fans in WorldSBK.

In Race 2, the pair engaged in battle again as they fight for third in the Riders’ Championship. This time, Rea was able to come out on top against the #55 as he finished four seconds clear of the Yamaha rider. It meant Rea was on the rostrum for the second time at Imola this year but the first time he’s had two feature-length race podiums in 2023. Speaking after Race 2, Rea was delighted with how the weekend went – even without a victory to his name – as he battled for the podium despite the scorching conditions.

Rea said: “It was a solid weekend, probably the best weekend of our season so far. I’m really happy. Trying to keep this momentum now by fighting at the front. We knew Imola would be a stronger circuit for us, but nobody told us that on Friday! On Friday, it was a difficult day and even Saturday morning, I didn’t seem to have that out and out pace or rhythm. During the races, I felt better with more laps on the tyre and, unfortunately, at the end of the races here in this extreme heat, I was struggling a little but with the SC1 front tyre, it was moving. When you’re on the limit and the front tyre’s moving, it’s more about consolidating your position, trying not to make any mistakes. I didn’t make any mistakes, worked quite well with the team and we stuck to our guns with our rear tyre choice for Race 2. We came away with a bag-load of points.”

The #65 was also full of praise for the passionate Italian fans who he has a good relationship with, despite not riding for Ducati. More than 53,000 fans visited to watch WorldSBK’s return to Imola after a four-year hiatus, and they were rewarded with some incredible fights on track and dramatic moments across the round.

Speaking about ending his weekend on a high, and the Italian fans, Rea added: “When you finish the weekend on a good note, it’s always nice because that’s the last thought that you take into the next round. It was nice to stand on the podium at Imola with a lot of my fans here. I’ve never ridden for an Italian manufacturer, and I don’t speak Italian, but we have a great relationship with the fans here. Maybe it’s from my early days of riding. I want to thank them because they gave me a lot of power to not give up, keep working hard and we deserved our podium today.”

Next up, the Autodrom Most: Watch every moment LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s return to the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola was a spectacular one, with home riders on good form and a jumbled-up order making for one of the most exciting rounds of 2023. Leading a race for the first time since 2021, taking a home podium for the first time in WorldSBK and holding on to third in the Championship standings, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) had a phenomenal Prometeon Italian Round.

It would be hard to think that this weekend was ‘Loka’s’ first time on a Superbike at Imola but he took to the circuit like a duck to water. Fast right from the start and edging closer to a first race win, he grabbed the holeshot in Race 1 from P2 on the grid, fending off polesitter teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu and fast-starting Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) from the second row. Leading three of the opening five laps, he was bundled out of the way as Razgatlioglu, Bautista and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came through, put took a solid fourth on his Imola debut.

In the Tissot Superpole Race, it was once again the 26-year-old who snatched the holeshot into Tamburello and this time, he held on to lead for the opening five laps, beating Razgatlioglu into the braking areas – no mean feat, with that being one of the biggest takeaways from Locatelli’s progress. However, on Lap 6, Bautista used the speed of the Ducati on the front straight to get ahead, whilst Razgatlioglu had to take two attempts to pass his teammate, eventually doing so at the Variante Alta later in the lap. Despite pressure from six-time World Champion Rea behind, Locatelli held on for a first podium in Italy, and returned to the form he had in the first four rounds of 2023. In Race 2, he went on to finish fourth, not having the pace for the podium battle in the extremely hot conditions.

Reviewing his first weekend of racing at Imola in World Superbike, Locatelli said: “We did a very good job this morning in the Superpole Race, the choice with the tyre was perfect. I’m a bit disappointed about Race 1 and Race 2; we change the tyre choice sometimes and yesterday especially, the feeling wasn’t the best one. Race 1 I was fighting front grip and in Race 2, I was fighting rear grip. I think we lost the opportunity in the long races to fight for the podium. It’s been a strong and positive weekend, so need to be happy. It’s also my first time here on a Superbike, so we need to consider everything. I’m proud of myself and the job Yamaha and my staff are doing with me.

“We’ve come back a little bit stronger in the middle of the season, especially at Imola, so for sure, we’ve made another step. We have a little bit more of a feeling with the bike and from Friday, we worked in a good direction. We just need to continue working like this and I think at Most, we can do a really good job. I’m so positive, so happy about the weekend and it helps me to be more motivated at Most, where we’ll try again to get more podiums because I’ll need them!”

In the Championship standings, Locatelli is still third overall, although his early season gap has now been shrunk to just seven over six-time World Champion Rea. Both have reason to push too, not just for the bronze medal in the standings but for personal goals too: Locatelli is yet to win a WorldSBK race in his career, whilst Rea hasn’t won yet in 2023. In fifth place, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) is hanging on in the battle, just 29 points away from fellow countryman Locatelli.

Speaking about the battle for third in the standings, Locatelli is ready to get stuck in across the five remaining rounds: “Me and Jonny are fighting a lot but I want to try and keep third position in the Championship. It gives me a lot of motivation but it will also be a good result for me. We need to believe, work a lot and we can be competitive and try to stay in front. Maybe we can get a lot of podiums but we will enjoy it like this weekend.”

Catch the round highlights from our return to Imola here, whilst enjoying the 2023 season with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) was rapid throughout his home Prometeon Italian Round, leading two of the three races at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola and securing a front row start in Superpole. He converted his strong pace into a MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship rostrum in Race 2 from sixth on the grid as he fought with his rivals in the Championship for a second podium of 2023.

Bassani’s Sunday started with 12^th in Warm Up before he battled to sixth in the Tissot Superpole Race to secure a second row start for Race 2 – down on where he had started Race 1 and the ten-lap Superpole Race. In the Sunday morning encounter, Bassani had to fight with his adversary, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with the factory Ducati rider coming out on top on this occasion.

The Feltre-born star benefitted from Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) opening lap spill in Race 2 as he moved into fourth, before a stunning two-for-one overtake on Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) moved him into second. Locatelli had been wide through the Variante Bassa which delayed both him and the six-time Champion. Sensing an opportunity to fight with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), Bassani went up the inside of both at Turn 1 and outbraked the pair into the Variante Tamburello to claim second.

From there, he set his target on Razgatlioglu and made what he hoped would be the race-winning move at Tosa on Lap 8. However, on Lap 12 of the shortened 15-lap race, Razgatlioglu fought back. He went up the inside of Bassani at Rivazza 1 and the Italian tried to use the cutback into Rivazza 2 but the 2021 Champion got a better exit out of the corner and took the lead. From there, Bassani had to settle for second place.

Reacting to his Race 2 podium, Bassani said: I’m really happy with my second place. I finished behind Toprak, one of the best riders in the world. It’s an honour to battle with him. I tried to do my race and stay in front to do my pace. Here it’s really hot. You need some clear air. I finished second, and the first Ducati, so I’m happy for my team. They did an incredible job. We need to grow up. We are very close and today we did a good job. We’ll look at the data to see if we can make a step. We will see at Most.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

He’d been waiting a while, but his perseverance and determination finally brought the end result; Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) is back on top in a feature race for the first time in 2023. Making it two wins on Sunday, the 2021 World Champion managed to close the gap in the standings from 95 points ahead of Race 2 to 70 come the close of it, after Championship leader Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) crashed at Turn 3 on the opening lap.

Starting with the ten-lap Superpole Race, Razgatlioglu struggled to pass teammate Andrea Locatelli and went down to third when Bautista came through into the Variante Bassa just before half distance. Bautista then blasted ahead of ‘Loka’ on the run to Turn 2, leaving the Yamaha duo second and third. Despite an attempt to pass home-hero Locatelli at Turn 7, the #54 of Razgatlioglu couldn’t get through, shaking his head on the exit of the corner. However, at the Variante Alta, he got into P2 and started chasing down the #1. On the penultimate lap, he came through for the lead at the dramatic Piratella, and despite Bautista trying his best, Toprak held top spot.

In Race 2, Bautista crashed out on Lap 1 of 15 – the race distance reduced due to the high temperatures – leaving it a land of opportunity for the likes of Razgatlioglu, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). Razgatlioglu led the way but at halfway, Bassani put a smile on the crowd’s faces as he hit the front, although he couldn’t fend off Razgatlioglu for long. The Turkish star pressured the Italian for the next handful of laps before passing him into Rivazza on Lap 12 and breaking clear for his first feature race victory of the 2023 season.

Speaking about his Superpole Race fight, the now 102-time podium finisher said: “The biggest problem in the Superpole Race was that my dashboard wasn’t working, the buttons weren’t working and it looked like the electronics weren’t working, so I was full lean angle, zero electronics! Then, I picked up the bike a little bit and I felt a bit but then at some corners, I was sliding a bit strangely. I adapted, like on the lean angle, I was opening the gas very slowly! Finally, I did a very good job and step-by-step I got to Alvaro. I passed him at Turn 9 because I watched him every lap there and he was a bit slower. I said, ‘OK, now I need to pass’ because for me, it’s better that I ride alone at the front. I think my plan worked well but I was riding more than 100%!”

It’s been a weekend to celebrate regardless for the 26-year-old, as he took a 100^th career podium in Race 1 with P2, before fending off his main title rival in a sensational final lap showdown in the Tissot Superpole Race. Then, taking advantage of Bautista’s swift early exit, ‘Stoprak’ made hay whilst the sun shone, with a 36^th win of his career and Yamaha’s first full race victory at the circuit. It was also his 20^th podium in 21 races, a new record for Razgatlioglu personally from races at the start of the season.

“I’m very happy that this year, finally, I’ve won! I waited for this moment, so thanks to my team who did an incredible job this weekend. Every session, we improved the bike but I am also sorry for Alvaro but this is racing, and you try and do your best. It’s the first time he’s crashed. After, I made a plan and didn’t want to risk. I followed Axel and in the last three laps I passed him and took a good pace. In general, I’m very happy this weekend! It’s the first time that Yamaha have won at Imola this weekend and I love this track too. It was very hot this weekend and congratulations to everyone because of this. I think it’s been a very good weekend as everybody’s watched real racing! The Championship is not over; I am riding like before, I’m focussing just on winning.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) secured a stunning Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola double with a hard-fought win over rival Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) in Race 2 at the Prometeon Italian Round. The Italian hauled himself up the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship standings under the scorching sun in Italy as he fended off the KTM rider, who moved into the lead of the title race with his third-consecutive second place while Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse), topping the standings heading into Race 2, was retired with a technical problem.

THREE-WAY FIGHT: Vannucci vs Geiger vs Maier

Geiger initially got away well as the lights went out and looked to pull out a gap as the pack behind him squabbled over track position. By the start of Lap 2, Vannucci had caught up along with Humberto Maier (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) as the top three broke away. The home hero moved into the lead into the Tamburello chicane but there was very little to separate the lead trio while they pulled out a gap of almost four seconds at around the halfway stage.

In what was a similar story to Race 1, the lead riders opted not to fight too hard as they extended the gap over the group behind. As the race reached the two-thirds distance, they started swapping positions. Geiger made his first move on Vannucci at the Villeneuve chicane on Lap 9, but his Italian rival was able to respond immediately with an incredible move around the outside of Tosa. It was a move he repeated a lap later with the #91 this time opting for the inside of Tosa to re-gain P1.  Vannucci and Geiger pulled away from Maier on the final lap as they went head-to-head for victory, with Vannucci just holding on.

The German tried to make a move into the Variante Alta on the final lap, but Vannucci defended before Geiger looked to get alongside heading into Rivazza 1. The KTM rider cut back to take the inside line into Rivazza 2, but Vannucci got the better line and exit to lead into the final chicane and across the line. Vannucci claimed his fourth win in WorldSSP300 and his seventh podium. Geiger’s now taken three consecutive podium finishes, all second, while Maier’s third place was his fourth in the Championship. Geiger’s second place means that, coupled with Gennai not scoring due to a technical issue, means he now leads the Championship – the first time a KTM rider has led the Riders’ Championship since Aragon in 2018.

A STRONG DAY FOR KTM: two bikes in the top five for the first time since 2018

2020 Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) headed the battle for fourth with P4 to P14 separated by just 3.3s; once again, highlighting the unpredictable nature of WorldSSP300. The Dutchman was three tenths clear of Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) in fifth with two KTM riders inside the top five for the first time since Brno in 2018. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) took sixth place, around one second down on Buis and six tenths away from Lehmann ahead.

POST-RACE PENALTIES: a change in the top ten…

Home hero Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) was seventh as he narrowly missed out on a home rostrum, while Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) was eighth and lost ground in the Championship standings; dropping to third place. There was a post-race penalty which decided the bottom end of the top ten. Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) had crossed the line in ninth but a one-place penalty for exceeding track limits on the final lap at Turn 22 demoted him to tenth behind wildcard Bruno Ieraci (ProDina Kawasaki Racing).

FIGHTING HARD: the fastest lap is set from outside the top 10

Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) was around half-a-second down on the top ten as he finished in 11^th with Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) in 12^th. The Spaniard set the fastest lap of the race as he showed his potential although couldn’t match or equal his best result of the season (ninth in Barcelona). Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) was 13^th with Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) and Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) completing the points-scoring positions.

HOUSEKEEPING: retirements and penalties from a dramatic Race 2

Enzo Valentim (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) had crossed the line in 19^th place but was demoted one spot for exceeding track limits with a shortcut at Turn 22 on the final lap. This promoted Mexican Juan Pablo Uriostegui (Team#109 Kawasaki) into 19^th with the Brazilian classified in 20^th.

Ruben Bijman (Acro Motor University Team) retired after he had a crash with Alfonso Coppola (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) at Turn 12, with the Dutchman taken to the medical centre for a check-up and the incident placed under investigation by the FIM Stewards. Coppola was given a three-second penalty, in lieu of a Long Lap Penalty, for his role in the collision and was classified 26^th. Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) crashed at Turn 7 on Lap to drop him down the order; he re-joined the race but brought his bike into the pits to retire. Roberto Jason Sarchi (Gradaracorse) was classified in 27^th after he crashed at Turn 7 on Lap 2; the wildcard re-joining the race but finishing last.

Michel Agazzi (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) was also not classified. The Italian was ordered to start from the back of the grid due to a tyre pressure infringement, and then he was not allowed to continue the race.

The top six from WorldSSP300 Race 2, full results here:

1. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha)

2. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) +0.287s

3. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) +4.113s

4. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) +8.983s

5. Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) +9.297s

6. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) +9.842s

Fastest Lap: Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Kawasaki) – 2’06.911s

Championship standings

1. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) 111 points

2. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) 104

3. Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) 95

4. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) 95

5. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) 92

6. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) 90

Watch WorldSSP300 action from the Autodrom Most next time out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

There was a huge twist in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship title fight in Race 2 at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) crashed out of Race 2 from the lead on the opening lap. The reigning Champion got the holeshot into Turn 1 but crashed out of contention as soon as Turn 3 as his points lead was slashed by Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) who took victory.

Bautista started from second and led into the braking zone at the Variante Tamburello as he went in search of a record-breaking 18^th win of the season. However, he was soon sliding off the track and into the gravel along with his Panigale V4 R as his race came to an end on Lap 1. With Razgatlioglu taking a hard-fought victory over Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), Bautista’s Championship lead was cut by 25 points; it now stands at 70 over the 2021 Champion.

Explaining the crash, Bautista said: “We decided to make the race shorter… and I made it even shorter! I made a mistake. I had a good start and kept a good line, but I just touched the inside white line at Turn 3. Maybe in other laps I touched it without problems but perhaps, on the first laps, the tyres were not 100%, I made a mistake. Next time, I have to be more careful. A pity because we were quite competitive this weekend. We were quite strong in Race 1 and in the Superpole Race. We had a nice battle with Toprak. we were stronger than I expected this weekend. I have to be positive, look forward and try to learn from the mistake.”

Despite the costly crash, Bautista remained optimistic heading into the Czech Round next time out in two weeks, with the Spaniard still having more than a round’s worth of points in hand over his rivals. Bautista looked ahead to the upcoming round, vowing to learn from his mistake, as he looks to defend his title.

He added: “I think it’s important to not make mistakes. It’s what I’m working towards day by day. Today, I think, the combination of Imola being a difficult track for us before we got here, then I felt good on the bike, during the weekend I started to feel like I could fight for wins. If you put all this together, with small details on track, in these difficult conditions like today, it’s easy to crash or make a mistake. It’s good to know and it’s good to learn and not repeat this mistake. Let’s try to keep the mentality. We have to keep working this way and not make mistakes. It’s important to finish all the races. It doesn’t matter if it’s first, second or whatever. We have to finish all the races doing our best but without making mistakes.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The gap in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship standing was cut by the maximum 25 points as Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) took advantage of Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) opening lap crash at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola. The 2021 Champion had to battle his way into the lead in the closing stages of Race 2 at the Prometeon Italian Round after Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) went hunting after a maiden win but was denied with a handful of laps to go.

A KEY MOMENT IN 2023: Bautista tumbles into the gravel, Razgatlioglu wins

Bautista got the holeshot in the shortened 15-lap race, but his race unravelled as soon as it started. He came off his Panigale V4 R at Turn 3 and into the gravel, ending his run of feature length wins in 2023. It allowed 2021 Champion Razgatlioglu to move into the lead as teammate Andrea Locatelli had to take avoiding action. While the Turkish star was in the lead, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) pulled off a mega move to go from fourth to second.

He took advantage of Locatelli running wide at the final chicane at the end of Lap 2 and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) being held up to blast past the pair on the run into the Tamburello chicane to take second. From there, he put in a series of fast laps to close the gap to the Yamaha rider. The gap was just over a tenth on Lap 7 with Rea in hot pursuit of the pair; less than half-a-second separating the top three.

On Lap 8, Bassani made his move on Razgatlioglu for first. He looked to overtake into the Villeneuve chicane first but that didn’t work out, before he went up the inside of his rival at the left-hand hairpin of Tosa. He initially pulled out a small gap, but Razgatlioglu kept in touch as the race entered the final third of the race. At the end of Lap 12, Razgatlioglu made his move into Rivazza 1 with the #47 aiming to cut back into Rivazza 2 although the #54 held on through the exit. On his first full lap with clear air, the Yamaha rider pulled out a six-tenths margin as he went on to claim his first feature-length race win of 2023.

Razgatlioglu was able to claim his 36^th career win and his 102^nd, while it was also Yamaha’s 410^th rostrum in World Superbike. Bassani took his sixth podium in the Championship, and his second this season, as he equalled his best result. Rea took two feature-length race podiums in a single round for the first time in 2023. With Bassani taking the fastest lap, a 1’47.491s on Lap 5,, Bautista secured the Pirelli Best Lap Award for 2023.

CAREER-BEST RESULTS IN THE TOP SIX: Imola ends on a high

Locatelli was demoted to fourth when Rea overtook him at Turn 9 on Lap 3, and he remained there for the rest of the race to take P4 and end his home round in a good way following on from his Tissot Superpole Race podium. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fifth ahead of a three-way scrap for sixth. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) took a career-best sixth after fending off two BMW riders. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) and Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) were separated by just half-a-second at the line with Baz taking P7.

SCORING POINTS: fierce fights for the top 15

Rookie Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was ninth, five seconds down on the fight ahead. He also had a decent margin on the riders behind as they battled it out for a place in the top ten. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) put Honda in the top ten for the first time this weekend as he, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), teammate Dominique Aegerter, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and Xavi Vierge (Team HRC).

The quintet was changing positions throughout the race with Gardner finishing 0.44s down on Lecuona in 11^th while he was almost two seconds ahead of his teammate. Aegerter was 12^th with Gerloff and Vierge directly behind; just 0.117s separated the trio. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) was the final points scorer in 15^th, with Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) narrowly missing out on a home point. Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing), who started from the pitlane after exceeding the engine allocation, was 17^th ahead of Roberto Tamburini (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) in 18^th and his teammate, Eric Granado, completing the classified riders.

HOUSEKEEPING: the retirements from Race 2

Tito Rabat (Barni Spark Racing Team) crashed out of the race on Lap 5 at Turn 12, while Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) retired after a trip across the gravel. It was a similar story for Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) while Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) crashed at Turn 12 on Lap 9. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had a tumble at Turn 7 on Lap 12 which ended his hopes of a top-six finish.

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

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK)

2. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +1.996s

3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.458s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometon WorldSBK) +6.111s

5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +11.154s

6. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) +12.210s

Fastest Lap: Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) – 1’47.491s

Championship standings

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 391                    
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 321
3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 208
4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 201
5. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) 179
6. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 129

Watch all the action from Round 8 in the Czech Republic next time out for HALF PRICE using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) put in a masterclass at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola for his second win of the Prometeon Italian Round, closing down early race leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) and passing him before extending his gap to more than seven seconds. The FIM Supersport World Championship standings got even closer with Manzi beating Bulega to take out another five points out of the latter’s lead.

ALL-ITALIAN ROSTRUM: the gap closes again…

Bulega got the holeshot as the lights went out for the 17-lap race and the Italian soon pulled out a gap over his rivals, taking advantage of Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) seemingly holding up the chasing pack. By the start of Lap 4, the #11 had a lead of 1.513s over the #62 as he lapped in the 1’51s; finding almost a full second compared to his lap times from Race 1. However, Manzi responded soon after to bring the gap down to less than a second by the end of the same lap as Bulega dropped into the 1’52s.

The Yamaha rider kept getting closer to his title rival and soon moved into the lead when he overtook the Ducati rider into the Villeneuve chicane on Lap 7. From there, Manzi was able to pull a gap out with Bulega unable to respond. Bulega’s pace dropped into the 1’53s while Manzi lapped in the high 1’51s to extend his gap, with the Yamaha rider able to manage the gap to claim a double at Imola; only the second time this season he’s scored two podiums in a single round. It also meant the Championship standings closed up further with Manzi taking another five points out of the standing’s leader; the gap is now 41 points.

Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) had been running in the podium places when he crashed at the final chicane on Lap 6. The Italian did remount his Ducati Panigale V2 but brought it into the pits at the end of the next lap and retired. This promoted Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) into third place, and he was relatively unchallenged to claim his fourth podium in WorldSSP and his third of the season so far. It was the eighth all-Italian podium in WorldSSP history.

BEST RESULTS OF 2023: Huertas, de Rosa shine under the scorching sun

Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) had shown strong pace throughout the Round and that culminated in him taking his WorldSSP-best result with fourth. He was five seconds down on Montella in the podium fight, but he was able to take advantage of the scrap behind him to finish three seconds clear. The battle for fifth turned into a four-rider fight as Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) and Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) running wide at the Variante Alta with just a few laps to go. The Italian rider claimed fifth, his best result of 2023, while Navarro, Schroetter, and Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) scrapped it out on the final lap. Schroetter tried to pass his Spanish rival into Acque Minerali, but the Yamaha rider responded into the second part to retain sixth place. With Schroetter forced slightly wide, Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) took advantage to claim seventh with the German in eighth.

ROUNDING OUT THE TOP TEN: Edwards takes his best result of the season

Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished in ninth, almost 17 seconds down on the battle ahead of him but it was a dramatic end to the race. He battled with Tom Edwards (Yart-Yamaha WorldSSP Team) with the 2017 Champion coming out on top on the final lap. However, the Australian will leave Imola with his best result of the season in the bag as he took tenth; while it was also his best finish since Estoril Race 2 in 2022 when he took ninth. Edwards also finished as the top WorldSSP Challenge rider.

BATTLE OF THE SUBSTITUTES: Verdoia, Fuligni impress

Andy Verdoia (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) secured 11^th place in a race of attrition to take more points, as he fended off Filippo Fuligni (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) in a battle of the late replacement riders. Verdoia was drafted in before FP2 for Apiwath Wongthananon while Fuligni stood in for the injured Andrea Mantovani. Maximilian Kofler (D34G Racing) took his best result in World Supersport with 13^th, while it was the same for Alvaro Diaz (Arco Yart Yamaha WorldSSP) as he was 14^th; scoring his first points since graduating to WorldSSP. John McPhee (Vince64 by Puccetti Racing) was the last points scorer with 15th. Luke Power (Motozoo ME AIE Racing) and Adam Norrodin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) were the last classified riders in 16^th and 17^th respectively.

HOUSEKEEPING: a race of attrition…

Local rider Nicholas Spinelli (VFT Racing WEBIKE Yamaha) crashed at Turn 18 on Lap 3 which put him out of the race, while Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) crashed at Turn 14. He re-joined the race but opted to bring his Yamaha machine into the pits and retired. Federico Fuligni (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was another rider who didn’t finish the race when he tumbled out of the race at Turn 7 on Lap 5. There was drama at the final chicane at the end of Lap 7. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) came off his bike through the Variante Bassa which forced him out of the race; in a separate incident, wildcard Emanuele Pusceddu (J.Angel by Edafos) crashed at the same corner.

Stefano Valtulini (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) crashed out at Turn 9 on Lap 9 as he ended his weekend early. The Italian rider, standing in for the unwell Yuta Okaya, was also given a six-second time penalty, in lieu of a double Long Lap Penalty, for a jump start. Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing), Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) and Harry Truelove (PTR Triumph) all brought their bikes into the pits and retired. Maiki Abe (VFT Racing WEBIKE Yamaha) was on course for his best finish of his rookie campaign but a Turn 6 crash in the final laps of the race put him out of contention.

Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) didn’t compete on Sunday after his Race 1 crash. He was reviewed again on Sunday morning, ahead of Warm Up, and declared unfit with a right wrist sprain and contusion, which impaired his use of it.

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

1. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +7.188s

3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +9.804s

4. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) +15.370s

5. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +17.370s

6. Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +17.636s

Fastest Lap: Stefano Manzi, Yamaha – 1’51.445s

Championship standings

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 283 points

2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 242

3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 184

4. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) 156

5. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 97

6. Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) 93

WorldSSP heads to the Czech Republic next time out – watch it all for HALF PRICE with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) beat Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in an epic Tissot Superpole Race scrap at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola. The battle for victory went down to the final lap as the 2021 Champion fought hard to claim his first victory at Imola with the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship standings closing ever so slightly with the results in the Prometeon Italian Round.

THE FIGHT FOR THE WIN: Locatelli leads, Razgatlioglu beats Bautista for victory

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) once again got the holeshot and defended valiantly despite pressure from teammate Razgatlioglu, with their battle allowing Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to stay in contention. Razgatlioglu looked to pass his teammate on several occasions but was unable to make the move before the Spaniard bundled his way through on the Turkish star at the Variante Bassa at the end of Lap 5. Just a few corners later and the reigning Champion was out in front as he passed Locatelli into the Variante Tamburello.

It left the two Yamaha riders to fight it out and the 2021 Champion attempted to pass his teammate into the Tosa hairpin, but Locatelli held position. Heading out of Acque Minerali, Locatelli made a small mistake which allowed Razgatlioglu through forcefully at the Variante Alta. He soon closed the gap to Bautista out in front, with Razgatlioglu making the race-winning move at Piratella on Lap 9 as he caught his rival by surprise. Bautista kept him in his sights and looked for a way through on the final lap but the #54 was able to hold on for a hard-fought victory.

The Turk was able to hold on despite last-lap pressure from the defending Champion to claim his third win of the season and close the gap in the Championship standings by three points. It was his 35^th win in WorldSBK, putting him alone at sixth in the all-time list. Bautista took his 77^th podium while Locatelli resisted Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the second half of the race for his 12^th podium. The front row for Race 2 will therefore be Razgatlioglu, Bautista and Locatelli.

MOVING UP THE GRID: Rea charges to P4, Bassani loses grid positions

Rea will lead off the second row after he moved up from seventh on the grid for the Superpole Race and he will be joined by two Italians who go in search of a stunning home result at home. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) renewed their rivalry as they battled over fifth place, with Rinaldi coming out on top after the #47 fell down the order, partly aided by a poor start.

A GOOD STARTING PLACE FOR RACE 2: can they move up the order in Race 2?

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) will line up seventh for Race 2 as he finished 0.616s down on Bassani ahead. Danilo Petrucci’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) continued his strong run of form as he scored eighth place, the second consecutive Superpole Race he has taken points from. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) will complete the third row in Race 2 as he secured ninth; just beating Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) by 0.194s.

The top nine from the Tissot Superpole Race, full results here:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK)

2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.244s

3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +1.720s

4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.969ss

5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +3.341s

6. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +4.603s

7. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +5.219s

8. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +7.536s

9. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +9.407s

Next up, Race 2! Don’t miss any of the action from 14:00 Local Time (GMT+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com