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

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport World Championship title race took a huge twist at Donington Park as Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) doubled up on British wins while Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) had a mixed day after claiming fifth following a crash and a penalty. History was made during the Prosecco DOC UK Round with the first all-Ducati podium in the Championship’s history as Bulega extended his title lead with half the season completed.

HISTORY MADE: a first-time occurrence in WorldSSP…

The fight for victory was between a trio of Italian riders in the opening stages. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) surged into the lead as the lights went out as he looked to go one better than his Race 1 second place, but he soon found himself demoted to P2 as Championship leader Bulega battled his way into the lead with a move at Turn 9 on the opening lap. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) forced his way into second place on Lap 2 as he lunged Montella at Turn 11, but he soon fell down the order.

A crash at Turn 11 on Lap 5 dropped him to tenth place but he soon fought his way back up. On Lap 7, he passed Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) at Turn 1 aggressively to move into seventh, before overtaking home hero Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) at Turn 11 on the same lap. On Lap 9, the FIM Stewards gave the Italian a Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding after he forced Mahias onto the grass on the exit of Turn 1, which he took a lap later before fighting his way back.

With the Yamaha rider dropping out of contention, Bulega was able to pull away from the chasing group with Montella and Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team). The #11 was posting lap record pace throughout the race with a best of 1’29.018s on Lap 4 as he extended his Championship lead over Manzi. Montella finished two seconds down on his compatriot but he fended off ‘Carica’ to claim his second consecutive second place finish with Caricasulo securing third place. Montella’s pace was so strong that he set his personal best lap on the final lap to make sure the #64 was unable to challenge him.

Ducati secured their first podium lockout in WorldSSP while it was the fifth all-Italian podium of 2023. Bulega’s victory gave him his eighth World Supersport win to put him level with Sam Lowes in the all-time list. Montella’s rostrum gave him his third in the Championship and consecutive podium finishes for the first time, while Caricasulo moved up to fifth in the all-time list, level with Broc Parkes, with his 32^nd rostrum.

MAN-ZI ON A MISSION: ups and downs for Manzi, best results for others as Schroetter crashes

2021 WorldSSP300 Champion Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) took his best result since graduating to WorldSSP as he claimed fourth place, missing out on a podium by just a few seconds, with Manzi coming home in fifth. He took his Long Lap Penalty on Lap 10 and re-joined back down the order. He passed Debise again on Lap 11 before overtaking Booth-Amos for the second time at Turn 11 for sixth; he was promoted to fifth when Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) crashed on Lap 15 at Turn 12 which put the German rider out of contention. He was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash and diagnosed with contusions to his left scapular and back. Booth-Amos did stay with Manzi in the final few laps but was unable to re-pass the Championship

BOUNCING BACK: finishing the weekend strongly

Debise took seventh place as he enjoyed a strong weekend on his return to World Supersport following illness, with Turkish star Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in eighth. The Barcelona race winner had crashes on Friday and in Sunday Warm Up, but he was able to respond in Race 2 to claim a top-ten finish after fending off Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in the closing stages as the pair battled at Donington. Dutchman Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) was just behind the fight as he rounded out the top ten.

SUZUKI SCORE: a points-paying return

Rookie Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) just missed out on a place in the top ten as he finished 11^th, with Finalnd’s Tuuli taking 12^th. Andy Verdoia (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) scored points on his return to action as he stands in for Apiwath Wongthananon. Verdoia, the youngest-ever race winner in WorldSSP, finished 13^th and less than a second clear of Tom Edwards (Yart-Yamaha WorldSSP Team) in 14^th while it was a point-scoring return for Suzuki. Wildcard Rhys Irwin (Astro-JJR Suzuki) secured 15^th place on his WorldSSP debut.

HOUSEKEEPING: dramatic Race 2 at Donington

Harry Truelove (Dynavolt Triumph) retired from Race 2 in the opening stages, while French rider Mahias brought his ZX-6R machine into the pits at around the halfway stage as he also retired. Wildcard Eugene McManus (Completely Motorbikes Triumph) had his race ended after two crashes in quick succession. He went down at Turn 12 on Lap 10 before re-joining but he went down again at Turn 1 on the next lap.

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

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)

2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +2.119s

3. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +3.629s

4. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) +7.880s

5. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +11.657

6. Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +12.721s

Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati – 1’29.018s (New Lap Record)

Championship standings

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 247 points

2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 192

3. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) 156

4. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 156

5. Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) 93

6. Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) 89

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) claimed his second victory of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign after a hard-fought battle between the ‘Titanic Trio’ at Donington Park. The 2021 Champion ended Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) winning streak on 11 races as the Turk denied the reigning Champion a piece of WorldSBK history during the Prosecco DOC UK Round.

MISSING OUT ON HISTORY: Razgatlioglu stops Bautista’s winning run

Bautista got the holeshot but six-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) responded immediately to take the lead at Turn 2. Bautista was soon demoted to third as Razgatlioglu went through at the Old Hairpin to move up the order before the trio battled it out for victory. The Ulsterman tried to stretch his legs and got the gap up to half a second before the 2021 Champion brought the gap back down to just over a tenth at the halfway stage.

The Spaniard remained in touch as he posted several lap records, including a 1’25.896s on Lap 6 to bring the gap across the top three to 0.5s. As the 10-lap encounter progressed, Bautista closed in on his rivals and he made a last-lap pass at Turn 9 to move into second and soon set his sights on Razgatlioglu but, with two corners left, the Turkish star was able to hold on to claim his second win of the season and ended the Championship leader’s winning streak.

Razgatlioglu’s victory means he ends Bautista’s run at 11 races with the Spaniard unable to break the all-time run, while Razgatlioglu took his 34^th career win. It is the first time Bautista has finished a race and not won in 2023, while Rea moved on to 251 WorldSBK podiums and he also took Kawasaki’s 530^th rostrum in the World Championship. The trio will start alongside each other on the front row in Race 2. It was also the closest podium finish of the season.

BATTLING THROUGHOUT: securing a second row start for Race 2

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) will start Race 2 from fourth place after he made a move on Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) on Lap 4, with Petrucci joining him on the second row. Home hero Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) will be alongside them for Race 2 as he took sixth in the Superpole Race. In the early stages of the encounter, Lowes moved into fourth after passing Petrucci but dropped back in the closing stages.

MOVING ON UP: battling up the field for a place in the top nine

American star Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) will be the highest-placed BMW rider on the Race 2 grid as he took seventh, narrowly missing out on a spot on the second row by just three tenths. Italy’s Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) took eighth, moving up the order from his starting position, to secure a third row start this afternoon with Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) completing that row in Race 2.

DRAMA FOR BAZ, SYKES AND RINALDI: a difficult Superpole Race

Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) was an early crasher when he went down at Turn 12 on the opening lap, although he re-joined the race to finish in 23^rd. Tom Sykes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had been in the top nine when he crashed at the same corner on the penultimate lap, which it was another difficult race for Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). He ran wide on the opening lap at Turn 11, and into the gravel, which dropped him to the back of the field. The Italian was able to battle back for 17^th.

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

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK)

2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.315s

3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) `0.537s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +4.247s

5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +5.018s

6. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +5.330s

7. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +5.629s

8. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +6.884s

9. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +9.047s

Fastest lap: Alvaro Bautista, Ducati – 1’25.896 (New Lap Record)

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) started his Sunday by going fastest in the 15-minute Warm Up session for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship competitors. The Ulsterman was less than a tenth clear of his rivals as action got underway on the final day of the Prosecco DOC UK Round and it was an incredibly close session. The top five were separated by less than two tenths as Warm Up concluded, setting up today’s two races perfectly for more stunning action at Donington Park.

Throughout the first 10 minutes of the session, the times were getting faster as riders looked to find the limits ahead of the Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2 and most riders completed just one run during the 15-minute Warm Up. Six-time Champion Rea put in a series of last in the final few minutes of the session to top the times with a 1’26.438s, less than a tenth clear of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as the Italian looks to bounce back from a difficult Saturday. Rinaldi was around half-a-tenth clear of teammate and Race 1 winner, Alvaro Bautista, as he goes in search of a record-breaking win in the Superpole Race. Bautista was the only rider in the top three to complete a ten-lap stint with his lap times consistently in the 1’26s or 1’27s brackets.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) secured fourth spot as he set a 1’26.612s, 0.174s down on Rea’s time. Yamaha’s pace was on display in Warm Up with the 2021 Champion’s teammate, Andrea Locatelli, in fourth and only 0.023s slower than the Turk. Home hero Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) looks to continue his strong Donington form and he took sixth on Sunday morning, 0.214s down on his teammate.

After an impressive Saturday, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) started Sunday in seventh place after setting a 1’26.764s, finishing around half-a-tenth clear of compatriot Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) who will have to battle his way up the order in the Superpole Race. Donington master Tom Sykes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took ninth as the lead BMW rider with Swiss rookie Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) completing the top ten.

The top six from WorldSBK Warm Up, full results here:

1 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’26.438s

2. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.078s

3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.123s

4. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.174s

5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.197s

6. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.214s

Don’t miss more stunning WorldSBK action with the Tissot Superpole Race at 13:00 Local Time (GMT+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The fourth round of the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU European Championship saw Spain’s Marc Vich take an impressive victory in an exciting Race 1, while Indonesia’s Aldi Mahendra battled back after disappointment and penalties for a strong Race 2 win.

Donington Park was chilly, windy and cloudy for the R3 riders’ first race held on Saturday morning, but the action among the paddock’s youngest riders was as boiling as ever as they battled to take top honours on the technical British track. Pole-sitter Kevin Fontainha took the ‘holeshot’ but title-leader Emiliano Ercolani quickly closed him down and proceeded to give chase. The leading group of five was fractured in the early stages of the race when Mahendra had an incident with Dorian Joulin which saw both competitors exit the race.

The three Brazilian riders: Fontainha, Gustavo Manso, and Eduardo Burr were looking extremely strong as the newly-formed pack started to settle into a race rhythm, but Ercolani and Vich were keen to keep them in their sights. With five laps to go there was a break-away group at the front, but with the determination and pace of the chasing riders it was once again a group of 10 before the final three laps. The closing moments of the race were intense when another incident happened between championship leader Ercolani and Krittapat Keankum, with both riders left in the gravel, although they were able to rejoin – finishing 12^th and 17^th respectively. Vich kept his cool and stayed out of trouble to take a superb victory – his first of the season. Fontainha and Manso completed the Top 3.

The second race of the day was no less dramatic than the first, with Mahendra cleared fit to ride but having to serve a double long lap penalty for his part in the Race 1 crash. Manso was the quickest off the line but there was no chance to make a break with little to split the entire field and plenty of chopping and changing in the running order. Italy’s Christian Stringhetti suffered a high side at Turn 11 at the mid-way point of the race which Vich and Valentin Arnaud were unable to avoid. All riders walked away from the incident, and Arnaud was able to rejoin the running. The action continued to the chequered flag, and it was Mahendra who proved strongest despite his penalty; the Indonesian took his second win of the season. Ercolani recouped from his Race 1 crash to take second, and Fontainha crossed the line third, but was later demoted, moving Manso into the position.

Race 1 results can be found HERE and Race 2 results HERE.

Marc Vich, P1 Race 1, said: “At the beginning of the race I was trying to be in the Top 5, because I knew if I dropped lower than that it was going to be difficult to stay out of trouble with so many riders trying to join the pack, but inside the Top 5 it’s sometimes a bit calmer. On the last lap I was seventh and I don’t really know how I did it, but I managed to make lots of overtakes and I won the race! I really like Donington and I’m so happy.”

Aldi Satya Mahendra, P1 Race 2, said: “I am very, very happy! I’ve managed to take my second victory of the season despite a really difficult Race 1 where I had a crash which caused some discomfort in my ankle. I was able to ride in the second race, but I had to do a double long lap penalty because of the incident. I decided to give my best and I pushed hard, I was thinking a podium could be possible, but a win is even better!”

Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) put himself on the verge of more MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship history as he extended his winning run to 11 races, equalling the current streak. It came after victory in Race 1 at Donington Park after a fierce scrap with the ‘Titanic Trio’ as the Prosecco DOC UK Round burst into action in the UK. A win in Sunday’s Tissot Superpole Race would see him break the current win streak record.

The Spaniard holds the record jointly with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and the pair have recorded 11 wins each. Rea ended the 2018 campaign with 11 straight wins while Bautista did it at the start of the following season, as well as in 2023 after winning from Mandalika Race 2 to Donington Park Race 1. Victory in the Superpole Race would move him into a league of his own on 12 consecutive wins.

The reigning Champion also ended Ducati’s Donington drought with his Race 1 triumph. The Italian manufacturer had not won at the iconic British circuit since Carlos Checa claimed victory in Race 2 in 2011. Bautista’s win ended the manufacturer’s woes at the British venue and it also put him one step closer to equalling the number of wins in a season, which currently stands at 17. After 16 races, Bautista has won 15 and a hat-trick would put him on 17 victories in 2023.

The race featured an incredible fight with his two adversaries, Rea and Razgatlioglu, in the opening third as all three traded positions and got their elbows out as they hunted victory. The trio all led at different times but Bautista’s move on Lap 9 down the back straight against Razgatlioglu allowed him to pull a gap over his rivals and win for the first time at Donington.

Explaining his emotions after his Race 1 victory, Bautista said: “Many people expected Jonathan and Toprak to fight for the win, including me! Maybe at this track, fewer people expected me to fight for the win because, in the past, it was a difficult track for us. I hadn’t won here, and it was 12 years since Ducati won. It’s what I said this weekend started. Every year is new. You cannot compare what happened this year with the last one. You have to work as much as possible and try to give your best. You never know how you feel with the track, especially with the new asphalt; it was new for everyone. After yesterday, basically without practice as we didn’t do many laps, today the race was a big challenge because nobody knew what would happen after 10 or 11 laps with the tyres. I have never enjoyed this track like today, the feeling with the bike was fantastic. My team worked really well without data to give me a really good bike for the race. I’m so happy to get my first win at Donington.”

Read all the details about Bautista’s incredible victory HERE and watch more WorldSBK action on Sunday using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The Prosecco DOC UK Round saw the ‘Titanic Trio’ of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship renew their rivalry in the early stages, with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at the thick of the action. After being relegated to third place by his rivals, the 36-year-old held on to third place in the closing stages of Race 1 and resisted constant pressure from behind to take a 250^th podium, the first rider in WorldSBK to achieve it.

RACE STORY: podium the target, podium the outcome

Rea started from his third straight Donington Park pole position and despite a good start, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) snatched the holeshot into Turn 1. The home-hero was hot on his heels though and on Lap 2, forced a mistake from Bautista, with the Spaniard getting loose in the braking area for the Foggy Esses. He zipped on through and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) took advantage too. It was then a paint-swapping match between all three of them, particularly into Turns 4 and 5, as well as Turns 9 and 11; you can enjoy the full battle here. Rea held on to third place, after a late charge by top Independent rider Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), who was chasing his first podium.

IN HIS OWN WORDS: “I tried to keep a basic rhythm”

Talking about the race and being in the battle, Rea said: “Race 1 was solid, that’s about as positive as I can be. I made a good start but the bike wheelied a little bit and I lose track position. When I got to the front of the race, I tried to keep a basic rhythm as I had no idea about the tyre consumption and I was trying to ride. Then Toprak and Alvaro came through; Alvaro had so much grip in acceleration and I then I thought I could only race with Toprak today. Then, even Toprak started going away. There was a point in the race when I thought I was going to struggle but then in the last part, when I was under pressure from Danilo, I found some rhythm by slowing down my brake points and not making mistakes, which seemed faster.”

Speaking about his plan for Sunday, the six-time World Champion was clear that a step in stopping the bike on the side of the tyre would help him hit his markers: “Tomorrow, we just need more trail braking, to be able to stop the bike on the side of the tyre. As soon as I brake too late, there’s so much grip from the rear that it pushed me into the corner and I miss it. A few areas to improve but the podium was my target.”

250 PODIUMS – the first rider in history: “I’ve enjoyed each and every one!”

However, it was a 250th podium from Rea that served as one of the big take-aways from the opening duel at Donington Park. Rea first mounted the WorldSBK podium way back in 2009, at Kyalami with third in Race 2. That was back in his Honda days, and he racked-up an impressive 42 in total by the end of spell with the Japanese brand. Since moving to Kawasaki though, it’s been all about re-writing history, and the 250^th podium is the latest chapter in an illustrious story. His nearest rival behind the 250 is Troy Corser on 130, whilst the nearest active rival is the Ulsterman’s arch-rival but good friend Toprak Razgatlioglu, who is on 97 and can be on 99 if things go his way on Sunday in the UK.

Speaking of the achievement, it came as a surprise to the #65 but he was happy with his achievements in what is his 14^th full-season of action: “It’s incredible! It makes me feel very proud and very old! To hang around for 250 podiums is a long time in my career but I’ve found an amazing home in WorldSBK and I’ve enjoyed each and every podium. Each one has a great story, so long may it continue!”

Get the full Race 1 report here and enjoy all the action LIVE with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com