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WorldSBK Returns To Phillip Island This Weekend

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PB
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It will have been 225 days since the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship fired into life when the final round’s first race gets underway on Saturday. Even longer since the championship headed down under. This weekend the racing gets underway on the scenic Phillip Island circuit…

This weekend, the WorldSBK racing gets underway on the scenic Phillip Island circuit...
This weekend, the WorldSBK racing gets underway on the scenic Phillip Island circuit…

2022 has flown by in record-breaking speed as we’ve enjoyed the rollercoaster journey of another historic season of racing. So, it’s only fitting that a true classic venue brings us the showdown of the season, the 35th of WorldSBK action. The Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round and the iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit will draw the curtains on a mesmerising season and with the titles decided, new development tyres joining the allocation and a first visit to ‘The Island’ since the start of 2020, the stage is set for a classic weekend Down Under. 

The title race is all done and dusted for Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), meaning he can relax for Australia and Phillip Island this weekend. The last time at Phillip Island saw Bautista debut for Honda and take two well-deserved top six finishes from 16th on the grid, but he’s perhaps best remembered for his emphatic debut with Ducati in 2019, when he swept to three dominant wins, the first of which was nearly 15 seconds and the biggest dry margin in Phillip Island’s WorldSBK history. Whilst the title is done, attention turns to the Manufacturers’ Championship; Ducati just need a top four finish and they’ve got the job done in Race 1, whilst the Teams’ Championship will be secured if they don’t lose more than 34 points to Pata Yamaha. The battle for fourth should be job done for teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi, who is 34 points clear of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK). Outscoring his countryman by four points will give him fourth overall.

The title race is all done and dusted for Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), meaning he can relax for Australia and Phillip Island this weekend.
The title race is all done and dusted for Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), meaning he can relax for Australia and Phillip Island this weekend.

In second place, it looks settled for Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK), who relinquishes his crown after just one season. He’s 37 points ahead of title rival Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and if he maintains that gap, he’ll take the runner-up position. Razgatlioglu has a good track record at Phillip Island and took a stunning maiden win with Yamaha, heading up WorldSBK’s second-closest podium of all time. The outgoing World Champion aims to sign off the season in style but knows that the combination of his rivals and their packages will be a strong one. Teammate Locatelli has a mathematic chance at fourth overall in the Championship but realistically, he’ll aim to get fifth bagged, with just 15 points covering three riders to seventh place.

Third place going into his “second home round” of the season, Jonathan Rea is on record as solely looking for race wins and whilst he’s conscious that a win won’t mean that he and his Kawasaki team don’t have to look for improvement, it’s something he’ll look to achieve. Six wins on ‘The Island’ for Rea, he is within striking distance of matching Troy Corser’s record of seven at the circuit, but he knows it’ll be tough. A Superpole Race win in 2020 is his only win in the last eight races there and he’ll be hoping to end his win drought, whilst teammate Alex Lowes is the most recent winner at the track as he held off Rea for victory in Race 2 in 2020. He’s sixth in the standings, 11 points behind Locatelli, who’ll face Phillip Island on a WorldSBK bike for first time.

In second place, it looks settled for Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK), who relinquishes his crown after just one season. He’s 37 points ahead of title rival Jonathan Rea.
In second place, it looks settled for Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK), who relinquishes his crown after just one season. He’s 37 points ahead of title rival Jonathan Rea.

It’s game on for eighth in the Championship, although perhaps it is Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) who already has it in the bag, as he’s one point clear of the injured Iker Lecuona (Team HRC). It’s a big weekend for Redding, who returns to Phillip Island for the first time since his WorldSBK debut weekend, where he took three podiums with Ducati back in 2020. Redding is the lead BMW rider in the Championship and whilst that’s already locked in, he’ll hope to propel the German manufacturer to fourth in the Manufacturers’ Championship, as they’re currently three behind Honda. Teammate Michael van der Mark was in the battle for victory aboard Yamaha machinery in 2020, and he’ll aim to end his 2022 season well and also help BMW take fourth.

After Iker Lecuona’s injury sustained in FP2 at Mandalika, he slipped to ninth in the standings and is one point behind Redding. Lecuona’s had a stellar first season aboard the Honda and has had podiums and plenty of top five finishes, although he’s a major doubt for the weekend ahead. Honda’s hope lie with Xavi Vierge (Team HRC), who looks certain to stay in the top ten in the Championship. He’ll have the aim of outscoring BMW to try and deliver fourth for Honda, at a circuit he knows well from his Moto2 World Championship days. The Spaniard took a podium at the track in 2018 with third, as well a fifth the year before. Could he utilise Honda’s super concession update further this weekend?

It's game on for eighth in the Championship, although perhaps it is Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) who already has it in the bag, as he’s one point clear of the injured Iker Lecuona (Team HRC).
It’s game on for eighth in the Championship, although perhaps it is Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) who already has it in the bag, as he’s one point clear of the injured Iker Lecuona (Team HRC).

Already crowned the best Independent Rider for 2022, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) is seventh and just four points off Lowes in sixth and just 15 from Locatelli in fifth. Bassani’s been a stand-out performer in WorldSBK in 2022 and he and the Motocorsa Racing team have delivered pound-for-pound. It is however Bassani’s first time at Phillip Island, so perhaps he’ll not be as far forward as we’ve seen before. Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) is the next Independent rider as he readies for a final weekend with his team at the track where it all began. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) is 17 points behind Gerloff but always goes well at Phillip Island, with it being the last track he led a race at back in 2020. After being ruled out of Race 2 at Mandalika, Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) hopes to be back fit enough for the season finale, whilst it’s the same for Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) behind him, the Frenchman going to Australia for his final round with Manuel Puccetti’s outfit.

In 16th overall, Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) is getting ready for an emotional final round of his career and will look to sign off on a high at the circuit he took a last victory at back in 2014 for Suzuki. Xavi Fores (BARNI Spark Racing Team) has Laverty in his sights for Championship position and has been a podium finisher in Australia before, whilst he’s just ahead of Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who also gets ready for his final round in WorldSBK before he moves to Moto2™ World Championship action in 2023. Completing the running, Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team) and teammate Leandro Mercado hope for more points before their season ends, whilst after becoming the 587th different rider to score points in WorldSBK history, Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) will hope to continue that trend on his Phillip Island WorldSBK debut.

Championship Standings After Mandalika

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 553 points
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 487
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 279
4 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 279

Round Preview: ASBK Heads To Phillip Island This Weekend

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PB
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The mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship presented by Motul (ASBK) heads off to Phillip Island this weekend. Jones has a serious lead ahead of Maxwell and if he rides like he has all year then he will secure the 2022 championship, check out the round preview MA have put together.

Wayne Maxwell (Ducati V4R) was the only rider in the 1:31’s and was looking untouchable until a stumble on lap 5 saw last year’s ASBK champion crash out at turn eight
Coming into the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship (WSBK) round, the Alpinestars Superbike Championship is in a fascinating and potentially game-changing position.

Coming into the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship (WSBK) round, the Alpinestars Superbike Championship is in a fascinating and potentially game-changing position.

From round one – ironically at Phillip Island earlier this year – reigning Champion Wayne Maxwell has made defending his ASBK Championship unusually difficult, and at times, seemingly impossible. While he was dominant in every session leading into race one on Sunday the 27th of February, not long after the flag dropped, he found himself in the gravel trap at The Hayshed on lap five.

Maxwell was blisteringly fast on Friday and Saturday, smashing the lap record and taking Pole.
From round one – ironically at Phillip Island earlier this year – reigning Champion Wayne Maxwell has made defending his Championship unusually difficult, and at times, seemingly impossible.

Failing to capitalise on his favourite circuit has proved costly for the former Champion. A resurgent Bryan Staring was rightly brimming with confidence aboard the DesmoSport Ducati Panigale V4R. It became the running joke “Maxwell is behind by about the length of The Hayshed”.

Though quiet at Phillip Island, Mike Jones was able to impress himself upon the Championship via outstanding results at Queensland Raceway (two wins plus an extra point for pole). Pole plus a win at Wakefield saw Jones just pull ahead from the rest of the field, while Maxwell found himself unable to make a dent in Jones’ lead.

Staring would shadow Jones more closely in the afternoon race, albeit two-seconds adrift. Eventually, Jones took his second win by 4.6 seconds ahead of Bryan Staring and Wayne Maxwell.
Though quiet at Phillip Island, Mike Jones was able to impress himself upon the Championship via outstanding results at Queensland Raceway (two wins plus an extra point for pole).

The Hidden Valley round in Darwin saw Maxwell start to loosen his grip on the title and Jones moved into warm and rightful Championship favouritism. Jones was at his tenacious best on a weekend where the Yamaha was not the preferred machine but still caught the flight south with 70 points in his carry-on luggage, while pole-sitter Maxwell was troubled in races one and three, netting just 53 points on a three-race 76-points-on-offer weekend.

Darwin also saw a joyful and resurgent Penrite Honda Troy Herfoss well involved, taking second overall on his CBR1000RR for a very-much welcomed return to the ASBK podium, while Staring powered his way to third to keep himself in the top three for the season.

Darwin also saw a joyful and resurgent Penrite Honda Troy Herfoss well involved, taking second overall on his CBR1000RR for a very-much welcomed return to the ASBK podium.
Darwin also saw a joyful and resurgent Penrite Honda Troy Herfoss well involved, taking second overall on his CBR1000RR for a very-much welcomed return to the ASBK podium.

At Morgan Park, the Yamaha R1 was expected to enjoy the tight and bumpy running at the 1.5km circuit. Despite this, Maxwell muscled and wrestled his Boost Mobile by K-Tech Panigale V4R for an unexpected pole and two wins, keeping his Championship hopes alive. He still faces a 29-point deficit with 127 maximum points left in season 2022.

And so here we are, back at The Island for another three-race weekend. It’s fair to say that Maxwell has- when upright- been the go-to racer at this circuit since 2009, so expectations are high and with it, the pressure, and at various critical moments this year, team and rider issues have proved costly.

At Morgan Park, the Yamaha R1 was expected to enjoy the tight and bumpy running at the 1.5km circuit of Morgan Park.
At Morgan Park, the Yamaha R1 was expected to enjoy the tight and bumpy running at the 1.5km circuit of Morgan Park.

This WSBK round has much intrigue because at round one at Phillip Island, Jones was third overall with both Staring and Cru Halliday ahead of him.

Team-mate Halliday saves his best racing for the Phillip Island GP Circuit and if Maxwell stays upright and up front for all three races, and some other riders can climb up the order, then the 29-point deficit could be down to single-digits heading into the finale at The Bend (The Bend, where Maxwell took the double win in 2021 to clinch the title…)

Alvaro Bautista secures 2022 WorldSBK crown

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PB
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The title race is all done and dusted for Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), meaning he can relax for Australia and Phillip Island this weekend.
The title race is all done and dusted for Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), meaning he can relax for Australia and Phillip Island this weekend.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) fought hard during the 2022 season, resisting the charge of 2021 Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu and six-time  Champion Jonathan Rea. He became WorldSBK’s 19th Champion, and the second Spanish rider to be crowned WorldSBK Champion after Carlos Checa in 2011!

Bautista returned to Ducati for the 2022 season after two seasons away and did so in perfect fashion, taking his first win of the season in the Tissot Superpole Race at the season-opening Aragon Round. He also left MotorLand Aragon as the title leader following his Race 2 victory. Rea was able to fight back at Assen but that lasted for just one day as Bautista extended his lead again in Race 2, with the newly-crowned Champion leading the way from Assen’s Race 2 onwards. A Race 1 crash at Donington Park dented Bautista’s lead but he bounced back in style; taking 15 podiums in the 18 races that followed including a hat-trick at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. A crucial part of Bautista’s title-winning campaign was his fights with both Razgatlioglu and Rea, particularly with the 2021 Champion throughout the Estoril, Portuguese and Argentinean Rounds.

Bautista began his career in the Spanish Championship from 1995 to 2002. In 2002, he was fighting for the title until the final race. In the same year, he made his first appearance in the FIM 125cc World Championship as a wildcard. He became a 125cc Grand Prix winner in 2006 at the Spanish GP. With eighth victories claimed that season, he secured his first World Championship title. The Spanish rider then moved up to the 250cc class, claiming 28 podium places including eight victories. Bautista stepped up to the FIM MotoGP™ World Championship in 2010. During his eighth seasons in MotoGP™, he claimed three podium places and one pole position, with a fifth place as his best classification in the Championship standings in 2012. In 2019, Bautista made his WorldSBK debut with Ducati, finishing his rookie season with 16 wins, 24 podium places, 4 pole positions and 15 fastest laps as he secured second place in the Championship standings.

The 37 year-old rider secured the 2022 WorldSBK Riders' Championship at Mandalika.
The 37 year-old rider secured the 2022 WorldSBK Riders’ Championship at Mandalika.

In 2020, he switched to Honda, racing for the Team HRC squad. Over the 2020 and 2021 seasons, he claimed three podium places for the Japanese manufacturer before returning to Ducati and the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team for the 2022 season. With 14 wins and 29 podium places, Alvaro Bautista became the 2022 WorldSBK Champion at Mandalika. Bautista becomes the ninth different rider to take a Riders’ Championship for Ducati with the Italian manufacturer securing their 15th Riders’ Championship overall. He’s the third different rider in three years to take the crown, as well as being from a third different country and on a third different bike, emphasising the competitive parity in WorldSBK. The newly crowned WorldSBK Champion will remain with Ducati in 2023 and both will aim to continue challenging many records.

Alvaro Bautista: “It’s incredible, I’m so happy. It’s a dream come true, especially after the last two years and all the difficulties. I want to say thanks to everyone who trusted me, to give me this chance to fight for good places and we got the Championship at the first time of trying. Today was the first time I felt a bit nervous or stressed, but it was in Race 2 on the grid before the start. I tried to manage the emotions and when I was in first, I was making a lot of mistakes because I had too many thoughts in my head! I just preferred to stay second behind Toprak, but he was very strong, so I could just follow him. So happy. It’s difficult to know what to say. I’m just so happy. During the whole season, I was so happy because I had a lot of experience from the past. I tried to be the best possible rider, not make mistakes. I think our performance has been really, really high. I think I had the best performance level ever from Toprak and Jonathan. They performed at a really high level in all races. I was lucky that I made fewer mistakes than them. What’s important is also consistency. I could beat Jonathan, a six-time World Champion and Toprak, a one-time Champion, breaking all the records at all the tracks which means the level is so high. We can win with this amazing level.”

The newly crowned WorldSBK Champion will remain with Ducati in 2023 will aim to continue challenging many records.
The newly crowned WorldSBK Champion will remain with Ducati in 2023 will aim to continue challenging many records.

Giulio Nava, Bautista’s Crew Chief: “We worked really hard for this; this team and Ducati. I’ve been working with Alvaro for many years and I’m super happy to be here with him, seeing him achieving these results. It means a lot. I’m very lucky to work with him. You create very a strong relationship together. We joke together. Alvaro is like my brother. It’s difficult for me to explain what it means, but it means the world to see him winning.”

Luigi Dall’Igna, Ducati Corse General Manager: “It is a wonderful day for us. We worked a lot with Alvaro in the past and in 2019 we did a fantastic job until the middle of the season. In the end, we could not win the crown. Today, in the end, and it was a fantastic emotion. It was a special day. This is probably one of the best seasons of his life. This year, and 2006, were two really amazing seasons for him. He won the 2006 125cc World Championship and today he won WorldSBK. He’s a real fantastic rider and I’m really, really happy he could get the title today.”

Bautista World Championship Career:

  • 2002-2006: 125cc – First Race: Spanish GP 2002 | Best result: P1
  • 2007-2009: 250cc – First Race: Qatar GP 2007 | Best result: P1
  • 2010-2018: MotoGP – First Race: Qatar GP 2010 | Best result: P3
  • 2019-2022: WorldSBK – First Race: Australian Round 2019 | Best result: P1
  • 2022: World Superbike Champion

Bautista Info:

  • Place of birth: Talavera de la Reina, SPA
  • Age: 37
  • Team: Aruba.It Racing – Ducati
  • Bike: Ducati Panigale V4R
  • First round: Phillip Island 2019
  • Race starts: 130
  • Wins: 30
  • Podium places: 56
  • Pole positions: 5
  • Fastest laps: 27
  • Title: 1

WorldSBK Mandalika: All The Action In Indonesia

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PB
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Reigning Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu was untouchable in Race 1 as he won WorldSBK’s 900th race after he also won the Championship’s 800th race. Winning all three races at The WorldSBK Mandalika round was not enough for Toprak, as Alvaro Bautista secured the championship in Race Two!

Race One
As the lights went out for WorldSBK’s 900th race, all three in the top three of Championship standings got a good started heading into Turn 1 with Razgatlioglu holding onto the lead ahead of teammate Andrea Locatelli, who moved up ahead of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) into second place. Rea was able to pass Locatelli on Lap 2 to move into second place while Bautista, who moved up from fifth on the grid, passed Locatelli to move into third on Lap 3 of 21 at Turn 13.

Razgatlioglu was able to pull out a gap as the others battled past his teammate and soon it was Rea vs Bautista for second place. Bautista made his move through the high-speed right hander of Turn 15 and into the Turn 16 hairpin for second place and soon opened up a gap to Rea who took third place. On Lap 13, Razgatlioglu lost two seconds as he went through the shortcut that starts at Turn 7, with Bautista reducing the gap to one second but, a lap later, Razgatlioglu was able to find half-a-second to extend it back out to 1.5s.

Razgatlioglu carried on extending his gap out over Bautista to four seconds to take his 30th victory of his career in his 90th race for Yamaha as well as his 78th podium in WorldSBK. 28 of Razgatlioglu’s wins have come with Yamaha and, in terms of wins, he becomes the Japanese manufacturer’s most successful rider with 28 wins. With Bautista in second place, taking his 55th podium, Razgatlioglu was able to take five points out of his Championship lead with the Spanish rider leading by 77 points; Bautista will still be able to take the title on Sunday in Indonesia. Rea, mathematically out of title contention as he lost ground to Bautista with third place, took his 240th WorldSBK podium. With 900 WorldSBK races now run, Rea has stood on the podium in 26% of WorldSBK’s races.

There was a fierce battle for fourth place between Locatelli and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with Rinaldi making a pass on Locatelli to move into fourth place on Lap 16 but, a lap later, ran wide at Turn 16 which allowed Locatelli back through to take fourth and his first top-five finish since Estoril. Rinaldi did fight from ninth on the grid to take fifth place, dropping back to around four seconds behind Locatelli at the end of the race. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC), the sole Team HRC rider in Race 1, took sixth place after he fended off Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) with the American taking seventh place.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) took eighth place after an up-and-down 21 laps. He had moved into the top five in the early stages but he had a moment at Turn 15 and into Turn 16 which dropped him down the order before he fought back for eighth place. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was ninth, three tenths behind Bassani, while he had an eight second margin to Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) rounded out the top ten.

Baz had to fend off a charging Xavi Fores (BARNI Spark Racing Team) to take his place in the top ten with Fores in 11th place. Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was 12th after he dropped down the order in the early stages. Redding had a few off-track excursions during the race and was running in the final positions but was able to fight back to take 12th spot. Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team) returned to WorldSBK action after missing Argentina through illness and injury and he took points on his return with 13th, finishing ahead of Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) and Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) who rounded out the points-paying positions; Nozane taking his first points since Race 2 in Barcelona. Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was the last classified rider in 16th place.

WorldSBK Mandalika Race One Podium (Full Results here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +4.324s
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +11.855s

Tissot Superpole Race
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claimed a hard-fought victory over Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and kept his Championship hopes alive ahead of Race 2 on Sunday.

Razgatlioglu led from pole position into Turn 1 but, unlike in Race 1 yesterday, was unable to pull a gap in the early stages of the race. He fell behind Rea on Lap 3 when the six-time Champion passed him through Turn 12 to move into the lead with Rea aiming to end his win drought. However, Razgatlioglu responded on Lap 7 at Turn 10, after attempting the move on several occasions, to re-gain the lead. He then held on to take his second victory of the weekend and his 31st win in WorldSBK. Rea’s second place was his 241st in WorldSBK and Kawasaki’s 399th race on the podium. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) ended his podium drought, which started at the Dutch Round, with third place to take his sixth podium but also Italy’s 400th in WorldSBK history.

Locatelli had to fend off a charging Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to claim his first podium in 203 days, with the Championship leader in fourth place. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) took fifth place as he was crowned the Best Independent Rider for the 2022 season, and he will start alongside Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) on the second row.

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) will start from the front of row three after he took seventh place, missing out on a second row start by just six tenths of a second. Lowes also had to resist Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to take seventh with Rinaldi in eighth, while the sole Team HRC rider on the grid, Xavi Vierge, will start Race 2 from ninth place as he took ninth in the Superpole Race.

WorldSBK Mandalika Tissot Superpole Race Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.586s
3 Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +1.235s

Race Two
The fight for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship crown came to a thrilling conclusion at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took the title after finishing in second place in Race 2 during the Pirelli Indonesian Round. Despite Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claiming a hat-trick in Indonesia with victory in Race 2, Bautista’s second-place finish was enough for the Spanish rider to take the Championship with a round to spare.

Bautista headed into Race 2 knowing a podium finish would secure him the title or losing less than nine points to Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and he did enough to secure to take his first title in WorldSBK. In doing so, he becomes the third different rider from a third different manufacturer in three seasons to claim the title, after Razgatlioglu and Yamaha in 2021 and Rea and Kawasaki in 2020.

The fight for the Championship title also turned out to be the fight for victory in Indonesia, with Razgatlioglu moving into the lead of the race on Lap 6 as he passed Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at Turn 10 after Rea moved into the lead in the opening stages of the race. With Bautista in third at this point, behind Rea, he instantly latched onto the back of the six-time Champion and went through on Rea at Turn 10 on Lap 7 as he took advantage of Rea running onto the kerbs through Turns 8 and 9.

The duo went head-to-head in the final third of the race to claim victory, which allowed Rea to close back in on Bautista and Razgatlioglu. Bautista closed the gap before the battle ignited on Lap 14. Bautista made a move at Turn 1 to move into the lead as he looked to win the Championship with a victory, before Razgatlioglu responded into Turn 10. Through Turns 14 and 15, Bautista made a stunning move for the lead. He remained there for a short while but Razgatlioglu responded at Turn 10 on Lap 16, before extending his lead to over one second for victory with Bautista in second.

Razgatlioglu’s victory gave him his 32nd WorldSBK win and his 14th of the year which puts him level on wins for a season for Yamaha with 2009 Champion Ben Spies, while Alvaro Bautista’s Championship-winning second place was his 56th podium in WorldSBK including the 29th of his 2022 campaign. Bautista winning the title also meant it became the first time in history that Ducati claimed both the WorldSBK and MotoGP Riders’ Championships in the same season.

Rea found himself in fourth place, behind Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) but made a move on Lap 11 at Turn 12 to move back into the podium places before pulling out a gap over Bassani, coming home to take third place for his 200th podium with Kawasaki, while it was also Kawasaki’s 400th race on the podium. Bassani dropped behind Rea and ended up in a battle with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) for fourth place. It would be Locatelli who claimed fourth place after a strong weekend for the Italian, finishing just six tenths ahead of Bassani in fifth place; in the Tissot Superpole Race, Bassani was crowned the Best Independent Rider for 2022.

Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed sixth place ahead of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) in seventh place with all five manufacturers in the top seven positions in Race 2. Redding was four seconds down on Bassani after he had a run off the track at Turn 16 on Lap 6 but he fought back to take sixth ahead of Vierge. American star Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took eighth spot, two seconds behind Vierge, ahead of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK); Lowes was just four tenths behind Gerloff at the end of the 21-lap race. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) rounded out the top ten.

Xavi Fores’ (BARNI Spark Racing Team) return to WorldSBK and the Barni Ducati team continued with 11th place in Race 2 as he scored more points. He had a late-race fight with Dutch rider Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) with the pair separated by just 0.238s at the end of the race. French rider Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) was 13th, almost 14 seconds down on BMW stablemate van der Mark, while Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team) and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 15th; the Czech rider claiming his first point in WorldSBK. Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) was 16th, 1.458s down on Konig for a point, while Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was the last classified rider in 17th place.

Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) retired from the race following a crash at Turn 11 on Lap 11, while Kyle Smith’s (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) debut weekend ended with a crash at Turn 7 on Lap 14 which put him out of the race. Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) was declared unfit ahead of Race 2 following a crash earlier in the weekend, with Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) also on the sidelines after he was diagnosed with a right ankle sprain following an FP3 crash on Saturday.  

WorldSBK Mandalika Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.230s
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.825s

Championship Standings After Mandalika

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 553 points
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 487
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 279
4 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 279

MotoGP Valencia: Bagnaia Crowned Champ

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PB
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Rins wins in an emotional farewell for Suzuki, Binder storms to second, Martin completes the podium… and the tense finale to the Championship sees Bagnaia secure the crown and Quartararo go out swinging. Check out all the action from the final round of 2022 in Valencia below…

it was tense, it was close, it was emotional and it was a stunning finale for the 2022 season. As Ducati Lenovo Team’s Francesco Bagnaia took the crown with ninth place and Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) came home fourth, it was Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) who gave the Hamamatsu factory an emotional send off with a stunning final victory in blue. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) came to within one single point of the top five overall as he absolutely stormed to second, with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) completing the podium from pole.

Rins qualified on the middle of Row 2 but made a brilliant start and led the field to the first corner, ahead of pole-sitter Martin and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo). Quartararo took a wide berth at the Turn 2 braking zone, emerging behind Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and in a battle for fifth with none other than Bagnaia. When Marquez attacked Miller for third on the opening lap, Quartararo squeezed his Yamaha down the inside of the Australian’s Ducati at Turn 8 as well, and he was up to fourth.

Miller hit back at the start of Lap 2, forcing Quartararo to pick up his YZR-M1 at Turn 2 with a pass which incentivised Bagnaia to also have a look. The title contenders made contact which pulled a wing off the factory Ducati in a sudden pulse of adrenaline, but Bagnaia was ahead of his key rival. It stayed that way until Lap 4, when Quartararo was down the inside at Turn 6 and back into fifth – but facing a task to catch the top four.

In said top four, Miller moved back into the podium positions when he passed Marquez on Lap 6 at Turn 1, before the eight-time World Champion crashed out altogether four laps later at Turn 8. In the meantime, Quartararo had shaken Bagnaia, who, due to some combination of caution and the damage from his contact with ‘El Diablo’, was on the fade. He had already been overtaken for sixth by Brad Binder when he gave Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) an easy position on Lap 13 at Turn 14.

Up the road, Rins was trying to break away but the rest of the top five was compressing, which was both good and bad news for Quartararo given he was running fourth with a KTM ridden by Binder catching up. The Frenchman braked as deep as he dared at Turn 1 at the start of Lap 18 to try and keep the South African behind, but ran wide and was picked off by Binder at Turn 2.

Meanwhile, Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was also through on Bagnaia, and soon Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was as well. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing) then caught up to his future teammate too, and while there was plenty said ahead of the weekend, Bagnaia left a humongous gap at Turn 2 on Lap 22 to give it to ‘La Bestia’ and save himself any possible trouble.

It was more dramatic in the battle for the podium places, with Binder going past his own future teammate, Miller, on Lap 23 at Turn 2, then setting after Martin. Halfway around the lap at Turn 11, Miller’s last race with Ducati came to a premature end when he crashed out, handing over fourth spot to Quartararo again.

Rins had not quite been able to drop the field like he might have hoped, but was still nine tenths of a second to the good when Binder overtook Martin for second at Turn 4 on the penultimate lap. The South African threw a few more kitchen sinks at it but they would take the chequered flag 0.396 seconds apart as Rins delivered the final win for Suzuki in its current stint in MotoGP, with Binder P2 and Martin getting home just over a second from victory. Quartararo was nine tenths further back after a valiant fight to the flag.

Oliveira would pass Mir for fifth, with the 2020 World Champion therefore classified sixth, ahead of Marini and Bastianini. Bagnaia found himself under pressure from Quartararo’s Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™ teammate Franco Morbidelli in the final laps but beat him to ninth position. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) finished 11th, ahead of Tech3 KTM Factory Racing duo Raul Fernandez and Remy Gardner, then Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) in 14th and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) in the last points-paying position. Joining Miller on the list of retirements was Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) after a crash on Lap 16, plus both the Aprilia Racing entries of Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Viñales, both the Repsol Honda Team entries of Marquez and Pol Espargaro, and Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP™ Team).

Bagnaia can now celebrate his first MotoGP™ Championship crown, and Ducati’s first riders’ title in 15 long years, but before the off-season, we have the Valencia Test back at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo on Tuesday. Farewell to those off to pastures new, those retiring for a third time, those heading for the intermediate class… and good luck to everyone taking on new challenges next season. First, the Awards. Then, the tests. And then? Sprint races are GO. Join us in March as Portugal hosts the first Grand Prix of a new era… we can’t wait!

Alex Rins: “Amazing amazing. You know, to finish the season with Suzuki leaving, we cannot finish better. I mean, P1, I’m so, so proud. I’ve learnt a lot with Suzuki in these years. Starting a new chapter in my life now but thank you guys. I’m so happy!”

Fabio Quartararo: “Yeah it was a tough race, especially on the left side of the tyre. I did my 100% but it was not enough today to fight for the podium or even the victory. A bit disappointed but congratulations to Pecco for his title.”

MotoGP Valencia Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) – Suzuki – 41’22.250
2 Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – KTM – +0.396
3 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +1.059

Moto2
In a tense Moto2 showdown in Valencia, Red Bull KTM Ajo ruled. Pedro Acosta came out on top to win the final race of the season and secure himself the title of Rookie of the Year, and teammate Augusto Fernandez shadowed him home to become the 2022 Moto2™ World Champion. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) crashed out of second place on Lap 8, after which Fernandez went full gas for an attack on the win but couldn’t quite overhaul Acosta. Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) led for much of the 25-lap race but would eventually complete the podium at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools Speed Up) took the early lead from pole position, ahead of Acosta, Arbolino, and Ogura, who started the weekend trying to overhaul a 9.5-point deficit in the Championship. Fernandez took up fifth initially but lost the spot when Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools Speed Up) made an aggressive move at Turn 5, and that was certainly not the only aggression in the opening stages.

Acosta passed Lopez as they started the second lap, but the pole-sitter dived straight back at him at Turn 2, making contact as he took both well wide. Lopez would be handed a conduct warning for that but the bigger implications were Arbolino assuming the lead and Ogura second place as Fernandez was fifth – meaning the latter led the Championship, as live, by just half a point.

The battle between Lopez and Acosta continued until the former ran well wide on Lap 4 at Turn 8 and dropped to fifth. He had no chance to recover when he ran wide again just three corners later and then crashed out of the race, putting Fernandez’s live lead over Ogura up to 2.5 points. But then Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) passed the Spaniard into Turn 1 on Lap 6.

At the end of that lap, however, Ogura barely stopped himself from clattering into leader Arbolino at Turn 14, and Beaubier was then on the floor and out of the race, giving Fernandez some breathing space again. The Championship leader trailed third-placed Acosta by about one full second on the road, and the 2021 Moto3™ Champ looked to do his teammate a favour as he tried to pass Ogura on Lap 8.

The Japanese rider was either able to re-pass immediately if not resist Acosta completely, until the knockout blow came moments later at Turn 8. Ogura suddenly crashed out and his hopes were dashed, meaning Fernandez was able to cruise to the chequered flag if he wanted to. But he didn’t, and neither did teammate Acosta. The number 51 overtook Arbolino for the lead into Turn 1 on Lap 12, and Fernandez followed not long after. The new Champion pushed him to the flag but Acosta scored the third victory of his rookie intermediate class season, with Fernandez taking second and the crown. Arbolino completed the podium for some more good form after his Sepang win.

Aldeguer was next up, ahead of Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team), Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team), Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team), and Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP), despite the latter having to serve a Long Lap Penalty late on for a clash with Mattia Pasini (RW Racing GP).

Senna Agius (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) finished an impressive ninth as injury replacement for Sam Lowes and Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) took a top 10 in his final Moto2 race. For Fernandez, the celebrations continue, but not for too long – he starts his new life as a MotoGP rider!

Moto2 Valencia Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – 39’52.413
2 Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – Kalex – +1.232
3 Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex – +10.163

Moto3
The final Moto3 race of the season was a spectacular farewell, with a duel for the win going right to the wire. The battle saw reigning Champion Izan Guevara (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) go toe-to-toe with Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) throughout the final lap, with the Turkish rider ahead into the final corner and Guevara going wide to gas it to the line – and come out on top to sign off from the lightweight class in some style. Gloves off, and show spectacular to the flag.

Sergio Garcia (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) completed the podium after escaping from a bigger fight for fourth, ensuring the number 11 takes the silver medal this season. The three contenders for it ultimately crossed the line in order, with Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) taking fourth and just pipping Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max).

Adrian Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Tech3) took an impressive sixth, ahead of David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and next rookie home Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI), with the Brazilian securing Rookie of the Year with the result despite a Long Lap on race day.

Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) and Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) complete the top ten, with Sepang winner John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) signing off from Grand Prix racing in P11 for a few more points. 

Now it’s time for a new chapter for many. A new class for the reigning Champion, runner up and third overall, and new colours and teams for many more too. Make sure to tune in for 2023 and another season of incredible action… and chapeau to the class of 2022!

Moto3 Valencia Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Izan Guevara (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – 38:10.406
2 Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) – KTM – +0.062
3 Sergio Garcia (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – +6.557

Advice: The Do’s And Don’t’s Of A Track Day

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PB
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Don't just opt for the fast group because you have a fast bike. You could cause an accident...

You’ve just booked your first track day and you’re a bit nervous about what the do’s and don’t are of a track day. That’s completely fine, there is nothing to be nervous about! We have complied this list of what to do and what not to do at a track day. Words: Zane Dobie.

There is nothing to be nervous about when it comes to your first track day! We have complied this list of what to do and what not to do.
There is nothing to be nervous about when it comes to your first track day! We have complied this list of what to do and what not to do.

Show Up In The Right Gear
This is a huge one, it might sound simple but it’ll save you some heartache of being turned away from the track. At the bare minimum, most tracks will require you to have one or two piece leathers, leather gloves, riding boots (most tracks will not allow riding shoes) and an Australian/European approved helmet. Some tracks will require a back protector, this is something you should chuck on anyway as it could save you from being paralyzed.

Now, that’s the bare minimum. To ensure your safety it’s best to have a GOOD CONDITION one piece set of leathers, an ill fitting and damaged set could cause you harm in the instance of a crash. Buy yourself a decent helmet, lid’s aren’t meant to be used after being dropped so if you dust of that helmet that’s fallen off your handlebars multiple times, you’re only putting yourself at risk.

Show up in the right riding gear. It's not ideal to show up in old, damaged leathers, you're only putting yourself at risk.
Show up in the right riding gear. It’s not ideal to show up in old, damaged leathers, you’re only putting yourself at risk.

Set Up Your Bike Property
We have a fair few articles on bike preparation but the rules for a track day are straight forward, no fluids leaking, no ear-drum rupturing exhausts and decent tread on your hoops. Not only will the scrutineer turn you away if they see your tyres have no tread, but you’ll have a terrible time battling the bike with crusty old tyres on.

Check out our tech articles here…

Oil and fluid leaks are self-explanatory. If your bike is leaking oil while road riding, imagine how much will flow out while revving it to the redline. Don’t ruin someone else’s day by spewing oil down the track, check those drain and filler plugs.

Don't just opt for the fast group because you have a fast bike. You could cause an accident...
Don’t just opt for the fast group just because you have a fast bike. You could cause an accident…

Find The Right Group For You
You’ve bought yourself the top-of-the-line 1000cc machine? Awesome! However fast you think you are on the road, you’ll probably be quite slow learning a track. Don’t choose the “Fast” or “Racer” group just because you have the fastest bike in a straight line. There is absolutely no harm in starting in the slow and intermediate groups while you get to grips. If you’re too fast, the organisers will move you up a skill group.

If you’re off the pace but are unleashing all the power on the straights in the fast group, you are a bit of a danger to the other riders on the course, especially those on smaller capacity machines. Entering the “Race” or “Fast” groups, most riders will be expecting you to be on the racing line, so if they go to overtake and you suddenly chop them up you could end up injuring someone. No one cares what colour your wristband is…

Enter yourself in the right group for your skill level! No one cares what colour your wristband is.
Enter yourself in the right group for your skill level! No one cares what colour your wristband is.

Relax And Stay Calm
Say someone hasn’t taken the last bit of advice and they’re slow as all hell in the fast group. Just drop back and give them space, it’s no use dicing with an unpredictable rider. If you have serious concerns then you can bring it up with the organisers.

I’ve had this happen to me on plenty of occasions, in fact, one of my biggest accidents was caused by not letting a YZF-R6 go while I was on a CBR250RR. The YZF-R6 rider took an unpredictable line and grabbed the brakes mid corner, I was on the pace and fully committed to the downhill at Wakefield Park when I speared off the track to avoid them, resulting in me and the bike cartwheeling through the air. This would’ve been avoided if I had just taken a slow down through the pits and raised my concerns with the organisers.

See those mirrors? They're folded in, focus on your own riding. Faster riders will find a way around you.
See those mirrors? They’re folded in, focus on your own riding. Faster riders will find a way around you.

Tape Up Those Mirrors And Speedo
You do not need to be looking at your Speedo on a track day. 100% of your focus should be on the road, the world passes by very fast when you’re at full pelt on a motorcycle, taking that split second to look at your speedo could result in you missing your braking point or running up the back of someone. If you really want to know how fast you’re going, strap a GPS tracker or GoPro to your bike.

Check out our article on transporting your bike to the track here…

The mirrors have the same theory but it also comes back to that unpredictability too. If there is a faster rider behind you, they’ll find a way past, don’t distract yourself by constantly looking in the mirrors. It’s best to just fold them in or cover them.

Most track days don't allow you to have a camera on you. Find a good mounting point on the bike and make sure it's stuck down properly!
Most track days don’t allow you to have a camera on you. Find a good mounting point on the bike and make sure it’s stuck down properly!

Helmet Cameras
Most tracks will not allow you to have anything on your helmet. This goes for add-on intercoms too. Find a nice spot for you to put your camera, my preference is on the tail or the tank, and make sure it’s stuck down well and proper. Last thing you want is the camera to be lost the first time you accelerate!

“No one remembers the fastest person, they remember the one who crashed.”

Have Fun, It’s Not MotoGP
This is the most important point of the lot. Go out to have fun, not to break a lap record (which probably wont happen). All the track days I attend, I don’t even check the lap times, I’m there to have fun and I can improve on my times at the next race meeting.

Just go out and have fun. You're not going to get scouted for a MotoGP rider at a track day...
Just go out and have fun. You’re not going to get scouted for a MotoGP rider at a track day…

I find that not bothering to time myself will allow me to leave the track glowing with happiness rather than disappointment. Some track day organisers don’t offer timing too, which I believe is a good thing, it stops people from pushing too hard and going beyond their abilities. Just go out and have fun, a MotoGP rider spotter isn’t going to be at your local track day. As the saying goes: no one ever remembers the fastest person, they remember the one that crashed.

That’s about all to have a nice time during your first track day. Don’t be afraid to ask fellow riders for some help, make some friends and enjoy your time! You’re not racing for sheep stations so don’t be a dick.

Additional Advice 

  • Trailer your bikes – You are going to be knackered at the end of the day, last thing you’ll want to do is ride home in your leathers.
  • Bring your own lunch and water – Every track I’ve been to charges a bonza for food and drinks. Pack a nice lunch and plenty of water.
  • Bring spare fuel – The fuel at the track will be expensive. It doesn’t hurt to fill up some jerry cans.

Aussies Racing Abroad: October 2022 Update

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PB
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With many Australians showcasing their skills abroad in a range of disciplines both on-track and off-road, our monthly column focuses on how they’re faring in 2022 battling it out with the best in their chosen classes against the best riders in the world. Ed Stratmann has us covered with “Aussies Racing Abroad”.

Hoping to carry the momentum from his sensational victory in Japan into October, Jack Miller's enjoyed a largely positive month aboard his factory Ducati.
Hoping to carry the momentum from his sensational victory in Japan into October, Jack Miller’s enjoyed a largely positive month aboard his factory Ducati.

Jack Miller – MotoGP
Hoping to carry the momentum from his sensational victory in Japan into October, Jack Miller’s enjoyed a largely positive month aboard his factory Ducati.

Kicking things off with a wonderful second in Thailand to bag his seventh podium of the season, Miller handled the wet, treacherous conditions masterfully, as he jumped to the lead early on. Although Miguel Oliveira eventually got past the Aussie, to his credit, Miller didn’t go down without a fight, as he only finished 0.730 behind the Portuguese star.

Kicking things off with a wonderful second in Thailand to bag his seventh podium of the season, Miller handled the wet, treacherous conditions masterfully, as he jumped to the lead early on.
Kicking things off with a wonderful second in Thailand to bag his seventh podium of the season, Miller handled the wet, treacherous conditions masterfully, as he jumped to the lead early on.

The MotoGP circus then made its way to Australia, where Miller was desperately hoping for a weekend to remember on home soil at Phillip Island. But it wasn’t to be for Miller, who was cruelly taken out by an overzealous Alex Marquez following a good start that saw him mixing it with the frontrunners.

The 27-year-old then turned his attention to the penultimate round of the season in Malaysia, where he claimed an impressive sixth place finish. Having to charge through the pack following a shocking start, it was a joy to watch him carve through the field with incision. “It wasn’t the ideal day but it wasn’t the worst either, I’m happy enough with my performance,” he said.

The Australian round wasn't to be for Miller, who was cruelly taken out by an overzealous Alex Marquez following a good start that saw him mixing it with the frontrunners.
The Australian round wasn’t to be for Miller, who was cruelly taken out by an overzealous Alex Marquez following a good start that saw him mixing it with the frontrunners.

“Being beaten on the first lap to 21st place probably didn’t help, it was one of my worst starts in my MotoGP career, you could say. The start itself was okay, I was blocked off by the row in front of me. I had to get out early and then I was more or less stuck on the outside and I had to basically hold on but at least I managed to safely get through the first lap and start my run from there. I kept my head down the whole race and was able to work. We had decent pace the whole race and we were able to show it.” said Miller

Currently sitting fifth in the standings ahead of the final round at Valencia, Miller will be keen to close out what’s been an excellent crusade on a high before switching to KTM in next year.

Remy rode really well in Thailand and looked a decent shout for a top 10 finish before his crash.
Remy rode really well in Thailand and looked a decent shout for a top 10 finish before his crash.

Remy Gardner – MotoGP
Even though he started the month with a crash in Thailand, where he rode really well and looked a decent shout for a top 10 finish, Remy Gardner bounced back admirably to register 15th at Phillip Island and 18th at Sepang. Wanting to put on a show in front of his home fans, especially after the Australian round wasn’t on the calendar during his triumphant Moto2 title winning season, he showcased his skills nicely.

Having gotten off to a blistering start to propel him inside the top 10, it was great to see him piecing everything together, as he cut a fast and confident figure. While tyre issues ultimately shuffled him back, he gave the fans plenty to cheer about in the final stages of the race by blasting past Maverick Vinales to secure a deserved point.

While tyre issues ultimately shuffled him back at the Australian round, he gave the fans plenty to cheer about in the final stages of the race by blasting past Maverick Vinales to secure a deserved point.
While tyre issues ultimately shuffled him back at the Australian round, he gave the fans plenty to cheer about in the final stages of the race by blasting past Maverick Vinales to secure a deserved point.

Switching his focus to Malaysia, and Gardner, who was dealing with rear grip problems, valiantly rode to an 18th place finish in the gruelling hot and humid conditions. “Today’s race was tough physically. We started okay but I knew it would be difficult with the heat and humidity. I tried to save the tyres as much as I could but the rear was dropping quickly. I gave all I could today,” insisted the 24-year-old.

Joel Kelso – Moto3
Joel Kelso continues to showcase his undeniable talent, in what’s been an upside littered last few races by the Darwinian. His 12th in Thailand was a huge step in the right direction, which served as a huge confidence booster in what’s been an injury hit season.

Joel Kelso continues to showcase his undeniable talent, in what's been an upside littered last few races by the Darwinian. Photo: Joel Kelso Racing Facebook.
Joel Kelso continues to showcase his undeniable talent, in what’s been an upside littered last few races by the Darwinian. Photo: Joel Kelso Racing Facebook.

Wanting to build on this result for his home GP, Kelso did precisely that by grabbing a terrific, career-best eighth. Working his way through the field expertly and riding in a calculated manner, his brilliant efforts in front of the delighted Phillip Island crowd was a fitting way to celebrate his home round.

“It was an awesome race, I felt strong through the whole race and at the beginning there I thought a podium was on the cards. I was sitting in that group, saving the tyre and I said ‘let’s sit in the group, enjoy, play a little bit and try to save the tyre for the end’ and when I did there was a little gap that opened up,” Kelso gleamed.

Wanting to build on this result for his home GP, Kelso did precisely that by grabbing a terrific, career-best eighth. Photo: Joel Kelso Racing Facebook.
Wanting to build on this result for his home GP, Kelso did precisely that by grabbing a terrific, career-best eighth. Photo: Joel Kelso Racing Facebook.

“I went to the front of the group as soon as possible and started pushing to catch the leaders and matched their lap times for two laps in a row but I just didn’t have enough to close them in so I thought I would save it for the end. Happy to come out P8, feeling really strong on the bike, strongest I’ve felt all season and looking forward to bringing this into Malaysia as well.”

Although 18th was all he could muster in Malaysia, the Aussie will now turn his thoughts to Valencia, where he’ll be hoping to close out the season in style.

Jason O'Halloran's frustrating end to the season continued in BSB, with things outside of his control ensuring he failed to score points at the finale at Brands Hatch. Photo: McAMS Yamaha Racing Team Facebook.
Jason O’Halloran’s frustrating end to the season continued in BSB, with things outside of his control ensuring he failed to score points at the finale at Brands Hatch. Photo: McAMS Yamaha Racing Team Facebook.

Jason O’Halloran – British Superbike
Jason O’Halloran’s frustrating end to the season continued in BSB, with things outside of his control ensuring he failed to score points at the finale at Brands Hatch.

Despite scoring a credible sixth on Saturday, his Sunday sadly didn’t go to plan, for his race two was ruined when he was once again knocked down with a podium in his grasp. Then, in race three, the “O Show” was disappointingly forced to retire due to a technical problem. 

Ultimately ending the season fifth in the championship, which was not what he had in mind after being in title contention for the majority of the campaign, he tried to remain as positive as possible when summing up his year.

“There aren’t many words really, this hasn’t been the end to 2022 any of us wanted but that’s BSB and as we have found out, anything really can, and will happen! It’s hard to be positive right now, but we’ve had a good year – I’ve won seven races, had a load of podiums and the team had many 1-2 finishes so there’s a lot to be proud of. Thanks to the whole team and everyone involved.”

Although the results haven't always been there this term for Oli, he's importantly gaining valuable experience with every passing round that will hold him in good stead for the future. Photo: Alex Photo Via Oli Bayliss #32 Facebook.
Although the results haven’t always been there this term for Oli, he’s importantly gaining valuable experience with every passing round that will hold him in good stead for the future. Photo: Alex Photo Via Oli Bayliss #32 Facebook.

Oli Bayliss – World Supersport
Although the results haven’t always been there this term for Oli Bayliss, he’s importantly gaining valuable experience with every passing round that will undoubtedly hold him in good stead for the future. Back on track for the Portuguese stop on the schedule, the youngster performed admirably as he struggled with bike setup on his way to going 20-16 in the two races.

Wanting to regroup and recalibrate, next up was Argentina, where he started the weekend feeling good and happy on the bike. Unfortunately, this didn’t completely translate into his results even if a 15th in the opening race was solid before he was cruelly ousted early on in the second stanza.

A bit of a learning curve for Bayliss, his first year in WorldSSP has shown some promising results. Photo: Alex Photo Via Oli Bayliss #32 Facebook.
A bit of a learning curve for Bayliss, his first year in WorldSSP has shown some promising results. Photo: Alex Photo Via Oli Bayliss #32 Facebook.

“The Barni Racing Team and I made a big change in warm up that gave me a good feeling with the Ducati Panigale V2, which is very promising as we head into the final two rounds of the 2022 WorldSBK Championship,” he concluded. I am happy that as a team we have a good starting point for next round. Disappointed about the outcome today, but happy we made a step with myself and the bike. Bring on Mandalika in two weeks’ time.”

Jacob Roulstone and Harrison Voight – Red Bull Rookies & Moto3 Juniors
Jacob Roulstone and Harrison Voight were back on track for the Moto3 Junior World Championship at Aragon, with the gifted pair both able to take positives from their efforts. 

To start with Voight, and his weekend got off to a flyer, as he flexed his muscles by claiming second in practice and ninth in qualifying. Photo: Harrison Voight Racing Facebook.
To start with Voight, and his weekend got off to a flyer, as he flexed his muscles by claiming second in practice and ninth in qualifying. Photo: Harrison Voight Racing Facebook.

To start with Voight, and his weekend got off to a flyer, as he flexed his muscles by claiming second in practice and ninth in qualifying. Things didn’t go to plan on race day, however, for he annoyingly bowed out of the race after a fast start that initially saw him battling within the top five. “Solid start to the weekend, doing quick and consistent lap times alone. In qualifying I couldn’t put it all together to crack the 58s without needing a tow,” he said.

“For the race, it’s a disappointing way to end the weekend yet I’m satisfied with how I went from ninth to being in the top five within the second lap. Making gaps to pass was something I improved so I’m taking the positives and moving on. The last dance is at Valencia so let’s make the most of it!”

Roulstone put in one of his best weekends yet at Aragon, for not only did he bag seventh fastest in practice and 11th in qualifying, but he also secured 14th in the race. Photo: Jacob Roulstone Racing Facebook.
Roulstone put in one of his best weekends yet at Aragon, for not only did he bag seventh fastest in practice and 11th in qualifying, but he also secured 14th in the race. Photo: Jacob Roulstone Racing Facebook.

Voight also revealed his exciting plans for 2023, with the talented Aussie announcing he’s stepping up to the FIM CEV Moto2 Championship with the Yamaha Stylobike Racing Team for 2023.

Meanwhile, in the case of Roulstone, he put in one of his best weekends yet, for not only did he bag seventh fastest in practice and 11th in qualifying, but he also secured 14th in the race. Duking it out at the front for a large chunk of the race, there was much to admire about his first points scoring effort in this series.

"Overall it was a very productive race and with a big change from my side in my approach to the whole weekend. I have seen the benefits and know more rewards are coming." Said Roulstone. Photo: Jacob Roulstone Racing Facebook.
“Overall it was a very productive race and with a big change from my side in my approach to the whole weekend. I have seen the benefits and know more rewards are coming.” Said Roulstone. Photo: Jacob Roulstone Racing Facebook.

“From the first lap on Thursday, I felt very strong, comfortable and confident on the bike – a lot more than the rest of the year. Q1 on Saturday got a good lap, which put me in P7. Then for Q2, I wasn’t able to improve my time but four others were able to, so it pushed me back to start the race in 11th,” he recalled. Then for the race, got a good start but just with the lack of experience at the front of this class and with the high pace early I fell back. With the bike setup for a group battle once I lost the group it was difficult to do the lap speed the frontrunners were. I managed to push through till the end to finish in 14th and score my first Junior World Championship points. “Overall it was a very productive race and with a big change from my side in my approach to the whole weekend. I have seen the benefits and know more rewards are coming.”

Wil Ruprecht – FIM EnduroGP World Championship
Wil Ruprecht ended his season on a high by claiming his first world title in the E2 class to cap off what’s been an overwhelmingly outstanding 2022.

With all eyes on Ruprecht and Josep Garcia to see who would win their battle for E2 supremacy, the former rode a smart round to ensure he got the job done, as he limited the mistakes to maintain his points advantage.

Cutting an overjoyed figure afterwards, Ruprecht was clearly stoked with his achievement, declaring: “To win my first world title has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid. But they don’t come easy. It’s been a good year, great results mixed with some tough days, so to finally lock it down is incredible.”

Valencia Sets The Stage For MotoGP Decider

By
PB
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The only thing Quartararo can do is win. If he doesn't, Bagnaia need not even finish, such is his advantage, but this is motorcycle racing. It ain’t over till the chequered flag waves (ask 2006.)

The final weekend of the season. The MotoGP decider: two riders, one crown, and an incredible year of ups, downs, thrills, spills, wins and defeats. 23 points split challenger Francesco Bagnaia from incumbent Fabio Quartararo, and for the crowd watching on that makes it an easy enough equation…

The final weekend of the season. The decider: two riders, one crown, and an incredible year of ups, downs, thrills, spills, wins and defeats.
The final weekend of the season. The decider: two riders, one crown, and an incredible year of ups, downs, thrills, spills, wins and defeats.

The only thing Quartararo can do is win. If he doesn’t, Bagnaia need not even finish, such is his advantage, but this is motorcycle racing. It ain’t over till the chequered flag waves (ask 2006.)

In the red corner, Bagnaia has a stunning seven wins and has overcome a deficit of 91 points to sit 23 clear. He’s broken more than a few records and stands to become the first Ducati rider to take the crown in 15 years – something that would also see the Bologna factory complete the Triple Crown of Constructors’, Teams’ and Riders’ titles. He won at Valencia last year on a historic day for Ducati too as they locked out the podium, so the track will not be an unwelcome venue for the decider. But that was then, and this is now – with history beckoning with open arms. No longer the chaser, Bagnaia is now the rider in the hot seat.

The only thing Quartararo can do is win. If he doesn't, Bagnaia need not even finish, such is his advantage, but this is motorcycle racing. It ain’t over till the chequered flag waves (ask 2006.)
The only thing Quartararo can do is win. If he doesn’t, Bagnaia need not even finish, such is his advantage, but this is motorcycle racing. It ain’t over till the chequered flag waves (ask 2006.)

In the blue corner, Quartararo’s year has largely been a study in consistency. Few mistakes, some impressive victories and, until late on, the sole Yamaha scoring constructor points every weekend speak to an incredible achievement of a season. A tough Thai GP and then another nil points in Australia seemed to see the tide turn, but El Diablo wasn’t done. As Sepang staged the first match point for his opponent, Quartararo pulled out a much-needed podium for his final stand. Valencia would likely not be his venue of choice, but for Yamaha it’s been a solid one… so with zero pressure now the weight of expectation has shifted to Bagnaia, can Fabio come out swinging?

The decider, however, does not exist in a vacuum. It exists on a grid of the fastest riders and machinery in the world, all of whom have their own targets to hit and glory to chase. Some of whom also have loyalties. With history on the line for Ducati, the message is, as a bare minimum: do not get anywhere close to being the reason for a last-minute heartbreak. And that message goes out to a third of the grid: Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team), Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing).

Ducati, for their part, have been vocal about having sent out no team or constructor orders before this point in the battle. Bagnaia has also stated he wants to win on track, not by order from above.
Ducati, for their part, have been vocal about having sent out no team or constructor orders before this point in the battle. Bagnaia has also stated he wants to win on track, not by order from above.

Some, like Zarco, have already said they’ve made sure to keep risk under control. Some, like Martin, have said it’s not much to do with him, for which read, most probably, “I’ll make up my own mind”. Miller has already been a team and constructor hero, as well as a teammate pep talker to get Bagnaia feeling confident in the wet. Bastianini, meanwhile, remains staring at the camera with the hint of a smile and an eyebrow raised, leaving many wondering how the Italian will take on the decider.

Ducati, for their part, have been vocal about having sent out no team or constructor orders before this point in the battle. Bagnaia has also stated he wants to win on track, not by order from above. And amid all the talk willfully eager to create months of Borgo Panigale factory puppeteering, the results actually do speak to the riders being able to #GoFree: Miller’s wins and podiums ahead of Pecco, Bastianini’s challengers for his compatriot. The order to not jeopardise history in the making may simply prove another way of saying: “Don’t do anything silly”, and that’s just common sense. 

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) is now out the fight and looking for much more as the paddock returns to Europe.
Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) is now out the fight and looking for much more as the paddock returns to Europe.

For Quartararo, meanwhile, the allies have been a little further back this season. Teammate Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) showed a step forward at Sepang in terms of pace though, and he has known glory at the track before. But what about the rest of the field? Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) is now out the fight and looking for much more as the paddock returns to Europe, as is teammate Maverick Viñales, and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) isn’t even mathematically out the fight for a place in the top five overall this season, such is the South African’s record of Sunday heroics and consistency.

There are plenty more names with little to lose in engaging full attack mode, too – as well as those facing their own last tangos in 2022. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and teammate Joan Mir, the latter a winner at Valencia, will want to leave the Hamamatsu factory on a high. Cal Crutchlow (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP) will be stepping down from competition once again, as rookie teammate Darryn Binder also prepares for a last dance on the way to Moto2.

Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) sets sail for WorldSBK as teammate Raul Fernandez switches factory.
Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) sets sail for WorldSBK as teammate Raul Fernandez switches factory.

Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) heads from Honda to try a Ducati, and Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) switches back to Austrian machinery. Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) sets sail for WorldSBK as teammate Raul Fernandez switches factory, and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) kisses goodbye to KTM. Miller does the same to Ducati, too, and it speaks well of the Australian that that’s not become a headline ahead of such a pivotal weekend for Borgo Panigale. 

Last but not least, we didn’t forget him. And the rest of the grid, the protagonists of #TheDecider and the fans in the stands shouldn’t, either. Ahead of every anti-clockwise track, the Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) klaxon must be sounded. It’s a requirement given the number 93’s incredible record. And it may have been a long, tough time of late to get that glory back, but Marquez already has a pole and a podium since his return – a return where time is on his side as every new race and week adds a little more strength to his recovery. Can the eight-time World Champion steal the headlines this weekend? It would be quite a gauntlet to throw down ahead of 2023, where Marquez has his eyes set on more than just the occasional prize.

You don't want to miss this! #TheDecider rolls into town today as festivities begin, with Friday first touch and Saturday then deciding the grid for a pivotal showdown.
You don’t want to miss this! #TheDecider rolls into town today as festivities begin, with Friday first touch and Saturday then deciding the grid for a pivotal showdown.

You don’t want to miss this! #TheDecider rolls into town today as festivities begin, with Friday first touch and Saturday then deciding the grid for a pivotal showdown. Tune in to see that raced into the history books from 14:00 (GMT +1) on Sunday as the lights go out for the final time in 2022, ahead of a new era for the FIM MotoGP World Championship. Will it be a new era under a new Champion? We’re about to find out…

MotoGP Championship Contenders 

1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 258
2 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) – Yamaha – 235

WorldSBK: Bautista Extends Championship Lead In Argentina

By
PB
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0

The Championship leader extended his lead over both Razgatlioglu and Rea after a dramatic Race 1 in Argentina. Bautista then fended off Razgatlioglu for a Race 2 win, further extending his Championship lead to 82 points! The Ducati rider now has one hand on the title…

Race One
Race 1 in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship had huge implications in the title fight at the Circuito San Juan Villicum during the Motul Argentinean Round, as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a commanding victory in Argentina while title rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) finished in 15th place after the reigning Championship had an opening-lap crash as he looked to pass Bautista.

With Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) taking the lead down the long back straight, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) tried to respond to lead into the infield section but lost the front of the bike and went crashing into the gravel. Razgatlioglu was able to re-join but was in last place. The incident cost Bautista time as he dropped back down to fourth place, behind Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and iker Lecuona (Team HRC).

Bautista picked off Lecuona on Lap 4 to move into the podium places and only took two more laps to move into the lead of the race as he passed both Bassani and Rea on the back straight, after Bassani made a move for the lead on the second lap. Bautista was able to extend his lead at the front of the field for his 13th win of the season. Bautista was the only rider from the top three in the Championship to use the SCX tyre, with Rea and Razgatlioglu using the SC0. Victory also gave Bautista the 52nd podium of his WorldSBK career and the 25th of 2022.

Behind him, Bassani and Rea continued to fight it out for third place with the pair often inseparable throughout the lap. Rea made a move on Lap 8 to move into second place but Bassani was able to respond the following lap down the back straight while, on Lap 11, the pair went elbow to elbow throughout the final sector of the lap and down into Turn 1 on Lap 12; Bassani just holding on in that battle. The pair battled hard through sector four on Lap 18 with Rea making a move at Turn 15 and Bassani responding into Turn 16. On the run down to Turn 1, Rea outbraked Bassani into Turn 1 to stay ahead before fending off the Italian rider at the end of the back straight, going on to take second place ahead of Bassani in third. Rea’s second place was the 237th podium of his career and Kawasaki’s 395th race on the podium, while Bassani took his fourth podium and put Italy on the verge of a milestone having taken 399 podiums to date.

Lecuona was another who used the SCX tyre to take a strong result as he took fourth place after running in the podium places in the closing stages of the race, although he was unable to close the gap to the fighting Rea and Bassani ahead of him. He was ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in fifth place, with three Ducatis in the top five, finishing around two seconds back from Lecuona at the end of the 21-lap race. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took sixth place as he made sure Kawasaki had two bikes inside the top six.

There was a three-rider fight for seventh place with Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) scrapping it out. It was Redding who took seventh place at the end of the race as he fended off the chasing Locatelli and Vierge, with the trio separated by around one second. On the last lap, Locatelli made a move on Vierge to take eighth place and demoted the Spanish rookie to ninth. Dutch rider Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed tenth place and rounded out the top ten.

French rider Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) took 11th spot after a strong race from the French rider, finishing 1.5s clear of Xavi Fores (BARNI Spark Racing Team) who took points on his return to the Championship with 12th place. Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) dropped down outside the points during the race but battled back to take 13th spot, ahead of Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) in 14th place. Razgatlioglu showed enough pace to take home a single point after fighting back, passing Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) on the final lap. Baz had been running in the points but ran wide on Lap 16 at the end of the back straight.

German rookie Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) took 17th place after he was given a three-place grid penalty for Race 1 for slow riding in Free Practice 2, with Oettl fending off the Moto2™-bound Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in 18th place. Rookie Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) took 19th place ahead of stand-in rider Maximilian Scheib (MIE Racing Honda Team) in 20th and Argentinean Marco Solorza (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) in 21st on his return to the Championship.

Home hero Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was the first retirement of the race after the Argentinean rider had a Turn 14 crash on Lap 8. Mercado was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash.

WorldSBK Race One Argentina Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +5.141s
3 Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +6.689s

Tissot Superpole Race
The Tissot Superpole Race for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was ten laps of thrilling drama at the Circuito San Juan Villicum for the Motul Argentinean Round, as Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claimed a hard-fought victory after a last-lap battle with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in the ten-lap race. The pair were inseparable during the final few laps with Razgatlioglu taking victory by 0.613s.

Razgatlioglu took advantage of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) running wide at Turn 1 when flicking from second to first gear and finding neutral at the start of Lap 6 to move into the lead of the race but had Bautista directly behind him. At Turn 8, Bautista made a move on Lap 8, but the reigning Champion responded instantly. A lap later and Bautista made a move at Turn 8, which put Razgatlioglu second, but he responded at Turn 1 at the start of Lap 10 to re-take the lead. On the final lap, Bautista made the same move at the same corner which forced Razgatlioglu to respond into Turn 9 and he did so, running the pair a little bit wide but staying on the track before holding on to take victory. It was a similar move that he tried to make in Race 1 on Saturday which ended up with him in the gravel; Razgatlioglu able to make it work on Sunday.

Razgatlioglu’s 29th career victory means he will line up from pole position for Race 2 this afternoon, with Bautista in second and Rea in third. Second was Bautista’s 53rd podium and the 170th for Spain while Rea took third place for his 238th career podium on his 230th start for Kawasaki. Rea also set the fastest lap in the race, making more history as he became the first rider to set 100 fastest laps in WorldSBK races.

Italian rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took fourth place in the dramatic race as he came out on top in a three-rider fight for fourth place. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was fifth ahead of Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) in sixth place. The three riders were more than three seconds down on Rea in third but, at the end of the race, were separated by just over a second.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) will lead off the third row as he battled back to take seventh spot in the Superpole Race, finishing around two seconds clear of eighth-placed Xavi Vierge (Team HRC). Vierge was the highest-placed rider to use Pirelli’s SCQ tyre and battled his way into the top nine, finishing just 0.076s ahead of Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) who took the final place on row three for Race 2. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) just missed out on a spot in the top nine as he finished tenth, just 0.155s behind Baz.

WorldSBK Argentina Tissot Superpole Race Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.613s
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.856s

Race Two
A dramatic start to Race 2 for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship set the tone for the race at the Circuito San Juan Villicum with Spanish rider Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took his second victory of the Motul Argentinean Round. The Spanish rider heads into the penultimate round of the season with an 82-point lead in the Championship standings, with Bautista able to take his first WorldSBK title next time out in Indonesia after beating Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) in Race 2.

Bautista had to fight his way back through the field after a poor start, which dropped him down to fifth place, and he picked off his rivals in the early stages of the race. On Lap 4, the Spanish rider made a move on second-placed Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) into Turn 8 before making a similar move on teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) a lap later. At the same time, Razgatlioglu who, like Bautista, lost out on the opening laps, was following Bautista through, with Razgatlioglu passing Lowes at Turn 10 on Lap 4 and then Rinaldi at Turn 1 on Lap 6.

Despite Razgatlioglu closing the gap throughout most of the lap to Bautista, the Spanish rider extended his lead down the long back straight and eventually pulled out a gap of around three seconds to the reigning Champion. Bautista’s victory gave him his 14th of his 2022 campaign and the 30th in WorldSBK, while it was also his 54th podium in WorldSBK. It was also Ducati’s 390th victory in the Championship. Razgatlioglu took his 77th career podium with second place and the 24th of his career, with Razgatlioglu now 83 points back from Bautista.

The battle for the podium places was between Lowes and teammate Jonathan Rea after the six-time Champion ran wide a couple of times in the early stages. Rea looked to pass Rinaldi at Turn 9 on Lap 2, which allowed Lowes through, before he ran wide again at the next corner and dropped down to sixth place. Rea battled his way past Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) at Turn 10 on Lap 6 to move into fifth before both Lowes and Rea passed Rinaldi on Lap 7. For the next 11 laps, Lowes was able to stay ahead of his teammate but Rea made the move at Turn 8 on Lap 18 to take third place for his 239th WorldSBK podium.

Lowes took fourth place, dropping around two seconds behind his teammate in the closing stages, although Lowes did have a four second margin to Rinaldi in fifth. Rinaldi was one rider who opted to use Pirelli’s SC0 tyre with most of the field using the SCX tyres. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) put four manufacturers inside the top six as he took sixth place, with Rinaldi, Vierge and Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) in a three-way fight for fifth place. Lecuona finished two tenths behind teammate Vierge, who was seven tenths behind Rinaldi.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) leaves Argentina with eighth place after a battle with Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in ninth place; the pair were separated by just one second at the end of the race. Redding led a trio of BMW riders as he finished in eighth place, with teammate Michael van der Mark in tenth, around one second down on teammate Redding, with Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) in 11th; Laverty was the highest-placed Independent rider.

Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was around two seconds back from Laverty as he took 12th place, while he had a more than one second margin to the returning Xavi Fores (BARNI Spark Racing Team). Fores marked his return to WorldSBK with three consistent results, taking 12th in Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race and 13th in Race 2. Rookie Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) was 14th ahead of Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) who rounded out the points-paying positions.

Japanese rider Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished in 16th place and missed out on a point by just over a second, while Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) was 17th. Baz battled back from the rear of the field after he came off his bike following a Lap 2 collision with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) at Turn 12. The incident was investigated by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards with Bassani deemed at fault, with the Italian penalised with a Long Lap Penalty. However, for not taking this in time, Bassani was given a second Long Lap Penalty before he was given a ride through penalty for not taking his Long Lap Penalties on time. Bassani was classified in 20th place.

Czech rider Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) took 18th place ahead of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda), with the Argentinean rider leaving his home round without points. Bassani was in 20th place ahead of Maximilian Scheib (MIE Racing Honda Team) and Marco Solorza (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) who was the last of the 22-strong field.

WorldSBK Argentina Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +3.389s
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +9.784s

Championship Standings After Argentina (Full Standings Here)

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 507 points
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 425
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 409

2023 MotoE Provisional Calendar Announced

By
PB
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0
Garzo and Casadei got away the best as MotoE returned to action.

MotoE becomes the FIM Enel MotoE World Championship from 2023 as the series expands to an eight-round, 16-race competition and officially gains World Championship status. The season marks the start of an exciting new era, and welcomes the Championship’s new sole manufacturer: Ducati. 

Some late shuffles and even later drama see the Swiss rider head Ferrari and Granado on Saturday...
The season marks the start of an exciting new era with more races, and welcomes the Championship’s new sole manufacturer: Ducati.

2023 will also see a new track debut on the calendar as MotoE takes on Silverstone for the first time. One of the most spectacular, high-speed circuits in the world, the British venue will be a new challenge for the electric field.   

After two pre-season tests, one at Jerez and the other in Barcelona, the season begins at the French Grand Prix at the iconic Le Mans before Round 2 sees MotoE return to the spectacular Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello. Next up it’s the Sachsenring and a return to Germany, before the TT Circuit Assen ahead of the summer break.  

MotoE becomes the FIM Enel MotoE World Championship from 2023 as the series expands to an eight-round, 16-race competition and officially gains World Championship status.
MotoE becomes the FIM Enel MotoE World Championship from 2023 as the series expands to an eight-round, 16-race competition and officially gains World Championship status.

Silverstone kicks off the second half of the season, ahead of another visit to the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya then stages the penultimate round as the venue changes its slot on the calendar, before Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli rounds out the season in style on the Riviera di Rimini. 

2023 FIM Enel MotoE World Championship Calendar

  • 12 May-14 May – France Le Mans – 2 races
  • 09-11 – June Italy Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello – 2 races
  • 16-18 June – Germany Sachsenring – 2 races
  • 23-25 – June Netherlands TT Circuit Assen – 2 races
  • 04-06 – August UK Silverstone Circuit – 2 races
  • 18-20 – August Austria Red Bull Ring – Spielberg – 2 races
  • 01-03 – September Catalunya Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – 2 races
  • 08-10 – September San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli – 2 races 

2023 FIM Enel MotoE World Test Calendar

  • 06-07-08 March – Spain Circuito de Jerez-Ángel Nieto – 3 days
  • 03-04-05 – April Spain Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – 3 days
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