While it was delight for one championship contender during race one in Misano, reigning WorldSBK champion Toprak Razgatlioglu suffered a late technical issue that blew his chances of finishing third.
It's brutal out there... and we don't mean on the track. Indeed, it is one thing to fight a rival in the heat of battle, but - as GRT Yamaha WorldSBK rider Garrett Gerloff tells Crash.net's Ollie Barstow - the low-side of trolling is forcing riders to protect their health off track too.
While MotoGP remains the pinnacle of two-wheel racing for many, World Superbike is once again delivering the type of entertainment that even MotoGP is struggling to match.
Following the news that Yamaha will have just two bikes on the 2023 MotoGP grid, Toprak Razgatlioglu’s potential switch from WorldSBK will have to wait according to Lin Jarvis.
With results showing it to be the case, WorldSBK championship leader Alvaro Bautista has been a big reason for Ducati’s early season success, although ‘it’s not a problem if people think I win because the bike is a rocket’, says the Spaniard.
After enjoying eight years of success in WorldSBK, Aruba.it has officially renewed its partnership in the series with Ducati until 2024, while also unveiling a new MotoGP livery for wildcard rider Michele Pirro.
Kawasaki has confirmed to Crash.net it has no intention of making a return to MotoGP by replacing Suzuki, instead WorldSBK remains the Japanese manufacturer’s ‘more logical way to race’.
Despite finishing third in race two at Virginia International Raceway, former MotoGP rider Danilo Petrucci has displayed nasty injuries after suffering a bizarre crash following the checkered flag.
Sea mist, visor full of water, Ducati’s incredible straight-line speed, Jonathan Rea overcame it all to complete a stunning WorldSBK double at Estoril.
Despite a magnificent ‘save’ the like of which MotoGP star Marc Marquez would appreciate, Toprak Razgatlioglu leaves Estoril having blown two attempts at winning is first race as WorldSBK champion.
After starting two of the three Estoril WorldSBK races from fourth, Scott Redding was unable to hold onto a top five as front tyre struggles came back to haunt the BMW rider.