WSBK News

Alvaro Bautista finished the Portimao WorldSBK test fastest despite a turn seven crash, while Jonathan Rea, Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Toprak Razgatlioglu also went underneath the existing lap record.

Alvaro Bautista’s stunning performance at the Portimao WorldSBK test has continued during the final day after smashing the lap record on race tyres.

Alvaro Bautista was third fastest on the opening day of the Portimao WorldSBK test, after team-mate Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Jonathan Rea managed to narrowly pip the reigning champion.

On a day where the Portimao WorldSBK lap record came close to being broken, Remy Gardner signalled his intent by finishing as the fastest rookie by over five tenths.

Quickest on day-one of the Portimao WorldSBK test despite failing to improve with a qualifying tyre, Michael Ruben Rinaldi remains at a loss for his lack of performance over one lap.

One of two WorldSBK rookies making their first appearance of 2023 - the other being MIE Honda rider Eric Granado - Bradley Ray made a solid start aboard the Motoxracing Yamaha as he finished 2.7s down on Michael Ruben Rinaldi.

After finishing second in the opening session of the day, Michael Ruben Rinaldi went one better in the afternoon to end day-one of the Portimao WorldSBK test quickest.

Andrea Dosoli believes the six-rider Yamaha WorldSBK line-up for 2023 is the strongest field of talent it’s had since 2016.

Toprak Razgatlioglu and Andrea Locatelli have unveiled their 2023 Pata Yamaha WorldSBK machine, as pre-season testing continues at Portimao.

GRT Yamaha have officially taken the covers off their 2023 WorldSBK machine as Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner get set for their second pre-season test of the year. 

Scott Redding has pulled no punches after claiming BMW is ‘maybe’ focusing too much on selling motorcycles to the public, rather than winning in WorldSBK.

Jonathan Rea believes Alvaro Bautista will face a different type of challenge in 2023 as the reigning WorldSBK champion, which the Kawasaki rider knows all about after successfully defending his title in 2016.

Less than a week after the opening WorldSBK test of 2023 at Jerez, the action ramps up again with another two-day test at Portimao, beginning on Tuesday.

After eight seasons in the Moto3 World Championship, John McPhee made his WorldSSP debut at Jerez as part of the first pre-season test of 2023.

Toprak Razgatlioglu had fears of a broken leg following a dramatic turn 13 crash at the Jerez WorldSBK test, but the Pata Yamaha rider was instead fine to continue before finishing fastest with another stunning lap time.

Ana Carrasco has launched a scathing attack on WorldSBK champion Alvaro Bautista after confusion during last week's two-day Jerez test led to Bautista crashing at turn one.

Alvaro Bautista says he was more controlled and relaxed during his fiery WorldSBK battles with Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea in 2022, while also alluding to Superbike machinery allowing the rider to fight in a different way than MotoGP.

Iker Lecuona has ended the opening WorldSBK test of 2023 in a ‘much happier’ place after brake issues throughout day-one saw him struggle to unlock the Honda's true potential.

Jonathan Rea says ‘I’m not really thinking about' Toprak Razgatlioglu or Alvaro Bautista, but rather what can be done to improve his Kawasaki ZX-10RR, whilst also calling the incoming WorldSBK rookies ‘proper guys’.

Back-to-back top ten finishes during the two-day WorldSBK test at Jerez has left Danilo Petrucci feeling strong about his performance ahead of Portimao, although ‘I still don’t have the bike 100% in my hands’, says the Italian.

Toprak Razgatlioglu continued his stunning form from day-one to top the second and final day of WorldSBK testing at Jerez.

Danilo Petrucci might have been ‘very nervous’ ahead of his WorldSBK debut, however, it did not show as the Italian finished fourth on the opening day of action in Jerez.

WorldSBK rookie Remy Gardner has taken another dig at KTM after stating he had to ride their MotoGP bike ‘like a f***king animal every lap and every single corner’.

Toprak Razgatlioglu started the opening WorldSBK test of 2023 as he means to go on, after finishing fastest from Alvaro Bautista.