WSBK News

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.

With the first WorldSBK test of 2022 fully underway at Jerez, several rookies and a big name returnee have been aboard their machines for the first time this year.

Aruba.it Ducati WorldSBK rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi will be without the coaching of former three-time MotoGP runner-up Andrea Dovizioso, after confirming the Italian does not have the time.

Marco Bezzecchi says ‘I didn’t take it well at the beginning’ when it came to the introduction of MotoGP sprint races, however, the Italian now feels as though it could make the championship spicier.

Alvaro Bautista believes the 2022 WorldSBK campaign was the best of his career after addressing areas that ‘maybe I didn’t care about before’.

Former 500cc Grand Prix racer Scott Smart is no longer the FIM technical director for the WorldSBK championship and will be replaced by French engineer Ludovic Reignier.

With Franco Morbidelli’s Yamaha MotoGP contract set to end after this season, as is the case for Toprak Razgatlioglu in WorldSBK, Keith Huewen believes we could find out in 2024 if the Turkish star has what it takes to succeed in Grand Prix racing.

Jonathan Rea admits ‘motivation wasn’t very high’ to test last December at Jerez, but the six-time WorldSBK champion is now refreshed and ready to get ‘stuck in’.

Keith Huewen poses the question of whether WorldSBK could threaten MotoGP’s status as the leading two-wheel championship, after seeing the series make a comeback in popularity.