Tyre life to prove crucial as WorldSBK heads to Most

2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship
Round Eight – Most

Leading the charge into the Czech Republic is Alvaro Bautista and the championship leader will be eager to bounce back from his crash last time out at Imola.

Chasing hard will be Toprak Razgatlioglu, the Turk trails the Spaniard by 70 points. Looking at his previous performances at the Autodrom Most, where he clinched a victory and multiple podium finishes, and his solid performance at Imola, he is a strong contender for success.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu

“I like it, the Most circuit! Also last year we had some very good results – especially Race 2. But, you know, this year is very difficult and everyone is very strong. We will try to do our best and win like in Imola. In general, I like this circuit – especially hard braking into the first corner. We need to win again but we will see. I think it’s good for the R1 WorldSBK, because some sectors you change direction a lot and this is good because the Yamaha is working well for that and has always been strong in the corners. The long straight is a bit difficult but we keep fighting!”

Toprak’s Pata Yamaha team-mate Andrea Locatelli holds the third position with 208 points.

Andrea Locatelli

“Most is an ‘old school’ circuit, not easy but we enjoy some nice results there! To do a good lap, you arrive into the braking zone at more than 280kph, in fifth gear, before hard braking into the first chicane. It is very tight and really slow in first gear. You have to find a good braking marker, especially from the first lap of the race. The whole chicane was re-laid for 2022, and it was a big improvement I think – I like it. The really flowing part of the track starts at Turn 15, and it is important to take care with your race line to go the shortest way around, holding good speed. Then you have to concentrate to be able to go towards Turn 18 at full gas. If you exit 18 and 19 very well, you can overtake in Turn 20. Honestly, it is one of the best points to overtake! The track is not so wide, so there are not a lot of points where you can pass. You can ‘try’ to overtake nearly anywhere you want, of course, but it is not so easy! I feel really good after the Imola weekend and I think we can start very well again this week in Most.”

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) currently sits in fourth place with 201 points, just six-points behind Locatelli. With the milestone of making his 400th race start at the Autodrom Most, he will be motivated to mark this achievement with a strong performance and potentially secure his first win at Most.

Jonathan Rea

“Most is a relatively new track to the calendar and we have been there twice now, so we don’t have a massive amount of data compared to some other circuits. It’s a tough track to master as it has a little bit of everything. There are stop-start sections, flowing sections and lots of changes of direction. It is really critical to have the bike well set-up there. That will be our prime focus on Friday morning, working towards the longer races. Hopefully we will get some consistent weather and find a good feeling. It is a track that I have struggled at in the past; struggled with the nature of the place a little bit. The last few races have been positive for us, battling for podiums through this middle part of the year and always racing inside the top five. That will be the key, to keep that trend going by fighting for podiums. It will be a nice round to try and get a few good results at before the summer break. It is always better to go into the break with a positive feeling.”

Rumours in the lead up to this weekend suggest the Northern Irishman may be on a Yamaha next year, that would be some wrench as he has been with Kawasaki since 2015 and has brought home six World Superbike Championships during his tenure. One can imagine that he could be ripe for a change, but it is hard to fathom that he would move without taking the likes of Fabien Foret and Pere Riba along with him…

Rea’s KRT team-mate Alex Lowes has found little good fortune at Autodrom Most in the recent past, including suffering an illness last year that forced him to withdraw from the final race of the weekend. This season he heads to Most fighting fit and ready to compete for podium places.

Alex Lowes

“I am really looking forward to this one, which is the last round until September. We had a hot weekend at Imola last time out but I felt that I rode really well. Considering the circumstances – losing the best lap in qualifying and then crashing in the final race, which was held in pretty extreme conditions – I felt I was riding the bike well. I was quite confident so I will take that confidence into Most. Last year I was quite ill during race weekend and didn’t get to finish it. I am also looking forward to getting back to Most as I quite like it. There are lots of changes of direction and some pretty fast corners as well. It’s not the easiest track but we will work hard on Friday to get a good set-up. Our speed has been quite good all year, it is just our pace on used tyres that we need to work on. I am feeling good and looking forward to getting back with the team and trying to challenge for the podiums before we go into the summer break.”

Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who has already won a race in Most, will strive for a solid performance to solidify his position within BMW for next season. However, it is yet to be confirmed if he will continue with the German manufacturer as on the back of the Rea to Yamaha rumour, there is talk that Redding might be heading for KRT.

Scott Redding

“For me, Most is a good track. I like going there. Last year, we had a good result there with BMW. I look forward to going there. It’s a different kind of circuit to what we are used to. And hopefully we can try to get ourselves back inside the top five, top six. That would be the goal and keep working on the project and get as close as we can.”

Team-mate Michael van der Mark will make his return to action subject to passing a medical check.

Michael van der Mark

“I am really happy to be back again. It has been a long time and I am looking forward to this race. It won’t be easy as I missed a lot of races so for sure the speed won’t be there from the start, but I’m looking forward to being back on the bike and to be back working with the boys, and to at least have a race under my belt before the summer break. Now, I am feeling 100 per cent fit again so I can’t wait to be back out and to enjoy this weekend before the break.”

HRC riders arrive at Most after a challenging weekend last time out at Imola.

Xavi Vierge

“Most is another “special” track, let’s say, one that poses several challenges, especially for us but at least the grip is good and that’s something that usually helps us. We also have the experience of last year’s event so we can made use of the data to adapt and try and be faster compared to the last two rounds. The target is to be back battling for the positions we know are within our reach and that we have already fought for this year.”

Iker Lecuona

“We’re coming from what was a rather tough Imola weekend, though things went better on Sunday which meant I rounded out the day with a better feeling and mood. And one week’s rest following a very busy period has also helped me to come to Most recharged and ready to get back to work. Last year’s Most round was just so so, and the track itself is not among my favorites, but we will start with an open mind, knowing that if we work well we can overcome any challenge.”

The GYTR GRT Yamaha pairing of Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner will enjoy the Czech soil for the first time on their Yamaha R1 machines, with both having little knowledge of the track. Aegerter had the chance to ride there during his WorldSSP campaigns, and Gardner’s last time at Autodrom Most goes back to 2015, meaning the Aussie might need a bit of familiarisation time.

Dominique Aegerter

“I cannot wait to ride again, for sure we’ll face a tricky circuit. The first chicane is very slow, but overall I like the layout and the track, having both good and not so good memories there. We enjoyed a bit of training with standard bikes in the Yamaha Racing Experience in Mugello last week and I’m now eager to be back on the Superbike machine and aiming to be more competitive. Honestly the last two rounds were not as good as we expected and we were not where we should be, it’s time to reverse the trend. I hope I’ll feel good with my arm which got operated on ahead of the Misano round, and is getting better each day.”

Remy Gardner

“It won’t be my first time at the Autodrom Most, but the last time was eight years ago! I might be in trouble when it comes to remembering the layout overall, but I remember I enjoyed the layout quite a lot. So, I think we can have a good weekend there and I’m looking forward to riding once again, hoping to be in good shape for the race weekend.”

Most is undoubtedly considered one of the most demanding tracks for tyres due to the layout, on a similar footing to the rigours of Phillip Island. For this reason Pirelli has decided to rely on rear development solutions in medium compound to tackle this eighth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship.

The Pirelli SC1 in specification C0567 will make its debut in competition, it has the same compound as that of the A1126, as used at Phillip Island, but features a different structure with the aim of improving performance and consistency at high working-ranges both compared to the standard SC1 and to the A1126 specification. The latter made its debut in 2022 at Mandalika and was then the most used solution at Phillip Island in both 2022 and 2023. Compared to the standard solution, the A1126 has a more robust structure also designed for high temperatures. It offers a good compromise between high performance and low wear. For Superpole and Superpole Race the riders will be able to use the standard SC0 which, only for this occasion, will replace the commonly used SCQ.

At the front the soft SC0 has been discarded because it is not suitable for this track. Pirelli will rely instead on the two standard solutions, namely the medium SC1 and the hard SC2. Each rider has 8 tyres available of both options.

Giorgio Barbier – Pirelli

“Although different from each other, Most and Phillip Island have some similarities which make them the two most demanding tracks for tyres on the calendar and, in some ways, they are each other’s testing ground in terms of tyres. In the last couple of years, Most has undergone modernisation works that have made it a safer and a more modern circuit, but it still remains a circuit with a classic and fast layout like Phillip Island: old-style circuits that always offer spectacular racing. Given their particularity, it is better to focus on rear development solutions specifically designed to offer a more robust structure and greater performance consistency. It is therefore no coincidence that the reference solutions we bring to Most are the development SC1 A1126 for Superbike and the A1128 for Supersport, both of which have already been successfully used in the last two rounds held at Phillip Island. The new development SC1 C0567 has instead been designed to offer even better performance than the A1126 and, should it be confirmed, it could certainly become a valid option also for next year’s Australian round. The standard SC0 will be entrusted with the role of qualifying and Superpole Race tyre which on the other tracks is typical of the SCQ.”

This event will be followed by a six-week summer break for the championship,

World Superbike Championship Points

WorldSSP

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba Racing WorldSSP Team) maintains his lead as the frontrunner. The Italian rider, who has been in exceptional form throughout the season, aims to extend his advantage at Most. However, Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), showcased his prowess at the previous round in Imola with two wins, recovering 14 points to Bulega and proving his determination to close the gap.

Meanwhile, Autodrom Most presents a new challenge for Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), who will be racing at the circuit for the first time. The German rider, currently in third place with 184 points, brings his experience and skill to the track as he looks to make his mark in the Championship battle.

The Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team will have a new line-up on the WorldSSP grid from Most onwards, as 2019 Moto3 Champion Lorenzo Dalla Porta steps in for Andrea Mantovani.

Oli Bayliss will miss this round due to shoulder surgery but countrymen Tom Edwards and Luke Power will be on the grid and working hard to progress up the order.

World Supersport Championship Points

WorldSSP300

Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha), currently in second place, will be fueled by the frustration of his late penalty that denied him victory in the recond race at Imola. With 99 points to his name, Vannucci aims to capitalize on his strong form and challenge Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) for the firs position in the standings.

However, Geiger, the current Championship leader with 116 points, won’t be an easy target to topple. The German rider has showcased remarkable consistency throughout the season, maintaining a steady grip on the top spot. Geiger, aware of Vannucci’s threat, will be determined to defend his position and extend his advantage.

With just a slim points difference between them, Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) remains within striking distance of the Championship lead. With 95 points to his name, the Czech rider understands the significance of a strong performance on home turf as he looks to make his mark and close the gap on the Championship frontrunners.

World Supersport 300 Championship Points

WorldSBK Most Schedule
(AEST)

2023 FIM Superbike World Championship Calendar
Date	Circuit	WSBK	WSSP600	WSSP300
24-26 Feb	Phillip Island	X	X
3-5 Mar	Mandalika	X	X
21-23 Apr	Assen	X	X	X
5-7 May	Catalunya	X	X	X
2-4 Jun	Misano	X	X	X
30 Jun-02 Jul	Donington Park	X	X
14-16 Jul	Imola	X	X	X
28-30 Jul	Autodrom Most	X	X	X
8-10 Sep	Magny-Cours	X	X	X
22-24 Sep	Aragón	X	X	X
29-Sep-01 Oct	Algarve	X	X	X