WorldSBK hits Misano this weekend – Preview – Schedule

2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship

Round Five – Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”

Misano is one of the classic WorldSBK venues with the Championship having visited the Italian track consistently over the decades, with first-time winners, home-heroes and epic final lap battles shaping the headlines.

In the fifth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship, which will be hosted over the weekend at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Pirelli will provide riders with a new SCQ rear tyre in extra soft compound (specification C004) designed to ensure greater consistency of performance over the distance so as to cover the 10 laps of the Superpole Race more easily. The goal is to improve the consistency and mileage of the SCQ

Giorgio Barbier – Pirelli

“In the first rounds of the season, both in WorldSBK and WorldSSP, we concentrated our development activity on the front range, with the introduction of the soft SC0 for the riders of the premier class and with the comparison between the standard and the larger sizes in Supersport. This work will also continue at Misano but now it’s time to focus on the rears as well, in particular on the SCQ solution. The current standard extra soft guarantees a very good peak performance and therefore it perfectly fulfills its role as a qualifier tyre. The goal we have set ourselves is to allow it to be used also in the Superpole Race, which in some cases already happens. With the new development solution, we want to guarantee this tyre a greater performance consistency and therefore a higher mileage so as to make it a key choice for the 10 laps of the short race on all circuits. In WorldSSP300 we have decided to introduce a new development set that uses some innovative materials”.

Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista’s race pace was strong at the Misano Test staged after the Catalunya round, where he was lapping consistently in the low 1’34s and 1’33s, faster than his pace from last year’s full races. He was setting all-time lap record pace towards the end of the first morning.

Toprak Razgatlioglu also had a strong pace during the Supported Test, preparing for Round 5 of 2023 where he will hope to challenge Bautista during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round. He made the headlines ahead of the event, announcing he will switch from Yamaha to BMW from 2024.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu

“In testing, we did a very good job – especially with race simulation, I am very strong. But, I know Bautista is normally very strong in Misano! My target is to win in the long race, not just the short race. I like the Misano track and the race pace this year is for me much better, but we will see because the race is always different from testing! I try to do my best, this year I am still fighting for the championship and it looks like it is still possible we can be champion. We will see, I will try my best in Misano – if we can win two races, three races, I don’t know we will see – I just try to win every race.”

Teammate Andrea Locatelli will also be aiming for solid results on home soil, having confirmed that he will remain in blue for the forthcoming two seasons. He’s never had a podium at Misano in World Superbike.

Andrea Locatelli

“It’s more or less my ‘home race’ because we race in Italy even if it is not close to Bergamo! It will be interesting to see if in respect to the last two years we can improve and get some good points – and fight for the podium. After Misano test we understand a lot and I hope to arrive ready to be fast immediately from Friday and try to be in the front group of every session, to be in a good position to fight during the races. It’s a flat track, no up and down elevation or anything crazy but the level of grip is very high and we need to just find a good way to start on Friday to be able to push during the weekend. Of course, we also hope for good weather because there has been a lot of devastating rain in the region recently. The goal will be to put on a good show – we have a lot of fans travelling for the event and it is always nice to enjoy this support at home.”

Bautista’s teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s pace during the Misano test was also impressive, and whilst not quite as fast as Bautista, he has the potential for a podium, with him setting 1’34s rather comfortably.

Italian rider Lorenzo Baldassarri had a solid test at Misano and will be one to look out for during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, with Axel Bassani also looking to make a strong impression at his home round. He and Michael Ruben Rinaldi will renew their fierce rivalry after their Barcelona fallout, one of the key on-track talking points.

Jonathan Rea scored the first of his 118 career WorldSBK race wins at Misano, way back in 2009. He now has a total of eight Misano victories to his name, making him the most successful WorldSBK rider at this circuit.

Jonathan Rea

“It is great to be back at Misano. It is a great part of the world to host a race. I always spend a lot of time here with my family, enjoying the Italian hospitality, the beach, the food. It creates a really nice scene, a great backdrop of a race weekend. The circuit itself has so many nice memories for me. I won my first WorldSBK race there back in 2009. Since then we have enjoyed some good moments. I enjoy the track and it has a mix of everything, with fast and slow sections, and I particularly like the fast Curvone at the end of the back straight. We had a recent test at Jerez where we tried to improve in the kind of conditions we feel we will face again here. I think we enter this weekend in positive mood and looking forward to seeing what we can do. It will be so nice to face the Italian fans, and whilst I am not Italian, or have ridden for an Italian manufacturer, they always give me a lot of love and support. Hopefully we can put on a good show for all the people of Emilia-Romagna that have gone through a difficult time after the recent floods.”

Alex has family connects to the Misano area and he is another who enjoys each weekend in a country that is as passionate as any for all forms of motorsport. Lowes has recorded two podium finishes at Misano and is out to try and add to that score this coming weekend.

Alex Lowes

“Misano is always a great round on our annual racing schedule. My brother’s wife was originally from a place very close to the circuit, so it’s an area we have spent some time together in as a family – it’s lovely. The track itself is a lot of fun to ride, especially the middle section with the fast flowing corners. We had a good test in Spain recently and improved my feeling a little bit in those hotter conditions that we can expect to find this weekend. My goal is to be back on the podium and have some fun with my KRT team.”

Honda have been close to the podium battle a few times this season and are now looking for that form to be the norm rather than the odd one out. Vierge scored a best of fourth in the Superpole race at Misano last year, while Lecuona finished fifth in both the Superpole race and Race Two.

Xavi Vierge

“Misano is a track and a place that I love, and I was deeply sorry to hear of the disastrous floods that the Emilia-Romagna region and its people have suffered. Last year’s Misano round was one of the best for me, aside from the race 2 contact with Bassani and subsequent crash that caused me to injure my right hand, but the feeling was there. We completed tests at Misano recently and, despite the mixed conditions that obviously affected our work schedule, I was happy with my feeling with the bike and think we did a good job understanding the direction to take in terms of the setup. It’s likely that we will need to adjust everything a little bit to adapt the settings to different weather conditions, but I think we have the potential to complete a very good weekend”.

Iker Lecuona

“We return to Misano following a two-day testing session that was characterised by mixed weather and mixed feelings, because we tried many items and felt better with some and less so with others, so we will have to see if we can join the dots over the upcoming weekend. Hopefully we’ll have stable conditions throughout the weekend in order to define the best setup and improve our speed and race pace for the races. And in wishing for good weather, our thoughts of course turn to all the people affected by the recent devastating floods and still battling in such harsh conditions.”

Following a mixed Round 4 in Barcelona, where both GYTR GRT Yamaha riders scored good points despite some bad luck, the GYTR GRT Yamaha rookies are eager to fight for top places in what the majority of the team proudly calls their home race. Aegerter and Gardner have already enjoyed track time at the Italian circuit this year during the test from 11th-12th May, where both acquired helpful data on their Yamaha R1 machines with a variety of track conditions.

Filippo Conti – GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Manager

“We went testing in Misano and we’re confident that those days will be helpful for the upcoming weekend. It’ll be our home round as well, and it’s always great to feel the passion of our supporters. We’ll be happy to welcome our partners, too. Moreover, we’d like to give a special thought to the Emilia-Romagna region, affected by serious flooding in recent weeks. We know very well how strong the people are here, we’re sure they’ll rise again quickly.”

Straight after the Misano test, Aegerter stayed in Italy for arm pump surgery and he’s now ready for the remainder of the season.

Dominique Aegerter

“We were a bit unlucky with the weather while testing in Misano, but we acquired helpful data. I underwent arm pump surgery shortly after and now I’m feeling better for the rest of the season. I’d like to thank the doctors who made the operation possible. We’re aiming for another strong weekend and to fight for the top positions, keeping an eye on the weather. I’d like to send my thoughts to the Emilia-Romagna region too, I hope we can make some people smile for a bit during the round.”

Remy Gardner

“The test was OK, just a little bit strange with the weather, so we must pay attention to the forecast for the weekend. I’m looking forward to this next race, I can’t wait to be back on track, and hoping to improve our performance and feelings. I really hope this weekend can offer something nice to the local people who have been through a lot recently.”

It has been a tough start to the season for BMW and this week Tom Sykes (GBR) stand in for the injured Michael van der Mark (NED) until further notice.

Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director

“We used the break and the Misano test to continue to adapt our new BMW M 1000 RR to the individual requirements of the riders. As such, the teams and riders rode different programmes, compared components and, among other things, worked on geometry and weight distribution – particularly with Scott and Garrett. For Loris, the Misano test was primarily about getting a feel for the bike again after his leg injury. He has had three weeks of recovery time since then, and we are confident that he will be stronger at Misano than recently at Assen and Barcelona. The test gave Tom the opportunity to familiarise himself with the new M RR and Michael’s crew. On the whole, the test was good preparation for the coming races. Our goal is to perform well with both teams and all four riders at Misano, and to convert the hard work into good results.”

Misano will be the first competitive WorldSBK round for new Kawasaki Puccetti Racing signing Tito Rabat, at what is his team’s home round.

Japanese rider Ryo Mizuno will make his WorldSBK debut as he substitutes for the still-recovering Eric Granado with MIE Honda.

After the first of two Italian WorldSBK rounds on the 2023 WorldSBK calendar, the teams will have another long layoff from competitive action before WorldSBK hits the UK at Donington Park on July 2.

World Superbike Championship Points

WorldSSP

Nicolo Bulega arrives in Misano at the top of the Riders’ Championship standings, with 152 points. The Ducati rider enjoyed two private tests ahead of the fifth round of 2023, the first one at Misano and the second one at Mugello. In 2022, he finished both races in third place meaning he will aim for his first win at Misano.

Two podiums for Marcel Schroetter in Barcelona means he now sits in second place in the standings, 33 points behind Bulega. It will be the German’s first appearance at Misano with WorldSSP.

Italian riders Stefano Manzi and Federico Caricasulo, respectively third and fourth in the standings, will also aim for solid results at their home round. Manzi will target a podium finish which he has been missing in 2022, whilst Caricasulo will be hoping to repeat his 2018 victory.

Bahattin Sofuoglu, fresh off his first WorldSSP win in Barcelona, will be aiming for a solid weekend for MV Agusta’s home round.

Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) remains unfit following his Assen Race 2 crash where he injured his arm and he wil he will be replaced, like in Barcelona, by Lucas Mahias. At Yamaha Thailand Racing Team, Apiwath Wongthananon will be replaced by Ratthapong Wilairot on the Yamaha YZF-R6 machine. There will be two wildcard riders on track at Misano.

Simone Corse (Altogo Racing Team) returns for his second round of the campaign and Marco Bussolotti returns to WorldSSP for the first time since 2018 and as reigning CIV Supersport champion, racing with the Axon Seven Team with Yamaha machinery. Bussolotti is a three-time Superstock 600 winner, with three podiums coming at Misano from 2007 – 2009.

World Supersport Championship Points

WorldSSP300

With 69 points, Petr Svoboda arrives in Misano leading WorldSSP300 standings. The Czech rider will aim for solid results at the Italian circuit where he has never finished in the top ten.

He will face the competition of Italian rider Mirko Gennai, fresh from two podium places in Barcelona, including a win, who will be racing at home.

Third in the standings 19 points behind Svoboda, Samuel Di Sora will aim for solid results in Misano, where he finished two times on the podium in the past two years.

Italian rider Matteo Vannucci, who took his first WorldSSP300 win in Misano back in 2022, will be one to look out for having claimed two podium places in the last four races.

FIM Supersport 300 World Championship riders will have at their disposal a new development set of DIABLO Superbike, in SC1 front and SC2 rear compounds, which uses some new materials.

World Supersport 300 Championship Points

WorldSBK Misano 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
13-15 Oct	San Juan Villicum	X	X