Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it) won Aragon Round Race 1 today by 1.253 seconds over a hungry Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK). Rinaldi ultimately held Razgatlioglu off but Razgatlioglu’s podium streak continues having podiumed in 6 of the last 7 races. It was Rinaldi’s first win since 2021. Unfortunately for Alvaro Bautista he once again crashed from the lead position after missing his braking zone and crashing in Turn 8. There were 3 retirements in the session. We will see if Rinaldi can keep up this pace in the Superpole race and race 2.
“It’s incredible! At Aragon, strange things happen, I had my first race win here and then this victory today is one of my best, as I fought! It was a race where I had to manage the tire and think a lot. There’s been some really dark moments this year but this is the best road to come back. I decided to not give up and here I am, really happy and enjoying this moment.”
He continued
“I think that the problem for them was at the beginning of the race; I was lapping in the 1’50s but they went away, and I think they were using too much tire, so at the end, it was the key as I was able to catch them. It’s what I thought at the beginning of the race. I’m sorry for Alvaro’s crash and I’m sure his pace was even better, but I took the opportunity and won the race. These things happen and I wish him the best for tomorrow. My target is to always be there fighting for the victory and we’ll see tomorrow if we can repeat it with Alvaro.”
One rider who had the best comeback of the season thus far was Danilo Petrucci. Petrucci crashed earlier in Superpole so where he’d end up in the race was up in the air. He fought through the adversity and finished P5 in the race. Three manufacturers finished in the top 3 in race 1.
Full Race 1 Results Below
Alvaro Bautista edged out Aruba.it Racing teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi by 0.077 seconds in FP2 at Aragon. Behind was the fellow Ducati of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing) who seems to have found the necessary chemistry with his Ducati V4R to return to podium contention. It was Ducati day at the top of the table with Ducati bikes filling the top 3 spots ahead Jonathan Rea’s Kawasaki. In an uncharacteristic fifth fastest position sat Iker Lecuona.
Lecuona had the following words after FP2
“Overall, I’m quite happy with the first day here. We already knew that our pace at this track was competitive, something we noted during the recent test. Not over the flying lap, where I expect some challenges tomorrow, but in terms of race pace, so I feel confident there. This morning I could push hard, lapped on my own and felt comfortable all session long. This afternoon the track temperature increased by around ten degrees and the feeling changed a bit, especially at the front. I cannot say I’m a fan of the new front spec, I felt a little on the limit and took a couple of risks before ultimately crashing.”
“Just a small crash, and I’m totally fine, so overall I’m very happy, as I’ve said. We are top five, and it’s been a while since we started a racing weekend this well. We’ll try and fight at the front as far as we can, but we shouldn’t forget that today is only Friday. This morning was cold and windy, and the track was a bit dirty, with many riders already improving their pace this afternoon. The track will continue to improve run by run. So we need to work well in FP3 and qualifying and then perhaps we’ll have a chance to stay in the front group or close to it during the first race. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.”
The result was great for the Honda rider. However, we will see if he can repeat it in Superpole.
Full Aragon FP2 Result are Below
Today it was announced that Kawasaki World Superbike rider Alex Lowes is being held out of the Aragon Round this weekend. The team has decided that he should rest from his recent knee surgery instead of returning too early and risking further injury. Lowes stated, “After Magny-Cours, I took the tough decision to go to Barcelona to have surgery on my knee. The operation went well. Since then, I have been fully focused on my recovery and working as hard as possible.
Physically, I feel good and in a position where I could ride. However, the team have decided the best option is to wait for Portugal next weekend. I respect their decision and switch my focus toward supporting Florian, Jonathan and the team, whilst improving myself in time for the next event in Portimao. It’s a shame because I showed some strong speed in the recent Aragon test and Magny-Cours weekend. They are behind us now, and it’s time to look forward and try to get on the podium again before the end of the 2023 season.”
Florian Marino, the team’s test rider will step in to fill in. Marino has plenty of experience with the bike and its setup so we don’t anticipate him having any issues stepping in for the weekend.
Notes from the Team
Florian Marino Commented on the fill in role, “First of all, I wish the best recovery to my friend and rider Alex Lowes. I know he will come back stronger and racing very soon. For me it’s a great opportunity as a test rider for KRT. I think this weekend will also help me to improve my understanding of the Kawasaki ZX-10RR and of course I can’t wait to work with the technical crew. Personally, I have no expectation, I’m just going to try to make the most of the opportunity for everyone involved. Thank you Kawasaki and Provec Racing for the trust!”
Guim Roda, KRT Team Manager, commented on Lowes having a speedy recovery stating, “We decided to make Alex rest at home for this round but he is training hard to be at 110% for the Portimao round. Just nine days after a knee operation, we didn’t want to force his body into the stresses of racing, to let him recover correctly. We could keep one bike in the pit box for one race, but alongside KMC Japan we decide to give Florian a chance to race. He already has the test rider job for KRT, so he will run at Aragon and keep collecting data to develop the bike in real race conditions. It’ll be a good way to see the rhythm he is able to get to as he will keep working in the winter months to test items at the very top level.”
Scott Redding will move out of his current factory BMW seat and to Bonovo Action BMW as teammates with Garrett Gerloff. Redding will replace Loris Baz. As a result Michael van der Mark will assume the role of Toprak Razgatlioglu’s 2024 teammate with BMW. There has been speculation around such a move for quite some time now but it is officially official. Dr. Markus Schramm, Director of BMW Motorrad, stated his excitement and emphasized that both teams will have equal support and material from the factory itself:
“Four great BMW Motorrad factory riders in our two strong BMW teams – with this new allocation, we are set up superbly for the WorldSBK season 2024. Scott Redding is a great racer and we appreciate that he is staying true to our BMW Motorrad World Superbike project by bringing his skills to bear in the Bonovo Action BMW team. His experience, speed and expertise in particular, will be a key component as we optimise our collective goals together with Garrett Gerloff and the whole team. The addition of Toprak Razgatlioglu allows us to distribute our factory riders perfectly across our two competitive teams. Together with Michael van der Mark in the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, we have the ideal line-up for the overall project.”
Schramm Continued on the 2024 Lineup
“Collaborating closely with our BMW Motorrad Motorsport engineers, both teams will use the feedback from the riders to make continuous, collective improvements to the motorbike. We also believe that having two teams with top riders will also raise the internal competitive pressure. That also helps to lift the overall performance levels. We are convinced that this new line-up for riders and teams represents another important step as we move closer to the top of WorldSBK with our project. Finally, I would like to thank Loris Baz for our collaboration. He will leave the World Superbike project after the end of the current season. After two seasons that he contested for the Bonovo Action BMW team, we wish him all the best for the future.”
This Article was not Written by Speed Trap Magazine Staff
From Dorna...
There will be a new solution for everyone to get to grips with at Aragon as Pirelli bring development options to Spain.
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship moves from France to Spain and MotorLand Aragon for Round 10 of the 2023 season and tire supplier Pirelli have unveiled their solutions for the first of the Iberian Peninsula double header. The Tissot Aragon Round will feature the debut of a brand-new soft front tire as the Italian brand continues to develop and innovate their solutions in WorldSBK, while the development SCQ returns to action after a successful outing at Magny-Cours.
A NEW FRONT SC0: Pirelli continue their evolution
Pirelli’s big news for 2023 was the development of a front soft SC0 compound with the view of making it a standard solution in 2024. The evolution of this new product continues with the C0927 specification which makes its debut at Aragon. Compared to the first iteration of this specification, the new one features the same carcass but a different compound with the aim of increasing grip at the front of the bikes. The grid will also be able to choose the standard SC1 medium compound.
DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS: four rear solutions at Aragon
Like with the front tyre, Pirelli keep developing at their rear too. Riders can choose from four slick tyres across the weekend with two development tyres brought to Aragon. The standard SCX is joined by the B0800 development solution, which debuted at Magny-Cours last year and has been at most rounds in 2023. The other option available throughout all sessions is the standard SC0 soft tyre. For the Tissot Superpole session and Tissot Superpole Race, Pirelli have brought the development SCQ in C0004 specification, which debuted at Misano and was also used at Imola and Magny-Cours.
ONE DEVELOPMENT TYRE IN WorldSSP: three front tyre choices, two rear options
In WorldSSP, teams and riders will have plenty of choices. At the front, the standard SC1 soft and SC1-B, the standard medium from the WorldSBK range, are joined by the B1333 SC1-A development soft that debuted in France. It is designed to provide more consistency over a race distance. At the rear, the standard SCX superspoft is joined by the standard SC0 soft compound to give teams and riders two choices.
PIRELLI’S VIEW: aiming for more grip at the front
Explaining the tyre solutions, Pirelli’s Motorcycle Racing Director, Giorgio Barbier, said: “From a development point of view, in WorldSBK this season. our efforts have concentrated above all on the extra soft rear, the SCQ, and on the brand new soft front, the SC0, which represented an absolute novelty. Until this year, in fact, Pirelli had never developed a tyre in SC0 compound for the front but, with the development carried out on the rear in the direction of softer solutions and the consequent introduction of compounds such as SCX and SCQ into the range, the need quickly emerged to work on a softer alternative for the front too which could offer a greater level of grip to balance that provided at the rear. The first specification we developed, the B1148, gave good results but did not fully satisfy us so we decided to project a new compound, the spec. C0927, which should offer an even better level of grip. We will certainly try it in Aragon and then also in Portimao and at the end of the year we will decide whether to make it a standard solution or whether to continue development next season.”
After dominating the Superpole Race and Race 1 Toprak Razgatlioglu looked to secure the hat trick at Magny-Cours. However, Alvaro Bautista had other plans. Bautista was able to bounce back in the final race of the weekend to claim the win. Bautista got a great start sending him to the front of the field. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) didn’t let up though. Rea went for a move at Turn 5 on the reigning Champion on the inside, but Bautista was able to pick his bike up well and reclaim the lead instantly. Rea kept the pressure on Bautista but his efforts would be futile as Bautista edging out a gap. The fight behind became the race as Rea and Razgatlioglu duked it out for the best for the rest. Ultimately their fighting on track removed them from ever being able to catch Bautista.
Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had an on track incident that resulted in the stewards ruling in Aegerter’s favor. Redding would receive a double long lap penalty. The incident brought out red flags. Aegerter was not able to continue. Redding continued the race but had a mechanical issue arise and thus retired.
Racing is Where it Counts
After a surprise pole position secured by Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW). Gerloff was not able to hold on to the top spot but he made strides of improvement on the weekend. He finished fourth in Race 1 and fifth in Race 2. The finish was his best of the season and is definitely something to build off of in the coming rounds. It was a special occasion where 4 different manufacturers filled the top 5 spots in Race 2.
Full Race Results are Below
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) cut into Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing) championship lead with a win in race 1 today at Magny-Cours. the win marked his sixth of the season. Razgatlioglu currently sits 55 points behind Bautista in the championship standings. Baustista got the holeshot but Razgatlioglu passed him on Lap 2 of the race. Unfortunately for Bautista he suffered a mechanical issue with his bike that he was not able to correct until falling all the way to P24 on the grid.
Bautista’s teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi finished P2 and attempted to make a late challenge for the lead. However, his efforts would be futile and Razgatlioglu defended and held on to the win. Jonathan Rea who had a great weekend in France finished 3rd for his 257th WorldSBK career podium. Rea led the field in FP2 and was able to carry that pace to a podium.
Full Race 1 Results are Below
In a surprising turn of events Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) secured pole position ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing). The pole position marked the first pole claimed by an American in 12 years. It was also the first for BMW since 2021. Gerloff found the pace to secure pole with just 5 minutes left in the session.
After running fastest in practice Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) finished P5 in Superpole. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) finished P4.
Top six after WorldSBK Superpole:
1. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) 1’35.453s
2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.059s
3. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.367s
4. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.415s
5. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.506s
6. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.551s
Full Superpole Results are Below
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) edged out Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing) by 0.073 seconds in FP2. Rea led FP1 one and continued that form in the second session of the day. He was fastest overall in the combined sessions. Res had the following words after the session.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team Rider): “The guys did a good job and my first lap was a 1’37.6. With new tires the bike felt really good and I was able to get to a strong rhythm. We had a really positive FP1, then in FP2 I felt like the track temperature went higher and I was expecting to stop the bike better, especially in the hairpin. I couldn’t stop in the last part of braking. They changed the front chassis position, but in reality I really struggled on the side of the tire, during turning and in trail braking.”
Rea Continued
“I lost some confidence, so although there were a lot of red flags that actually helped as Pere and the team had time to go back to the FP1 set-up. Even with quite a few laps on the tires I was able to improve. I think the race options are quite clear for us. But we still need to improve the trail braking feeling and have more front confidence. I don’t know if we can say that we have fixed the issues we had with overloading the front at the start of the year, but certainly in these conditions of 50°C on the track we found that the front tire consumption wasn’t as bad as we experienced at the beginning of the season.”
The session saw two red flags. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) had a viscous high side which brought out the first. The second was because of an engine issue for Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), leaving fluid on the track. Saturday action get started at
Full FP2 Results are Below
Jonathan Rea released a bombshell today when he announced that he will not be continuing with Kawasaki after his current contract is up. He will make a move to the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK squad at the end of 2023. The six-time Champion has spent nine seasons at the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK and won all his titles with Kawasaki. He also has over 100 wins under his belt with the manufacturer. His arrival means Toprak Razgatlioglu will be exiting. Yamaha teammate Andrea Locatelli is contracted with Yamaha through 2025.
Speaking of Rea’s departure, Guim Roda, Team Manager of KRT, said:
“In life as well as racing, priorities define the path to follow. I am very happy and proud that during these nine years Johnny has defined his priorities with KRT and has given us so many successes. I consider myself, our team, Kawasaki and all our fans worldwide, privileged to have been part of this journey. Whichever direction he goes in the future, I hope he can continue to grow as a rider. The task we have now is to finish the 2023 season as best we can with the tools we have been able to forge this year. As always, we will continue to look for improvements and seek advantage wherever possible. KRT is committed to putting on a good show with Johnny during his last four races on the formidable and impressive Ninja ZX-10RR that he has become synonymous with”.
Jonathan Rea reflected on his time at KRT saying:
“I want to thank everyone at KMC and KRT for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to prove myself at the highest level. I have learnt and grown so much as a person and a rider since the first day throwing my leg over the factory Ninja ZX-10R superbike.
Winning six consecutive WorldSBK Championships will always be the most obvious highlight of my time with Kawasaki; but it will also be the amazing memories, the life lessons and the laughs that I will take with me into the future. And, for sure, it’s our mission to complete the 2023 season as strongly and with as much commitment as we have always shown.
Now, looking back on our journey, it fills me with pride at the joy and happiness we have brought Kawasaki fans and Kawasaki owners around the world. This is not a goodbye, because you don’t say goodbye to family, but it is simply the end of this incredible chapter. I wish everyone at KRT the best of luck for the chapters that will surely follow. See you at the track!”