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Thailand 2015 will never be forgotten by WorldSBK riders or fans alike, not least supporters of Ratthapark Wilairot who brought the house down when the CORE’’ Motorsport Thailand rider stunningly won for the first time in front of a rapturous home crowd at Buriram. He now has a new task to deal with: defending a World Championship lead for the first time.

Behind Wilairot, others have a point to prove. Jules Cluzel looked a certain winner of the Thai Round until his MV Agusta expired, cruelly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory just over two laps away from a second consecutive triumph. Indeed, team-mate Lorenzo Zanetti will also be looking to bounce back from his Thailand crash, with Round 2 having brought a non-score for the Italian marque after its impressive one-two finish of Australia.

Currently second to Wilairot in the standings is three-time World Supersport Champion Kenan Sofuoglu, who in Thailand fought back to a late second place from his 20th career pole position. The Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider won in Aragon last year (surprisingly this would prove to be his only win in a tough season) and he is now looking to become the third different winner in as many races at the start of the 2015 campaign.

PJ Jacobson was frustrated to have lost a position to Sofuoglu at the last corner in Thailand, despite the Kawasaki Intermoto Pontexpres rider having picked up his first rostrum of the year in third. He heads to Aragon fourth in the standings behind Wilairot, Sofuoglu and Cluzel, while Gino Rea completes the overall top five. The CIA Landlords Insurance Honda rider was on the podium at the Phillip Island season-opener, but lost ground at Round 2.

The Constructors’ Championship is also finely-poised, with Honda edging out MV Agusta by the slim margin of nine points. Last time out, thanks to the efforts of Wilairot, the Japanese manufacturer became the first in World Supersport history to hit a century of race wins.