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The FIM Supersport World Championship starts at MotorLand Aragon shortly and with it a new era begins. New technical rules have opened up the class to more bikes and this could potentially lead to a shake up in the order although last year’s frontrunners will be looking to stay at the front of the field against new riders, new bikes and new and returning manufacturers.

Reigning Champion Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) will be looking to become the first back-to-back Champion since Kenan Sofuoglu in 2015 and 2016 and only the third in WorldSSP history after Sebastien Charpentier and Sofuoglu. The Swiss rider remains with Ten Kate Racing Yamaha for his second season in WorldSSP as he looks to make history in the class.

Perennial front runner Jules Cluzel returns to WorldSSP with GMT94 Yamaha as he looks to finally win a world title after eight seasons finishing in the top for eight consecutive seasons between 2014 and 2021. Like Aegerter, Cluzel remains on the YZF-R6 machine for 2022 and will be hoping to finally claim the WorldSSP crown. The French rider finished 2021 with four victories and five podiums in the final six races, something Cluzel will want to use as a springboard into 2022.

Turkish star Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) made a step forward in 2021 as he became a regular top six contender and claimed three podium finishes. Now in his third season in WorldSSP and with the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, Oncu will be looking to claim his first win and mount a title challenge on his ZX-6R machine. With the guidance of five-time Champion Sofuoglu to help him, could Oncu’s first win be just around the corner?

Rookie Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) makes the step from Moto2™ to WorldSSP for 2022 with the team that have had so much recent success. Baldassarri will be hoping to join the likes of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Aegerter in becoming WorldSSP Champion in their rookie season. With the team’s success with Locatelli in 2020, and Randy Krummenacher in 2019, the team will be hoping Baldassarri takes them back to the top of the standings.

Another rookie hoping to make his mark on the Championship is Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team). He, like Baldassarri, switched to WorldSSP after competing in Moto2™ but, unlike Baldassarri, will compete with a new bike and new team to the Championship. Ducati are returning to the Championship for the first time since 2007 and the Panigale V2’s strength has already been seen at testing at several tracks where Bulega has lapped faster than existing lap records.

There are plenty of other riders looking to make their mark on the Championship too. Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) will have the F3 800 RR at his disposal for 2022 and he believes this will help him throughout the season, while Oli Bayliss (Barni Spark Racing Team) will make his debut on Ducati machinery. Althea Racing return to the paddock with a Ducati-powered WorldSSP squad, choosing Federico Caricasulo to spearhead their return. A veteran of WorldSSP, Raffaele De Rosa (Ducati Orelac Racing VerdNatura) is another who will compete on Ducati machinery for 2022 and he will be hoping to build on his race-winning campaign. The 2022 season also features the return of Andy Verdoia (GMT94 Yamaha) on a full-time basis, with the Frenchman becoming the youngest-ever WorldSSP race winner in Catalunya in 2020 when he won a rain-affected Race 1. Another manufacturer returning to WorldSSP is Triumph, running with the PTR team branded as Dynavolt Triumph with riders Hannes Soomer and Stefano Manzi.

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