PREVIEW: Imola’s the theatre, WorldSBK’s the show – we’re back!
After four years, we’re back to the circuit which holds many special memories, and we’re ready to make more
Very few places get hairs standing up on end by just the mere mention of their name. Not many can lay claim to hosting the biggest motorsport World Championships and a small handful are recognised by such powerful corner names. Tamburello; Tosa, Piratella, Acque Minerali, Rivazza. This is the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari; to everyone else, it’s known as Imola. The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has seen the first half banked, with six rounds done and six more to come. The start of the second half couldn’t be kickstarted on a more iconic circuit: welcome to Imola.
THE TITANIC TRIO FIGHT RESUMES: more of the same at Imola?
All the talk coming into Imola is the fact that Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) turned Ducati’s fortunes at Donington Park around, but can he do the same at Imola. He will be competitive – like he was in his first year – but Imola is a circuit where experience, precision and understanding every little bump and nuance can make the difference, and that falls on the riders more than the bike. The ‘titanic trio’ were back to their best at Donington Park and we’re predicting that Imola’s quirkiness will also keep them close together this weekend too. In 2019, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) took his first podium of the season at Imola, whilst Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took his first wins and started a sensational comeback to a fifth title. Imola could be seen as a land of opportunity for Bautista’s rivals to make some sort of dent into his Championship lead, but can he do the same again as Donington Park and rip up the form guide?
BIG NAMES READY FOR IMOLA DEBUT: a jumbled-up order in the offing?
Of the seven remaining top ten riders in the Championship standings, five have never been to Imola in WorldSBK. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) has stated his excitement about heading to what really is his home round, but it will be his first time there on a Superbike. The same applies for Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), although he was 13th in WorldSSP in 2016. Both are in the battle for third overall in the Championship – Rea splits them, third to fifth covered by 29 points.
The next Imola ‘rookie’ in WorldSBK in the standings is Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), who took a first podium last time out and is currently getting better results in each of his last four races: 7th, 5th, 4th and 3rd. On his last visit to Imola, ‘Petrux’ won in the STK1000 class; could his experience, home-crowd and good form help him to more magical memories? Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) complete the top ten and after a difficult Donington Park for both, can they bounce back at what will be a completely new circuit for them?
Besides the top ten in the Championship, the big names continue to get ready for their first taste of Imola aboard WorldSBK machinery. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) will hope that a fresh circuit will bring a change in fortune, especially for the #7, as it’s been five races without a top ten, his worst run in WorldSBK from races he’s started. Then, Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) arrives to Imola off the back of his best result of the 2023 season with fourth in Race 2 at Donington Park. With it being an old-school layout, Redding may excel. Redding will have a new teammate in Leon Haslam for the weekend, with Tom Sykes out injured from his Donington Park crash, whilst full-time Michael van der Mark needs more time to get back to the track after his Assen crash. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) will also be making his debut there, and he usually goes strongly at new circuits, whilst teammate Loris Baz hopes his experience can give him a first top ten of 2023.
ELSEWHERE ON THE GRID: noteworthy stories and themes
In sixth place overall in the standings and in desperate need of a big result after a Donington Park disaster, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will return to Imola, where he led a race for the first time in 2018 in his rookie season. The two seventh place results he achieved from that season remain his best at the track in WorldSBK, although he won the 2017 STK1000 race there. After suffering concussion at Donington Park, Rinaldi underwent an MRI scan which confirmed no lasting damage, although he’s still required to pass a final medical check on Thursday. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) seeks to use his Imola experience to put him inside the top six in the overall standings, with a best race result of fifth in his most recent race there.
Further down the order, Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) returned to the top ten at Donington Park and will hope for more of the same for his team’s home round, whilst it will be the second home round of the season for Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha), who goes to Imola for the first time in his professional racing career. Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) will see whether the progress at Misano and Donington Park will bring another step at Imola, and with the Italian venue being somewhat quirky, similar to tracks in the UK, it could be a ‘new familiarity’ for Ray this weekend.
Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team), teammate Eric Granado, Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing), Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) and Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) all take to Imola for the first time on a Superbike, although Vinales raced in WorldSSP in 2019 at the track, finishing eighth, whereas Konig made an appearance in WorldSSP300 at the track in 2019 too.
Don’t forget, get the FREE Official Programme here whilst you can watch our latest documentary, ‘The Showdown’, about Imola 2002!, Finally, enjoy all the action from our return to Imola LIVE and wherever you are with the WorldSBK VideoPass!
