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PREVIEW: will Razgatlioglu continue to CZECH out or will rivals usurp the #54 as WorldSBK hits Most?

Wednesday, 17 July 2024 05:20 GMT

A week on from a visit to Donington Park and the WorldSBK field is back in action again as the Autodrom Most hosts Round 6 and the first back-to-back of the season

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship reaches the halfway point of the 2024 campaign this weekend as the Autodrom Most hosts the Czech Round. A relatively new addition to the calendar but one that’s become a hit with fans and riders alike with plenty of action and drama since the inaugural visit in 2021, this year’s visit is sure to be no different. But the big question is… who will make the most of Most? Sorry, we just had to…

WILL RAZGATLIOGLU’S STREAK END? Seven consecutive wins for the #54, he’s going for 10

Like Donington, this is a circuit that Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) adores and the #54 has only been out of the top two once, when he crashed out of Race 2 last year. He also heads into this weekend on the back of seven wins in a row, the best streak in his career. Also, like Donington, it’s a track where BMW have gone well at in the past, with a podium in 2022 courtesy of Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) when in the ROKiT BMW structure, plus a heap of top-five finishes, while Redding has won before for Ducati at Most. For Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), it was the scene of his comeback from injury last year and his best result came in 2021’s Race 2 with seventh. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) is yet to crack the top five at Most but the American will be hoping that changes this year.

THE CHASING PACK: who will be in the mix when the lights go out?

Most has provided plenty of winners over the years. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was victorious in mixed conditions last year for Kawasaki – his only win of the year – while Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati), Redding and Razgatlioglu have also tasted victory there. Rea comes into the back of the Czech round after a first Yamaha rostrum and just missing out on being the top Yamaha in all three races – teammate Andrea Locatelli, a podium finisher at Most – just pipped him Race 2. Likewise, for Redding, Donington was his best weekend of 2024 and that will give him confidence heading into the Czech Round while Bautista is still searching for the perfect feeling on his Panigale V4 R. Twice a winner at Most, can he repeat that this year? Of course, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) will expect to be in the mix too after two more podiums last time out, while Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was on the rostrum here last year as well, plus Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) will be hoping to continue his strong form.

LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK: a double header, the perfect way to rebound

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) had been Yamaha’s form rider heading into the UK Round, but he struggled to make the top ten at Donington. Two top sixes at Most last year, the #87 – who received the news he’ll stand in for Cal Crutchlow at the British Grand Prix ahead of the round – means the Australian will be confident heading into the Czech Republic. Could a return to the rostrum be a possibility? Teammate Dominique Aegerter was a winner here in WorldSSP back in 2021 and had a best of eighth in WorldSBK last year. Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) has shown good pace at Most in the past on the Panigale V4 R, narrowly missing out on a podium and only being out of the top five on three occasions. Can he continue his step forward with Kawasaki? At Team HRC, a promising Misano was followed up with a disappointing Donington for Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge, and they’ll be hoping they can bounce back again at Most.

FIRST VISITS, LOOKING FOR PROGRESS: a difficult circuit to master

Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) will both race at Most for the first time, having not been there in their career previously. After both have had up and down form recently, the duo will be looking to be in the mix as soon as possible. It’s also the first visit for Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), who missed last year’s round there through injury. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) have both raced at Most before, with Rabat’s best a 13th place finish from Race 2 in 2021 and Oettl taking P8 in Race 2 in 2022.

RIDER LINE-UP NEWS: a second American joins the grid

Alongside Gerloff, a second American will be on the grid at Most as Hayden Gillim replaces the injured Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda), who was diagnosed with concussion following his Race 1 spill at Donington. Gillim was second in MotoAmerica STK1000 in 2023 on a Suzuki but is racing for Honda this year in the American Superbike championship He’s also the cousin of the late, great Nicky Hayden and his brother, Roger Lee. Alongside him will be Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado, with the Argentinian replacing Adam Norrodin. The Malaysian rider is also missing the Czech Round through injury.

Watch the highlights show from Donington HERE, read the Official Programme for the Czech Round HERE and watch everything from Most using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 30% off!