the 2023 Superbike world championship ended this weekend in Misano, with the fourth hat-trick of Alvaro Bautista, with an unprecedented supremacy
June 5, 2023
Maybe I should write that we are only at the end of the fifth of twelve rounds and that therefore everything is still possible, but I’m not used to telling lies and even less making fun of my readers and therefore I will write what I really think: the 2023 Superbike world championship concluded this weekend in Misano, with Alvaro Bautista’s fourth hat-trick (third in a row). Among other things, setting a new record for victories with 14 wins in 15 races, the Ducati Spaniard extended his advantage over Toprak Razgatlioglu to 86 points, while from third place down the points his opponents should recover are above 150, and sixth in the standings, his teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi is far from the top by 199 points.
A domain that has no comparison with the past and which goes far beyond numbers and results and which is not even justifiable with the supremacy of his Panigale V4, given that the 2022 world champion has also annihilated his brand mates. And one cannot even ask the question that usually arises in such cases (is he too strong or are his opponents too weak?) because we’re talking about a six-time world champion like Jonathan Rea and a great natural talent like Toprak Razgatlioglu, as well as some young hopefuls and some former MotoGP riders.
The Panigale V4 is undoubtedly the most performing superbike bike, but while the other riders who use it, some more (Danilo Petrucci) and some less (Axel Bassani) still have some set-up problems to solve, Alvaro’s seems to be perfect made motorcycle.
The only alternative to the Italian red, or perhaps it would be better to say the one with the least distant performance from that of the V4, is the dated Yamaha YZF R1, which however manages to get on the podium only with the young Turkish rider. The Ninja Kawasaki has been the same for five years now and is so outdated to force a champion like Jonathan Rea to fight for the top five. Despite the proclamations and super-concessions, the Honda shows no signs of being competitive not even for the last step of the podium while BMW borders on the ridiculous. The only pilot who at the moment avoids the meltdown is the young Garrett Gerloff, while Scott Redding and even more Loris Baz, now appear resigned to retirements and foolishness.
The next appointment with the Superbike is fixed later this month at Donington Park in England, a track with particular characteristics and with variable weather, where Razgatlioglu took his first podium and Rea has already won five times. We’ll see if in at least one of the three races across the Channel Bautista’s opponents will be able to worry him or even beat him.
In the meantime, here are our votes for the protagonists of the Romagna weekend.
Alvaro Bautista: 10 and lot
Also in Misano Alvaro won everything, but as he himself stated after Race 2 “the important thing is not to win, but how you do it”. And he does it in a disarming way. His feeling with the Panigale V4 is such as to allow him to manage each race as he sees fit. What happened in Race 2 is emblematic, when after realizing that both Toprak and Rinaldi were particularly fierce, to avoid any surprises he immediately took the lead and with fast laps he definitively detached the two pursuers. Invincible.
Toprak Razgatlioglu: 9
By now, even he no longer believes in the possibility of winning the title, but he is aiming decisively for second place in the race and in the championship. In Romagna his worst result was third place in Race 1. Not bad.
Andrea Locatelli: 6
It’s weekends like this that prevent him from making the leap in quality that would allow him to fight permanently for the podium. Misano was an uphill journey for him, which started with the twelfth place in Race1 and ended with the sixth in Race2. It can and must do better.
Jonathan Rea: 6,5
His Kawasaki seems increasingly distant from the performance not only of the Ducati, but also that of the Yamaha. With so much humility and with his usual grit he fights for fifth place exactly as he fought for victory a few years ago. Champion always.
Axel Bassani: 8
In addition to the first podium of the season, Bocia offers convincing performances in all the races and also in the Superpole one which has never been his forte. In the next rounds it will be interesting to see if it was just the home air or if Axel has really improved in what are (were?) His weak points.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi: 7
He always pays too much for his mistakes, but he always makes some. The crash in Race 2 ruined an almost perfect weekend up until then, in which he had accumulated two podiums and a front row. Let’s hope that in addition to the podium he hasn’t lost his self-esteem. Unfinished.
Dominique Aegerter: 6
The fall he suffered in the second corner of the Superpole Race definitely ruined a weekend in which the Swiss never shone particularly well. Seventh in Superpole, he battled with Rea in Race 1 for fifth place, but failed to bring down the wounded lion.
Xavi Virgo: 6.5
He gradually moved from sixteenth position in Superpole to fifth place in Race 2. The Honda Spaniard works hard and without complaining, but traveling with the lights off he is only one point behind Aegerter in the general classification. It would be interesting to see him on a more competitive bike.
Alex Lowes: 5,5
Despite not being a champion in this start to the championship, Lowes has shown signs of an acquired maturity, which has often brought him very close to his multiple-titled teammate. Even in Misano he didn’t go badly in the first two races, but he really didn’t want that crash in Race 2. The same old story.
Daniel Petrucci: 6
The fourth position in the Superpole had heralded a protagonist weekend, but unfortunately the rider from Terni was only so due to his crashes. His impetuosity in Race 1 caused him to take a long lap to recover which Danilo forced and fell at the curve of the oak. History repeats itself in the Superpole Race, when he crashes in the same corner and risks getting really hurt. Stronger than the pain Petrucci stoically conquered the seventh place in Race 2. Big heart, but that’s not enough.
Remy Gardner: 5,5
Yet another anonymous round for the former MotoGP rider, who however this time has the alibi of an innocent fall in the sprint race. How much patience do they have at Yamaha?
Garrett Gerloff: 6
Who would have imagined that after five rounds the young American from the private Bonovo team would be the best BMW driver? He precedes all his teammates in the general classification. At Misano, he starts badly but then increases over time, up to eighth place in Race 2. Little, but better than nothing that its brand mates offer.
Scott Redding: 4
Who has seen? The Englishman never hits the top ten and is even fourteenth in Race 2. Did he understand that he is the pilot who will be sacrificed on Razgatlioglu’s altar?
Stefano Manzi: 10
With a textbook last lap Yamaha’s talent folds Bulega and his Ducati e is applying for a place in the official Superbike 2024 team.
Bruno Ieraci: 10
Veni Vidi Vici. He runs as a wild card and takes home both races of the 300. Well done to him and to the Prodina Team, who knew how to enhance and relaunch him. A young man (and a team) to keep an eye on.
