Excitement builds as WorldSBK returns to Imola

Imola is a classic WorldSBK venue, offering thrilling races and a vibrant atmosphere. The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari carries a rich history and hosted some of the finest WorldSBK battles such as the Bayliss-Edwards’ Showdown in 2002.

DID YOU KNOW? 

In the 2001 Race 2 at Imola, the victory was decided by a razor-thin margin of just 0.021 seconds separating Regis Laconi and Ruben Xaus, making it the closest finish in the circuit’s history.

IMOLA’S HOT SPOTS WITH TOPRAK RAZGATLIOGLU

T2-3/ “I enjoy the first sector. In some corners you cannot see as they have blind entries. The first sector is fine and it becomes quite difficult afterwards. The first straight isn’t exactly straight, it’s a long curve before entering the first of four chicanes – Variante Tamburello. This chicane is not small or tight – it’s quite a big one … left, right then a curve on the exit.”

T7/” This is the only real hairpin, with a big climb on the exit. It’s slightly off-camber here. This is a good corner for braking. And you need good acceleration on the way out to arrive at T9. It is all uphill, so you need to carry good the speed with you.”

T18/ “It’s a curving downhill section followed by two left corners. I always like an old school track and an old school bike. I am going to ride here on my Yamaha for the first time.”

WorldSBK | KEY STAT

100

With three podium finishes at Donington Park, Toprak Razgatlioglu has now accumulated a total of 99 podiums, leaving him just one step away from reaching the impressive milestone of 100.

What to look out for in Imola

As the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship arrives at the historic Imola circuit, anticipation is building for a thrilling weekend of racing.

Alvaro Bautista (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati), currently leading the Championship standings, will be eager to make his mark at Imola, Ducati’s home round. With solid past results at this circuit, including a third-place finish in the Tissot Superpole Race and a second-place finish in Race 1 in 2019, Bautista knows what it takes to excel on this demanding track as he looks to add valuable points to his championship campaign and claim his first victory at the historic circuit.

Meanwhile, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) is on the verge of a significant milestone as he stands at 99 podium finishes. Imola presents a golden opportunity for him to reach the impressive milestone of 100 podiums. Despite it being his first time racing at Imola with Yamaha, Razgatlioglu will be pushing hard to achieve this feat and continue his strong form at Imola.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) will be aiming to climb up the championship standings. Imola has been a happy hunting ground for Rea in the past, with his exceptional record at this circuit including 9 victories (among them the last four WorldSBK races at Imola). As he looks to close the gap in the championship race, Rea will spare no effort in his pursuit of success.

Another rider to watch out for is Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), who recently celebrated his first podium finish at Donington Park. Competing on home soil, the Italian rider will strive to build on his recent success and deliver a strong performance at Imola.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), currently holding third position in the championship standings, faces a unique challenge as he takes on Imola for the first time with a Superbike. The Yamaha rider will be eager to adapt quickly to the demanding circuit and maintain his strong position in the championship battle.

The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team will aim to carry forward their momentum after Scott Redding’s solid fourth-place finish in Race 2 at Donington Park. There’s a question mark over Redding’s teammate for the round, as Tom Sykes will be out injured after his Race 2 crash at Donington Park, whilst Michael van der Mark hopes to come back, but will only do so if he’s feeling fit enough.

More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:

Classic Italian Venue Next For Lowes And Rea

Kawasaki Racing Team riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes will journey to the iconic Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola circuit in Italy for the seventh round of the 2023 WorldSBK championship, which will be held between 14-16 July.

The once regular WorldSBK venue of Imola makes a somewhat unexpected welcome return to the calendar this season, offering a second immersive Italian experience after the fifth round was held at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in early June.

Both KRT riders have competed on WorldSBK machinery at Imola before, although Lowes is about to race his official Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR there for the first time.

Rea has scored no fewer than nine of his record 118 career race wins at Imola, the most recent six of his Imola successes in partnership with KRT. His first Imola win was in 2011 and his most recent two were taken the last time WorldSBK raced there, in 2019.

Lowes is yet to score a podium at Imola but has already taken a top-three finish this season, at Mandalika, in early March.

In what has been a challenging campaign at times due to current Championship rules that compromise the ultimate racing potential of the Ninja ZX-10RR, Rea is fourth in the championship rankings and Lowes is seventh after six of 12 rounds have been completed.

The 4.936km Imola circuit is as unique as it is renowned, with no fewer than four chicanes of various designs and speeds. The layout backs onto the Santerno River on two sides, limiting any potential enlargement of the long, narrow paddock. The historic town of Imola is in plain view at its eastern end while the circuit itself encloses both the community-owned Acque Minerali park and even some private residences inside its heavily undulating layout.

After the Imola event, Autodrom Most hosts the Czech Round of WorldSBK, between 28-30 July. A five weekend-long summer break follows immediately after.

Jonathan Rea, stated: “When I saw Imola was back on the calendar I was already looking forward to this one. It is a great track with a real atmosphere. You feel very close to the fans, especially with the paddock being so closely-knit and intimate. The circuit is steeped in history. It has a nice layout, undulations and some of the most iconic sections of track in the world. I am looking forward to getting there and we have good memories from 2019. With a lot of data I hope we can start Friday with a strong set-up and continue being competitive, like we were at Donington last time out. It is important to try to stay on the podium and try to score some good points for our championship battles, because we will move on to Most soon after. These next two rounds, in Italy and the Czech Republic, mark a part of the championship where we want to capitalise and be strong. I cannot wait to get stuck in.”

Alex Lowes, stated: “Imola is an historic track which has seen some amazing WorldSBK battles, most notably the Edwards/Bayliss scrap to decide the championship during the 2002 season. The layout itself is quite challenging with fast and slow changes of direction and also some elevations and drops. We haven’t ridden there since 2019 but it is a track I really enjoy. It is an ‘old school’ style of circuit, which is quite challenging physically, especially in the hot temperatures that have been forecast for race weekend. My target, as always, is to get off to a good start on Friday so we can challenge for the podiums on Saturday and Sunday – and of course have some fun.”

Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti racing) will ride for his Italian-based team once more, this time at the second home round for the Puccetti squad, which is based in Reggio Emilia – a relatively short drive along the Autostrada network from Imola.

Oliver König (Orelac Racing Movisio Kawasaki) and Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing Kawasaki) continue their seasons at Imola, looking to score championship points.