#WorldSSP2023

[sbknews]

Bulega masters Magny-Cours: Race 2 showdown unfolds

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) held off a relentless challenge from Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) to secure a hard-fought victory in Race 2. Bulega's triumph further extended his championship lead, now 60 points ahead of his closest rival, Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), who finished in third place. Bulega started strongly, attempting to break away from the pack, but Debise matched his pace lap after lap, staying within striking distance. The Frenchman's relentless pursuit kept the pressure on Bulega until Lap 14 when the Italian managed to pull away slightly and clinch his 11th win of the season. Behind them, the battle for fourth was a fierce one, with Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) edging out Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) in a race-long duel. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) finished just a fraction of a second behind Tuuli in sixth place. WorldSSP Race 2 Results 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 2. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +1.991s 3. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +12.441s 4. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +15.582s 5. Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) +17.009s 6. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Evan Bros. Yamaha WorldSSP Team) +17.401s WorldSSP Championship standings 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 358 points 2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 298 points 3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 236 points

P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team "It was a great weekend with pole position and two victories again. It's always something special. I want to enjoy this moment with my team. We did a great job. My feeling with the bike was very good all the weekend. I want to congratulate Debise because he was very fast. I had to push from the first corner and every lap. In the end, I won so this is important for the Championship because I take 25 points, and Manzi lost a few points. 60 points is a good advantage but I don't want to think of the Championship now. When it's time, we will think about it. Last year in Aragon, I had my first podium after two difficult years in Moto2TM, and then coming back on the podium was very nice. So, I have a good memory of Aragon and I'm looking forward to going there and trying to win." For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/ Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com Read the full article

[sbknews]

Bulega dominates in Magny-Cours, further extending Championship lead

In a commanding performance at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Nicolo Bulega of Aruba.it Racing – Ducati secured a convincing win, further solidifying his position as the championship leader. Despite challenges, Stefano Manzi held on to secure second place, albeit facing an increasing gap to the leader. Valentin Debise, racing in front of his home crowd, celebrated his first-ever WorldSSP podium finish. This race showcased a diverse top five, with four different motorcycle manufacturers represented. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) claimed fourth place, three seconds behind the podium, followed closely by Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) in fifth. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) rounded out the top six. WorldSSP Race 1 Results 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.587s 3. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +4.898s 4. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) +7.701s 5. Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) +9.969s 6. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +12.013s WorldSSP Championship standings 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 333 points 2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 282 points 3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 223 points WorldSSP Tissot Superpole Results 1. Nicolo Bulega | Ducati | 1’40.074 2. Valentin Debise | Yamaha | +0.174s 3. Raffaele De Rosa | Ducati | +0.292s

P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team "It was a very good race. It was very hot, and Stefano was pushing very hard, so I really had to push from the first to the last corner. It was a difficult race, but I enjoyed it. I’m happy because we’re the only Ducati on the podium, so that means that we are doing a really good job with my team, and this is really important for me. I hope to continue this way." For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/ Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com Read the full article

[sbknews]

Debise dominates Friday at home

Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) continued his dominance at his home circuit, impressively topping the FP1 timesheets. His mastery of the French venue shone through, securing him the top spot in the combined classification. Despite falling behind Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) in Free Practice 2, Debise's morning run ensured he remained in the overall lead. Bulega topped the FP2 timesheets, closing the gap between him and Debise. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki), facing challenging conditions that led to crashes, managed to secure third place. Stefano Manzi and Yari Montella also delivered strong performances in fourth and fifth places, respectively. WorldSSP Combined Results after FP2 1. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) 1’41.083s 2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.031s 3. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) 0.053s 4. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.302s 5. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.382s 6. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +0.416s P1 | Valentin Debise | GMT94 Yamaha "It’s always to be in first position after Free Practice. I know it’s only Free Practice but this season I had a few issues during the Superpole sessions so today I tried to ride alone as much as possible so I could understand my pace, which I did. I’m really happy with the work we did with the team. We had the chance to test here with the team a few weeks ago so the base setup was great and I could be fast immediately. Now I’m looking forward to Race 1 tomorrow!” For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/ Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com Read the full article

[sbknews]

Mackenzie masterclass: Honda's triumph in unpredictable Race 2

In a thrilling and unpredictable WorldSSP Race 2 at Autodrom Most, Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) emerged as the unexpected hero. As rain showers swept the circuit, the race became a battle of strategy and nerves. Mackenzie's decision not to pit for wet tires when the rain began proved to be a game-changer. Starting from 22nd on the grid, he showcased his skill on slicks, gaining significant time on his rivals and securing his first-ever WorldSSP victory, as Honda celebrated their first WorldSSP victory since 2016. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse also on slicks, finished in second place, while his teammate Bahattin Sofuoglu demonstrated resilience, recovering from a mid-race crash and a Long Lap Penalty to take the final spot on the podium.

John McPhee's (Vince64 by Puccetti Racing) bold tire strategy paid off as well, earning him a strong fourth-place finish, while Adam Norrodin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) showcased Honda's potential with an impressive fifth position. Making a remarkable return to the Championship as a wildcard rider, Thomas Gradinger (Eder Racing) secured a top-six finish. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)'s 16th place finish and Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)'s unfortunate retirement marked a challenging race for both title contenders.

WorldSSP Race 2 Results 1. Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) 2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +2.037s 3. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +18.857s 4. John McPhee (Vince64 by Puccetti Racing) +21.046s 5. Adam Norrodin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) +22.206s 6. Thomas Gradinger (Eder Racing) +38.970s WorldSSP Championship standings 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 308 points 2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 262 points 3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 214 points

P1 | Tarran Mackenzie | PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team "It's such a special day for me and also for all of the team and everybody involved. I have to thank Midori and the whole of the Petronas team. It's been a very difficult season, not just for me, but for the whole team. We expected the package to be maybe a little bit stronger than it is, but every weekend we're improving. This weekend, we actually made a small step which allowed us to fight a little bit more. Obviously starting P21 or 22, I did not expect to be near the front and when I saw the rain, I thought this was my chance to maybe get some points, not nearly a win, just some points. When I got into the lead, I just had to focus and count the laps and to win. The decision to not pit wasn't difficult because my mechanic told me, "just please don't come and just keep riding around very much like the WorldSSP300 race yesterday." So, I had this on my mind the whole time and I just kept going and pretended like there was no rain. And the gap went to maybe 8 seconds at one point, and it was just hard to believe. I didn't know what was going on. It was crazy, and to win was amazing!" For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/ Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com Read the full article

[sbknews]

Bulega seals victory in Race 1, strengthening Championship lead

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) emerged as the dominant force on Saturday in Most, securing a convincing victory and extending his Championship lead. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) fought hard but had to settle for second place, while Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) showcased his potential with a strong third-place finish. The race was red-flagged on the opening lap due to a crash, but a 12-lap restart didn't dampen Bulega's spirit, as he quickly took control of the race. Despite intense battles for positions, the Championship leader proved untouchable, taking his 9th career win.

Behind the podium finishers, Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) secured fourth place, while Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) finished fifth after serving a Long Lap Penalty. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was sixth, just two seconds away from the top five. Nicolo Bulega dominated the race with a convincing victory, finishing 1.856 seconds ahead of his closest rival and extending his Championship lead to 46 points over Manzi.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +1.856s 3. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +3.795s 4. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +3.980s 5. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) +6.546s 6. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +8.536s WorldSSP Championship standings 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 308 points 2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 262 points 3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 194 points WorldSSP Tissot Superpole Results 1. Nicolo Bulega | Ducati | 1'34.479s 2. Stefano Manzi | Yamaha | +0.403s 3. Raffaele De Rosa | Ducati | +0.489s

P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team "It’s been a perfect weekend until now because we led in all sessions and won Race 1. We still have to stay focused for tomorrow’s race. One more victory is nice because the team worked very well all weekend. I’m happy about this win. I think this morning was the first time we had more grip on the asphalt, and I noticed that the track was a bit dirtier during the race, so I had to pay attention. But I was fast and managed to pull away from the first lap to take the win." For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/ Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com Read the full article

[sbknews]

Championship leader Bulega sets the pace on Friday, Huertas trails closely

Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it WorldSSP Racing Team) led both Free Practice sessions, finishing with a best lap time of 1'35.266s, asserting himself as the rider to beat. However, title contender Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) faced setbacks as his quicker lap time, which would have placed him second, was deleted due to yellow flags, leaving him in seventh place. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) continued his impressive form, securing the second position with a time of 1'35.483s, followed closely by Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) in third with a time of 1'35.517s.

WorldSSP Combined Results after FP2 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’35.266s 2. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) +0.217s 3. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +0.251s 4. Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.303s 5. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +0.363s 6. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.390s

1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team "It was a good Friday, I'm feeling good with my bike. We started well, with a good feeling so I'm happy. We will try to improve tomorrow. We've been working for a week since Imola because there my feeling with the bike was different than usual. We tried to study and improve for this race. I was comfortable in both wet and dry conditions today, but I would prefer a dry race tomorrow." For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/ Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com Read the full article

[sbknews]

Manzi beats Bulega to Race 2 win in Misano

Yamaha’s Stefano Manzi took the Race 2 win after a last lap overtake on Nicolo Bulega. He claimed his second win in WorldSSP and Yamaha’s first win in the category since Phillip Island 2022. He maintains his second position in the Championship standings with 161 points. Nicolo Bulega was second in Race 2, claiming his eighth podium of 2023. He remains the Championship leader with 197 points. Third place went to Marcel Schroetter for his fourth WorldSSP podium. He stands in third place in the Championship standings. Race 2 in the FIM Supersport World Championship was a dramatic affair after a last lap pass by Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) claimed his first win of the 2023 season at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round to claim Ten Kate Racing’s 100th WorldSSP victory. It was a race-long with between Manzi and Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) which was decided on the final lap to deny Bulega a double home victory. Bulega lost out at the start again as he fell behind Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) but he quickly moved his way back up to the front. Unlike in Race 1, Bulega was unable to pull out a gap to the chasing pack as Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) joined the front group as he battled for his first victory of the 2023 season. Manzi initially took the lead on Lap 11 at Turn 2 but Bulega responded a lap later to re-claim the lead as he looked to double up at Misano.

However, Manzi was able to stay close to Bulega throughout the final few laps and, on Lap 17, Manzi was briefly ahead when Bulega ran wide at Turn 10 although the Championship leader was able to quickly take the lead back heading into Turn 11. It was a short-lived lead for Bulega, though, as Manzi surprised Bulega with a move at Turn 3 on the final lap to move into the lead and deny Bulega a home double. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was just behind the pair, finishing 1.5s back from Bulega, to claim third place. Caricasulo had a dramatic race as he got ahead of Bulega at the start but, as he was fighting for the podium places, ran wide at Turn 10 which dropped him down the order. He was also then given a Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding but he was able to fight his way back to fourth place, four seconds down on Schroetter, but almost three clear of Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) in fifth, with the Spaniard taking his best result of the season and in WorldSSP. Wildcard Simone Corsi (Altogo Racing Team) concluded his home round with sixth place as he enjoyed a strong weekend as a wildcard in Italy.

WorldSSP Race 2 Results 1. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.208s 3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +1.566s 4. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +6.083s 5. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) +8.834s 6. Simone Corsi (Altogo Racing Team) +10.938s WorldSSP Championship standings 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 197 points 2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 161 points 3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 148 points

P1 | Stefano Manzi | Ten Kate Racing Team "It was an amazing day for us after a good Warm Up where I had strong pace. I started pretty well, and I was able to gain some positions until I arrived behind Nicolo. We started to fight a bit. He had a very good pace too, but I was starting to disturb him. I saw that in some areas I was stronger, but in the end, I thought that if I didn’t overtake him then, I wouldn’t not get another opportunity. In the end, I could overtake him in the last lap. It’s fantastic to win with Yamaha and my team. It was an amazing weekend for me.” For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/ Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com Read the full article

[sbknews]

Bulega dominates to first win at Misano in Race 1

Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega took his sixth career win in Race 1 finishing 1.609s ahead of Manzi. It was his first win in Misano in Supersport as he extended his Championship lead to 41 points. Stefano Manzi was second for Yamaha in Race 1, followed by Federico Caricasulo in third. Manzi remains second in the standings with 136 points while Caricasulo stands in fourth place with 114 points. It was a historic FIM Supersport World Championship Race 1 at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” during the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round as Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) extended his Championship lead with victory on home soil despite dropping back at the start of the race. He led an all-Italian podium at Misano as he claimed victory by almost two seconds for his sixth win of 2023 and his seventh podium in nine races. Bulega had a poor start as the lights went out and initially lost out to Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) and he was then demoted to fourth when Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) came through on the Championship leader. However, in the next few laps, Bulega was able to re-take the lead before he started to pull out a gap on his rivals. By the end of Lap 7, he had a gap of 1.7s as he looked to take his first WorldSSP victory in Italy and he was duly able to hold on to take his sixth win of the season on the Panigale V2 machine and extend his Championship lead over Schroetter with the German rider finishing in third place. His victory means he now has more wins for Ducati in WorldSSP than all the other Ducati winners combined. The battle for second place turned into a three-way scrap with Schroetter running in second until Lap 8 before he was overtaken by Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), who started from tenth, at Turn 8 to demote the German to third. Two laps later, Schroetter found himself in fourth place after Caricasulo overtook him through Turns 9 and 10 to claim a podium on home soil, the fifth Italian podium lookout. Manzi and Caricasulo had a late-race battle with Caricasulo looking to overtake Manzi, but the Yamaha rider was able to hold on for his 10th podium in WorldSSP while Caricasulo scored his 31st. Schroetter was able to stem his losses once Caricasulo came by and he spent the second half of the race in fourth place as he tried to stay in touch with Caricasulo ahead of him, as he finished around two seconds clear of Montella who dropped to fifth despite his impressive start. Wildcard Simone Corsi (Altogo Racing Team) took sixth place on home soil after he battled up from 11th place; the Italian rider had a three-place grid drop for irresponsible riding in Tissot Superpole. WorldSSP action resumes on Sunday from 09:25 (Local Time) with the Warm-Up, followed by Race 2 at 12:30.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +1.609s 3. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +1.184s 4. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +2.425s 5. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +6.685s 6. Simone Corsi (Altogo Racing Team) +9.838s WorldSSP Championship standings 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 177 points 2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 136 points 3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 132 points WorldSSP Tissot Superpole Results 1. Nicolo Bulega | Ducati | 1’36.495 2. Federico Caricasulo | Ducati | +0.617s 3. Yari Montella | Ducati | +0.862s

P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team "I'm very happy because I had never won in Italy, and today I took my first win here at home, so I'm very happy about that. Thanks to my team because my bike was working really well, and I could ride very well. I didn't expect to be so fast because before qualifying, I expected to be in the 1'36.7s or 1'36.8s range, but when I saw 1'36.4s, it was incredible. I'm happy; it's a good moment for me, and I want to continue like this. I'm happy for myself, for my team, and for all the Italian fans. We will try again tomorrow." For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/ Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com Read the full article

[sbknews]

Bulega fastest on Friday in Misano

Nicolo Bulega was the fastest rider on track on Friday as he posted a 1’37.267s in Free Practice 2. He was 0.707s quicker than Simone Corsi in second place. Italian wildcard Simone Corsi was second in the combined classification having set a 1’37.974s in the afternoon session. Federico Caricasulo took third spot in the combined results with a 1’37.139s, as he aims for solid result on home soil. Friday in the FIM Supersport World Championship at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” for the 2023 Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round with Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) taking top spot by more than half-a-second ahead of his nearest rivals. Despite Bulega’s impressive pace, headlines were taken by wildcard rider Simone Corsi (Altogo Racing Team) who took second place in the combined classification. Bulega put in a series of fast laps towards the end of the 45-minute session and posted a best lap of 1’37.627s to claim top spot as he led an Italian quartet at the head of the WorldSSP field. He had a 0.707s gap to wildcard Corsi in second place who, after taking fourth in FP1, was able to improve his lap time further to claimed second in the standings. Only Bulega and Corsi lapped Misano on Friday in the 1’37s bracket while Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) claimed fourth place despite an early crash in FP2 at Turn 5; he re-joined the session later on to take third place. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was the only rider in the top ten, and one of only five in total, who did not improve their time in FP2. Despite setting a 1’38.485s in FP2, he took fourth in the combined classification with his time of 1’38.229s from FP1; in that session, he was able to top the times. Fifth place belonged to the most recent WorldSSP race winner, Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), as he continues his impressive run of form while Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) rounded out the top six. WorldSSP action resumes on Saturday with the Tissot Superpole from 10:25 (Local Time), followed Race 1 at 15:15.

WorldSSP Combined Results after FP2 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’37.267s 2. Simone Corsi (Altogo Racing Team) +0.707s 3. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +0.872s 4. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.962s 5. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +1.100s 6. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +1.183s

P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team | 1’37.267s "To be first on the first day is always good. It's a nice way to start this weekend for my home round, so I'm very happy to be fast. We must continue to work because for sure the other guys will be faster tomorrow, so we must improve and try to be as fast as today and to enjoy this weekend. We managed to improve in a lot of races compared to last year, so tomorrow, the goal is to improve and try to win." For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/ Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com Read the full article

[sbknews]

Maiden victory for Bahattin Sofuoglu in Race 2

Bahattin Sofuoglu snatched victory in Race 2 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, his first win in WorldSSP. He stands in seventh place in the standings with 64 points. Sofuoglu’s teammate Marcel Schroetter secured second place following Manzi’s penalty claiming his second podium of the weekend. Schroetter’s second position means it was MV Agusta’s first 1-2 since Phillip Island 2015. Stefano Manzi crossed the finish line behind Schroetter but was penalised for exceeding track limits on the final lap. The Italian rider then finished in third place, behind the MV Agusta duo. He is third in the standings with 116 points and 36 points behind Bulega. Championship leader Nicolo Bulega had a technical issue at Turn 5 Lap 17 of 18 and was unable to finish the race, putting an end to Ducati’s streak of 9 races on the podium, their best one ever. He remains the Championship leader with 152 points. There was a fierce fight for victory in Race 2 during the FIM Supersport World Championship at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and there were plenty of emotions on display on the podium for the Prosecco DOC Catalunya Round as Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) took his first win in WorldSSP after fending off a challenge from both teammate Marcel Schroetter and Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in a thrilling three-way battle for victory in Spain.

Sofuoglu once again got a good start from ninth on the grid to put himself in the lead group in the early stages and he was soon in the lead of the race but it was a fierce fight for the win with Sofuoglu, Sofuoglu’s teammate Schroetter and Manzi who completed the podium positions with just 0.500s separating the top three at the end of the race, with Manzi moving into second on the final lap into Turn 1; Manzi crossed the line in second but was demoted one place for exceeding track limits on the final lap at Turn 8. Schroetter took the lead from teammate Sofuoglu at Turn 1 on Lap 11 but Sofuoglu responded a lap later, while Manzi moved into second after passing Schroetter at Turn 1 on Lap 13. However, Manzi ran wide a lap later at Turn 10 but two laps later he made up for his mistake by taking both MV Agusta riders at Turn 5 to move into the lead, demoting Sofuoglu to third. On the penultimate lap, Sofuoglu moved into the lead as he and Schroetter went either side of Manzi into Turn 1 and he was able to hold on to the lead despite late pressure from Manzi on the final lap. With Manzi’s penalty, Schroetter was promoted to second place for the first MV Agusta 1-2 finish since Phillip Island in 2015.

WorldSSP Race 2 Results 1. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.420s 3. Stefano Manzi (Tem Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.500s 4. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +2.563s 5. Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) +7.039s 6. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +7.327s WorldSSP Championship standings 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 152 points 2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 119 points 3. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 116 points

P1 | Bahattin Sofuoglu | MV Agusta Reparto Corse "Yesterday I had my first podium. Kenan told me about my mistakes in Race 1. In the Warm Up, I just tried to keep my pace, and, in the race, I tried to apply what Kenan told me. In the end, we took first place, many years after Kenan was the legend. On this day, I’m really happy to take his surname on top again. I wanted this win so much and I didn’t expect it would come today like this. It’s a great step for me, for the team and for MV Augusta. I will try to keep this strong pace in the coming races. For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/ Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com Read the full article

[sbknews]

Bulega wins Race 2 ahead of MV Agusta’s Schroetter and Sofuoglu

Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega claimed his fifth win of the season, the third consecutive one. He extends his Championship lead to 52 points over Stefano Manzi. Marcel Schroetter made it two podiums in two rounds with second place in Race 1, while his teammate, Bahattin Sofuoglu, claimed his maiden WorldSSP rostrum visit with third place after a fierce battle with Stefano Manzi on the final lap. Manzi was given a three-second time penalty, in lieu of a Long Lap Penalty for taking a shortcut and not losing sufficient time, which dropped him to sixth place. The fight for all three podium places in the FIM Supersport World Championship in Race 1 for the Prosecco DOC Catalunya Round at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was a thrilling affair as Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) claimed his fifth win of the 2023 season while a familiar name returned to the podium. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) put the Sofuoglu name back on the podium with a hard-fought third place after a scrap with his teammate as well as Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha). Bulega initially dropped down at the start of the race and fell behind Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) at the start before re-taking the lead in the opening laps. It had looked like he would pull away from the chasing pack, but it was a charging Sofuoglu (who took the lead on Lap 7 with a move at Turn 1 after a series of fast laps to close the gap. The pair switched positions which allowed the chasing group, led by Marcel Schroetter, to close the gap. Schroetter pulled away from teammate Sofuoglu and Manzi as the pair fought hard for the podium with the pair side by side for almost the entire final lap with the fight for third decided right at the end of the race. Despite Schroetter closing the gap to Bulega he was unable to make the move for victory as he finished six tenths down on Bulega. Sofuoglu had taken third place on the run to the line, with the pair elbow to elbow trying to finish on the podium, but Manzi was given a three-second time penalty, in lieu of a Long Lap Penalty for taking a shortcut and not losing sufficient time, which dropped him to sixth place. WorldSSP action resumes on Sunday from 09:25 (Local Time) with the Warm-Up, followed by Race 2 at 12:30.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.626s 3. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +3.996s 4. Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) +4.991s 5. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +5.467s 6. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +7.002s WorldSSP Championship standings 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 152 points 2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 100 points 3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 99 points WorldSSP Tissot Superpole Results 1. Nicolo Bulega | Ducati | 1'44.243s 2. Marcel Schroetter |MV Agusta | +0.274s 3. Federico Caricasulo | Ducati | +0.441s

P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba Racing WorldSSP Team "It was a difficult race because Schroetter and Sofuoglu were very fast. At the end this is another win. Thanks to my team because the bike was very good all the weekend. It was difficult for us to choose between the SCX or the SC0, so I don’t know if I made the right choice … but I won. Tomorrow, we have another race, and I will try again. I hope to be the man to beat until the end of the season.” For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/ Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com Read the full article

[sbknews]

0.747s advantage for Bulega after Friday, Tuuli and Sofuoglu second and third

Nicolo Bulega was fastest on Friday as the Ducati rider was 0.747s quickest than Tuuli. A 1’45.487s gave second place to Triumph’s Niki Tuuli, while Bahattin Sofuoglu was third for MV Agusta. This means that there were four different manufacturers in the top five. Race lap record pace was on display at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the FIM Supersport World Championship as Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) topped the timesheets on Friday at the Prosecco DOC Catalunya Round. Bulega’s best time was more than seven tenths clear of the rest of the field as he went under the existing race lap record, set in 2022, by four tenths of a second in Friday’s Free Practice 2 session. Bulega posted a 1’44.740s to claim top spot in both FP2 and the combined classification at the end of Friday’s running as he finished 0.747s clear of his nearest rivals. He was the only rider to lap in the 1’44s bracket on his way to finishing first, with Finnish rider Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) in second place. His best time, a 1’45.487s, came in FP2 but was still some seven tenths down on Bulega’s time. In third place was Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) who was one of just four riders who did not improve their time in the afternoon. His best time was a 1’45.582s and was set in Free Practice 1, where he topped the times. His day was disrupted by a crash in the morning but it was late in the session and he lost minimal running time. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) took fourth spot in the combined classification despite a top-three finish in FP2, lapping 0.854s slower than pacesetter Bulega. Caricasulo was ahead of compatriot Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in fifth place after he set a best time of 1’45.646s in FP2 while Australian rider Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing) burst into the top six in the combined classification. His best time was a 1’45.749s to claim sixth spot overall on Friday. WorldSSP action resumes on Saturday with the Tissot Superpole from 10:25 (Local Time), followed Race 1 at 15:15.

WorldSSP Combined Results after FP2 1 Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’44.740s 2. Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) +0.747s 3. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.842s 4. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +0.854s 5. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.906s 6. Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing) +1.009s P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team| 1'44.740s " It was a very good day for me. This morning not too much because I didn’t have the feeling, I had in Assen but then we putted our base setting and I felt much better. I was able to push from the beginning with the SC0 and then when I put the SCX I improved a lot my lap time. For sure we started with a package that I know here in Barcelona, so it was good. Because last year when we came here, we didn’t have any info, any settings. I’m happy because I improved my lap time from last year. I can’t explain why I am so much faster than the other today but it’s a nice sensation to be able to push when I want. The feeling is good, the race pace is good so I will try to do another good weekend.”

For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/ Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com Read the full article

[sbknews]

Double wins for Bulega and Ducati at Assen

Nicolo Bulega claimed his second consecutive victory at the Pirelli Dutch Round, his second double of the season. The Italian rider leaves the Netherlands with 127points and a 37-point advantage in the standings. After a hard fight with Caricasulo, Stefano Manzi equaled his best results of the season taking second place in Race 2. He stands in second place in the Championship standings with 90 points. Federico Caricasulo claimed third place after battling with Manzi claiming his third podium finish of 2023. After 6 races, he is fourth in the Championship standings, 50 points behind the leader. The FIM Supersport World Championship’s visit to the TT Circuit Assen for the Pirelli Dutch Round concluded with a thrilling Race 2 which was won by Nicolo Bulega (Aaruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) as he continued his strong start to the 2023 campaign, while there was an incredible fight for the podium behind Bulega as he took his fourth win in six races this season. Home team Ten Kate Racing Yamaha were able to celebrate a home podium with Stefano Manzi taking second place in the Netherlands.

Bulega has been the only repeat winner in 2023 so far and he continued that record as he claimed victory in Race 2 at Assen. He initially fell behind Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) on the opening lap but he responded at the final chicane to re-claim the lead of the race and, from there, he was able to take advantage of the squabbling behind him to build a gap of more than three seconds. It meant the podium fight ended up being between Caricasulo, Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Schroetter, with Manzi and Caricasulo fighting hard for second place. On Lap 16, the pair went side by side into the final chicane before Manzi opened up a gap to Caricasulo with rookie Schroetter fighting back to close the gap on the podium places. Despite Caricasulo and Schroetter fighting hard, Manzi was able to hold on by just 0.086s for second place, with Caricasulo in third. Schroetter backed up his maiden podium from Race 1 with fourth place in Race 2, finishing just half-a-second away from Caricasulo on the podium. The German rookie had a more than five second margin to the riders fighting hard behind him as Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) and Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) battled it out for fifth place throughout the second half of the race. Finnish rider Tuuli was able to hold on to fifth on his Triumph machine with Debise ending a strong weekend in sixth place.

WorldSSP Race 2 Results 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +4.437s 3. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +4.523s 4. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +5.088s 5. Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) +10.864s 6. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +11.068s WorldSSP Championship standings 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 127 points 2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 90 points 3. Marcel Schroetter MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 79 points

P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba Racing WorldSSP Team “It’s an incredible weekend. To do better than this is impossible! I want to thank the team because the bike was incredible all the weekend. I really enjoyed riding my bike all the weekend. It’s an incredible track. I love Assen. It was a bit of a lonely race, but I had to stay very focused because it’s very easy to make a mistake in this situation. When you are alone, you have to stay focus on yourself and your bike, and it’s difficult. I’m happy because we didn’t do any mistakes. I want to enjoy this moment but also to stay focus because the Championship is still very long, I want to continue this way and try to be fast at every race.” For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/ Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com Read the full article

[sbknews]

Dominant Bulega claimed Race 1 win at Assen as Schroetter takes maiden podium

It was pole position and race win for Nicolo Bulega as he took his third victory of the season finishing 4.017s ahead of Schroetter. Marcel Schroetter took his first podium in his third round in WorldSSP with second place. Local hero Glenn van Straalen claimed third place in Race 1 for his home round. Three different manufacturers stood on the FIM Supersport World Championship podium in Race 1 at the TT Circuit Assen for the Pirelli Dutch Round as Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) claimed victory by more than four seconds ahead of his rivals. Bulega started the race from pole position but initially lost out to Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) as the lights went out for the 18-lap race, but he was able to respond on Lap 1 to re-claim the lead. He was under early pressure from Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who quickly recovered from contact with Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) at the start, to move into second place where he could put pressure on Bulega. Bulega resisted his pressure before starting to pull a gap to Oncu while the Turkish rider dropped into the clutches of home hero van Straalen, with the Dutch rider opting to use the SCX tyre while Oncu used the harder SC0 tyre. The Dutch rider closed in by a second on Oncu on Lap 12 before making the move on Oncu at Turn 5 on Lap 13. Van Straalen was able to then pull a gap to Oncu who had to focus on defending from the chasing pack, eventually dropping behind Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) who passed him on Lap 16 for third place. Van Straalen was ahead of the group but foundhimself under late pressure from rookie Schroetter who made the move on the final lap through the final sector to deny van Straalen second place, while claiming his first podium in WorldSSP with van Straalen settling for third in home soil; only 0.107s behind Schroetter and he also had the exact same margin over Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) who missed out on his maiden WorldSSP podium. Fifth place went to Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) at the end of the race with the Italian consistently in the group fighting for the podium and he was only 0.152s behind Debise after 18 laps. Caricasulo took sixth place after running at the front the early stages of the race while Turkish star Oncu dropped down to seventh at the end of the race; more than one second behind Caricasulo but also with a similar margin to the riders behind. WorldSSP action resumes on Sunday from 09:25 (Local Time) with the Warm-Up, followed by Race 2 at 12:30.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +4.017s 3. Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) +4.124s 4. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +4.231s 5. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +4.383s 6. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +4.655s WorldSSP Championship standings 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 102 points 2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 70 points 3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 66 points WorldSSP Tissot Superpole Results 1. Nicolo Bulega | Ducati | 1’36.900s 2. Federico Caricasulo | Ducati | +0.203s 3. Glenn van Straalen | Yamaha | +0.688s

P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba Racing WorldSSP Team “Until now it is a perfect weekend because we started very well yesterday, and also, we were very good today. Pole position this morning, new lap record and victory in the first race… It's a perfect day for us. Thanks to the team because they did an incredible job this weekend. I'm very happy and we will try again tomorrow. I hope it will be dry because today it was fast, and we are we are sure that I'm fast and, but I also like rain conditions, so we have to be ready for both conditions.” For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/ Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com

Read the full article