        The trio comprising Alvaro Bautista, Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu is putting on a real show in Superbike and this week they&rsquo;ll be in action at Most, in the Czech Republic, for another unmissable round. The Spaniard holds a 17-point lead and this round also marks the halfway point as far as the championship is concerned, which means that all the riders will be very keen to score positive results before they head into the summer break. First time&rsquo;s the charm for Bautista?  The championship leader, who made his first race error at the last round (at Donington Park), admits: &ldquo;It will be the first time for me on this circuit with the Ducati Panigale V4R. For this reason, it will be very important to find soon the right direction in terms of setup and at the same time start working on different tire solutions&rdquo;. It will be a unique debut for the Aruba.it Racing &ndash; Ducati rider, but morale is high: &ldquo;However, there is great confidence in light of the good race we had on Sunday at Donington&rdquo;. Jonathan Rea: "I expect a strong start"  Rea didn&rsquo;t score a win at his home round and had this to say ahead of the Czech round: &ldquo;Most is an exciting one because it is the last race of the first part of the season. It was a new circuit for everybody last season so we had a lot of learning to do. We hadn&rsquo;t tested there so it was a more difficult weekend than we expected&rdquo;. But today he arrives in a different situation: &ldquo;Armed with all the data we gained last season, and the improvements in the Ninja ZX-10RR, I expect to start strongly. I enjoy the circuit and they have worked really hard to improve it and re-asphalt it in a lot of areas&rdquo;. Confidence is high and the Northern Irishman concludes by admitting: &ldquo;The target is to go there to maximise our opportunities&rdquo;. The Turk&rsquo;s expectations and memories of 2021  Third in the championship, Toprak Razgatlioglu scored a triple win on Britain soil and this has of course helped, but he&rsquo;s aware just how battle-ready his rivals will be this weekend: &ldquo;In Most, like always I think we will see Johnny and Alvaro very strong, but we will keep fighting for the victory. I like the track and it was a nice fight on the final lap with Scott last year&rdquo;. The track has undergone some maintenance recently: &ldquo;There will be some parts of the track with a new asphalt so we will see on Thursday what the changes are like. We&rsquo;re not looking at the Championship yet and I just focus race by race, same as always&rdquo;. At a track where he won two of three races in 2021, the aim is clear: "The goal is only to fight for the win, and after the great feeling and very strong performance in Donington I am excited to ride my R1 again, but we will see what is possible.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK, new rider for Pedercini: international debut for Ryan Vickers at Most       

A new battle is about to begin for the three most competitive riders. This is what they had to say ahead of the sixth round, as the championship reaches its halfway point

WorldSBK: here’s what Bautista, Rea and Razgatlioglu think ahead of Most

Jonathan Rea will continue to wear green for at least two more seasons. The official announcement comes shortly after the fifth Donington Park round, in a season that sees Rea locked in battle with Alvaro Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu. Rea and Kawasaki continue to trust in one another then, and their happy marriage will continue until at least 2024.  A natural renewal   The collaboration began back in 2015 and has led to more than 100 Superbike wins to date. The relationship, one based on mutual respect and trust, has led the parties to renew their contract, with Rea stating: &ldquo;I am really happy and excited to renew my contract with Kawasaki, to roll on for two more years. It has been an incredible partnership; we have enjoyed so much success together that it is almost a natural progression. There was not much negotiation needed to continue together from both sides. It was more a case of how much more motivation I had to keep racing at the highest level in Superbike.&quot;  Surrounded by the right people in the Kawasaki garage   The desire to continue setting new records is still very strong and Rea reminds us that the partnership is a long standing one: &ldquo;Kawasaki gave me the opportunity back in 2015 to realise a childhood dream when I won the WorldSBK championship in the first year together. As a partnership we are so solid, and I am looking forward to continue making memories and representing an incredible manufacturer and brand.&rdquo; To be successful, it&rsquo;s also essential to have the right atmosphere in the garage and Rea feels at home: &ldquo;My team is my racing family. I love everyone inside the team like my own family and relationships like that count for a lot in racing.&rdquo;  The social media post:     &nbsp;   &nbsp;  &nbsp;    &nbsp;     Visualizza questo post su Instagram   Un post condiviso da Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK (@krt_worldsbk)     Translated by Heather Watson  Motorcycling mourns Millar Buchanan, 11, who has died while training 

Immediately after the Donington Park round, the Northern Irishman and Akashi manufacturer have officially announced a two-year contract renewal

WorldSBK, Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki: the marriage continues in 2023

        It&rsquo;s time! Despite there being 74 days still to go before Race 1 at Assen, the Superbikes are ready to get back on track for the first time this year, during a two-day test that will get underway tomorrow at the Jerez track. A circuit that unfortunately does not feature on the 2022 calendar, but that is nevertheless useful for the teams and riders as they collate data and make comparisons. Lecuona prepares to return  The test is organised by the KRT team, which will be out with Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes. The six-time world champion has told us that he wants to clock up some miles at Jerez, to regain the right sensations as well as analyse the new elements offered by Kawasaki, as they seek a solution with which to close the small deficit they have in terms of top speed compared to Ducati and (in part) Yamaha. Lowes will have another chance to test his fitness, after a shoulder issue prevented him from finishing the 2021 season. And another man keen to test himself physically is Iker Lecuona, who will be in Andalusia alongside team-mate Xavi Vierge. The former KTM rider began his SBK adventure with a first test in December (also at Jerez), but a crash left him with a fractured little finger. Iker will return to the track tomorrow then, working together with former Moto2 rider Vierge as the pair continue to adapt to the CBR. In terms of SBK riders, Lucas Mahias will also be out with the Puccetti Kawasaki. Montella and Sofuoglu head up the SSP pack  Puccetti will also field its SSP riders, Can Oncu and Yari Montella, as the squad works to get to grips with the Ninja ZX-6R. The same goes for Ben Currie and Jeffrey Buis, riding for team Motozoo, and for Kenan Sofuoglu. Yes, you&rsquo;ve read that right, the multi-titled champion will be riding the MV Agusta F3 for the MV Agusta Reparto Corse team, standing in for nephew Bahattin, who has tested positive for Covid. Another champion in the shape of Niki Tuuli will also take part in the test. Rounding out the field is Stefan Bradl, who will continue the development work on the RCV213V and Ana Carrasco, out with team Provec&rsquo;s Kawasaki 400. The riders who will test   Translated by Heather Watson SBK, (at least) five Yamahas: Ponsson remains with Gil Motosport       

The Turk will ride the F3 for the MV Agusta Reparto Corse team, standing in for nephew Bahattin who has Covid. Also in attendance are KRT, Honda (with a returning Lecuona), Puccetti and... Bradl

SBK: 2022 begins at Jerez. Kenan Sofuoglu returns to the track!

We&rsquo;re only a few days into the new year but (luckily) it&rsquo;s already time to talk about the first tests. Kicking off the 2022 season on the Superbike side is a two-day test at Jerez, organised by the KRT team on Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 January, during which we&rsquo;ll be able to see some initial battles against the clock.  Considering the team that is promoting the test, Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes will of course be in action, keen to learn more about the level of the ZX-10R after the December tests in Andalusia. The pair won&rsquo;t be the only Kawasaki riders though, as Puccetti man Lucas Mahias will also be out on track.  Redding in the spotlight, Honda to work on two fronts   The Jerez tests will also be a good opportunity to see the new BMW pairing, with Scott Redding keen to clock up some miles, and perhaps even steal a few secrets from team-mate Michael Van Der Mark, who was able to put the German manufacturer back on top last season, handing it its first win in a long time.  There is also a lot of interest in Honda, which will be working on both its Superbike and MotoGP projects at Jerez. The factory SBK team will be in action with Xavi Vierge and a returning Iker Lecuona (after he fractured his little finger in December), but Stefan Bradl will also be hard at work as he continues to develop the RCV213V with a view to 2022.  And then, just a dash of Supersport, thanks to the presence of the Motozoo team (with Jeffrey Buis and Ben Currie) and new team Prodina, which will entrust its Kawasaki to Tom Booth-Amos.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, no Desmo for Pecco, Bagnaia prefers... Turbo! 

Kawasaki, BMW and Honda will be on track on 27-28 January. The latter will be able to count on both Lecuona and Bradl, who will continue to develop the RCV2013V for MotoGP

WorldSBK: a first taster of the 2022 season at Jerez

        While for many the month of December simply marks the final run up to Christmas, for some Superbike teams it&rsquo;s a great opportunity for a final test, so as to start the new year with some initial data to analyse. This is the case for the Kawasaki team that, after losing its crown as six-time constructors&rsquo; world champion, will be back on track tomorrow and Friday (along with BMW and Honda) for an interesting three-day test. Rea: &ldquo;Happy to be back on track before Christmas"  One man looking to exploit these tests as he sets out to build a first-rate 2022 is definitely Jonathan Rea who, after losing the 2021 title at the very last round, cannot wait to retaliate. &ldquo;I am really happy to get back on the bike this side of Christmas because we can try to carry on the good feeling we finished with at the end of the season. Jerez is always a good test circuit to go to because we have a lot of data from there. It is also a circuit that has never been the strongest for us so we can work in some weaker areas&rdquo;. It seems the team has plenty to test, and Rea wants to focus on this work, without worrying about the lap times. &ldquo;We expect to have some items to test, which is really good because KMC and KRT have been working very hard on some new chassis items and electronics. We hope to improve the feeling of our bike, work together in a good way and the target will be to give good solid info to all the engineers try to improve the overall package.&rdquo; Meanwhile, Alex Lowes needs to assess his physical condition but is keen to get back to work after the problem he had with his right shoulder at the Mandalika round. &ldquo;Obviously this test is important to select the direction we need to go with our package for 2022. Whilst I won&rsquo;t be 100% fit yet, our performance isn&rsquo;t our focus at this time. The crew have prepared lots of options for me to try. I am really excited to see what we can improve. If we get through all these items not only will it be a busy test, but it will be job done - this is our only aim.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK, Bautista 2021 "crash king"       

The Northern Irishman is keen to get back on track: "Useful to carry on the good feeling we finished with at the end of the season". Lowes still run-down: "I&rsquo;m not 100%"

WorldSBK, Rea ready for the Jerez test: “Curious to try some new things”

        Forced to surrender to Toprak Razgatlioglu this season, Johnny Rea has immediately collected his thoughts and planned how to take back the SBK title as soon as possible. The Northern Irishman has already amassed six titles, but he is no less hungry - he is the Cannibal after all, so don't expect to see him hibernating this winter. Far from it! The Kawasaki rider, together with the whole KRT Provec team, is ready for two fundamental days of testing, on 15 and 16 December, in Andalusia. Despite not featuring on the 2022 calendar, the Jerez de la Frontera track has been booked by the green team, which will also &lsquo;host&rsquo; BMW and Honda. An updated Ninja, but in what way?   Before getting on a plane to Spain, Pere Ribe revealed that the factory Kawasaki team will have many new things to test at Jerez, so many that they can&rsquo;t remember them all. As we know, the Ninja used this year by Rea, Alex Lowes, Isaac Vinales, Lucas Mahias, replacement Tito Rabat, and Loris Cresson featured various updates, visible in aesthetic terms, under the fairings and frame. The cut in engine revs proved problematic for Provec KRT, Orelac, Puccetti and Pedercini in that it was announced by the organising body just before the championship got underway. The technicians and riders reacted, but still struggled more than expected. The crashes Johnny Rea suffered this season exceeded the total number he experienced across all previous seasons with the Akashi manufacturer. And this is why the Jerez test is so important. The six-time champion and his English team-mate want to spend a relaxed Christmas, safe in the knowledge that, at least in terms of sensation and data collected in the field, the improvement in bike performance will allow them to stick with the R1 and the Panigale V4 R without any problems. But it&rsquo;s not just Yamaha and Ducati of course... Four BMWs at Jerez   The factory BMW team, SMR Racing, will also be on track at Jerez. Michael Van Der Mark stays put, the Dutchman having powered the German four-cylinder to victory at Portimao, the manufacturer&rsquo;s first win since Chaz Davies&rsquo; success in 2013. The number 60 rider is flanked by Scott Redding, the Englishman already in action with the M1000 RR. Leaving Aruba Ducati seems to have motivated Scott, who is intent on doing better than Van Der Mark. Translated into results, Redding wants to win at least one race, or possibly enough to score the title win. In the Bonovo Action garage, there&rsquo;s BMW test rider Eugene Laverty and Frenchman Loris Baz. And we should keep an eye on this pair because if they&rsquo;re spending money in Munich, this only shows how important SBK is to them. Three Hondas, all official - Rabat the main test rider?   The new HRC riders were confirmed some time ago, with both Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge arriving from the world championship paddock. The first leaves MotoGP - although we have the feeling he&rsquo;ll be back there before long - and the second Moto2. The two Spaniards will make up the factory team, which starts over and is ready to retaliate. Tati Mercado and Hafizh Syahrin will compete for MIE Moriwaki, an independent team linked to Honda. Great, but who is the test rider? We think it could be Tito Rabat but nothing has been confirmed as yet. What is clear is that the Tokyo manufacturer has decided to launch an attack, given the disappointing results of the last two seasons. Will the updated CBR RR-R Fireblade finally be a weapon with which to fight for the title? The riders ready to race it hope this is the case, their rivals a little less so. Translated by Heather Watson FIM Awards, Toprak Razgatlioglu: &ldquo;This year we've improved at every race&rdquo;       

On 15-17 December, Provec KRT, HRC, SMR Racing and Bonovo will take part in a three-day test at the Angel Nieto track. Johnny Rea prepares for a 2022 comeback

WorldSBK: Kawasaki, BMW and Honda set to test at Jerez

After twelve thrilling rounds, the day has finally come. The brand-new Mandalika track is ready to stage the final battle between Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea, as the pair fight for the world title at the end of what has surely become one of the most exciting WorldSBK championships of the last twenty years.  The Turkish rider arrives in Indonesia with 531 points, while the six-time champion holds 501. Razgatlioglu can therefore count on a 30-point advantage that, at least on paper, puts him in a hard-to-dent comfort zone.  When the victory is not enough   As for Rea, his mission is not a simple one. Johnny must essentially aim to win all three races, but even this might not be enough. If the Kawasaki rider were to &lsquo;do the triple&rsquo;, all Toprak would need to do is finish fourth in all the races to be crowned champion, albeit by a whisker.  Why by a whisker? Because in that situation, the two championship leaders would finish with the same points tally, but Razgatlioglu would ultimately win, having amassed the most race 1 and race 2 wins over the course of the season, or rather eleven to Johnny&rsquo;s seven. So all this simply means that, to become champion, Johnny must win and hope that Toprak finishes lower than fourth in all three races.  A scenario that is hard to imagine if we look at the Turk&rsquo;s recent performance but a number of outsiders (Redding and Rinaldi for starters) and particularly the unknown factor relating to the new Mandalika circuit could shake things up. All we can do is wait for the weekend, when we will enjoy the show and finally see who will lift the 2021 championship trophy.  Translated by Heather Watson  SSP, Mandalika to salute Aegerter,the last &ldquo;canonical&quot; Champion in the class 

The Yamaha rider arrives in Indonesia with a thirty-point advantage to manage. Johnny&rsquo;s target is simple &ndash; to win and hope for a helping hand from the outsiders

WorldSBK, Rea vs Razgatlioglu at Mandalika: the combinations for the title

        With Fabio Quartararo&rsquo;s decision, the world championship trend (for some a negative one) of not using the number 1 plate on the bike continues. The Yamaha rider carries on a tradition, albeit a fairly recent one, that found its ultimate expression with Valentino Rossi. Ever since winning the first of his nine titles, back in 2001, the Italian champion has always chosen to continue using #46. A decision that has of course paid off, considering the effects this number has had on the history of motorcycling, becoming a fairly iconic number as well as a business. The precedent  The Italian was only the second rider to do such a thing. The &lsquo;pioneer&rsquo; was Barry Sheene, who preferred his own number 7 over the number 1 in 1977. There were no other cases, not before or after the Brit. Kevin Schwantz, having always been identified by his historic and iconic number 34, still opted to use the number 1 in 1994 after winning the title the year before. As did everybody else, right up to more recent times, when the trend did an about turn. After Rossi, Lorenzo, Mir, Marquez and now Quartararo have preferred to continue with their personal number, while Hayden in 2007, Stoner in 2008 and 2012 and Lorenzo in 2011 (the Majorcan used it after winning the first of his titles) all chose to use the world champion&rsquo;s number. And this turnaround is not limited to the world championship, but is also apparent in the MX world, first with Stefen Everts and #72 and then Antonio Cairoli with #222. Jonathan Rea the last bastion  Across the whole motorsport world, only Jonathan Rea continues to use the symbolic number 1 on his bike, the number reserved for the strongest. The Kawasaki rider, the winner of six Superbike titles, has always done so, sacrificing his number 65. Opinions on the subject differ, but the Irishman&rsquo;s decision can perhaps be appreciated today, in that he&rsquo;s the only recognisable rider to have the number 1 plate. With the 2021 title still up for grabs, it will be interesting to see whether the production-derived tradition will continue (in the last ten years, only Checa in 2012 and Biaggi in 2013 opted to retain their personal numbers) or whether, if Toprak Razgatlioglu were to win, the Turk might take inspiration from the world championship, which appears to favour the path traced by&hellip; #46. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Jarvis: &ldquo;Quartararo's title outdoes the 2015 double&rdquo;       

The Frenchman has stated he doesn&rsquo;t want to have the number 1 on his fairing while defending his title next year, a decision that follows the recent trend

Quartararo continues with #20: Rea the last bearer of the number 1

        Are we so sure that Toprak Razgatlioglu has already pocketed the 2021 SBK title? We remain impartial here of course but, knowing Johnny, we don&rsquo;t think it&rsquo;s game over quite yet. The Turkish leader does have something like a 30-point advantage over the Cannibal but, having followed the championship closely, we want to point out a few episodes in which the number 54 rider has been involved. The Garrett Gerloff incident at Assen, the Yamaha R1 struck dumb at Barcelona, the suicidal mudguard at Portimao. Whether down to bad luck or human error, these episodes have had a significant bearing on the standings. Sure, the six-time champion had also had his troubles, a few too many falls impacting on his season. Basically, it&rsquo;s still game on between the two, which means that every single click of the fork and choice of tyre can prove decisive. Mandalika, an unknown for everyone  Will the championship head to Indonesia or not? We hope so, but await further news as to the completion and homologation of the circuit. If the season were to finish on the island of Lombok, it would be a new experience for everyone. No one would be able to say that their rival has an advantage because of any recent tests because no one will be testing. Let alone down there. Considering that the crates are already on their way to South East Asia, the riders will not see their bikes again until the race weekend, which may begin on the Thursday, to allow riders to get to know the new circuit. Unless the event is cancelled in favour of another. We hope not, but there is a chance that the season will finish in Europe, considering current issues. But where? Valencia would be one thing, Estoril quite another. And Razga and Rea are aware of this. A 30-point lead, 62 on the table, but consider the psychology  As we&rsquo;ve said, Toprak has an extra 30 points compared to Johnny. OK. And there are 62 still up for grabs. Right. Then factor in the stress. Rea is cunning when he says all the pressure will be on Razgatlioglu&rsquo;s shoulders. As if to say: "Eh, you&rsquo;re out front but I&rsquo;m chasing you. And I can watch your moves. Also, I have nothing to lose or prove. Unlike you, my dear rival&rdquo;. A tactic or the truth? Both really, as the number 1 knows all about title fights. While it&rsquo;s true that the Turk dominated in race 1 at Villicum &ndash; thanks also to an error by Scott Redding &ndash; before also going on to win the Tissot Superpole Race, it&rsquo;s also true that he suffered in the last race, one which was won by Redding. Grip issues, or stress-related issues? It can all change in just one race ladies and gentleman. Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK, Sykes' knee? The real fracture is with BMW       

Toprak heads into the last round with a 30-point lead over Rea. With 62 points still up for grabs, every detail could make the difference - bike, tyres, stress and psychology

WorldSBK, are we sure Razgatlioglu has already won the title?

The San Juan Villicum circuit in Argentina could be the stage for the Superbike 2021 title presentation. An extremely competitive and unpredictable battle between Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea moves overseas, the Turk now having a first opportunity to secure his first trophy in this category. But it will be far from easy and Rea is more than ready to ruin the party.  The highly-anticipated head to head   Having crashed in Portugal due to a mechanical problem, Razgatlioglu is now 24 points ahead of Rea, an advantage that he needs to extend to at least 62 if he wants to finish the job and head on to Indonesia as world champion. Difficult, but not impossible, if we consider the many plot twists we&rsquo;ve seen so far this season. The Argentinian track is a favourable one for the Northern Irish rider, who&rsquo;s won four out of five races and always reached the podium there. If he were to win Race 1, the title fight would continue in Asia. The Yamaha rider has scored four podiums at San Juan Villicum to date and can now also count on perfect feeling aboard his R1.  An all-Italian battle   Meanwhile, it&rsquo;s a brand-new track for the other Iwata rider, Andrea Locatelli, a rookie in the class. He will be keen to run up front and increase his podium tally. And also adding to the excitement of the fight are the Ducatis of Scott Redding, mathematically still in the running for the title (54 points from the leader), and Michael Ruben Rinaldi, who is up against fellow countryman Locatelli for fourth place in the championship. Let&rsquo;s not forget BMW either, following its Portimao win with Michael van der Mark, and Honda, a podium sitter with Alvaro Bautista in recent races.  Translated by Heather Watson  SSP600, separate classifications in 2022 &ndash; necessary or risky? 

The championship heads into its penultimate round of the season with an exciting title fight that sees the Yamaha rider with a first opportunity to secure the trophy. But Jonathan Rea won&rsquo;t give up easily

WorldSBK, first match point for Razgatlioglu in Argentina

        The title fight between Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu is becoming increasingly exciting, one of the greatest battles motorcycling has seen in recent years in fact. So much so that it has also attracted the attention of the MotoGP riders, who tell the official WorldSBK website that they&rsquo;re following the Johnny-Razga duel with interest. Fabio Quartararo and Brad Binder  &ldquo;I&rsquo;m following it closely, the last race was a lot of fun&rdquo; admits championship leader Fabio Quartararo. &ldquo;Both suffered crashes but are still there, so there&rsquo;s going to be a really exciting championship finale. On our side, at Yamaha, we have to support Toprak of course. I also saw my friend Loris Baz score two podiums at Portimao. It&rsquo;s going to be a really interesting finale&rdquo;. &ldquo;I love watching WorldSBK! It makes my Sundays better&rdquo;, comments KTM rider Brad Binder. &ldquo;It looks like a really good fight, Johnny and his experience versus Toprak and his strength, he&rsquo;s insane on the brakes&rdquo;. Valentino Rossi and Franco Morbidelli  Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi doesn&rsquo;t want to hedge his bets either way: &ldquo;it&rsquo;s a great battle, one of the best of recent years, because you have two top riders, always there and so close. Who will win? It&rsquo;s hard to say. Before Portimao race 2, I&rsquo;d have said Toprak, but now Johnny is 24 points behind and it&rsquo;s easier for him to catch up&rdquo;. The other Yamaha rider Franco Morbidelli sees Razgatlioglu as the favourite: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s still wide open, both are incredible riders and are battling hard for this title. I think Toprak has a chance, but he&rsquo;ll need to do a really good job. I wish them both the best of luck". Franco Morbidelli, Jack Miller and Pol Espargaro  An opinion shared by Pecco Bagnaia: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be a finale to watch. It&rsquo;s always great to see a really close battle where the contenders are separated by just a few points&rdquo;. Ducati rider Jack Miller reveals he sent a message of support to the Turk after he crashed in the second Portuguese race: &ldquo;That was a pity, it looked like a mechanical problem but he&rsquo;s ridden phenomenally all year. He&rsquo;s fantastic&rdquo;. Lastly, Pol Espargaro touches on the behaviour of the pair: &ldquo;They are both respectful of each other but race hard. I like to see racing like that, as it makes for a really passionate show for the fans&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson WorldSSP, Jeffrey Buis to debut with the 600 in Argentina       

The Kawasaki number 1 and the Yamaha ace continue to fight it out for the 2021 SBK title, but who will come out on top? This is what the MotoGP riders think, from Valentino Rossi to Franco Morbidelli

The MotoGP riders: “The Rea-Razga battle? One of the greatest of all time”

        And here we are, ready for the final round of the SBK triple-header - Portim&atilde;o. What kind of track is the Autodromo do Algarve? A fast, spectacular, technical and demanding one, with its ups and downs, blind spots and jumps. A combination that clearly suits Johnny Rea, the winner of twelve races in Portugal. Even with the Honda &ndash; not to take anything away from the Fireblade he rode to victory &ndash; and then with the Kawasaki. Yes, the 2020 triple win confirms just how well the Northern Irishman and his Ninja are able to interpret one of the championship&rsquo;s best-loved tracks. But will this be true again this year? Will the Atlantic Ocean boost the Cannibal&rsquo;s share price, the rider not having won a race since Assen? The hypothetical favourite, number 1 is chasing Toprak Razgatlioglu, the Turkish ace currently 20 points ahead in the standings. Considering that the young rider from Ballymena debuted in the production-derived class in 2008 and that his CV at this track is what it is&hellip; if he can&rsquo;t do better than his direct rival, will it be game over? Razga stronger in the head-to-head, Redding and Rinaldi with nothing to lose  This year it&rsquo;s like this, at least for now. In a head-to-head, Toprak beats Johnny. With a few exceptions, Razgatlioglu is the man who makes the definitive move in a duel with Rea. And holds it to the line. Unless a Ducati is in the mix, the V4 R of Scott Redding or Michael Ruben Rinaldi. Portim&atilde;o could actually be a good track for the Aruba duo, the Englishman and the Italo-Venezuelan also among the favourites this weekend. Number 45 is still in the title fight, mathematically-speaking. He&rsquo;s also suffering less than the leading pair, as he&rsquo;s under less pressure in terms of the expectations. So, to sum up, Rea has seen more success in Portugal than anyone. OK. But Razgatlioglu is going like a bullet train. And the two factory Ducati riders might tip the balance as far as the R1 and ZX-10RR are concerned. This is all pure theory though, so we&rsquo;ll see what happens on track. Stay tuned. Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK, Tito Rabat at Portimao with the Puccetti Ninja       

The undulating Portuguese track is historically a hunting ground for the Cannibal, who needs to make up 20 points to Razgatlioglu. In case of defeat, will the six-time champ be waving the white flag?

WorldSBK, Portimao the last resort for Jonathan Rea?

        The Catalunya round is done and dusted, with Jonathan Rea having scored the Superpole Race win at his team&rsquo;s home track. Attentions now turn to Jerez, where teams are racing this weekend, and where the Northern Irishman will continue to battle it out for the title with Toprak Razgatlioglu, who is just one point ahead as things stand.&nbsp; Eyes on the prize  Rea has won three previous races at Jerez, most recently in last summer&rsquo;s Superpole race. Heading into round ten, the Kawasaki rider comments: &ldquo;We ride a lot in Jerez in November, January and February, when the track is very cold. So, when the track is hot and greasy it&rsquo;s a little bit different. Last year we rode there when the season restarted after Round One in Australia. So, we have good data from last year&rdquo;. His memories of the Andalusian track are positive and take him into what will be a very important round for the championship: &ldquo;I think the problems we faced at Barcelona we need to really fix and make better for the races in Jerez. There is definitely work to do.&rdquo; Lowes not 100% fit  It will be a different weekend for Alex Lowes, who won&rsquo;t be fully fit after his Race 2 accident at Barcelona: &ldquo;I got clipped by another rider and luckily I got away relatively unscathed from the crash. I have fractured my hand but otherwise I feel quite good&rdquo;. The Englishman sustained a fracture at the base of his second metatarsal on his right hand, but after some check-ups and consultation with specialists in Barcelona, he&rsquo;s decided to give it a go: &ldquo;I feel like I can try and ride at Jerez. My neck is a little bit stiff but I will work hard on my recovery these next three days, with Albert our physio, and be in a position to try to ride. It is not an ideal situation but I will go to Jerez and the plan is to try to ride&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK Jerez: Davies calls a conference, retirement ahead?       

The six-time world champion needs to improve his feeling with the Kawasaki, while Lowes aims to ride despite his physical condition

WorldSBK Jerez, Rea: “We need to solve our Barcelona issues”

        The first day of Superbike action at Barcelona saw Jonathan Rea among the frontrunners, the Northern Irish rider topping the timesheets in FP1 and finishing fourth in the afternoons&rsquo; FP2 aboard the Provec team&rsquo;s factory Kawasaki, albeit with a few more difficulties than he expected. &ldquo;Today there was less grip than we had during testing&rdquo;, notes the current world champion. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know why, but also during the second session, with rubber on the track, the bike was still sliding. I completed a long-run anyway to check the tyre wear and already have clear ideas about what to use for the race, seeing that the front feeling, usually the toughest aspect to sort at this track, is good&rdquo;. Rea: &ldquo;After Magny-Cours I received threats on social media&rdquo;  Rea spoke again about what happened at the last Magny-Cours round, where he obtained the win in the Superpole race after Razgatlioglu was penalised for putting his wheels on the green during the last lap: &ldquo;I read some strong comments from certain fans on social media which I didn&rsquo;t like, even some threats. I had to explain to my kids that sometimes you will disagree with certain people, despite being in the right&rdquo;. &ldquo;Both Toprak and I are professional riders and we know that, regardless of any advantage gained, if you run onto the green on the last lap you lose your position, so we did the right thing to report what happened. If we were competing in the Irish flat track championship, among friends, I might understand talk of a lack of sportsmanship, but we&rsquo;re fighting for a world championship here and I know I&rsquo;ve done nothing wrong&rdquo;, continues the number 1. &ldquo;People think that Toprak and I are enemies now, but that&rsquo;s not the case. We&rsquo;re just rivals and have an excellent relationship with each other, I respect him as both a rider and a person. It&rsquo;s not nice that people forget how, once the helmet comes off, we&rsquo;re human beings like anyone else&rdquo;, concludes Jonathan. Translated by Heather Watson WorldSSP300: season over for Vicente P&eacute;rez Selfa       

The Kawasaki rider speaks once more about the episode at the French round and the consequences it had: "The regulation is clear, but Toprak and I are fine

Catalan WorldSBK, Rea: “I didn’t do anything wrong at Magny-Cours”

Barcelona and the Montmel&oacute; round represent part one of the SBK triple-header comprising Catalunya, Jerez de la Frontera and Portim&atilde;o. Great, also because the production-derived bikes are more battle-ready than ever, in a season that&rsquo;s proving to be a real show.  Considering the championship standings - Razgatlioglu with 370 points, Rea 363, and Redding 298 &ndash; we&rsquo;re in for yet another battle of the three Rs, with Toprak and Johnny leading the way in the title fight. The trend lies with the Turkish Yamaha rider, though he was &quot;fooled&quot; at Magny-Cours, the effects of which will continue to be felt in Spain.  And this is why the Turk will want to finish ahead of the Cannibal as much as possible. To &quot;get revenge&quot; for what happened in France, and he wouldn&rsquo;t mind beating the six-time champ at his home round either. But isn&rsquo;t that Donington Park (and where he already did so)? Yes, but just down the round from the Barcelona circuit is the HQ of KRT Provec, the factory team linked to Kawasaki.  Redding to tip the balance? Ducati and the Italians sure to stand out   Scott can be quick with his Panigale V4 R at Barcelona, Jerez and Portim&atilde;o. The 2020 stats say so, and this is confirmed by the fact he continues to be the strongest Ducati rider. So in the Razga-Rea fight, the Italian will serve to tip the balance, whether he likes it or not.  At the Catalunya Circuit &ndash; ready to host the SBK for only the second time &ndash; we also expect strong performances from the young Italian trio made up of Andrea Locatelli, Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Axel Bassani.  The event also sees the return of Samuele Cavalieri, who did well during the first three rounds of the season. So, the Italian troops have everything they need to do well. While the red bike arrives as the favourite, both for its performance and because Montmel&oacute; has the characteristics to showcase its power along the straight and stability through the turns.  Translated by Heather Watson  WorldSBK: Samuele Cavalieri to return to Barni Racing as of Barcelona 

The Turk knows that the Montmel&oacute; circuit is just a stone&rsquo;s throw from Johnny Rea&rsquo;s team KRT Provec base, which will need to defend itself from a Yamaha attack. For Redding and Ducati a last chance to remain aboard the train to success

WoldSBK, Razgatlioglu heads to Barcelona to conquer the Kawasaki fort

        If you&rsquo;re nostalgic and convinced that "things were better back when...", then maybe don&rsquo;t read on. Or rather, do read on, because today&rsquo;s bombshell is a good one. And here it is: Razgatlioglu and Rea are better than Bayliss and Edwards! My gosh, you're probably saying, what have you been drinking to write such a thing? Calm down, the Prosecco DOC is on ice for later, to enjoy while we read your comments on Facebook. And now we&rsquo;ll explain our reasoning, so get comfortable. The fact is that Toprak and Johnny are caught up in a very close battle, on a wire at more than 300 km/h, duelling without calculation or conjecture. Troy and Colin did much the same, we know, but today&rsquo;s fight is different, because it also involves protests, penalties, cryptic words, wobbly friendships and social irony. A fantastic Imola 2002, albeit a repeatable one  Your writer was there at Santerno that autumn in 2002 and had already been a regular in the world championship paddocks for many years, partly out of passion and then, step by step, to build the contacts, knowledge and tools with which to try and learn a trade. The battle at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit was fantastic, on a stage that only Formula 1 or the historic 200 Miglia competitors would usually see. Two heroes in a field that included the kind of names that still give us goosebumps now, Bayliss and Edwards fought for supremacy all season long. The American ultimately got the better of the Australian, with a final celebration that saw the reciprocal exchange of compliments make international news. Both were set to move to MotoGP, their minds already on their new adventure. And therein lies the question - if Razga and Rea, so close in the standings, were to reach the end of the 2021 in a similar situation, would they exchange smiles, compliments and parting words? Mmm, we have our doubts, or rather, yes, the pair would demonstrate fair play, but remember what happened in France, the KRT Kawasaki team requesting the penalty inflicted on the Yamaha rider (a move criticised by Locatelli). If that&rsquo;s not war... WorldSBK Magny-Cours, riders&rsquo; standings: Razgatlioglu and Rea neck and neck Diversity and a past to remember  The Turk and the Northern Irishman have rather different social, human, behavioural and cultural characteristics, this is clear from watching their interviews and looking at their pictures. Bayliss and Edwards, on the other hand, were a little similar, both cowboys, both brusque. And this is why they understood each other. Toprak and Johnny understand each other better on track, where they go shoulder to shoulder just as Troy and Colin once did. Even more so at times and, considering the extent to which the electronics impact on the dynamics of a race and how much harder it is to make passes today, we must admit that Sofuoglu&rsquo;s pupil and the Ballymena native are putting on a show that is in no way inferior to what we&rsquo;ve seen in the past. Let&rsquo;s not forget another important detail. Toprak was already in the Kawasaki orbit, with Puccetti, so theoretically already inside the green tunnel. But someone or something took his "Green Pass" away, which led #54 to sign with Yamaha. Who was it to throw a spanner in the works? Why didn&rsquo;t Toprak move to the factory team? Come on, the answer&rsquo;s staring you in the face. Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK, Razgatlioglu and his &ldquo;stoppie&rdquo;. Do you think it's dangerous?       

Toprak and Johnny are offering up a better show than we saw between Troy and Colin because, as well as fighting tooth and nail on track, the two title contenders are provoking each other in parc ferm&eacute;, in the media room, in the paddock and on social media &nbsp;

WorldSBK, Razgatlioglu versus Rea, nothing like Bayliss and Edwards

        For Jonathan Rea and his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR, the French race weekend at Magny-Cours started with first place in a damp FP1 and third place in the afternoon&rsquo;s second session, after a day the rider referred to as having its &lsquo;highs and lows&rsquo;. &ldquo;I struggled during the final phase of braking and corner entry. The first sector is particularly tough for our bike and through turn 1 it&rsquo;s not easy to hold the right line without suffering any chattering, but all in all it&rsquo;s not been bad in terms of overall position, and we&rsquo;ll try to improve for Saturday&rdquo;, commented the current world champion at the end of day one. &ldquo;It won&rsquo;t be easy to choose the right tyre for the race but I&rsquo;ve realised that, compared to last year&rsquo;s bike, the new Ninja behaves in a very different way, but you can still exploit it. It&rsquo;s not easy to be the only Kawasaki up front of course, but Alex Lowes has been injured and Yamaha has many strong riders that can fight us, so it&rsquo;s ok and we&rsquo;ll try to do what we can with what we have&rdquo;, adds the number 1. Rea: "Racing in Argentina? It would be frustrating with quarantine"  As for the possibility of racing in Argentina, Rea doesn&rsquo;t sound particularly enthusiastic: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want to comment because it&rsquo;s not down to me of course. But it would be frustrating to have to quarantine before being able to go out, particularly those of us coming from the UK, but Dorna will be the ones to decide. And the same goes for the Indonesian round of course&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Jarvis: &ldquo;Razgatlioglu is determined to stay in WorldSBK, for now&rdquo;       

The Northern Irishman closes Friday in third place, after what he defines as a day of highs and lows: "I struggled but we know where to improve. Quarantine for Argentina? No comment"

SBK Magny Cours, Rea: “It’s not easy to be the only Kawasaki up front”

        The KRT Provec team arrives in France after a brief trip to Portugal. The green team completed a test session at Portimao before travelling on to Magny-Cours for the SBK round, so Johnny Rea and Alex Lowes are more than ready for the Nevers event. And their Ninjas too. We&rsquo;re talking about a track at which the six-time champion has lifted the championship trophy on more than one occasion, so his memories can only be positive: "It is a circuit where I have a lot of special memories and where we have been many times in the past, so we have a lot of data". The Portuguese test proved useful to the Northern Irishman: "Thankfully we had a full day of really nice weather at a Portimao test last week to keep working with the set-up of our Ninja ZX-10RR. The bike set-up for Magny Cours is very similar to Portimao. It has a lot of heavy braking area but also changes of direction which really suit our bike.&rdquo; &nbsp;To win, always. As usual.  The Cannibal&rsquo;s goal remains the same: "Now, with six rounds remaining in the championship we are past the halfway point and the next races will come along in very quick succession. The target is of course to win and to build some positive momentum into the last part of the year, which is going to be very intense. But I am excited, very motivated and can&rsquo;t wait to get to France.&rdquo; While team-mate Alex Lowes comments: "I have some good memories from last year on the Kawasaki, with the podiums in rain conditions. I am hoping it is dry this time because we didn&rsquo;t get any dry laps last year in Magny Cours, so I want to try the Ninja ZX-10RR around there in the dry&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK, Razgatlioglu and Rea look out for Redding: Scott likes Magny-Cours       

Johnny adores the French track: "I have special memories and the set-up is similar to what we used at Portimao last week&rdquo;. Alex Lowes: "Last year I was on the podium in wet conditions, but I hope for sun this time&rdquo;

WorldSBK, Rea: “Magny-Cours suits the characteristics of the Ninja”

        We wanted to choose a blurry cover image as a way of depicting Johnny Rea&rsquo;s performance aboard the Kawasaki at Most. During the latest SBK round, the current champion appeared flat, his Ninja demonstrating something of a limp. But we might be wrong of course. And we&rsquo;ll soon find out, because Navarra is almost upon us and this will be a good opportunity for the number 1: "Another new circuit for us. Unlike Most we have actually had a test there, a couple of months ago. I enjoyed the track but it seemed quite bumpy then&rdquo;. The Cannibal continues: "It seems the circuit have addressed some of the problems we faced. My rhythm and pace was pretty good there so I am quite curious to see, with everybody on track, how competitive everyone will be. I feel that with our Ninja ZX-10RR we can be strong. The idea is to start on Friday with a base set-up but also factoring in some ideas we tried at a previous test at Barcelona&rdquo;. KRT wants not just a good weekend, but a winning one  Johnny finishes with: "The aim is to have a really good race weekend&rdquo;. And, knowing him, this means a return to winning ways, the rider having last triumphed at Assen, or rather two rounds ago, an event at which he won three out of three no less. On the contrary, Alex Lowes has been off the podium for a while, his last top three result dating back to Donington Park. The number 22 rider hopes to be competitive in Navarre: &ldquo;My target is to get back on the podium after a tough few races&rdquo;. The English rider has clear ideas: "At the test we did there we were fast and I had a good feeling with the bike. I believe there will be some good passing places and the racing is going to be really close. I&rsquo;m ready for the challenge!&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK: Navarra ready for a Rea - Razgatlioglu - Redding battle       

Johnny and the Provec Kawasaki team completed important test sessions in Los Arcos: "I liked the track, I think we&rsquo;ll be strong with the Ninja&rdquo;. Alex Lowes: &ldquo;My aim is to get back on the podium"

WorldSBK, Rea considers Navarra: “Unlike Most, we’ve already ridden there”

Navarra, what can we expect? The Spanish track is the fifty-first circuit to host a WorldSBK round and is located in the north of the country. Specifically, the track is located in Los Arcos, a rural town not far from Bilbao, but closer to Pamplona.  Almost all the riders have tested the track in recent months, but just like the recent Most round, the seventh 2021 round will be interesting in terms of the excitement a new track offers.  Most again offered up a three-way battle between Rea, Razgatlioglu and Redding. Johnny leads the way with 266 points, Toprak is three behind, while Scott holds 216. Although the Northern Irish rider leads the way, the Englishman is currently on a roll, more so than the Turk.  Love encourages Redding, the strongest ducatista in 2021   You know the phrase &quot;And they lived happily ever after&quot;? And so it is that we wish Redding and his future bride all the very best, Scott and Jacey Hayden now ready to start a life together. Congrats! But in the meantime, there&rsquo;s an SBK title to win and number 45 knows it.  He&rsquo;s doing his best, spurred on by the fact he&rsquo;s the strongest ducatista on track right now. The bulldog hasn&rsquo;t yet renewed his contract for 2022, because it also depends on the (possible) arrival of Alvaro Bautista or Danilo Petrucci. Ducati needs to consider its next moves carefully.  Scott, third in the standings and 50 points from Rea, is well aware of this and is in shape. And he&rsquo;s winning. To date, Redding has scored three partial wins. No one has managed it with the current V4 R, a competitive but rather unique bike.  Razg-attack puts Yamaha in the title mix   Did you see the kind of move Toprak made on Redding? Well that perfectly sums up the Turk&rsquo;s repertoire &ndash; speed, acrobatics, daring and determination. With these traits, Kenan Sofuoglu&rsquo;s pupil has already been able to project Yamaha into first place overall.  The R1 M appears to be the most complete Superbike on the grid - Ducati is strong in acceleration, the Kawasaki is precise, but the blue four-cylinder is the real all-rounder. And we apologise for not citing Honda and BMW but&hellip; you know how it is, the CBR and the M1000 RR appearing fairly inconsistent.  The Pata with Brixx team on the other hand seems very solid, Toprak and rookie Andrea Locatelli both very strong. The Iwata contingent has also tested at Navarra, so it will be an equal playing field come the race weekend.  Rea and Kawasaki, a winning pair on the defensive   Six titles, no small feat. Johnny and the Ninja make for a winning team, confirmed by both the stats and their rivals. Although there may be a few doubts, in this precise moment, about the real capabilities of the ZX-10RR, the impression being that the Akashi team&rsquo;s performance has plateaued somewhat since the start of the year.  We&rsquo;ll see whether this is the case at Navarra. The Cannibal didn&rsquo;t excel at Most, and so he will want to make up for what he lost in the Czech Republic. Two consecutive crashes leave a mark, luckily not a physical one in his case, but perhaps an emotional one.  Also consider the fact that while Redding often has other Ducatis with him up front, and Razgatlioglu can count on Locatelli (though less so on Gerloff), the number 1 rider is &ndash; on the contrary &ndash; the only man in green to stand out. How long can he hold on?  Translated by Heather Watson  WorldSBK, Razgatlioglu: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t know if I&rsquo;ll go to MotoGP&rdquo; 

Johnny is hunted by Toprak, and Scott is closing in: the fifty-first track to host a WorldSBK round will stage another battle between the three &#39;R&#39;s