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

        A familiar face returns. Alessandro Delbianco made his Superbike world championship in 2019, demonstrating his talents on several occasions, and now he is presented with a new opportunity. With Leon Haslam set to miss the Misano round as he is competing with Kawasaki at the Suzuka 8 Hours, it will be Delbianco who will ride the team Pedercini ZX-10R. So the Italian gets another chance, one that he is keen to exploit and that he has earned by doing well in the CIV championship. Having finished second overall last season, he currently lies third in the general standings with the Nuova M2 team's Aprilia, just twenty points from leader Michele Pirro. Delbianco: &ldquo;A great opportunity&rdquo;  &ldquo;I was keen to be here&rdquo;, comments an excited Alessandro, &ldquo;as knowing the track will definitely facilitate things as I get to grips with a bike I don&rsquo;t know. I see this round as an opportunity to show what I can do as I try to find a ride for 2023. I&rsquo;m coming back to Superbike with a lot more experience than before, so I feel ready and prepared. I can only be optimistic, but we have our work cut out for sure&rdquo;. Lucio Pedercini is also pleased to welcome an Italian talent to his team, in addition to Loris Cresson and the aforementioned Haslam. "We&rsquo;re pleased to welcome Alessandro on board for the Misano round. We already tried to do something together in the past, but it wasn&rsquo;t the right time &ndash; to be able to announce a rider of Delbianco&rsquo;s caliber for our home round is a dream come true". Translated by Heather Watson Dakar 2023, 14 stages and a revolutionised route: all the new features       

A world championship opportunity for Alessandro, who stands in for missing Haslam. "I want to show what I can do"

WorldSBK, the Italian patrol grows: Delbianco with Pedercini at Misano

        We had already published the news that Ana Carrasco will race in Moto3 with team Bo&eacute; this season, but now the Kawasaki team with which the rider has raced for five years also confirms the &ldquo;separation&rdquo;. &ldquo;Not only a highly successful racer in her own right, Carrasco has also been a role model for women globally&rdquo;, reads the press release. A winning partnership  Ana was able to win the Supersport300 title aboard the Kawasaki Ninja 400. Carrasco scored seven race wins and reached the podium on twelve occasions, amassing a total of 420 points. Guim Roda, KRT WorldSBK team manager and co-owner of Provec, had this to say about Ana&rsquo;s departure: &ldquo;Ana&rsquo;s move to Moto3 is a fitting end to a journey we started together in 2018. We are so proud to be part of the history now, and a Kawasaki Ninja will forever be recognised as the first ever bike that powered a woman to an FIM Motorcycle Open Championship. In 2018 she won the Championship, which was magical year, but I think 2019 and 2020 were when she performed the best. In 2019 she fought every race just losing second position in Championship on the last lap of the last race. In 2020 she pushed for the title again before her big crash in Estoril that was very nearly life changing &ndash; but Ana fought back to health as only she can. On behalf of in all in the Kawasaki family we wish Ana all the best and hope she can continue making history motivating women and demonstrating that they deserve the same opportunities in life as men.&rdquo; Carrasco: &ldquo;You&rsquo;ve been a family&rdquo;  Carrasco herself states: &ldquo;Racing is tough, not just on track where people see but also at times like this when you have to make tough decisions. My ambition is always to grow as a rider, to set myself new goals that other&rsquo;s see as impossible and to achieve them.&nbsp; When my parents bought me my first minibike and then I started racing of course my dream was like any rider &ldquo;one day I want to be a World Champion&rdquo;. This I achieved in 2018 and even today that feeling is magical; but anyone that understands racing will know that every racer needs to push, to be ambitious and to test themselves again and again. This opportunity to ride in Moto3 is a logical step in my mind even if the emotional step is hard. I would like to thank everyone at Kawasaki who truly made me feel part of a racing family. I hope I can repay your kindness with a second World Championship. Thank you.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson MotoGP, Bezzecchi: &ldquo;The shakedown's done, it&rsquo;s incredible to reach certain speeds&rdquo;       

The former SSP300 rider will compete in Moto3 with team Bo&eacute;. The Kawasaki Racing Team with which she&rsquo;s raced for five years confirms the news

Carrasco: “Leaving Kawasaki means leaving a family, but I want new challenges”

        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

        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

        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”

        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”

As we await the upcoming Assen round, WorldSBK enjoys a short break. So far, the production-derived series has completed four rounds, at Arag&oacute;n, Estoril, Misano and Donington. With thirteen races scheduled on the calendar (all of which will hopefully play out), this means we&rsquo;re not yet mid-way through the championship.  And yet the overall standings are already very telling, the world title currently contested by three riders, or rather Toprak Razgatlioglu, Johnny Rea and Scott Redding. The Turk has 183 points, the Northern Irishman 181 and the Englishman 117, the Ducati rider appearing somewhat out of breath compared to the Yamaha and Kawasaki flagbearers.  And just behind them is another Brit, Lincolnshire rider Alex Lowes. In his second season with team Provec KRT, Lowes hopes to keep his seat with the Akashi team. The number 22 rider currently lies a long way behind Razga &ndash; 69 points behind in fact &ndash; but he&rsquo;s only three points from Scott Redding.  First up, Assen  Alex&rsquo;s contract is up at the end of the season. The various parties have already been talking of course, and Lowes knows that if he wants to keep his place with Kawasaki, he&rsquo;ll need to be fast, of course, but in the right places and at the right time. At Assen, for example.  In Holland, Johnny Rea will be wanting to respond to Toprak Razgatlioglu&rsquo;s latest attacks. With a view to the standings, sure, but also to buck the psychological trend of Donington, as crashing on home turf and relinquishing the championship leadership to the Turk is not something that the Cannibal appreciated.  And this is why the Van Drenthe track and the Dutch spectators are in for a show. And this is why Lowes will need to do better than he has recently. The men in green were very pleased with the triple podium he scored at Arag&oacute;n, though less happy with subsequent results, although the Englishman did do well at Donington. If he wants to stay where he is, Alex will need to step it up.  Lean on me mate  We don&rsquo;t know whether Johnny is in real difficulty and so need to wait for the next rounds. But Razga is clearly a strong rival who is more than up to the task. Considering that Redding finds himself in a similar situation to Lowes, we can also put Scott in the group of riders battling for the title.  And yet the Aruba rider will have to get there on his own. Do you think Michael Ruben Rinaldi would help him win the title? Mmm, no. While Andrea Locatelli would help Toprak, we&rsquo;re sure of it, also because there&rsquo;s a contract in it for him.  And so to Lowes and Rea. The two get on, they respect each other. Ok. Only at the 2020 Phillip Island round, when the championship knew nothing of the imminent lockdown and all that has gone on since, did the younger rider outdo the expert. Since then, he has played the supporting role.  HRC looms  In the upcoming battles, Sam&rsquo;s twin needs to get between the number 1 Ninja, the number 54 R1 and the number 45 V4 R. Without a doubt. If he does, he&rsquo;ll receive a document to read and sign. Otherwise, it&rsquo;s possible that the rumours surrounding his contact with HRC become a reality.  Meanwhile, the constant complaints of Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam are anything but constructive. The Japanese manufacturer is the only one yet to score a podium this season. How long can they continue to suffer? The riders will respect their commitments, but...  ... they are already thinking ahead to 2022. Another possible CBR RR-R candidate is Chaz Davies, not particularly competitive with Go Eleven and the independent Ducati right now. And Tito Rabat isn&rsquo;t pleased with his performance with team Barni. The two are not shy about voicing their complains. But have you ever seen Alex point the finger at the bike he&rsquo;s been riding or is riding? No, and Kawasaki knows this.  Translated by Heather Watson  A memorable weekend for Aprilia, winners in BSB and MotoAmerica 

Alex will be tasked with &quot;protecting&quot; Johnny Rea as he fights for his seventh consecutive title. If he&rsquo;s able to hinder Razgatlioglu and Redding&rsquo;s progress, the Englishman may well continue with Kawasaki

SBK, the strategic importance of Lowes: his future and career on the line

At the recent Barcelona SBK tests, Johnny Rea again set the pace. Good for him of course, but not so much for his rivals. The Northern Irishman topped the timesheets, his factory Kawasaki a missile around the Spanish track.  And that&rsquo;s not all, as the number 1 also proved to be number 1 in terms of pace. No one could match the six-time champion&rsquo;s Ninja over a long run round the Montmel&oacute; track and, for now, it doesn&rsquo;t look as if anyone can bother WSBK&rsquo;s most successful rider.  Strong riders like Scott Redding, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Tom Sykes appear to be on a similar level, and yet there&rsquo;s no stand-out contender among the chasing pack. In fact, as young riders like Andrea Locatelli and American revelation Garrett Gerloff start to emerge, the championship is becoming increasingly balanced. Or rather, it would be if not for the Cannibal.  &ldquo;Old&rdquo; or &ldquo;new&rdquo; ZX-10RR? It little matters to Rea   In asking Kawasaki for a new bike, Johnny has got what he wanted. The 2021 version of the ZX-10RR retains the classic style traits and inline four-cylinder engine, but is altered in some of its details, starting with the front section, which offers more efficient aerodynamics.  The airbox is redesigned, the exhaust system updated, the fuel compartment shifted and the engine &ldquo;smaller&rdquo;. What do we mean by this? During the November test at Jerez, there were two versions at the back of the Provec garage, the old and the new. And the new appears less bulky, confirmed by one of the Japanese technicians present.  Johnny has exploited this potential, both at the Angel Nieto track and then at Arag&oacute;n and Barcelona. There is still a difference between the Ninja and the V4 R, but it&rsquo;s very small. Also because at top speed, the Ninja&rsquo;s electronics allow Rea to ride in a consistent, clean way. And so we&rsquo;re not surprised to see the KRT bike at the top of the timesheets.  SBK without Johnny? Wonderful, but...   When a champion of this calibre is absent, you notice the difference, and right away. Look at MotoGP. Marc Marquez has been missing since the the first 2020 round and, without him, Honda has fallen into an abyss in terms of performance. Firstly.  Secondly, all references have been lost. Number 93 represented the benchmark, the ever-raising bar, the ultimate stimulus. Without him, there&rsquo;s healthy confusion. Which is good in one way, because we&rsquo;ve seen many different race winners. But the level appears both high, and at the same time, lower. Current champion Joan Mir hasn&rsquo;t proved dominant. Far from it.  If Rea were to leave SBK, the same dynamics would occur. We might have more title contenders. We might see many riders able to win individual races. But the series clearly wouldn&rsquo;t have an indisputed number 1.  Translated by Heather Watson  MotoGP, Honda where are you going without Marc Marquez? 

Johnny has dominated for six consecutive years and, like Marc in MotoGP, he sets the benchmark in the production-derived series. Without the number 1, the championship wouldn&rsquo;t be the same

WorldSBK, Rea like Marquez: the Kawasaki champion&rsquo;s importance

        Alex Lowes can finally return to the track. After a training incident forced him to rest up and miss out on recent testing alongside team-mate Johnny Rea, the British Provec Kawasaki rider is now ready to get back on his Ninja ZX-10RR. Test sessions have been planned by the team for the #22 rider, who will be out at Jerez de la Frontera on 19-20 March. The new Akashi weapon made its debut at the same Spanish track in January in fact, and is perhaps the readiest of the bikes entered into the 2021 SBK championship. While Alex was recovering, six-time champion Rea moved ahead with development and is pleased with the parts brought to the garage. Now it&rsquo;s Lowes&rsquo; turn and the Brit can&rsquo;t wait to ride the bike he will compete with as of Arag&oacute;n, in May. Angel Nieto booked by HRC  The factory Honda team has reserved the Jerez de la Frontera track for some additional pre-season prep. Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam "will host" Lowes and Kawasaki over the two-day test, during which everyone hopes for warm and sunny weather. HRC will then hold its official presentation at the Barcelona track, where the Dorna test will take place, almost all teams set to take to the track on that occasion. Almost all, because team Kawasaki Puccetti has decided not to take part for example. The championship photos will be taken at other locations. Translated by Heather Watson Whatever happened to: Ben Bostrom       

Following his injury and subsequent recovery, the Provec Kawasaki rider will test at the Angel Nieto circuit on 19-20 March. HRC will also be on track with Bautista and Haslam

SBK, ‘catch-up’ test for Alex Lowes at Jerez

        The start of the championship still looks to be something of a mirage for Superbike teams, but March is still an important month in terms of testing. Kawasaki will kick things off, on Thursday and Friday, with a two-day test at Portimao. The Portuguese test has been confirmed despite the fact that Alex Lowes is unable to attend, still recovering from the shoulder injury he sustained while training last month. Rea will be joined on track by Isaac Vinales, team Orelac&rsquo;s entry for 2021. Rea will be the only Provec representative in attendance then, and he is keen to get to grips with the new aspects of the ZX-10RR, also considering the limited track time he&rsquo;s had so far due to bad weather at recent tests. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited to ride again - confirms Rea &ndash; especially during these strange times. At recent tests, we have already tested some new ideas with power characteristics from the engine although the weather conditions were not 100%&rdquo;. Johnny outlines the path to follow as he and the team prepare for the season-opener, set to take place on 9 May at the Estoril circuit in Portugal. &ldquo;The main thing we have to do at this test is confirm things on the engine side and then fix our gearbox ratios. We aim to keep building speed and keep building confidence&rdquo;. Lowes: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m working to return as soon as possible&rdquo;  Alex Lowes will not attend the test, and so his next outing with the latest Akashi creation will have to wait. &ldquo;I am working hard on my recovery with the doctors in Barcelona so that I can join them at the track as soon as possible. Of course, I cannot wait to ride my bike again&rdquo;. Many have asked whether it is worth testing with only one of the team&rsquo;s two riders on track, but Guim Roda is clear on this point, underlining the difficulties involved in planning test sessions at this tricky time. &ldquo;We think this test is a very important one and it is not easy to organise &ndash; comments Roda - We planned it two months ago and it was already part of our development programme. We think it is very important to understand the improvements in different tracks, to make good conclusions and not get confused. All the efforts logistically, in human terms and economically, mean it is a good investment. We hope the weather respects us this time, and that Alex can return soon. It is a shame that Alex cannot do this test but he is not 100% to push on the bike, so we preferred to give him a little bit of time to recover.&rdquo; Translated by Heather Watson WorldSBK, Van Der Mark: &ldquo;I need some Yamaha characteristics on the BMW&rdquo;       

The Provec team will be on track on Thursday and Friday but only with Rea: &ldquo;I want to confirm the engine data&rdquo;. Alex: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m working on my recovery with doctors in Barcelona&rdquo;

WorldSBK: Kawasaki confirms the Portimao test, but without Lowes

The KRT Provec team has provided the following update. The injury sustained by Alex Lowes is confirmed, the rider having hurt himself during a winter training session with the flat track bike. The English rider has &lsquo;damaged&rsquo; his shoulder, but only slightly according to the message. We do not know whether it is his right or left shoulder.  From what we have heard, doctors are suggesting that the SBK rider rests up for two or three weeks. So not too long, and fortunately so, because certain injuries are not so easy to recover from as we know.  The squad has not pushed #22 to take part in testing at the Angel Nieto circuit, in fact Johnny Rea didn&rsquo;t ride yesterday either. The green team knows that Alex Lowes will soon be back in the saddle, the episode nothing more than a small setback on the road to success.  Translated by Heather Watson  WorldSBK, paddock rumours: Bradley Smith with Ten Kate 

The injury that the Kawasaki rider sustained while riding flat track appears less serious than first thought. KRT Provec prefers not to push #22, who will be back on his bike soon

WorldSBK: Alex Lowes to rest for two or three weeks following injury

        It was not the two-day test that most people were expecting, with very few riders on track and inclement weather that kept most of the WorldSBK teams inside their garages, engines off. Not even the factory Kawasaki Provec team headed out, and they will make up for this wasted day on Thursday 28 January with riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes. The Englishman doesn&rsquo;t appear to be overly concerned about the two lost days: &ldquo;Not going out isn't a big problem as, although the bike is new, we still have a lot of time before the start of the season. I&rsquo;m sorry for the team, as they made a big effort to bring various new elements here". Rea: &ldquo;A waste of money not to ride, but the regulation limits us&rdquo; "The new engine is key"  As the English rider confirms, one of the most important new features regards the engine: "We would have focused largely on the new engine, which differs from the last one. During the previous tests, Jonathan and I had the same impressions, which is a good thing in terms of our teamwork in preparation for the start of the season. There&rsquo;ll be more new elements that we&rsquo;ll test next time out&rdquo;. As for eventual wet rounds, season-opener Assen being one possible example, Alex already feels prepared: &ldquo;If there are wet races, I can be competitive. At the end of the day, I&rsquo;m an English rider, I like to race in the wet. I&rsquo;d prefer rain during a race than during a test". Translated by Heather Watson Pirelli, Barbier: &ldquo;The SBK calendar is great, it will be an interesting season&rdquo;       

Like almost all of the riders in attendance at the Angel Nieto track, the British Kawasaki rider did not go out on track during the two-day test due to the weather conditions

WorldSBK Jerez Test, Lowes: “Rain? Better during a race than a test”

        Jonathan Rea can only be disappointed as the two-day test at Jerez comes to a premature close, having never actually got started. The Northern Irishman was keen to continue developing the new ZX-10RR, but any ideas and hopes the team might have had remained just that. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a real shame not to be able to make the most of this test - admits Johnny - seeing as the riders and teams have made such an effort to be here, despite the difficult situation. With the new regulation, we only have ten days of testing during winter, and so we preferred not to go out yesterday and today. It&rsquo;s a waste of money being here and not riding, but that&rsquo;s the way it is.&rdquo; His thoughts turn to the last tests, or rather those held at Aragon in November, where the current champion got a first taste of his new steed. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s difficult to draw any conclusions as we were the only team there, but I was fast. The bike is young and so we still need to understand and correct the engine character. I want to work with my engineer to make it smooth, as I like it, but we&rsquo;ve definitely taken a step forward with respect to last year. I&rsquo;ve seen improvement in terms of the aerodynamics too, and I would probably have understood more this week. The new fairing has better downforce and that gives you greater confidence with the front as well as better wheelie control&rdquo;. SBK, Rabat's Ducati features aerodynamic brakes from... Moto2 "I would have preferred Imola to Estoril, Dorna should take a cue from MX"  Back to the present, and the future, as Johnny talks about Tito Rabat, one of the most interesting new arrivals in the SBK paddock, and the fact that Imola is missing from the 2021 calendar. &ldquo;I know Tito a little, we&rsquo;ve exchanged messages in the past but we haven&rsquo;t talked here. He wants to battle with me? I wish him luck (he laughs). I&rsquo;m really sorry there&rsquo;s no Imola on the 2021 calendar, as the track and fans always give me the best feeling, better than anywhere else maybe, despite me never having raced for an Italian manufacturer. I really hope the championship returns to Imola. I would definitely have preferred Imola to some other tracks, like Estoril for example&rdquo;. Rea closes by mentioning the anti-Covid vaccine and offers some regulatory advice to Dorna, to combat the uncertainty of the current times.&nbsp; &ldquo;I would like the vaccine as soon as possible, it&rsquo;s not available in Northern Ireland yet. I think in this situation Dorna should introduce a rule that already exists in MX, or rather the possibility for every rider to cancel their worst weekend in terms of results from the classification. Look at what happened to Hamilton or Rossi. I was nervous last year too, because the championship wouldn&rsquo;t have stopped if I were to have tested positive&rdquo;. Translated by Heather Watson Pirelli, Barbier: &ldquo;The SBK calendar is great, it will be an interesting season&rdquo;       

"With only ten days available, we preferred not to take the risk. The bike is new but already seems better than in 2020. A pity not to have Imola on the calendar, I&rsquo;ve always loved it&rdquo;

Jerez WorldSBK test, Rea: “A waste of money not to ride, but the regulation limits us”

Ana Carrasco&rsquo;s 2020 season came to a premature end when she suffered a serious back injury, fracturing her D4 and D6 vertebrae during a test at Estoril. The Spaniard underwent surgery right way and now, having waited for the right time and in a good state of health, she has returned to hospital to remove the screws in her back.  In light of how the vertebrae are healing, the operation was carried out on Tuesday 12 January. Ana will have a CAT scan in a week and if this confirms the good state of the fracture, she will be able to resume normal physical activity in a couple of weeks, once the surgical wound has healed. And in a month she can get back in the saddle. This means that she will be able to start the season in good physical shape.    The WorldSSP300 Kawasaki Provec rider is over the moon: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy, the doctors say the operation went well and I want to thank the whole team for their support in recent months, particularly Albert, our medical coordinator, Santi, my trainer and Joan Tao, my osteopath. The many hours they&rsquo;ve dedicated to my health are paying off, also thanks to the great work of Dr. Ubierna and Dr. C&aacute;ceres of course. I cannot wait to get back on my Ninja 400, I&rsquo;ll be 100% by the start of the season&rdquo;.  In the words of the doctor   The doctors explain: &ldquo;On Tuesday 12 January we carried out surgery to remove the titanium implant that was inserted on 15 September. We decided to proceed with the operation because a CAT scan showed us that the fractures were already consolidated, and we decided to insert lyophilised bone into the screw holes to speed up bone regeneration&rdquo;. It all went to plan: &ldquo;The surgery went very well, as planned, and next week we&rsquo;ll do another CAT to confirm the progress. If all goes well, she can start training in 15 days&rsquo; time, once the surgical wound has healed, and then in another 15 days she can ride a bike&rdquo;.  &nbsp;  Everything&rsquo;s ready for 2021   Team manager Carla Grau adds: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re hearing great things from the hospital and the ICATME team and Ana should be ready in a few weeks&#39; time. We at Kawasaki Provec want to highlight Ana&rsquo;s professionalism, she&rsquo;s worked religiously on her physical rehab in order to accelerate the healing process. As for the project, we haven&rsquo;t stopped, and we have everything ready for the 2021 season&rdquo;. And there is more news: &ldquo;All our sponsors have reconfirmed their commitment to Ana&rsquo;s project, even at this time of economic uncertainty and with the injury in the middle, and various new companies have come on board for the 2021 adventure. I thank them all; we&rsquo;ll be more than ready for the first race of the season in late April&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  WorldSBK, Gerloff on Spies&#39; R1: will Garrett follow in Ben&#39;s footsteps? 

The Spaniard was in the operating room to have the screws in her back removed, and if an upcoming CAT scan looks good, she can return to riding in a month

SSP300, Carrasco: &ldquo;Surgery successful. I&rsquo;ll be 100% for the start of the season&rdquo;

He couldn&rsquo;t be more successful and yet it seems something&rsquo;s still missing. We&rsquo;re talking about Johnny Rea, a man who has clocked up six consecutive World Superbike titles and countless achievements.  The Northern Irish rider has won 99 races to date, an outright record in the production-derived series and many more than his illustrious &lsquo;colleagues&rsquo;, considering that two-time champion Troy Corser scored 33 race wins, three-time champion Troy Bayliss 52, and four-time winner King Carl Fogarty was first across the line on 59 occasions.  The Cannibal has beaten them all &ndash; thanks also to the introduction of a third race in 2019, which gives him another chance each weekend &ndash; and yet despite his incredible achievements, he fails to make the headlines. And so what is the 33-year old lacking? Absolutely nothing.  WorldSBK, will anyone be able to usurp King Rea or will he continue to dominate?  Foggy&rsquo;s Union Jack flag   In the mid-90s, Great Britain was in need of some great sportspeople. England in particular was keen to shine in disciplines other than football. Motorcycling perhaps, seeing as bikes were selling so well over there at the time.    Culturally, the British motorcycle fan is demanding but also obliging. How is it possible to be both? Well, it is. Barry Sheene&rsquo;s splendour in 500, for example, highlights the demanding. While the current situation in BSB appears to be a sort of &ldquo;We&rsquo;ll settle for what we have and promote it&rdquo;.  A nice idea, but it&rsquo;s always better to be winning. Carl Fogarty showed up at the perfect time. Curt, direct, and to the point. As strong as a bulldog taken for a walk by a hooligan. His achievements were extraordinary, his courage clear to see. Like Braveheart, the Englishman was a real leader.  Laid-back Corser   Troy was always smiling. Well, almost always. Especially when he was winning, but also when he was able to ride as he wanted. The word &lsquo;fun&rsquo; was important for an Australian who came to Europe by way of the USA.  In the early days, he worked as both a builder and a docker. But he wanted the world, or rather world titles. He didn&rsquo;t mind leaving Wollongong, in fact he was keen to meet new people and see new places.    In his element at a party, but technically sensitive on the bike. After a day on track, a cold beer and a pretty blonde. Everyone&rsquo;s friend, no one&rsquo;s enemy, the Crocodile had us falling in love with him on and off the track, because he never lost that playfulness.  The responsibility of Bayliss   Troy came to WorldSBK by chance they say, but that&rsquo;s not quite true. He&rsquo;s often told us that coming to Europe was part of his plan, for an Aussie who had emigrated to England the USA.    When Fogarty got hurt, Bayliss got two opportunities, the second of which he definitely made the most of, at Monza in 2000. Ducati gave the Australian a chance, and Troy felt a real sense of responsibility as a result.  To whom? To everyone: the company, staff, his colleagues, mechanics, sponsors&hellip; everyone. Wife Kim and their kids included, so often &lsquo;obliged&rsquo; to pack their bags. Troy would always put his heart into his racing, and this is why he won over so many of us, even those who were not Ducati fans.  Rea, the consumate professional, no frills   At a recent photoshoot for an important brand, some of the riders sponsored by said brand were in attendance, their outfits not exactly in keeping with the occasion.  Flipflops, bermudas and not much else in some cases. While the six-time champion had it just right, from his shoes to his cap, from his trousers to his t-shirt. An impeccable Johnny Rea, despite the searing heat that saw his colleagues opt for beachwear.    This is who he is. He might not shout, jump and dance. But he&rsquo;s extremely serious, meticulous and grounded. Johnny loves his family, he doesn&rsquo;t care about VIP events, celebrations and hangovers. Rea does what he loves, does it better than anyone else, and no one can deny that he deserves all he has. Despite not hitting the headlines or appearing on the front page.  Translated by Heather Watson  WorldSBK, Haslam: &ldquo;Honda has greater capability than Kawasaki&rdquo; 

Johnny has secured the production-derived title six times, while the King scored four wins, Bayliss three and Corser two. And yet, the Northern Irishman fails to make the front pages

WorldSBK: why are Rea&rsquo;s titles not worth those of Fogarty, Corser and Bayliss?

Ana Carrasco&rsquo;s 2020 season came to a conclusion on 10 September at Portimao, where a crash caused her to fracture the D4 and D6 vertabre in her back. The injury put paid to her dreams of title success, the rider keen to score a second WorldSSP300 trophy following her first, scored in extraordinary fashion in 2018.  Having undergone surgery on her back, the Provec Kawasaki rider has gradually begun rehabilitation and now, a little more than two months since the operation, we caught up with her for a chat.  First things first, how are you?  &ldquo;Quite good, I&rsquo;m working on my rehabilitation and am recovering from the injury. My condition&rsquo;s improving a lot and I&rsquo;m pleased because process appears faster than it originally seemed&rdquo;.  As for the accident, what happened?  &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t remember much about the crash, only before and after. It was quite a banal crash in the end, because I made a mistake going long and then crashed in the gravel. It wasn&rsquo;t even at high speed, but I was really unlucky because I landed badly&quot;.  &nbsp;  Were you scared?  &ldquo;No. A back injury can be serious, we all know what can happen. But once we realised that my spinal cord wasn&rsquo;t affected, the bones in the back are like any other and heal in the same way&rdquo;.  How is your rehab going?  &ldquo;Good. At first it was tough as I was struggling to move and needed someone to help me with everything but now I can have a normal daily life, no problem. I&rsquo;m very limited in terms of training though, and although I take a step forward every week I&rsquo;m still at the first level of training&rdquo;.  How are you training for now?  &ldquo;I started to do exercises that require more strength in the gym, and then I started cycling again and I spend a lot of time in the pool&rdquo;.  Your 2020 season closed ahead of time, how do you view it?  &ldquo;In general I&rsquo;m pleased. We fought for the positions that count in the races we completed, we dominated the championship twice and I think we could have fought until the final race again this year. I&rsquo;m a little sad I couldn&rsquo;t finish the championship, but I&rsquo;m pleased with the team&rsquo;s work, my work and the level we demonstrated at the track&rdquo;.  &nbsp;  What are your plans for coming months?  &ldquo;Week after week, we&rsquo;ll increase the workload and then in early 2021 I&rsquo;ll undergo another surgery to extract the plate and nails from my back. The aim is for me to be as strong as possible before the surgery and then, once that&rsquo;s done, focus on preparing for the start of the season&rdquo;.  What do you expect from 2021?  &ldquo;It&rsquo;s difficult to say right now. I&rsquo;d like to fight for the title again of course, that will be my aim. A lot depends on my sensations and how my condition evolves over the coming months, before the start of the season&rdquo;.  Translated by Heather Watson  WorldSBK, &quot;ugly&quot; but fast: the new Kawasaki promises to be another winner 

The Spanish rider is working to get back in shape as soon as possible following a serious accident. She tells us about her future goals and how she currently spends her days

Exclusive, Ana Carrasco: &ldquo;The healing process is faster than I expected&rdquo;

We&rsquo;re back with that quintessential off-season question, one that we&rsquo;ve actually been repeating for the last five years around these parts. Will Johnny Rea continue to dominate in SBK or will he finally meet his match? The Cannibal has won the last six editions, one after the other, only momentarily disturbed by other riders, and so we again ask ourselves whether the Ninja might come up against any more solid obstacles in 2021?  We recall Tom Sykes on the Kawasaki, for example, and Chaz Davies with the Ducati Panigale twin. Or, even better, Alvaro Bautista in 2019, when the Spaniard looked to have finally put paid to the Northern Irishman&#39;s rule. The number 19 V4 R dominated here, there and everywhere until one day&hellip; it didn&rsquo;t. Fatal for the Aruba rider, decisive for the Provec rider.  This year was different, shorter and more compressed in terms of its rounds. At a certain point, Scott Redding appeared to have the situation under control, strong from his wins at Jerez. But the multi-titled champ responded in kind at Portimao, starting a trend that would lead him to his umpteenth crown. His sixth.  It will take a rebel to beat the King. Or rather, a subject who doesn&rsquo;t suffer from subjection. A rival who is fast of bike and tenacious of mind, who makes the garage his home and focuses on just one thing &ndash; putting an end to green supremacy. Can anyone, or anything, do it? Particularly considering that Akashi is bringing a new toy to the track?  High expectations for the Ducati duo but&hellip; will there be internal conflict?   Scott Redding can benefit from having already completed a season, albeit shorter than planned, with the factory Aruba team. Good news for the Brit, considering how much he had to learn in 2020. New bike, tyres, certain tracks. And a new environment, for a rider who left MotoGP before winning on home turf and being welcomed to SBK. Shall we say that 2021 might be his year? Let&rsquo;s say it.    As long as Michael Ruben Rinaldi is in agreement that is. The two still have to measure each other up, Estoril their only experience as team-mates. With a new team, the balance can shift, particularly on an Italian team where an Italian rider is ready to give it his all. Rino will need to clock up the miles and find his feet but, as we&rsquo;ve seen, if there&rsquo;s one rival who doesn&rsquo;t fear Rea, it&rsquo;s the Italian. The only tension (although it&#39;s just our opinion, and in no way a certainty) might result from a self-destructive internal battle. In Kawasaki that will never happen, as JR#65 and Alex Lowes offer very different performance levels.  WorldSBK, &quot;ugly&quot; but fast: the new Kawasaki promises to be another winner  Yamaha, Turkish-American firecrackers, but is it enough?   Toprak and Garrett, two similar packages. Razgatlioglu will take on his second year with the Crescent team, while Gerloff will once again line up with GRT. Great, as here we have a pair that boast explosive talent, coolness and courage. In addition, the new R1 M got rave reviews during the tests at the Angel Nieto track. So what&rsquo;s missing?  Continuity. The ability to remain consistent throughout the championship. Johnny is more than capable, but what about the Turk and the American, very fast yes, but not yet used to real pressure. To beat Rea, the pair will need to get a hold on that.    New BMW, old problems, or is VDM a valid solution?  Can Michael Van Der Mark &ndash; the new team SMR hire &ndash; bring that step up in quality that the English-German team seeks? We&rsquo;ve already had a taste of 2021 at Estoril and, lap times aside, the Dutchman seemed pleased. The project is all-new, again, and in Munich they know they can only improve.  And then there&rsquo;s Tom Sykes, out for redemption. Mister Superpole is tired of being quickest over the flying lap &ndash; he started from pole only once in 2020 in fact, at Phillip Island &ndash; and wants to get back on the podium. With a M1000 RR still to be developed, how will he stand up against teams with years of experience? Never say never.  Honda. 2021 is key and requires at least one race win   HRC wants results and, although this year it had some (valid) alibis, next year it will be more demanding in terms of performance. Alvaro Bautista begins the second year of his two-year contract, while Leon Haslam has renewed his agreement. A stable pairing, and there&rsquo;s no controversy &ndash; they&rsquo;re both seasoned professionals after all &ndash; but they weren&rsquo;t exactly on top this year. It&rsquo;s true that the CBR RR-R was a brand-new project, the team too, and so everything needed to gel.  They know this in Japan and have big ambitions as they await the first round. Honda needs to achieve at least one race win, a target that is more than possible. As for the title, we can&rsquo;t yet promise that a Fireblade will come out on top.  Translated by Heather Watson  WorldSBK, Davies and Go Eleven close to a deal, Barni continues its casting 

The Cannibal and the new Kawasaki were immediately among the quickest at Jerez, during a test that Ducati and BMW did not attend. Will the red duo be balanced or will we see an internal battle? Will Yamaha have two consistently sharp weapons in Razgatlioglu and Gerloff?

22 risultati per 'EN kawasaki'