2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship
Round Four – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Making its debut on the WorldSBK calendar in 2020, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya became the sixth Spanish track in the Championship history. A permanent fixture on the MotoGP calendar since 1992, the fast and flowing venue has witnessed classic races across all forms of motorcycle racing.
After a hat-trick of victories in the Netherlands, reigning WorldSBK Champion Alvaro Bautista will be aiming to extend his lead in the standings. He holds the record of wins at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona with three victories claimed in 2022 and was close to the all-time lap record pace during the private test at the track in March.
Alvaro Bautista
“It’s always very special to race at home. Barcelona is one of my favorite tracks, with lots of long corners that allow me to have a lot of fun riding the bike. We’re in a great moment and that motivates us even more. We will start working hard from Friday to try to get back the good feeling we found during testing and also in the first rounds of the season. My family, my friends, and many fans will be there and I hope I can give them some satisfaction“.
Second in the Championship standings, Toprak Razgatlioglu will be chasing his first victory at the Catalan circuit where his best result so far is a second place claimed in 2021.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu
“For Barcelona, I am feeling a bit unlucky at this circuit in the past! The test here last month was not easy, but we made good improvements in Assen and the final setting was a good feeling, so I hope this can help us make a better race also in this track. The race will not be easy, we saw this last year, but I will do my best to see good results as always.”
Andrea Locatelli has had a strong start to his 2023 season, sitting in third place in the standings with 104 points after nine races, 20 more than the same stage last year. He will aim to continue his fine form, with four podium places claimed so far in 2023, matching his 2021 total of podiums after just three rounds this season.
Andrea Locatelli
“Barcelona is another interesting track and last year was not so bad for us, just a bit unlucky because I was pushed out during the Superpole Race and in Race 2 I crashed – Saturday was a bit tricky with the tyre but we started from P4 in qualifying and I had a good feeling on the bike. We will see what we can do during the weekend, but for sure we have another chance. If we can work on the bike set-up and find a solution to manage the tyre well especially in the beginning of the race, I hope we can fight for the podium again. This is the target. It is a good track for me and I am looking forward to being back on the bike so soon after Assen to keep the momentum going.”
Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes will soon take part in what is a home round for the vast majority of Kawasaki Racing Team’s staff, at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, between 5-7 May. The KRT team’s two UK riders have already taken part in private testing at the 4.657 long Montmelo circuit, located on the north eastern outskirts of Barcelona itself, on the last two days of March this year.
It has been a sometimes challenging season so far but Rea has already earned three podium finishes and Lowes has been on the podium in Mandalika. After a total of nine individual WorldSBK races Rea is now fifth in the overall standings and Lowes 10th.
Jonathan Rea
“I am excited because it is the team’s home race weekend and there is always a good buzz around Barcelona. It is a nice track to ride. In the past it has typically been a difficult one for us but we had a good test there a few weeks ago. With this new direction of set-up with the bike, I feel like we can be more competitive there. We just need to see the way that it is going to be. It looks like the weekend is going to be consistent in terms of weather, which is always a bonus. I am looking forward to getting stuck in and seeing what I can do. We are going to have a lot of support from team personnel, their families, sponsors, etc., so it is an important race to be strong at. We will go step-by-step through the weekend and build a plan with Pere.”
Alex Lowes
“I always have mixed feelings with Montmelo because we did a test there recently. It is one of the most enjoyable tracks to ride around, with lots of long corners. I did a Kawasaki PR day there, riding a Z900, and it was so much fun. But it is probably not the perfect layout for our bike with those long corners, and tyre degradation is quite high. But, we had a good test with our WorldSBK bike there. I had a good setting with the bike, I feel good on the bike and I am looking forward to the team’s home race to try and challenge for the podium.”
After a good weekend in Assen where both GYTR GRT Yamaha rookies Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner riders achieved their best WorldSBK results so far (4th for ‘Domi’ and 6th for Remy in Assen Race 2), the pair look to improve further in Spain. For the first time this season, Aegerter and Gardner have already enjoyed track time on Catalan soil at the Superbike test one month ago, where both ran their Yamaha R1 machines and completed solid test overall. This track knowledge should serve both riders well, but both the Swiss rider and the Australian are aware that track conditions and tyres will play a key role this weekend.
‘Domi’ points out: “Tyre management will be important. I think we’re ready for one fast lap, but we still need to adapt our riding style and setup for the long races. Anyway, it’ll be interesting to start here having collected some data already.”
The same can be said for Remy: “I hope we can improve our performance. We’ll race at a circuit where we’ve had some tests, but conditions may differ a lot, so we should pay close attention to how the weekend develops.”
Team HRC’s Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona will look forward to bouncing back at their home round after a difficult Dutch Round as they believe the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona can work better for them. Iker Lecuona will head from Barcelona directly from Jerez where he replaced Marc Marquez in the factory Repsol Honda.
Xavi Vierge
“Now we have Barcelona, my home race, which is always very special. We completed a really good two-day test there not long ago and then have also understood a few things at Assen that should be able to help us going into the next races. I think we have everything clear in our minds as we head into the weekend, so I’m looking forward to getting out on track and back to work! Hopefully we can do well in front of my home crowd.”
Iker Lecuona
“I’ve had some pretty busy days and now feel good and ready to jump on my bike for the next WorldSBK weekend in Barcelona. Coming from a GP weekend, for which I once again wish to thank everyone at HRC and everybody on the MotoGP squad, I think I will need the first few laps in FP1 in Montmeló to regain the feeling with the Fireblade and Pirelli tyres and everything, but I’m very excited to race in Catalunya, also because we completed some very good tests there recently. So we will see if we can repeat that performance over the race weekend, particularly during the second half of the race, an area where we struggled a lot last year and on which we worked a lot in testing, with promising results.”
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK family has a new addition from Portugal for round four of the 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) at Barcelona (ESP) this weekend. Ivo Lopes (POR), who has enjoyed success for several years with the easyRace BMW Team in the Spanish Superbike Championship (ESBK), will stand in for injured BMW Motorrad WorldSBK works rider Michael van der Mark (NED) at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. He races alongside Scott Redding (GBR) for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team.
26-year-old Lopes was crowned Portuguese Superbike champion in 2019 and became the first Portuguese to win the Spanish Superbike Championship in 2021 – on a BMW M 1000 RR with the easyRace BMW Team. In the 2023 season, he has claimed one victory and two second places from the four ESBK races so far. That puts Lopes top of the table in Spain after the opening two events of the season. Lopes is now set to make his WorldSBK debut at Barcelona.
Van der Mark fractured his left thigh when he crashed out of the second main race at Assen (NED). He was operated on successfully in Groningen (NED) and is now committed to the recovery process at home. It is not yet clear when van der Mark will be able to race again. His replacement at any other events he may miss will be announced at a later date.
The ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team attended the Barcelona WorldSBK tests in March. In action back then were Redding, van der Mark and Garrett Gerloff (USA). Loris Baz (FRA) was unable to take part in the test due to injury to his foot, which he sustained in Indonesia. The Frenchman returned to the grid in Assen.
Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
“First of all, we wish Michael a good recovery. It was good to hear that the operation in Groningen was a success. We are in constant contact and he has already made the first small improvements. However, he should take the time he needs to return to full fitness. At the same time, we welcome Ivo Lopes to WorldSBK. We have known Ivo for a long time in the Portuguese and Spanish championships, where he has repeatedly shown what he is capable of on the BMW M 1000 RR. We are pleased to be able to give him the opportunity to go racing in the World Championship. On the whole, we are excited about the Barcelona weekend. The test there at the end of March was very productive. We hope we can back up the progress we saw at Assen, particularly with Scott claiming his best result of the season so far at Barcelona.”
Garrett Gerloff
“I’m really excited for Barcelona. We tested there not long ago and I felt confident with the bike and with the setup so I’m looking forward to hopefully a good weekend. It’s kind of my home race since I live in Andorra. It’s not too far away. I also have my family and friends coming and I’m really excited as I have them coming to a race for the first time ever in WorldSBK, so I’m very excited and hope to have a good weekend.”
Scott Redding
“Barcelona is one of the more difficult tracks for us in the season. We’ve also been testing there this year which is good but so did many other people. We will be just be looking to again improve what is the weak point of our bike and see what we can do. I think that there will be hotter conditions at Barcelona, so obviously a lot comes in with tyres as well. I’m looking forward to getting to Barcelona and going again.”
Ivo Lopes
“I would like to thank BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team for the opportunity they are giving me at Barcelona. I have always dreamed of racing in WorldSBK, and that dream is now coming true. I know the Barcelona circuit very well, as I do the BMW M 1000 RR. However, the WorldSBK version of the bike is obviously different to the one I ride in the Spanish championship. I will work very hard at the weekend and give it my all to support the team and BMW Motorrad Motorsport as well as possible. I would like to thank them for the faith they have put in me, and also to wish Michael van der Mark a speedy recovery!”
Loris Baz
“It’s cool now to be able to have a race soon after Assen. I expect to feel much better on the bike than I was at Assen. Those two weeks were a big help for my foot. I feel better and better every day and also, I’m coming back into shape after so many weeks not being able to do anything. Of course, I missed the Barcelona test, which is not ideal, but I felt good on the bike when I jumped on it last time. We know we need to improve the full package, but I was able to go fast pretty soon after my injury. Now I hope missing the test is not making a big impact. I just hope we have more luck than the last couple of rounds, especially with the bike issue we had at Assen. It’s always nice to ride at Barcelona and I hope we can really start our season there after three difficult rounds. I’m looking forward to it.”
The weekend at Barcelona-Catalunya gets underway on track on Friday May 5, with one WorldSBK race taking place on Saturday 6 May and two on Sunday May 7. There will be a three weekend break in full-on WorldSBK competition after the Catalunya round.
World Superbike Championship Points
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Alvaro Bautista | 174 |
| 2 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | 118 |
| 3 | Andrea Locatelli | 104 |
| 4 | Axel Bassani | 77 |
| 5 | Jonathan Rea | 73 |
| 6 | Michael Ruben Rinaldi | 54 |
| 7 | Danilo Petrucci | 51 |
| 8 | Dominique Aegerter | 50 |
| 9 | Xavi Vierge | 49 |
| 10 | Alex Lowes | 44 |
| 11 | Remy Gardner | 37 |
| 12 | Scott Redding | 34 |
| 13 | Iker Lecuona | 33 |
| 14 | Philipp Oettl | 30 |
| 15 | Garrett Gerloff | 23 |
| 16 | Michael Van Der Mark | 19 |
| 17 | Loris Baz | 6 |
| 18 | Lorenzo Baldassarri | 6 |
| 19 | Hafizh Syahrin | 4 |
| 20 | Tom Sykes | 1 |
WorldSSP
Pole position, lap record and two wins out of two, Nicolo Bulega claimed it all in Assen and arrives with confidence in Barcelona. The Ducati rider tested at the Catalan circuit a few weeks ago and declared back then: “I have a good feeling. I think we have a good package here for the round in Barcelona.”
Bulega currently leads the Championship standings, followed by Stefano Manzi (90 points), Marcel Schroetter (79 points) and Federico Caricasulo (77 points). It will be Manzi’s first time at Barcelona with Yamaha, and Schroetter’s first time there in WorldSSP.
Turkish rider Can Oncu was collected by Yari Montella in Race 2 and was diagnosed with multiple fractures to his left arm. Manuel Puccetti’s team has taken the decision to field Lucas Mahias as a substitute rider.
There will be three Australians in the mix this weekend with Oli Bayliss expected to return from injury to race alongside countrymen Tom Edwards and Luke Power.
World Supersport Championship Points
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | 127 |
| 2 | Stefano Manzi | 90 |
| 3 | Marcel Schroetter | 79 |
| 4 | Federico Caricasulo | 77 |
| 5 | Can Oncu | 63 |
| 6 | Niki Tuuli | 61 |
| 7 | Valentin Debise | 44 |
| 8 | Jorge Navarro | 44 |
| 9 | Glenn Van Straalen | 40 |
| 10 | Raffaele De Rosa | 33 |
| 11 | John Mcphee | 31 |
| 12 | Nicholas Spinelli | 29 |
| 13 | Bahattin Sofuoglu | 23 |
| 14 | Oliver Bayliss | 18 |
| 15 | Tarran Mackenzie | 15 |
| 16 | Anupab Sarmoon | 14 |
| 17 | Adrian Huertas | 10 |
| 18 | Adam Norrodin | 9 |
| 19 | Yari Montella | 8 |
| 20 | Tom Booth-Amos | 6 |
| 21 | Andrea Mantovani | 6 |
| 22 | Harry Truelove | 5 |
| 23 | Apiwath Wongthananon | 4 |
| 24 | Simone Corsi | 3 |
| 25 | Tom Edwards | 1 |
WorldSSP300
Czech rider Petr Svoboda, who took his first WorldSSP300 win and his first double win at Assen, will be one rider to look out for at Catalunya. Reacting after his Race 1 victory, he said: “I think it will be good to stay in the top ten or top five positions every race.”
Having both scored 30 points during the opening round, Humberto Maier and Samuel Di Sora will look to a solid weekend with the objective to recover points to Svoboda.
There are no Aussies in the World Supersport 300 category.
World Supersport 300 Championship Points
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Petr Svoboda | 25 |
| 2 | Samuel Di Sora | 20 |
| 3 | Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez | 16 |
| 4 | Dirk Geiger | 13 |
| 5 | Humberto Maier | 11 |
| 6 | Marco Gaggi | 10 |
| 7 | Devis Bergamini | 9 |
| 8 | Jeffrey Buis | 8 |
| 9 | Loris Veneman | 7 |
| 10 | Fenton Seabright | 6 |
| 11 | Mirko Gennai | 5 |
| 12 | Enzo Valentim | 4 |
| 13 | Julio Garcia | 3 |
| 14 | Alessandro Zanca | 2 |
| 15 | Kevin Sabatucci | 1 |
WorldSBK Catalunya Schedule
(AEST)
| Time | Class | Event |
| Friday | ||
| 1700 | R3 bLU cRU Cup | FP1 |
| 1745 | WorldSSP300 | FP1 |
| 1830 | WorldSBK | FP1 |
| 1925 | WorldSSP | FP1 |
| 2130 | R3 bLU cRU Cup | FP2 |
| 2215 | WorldSSP300 | FP2 |
| 2300 | WorldSBK | FP2 |
| 0000 (Sat) | WorldSSP | FP2 |
| Saturday | ||
| 1700 | WorldSBK | FP3 |
| 1745 | WorldSSP300 | Superpole |
| 1825 | WorldSSP | Superpole |
| 1910 | WorldSBK | Superpole |
| 1945 | R3 bLU cRU Cup | R1 |
| 2040 | WorldSSP300 | R1 |
| 2200 | WorldSBK | R1 |
| 2315 | WorldSSP | R1 |
| 0015 (Sun) | R3 bLU cRU Cup | R2 |
| Sunday | ||
| 1700 | WorldSBK | WUP |
| 1725 | WorldSSP | WUP |
| 1750 | WorldSSP300 | WUP |
| 1900 | WorldSBK | SPRace |
| 2030 | WorldSSP | R2 |
| 2200 | WorldSBK | R2 |
| 2315 | WorldSSP300 | R2 |
2023 FIM Superbike World Championship Calendar |
||||
| Date | Circuit | WSBK | WSSP600 | WSSP300 |
| 5-7 May | Catalunya | X | X | X |
| 2-4 Jun | Misano | X | X | X |
| 30 Jun-02 Jul | Donington Park | X | X | |
| 14-16 Jul | Imola | X | X | X |
| 28-30 Jul | Autodrom Most | X | X | X |
| 8-10 Sep | Magny-Cours | X | X | X |
| 22-24 Sep | Aragón | X | X | X |
| 29-Sep-01 Oct | Algarve | X | X | X |
| 13-15 Oct | San Juan Villicum | X | X | |
