Michael van der Mark Returns For The Most WSB Round

It’s a welcome return for the Dutch rider as Michael van der Mark returns for the Most WSB round after missing a lot of the 2023 World Superbike season due to injury.

A big crash in race two at Assen saw Van der Mark leave his home round with a fractured left femur, which has required surgery and time to heal. During his recovery period, the Rokit BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team brought in Ivo Miguel Lopes, Tom Sykes and Leon Haslam as substitutes riders, but it’ll be good to see the Dutch rider back on the BMW M 1000 RR, especially as he also missed races in 2022 after breaking his right tibia in a mountain bike crash, and his right femur after high-siding at the Estoril round.

Michael van der Mark Returns For The Most WSB RoundToprak Razgatlioglu joining the team next year. With the 2021 WSB champion slotting into the factory team, it seems likely he’ll be partnered by Van der Mark for the second time in their careers (they were previously team-mates at Yamaha).

British rider Scott Redding has previously confirmed he’ll be staying in the series for 2024, but the 2019 BSB champion still needs to confirm which team he’ll ride for, and it seems likely he’ll move to the Bonovo Action BMW team. And with Garret Gerloff on the second year of his contract, that means the rider likely to be moving on will be Loris Baz. Currently Redding it the top BMW in the 2023 series in 12th overall in the standings, with a best result of fourth, followed by Gerloff in 14th and Baz in 16th, with Van der Mark in 18th after missing the rounds at Barcelona, Misano, Donington and Imola.

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Toprak Razgatlioglu Signs For BMW WorldSBK In 2024

Speculation has ended about the future of the 2021 World Superbike Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu signs for BMW WorldSBK in 2024.

The 26-year-old has been confirmed to join the BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK factory team, riding a BMW M1000 RR. The other riders and teams are set to be announced at a later date, with the factory team currently fielding Scott Redding and Tom Sykes (as a replacement for the injured Michael van der Mark), plus Garrett Gerloff and Loris Baz at Bonovo Action BMW.

Gerloff is currently the top-placed rider in the 2023 WorldSBK standings after four rounds, sitting in 13th place overall.

Ducati 2023 MotoGP and WorldSBK Teams Launched

After winning both championships in 2022, the Ducati 2023 MotoGP and WorldSBK teams launched at a joint event in the Alps this week. It was a chance to see the unveiling of the bikes, liveries and riders who will be competing in both series this year.

The Ducati Lenovo Desmosedici GP bikes will be ridden by reigning world champion Francesco Bagnaia, and new team-mate Enea Bastianini, who finished third in 2022 riding for the Gresini Racing team. It’s Bagnaia’s third season riding for the team, and will also mark 20 years since the Italian factory debuted in the premier class in 2003.

Ducati 2023 MotoGP and WorldSBK Teams LaunchedThe 2023 Ducati Desmosedici GP bikes
The 2023 Ducati Desmosedici GP bikes

Alongside the MotoGP machines, the Aruba.it Racing Ducati team were also unveiled with the Panigale V4 R of Alvaro Bautista wearing the number 1 plate. Baustista is once again partnered by Michael Ruben Rinaldi.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19)
“We have a new challenge ahead of us. After a fantastic season in which we won with Ducati in both Superbike and MotoGP, 2023 will inevitably be a difficult year. Racing with the number 1, in fact, means that our objective can only be one: to win. We’ll have a lot of pressure but at the same time we’ll have to keep calm, try to work with high concentration but also with serenity. We’ll have a new bike and even if it won’t be extremely different from the 2022 one, the work that we’ll be able to do before the first race is crucial: we have to fix all the details that will allow us to get the best performance.
I’d also like to address a thought to all the Ducatistas: I’m very proud of all our fans who followed us last season, and I hope that with the result we’ve achieved, in 2023 there will be even more of them supporting us at circuits all over the world. I am a Ducatista and I feel lucky to be able to defend the colours of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team”.

 
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21)
“I start this new adventure with great enthusiasm. Together with my team we have always made progress in the last two years, managing to improve our results. As a team we won the three titles last season and this means that the package is very strong. During the winter, we have analyzed the points we have to focus on, in order to improve and to be competitive for the title race. I have worked a lot over the last few weeks and I will continue to do so with great dedication as I want to  always be able to express my maximum potential. There will be a lot of new things, also on the bike, so I can’t wait to get started. I want to thank Aruba and Ducati for the opportunity to ride this beautiful Panigale V4 R and be part of such an ambitious team”.

Ducati 2023 MotoGP and WorldSBK Teams Launched, including the Aruba.it squad of Bautista and Rinaldi
The 2023 Aruba.it WorldSBK team of Bautista and Rinaldi

With both Ducati teams fielding the reigning world champions, it’s set to be an interesting season for the Italian motorcycle firm.

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SBK 22 Game Launches On September 15th, 2022

Want to experience the life of a professional World Superbike racer without the effort, risk and financial expenditure? You’ll be able to try it out virtually when the new SBK 22 game launches on September 15th, 2022.

It will be available to buy online as a digital download for the PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S consoles, the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5. And it will feature all the bikes and riders of the current World Superbike class, along with the circuits on the current calendar. So you can be a Kawasaki ZX-10R mounted Jonathan Rea or Alex Lowes, Scott Redding on his BMW M1000RR, Alvaro Bautista on the Ducati V4R Panigale, Toprak Ragatioglu on the Yamaha YZF-R1, or Iker Lecuona on the Honda CBR1000 RR-R.

The new SBK 22 Game Launches On September 15th, 2022Steam, the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S via the Microsoft Store and the PS4 and PS5 via the PlayStation Store.

You can see all our previous coverage of motorcycle videogames, here.And if you want more in-depth articles on two and four-wheeled sim racing, check out our sister site, OnlineRaceDriver.

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Ducati Extend Alvaro Bautista’s WorldSBK Contract For 2023

It’s not really any surprise given that the Spanish rider currently leads the World Superbike championship by 36 points, but Ducati extend Alvaro Bautista’s WorldSBK contract for 2023. With six race wins and only missing the podium in one race so far, it seems the return to the Italian manufacturer is working well for everyone.

The 37-year-old previously signed for Ducati in 2019, finishing the season as runner up to Jonathan Rea after some inconsistent results and retirements. The 2006 125cc GP World Champion, and former 250cc GP runner-up then spent two years with Honda in WSB, before coming back to once again with the Ducati Panigale V4R.

“I am very happy to be able to continue at least one more year with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team, which represents a family to me. I have always felt good with this team and since I have returned, the feelings have been even more positive than in the 2019 season. When something works so well, we can only keep working, looking ahead. I feel I am still at the top, I feel I can still give a lot. Physically and mentally I think this is the best time of my career. I am also delighted to continue working with Ducati, a very important factory, tech-oriented, always looking for development: to be part of this project, of this team is something incredible on a personal level,” said Bautista.

Ducati Extend Alvaro Bautista's WorldSBK Contract For 2023motorcycle racing and sport, here.

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