WorldSBK hits Indonesia this weekend for penultimate round

2022 FIM Superbike World Championship
Round 11 – Indonesia

Two rounds to go in the 2022 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship and the title is on the line in terms of the title race. The tropical island of Lombok welcomes WorldSBK for a second season and being south-east Asia, a rain shower is never far away and if last year’s action is anything to go by, the Pirelli Indonesian Round may well be one of the most dramatic of 2022.

Add to that the fact that the resurfacing of the Mandalika circuit was completed a few days ago and the characteristics of the new asphalt are unknown…

Then of course, it is on to Phillip Island for the season finale held here in our own backyard…

Giorgio Barbier – Pirelli

“The Indonesia-Australia back-to-back at the end of the season holds unknowns and important challenges for us. Starting with Mandalika, whose complete resurfacing was only completed a few days ago, so no one knows the characteristics of the new asphalt.

“We will certainly find a non-rubberised circuit, tyre wear could be more pronounced in free practice on Friday. We expect the situation to improve over the weekend with the track’s evolution, but still we don’t know how aggressive the new surface can be.

“The tyres for this round were shipped at the end of July and, based on what we saw last year and being aware of the possibility that the circuit could be resurfaced, we decided to bring an allocation made up of both softer and harder and wear-resistant solutions”.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) can take the title this weekend in Indonesia, as early as race one if things go his way, and then arrive in Australia with the championship already under his belt.

Bautista’s never been aboard the Ducati Panigale V4 R at Mandalika, but that didn’t faze him on his way to wins at Estoril and Most.

It’s an uphill task but Razgatlioglu won’t give up on the title race just because the points are saying so; the very minimum he’ll hope to do is take the title fight to Australia and to do that, he must whittle the current 82-point deficit to less than 62 come the end of the round.

In motorcycle racing, you never know what can happen; technical issues, bad weather or being caught up in someone else’s accident are just some of the external factors that have impacted this year’s title race for all three title contenders.

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Toprak has stated that Mandalika will be strong for him and Yamaha as well as for Rea and Kawasaki so if the weather holds firm, perhaps there will be a twist.

In the green corner, title chances are hanging by a thread for Jonathan Rea; it remains mathematical, but it’d have to be the worst of bad luck for his opponents as well as domination to keep him in it. Realistically, it looks like being another year with #65 but that doesn’t mean he’ll be pushing any less.  Kawasaki and Rea were double winners at Mandalika in 2021 though.

The fight is also alive for the fourth overall in the Manufacturers’ Championship standings; just three-points separate Honda from BMW and so far, the Japanese manufacturer have the advantage.

Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) is eighth in the Championship standings, just one place ahead of Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), while Lecuona’s team-mate Xavi Vierge is enjoying some strong races. For Honda’s rookie duo, it’ll be back to basics this weekend as both learn a new track in terms of the Mandalika lay-out.

WorldSBK Championship Points

WorldSSP

Four second places, ten third places across three riders after ten rounds, but still without a win. Ducati can’t get much closer in World Supersport in 2022. Back in the Championship for the first time since 2007 following the evolution of the WorldSSP class to incorporate more manufacturers with a wider variety of motorcycles – the Ducati Panigale V2 is a twin-cylinder 955cc, in comparison to the Triumph Triple 765cc and the Yamaha inline-four 600cc – Ducati have been a popular choice for many teams.

Six full-time teams use the bike, of which three are totally new to the class (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team, BARNI Spark Racing Team and the D34G Racing Team), whilst two teams switched to the brand (CM Racing from Yamaha and Orelac Racing VerdNatura from Kawasaki). The other team, Althea Racing, returned to the paddock overall, following their departure from Honda in 2020.

Leading the way throughout though has been Yamaha, and Dominique Aegerter could wrap up the championship this weekend.

WorldSSP Championship Points

2022 WorldSBK Calendar

Mandalika WSBK Round Schedule