WSBK: the season starts this weekend in Aragon

No, WSBK was not swallowed up in the collapse of the world before. It still exists and in the one after it starts its season in May. And no longer in February on the Phillip Island side. That being said, in 2004, Europe also launched the campaign. It is the Aragon route which will open the hostilities according to a format typical of the category which offers several races and plenty of points to be distributed at each meeting. Despite all these opportunities and a pressure felt by those coming from the Grands Prix, as Bautista indicated, there is a boss on the starting grid and his name is Jonathan Rea on Kawasaki. An Everest that no one has managed to climb since 2015…

The season WSBK promises to be at least as open as that of MotoGP which is in progress. Except that his boss has never weakened or suffered a serious injury. Jonathan Rhea is thus the captain and this weekend he can start strong by striking the spirits by claiming his 100th victory in WorldSBK. A major feat since it would make him the first driver in a championship organized by the END to win as much in the same category. And he can do it with a new Kawasaki ZX-10RR who showed his qualities during the offseason. The circuit also lends itself to this given that the Northern Irishman has won three times in Aragón. This year, it’s his seventh coronation that he’s aiming for…

To counter him, there will already be his teammate alex lowes, armed identically, then competition led by Ducati. The Borgo Panigale firm can count on Scott Redding, who is no longer a beginner, on Rinaldi who will play on the passion of his youth, on Chaz Davies who left the official fold while still benefiting from strong support from the factory, and on Tito Rabat came from MotoGP. We will recall in passing that the Welshman claims seven victories and eight other podiums in Aragon. He is therefore able to make his mark from the opening round…

WSBK: French speakers to follow

We must also not forget Yamaha whose workforce is made up of explosive pilots. We no longer present Razgatlioglu, we now know the martiality of gerloff while Locatelli will want to be worthy of his title acquired in WSS with 12 victories in 2020. BMW will be the unknown and the big attraction with an S1000RR now stamped with an M still full of meaning for the brand. Tom Sykes, the one through whom the Superpole often arrives, is impatient to see the effects on his machine. This year he will have a new teammate who is far from being an extra: van der mark. Honda is also in the running with haslam et Baptist who will however begin the season convalescing. The Tokyo firm says it has worked a lot on its motorcycle. We just ask to see.

We end this exhaustive presentation with the French-speaking world. Christophe Ponsson returns to the world with a Yamaha and an Alstare name which alone inspires respect. Mahias will have the lethal weapon Kawasaki, just like the Belgian Loris cresson.

Program for the Pirelli Round of Aragón:

Friday May 21:

WorldSSP300 FP1 – 09:45 – 10:15

WorldSBK FP1 – 10:30 – 11:15

WorldSSP FP1 – 11:25 – 12:10

WorldSSP300 FP2 – 14:15 – 14:45

WorldSBK FP2 – 15:00 – 15:45

WorldSSP FP2 – 16:00 – 16:45

Saturday May 22:

WorldSBK FP3 – 09:00 -09:30

WorldSSP300 Superpole – 09:45 – 10:05

WorldSSP Superpole – 10:25 – 10:45

WorldSBK Superpole – 11:10 – 11:25

WorldSSP300 Race 1 – 12:45

WorldSBK Race 1 – 14:00 p.m.

WorldSSP Race 1 – 15:15 p.m.

Sunday May 23:

WorldSBK warm-up – 09:00 – 09:15

WorldSSP Warm-up – 09:25 – 09:40

WorldSSP300 Warm-up – 09:50 – 10:05

WorldSBK Superpole Race – 11:00

WorldSSP Race 2 – 12:30

WorldSBK Race 2 – 14:00 p.m.

WorldSSP300 Race 2 – 15:15