The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, 4,657 km long, hosts this weekend the eighth round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship, the hierarchy of which presents Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 30 points ahead Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and 47 ahead Jonathan Rhea (Kawasaki Racing Team).
When a Superbike weekend can bring in up to 62, a lead of 30 points does not represent a very significant advantage with a view to the title with 5 stages to go, but the Catalan track has, with its straight line of 1047 meters, a perfectly suitable, at least on paper, for the Spanish rider's Ducati Panigale.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, who has just climbed to second place in the general classification of the Drivers' Championship after his double victory at Magny-Cours is perfectly aware of this, as is Jonathan Rhea, but are not giving up before tackling the Montmeló circuit which has only been used for WorldSBK races twice before, during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Both are satisfied with the tests carried out this summer near Barcelona with high temperatures. They also know that the weather predicts a rather disrupted weekend, like the race led by the Turk and ultimately won by the Briton last year following a technical failure which caused the Yamaha rider to relinquish the lead of the race. five laps from the end...
Álvaro Baptist : " I can't wait to race in Barcelona. I'm very excited because it's a circuit that I love, on which I have worked well in the past and where we had the chance to do two tests which gave us very positive indications. We have to work hard from Friday and stay focused so as not to make mistakes and get the best result. The collision at Magny-Cours? After seeing the images several times, my thoughts don't change and there is nothing more we can do about it. I've already said what I had to say, so now we just have to look to the future. »
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu : " Barcelona is not an easy circuit and I know it won't be an easy race for us in Catalonia, but we will try to fight for the best possible position and we will see. The summer test was good because we tried new settings to use for racing, and overall it was a positive test. Race weekend is always different, especially now! Every weekend things change a lot, but we do our best. Like last year, I don't watch the championship, I just do my best in each race. I hope we can win in Barcelona, we'll see. »
Jonathan Rhea : " I'm really looking forward to the Barcelona race because we had a great test there a few weeks ago where I felt comfortable on the bike. We were fast and consistent. We worked on our pace in hot conditions. The Barcelona circuit has always been difficult for us. I didn't have much success at Barcelona, so I'm looking forward to changing that. It’s my team’s home race, so I’m looking forward to seeing lots of friendly faces in the paddock, team sponsors and local fans. I spend a lot of time in this region, it's like a second home to me. After a difficult Magny-Cours, it is important that we are able to bounce back in a good way and score some difficult points. Since we resumed the season at Magny-Cours, the races have come in quick succession, so it is very important to be in good shape, strong and consistent by the end of the season. »
