At the end of the 2022 season of the world speed championships, the sporting director of Ducati Corse Paolo Ciabatti announced that it would be difficult for his troops to do better in 2023 than what had just been achieved. And yet, this first round of the WSBK and WSS championships in Australia, on the formidable Phillip Island track, seems to announce that this is possible. Indeed, while waiting for the start of MotoGP, not only did Alvaro Bautista achieve the first hat-trick of the season by dominating the three races at stake, but, in addition, and for the first time, the Panigale V2 imitated its big sister V4 by playing off his competition with a resounding double in the two competitions offered to him…
Of course, it took a pair of geese to arrange the interests of Nicholas Bulega who, five laps from the goal of this Sunday's competition in Supersport, blessed the arrival of the red flag to get him out of the clutches of the Yamaha Ten Kate of Manzi. But the result is there : Ducati can now also count on the Panigale V2 to enhance its track record in motorcycle speed competition.
Since we are talking about Supersport, we will note that the third in the first general classification is none other than Marcel Schroetter on a MV Agusta, a manufacturer which therefore asserts itself as being able to mingle not only with Ducati, but also and above all Yamaha and Kawasaki. At Phillip Island, however, the boat was missed by Triumph.
The gaps created and the serenity displayed gave the feeling of a demonstration of force accomplished by Ducati
And then there is the World Superbike… It is nothing to say that the triple crown has not wavered for a single moment in the official box Ducati and more exactly on the side ofÁlvaro Bautista. Whether it's raining, windy or sunny, the No. 1 has never faltered at every track exit. Race 2 was terrible for the competitors from the red house who were already up against the wall. The ranking reveals four Panigale V4s in the top 5 dominated by a double from the official drivers of the Borgo Panigale brand that Locatelli with his Yamaha prevents a full box by recovering the last place on the podium.
In the championship the hole is already made before going to Mandalika in Indonesia next weekend. Baptist collected the maximum number of points, i.e. 62, insulating it from Locatelli, his runner-up who counts 34, which leads in front Jonathan Rhea, his teammate Rinaldi Asked 31 units while Razgatlioglu drank the chalice to the dregs while falling during the last competition. The Yamaha official only earned 23 points. He is sixth behind bassani and a dot in front lecuona which brought something back for Honda, ultimately less bad than BMW.
But the worst was to see that the Kawasaki has always suffered while Yamaha didn't impress. There Ducati, she has visibly worked in the right direction this winter, which remains to be proven for the two aforementioned brands, already on the ropes. Finally, among the rookies, it is Danilo Petrucci which points at the head, in front agitated et Gardner who also clashed during the Superpole race. See you now from March 3 to 5 in Indonesia…
WSBK Superbike Phillip Island Championship: ranking after Phillip Island (1/12)
Credit classification wsbk.com
