Hunting for a home boost – Marquez and Mir prepare for Catalan GP
The second half of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship is set to come in thick and fast, the Catalan GP starting a run of ten races in 13 weeks.
Round 11 arrives at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, a special round for the Repsol Honda Team and both its riders. The 4.66-kilometre-long track has been a mainstay of the MotoGP calendar since the early 90s and has seen Honda take a total of 23 wins across all classes, including ten in the premier class with the most recent coming in 2019.
Marc Marquez was author to this 2019 victory on his way to the World Championship that year, one of two wins he has achieved at the track just a few hours from his hometown. The weekend for the eight-time World Champion will follow a similar structure to the previous two, Marquez working with the Repsol Honda Team and HRC engineers in a calm and defined manner to make further progress. This approach was rewarded with a return to the points last time out in Austria.
The Barcelona weekend is also the home round for Joan Mir, hailing from Palma just off the coast. It’s a circuit which has seen the #36 achieve some of his most consistent results in the premier class with two fourths, a second place and a worst finish of sixth. Mir’s final results in Austria did not reflect the work and progress he achieved during the weekend, able to consistently fight for top Honda honours but running foul of bad luck in the race. Continuing along this path will be crucial for the 2020 MotoGP World Champion as he aims to put on a strong showing for his home fans.
After the weekend, the Repsol Honda Team will head directly to Italy for the San Marino Grand Prix – the penultimate European race and a final in-season test.
Marc Marquez
“The weekend in Barcelona is always a special one, seeing all of the stands full of people and as my home race I love to see all the fans there. No matter what, the objective is to put on a great show for everyone there and give them an enjoyable and memorable weekend. From our side, there’s work to do and we need to keep the calm approach we have had in the past few weekends. In Austria we saw that this way of working let us get through the weekend and gather good data for the project. We go again and begin a busy end to the year.”
Joan Mir
“I am looking forward to the weekend in Montmelo, my home GP. Of course I want to produce a good result in front of the local fans but we need to keep on working. In Austria we had an overall good weekend that unfortunately ended in not the best way. I am confident that we can have another weekend where we are fighting to be the top Honda.”
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Irwin double closes down Bridewell as 16 riders remain in title fight ahead of the Showdown
Glenn Irwin. Photo courtesy MSVR.
Glenn Irwin completed a winning double in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship round at Cadwell Park to almost half his BeerMonster Ducati teammate’s advantage at the top of the standings with 16 riders remaining in mathematical title contention ahead of the Showdown.
Irwin came into the final round of the Main Season trailing Bridewell by 26.5 points and after a dominant double and a second place, he heads to Oulton Park in Cheshire with just a 14.5-point deficit. However, with the points’ value now increasing across the Showdown, the top 16 riders in the standings, completed by rookie Max Cook, remain in contention with a maximum of 255 points available across the final three rounds.
The annual August Bank Holiday round in Lincolnshire produced three intense races, and whilst the BeerMonster Ducati pairing were victorious, six riders celebrated podium finishes across the weekend for four different teams.
Irwin had got his weekend off to a flying start with his first Cadwell Park race win in the BikeSocial Sprint race yesterday, holding off the LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha pairing of Kyle Ryde and Ryan Vickers to celebrate in style his 200th Bennetts BSB race start.
In race two, Irwin was focused on a repeat performance and after running eighth in the early stages, he was into second by the final lap. He then made a move on Ryde at Coppice to take the lead, which he held to the chequered flag with his LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha rival, and McAMS Yamaha’s Jason O’Halloran completing the podium line up.
Tommy Bridewell (46) leads Glenn Irwin (2) Leon Haslam (91), and Kyle Ryde (77) at Cadwell Park. Photo courtesy MSVR.
In the final race of the Main Season, Ryde and Irwin were again fighting for the lead in the early stages of the race, but the final eight laps became a freight train of five riders who ended the race covered by less than a second.
Bridewell took the lead from Irwin with three laps remaining and was able to deny his teammate the treble, and there were celebrations for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team who completed the podium with Leon Haslam. Ryde, Lee Jackson and O’Halloran just missed out, as the top five ended the race separated by 0.947s.
Bridewell and Irwin remain at the top of the standings, with Ryde, O’Halloran and Haslam the leading five contenders ahead of Oulton Park as four teams feature in the top five ahead of the opening round of the Showdown on September 15/16/17.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Cadwell Park, Race 2 result:
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.468s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +0.770s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) +1.175s
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +1.722s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +2.485s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +7.318s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +7.611s
Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki) +7.904s
Tom Neave (Honda Racing UK) +12.923s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Cadwell Park, Race 3 result:
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati)
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.057s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) +0.491s
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.715s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +0.947s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +1.651s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +5.588s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +7.117s
Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki) +7.721s
Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +19.749s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) 303
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) 288.5
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 252
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 248.5
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) 227
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) 216.5
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) 202
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 189
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 186
Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha) 116
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Glenn Irwin
BeerMonster Ducati
“I’ve had a good feeling throughout the whole year. I was looking forward to coming here and we worked very well as a team throughout the whole weekend, the guys were fantastic so thanks to them and the crowd for their support.
“The last couple of laps of that last race were all in! The fans got treated to a typical BSB race, we were all flat out! I lost the front a good few times, I lost it in the Mountain on the last lap as well, Tommy was pretty much the same over at the Gooseneck. I thought I had him lined up at the chicane but the bike got a little snap.
“All in all, we look at it as a weekend, as part of a journey; one race doesn’t define a weekend, to bring the gap down to 14.5 was what we needed.
“The championship is very much set up. I think BSB has been an absolute treat so far this year and I think the fans are in for an absolutely fantastic last three rounds. Let’s get big crowds like we’ve had all year as it’s been great.
“I’m going to enjoy it, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing and keep working hard. I’ve got a very good feeling the trophy’s going to come to Northern Ireland for the very first time.”
Advantage Bagnaia: can the field fight back in Barcelona?
The pace is hotting up and so is Pecco’s form. The first back-to-back of the coming crescendo is GO!
Monday, 28 August 2023
The season is about to light up in a stunning crescendo to the fight for the crown, with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosting the first in a back-to-back with Misano before we head for India, Japan, and two triple headers across three continents to bring the curtain down. The form on show for Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) showed no signs of feeling the pressure last time out though, with a perfect weekend seeing the number 1 sweep the board. Now it’s on the chasing pack to get the bit between their teeth and see if they can cut that gap, with Barcelona the first stop in a stunning final half of 2023.
Francesco Bagnaia (1). Photo courtesy Ducati.
The closest challengers
We could be forgiven for having expected a slightly different Martinator: Judgment Day for Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) in Austria, but what looked like it could be a key chance to hit back turned into a tougher weekend. Track limits bit him in qualifying, he was judged to have played the wrong kind of starring role in that Turn 1 incident in the Tissot Sprint, and then had his Grand Prix race hampered by a Long Lap to compound the mountain of starting P12. He’s still second overall, but that gap has grown once more. Still, Martin is one of the few on the grid who has gone toe-to-toe with Pecco this season and come out on top, in some style too, and he’s no stranger to a forced reset. He also took second last year in Barcelona.
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), meanwhile, also lost out in that Turn 1 Sprint domino effect in Austria. And those were valuable points in play as the number 72 is now only six points off Martin. But sometimes, that’s the luck – or lack thereof – of the draw, and Bezzecchi reset on Sunday to grab a valuable haul and another podium. Heading into Barcelona, he’s somewhat of an unknown quantity too, as last season he crashed out. But he’s been slow nowhere so far in 2023…
In the leading postcode, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is hanging on. It’s now a sizeable gap from the South African down to fifth place as he grabbed a double podium on KTM home turf, and vs the rest of the field he was doing far more than hanging on – he left them in the dust except for that one pesky red machine up ahead. If KTM want to beat Ducati, Binder did that seven times out of eight in Austria – twice. Now in Barcelona, can they do it again, or similar? It’s a very different track to the Red Bull Ring… but so is Jerez and there, he was two tenths off. Teammate Jack Miller, meanwhile, is going for a full reset once the lights go out. The Australian started just off the front row in Austria and then positively plummeted on Sunday, so one-lap speed? Check. Race pace? The mission. We’ve seen it in Jerez though, so watch this space.
Keep an eye on…
One rider who leaves Austria with a newly minted return to the top five is Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) as he impressed on Sunday to dispatch Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), and Marquez himself has impressed of late with that Sprint win at Silverstone only dampened by a mechanical issue thereafter. Marini has won in Moto2™ in Catalunya and took sixth in MotoGP™ last year, and AM73’s record at the track is excellent: a Moto3™ win and two Moto2™ wins. Can they bother the podium battle?
Aprilia also had a fairly solid Austria, all things considered, mostly that it’s supposed to be a tougher venue for their machine. But Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) had PACE and put it on the front row, with those starts just hampering the ultimate result. It’s something the Noale factory say they’re working on, and if they can solve that, the mountain gets a lot less steep. For Aleix Espargaro, meanwhile, Austria was pretty solid and now it’s time for a true home round – with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya just up the road from his hometown of Granollers. Last year his speed was enough for second place before that late error of judgement, and he’ll come into this one looking for some revenge. Both Viñales and Aleix Espargaro are likely to lay down some serious gauntlets this weekend.
For the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team Aprilia contingent, the story remains somewhat familiar: Raul Fernandez wants to move forward, and Miguel Oliveira just wants some luck. For those who don’t believe in luck in racing, Aleix Espargaro doesn’t either – unless you’re talking about Miguel Oliveira’s 2023 season. That sole exception is truly true as the Portuguese rider has seemed to find misfortune through zero fault of his own again and again this year. And what almost makes it even more frustrating? He’s been quick regardless. He’s still impressing and at some point, surely, that luck will turn. He’s a former winner in Barcelona too.
Going back to that true hometown vibe, it’s as true for Pol Espargaro as it is for his brother Aleix. The GASGAS name is also racing at home with Pol and GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 teammate Augusto Fernandez, and both will want some glory. Espargaro took that impressive Sprint result in Austria as he still gets back in the groove, and Fernandez then took a point after a late penalty for his teammate on Sunday in a mixed bag for the team, but a nice stat for Fernandez. He remains one of only two riders to have scored in every GP race so far this season. What have they got in the locker in Barcelona, and as the mystery rolls on for who will be where with KTM and GASGAS next season?
Looking for more
The first name on the list here has got to be Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), who is fifth in the Championship and has a season littered with podiums so far… but it just didn’t come together in Austria. Can he fight back in Barcelona, with his future now confirmed? Can Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) move forward and keep his name in the hat? And can Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) really start to challenge as his experience on this new machine increases?
Zarco’s new home for 2024, meanwhile, we now know is Honda, and they’re another camp looking for steps forward. There was one small milestone last time out though: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) scored points on Sunday for the first time since Malaysia last season. It was in P12, but it’s something ticked off. Next mission: top ten? More? This is home turf for Marquez so he could be pushing risk vs reward that bit more. Teammate Joan Mir, meanwhile, wants that finish after a crash out in Austria and also races on home turf. Iker Lecuona too, and he’s back in subbing for Alex Rins at LCR Honda Castrol. On the other side of that box, LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami will just want a little less drama than Turn 1 last year, and will want to get back into those points after a tougher couple of weekends.
Last year holds much better memories for some on the grid, not least of all the winner: Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™). It pays to remember that Marc Marquez has already been on pole and the Sprint podium this season just as it pays to remember Quartararo fought for the Championship last year to the final round – and won a good few races, including this one. It has not been decades, so can they make those steps back forward? Will the venue still prove a good one for the Frenchman and Yamaha? Assen saw him further forward once again so Barcelona could prove similar. For teammate Franco Morbidelli too, as he looks to keep those points rolling in and get back in the top ten.
SHOWTIME IN BARCELONA
The Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya has MotoGP™ last on the menu once more:
Tissot Sprint: Saturday 15:00 (GMT +2)
Grand Prix Race: Sunday 14:00 (GMT +2)
Can Acosta hit back on home turf?
After more than a year, Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing) got back on the top step in Styria… and that was most definitely not in the script for Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo). The stars were supposed to have aligned: taking the Championship lead right before Red Bull and KTM’s home race, breaking the lap record on Friday, taking pole position despite that crash… the stage was set, but it wasn’t to be. A couple of moments – his own at Turn 3 and then another getting extremely close to Vietti’s rear wheel late on – saw the number 37 forced to call off the dogs and settle for second. And guess who won at Catalunya last year? Celestino Vietti.
Acosta, however, still extended that lead as Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) only came home sixth in Spielberg, and that’s starting to become a problem. A few races ago the Italian was banking podiums on tougher days, but he’ll really need to start hitting back soon to stay in Acosta’s postcode in the Championship. Jake Dixon (Asterius GASGAS Aspar Team) also had a gap to the podium in Austria and will want more in Catalunya, and Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) is on an even tougher run. Both Lopez and teammate Fermin Aldeguer, who won in Silverstone, will want a starring role.
Then there’s Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia). The Japanese rider has now taken two podiums from three races after injury plagued his pre-season and start to the year… so can he find that bit more again in Barcelona? We’ll find out on Sunday at 12:15 (GMT +2)!
Öncü & Sasaki ready for another charge at Holgado
Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had been a frontrunner in Moto3™ for a good few seasons before he finally took that maiden win in Germany, and only a few races later he’s now added a second Grand Prix victory – in style and on important turf. He’s now third overall after that final corner pickpocket and another dose of bad luck, this time technical, for Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing), and Öncü will be looking to gain more ground again this weekend.
Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3), however, remains steadfast in his consistency, speed and racecraft. In only his second full season he’s not giving the veterans any margin at all and Barcelona is another track he knows well. It’s also, interestingly, the last of three tracks before we head from India – new turf for all – to Motegi and the start of a run of venues Öncü and Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) have been racing quite a while longer.
Speaking of Sasaki, it’s now six podiums in a row for the Japanese rider, but it’s also a run of chasing the carrot to perfection before just getting pipped at the flag. He seems zen about it, however, confident it’ll come – so can he keep that roll of podiums going until the dice roll his way? Or will that be in Barcelona anyway? His teammate, Collin Veijer, needs a shoutout too after that speed in Austria.
Finally, David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), after winning and then coming back down to Earth with a crash out the lead, will also be one to watch, eager to get back to bothering the more veteran runners in that podium fight. Tune in for more Moto3™ action this weekend, with lights out at 11:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday!
Early this morning, Tytlers Cycle Racing made the bombshell announcement that five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier is sitting out the remainder of the 2023 season, but that announcement left a couple of gaps to fill in.
As far as most people knew, Beaubier only suffered serious facial lacerations when he collided with Ashton Yates during MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two August 20 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex (a.k.a. PittRace) and his face hit his BMW’s windscreen and top triple clamp. But it turns out that the California suffered other injuries, including his second concussion in three weeks.
“It’s funny because I didn’t really realize that I hit my head that good because I was so focused on my face bleeding,” Beaubier told Roadracingworld.com in a telephone interview Monday. “Then I got home, and I was having those same [concussion] symptoms I had after Brainerd, which wasn’t very fun.”
Beaubier suffered a concussion and was ruled unfit after crashing out of MotoAmerica Superbike Race One July 29 at Brainerd International Raceway.
“Like I said in the release, I’m just looking at the big picture,” added Beaubier. “I thumped my head twice within a couple of weeks of each other. Obviously, there’s nothing to gain. The Championship is over. I’m just going to heal up and get ready for next year.
“And I’ve been dealing with some [left] knee stuff [from the crash at PittRace]. I just got an MRI this morning. So, I’m waiting to hear back from that and go from there.”
It was known for a long time during this past off-season that Beeaubier would be riding with Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW in 2023. When the official announcement finally came out, it did not mention the length of Beaubier’s deal – two years, which makes this decision a little easier, he said.
“It’s nice talking to [Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW Team Owner] Michael Kiley,” said Beaubier. “He understands it. He gets racing. It’s nice to have a supportive team owner like that who realizes what’s going on.”
Editorial Note: Some teams scheduled to participate in the test include Aruba.it Racing Ducati, Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati, Bonovo Action BMW, Kawasaki Racing Team, Motocorsa Racing Ducati, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, Team GoEleven Ducati, and Team HRC Honda.
Aragon Test Precedes Season Restart
As the long summer break in WorldSBK race action approaches its conclusion there will be a short test session for the official Kawasaki FIM Superbike World Championship team, at Motorland Aragon, between 29-30 August.
With just one day remaining from their mandated limit of ten days of testing, Rea and Lowes will only ride on the final day of the test, Wednesday 30 August.
Lowes’s regular rider coach and team development rider since 2022, Florian Marino, will test the official Ninja ZX-10RR on Tuesday 29 August. He also has great experience in the WorldSBK paddock and the EWC series in his own right.
Florian will be joined on track by MTM Kawasaki WorldSSP rider, Adrian Huertas, as a recognition of winning the WorldSSP300 championship on a Kawasaki in 2021 and his increasingly strong performances since he made the jump to WorldSSP racing in 2022.
Iberia in general has been suffering from heatwaves recently, but despite the tough conditions the KRT squad will look forward to some very hot track and ambient conditions to close-in on the thus-far elusive optimum settings for exceedingly high temperature races.
Motorland Aragon features a 5.077km long WorldSBK track layout, but it is also an extensive motorsport and testing facility in general. It has hosted several WorldSBK rounds in recent years and will do so again in 2023 between 22-24 September. It was also the venue of a recent KRT test session, held in late June.
The next round of the 2023 WorldSBK championship itself takes place at another regular WorldSBK circuit, Magny Cours in France, between 8-10 September.
Jonathan Rea (65). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “This Aragon test comes at a really valuable time because with Magny Cours fast approaching after a long summer break, it’s always beneficial to get back into the swing of things and into the flow of riding my ZX-10RR. I will be trying to get the rhythm back but also have one eye on the Motorland race weekend that comes soon after the Magny Cours race. So it’s all about trying to build into this last part of the season and being strong. We’ll continue testing some items that we’ve previously tried. And with one day left on my testing allocation we only have one day to use. We expect hot weather, which is also good to test in to try to further improve our bike settings. We will just keep working. The next three rounds are going to come in quick succession, so it’s important to hit the ground running. We’ll see what the engineers from KMC have for us and we will get stuck into the test.”
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “There will be some stuff for 2024 that we are testing, just some ideas. So that will take half a day because we have only one full day of testing left. The other half of that day will be just getting back up to speed and trying a couple of things on the rear of the bike, to try to improve edge grip. Marcel my crew chief has a couple of ideas and I’ve been speaking quite a lot with him about a plan to improve that. Hopefully the conditions will be hot. That’s the target and I am looking forward to getting back into action. It was not the best round in Autodrom Most for me recently, but we’ve got four rounds left. I want to get back on the podiums to finish the year strongly. There are some good tracks coming up for me and the Kawasaki. We haven’t met our goals at the start of this year, so a good end to this year will be what’s needed to set us up for next year as well. We have one eye on 2024, one eye on the final four rounds of this season and a couple of ideas that Marcel has to improve things. So, it’s gonna be a busy day of testing as we only have one day left. It’s gonna be nice to get back out on the bike before Magny Cours.”
Guim Roda, KRT Team Manager, stated: “Now we go back to work after the Autodrom Most race weekend. This test will be a good chance to prepare for Magny Cours and the last rounds of the year, and at the same time we will introduce new ideas to improve the bike for the 2024 season. Unfortunately, in the year we needed them the most, we only can test for 10 days. We have already used nine days, so even though we will be at the track for two days, Jonathan and Alex will test only day each. We’ll work with Florian Marino on the first day, and we’ll give Adrian Huertas the opportunity to test the WorldSBK bike, to see his abilities. We promised him in Most if he made the WorldSSP podium we would give him the chance to test. He could not achieve a podium, but finally we considered he deserved the chance, so let’s see how he manages it.”
Cameron Beaubier to sit out remainder of 2023 MotoAmerica season – Mesa steps up
Tytlers Cycle Racing regrets to announce that Cameron Beaubier will take no further part in the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Season.
Beaubier, who immediately returned to winning ways on his return to MotoAmerica, was a title contender prior to a series of on track incidents that ruled him out of contention.
With the championship already decided Cameron has decided to call time on 2023 and look at the bigger picture.
The team will change the #6 to a #37 after deciding Stefano Mesa will make his Superbike debut aboard the BMW M 1000 RR at COTA alongside his Super Hooligan commitments. He will also ride in Superbike in the season finale in New Jersey. The move to the Superbike class sees Stefano cut short his Supersport campaign!
Michael Kiley – Team Principal: “I respect Cam’s decision to sit out the rest of this season. The effect he has had on our program with BMW has been great. We look forward to many more podiums next year. Summarising the rest of the season with our other riders, PJ has demonstrated that he can run at the front and take the top step. He has a shot at moving into second place in the championship and the racing to decide the series runner up is going to be exciting to watch! I have developed great respect for Josh Herrin’s abilities this season. He is a great rider and PJ will have his work cut out for him to take that spot away from him, but we will be heading to COTA and NJMP with that aim. Corey has had some rough luck but when you set that aside you see that he is making steady remarkable progress. I am grateful to Stefano for stepping out of a successful and exciting Supersport run to help us with the Superbike program. Finally – I cannot say enough about Jake Gagne, Richard, and the entire Attack Yamaha team. They are great competitors and great champions, and it is an honour to be on the track with them. 2024 is going to be epic in the MotoAmerica Superbike class but right now we are focused on finishing 2023 in style.”
Cameron Beaubier: “After two hits to the head and some knee trouble, I’ve decided it’s the end of the season for me. I’m bummed to not finish the season strong with Tytlers but I’m looking at the bigger picture. We’ve had some bad luck, but on the positive it’s been great racing back in the US with this team. They have put a great program together and It’s been really fulfilling to rack up some wins with them this season.”
Stefano Mesa (37) is stepping up to the Superbike class to fill in for Cameron Beaubier. Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Stefano Mesa: “Firstly I want to wish Cam a speedy recovery after that crazy accident at Pitt Race last weekend. Secondly, I’m very excited and it’s a true privilege to get the phone call to fill in for him for the rest of the season. It was a difficult decision to make knowing I’ll have to step off the Supersport bike to be able to concentrate, do a good job, and start learning a whole new piece of equipment that is a Superbike while also learning the COTA track – as I’ve never been there. I am also looking forward to riding the Energica in the Super Hooligans class so it will be a busy weekend in Texas full of learning with the new crew, with the expectation of having fun on the bikes. I think it will be a great experience for me to get my feet wet on the Superbike class and see what a true Superbike is all about. I know leaving the Supersport class behind might seem crazy but not taking this amazing opportunity wasn’t on my books. I pause a moment to truly thank my Supersport team and crew for always being by my side, believing in me, and helping me achieve so much this year. I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish everything that I have achieved in Supersport year without them, and I truly appreciate all the hard work and efforts. I’m ready to get to Cota, get to work with the team, and see what we can do in the Superbike class. I cannot thank Michael Kiley, his family, and the whole Superbike team enough for offering me the opportunity to fill in for a great champion. What a great honour.”
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Irwin wins his 200th Bennetts BSB race with the top four covered by 0.472s at Cadwell Park
Glenn Irwin was victorious in his 200th Bennetts British Superbike Championship race, winning the BikeSocial Sprint Race at Cadwell Park, holding off the hard-charging Yamahas with just 0.472s separating the top four to reduce the deficit at the top of the standings to 19.5 points.
At the start of the race, Ryan Vickers had initially led the pack, but Irwin was instantly on the attack and he claimed the lead ahead of the LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha rider and Leon Haslam as the trio made the best of their front row starts.
As Irwin maintained his lead, Kyle Ryde had moved into third place with Jason O’Halloran just adrift. Haslam was forced to retire from the race with a technical problem on lap three, ending his hopes of a podium return at Cadwell Park prematurely.
Vickers made a move at Charlies for the lead on the eleventh lap, but Irwin wasted no time in regaining the position and by Park, he was back ahead on the BeerMonster Ducati.
The leading trio had a slight edge, but in the final stages of the race, O’Halloran had closed back in on his rivals ahead of him.
Ryde snatched second from Vickers on the final lap with a move on the brakes into Park, but Irwin had just enough on the dash to the chequered flag to claim victory in his milestone 200th Bennetts BSB race by just 0.118s.
O’Halloran had been closing in, but he had to settle for fourth on the McAMS Yamaha with championship leader Tommy Bridewell claiming fifth place as his lead in the standings was reduced to 19.5 points ahead of tomorrow’s two races.
Lee Jackson was sixth for the Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki team, just ahead of Christian Iddon who maintained his position ahead of FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team pairing Josh Brookes and Peter Hickman. Jack Kennedy completed the top ten for the Mar-Train Yamaha team.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Cadwell Park, BikeSocial Sprint Race result:
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.118s
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.250s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +0.472s
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +1.686s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +1.887s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +2.796s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +8.105s
Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +8.940s
Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha) +9.255s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) 274
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) 254.5
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 224.5
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 224
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) 201
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) 195.5
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 189
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) 186
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 168
Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha) 116
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Glenn Irwin
BeerMonster Ducati
“It has been a good day for us, especially with that being my 200th BSB race so it felt really good to win.
“It was a really enjoyable race, I knew I needed to get a good start and dispose of Leon quite fast. I felt the lap time came quite easily but I tried to win the race at the slowest possible pace. I slowed the pace up with the stop, go tactics as I knew a manoeuvre could come anywhere here.
“All that matters is getting those points back on Tommy in the standings and I am so grateful for this win.
“I have worked hard and that was a high pressure race, but we work hard behind the scenes, so it was nice to get my first win at Cadwell Park in my 200th race.”
Ryan Vickers captured pole position during Bennetts British Superbike Omologato Superpole qualifying Sunday at Cadwell Park, in Lincolnshire, England. Riding his LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha YZF-R1, Vickers covered the 2.18-mile course in 1:25.847 to top the field of 21 riders.
Leon Haslam was best of the rest with a time of 1:25.895 on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR, and Glenn Irwin qualified third with a lap of 1:25.979 on his BeerMonster Ducati Panigale V4 R.
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
O’Halloran sets personal best lap of Cadwell Park to top Free Practice
Jason O’Halloran continued his momentum from the previous round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship by topping the combined Free Practice times at Cadwell Park with the dry morning session setting the order after a damp afternoon.
The McAMS Yamaha rider took the treble win at Thruxton and he continued to lead his rivals by setting his personal best lap of the Lincolnshire circuit in the opening session. The Australian and LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha rival Kyle Ryde lapped under the existing lap race record, with 0.097s between them at the top of the times.
LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha had both riders inside the top three with Ryan Vickers having another strong start to the weekend, holding off Storm Stacey on the Starline Racing Kawasaki and Glenn Irwin completing the top five for the BeerMonster Ducati team.
Josh Brookes was the leading FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team rider in sixth place as he moved ahead of Lee Jackson on the Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki and Christian Iddon who completed the top eight for Oxford Products Racing Ducati.
Charlie Nesbitt and Peter Hickman completed the top ten with Leon Haslam and championship leader Tommy Bridewell the riders progressing into tomorrow’s Omologato Superpole starting list.
Brookes topped the damp afternoon session for the FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team in the final minutes ahead of Irwin and Bridewell with Nesbitt and Jackson completing the top five. However, the dry session this morning determined the top 12 riders progressing directly into tomorrow’s Omologato Superpole.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Cadwell Park, combined Free Practice times:
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 1m:25.667s
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.097s
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.527s
Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki) +0.582s
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.767s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +0.783s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +0.829s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +0.928s
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda by Hawk Racing) +1.065s
Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +1.083s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad) +1.171s
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +1.294s
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Jason O’Halloran
McAMS Yamaha
“It’s been a really good first day. It was nice to have the test evening last night, that meant we started in a pretty good place today and knew the area we needed to improve.
“I felt comfortable from the opening laps of free practice so we worked through our session plan and I ended up fastest which was nice. More importantly I had a very good feeling on the bike!
“That was my fastest ever lap here and not too far off what Brad [Ray] did in Superpole last year but it didn’t feel that fast and I surprised myself when I saw it come up on the dash. So that makes it even better.
“Tomorrow we have the Superpole format for qualifying which is a bit different but I tested my one lap pace today and that’s when we were able to do that lap time, so I’m looking forward to that and the Sprint race!”
Jason O’Halloran topped Bennetts British Superbike Free Practice One (FP1) Saturday morning at Cadwell Park, in Lincolnshire, England. Riding his McAMS Yamaha YZF-R1 on Pirelli control tires, the Australian lapped the narrow 2.18-mile track in 1:25.667 to lead the field of 22 riders.
Marc Marquez (93) and Joan Mir (36) as seen at Red Bull Ring. Photo courtesy Repsol Honda.
Hunting for a home boost – Marquez and Mir prepare for Catalan GP
The second half of the 2023 MotoGP World Championship is set to come in thick and fast, the Catalan GP starting a run of ten races in 13 weeks.
Round 11 arrives at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, a special round for the Repsol Honda Team and both its riders. The 4.66-kilometre-long track has been a mainstay of the MotoGP calendar since the early 90s and has seen Honda take a total of 23 wins across all classes, including ten in the premier class with the most recent coming in 2019.
Marc Marquez was author to this 2019 victory on his way to the World Championship that year, one of two wins he has achieved at the track just a few hours from his hometown. The weekend for the eight-time World Champion will follow a similar structure to the previous two, Marquez working with the Repsol Honda Team and HRC engineers in a calm and defined manner to make further progress. This approach was rewarded with a return to the points last time out in Austria.
The Barcelona weekend is also the home round for Joan Mir, hailing from Palma just off the coast. It’s a circuit which has seen the #36 achieve some of his most consistent results in the premier class with two fourths, a second place and a worst finish of sixth. Mir’s final results in Austria did not reflect the work and progress he achieved during the weekend, able to consistently fight for top Honda honours but running foul of bad luck in the race. Continuing along this path will be crucial for the 2020 MotoGP World Champion as he aims to put on a strong showing for his home fans.
After the weekend, the Repsol Honda Team will head directly to Italy for the San Marino Grand Prix – the penultimate European race and a final in-season test.
Marc Marquez
“The weekend in Barcelona is always a special one, seeing all of the stands full of people and as my home race I love to see all the fans there. No matter what, the objective is to put on a great show for everyone there and give them an enjoyable and memorable weekend. From our side, there’s work to do and we need to keep the calm approach we have had in the past few weekends. In Austria we saw that this way of working let us get through the weekend and gather good data for the project. We go again and begin a busy end to the year.”
Joan Mir
“I am looking forward to the weekend in Montmelo, my home GP. Of course I want to produce a good result in front of the local fans but we need to keep on working. In Austria we had an overall good weekend that unfortunately ended in not the best way. I am confident that we can have another weekend where we are fighting to be the top Honda.”
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Irwin double closes down Bridewell as 16 riders remain in title fight ahead of the Showdown
Glenn Irwin. Photo courtesy MSVR.
Glenn Irwin completed a winning double in the Bennetts British Superbike Championship round at Cadwell Park to almost half his BeerMonster Ducati teammate’s advantage at the top of the standings with 16 riders remaining in mathematical title contention ahead of the Showdown.
Irwin came into the final round of the Main Season trailing Bridewell by 26.5 points and after a dominant double and a second place, he heads to Oulton Park in Cheshire with just a 14.5-point deficit. However, with the points’ value now increasing across the Showdown, the top 16 riders in the standings, completed by rookie Max Cook, remain in contention with a maximum of 255 points available across the final three rounds.
The annual August Bank Holiday round in Lincolnshire produced three intense races, and whilst the BeerMonster Ducati pairing were victorious, six riders celebrated podium finishes across the weekend for four different teams.
Irwin had got his weekend off to a flying start with his first Cadwell Park race win in the BikeSocial Sprint race yesterday, holding off the LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha pairing of Kyle Ryde and Ryan Vickers to celebrate in style his 200th Bennetts BSB race start.
In race two, Irwin was focused on a repeat performance and after running eighth in the early stages, he was into second by the final lap. He then made a move on Ryde at Coppice to take the lead, which he held to the chequered flag with his LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha rival, and McAMS Yamaha’s Jason O’Halloran completing the podium line up.
Tommy Bridewell (46) leads Glenn Irwin (2) Leon Haslam (91), and Kyle Ryde (77) at Cadwell Park. Photo courtesy MSVR.
In the final race of the Main Season, Ryde and Irwin were again fighting for the lead in the early stages of the race, but the final eight laps became a freight train of five riders who ended the race covered by less than a second.
Bridewell took the lead from Irwin with three laps remaining and was able to deny his teammate the treble, and there were celebrations for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team who completed the podium with Leon Haslam. Ryde, Lee Jackson and O’Halloran just missed out, as the top five ended the race separated by 0.947s.
Bridewell and Irwin remain at the top of the standings, with Ryde, O’Halloran and Haslam the leading five contenders ahead of Oulton Park as four teams feature in the top five ahead of the opening round of the Showdown on September 15/16/17.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Cadwell Park, Race 2 result:
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.468s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +0.770s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) +1.175s
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +1.722s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +2.485s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +7.318s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +7.611s
Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki) +7.904s
Tom Neave (Honda Racing UK) +12.923s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Cadwell Park, Race 3 result:
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati)
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.057s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) +0.491s
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.715s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +0.947s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +1.651s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +5.588s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +7.117s
Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki) +7.721s
Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +19.749s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) 303
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) 288.5
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 252
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 248.5
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) 227
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) 216.5
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) 202
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 189
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 186
Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha) 116
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Glenn Irwin
BeerMonster Ducati
“I’ve had a good feeling throughout the whole year. I was looking forward to coming here and we worked very well as a team throughout the whole weekend, the guys were fantastic so thanks to them and the crowd for their support.
“The last couple of laps of that last race were all in! The fans got treated to a typical BSB race, we were all flat out! I lost the front a good few times, I lost it in the Mountain on the last lap as well, Tommy was pretty much the same over at the Gooseneck. I thought I had him lined up at the chicane but the bike got a little snap.
“All in all, we look at it as a weekend, as part of a journey; one race doesn’t define a weekend, to bring the gap down to 14.5 was what we needed.
“The championship is very much set up. I think BSB has been an absolute treat so far this year and I think the fans are in for an absolutely fantastic last three rounds. Let’s get big crowds like we’ve had all year as it’s been great.
“I’m going to enjoy it, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing and keep working hard. I’ve got a very good feeling the trophy’s going to come to Northern Ireland for the very first time.”
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Photo by Kohei Hirota.
Advantage Bagnaia: can the field fight back in Barcelona?
The pace is hotting up and so is Pecco’s form. The first back-to-back of the coming crescendo is GO!
Monday, 28 August 2023
The season is about to light up in a stunning crescendo to the fight for the crown, with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosting the first in a back-to-back with Misano before we head for India, Japan, and two triple headers across three continents to bring the curtain down. The form on show for Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) showed no signs of feeling the pressure last time out though, with a perfect weekend seeing the number 1 sweep the board. Now it’s on the chasing pack to get the bit between their teeth and see if they can cut that gap, with Barcelona the first stop in a stunning final half of 2023.
Francesco Bagnaia (1). Photo courtesy Ducati.
The closest challengers
We could be forgiven for having expected a slightly different Martinator: Judgment Day for Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) in Austria, but what looked like it could be a key chance to hit back turned into a tougher weekend. Track limits bit him in qualifying, he was judged to have played the wrong kind of starring role in that Turn 1 incident in the Tissot Sprint, and then had his Grand Prix race hampered by a Long Lap to compound the mountain of starting P12. He’s still second overall, but that gap has grown once more. Still, Martin is one of the few on the grid who has gone toe-to-toe with Pecco this season and come out on top, in some style too, and he’s no stranger to a forced reset. He also took second last year in Barcelona.
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), meanwhile, also lost out in that Turn 1 Sprint domino effect in Austria. And those were valuable points in play as the number 72 is now only six points off Martin. But sometimes, that’s the luck – or lack thereof – of the draw, and Bezzecchi reset on Sunday to grab a valuable haul and another podium. Heading into Barcelona, he’s somewhat of an unknown quantity too, as last season he crashed out. But he’s been slow nowhere so far in 2023…
In the leading postcode, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) is hanging on. It’s now a sizeable gap from the South African down to fifth place as he grabbed a double podium on KTM home turf, and vs the rest of the field he was doing far more than hanging on – he left them in the dust except for that one pesky red machine up ahead. If KTM want to beat Ducati, Binder did that seven times out of eight in Austria – twice. Now in Barcelona, can they do it again, or similar? It’s a very different track to the Red Bull Ring… but so is Jerez and there, he was two tenths off. Teammate Jack Miller, meanwhile, is going for a full reset once the lights go out. The Australian started just off the front row in Austria and then positively plummeted on Sunday, so one-lap speed? Check. Race pace? The mission. We’ve seen it in Jerez though, so watch this space.
Keep an eye on…
One rider who leaves Austria with a newly minted return to the top five is Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) as he impressed on Sunday to dispatch Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP™), and Marquez himself has impressed of late with that Sprint win at Silverstone only dampened by a mechanical issue thereafter. Marini has won in Moto2™ in Catalunya and took sixth in MotoGP™ last year, and AM73’s record at the track is excellent: a Moto3™ win and two Moto2™ wins. Can they bother the podium battle?
Aprilia also had a fairly solid Austria, all things considered, mostly that it’s supposed to be a tougher venue for their machine. But Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) had PACE and put it on the front row, with those starts just hampering the ultimate result. It’s something the Noale factory say they’re working on, and if they can solve that, the mountain gets a lot less steep. For Aleix Espargaro, meanwhile, Austria was pretty solid and now it’s time for a true home round – with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya just up the road from his hometown of Granollers. Last year his speed was enough for second place before that late error of judgement, and he’ll come into this one looking for some revenge. Both Viñales and Aleix Espargaro are likely to lay down some serious gauntlets this weekend.
For the CryptoDATA RNF MotoGP™ Team Aprilia contingent, the story remains somewhat familiar: Raul Fernandez wants to move forward, and Miguel Oliveira just wants some luck. For those who don’t believe in luck in racing, Aleix Espargaro doesn’t either – unless you’re talking about Miguel Oliveira’s 2023 season. That sole exception is truly true as the Portuguese rider has seemed to find misfortune through zero fault of his own again and again this year. And what almost makes it even more frustrating? He’s been quick regardless. He’s still impressing and at some point, surely, that luck will turn. He’s a former winner in Barcelona too.
Going back to that true hometown vibe, it’s as true for Pol Espargaro as it is for his brother Aleix. The GASGAS name is also racing at home with Pol and GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 teammate Augusto Fernandez, and both will want some glory. Espargaro took that impressive Sprint result in Austria as he still gets back in the groove, and Fernandez then took a point after a late penalty for his teammate on Sunday in a mixed bag for the team, but a nice stat for Fernandez. He remains one of only two riders to have scored in every GP race so far this season. What have they got in the locker in Barcelona, and as the mystery rolls on for who will be where with KTM and GASGAS next season?
Looking for more
The first name on the list here has got to be Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), who is fifth in the Championship and has a season littered with podiums so far… but it just didn’t come together in Austria. Can he fight back in Barcelona, with his future now confirmed? Can Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) move forward and keep his name in the hat? And can Enea Bastianini (Ducati Lenovo Team) really start to challenge as his experience on this new machine increases?
Zarco’s new home for 2024, meanwhile, we now know is Honda, and they’re another camp looking for steps forward. There was one small milestone last time out though: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) scored points on Sunday for the first time since Malaysia last season. It was in P12, but it’s something ticked off. Next mission: top ten? More? This is home turf for Marquez so he could be pushing risk vs reward that bit more. Teammate Joan Mir, meanwhile, wants that finish after a crash out in Austria and also races on home turf. Iker Lecuona too, and he’s back in subbing for Alex Rins at LCR Honda Castrol. On the other side of that box, LCR Honda Idemitsu’s Takaaki Nakagami will just want a little less drama than Turn 1 last year, and will want to get back into those points after a tougher couple of weekends.
Last year holds much better memories for some on the grid, not least of all the winner: Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™). It pays to remember that Marc Marquez has already been on pole and the Sprint podium this season just as it pays to remember Quartararo fought for the Championship last year to the final round – and won a good few races, including this one. It has not been decades, so can they make those steps back forward? Will the venue still prove a good one for the Frenchman and Yamaha? Assen saw him further forward once again so Barcelona could prove similar. For teammate Franco Morbidelli too, as he looks to keep those points rolling in and get back in the top ten.
SHOWTIME IN BARCELONA
The Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya has MotoGP™ last on the menu once more:
Tissot Sprint: Saturday 15:00 (GMT +2)
Grand Prix Race: Sunday 14:00 (GMT +2)
Can Acosta hit back on home turf?
After more than a year, Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing) got back on the top step in Styria… and that was most definitely not in the script for Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo). The stars were supposed to have aligned: taking the Championship lead right before Red Bull and KTM’s home race, breaking the lap record on Friday, taking pole position despite that crash… the stage was set, but it wasn’t to be. A couple of moments – his own at Turn 3 and then another getting extremely close to Vietti’s rear wheel late on – saw the number 37 forced to call off the dogs and settle for second. And guess who won at Catalunya last year? Celestino Vietti.
Acosta, however, still extended that lead as Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) only came home sixth in Spielberg, and that’s starting to become a problem. A few races ago the Italian was banking podiums on tougher days, but he’ll really need to start hitting back soon to stay in Acosta’s postcode in the Championship. Jake Dixon (Asterius GASGAS Aspar Team) also had a gap to the podium in Austria and will want more in Catalunya, and Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) is on an even tougher run. Both Lopez and teammate Fermin Aldeguer, who won in Silverstone, will want a starring role.
Then there’s Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia). The Japanese rider has now taken two podiums from three races after injury plagued his pre-season and start to the year… so can he find that bit more again in Barcelona? We’ll find out on Sunday at 12:15 (GMT +2)!
Öncü & Sasaki ready for another charge at Holgado
Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had been a frontrunner in Moto3™ for a good few seasons before he finally took that maiden win in Germany, and only a few races later he’s now added a second Grand Prix victory – in style and on important turf. He’s now third overall after that final corner pickpocket and another dose of bad luck, this time technical, for Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing), and Öncü will be looking to gain more ground again this weekend.
Championship leader Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3), however, remains steadfast in his consistency, speed and racecraft. In only his second full season he’s not giving the veterans any margin at all and Barcelona is another track he knows well. It’s also, interestingly, the last of three tracks before we head from India – new turf for all – to Motegi and the start of a run of venues Öncü and Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) have been racing quite a while longer.
Speaking of Sasaki, it’s now six podiums in a row for the Japanese rider, but it’s also a run of chasing the carrot to perfection before just getting pipped at the flag. He seems zen about it, however, confident it’ll come – so can he keep that roll of podiums going until the dice roll his way? Or will that be in Barcelona anyway? His teammate, Collin Veijer, needs a shoutout too after that speed in Austria.
Finally, David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team), after winning and then coming back down to Earth with a crash out the lead, will also be one to watch, eager to get back to bothering the more veteran runners in that podium fight. Tune in for more Moto3™ action this weekend, with lights out at 11:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday!
Cameron Beaubier, as seen at Pittsburgh International Race Complex. Photo by Brian J. Nelson.
Early this morning, Tytlers Cycle Racing made the bombshell announcement that five-time MotoAmerica Superbike Champion Cameron Beaubier is sitting out the remainder of the 2023 season, but that announcement left a couple of gaps to fill in.
As far as most people knew, Beaubier only suffered serious facial lacerations when he collided with Ashton Yates during MotoAmerica Medallia Superbike Race Two August 20 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex (a.k.a. PittRace) and his face hit his BMW’s windscreen and top triple clamp. But it turns out that the California suffered other injuries, including his second concussion in three weeks.
“It’s funny because I didn’t really realize that I hit my head that good because I was so focused on my face bleeding,” Beaubier told Roadracingworld.com in a telephone interview Monday. “Then I got home, and I was having those same [concussion] symptoms I had after Brainerd, which wasn’t very fun.”
Beaubier suffered a concussion and was ruled unfit after crashing out of MotoAmerica Superbike Race One July 29 at Brainerd International Raceway.
“Like I said in the release, I’m just looking at the big picture,” added Beaubier. “I thumped my head twice within a couple of weeks of each other. Obviously, there’s nothing to gain. The Championship is over. I’m just going to heal up and get ready for next year.
“And I’ve been dealing with some [left] knee stuff [from the crash at PittRace]. I just got an MRI this morning. So, I’m waiting to hear back from that and go from there.”
It was known for a long time during this past off-season that Beeaubier would be riding with Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW in 2023. When the official announcement finally came out, it did not mention the length of Beaubier’s deal – two years, which makes this decision a little easier, he said.
“It’s nice talking to [Tytlers Cycle Racing BMW Team Owner] Michael Kiley,” said Beaubier. “He understands it. He gets racing. It’s nice to have a supportive team owner like that who realizes what’s going on.”
Alex Lowes during a test at MotorLand Aragon earlier in 2023. Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Editorial Note: Some teams scheduled to participate in the test include Aruba.it Racing Ducati, Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati, Bonovo Action BMW, Kawasaki Racing Team, Motocorsa Racing Ducati, ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, Team GoEleven Ducati, and Team HRC Honda.
Aragon Test Precedes Season Restart
As the long summer break in WorldSBK race action approaches its conclusion there will be a short test session for the official Kawasaki FIM Superbike World Championship team, at Motorland Aragon, between 29-30 August.
With just one day remaining from their mandated limit of ten days of testing, Rea and Lowes will only ride on the final day of the test, Wednesday 30 August.
Lowes’s regular rider coach and team development rider since 2022, Florian Marino, will test the official Ninja ZX-10RR on Tuesday 29 August. He also has great experience in the WorldSBK paddock and the EWC series in his own right.
Florian will be joined on track by MTM Kawasaki WorldSSP rider, Adrian Huertas, as a recognition of winning the WorldSSP300 championship on a Kawasaki in 2021 and his increasingly strong performances since he made the jump to WorldSSP racing in 2022.
Iberia in general has been suffering from heatwaves recently, but despite the tough conditions the KRT squad will look forward to some very hot track and ambient conditions to close-in on the thus-far elusive optimum settings for exceedingly high temperature races.
Motorland Aragon features a 5.077km long WorldSBK track layout, but it is also an extensive motorsport and testing facility in general. It has hosted several WorldSBK rounds in recent years and will do so again in 2023 between 22-24 September. It was also the venue of a recent KRT test session, held in late June.
The next round of the 2023 WorldSBK championship itself takes place at another regular WorldSBK circuit, Magny Cours in France, between 8-10 September.
Jonathan Rea (65). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “This Aragon test comes at a really valuable time because with Magny Cours fast approaching after a long summer break, it’s always beneficial to get back into the swing of things and into the flow of riding my ZX-10RR. I will be trying to get the rhythm back but also have one eye on the Motorland race weekend that comes soon after the Magny Cours race. So it’s all about trying to build into this last part of the season and being strong. We’ll continue testing some items that we’ve previously tried. And with one day left on my testing allocation we only have one day to use. We expect hot weather, which is also good to test in to try to further improve our bike settings. We will just keep working. The next three rounds are going to come in quick succession, so it’s important to hit the ground running. We’ll see what the engineers from KMC have for us and we will get stuck into the test.”
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “There will be some stuff for 2024 that we are testing, just some ideas. So that will take half a day because we have only one full day of testing left. The other half of that day will be just getting back up to speed and trying a couple of things on the rear of the bike, to try to improve edge grip. Marcel my crew chief has a couple of ideas and I’ve been speaking quite a lot with him about a plan to improve that. Hopefully the conditions will be hot. That’s the target and I am looking forward to getting back into action. It was not the best round in Autodrom Most for me recently, but we’ve got four rounds left. I want to get back on the podiums to finish the year strongly. There are some good tracks coming up for me and the Kawasaki. We haven’t met our goals at the start of this year, so a good end to this year will be what’s needed to set us up for next year as well. We have one eye on 2024, one eye on the final four rounds of this season and a couple of ideas that Marcel has to improve things. So, it’s gonna be a busy day of testing as we only have one day left. It’s gonna be nice to get back out on the bike before Magny Cours.”
Guim Roda, KRT Team Manager, stated: “Now we go back to work after the Autodrom Most race weekend. This test will be a good chance to prepare for Magny Cours and the last rounds of the year, and at the same time we will introduce new ideas to improve the bike for the 2024 season. Unfortunately, in the year we needed them the most, we only can test for 10 days. We have already used nine days, so even though we will be at the track for two days, Jonathan and Alex will test only day each. We’ll work with Florian Marino on the first day, and we’ll give Adrian Huertas the opportunity to test the WorldSBK bike, to see his abilities. We promised him in Most if he made the WorldSSP podium we would give him the chance to test. He could not achieve a podium, but finally we considered he deserved the chance, so let’s see how he manages it.”
Cameron Beaubier (6), as seen in 2023. Photo by Brian J. Nelson, courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Cameron Beaubier to sit out remainder of 2023 MotoAmerica season – Mesa steps up
Tytlers Cycle Racing regrets to announce that Cameron Beaubier will take no further part in the 2023 MotoAmerica Superbike Season.
Beaubier, who immediately returned to winning ways on his return to MotoAmerica, was a title contender prior to a series of on track incidents that ruled him out of contention.
With the championship already decided Cameron has decided to call time on 2023 and look at the bigger picture.
The team will change the #6 to a #37 after deciding Stefano Mesa will make his Superbike debut aboard the BMW M 1000 RR at COTA alongside his Super Hooligan commitments. He will also ride in Superbike in the season finale in New Jersey. The move to the Superbike class sees Stefano cut short his Supersport campaign!
Michael Kiley – Team Principal: “I respect Cam’s decision to sit out the rest of this season. The effect he has had on our program with BMW has been great. We look forward to many more podiums next year. Summarising the rest of the season with our other riders, PJ has demonstrated that he can run at the front and take the top step. He has a shot at moving into second place in the championship and the racing to decide the series runner up is going to be exciting to watch! I have developed great respect for Josh Herrin’s abilities this season. He is a great rider and PJ will have his work cut out for him to take that spot away from him, but we will be heading to COTA and NJMP with that aim. Corey has had some rough luck but when you set that aside you see that he is making steady remarkable progress. I am grateful to Stefano for stepping out of a successful and exciting Supersport run to help us with the Superbike program. Finally – I cannot say enough about Jake Gagne, Richard, and the entire Attack Yamaha team. They are great competitors and great champions, and it is an honour to be on the track with them. 2024 is going to be epic in the MotoAmerica Superbike class but right now we are focused on finishing 2023 in style.”
Cameron Beaubier: “After two hits to the head and some knee trouble, I’ve decided it’s the end of the season for me. I’m bummed to not finish the season strong with Tytlers but I’m looking at the bigger picture. We’ve had some bad luck, but on the positive it’s been great racing back in the US with this team. They have put a great program together and It’s been really fulfilling to rack up some wins with them this season.”
Stefano Mesa (37) is stepping up to the Superbike class to fill in for Cameron Beaubier. Photo courtesy Tytlers Cycle Racing.
Stefano Mesa: “Firstly I want to wish Cam a speedy recovery after that crazy accident at Pitt Race last weekend. Secondly, I’m very excited and it’s a true privilege to get the phone call to fill in for him for the rest of the season. It was a difficult decision to make knowing I’ll have to step off the Supersport bike to be able to concentrate, do a good job, and start learning a whole new piece of equipment that is a Superbike while also learning the COTA track – as I’ve never been there. I am also looking forward to riding the Energica in the Super Hooligans class so it will be a busy weekend in Texas full of learning with the new crew, with the expectation of having fun on the bikes. I think it will be a great experience for me to get my feet wet on the Superbike class and see what a true Superbike is all about. I know leaving the Supersport class behind might seem crazy but not taking this amazing opportunity wasn’t on my books. I pause a moment to truly thank my Supersport team and crew for always being by my side, believing in me, and helping me achieve so much this year. I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish everything that I have achieved in Supersport year without them, and I truly appreciate all the hard work and efforts. I’m ready to get to Cota, get to work with the team, and see what we can do in the Superbike class. I cannot thank Michael Kiley, his family, and the whole Superbike team enough for offering me the opportunity to fill in for a great champion. What a great honour.”
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Irwin wins his 200th Bennetts BSB race with the top four covered by 0.472s at Cadwell Park
Glenn Irwin was victorious in his 200th Bennetts British Superbike Championship race, winning the BikeSocial Sprint Race at Cadwell Park, holding off the hard-charging Yamahas with just 0.472s separating the top four to reduce the deficit at the top of the standings to 19.5 points.
At the start of the race, Ryan Vickers had initially led the pack, but Irwin was instantly on the attack and he claimed the lead ahead of the LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha rider and Leon Haslam as the trio made the best of their front row starts.
As Irwin maintained his lead, Kyle Ryde had moved into third place with Jason O’Halloran just adrift. Haslam was forced to retire from the race with a technical problem on lap three, ending his hopes of a podium return at Cadwell Park prematurely.
Vickers made a move at Charlies for the lead on the eleventh lap, but Irwin wasted no time in regaining the position and by Park, he was back ahead on the BeerMonster Ducati.
The leading trio had a slight edge, but in the final stages of the race, O’Halloran had closed back in on his rivals ahead of him.
Ryde snatched second from Vickers on the final lap with a move on the brakes into Park, but Irwin had just enough on the dash to the chequered flag to claim victory in his milestone 200th Bennetts BSB race by just 0.118s.
O’Halloran had been closing in, but he had to settle for fourth on the McAMS Yamaha with championship leader Tommy Bridewell claiming fifth place as his lead in the standings was reduced to 19.5 points ahead of tomorrow’s two races.
Lee Jackson was sixth for the Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki team, just ahead of Christian Iddon who maintained his position ahead of FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team pairing Josh Brookes and Peter Hickman. Jack Kennedy completed the top ten for the Mar-Train Yamaha team.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Cadwell Park, BikeSocial Sprint Race result:
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati)
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.118s
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.250s
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) +0.472s
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +1.686s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +1.887s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +2.796s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +8.105s
Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +8.940s
Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha) +9.255s
Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) 274
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) 254.5
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 224.5
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 224
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team) 201
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) 195.5
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) 189
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) 186
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) 168
Jack Kennedy (Mar-Train Racing Yamaha) 116
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Glenn Irwin
BeerMonster Ducati
“It has been a good day for us, especially with that being my 200th BSB race so it felt really good to win.
“It was a really enjoyable race, I knew I needed to get a good start and dispose of Leon quite fast. I felt the lap time came quite easily but I tried to win the race at the slowest possible pace. I slowed the pace up with the stop, go tactics as I knew a manoeuvre could come anywhere here.
“All that matters is getting those points back on Tommy in the standings and I am so grateful for this win.
“I have worked hard and that was a high pressure race, but we work hard behind the scenes, so it was nice to get my first win at Cadwell Park in my 200th race.”
Ryan Vickers captured pole position during Bennetts British Superbike Omologato Superpole qualifying Sunday at Cadwell Park, in Lincolnshire, England. Riding his LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha YZF-R1, Vickers covered the 2.18-mile course in 1:25.847 to top the field of 21 riders.
Leon Haslam was best of the rest with a time of 1:25.895 on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad M 1000 RR, and Glenn Irwin qualified third with a lap of 1:25.979 on his BeerMonster Ducati Panigale V4 R.
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
O’Halloran sets personal best lap of Cadwell Park to top Free Practice
Jason O’Halloran continued his momentum from the previous round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship by topping the combined Free Practice times at Cadwell Park with the dry morning session setting the order after a damp afternoon.
The McAMS Yamaha rider took the treble win at Thruxton and he continued to lead his rivals by setting his personal best lap of the Lincolnshire circuit in the opening session. The Australian and LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha rival Kyle Ryde lapped under the existing lap race record, with 0.097s between them at the top of the times.
LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha had both riders inside the top three with Ryan Vickers having another strong start to the weekend, holding off Storm Stacey on the Starline Racing Kawasaki and Glenn Irwin completing the top five for the BeerMonster Ducati team.
Josh Brookes was the leading FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team rider in sixth place as he moved ahead of Lee Jackson on the Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki and Christian Iddon who completed the top eight for Oxford Products Racing Ducati.
Charlie Nesbitt and Peter Hickman completed the top ten with Leon Haslam and championship leader Tommy Bridewell the riders progressing into tomorrow’s Omologato Superpole starting list.
Brookes topped the damp afternoon session for the FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team in the final minutes ahead of Irwin and Bridewell with Nesbitt and Jackson completing the top five. However, the dry session this morning determined the top 12 riders progressing directly into tomorrow’s Omologato Superpole.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Cadwell Park, combined Free Practice times:
Jason O’Halloran (McAMS Yamaha) 1m:25.667s
Kyle Ryde (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.097s
Ryan Vickers (LAMI OMG Racing Yamaha) +0.527s
Storm Stacey (Starline Racing Kawasaki) +0.582s
Glenn Irwin (BeerMonster Ducati) +0.767s
Josh Brookes (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +0.783s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings Kawasaki) +0.829s
Christian Iddon (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +0.928s
Charlie Nesbitt (MasterMac Honda by Hawk Racing) +1.065s
Peter Hickman (FHO Racing BMW Motorrad Team) +1.083s
Leon Haslam (ROKiT BMW Motorrad) +1.171s
Tommy Bridewell (BeerMonster Ducati) +1.294s
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Jason O’Halloran
McAMS Yamaha
“It’s been a really good first day. It was nice to have the test evening last night, that meant we started in a pretty good place today and knew the area we needed to improve.
“I felt comfortable from the opening laps of free practice so we worked through our session plan and I ended up fastest which was nice. More importantly I had a very good feeling on the bike!
“That was my fastest ever lap here and not too far off what Brad [Ray] did in Superpole last year but it didn’t feel that fast and I surprised myself when I saw it come up on the dash. So that makes it even better.
“Tomorrow we have the Superpole format for qualifying which is a bit different but I tested my one lap pace today and that’s when we were able to do that lap time, so I’m looking forward to that and the Sprint race!”
Jason O'Halloran (22). Photo courtesy McAMS Yamaha.
Jason O’Halloran topped Bennetts British Superbike Free Practice One (FP1) Saturday morning at Cadwell Park, in Lincolnshire, England. Riding his McAMS Yamaha YZF-R1 on Pirelli control tires, the Australian lapped the narrow 2.18-mile track in 1:25.667 to lead the field of 22 riders.
A “press release” is promotional text issued by a rider, team, company or organization to inform
the public about an event, product, or service from the issuer’s own point of view, and if deemed
to have news value, may be placed on roadracingworld.com as a service to our readers.
A press release is not an article written by Roadracingworld.com staffers. When a post is labeled with the words “press release”, it means that Roadracingworld.com is not responsible for its content and that Roadracingworld.com makes no guarantee that it is accurate. Not all press releases are posted and Roadracingworld.com may reject press releases if the content is too heavy on commercial promotion with little or no news value or if the press release contains obvious errors.
Accessibility
Accessibility modes
Epilepsy Safe Mode
Dampens color and removes blinks
This mode enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode
Improves website's visuals
This mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode
Helps to focus on specific content
This mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode
Reduces distractions and improve focus
This mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode
Allows using the site with your screen-reader
This mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Online Dictionary
Readable Experience
Content Scaling
Default
Text Magnifier
Readable Font
Dyslexia Friendly
Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Font Sizing
Default
Line Height
Default
Letter Spacing
Default
Left Aligned
Center Aligned
Right Aligned
Visually Pleasing Experience
Dark Contrast
Light Contrast
Monochrome
High Contrast
High Saturation
Low Saturation
Adjust Text Colors
Adjust Title Colors
Adjust Background Colors
Easy Orientation
Mute Sounds
Hide Images
Hide Emoji
Reading Guide
Stop Animations
Reading Mask
Highlight Hover
Highlight Focus
Big Dark Cursor
Big Light Cursor
Cognitive Reading
Virtual Keyboard
Navigation Keys
Voice Navigation
Accessibility Statement
www.roadracingworld.com
November 14, 2026
Compliance status
We firmly believe that the internet should be available and accessible to anyone, and are committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience,
regardless of circumstance and ability.
To fulfill this, we aim to adhere as strictly as possible to the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 (WCAG 2.1) at the AA level.
These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities. Complying with those guidelines helps us ensure that the website is accessible
to all people: blind people, people with motor impairments, visual impairment, cognitive disabilities, and more.
This website utilizes various technologies that are meant to make it as accessible as possible at all times. We utilize an accessibility interface that allows persons with specific
disabilities to adjust the website’s UI (user interface) and design it to their personal needs.
Additionally, the website utilizes an AI-based application that runs in the background and optimizes its accessibility level constantly. This application remediates the website’s HTML,
adapts Its functionality and behavior for screen-readers used by the blind users, and for keyboard functions used by individuals with motor impairments.
If you’ve found a malfunction or have ideas for improvement, we’ll be happy to hear from you. You can reach out to the website’s operators by using the following email
Screen-reader and keyboard navigation
Our website implements the ARIA attributes (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) technique, alongside various different behavioral changes, to ensure blind users visiting with
screen-readers are able to read, comprehend, and enjoy the website’s functions. As soon as a user with a screen-reader enters your site, they immediately receive
a prompt to enter the Screen-Reader Profile so they can browse and operate your site effectively. Here’s how our website covers some of the most important screen-reader requirements,
alongside console screenshots of code examples:
Screen-reader optimization: we run a background process that learns the website’s components from top to bottom, to ensure ongoing compliance even when updating the website.
In this process, we provide screen-readers with meaningful data using the ARIA set of attributes. For example, we provide accurate form labels;
descriptions for actionable icons (social media icons, search icons, cart icons, etc.); validation guidance for form inputs; element roles such as buttons, menus, modal dialogues (popups),
and others. Additionally, the background process scans all the website’s images and provides an accurate and meaningful image-object-recognition-based description as an ALT (alternate text) tag
for images that are not described. It will also extract texts that are embedded within the image, using an OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
To turn on screen-reader adjustments at any time, users need only to press the Alt+1 keyboard combination. Screen-reader users also get automatic announcements to turn the Screen-reader mode on
as soon as they enter the website.
These adjustments are compatible with all popular screen readers, including JAWS and NVDA.
Keyboard navigation optimization: The background process also adjusts the website’s HTML, and adds various behaviors using JavaScript code to make the website operable by the keyboard. This includes the ability to navigate the website using the Tab and Shift+Tab keys, operate dropdowns with the arrow keys, close them with Esc, trigger buttons and links using the Enter key, navigate between radio and checkbox elements using the arrow keys, and fill them in with the Spacebar or Enter key.Additionally, keyboard users will find quick-navigation and content-skip menus, available at any time by clicking Alt+1, or as the first elements of the site while navigating with the keyboard. The background process also handles triggered popups by moving the keyboard focus towards them as soon as they appear, and not allow the focus drift outside it.
Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Disability profiles supported in our website
Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
