The comparison between prototypes and near-series machines has always split and ignited their respective “trailers”. Looking at the two calendars to date, the last race for both championships was the race on the (former) cathedral. What better way to compare the two categories on the same track and in the same weather conditions?
Written by Piersalvo Patanè
280/300 PS for 157 kg against 230/250 PS for 168 kg: these cold numbers characterize the prototypes or near-series bikes. Then there are the carbon brakes, the seamless transmission and a thousand other “devil criminals” that are allowed in MotoGP and that SBK cannot have. On the other hand, the chassis and electronics are very similar, also according to the assessment of the drivers in both categories. Tire chapter: Michelin prototypes for the MotoGP motorcycles and Pirelli with street spirit but with very high performance for the series-based motorcycles. Well, with these assumptions, comparison seems (and in part is) impossible. In fact, the double Dutch date (beginning of July for MotoGP, end of July for SBK) makes for some interesting topics of conversation.
The question that fans often ask is: In a hypothetical joint race, how far behind? fourth rare would like Rea have been? And where would he have been placed in the race? But not only that! There was one driver who drove in both categories in two weeks: we’re talking about the 25-year-old American Garrett Gerloff. Sensible on his MotoGP race debut, responsible for a total disaster in the second SBK race. Well: did he drive faster with “his” R1 or with Morbidellis M1 2019?
Let’s crack a few numbers. In the graphic below the comparison between the two respective winners: Rea and fourth rare. For the former, race 2 is taken into account, as it is a whole race. The confrontation ends on lap 21 as the SBK race is shorter compared to the MotoGP race. The curve shows the distance between the two cumulative race times, with the positive numbers suggesting that Quartararo is obviously faster than the Northern Irish champion, who would have crossed the finish line around 40 seconds behind. It should be mentioned, however, that Rea lost in the first laps of the second race (the one considered in the graph) due to the contact between the two of the 5th / 6th Gerloff and Razgatlioglu while Quartararo always had a free stretch. Even so, his average lag in the first 10 laps is about one and a half seconds. The greater grip of the Michelin tires over the distance (Pirelli always showed a clearer drop from the middle of the race) then means that the average gap over the entire race is just under 2 seconds per lap.
Difference in cumulative times: Rea’s time – Quartararo’s time
The other question is: would? Rea finished last? The answer is absolutely no! In the following graphic the comparison with the last finisher, namely Luca Marini. Well, in a hypothetical race, Johnny would have finished over 10 seconds ahead of him together. In this case, too, the average gap seems to decrease over the distance. While Valentino’s younger brother made up a gap of around 7 tenths per lap in the first 10 laps, the gap in the total of 21 laps (taking into account the duration of the SBK race) is almost half a second.
Difference in cumulative times: Marini’s time – Rea’s time
The other interesting comparison sees the American Gerloff as the protagonist called to replace Morbidelli on the 2019 M1, finally made his debut in MotoGP (remember that in Valencia in 2020 he replaced Rossi, who struggled with the events of COVID, only for the Friday sessions, including in the wet). Garrett said that having ridden in MotoGP a few days earlier was more of a disadvantage than an advantage, given the two different riding styles that are required. The American admitted that he’s more comfortable on the R1’s bumps than its big sister, the M1, which is predictable given the latter’s greater rigidity. In terms of performance, Race 1 is shown in the graphic below (shortened by 2 laps due to Folger’s accident). However, the performance is influenced by the fact that Gerloff last started in Superpole due to a crash. The American then made a good comeback, but if he had started further up, the result would have been different. On the flip side, he rode a regular race in MotoGP, averaging 35 low / 34 high laps, with some “shaky” laps in 36/37. In a hypothetical race with himself he would have moved up by around 4 seconds with the M1, all won in the last laps, since the times were practically identical up to lap 13.
Difference between the accumulated times: Gerloff’s SBK time – Gerloff’s MGP time
Ultimately, the comparison between the “two worlds” is as difficult as ever, However, if you consider the design, development and production costs of a MotoGP bike compared to those of a superbike, the balance clearly tends in favor of prototypes. As can be seen from the comparison of the two strongest drivers of the two respective championships (Rea and Quartararo), the prototypes allow you to win less than 2 seconds per lap on a track like Assen, but with a valid rider, an SBK rider wouldn’t appear out of place in the lower part of the MotoGP rankings. The other interesting point is that MotoGP likely requires a deeper knowledge of the vehicle, as Gerloff demonstrates, with the M1 only marginally faster than “his” R1.