Although the WorldSBK ‘silly season’ has yet to ramp up, it’s never too early to assess which riders could be heading where.
With a move to MotoGP for 2023 now off, Razgatlioglu will officially be staying at Pata Yamaha alongside Andrea Locatelli, making them the only two-rider line-up to be confirmed thus far.
At Kawasaki, Alex Lowes will remain with the team after his most recent deal saw him sign until the end of 2023. The same goes for Scott Redding at BMW and Iker Lecuona at Honda.
The only factory team without a rider confirmed is Ducati, who incidentally could be the team with the most turnover in 2023.
Alvaro Bautista leads the championship by a commanding 36 points and looks to be the clear title favourite, however, it’s not a guarantee that he will stay with the team, although the belief is that both sides want to work out a deal.
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The second seat is the one that has real intrigue attached to it as Danilo Petrucci has been rumored as a possible replacement for Michael Rinaldi should he win the MotoAmerica title, while there’s the not so small matter of six-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea being available .
Ducati has a long-standing interest in Rea, who in turn has also been a big admirer of Ducati in the past. The Kawasaki rider recently said he’s excited to see what his future holds as talks with the Japanese marque had not yet begun.
Speaking after Misano, KRT Team manager Guim Roda Kawasaki claimed intends to ‘continue the same as now’, a direct message that retaining Rea is the team’s main priority.
Also in the running to replace Rinaldi should Ducati move on from the Italian is Axel Bassani, who has again flashed serious potential in 2022, although consistency has been an issue and could lead the team to look elsewhere.
As has been the case in recent seasons, expect there to be some kind of movement with regards to MotoGP and/or Moto2 riders moving across to WorldSBK. Who those riders are left to be seen as MotoGP is just as unpredictable when it comes to rider signings at the moment.
There could be more potential for new bikes than ever before in 2023, as Puccetti Kawasaki and Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha are both interested in adding a second bike to the grid, while GMT94 have also expressed an interest in joining WorldSBK from WorldSSP.
Winner of seven out of the first eight races, not to mention he’s the defending WorldSSP champion, Dominique Aegerter is expected to make the step-up to WorldSBK, with Yamaha the most likely manufacturer.
Factory WorldSBK Teams:
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Team
Toprak Razgatlioglu (End of 2023)
Andrea Locatelli (End of 2023)
Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK
Alex Lowes (End of 2023)
TBA
Aruba.it Racing Ducati
TBA
TBA
BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
Scott Redding (End of 2023)
TBA
Team HRC
Iker Lecuona (End of 2023)
TBA
Independent WorldSBK teams
GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team:
TBA
TBA
Motocorsa Racing:
TBA
Team Goeleven:
Philipp Oettl (End for 2023)
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing:
TBA
BARNI Spark Racing Team:
Luca Bernardi (End of 2023)
Bonovo Action BMW:
TBA
TBA
Gil Motor Sport Yamaha:
TBA
Orelac Racing VerdNatura:
TBA
TPR Team Pedercini Racing:
TBA