WorldSBK Rider Entry List Revealed for 2023 Season
As the countdown is well underway for the commencement of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, provisional permanent entry lists unveil a 23 rider line up for 2023 season of World Superbikes. The excitement now ramps up as the 2023 season opener gets underway on February 24 – 26 for the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
Included in this list of riders is, of course, Australian Remy Gardner. It has been a long 7 year drought since Australia last had a full time rider in World Superbikes. There is no denying the impact Remy Gardner will have as the 2021 Moto2™ World Champion steps into the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team.
It will be life as they know it for the five Factory WorldSBK Ducati, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Honda and BMW Teams, with no rider changes as they head into the 2023 season. The provisional permanent entry list also revealed that 2022 World Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will once again run the #19 plate for the 2023 season instead of the prestigious #1. Michael Ruben Rinaldi will also remain with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) will return to his famed #54, after the 2021 World Champion opted to run the #1 for the 2022 Season, teaming up once again with Andrea Locatelli for his third season. The Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK will also go unchanged, with riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes joining forces for another year. After a difficult year for Rea in 2022, the six-time World Champion will no doubt be looking to turn his fortune around and enter the new year with a fresh mindset as he fights for his seventh World Championship.
While the BMW Factory Team remain unchanged with riders Scott Redding and Michael van der Mark, the team have announced a slight rebranding as the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team for 2023. In 2022, Team HRC opted for an all rookie lineup consisting of Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona. As Team HRC also retain the same line up in 2023, both riders will step up from their rookie status as they head into their second WorldSBK season.
Many fresh faces will be represented in the WorldSBK Independent Team lineup. Former GRT Yamaha rider Garrett Gerloff will shift to the Bonovo Action BMW team, with team mate Loris Baz who starts his second season with the independent BMW team. Top two World Supersport riders Dominique Aegerter and Lorenzo Baldassarri will be making the leap into the WorldSBK class in 2023, and will no doubt be the Rookies to watch out for in the 2023 season. While taking on his Rookie year, Baldassarri will also be joining a brand new WorldSBK team, GMT94 Yamaha.
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team enter the 2023 season with possibly one of the strongest rookie rider line up to date with Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter both set to take on their maiden WorldSBK season. With Remy Gardner securing the 2021 Moto2™ World Championship, and Dominique Aegerter crowned back-to-back World Supersport Championships in 2021 and 2022 & securing the 2022 MotoE World Cup Championship; there is no denying Gardner and Aegerter are in hot contention to be front runners in the 2023 season.
The 2023 grid will see two familiar faces – 2013 World Champion Tom Sykes will take to the grid once again, joining Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, and two-time MotoGP™ race winner Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) will make his WorldSBK debut appearance.
Impressing many in the second half of the season, Axel Bassani will remain with the Motocrosa Racing team with the Ducati Panigale V4 R machine. Other Independent Riders remaining unchanged will be Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) & Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing Verdnatura), both set for their second WorldSBK season.
Tickets are now available for the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. You can purchase yours HERE
See the full 2023 World Superbike entry list here
