News

Wow! Can we just have every race at Phillip Island please? Over the course of the opening weekend of the WorldSBK we were treated to everything that makes motorcycle racing such a fantastic spectacle. With a combined winning margin of less than one tenth of a second across the three races in WorldSBK and WorldSSP the Australian crowd was treated to a fantastic weekend of action.

The big question will be whether or not this form can become the norm in 2017. Phillip Island always throws up unconventional races but the competitiveness and depth of quality in the field of WorldSBK should mean that we are entertained throughout the season. The last two years have seen Jonathan Rea claim both titles but the Northern Irishman will face stout competition this year from Chaz Davies and a host of other rivals.

The Ducati and Kawasaki packages are now exceptionally closely matched and while there's no doubt that at some tracks either bike will have an advantage the majority of the season should be balanced on a knife edge. It's likely that the championship battle will once again come down to these two riders but throughout the season we'll see plenty of other names in the mix.

With the new grid format for 2017, which sees the podium men from the opening race start on row three, Tom Sykes will need to prove that he can make his way through the Race 2 pack this year if he is to fight for a second title. The Kawasaki rider admitted on Sunday that “Rea and Davies have shown you get to the front so it'll be up to me to do the same this year.” If he can do that he undoubtedly has the speed to be a contender throughout the campaign.

The wildcards are going to be which riders can get the most from their packages on any given weekend.In Australia it was Alex Lowes on the Yamaha that was battling for the front and coming close to giving the Japanese manufacturer their second podium - or even their first win - since returning to WorldSBK last year. Over the winter Lowes concentrated on race simulations and ironing out mistakes. Those lessons were put to good use in Australia and he could easily have come away with a brace of podiums. The challenge for the Englishman will be building on this and showing the same speed in Thailand. If the 26 year old can do that it will be a major signal of intent from the Crescent Racing run effort.

Xavi Fores showed once again how much he has improved and learned in recent years. Fighting at the front in the dry for the first time the Barni Ducati rider admitted afterwards that he had lessons to learn but the package of the Ducati is so strong that he can not be underestimated.

The same cannot be said for some other teams and riders in the field. Honda had a tough season opener with both Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl taking their time to understand their all-new Fireblade, however Hayden was able to make it through to Superpole 2. Getting that bike will be a work in progress throughout the season but with new parts potentially on stream in time for the start of the European season we should see some significant progress.

WorldSBK came back with a bang in Australia and the action will be returning thick and fast in Thailand on March 10-12.