News

The summer holiday’s have begun

Thursday, 12 July 2018 09:55 GMT

WorldSBK Commentator Steve English reviews a stunning Rimini Round

What a way for WorldSBK to go into the summer break! Arguably the race of the year saw three manufacturers scrap it out for the win. Even though Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed his tenth victory of the season, it was a hard win to secure on Sunday.

With Rea having to dice through the field and scrap it out with Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) and Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), there are now plenty of reasons to believe that when racing resumes in Portimao, the final four rounds of the year could be superb.

Pirelli brought six options for the front tyre with them to Misano, and it now seems as though the larger profile front tyre could become the weapon of choice for the remainder of the season. The profile increase matches that brought earlier in the season for rear tyres. With five different riders on the rostrum in Italy, the paddock was buzzing with the chances and opportunities on offer for the remainder of the season.

The summer break will see Portimao host a two day test, as well as a further private test, so teams will feel confident of making strides over the coming months before the final eight races of the season. Aprilia and Honda are making progress, Yamaha are competitive at every circuit and suddenly the dominance enjoyed by Kawasaki and Ducati in recent years is under threat.

The majority of the WorldSBK grid has had to weather its share of storms in recent years, but now there is light at the end of the tunnel. The rule changes have helped, the level of rider talent has helped and recent rounds have shown signs that the final third of the season - and the coming years - could offer great racing in the class.

Enjoy the highlights from the Pirelli Riviera Di Rimini Round, all with the WorldSBK VideoPass.