News

The 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has landed in the picturesque British countryside for Round 5 at the Donington Park circuit. The Prosecco DOC UK Round has given some of the biggest moments of past seasons, and there’s history on the horizon again in 2022; a three-way fight for the title, the stats suggest that there is sure to be a change – but will there be?

1988 – Donington Park set the stage for the inaugural Championship round back in 1988: Davide Tardozzi (Bimota) and Marco Lucchinelli (Ducati) secured one win each on the 3rd of April.

1000-500 – Ducati and Kawasaki are close to two historical milestones, that seem aligned to happen in the track in which WorldSBK started, Donington Park. Ducati is two podiums away from becoming the first manufacturer to hit 1000 and Kawasaki is one away from being the second to hit 500.

60 – With 59 wins so far, a win by a Spanish rider this weekend will see Spain become the sixth country to reach 60.

58 – Donington Park is tied with Misano for WorldSBK races run: both started the season at 58 and will end up at 61, the same as Phillip Island, at the second all-time spot. Ahead, only Assen with 62.

54 – Ducati have 54 podium finishes in the 58 races held so far at Donington Park. Kawasaki are second-best with 48. Ducati missed the podium twice in the last three rounds here: 2018 and 2021.

51 – In 58 races run at Donington Park, 51 different riders have stood on the podium.

26 – 26 different winners in 58 races in Donington: the most successful is Tom Sykes at 9, followed by Carl Fogarty and Jonathan Rea at 6.

24 – British riders have won 24 races here: in 2018, Michael van der Mark stopped a run of 11 wins by British riders.

22 – Alvaro Bautista is now on 22 wins for Ducati. He could be the fifth most successful rider for them at 23, level with 1990 Champion Raymond Roche.

17 – Tom Sykes has the record for podiums here: 17; 13 straight from 2012 Race 1 to 2018 Race 1.

15-13 – Ducati have recorded 15 poles at Donington Park: all their rivals are on a combined 13.

10 – Yamaha have qualified on the front row in Superpole in the last ten rounds, a best streak, equalling two streaks set in 2007 and 2009: they are out to record their first one of 11.

10 – The record string of wins by a manufacturer at Donington Park was set by Kawasaki: from 2013 to 2017 they won all the ten races run here.

7 – Tom Sykes is the record holder for Donington pole positions: seven. Only one rider in the current field recorded pole at Donington Park: Jonathan Rea last year.

7 – Donington Park was the stage of the first career win of four-time World Champion Carl Fogarty, back in 1992, Race 2. Seven riders took first wins here, with the other six being: Davide Tardozzi, Marco Lucchinelli, Giancarlo Falappa, Neil Hodgson, Marco Melandri and Michael van der Mark. This is the same tally as Phillip Island, whilst only Sugo with nine has given more first victories.

1 – The first Dutch win came at Donington Park, 2018, thanks to van der Mark in Race 1. Also, only one win by a Spaniard here came in 2011, Race 2 with Carlos Checa, Ducati’s last win at the track.

1 & 1-2 – BMW recorded their first WorldSBK win at Donington Park in 2012, Race 1, that was also a 1-2 with Marco Melandri winning and Leon Haslam as runner-up.

SHORTHAND NOTEBOOK

2021 race winners:

• Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha, Race 1 and Race 2)
• Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki, Tissot Superpole Race)

Last three pole-sitters at Donington Park:

• 2021: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) 1’40.101
• 2019: Tom Sykes (BMW) 1’27.619
• 2018: Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1’26.663

Manufacturer podium places accumulated from all races at Donington Park (and wins):

• Ducati: 54 (17)
• Kawasaki: 48 (19)
• Yamaha: 24 (11)
• Honda: 22 (7)
• Suzuki: 9 (1)
• Aprilia: 8
• BMW: 7 (1)
• Bimota: 2 (2)

Key gaps from Donington Park 2021:

• Front row covered by: 0.662s (WET)
• 1 second in Superpole covered… the top three: 0.662s (WET)
• Closest race gap between 1^st and 2^nd: 2.243s (Razgatlioglu 1^st, Gerloff 2^nd, Race 2)
• Closest race podium: 3.409s (Rea 1^st, Sykes 2^nd, van der Mark 3^rd, Tissot Superpole Race) (WET)
• Closest Donington Park podium of all-time: 0.566s (Chili 1^st, Hodgson 2^nd Corser 3^rd, Race 2, 2001)

Manufacturer top speeds at Donington Park, 2021:

• Ducati: Scott Redding and Michael Ruben Rinaldi – 277.1 km/h, Warm-Up and Race 2
• Honda: Alvaro Bautista – 276.4 km/h, Race 2
• Kawasaki: Alex Lowes – 272.2 km/h, Warm-Up
• BMW: Michael van der Mark – 270.9 km/h, Warm-Up
• Yamaha: Andrea Locatelli – 270.2 km/h, Warm-Up

Watch all of the 2022 Superbike season take-shape round-by-round with the WorldSBK VideoPass!