About one month after the round at Misano, the World Superbike Championship returns to reignite its engines this weekend at the Donington Park circuit to kick off the second half of this incandescent season, with the seventh round of the year (HERE the weekend'sTV schedules).
Its a crucial Round for the leader of the world championship standings Nicolò Bulega, who is now being hunted down by his closest rival, Toprak Razgatlioglu, after the Adriatic Riviera weekend. In fact, the home round of the World Championship gave more disappointment than joy to the Ducati rider, who arrives in England with a slim nine-point margin over the two-time world champion, the rider to beat on the racetrack located in the East Midlands. One of Toprak's favorite tracks, as well as the place where he celebrated his first podium in 2018 and where he can boast nine career victories. Including last year's hat trick of wins. The same result to which the BMW rider will also aspire this weekend, to leap to the top of the championship standings, repeating the trio of successes in Misano.
Countering Razgatlioglu at Donington will be anything but an easy mission for Bulega. The Turk last year had no rivals on the British track and this year, although he can no longer count on the same supremacy as in 2024, he has regained momentum and confidence, especially in the cornering phase, returning to use the swingarm of last year. Although Nicolò and Ducati have little left to invent and extract from a version of the Panigale V4-R that has now reached EOL status, the Emilian rider has already shown in the first half of the year that he can have his say even on tracks favorable to his opponent, and we can be sure that he will leave no stone unturned in an attempt to put a spanner in Toprak's works. Just as he did in Race 2 at Most.
It's a battle between Petrucci and Bautista for third place.
In England all eyes will be on this new chapter in the battle between the two title contenders, but the fight for the third step on the podium promises to be no less close. The goal to which Danilo Petrucci and Alvaro Bautista are aiming, two riders who are also fighting each other for third place in the championship, and to which Andrea Locatelli and home riders Sam and Alex Lowes cannot fail to aspire. Fresh from his two-year renewal with the Marc VDS team, the Briton arrives in great shape at this home Round. So does his twin brother Alex, who aims to confirm in front of his audience the excellent performance shown by the KB998 at Misano, where he took Bimota back to the podium after 25 years. A magical moment for the Rimini-based manufacturer, which on the Riviera also celebrated its first pole of the year with Axel Bassani called to turn over a new leaf and leave behind the mistakes that then conditioned the continuation of his weekend. Getting his head back up will also be the goal of Andrea Iannone, struggling with a decidedly troubled season.
Among the riders aiming to be protagonists on the English track, one cannot also fail to mention Jonathan Rea and Scott Redding, who will try to repay the cheers and affection of the British public with good results. Spectators who will have one less darling to cheer for after the recent separation between Tarran Mackenzie and the MIE team, now in action with Tito Rabat and Ivo Lopes. But they can make up for it with the Round participation of Tommy Bridewell, wildcard with Honda Racing. Staying with Honda, the round at Donington will be a good test for HRC riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge, who have struggled in recent years at the British track, where they arrive, however, with a steadily improving package.