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WorldSBK Riders Mutiny in Argentina Over Track Conditions

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Saturday’s WorldSBK race saw only 12 riders on the grid, as six riders (Chaz Davies, Sandro Cortese, Marco Melandri, Leon Camier, Ryuichi Kiyonari, and Eugene Laverty) sat out the race in protest over the conditions.

Just 20 minutes before the start of Race 1 though, as many as 14 riders seemed set to sit out the day’s events, citing issues with the track’s surface, which had just been recently laid, and was still seeping oil to the surface, and was also dusty from lack of use.

However, with pressure being exerted on the riders to race, reportedly by their teams and Dorna, a number of riders lined up on the grid, despite their agreements with their colleagues. 

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WSBK

Official: Lowes to Kawasaki for the WorldSBK 2020 Season

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Confirming the news we already reported on, Alex Lowes will leave the Pata Yamaha team at the end of the 2019 WorldSBK, and move into green colors for next year, as the teammate to Jonathan Rea in the Kawasaki Racing Team.

Lowes replaces Leon Haslam in the factory Kawasaki team, and brings with him a great deal of knowledge on Team Green’s fastest rising competitor: Yamaha.

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Podcast

Paddock Pass Podcast #118 – WorldSBK at Magny-Cours

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Episode 118 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one is a WorldSBK show, as the production championship comes to us from Magny-Cours, France.

As such, this means that we see Steve English joined by Gordon Ritchie on the mics, as they are our World Superbike reporting duo for the 2019 season.

Recording straight from trackside at the French track, the guys give some conversation about the on-track action at Magny-Cours, as well as what is happening off the track.

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WSBK

Leon Haslam Is Out of the Kawasaki WorldSBK Team

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Confirming rumors long held in the WorldSBK paddock, Leon Haslam will not be with the Kawasaki Racing Team in the WorldSBK paddock next year. Though it hasn’t been announced yet, Alex Lowes is expected to take Haslam’s seat.

Haslam’s role in the KRT squad came after his British Superbike Championship win in 2018, and while this year’s season showed mixed results for the British rider (including a win at the Suzuka 8-Hours), the opportunity to add another top Superbike talent alongside Jonathan Rea was too much of an allure for Team Green.

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WSBK

Toprak Razgatlioglu Leaving Kawasaki for Pata Yamaha in 2020

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It is news that has long been coming, ever since the Suzuka 8-Hours, but now it is official. Toprak Razgatlioglu will be leaving Puccetti Racing at the end of the season to race with the factory Pata Yamaha WorldSBK team in 2020.

Toprak Razgatlioglu will replace Alex Lowes in the Pata Yamaha squad, racing alongside Michael van der Mark, who will start his fourth season with the factory Yamaha team.

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Rumors

The All-New 2020 Honda CBR1000RR Will Debut in October

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There has been plenty said about the next generation of the Honda CBR1000RR, and lately the rumors have been heating up.

Solid news of an all-new machine for next first started in the WorldSBK paddock, where it was tipped that HRC would come back into the paddock with a factory team for the 2020 season – and on a new motorcycle.

Since then, we have seen some patents hinting at possible features of the new Fireblade, the most impressive of which is the idea that the 2020 Honda CBR1000RR could have active aerodynamics.

Now, we get word from our German colleagues at Speedweek that the new Honda Fireblade will debut sooner than we thought, making its arrival in October at the Tokyo Motor Show.

This means that we could see the 2020 Honda CBR1000RR as soon as October 23rd, instead of having to wait  several weeks longer to see the bike debut at the EICMA show in Milan.

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Podcast

Paddock Pass Podcast #116 – WorldSBK at Portimão

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Episode 116 of the Paddock Pass Podcast is out, and this one is another WorldSBK show, as the production championship is finally back to racing action after its long summer break.

As such, this means that we see Steve English joined by Gordon Ritchie on the mics, as they are our World Superbike reporting duo for the 2019 season.

Recording straight from trackside at Portimão, the guys give some conversation about the on-track action in Portugal, but there is plenty to discuss about what is occurring off the track, as the contract season is heating up.

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Rumors

Alvaro Bautista Close to Factory Honda 2020 WorldSBK Deal

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Alvaro Bautista will be staying in the World Superbike paddock and racing a Honda in 2020, it seems.

The plans for a new HRC-run WorldSBK team to be based in Barcelona, racing a brand new Honda CBR1000RR, put an end to any speculation that Bautista might be heading back to MotoGP to take the place of Johann Zarco at KTM for next year.

Rumors and reports from Portimao are solidifying the story that Bautista will be staying in WorldSBK. A thorough piece on German-language publication Speedweek set out Honda’s World Superbike plans for 2020, including the plans for a new bike.

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