Here we are! After the long winter preparation and the tests carried out in Spain, it is now time for the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team to reach Assen in the Netherlands, to compete in the third round of the 2023 Superbike World Championship.
This is the seasonal debut in WorldSBK for Sandro Carusi's team and its young rider Bradley Ray, with the aim of putting the work done in recent months to good use and exploiting the potential of the Yamaha YZF R1.
Bradley Ray, 2022 British Superbike Champion, previously raced only once in WorldSBK, as a wild card at Donington Park in 2018, while this year he will contest all the European rounds of the production derivative class. The Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team is instead in its second year in WorldSBK, with the aim of continuing the constant growth that characterized its first season.
The TT Circuit Van Drenthe in Assen is also known as the "Cathedral of Speed" and is one of the historic circuits for motorcycle competitions. It is located in the north of Holland and has been specifically designed for motorcycle racing. Inaugurated in 1925, it has hosted the Dutch GP since 1949, while the first WorldSBK race was held in 1992. Since then, the TT Circuit has hosted 62 WorldSBK races.
The track is 4,542 meters long, with 18 bends, of which twelve are right-handed and six left-handed. Many times the weather is an unknown factor, so much so that in the past many races were held in the rain, while in 2019 the SBK race on Saturday was even canceled due to snow.
Through this link you can consult the program of the Dutch round:
https://www.worldsbk.com/en/event/NED/2023
Sandro Carusi - Team Pricipal
“I am eager to get to Assen to compare ourselves with the other teams and understand what our true potential is. In the tests we have carried out, all our opponents have never been there at the same time and it will therefore be a very interesting comparison. I believe that in Assen you will actually see how much we can still grow."
Bradley Ray #28
“I'm really looking forward to finally getting to Assen and having my first race of the season! It's been a long time since I last raced in October 2022 and so it will be good to race a full weekend of racing! I worked hard during the tests with the team to get ready as quickly as possible, and it will be nice to get to Assen, on a track I already know, and get to work! I feel really good physically and I can't wait to get on track for FP1!"
