OFFICIAL PROGRAMME
EXCITING CONTENT
We are now well into the reality that WorldSBK is kicking off at the all-new Mandalika International Circuit . We are all more than ready to go for the final round of the exciting and often edgy 2021 season . The circuit itself is the subject of another more specific story in this very publication , but it is Asia , and the part it plays in integral elements of WorldSBK , that we need to look at as we come back to a once regular stop on the championship trail . It is easy to look at Asia and WorldSBK and immediately think about race venues as being the most publicly recognisable thing Asia offers WorldSBK . For a majority European based racing series , it is an understandable point of view . But maybe , just maybe , the biggest measurable influence Asia has had in WorldSBK , especially as it is a production-derived championship with road bikes at its heart , is that one country in Asia supplies complete motorcycles to most riders . Not only that , but several important parts of both showroom models and modified race machines .
The obvious candidates are , in alphabetical order , Honda , Kawasaki , Suzuki and Yamaha , all the ‘ big four ’ from Japan . No full-time Suzuki in the 2021 WorldSBK roster ( although we give a shout-out to the JEG Racing and Naomichi Uramoto for their attendance at the Navarra Round ) but the home factory of any number of GSX-R machines is truly enmeshed in WorldSBK ’ s story . All the major Japanese factories have won the Riders ’ title , and all have underpinned the grid , even in the days when most Japanese manufacturers were not present in an official capacity . All four have also won the Constructors ’/ Manufacturers ’ title . Ducati , from Italy of course , holds most of the big records in WorldSBK - most wins , most podiums , etc , but strangely they are not the manufacturer with the most race starts in WorldSBK . As things stand , pre-Mandalika , at least one Kawasaki has started 867 races , Ducatis have appeared in 866 races and Hondas have been present in 862 . For Yamaha it is 736 and Suzuki 638 .
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