Alvaro Bautista backed up his first WorldSBK title with an even mor🌠e dominant display in 2023. 

The factory Ducati rider won 27 races, ten more than the previous record fo💧r a single season which was set by Jonathan Rea in both 2019 and 2018, along with Doug Polen who achieved 17 wins in 1991.

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Next best was Toprak 🤪Razgatlioglu on six, showing just how dominant Bautista was throughout the campaign. 🌜;

But what are the bi🐽ggest storylines heading into 𝔍2023 as Bautista looks to make it a hat-trick?

Can Razgatlioglu take BMW to title contention?

﷽BMW’s hopes of becoming a title threat with the addition of Scott Re♍dding in 2022 have simply not worked out.

In fact, BMW, outside of some impressive performances at individual rounds, hav♔e largely remained behind Ducati, Kawasaki and Yamaha.

Redding and Michael Van D🙈er Mark are both more than capab🐠le of challenging for race wins, but the machinery has to be right, which it has not.

That said, their bik⛎e does have very strong points and to their credit, they haven’t had one of the top three riders on their bike as꧑ of yet.

That ⛎however will all change next season as arguably the best rid🔯er in Superbikes is hoping aboard the M 1000 RR.

Razgatlioglu has incredible talent, the likes we’ve never seen befoꩵre when it comes to certain aspe🔴cts of riding a motorcycle.

Time will be needed, and it’s likely that a title cha💮llenge will have to wait until 2025♛, but if there’s one rider who could change that then it’s Razgatlioglu. 

What should we expect from Andrea Iannone

Back from his four-year ban and ready to make noise on the world stage once again, Iannone🌼 will have plenty of eyes placed upon him in 2024.

Thไe Italian, who is also an incredible talent, won’t be expected to do more 🌟than just find his feet during the opening couple of rounds.

But beyond that, challenging for big points and podiums could and perhaps s🌳hould be a realistic aim.

Danilo Petrucci and Dominique Aegerter both scored podiums as rookies this past season, so Iannone would do𓆉 well🍨 to replicate that type of potential.

That said, Iannone is also on a Ducati (as is Petrucci) and together with his ability, the former Mot🍰oGP rider could even be a threat for race wins if he adapts to the class like many believe he can.

Is Rea set to be Bautista’s main challenge?

ꦆIf Razgatlioglu and BMW don’t hit the ground running, Rea could be the rider to sustain a serious title challenge after switching Kawasaki for Yamaha.

The six-time world champion has alr♕eady been in ❀top form during his two tests with the Japanese brand.

More adaptation will be needed of course, but the early signs point toward Rea and the R1 being a good mat🍰ch. 

What to expect from Nicolo Bulega and can he push Bautista further than Michael Ruben Rinaldi?

Ar𝓀uba.it Ducati made a big decision to replace Rinaldi with the current WorldSSP champion⭕.

Rinaldi once again proved his worth this season as he became the o♚nly rider outside of Bautista൲, Razgatlioglu and Rea to win a race.

But Buleg🅷a is a big talent and Ducati’s viewpoint is that they wanted the strongest possible team-mate to Bautista.

Whether that will be Bulega is yet to be🦹 determined, but the Italian was impressive at his first offici꧋al WorldSBK test.

Challenging for podiums will be the req𒐪uirement from Ducati, not beating Bautista, however, every rider wants to one-up their team-mate, and who better than the world champ💫ion to do that against.