The 2016 World Superbike season moves to Spain’s Aragon circuit this weekend with reigning champion Jonathan Rea already stamping his authority with three wins from four races.
After taking the chequered flag first in both races at Phillip Island in the February season-opener, and taking a victory in heat one at Thailand earlier this month, the Kawasaki rider is in fantastic form. His team-mate, former champion Tom Sykes, is the only other rider to win a race this year with his heat two victory in Thailand, but there are others on the grid eager and capable of deposing the Kawasaki dominance. Among them is Honda’s Michael van der Mark who has been on the podium in three of the four races this season, and scored fourth the other time. His team-mate could also prove a tough adversary. With growing experience of both the bike and especially the tyres, 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden heads to Aragon as a beginner in WorldSBK but a veteran of the circuit, having ridden there in MotoGP since 2010, a year he finished on the podium.
Chaz Davies, currently fourth in the championship, is also expected to put up a good fight on a circuit that suits his Ducati Panigale R.
Returning manufacturer Yamaha will be hoping to keep building on its start to the year, with the YZF R1 making good progress on the path to becoming a winner in the hands of Alex Lowes and Sylvain Guintoli. MV Agusta, meanwhile, counts on points scoring finishes at Aragon and will look to Leon Camier to keep his impressive 2016 form going and push the bike forward even further in its development program.
Race one will be staged at 1pm on Saturday and race two at 1pm on Sunday.