The Jerez report card: Bautista champion, but Toprak receives the honours of war

The curtain has officially fallen on the 2023 Superbike World Championship, and the season finale at Jerez didn’t disappoint in terms of excitement. Alvaro Bautista secured the title but there were many more tales to tell, from Axel Bassani’s independent riders’ title to farewells for Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu, and a podium for Andrea Locatelli. It was all going on as an action-packed 2023 season drew to a close.

The Jerez report card

Alvaro Bautista 10/10: a grade for both his season and his weekend, with one mirroring the other. Winning races by either breaking away or going head-to-head, setting record after record, and drawing significant comparisons, and rightly so. Untouchable.

Toprak Razgatlioglu 9: moving in Race 2, where he once again reminds Yamaha as to what it is losing, though he also has to accept a mocking penalty. The Turk unexpectedly fails to reach the podium in the Superpole Race, the only negative over a weekend – and a 2023 season - befitting of a champion.

Andrea Locatelli 7.5: Race 2 aside, the Italian shines during the season finale. A race 1 podium without crashes or issues for the ‘big three’ is significant, as is the fact he rounds out the year as the best-placed ‘second rider’.

Axel Bassani 7: a grade for his season and, more importantly, his title, given that a tough weekend becomes impossible when you’re knocked down. Fully matured, a new ‘green’ chapter now begins for the Italian.

Xavi Vierge 6.5: two top ten finishes from sixteenth is not to be underestimated, for a rider who is not showy but who is, all things considered, reliable. He finishes the year as the best Honda rider. Bravo.

Phillip Oettl 6: rounds out his Go Eleven experience on a high, showing those signs that would have been useful earlier on perhaps. A pity for the race 1 misunderstanding, the rider celebrating one lap ahead of him and missing out on the independent riders’ win.

BMW disappointing

Garrett Gerloff 5.5: a long series of positive weekends comes to an end, the American reaching the top ten only once and crashing in the Superpole Race. One small false move that shouldn’t worry him.

Scott Redding 5.5: a Jerez weekend plagued by technical difficulties, the Brit again unable to score results. A disappointing finale for Scott, who seeks a response.