The penultimate round of the WorldSBK and WorldSSP championships will play out this weekend at the Estoril Circuit in Portugal. Kawasaki Puccetti Racing will take to the track with the aim of continuing to fine tune the machines of Tito Rabat, in Superbike, and Can Oncu, in Supersport.
The Portuguese track has suited the Ninja ZX-6R in the past, so much so that Manuel Puccetti’s riders scored a win in 2020 and two podiums in 2021, with Can Oncu achieving a fourth and fifth place finish in the 2022 races.
Tito Rabat has competed at Estoril recently, in the Spanish Championship, and knows the circuit well, a factor that could allow him to quickly identify a good setup for his Ninja ZX-10RR KRT Factory Replica.
This is only the sixth time that Estoril Circuit is staging the WorldSBK and WorldSSP races. The championship first visited in 1988, and again in 1993. The production-derived series then returned to the track, which is located about 30 km from Lisbon, in 2020, 2021 and 2022. The track measures 4.182 kilometres and comprises thirteen corners, nine of which right handers and four left. It also incorporates a straight measuring almost one kilometre, one of the longest on the WorldSBK calendar.
The full schedule for the Portuguese round is available at this link:
Manuel Puccetti
“We’re pleased to be going back to Estoril, a track that’s been well suited to our Supersport bikes in the past. Over the last few rounds, Can Oncu has shown he can fight for the top five, while Tito Rabat has now found the right feeling with the Ninja and just needs a little more luck in order to be consistently inside the points.”
Tito Rabat
“I like the Estoril track and have raced there many times. We found a competitive setup for our bike at both Cremona and Aragon, but a few issues slowed us down in Spain and prevented us from achieving the kind of results that we know are within reach. We go again in Portugal!”
Can Oncu
“I like the Portuguese track, it’s very flowing, technical and a lot of fun. In recent years, the Ninja has gone well there, and I hope that’s the case again this year. We haven’t been seeing the results we deserve and so I’ll be doing my best to really harness all our efforts and hard work at Estoril.”
