The WSBK world championship is heading to Donington over the bank holiday weekend – and in preparation for the action kicking off, here’s a bunch of facts and figures about WSBK racing at the iconic British circuit.

Advert

– Donington set the stage for the inaugural Championship round back in 1988: Davide Tardozzi (Bimota) and Marco Lucchinelli (Ducati) secured one win each on the 3rd of April.

– In the 48 WSBK races run at Donington, 47 different riders have stepped onto the podium.

Advert

– Ducati have managed 52 podium finishes in the 48 races held so far at Donington. Kawasaki are just behind with 30.

Advert

– The last race without a Kawasaki rider on the podium here was back in 2011.

– British riders have won 18 races here and they are currently unbeaten in the last nine: Race 2 in 2012 was won by Rea, then a string of eight for Tom Sykes. The last non-British winner here was Marco Melandri (Italy) in Race 1, 2012.

– In the last two race weekends held here in 2015 and 2016, British riders claimed 11 podiums, leaving only one position for other countries: the third spot in last year’s Race 1, claimed by Davide Giugliano (Italy).

– Troy Corser climbed onto the podium 13 times here, which is the record for the track: next up are Carl Fogarty and Tom Sykes with 11.

– Donington was the stage of the first win of 4-times World Champion Carl Fogarty, back in 1992, Race 2. Fogarty is the all-time leader for wins – 59 – followed by Troy Bayliss at 52 and Jonathan Rea at 45.

– Tom Sykes has more than double the podium finishes than his closest current competitor Rea, who stands at 5. Tom Sykes has also secured a podium in his last 10 races here. In WorldSBK history only Carl Fogarty managed a longer run of podiums on a given track: 15 at Assen from 1992 Race 2 to 1999 Race 2. If Tom Sykes wins Race 1, he will accomplish an unprecedented feat in WorldSBK history: winning on a given track for 9 straight times.

– Tom Sykes will try to become the first rider to claim a fifth pole at Donington: he shares the record of four with Carl Fogarty. He is the only rider on the current grid to have started from pole here.

– There are only two riders in the current field who have won a WorldSBK race at Donington: Jonathan Rea (1), Marco Melandri (2) and Tom Sykes (8).

– Donington has recently favoured breakaway wins: only two races in the last 16 were won with a margin smaller than one second at the flag (both 2012 ones).

About
Latest Posts

Ross Mowbray

MoreBikes Editor at Mortons Media Group Ltd.

Ross is the editor of MoreBikes (and On2Wheels) - and writes for Motorcycle Sport & Leisure and Classic Bike Guide magazine too. He started off doing laps of his parents’ garden on a Puch 50 scrambler at the tender age of 5, ruining the grass and crashing into bushes. Not much has changed since. He doesn’t discriminate; taking as much pleasure from bombing around town on little mopeds as he does crossing continents on big adventure bikes.
Editor@MoreBikes.co.uk | 01507 529529