World Supersport 2022 entry list confirmed
The FIM Supersport World Championship has confirmed its entry list for 2022 and the good news is that two Aussies will be in the category this year.

In what’s being described as a “new generation” for World Superpsort (WSS), the category will not only see new riders making their debut this year, but new bikes, too. Yamaha’s YZF R6 and the Kawasaki ZX-6R still dominate the WSS grid, but Triumph are making their return with a Street Triple 765, while the new rules allow the 798cc MV Agusta 800 triple and Ducati’s 955cc Panigale V2 to compete, too.

Photo: WorldSBK
In terms of the riders, 2021 champion Dominique Aegerter returns to defend his title with Ten Kate Racing Yamaha, while the likes of Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha), Raffaele De Rosa (Ducati Orelac Racing Verdnatura), Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing), Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Kyle Smith (VFT Racing) are all returning, too.

Photo: WorldSBK
The WSS rookie list for 2022 is long, including last year’s World Supersport 300 Champion, Adrian Huertas and other riders from that category, as well as those transferring from the junior grand prix classes. But obviously, local attention is on the Aussie rookies in Oli Bayliss and Ben Currie.

Photo: Russell Colvin, courtesy of IRPR.
After finishing in fifth place in last year’s Australian Superbike Championship with Desmosport Ducati, Bayliss will ride somewhat familiar machinery in the form of a Panigale V2 for Barni Spark Racing team.
“I’m really excited to be racing in the World Supersport Championship and can’t wait to get down to business,” Bayliss told Just Bikes back in October.
“It’s been a dream of mine to be able to race in the World Championship. I have to thank Ducati and the Barni Racing Team for this opportunity.
“The Ducati Panigale V2 has been approved to race in the class and I’m with a new team racing new tracks against the best riders in the world. We’ll see how it plays out throughout the year.”

Photo: WorldSBK
Ben Currie will campaign a ZX-6R for Motozoo Racing by Puccetti, alongside 2020 World Supersport 300 champion, Jeffrey Buis. A dual citizen born in Germany, 26-year-old Currie has been based in the UK for the past eight years, competing in British Superstock, Supersport and Superbike, with a best championship placing of second in British Supersport in 2018 and 2020.
“I have been working for a long time to take the opportunity to compete in the Supersport World Championship,” Currie said after his seat was confirmed back in November. “I have always achieved great results in [British] Supersport 600 with the Kawasaki ZX-6R and I am sure that thanks to the support of Motozoo Racing by Puccetti I will have the opportunity to reap a lot of satisfaction.”

Photo: Russell Colvin, courtesy of IRPR.
In his first day of testing the Barni Ducati Panigale V2 at Portimao in February, Bayliss crashed and fractured his ankle, but will be ready to race for the opening round of the 2022 WSS season at Aragon on 8-10 April.
It was a better story for Currie, whose team took part in a test at Jerez in late January. While familiar with a ZX-6R engine, the Aussie was particularly impressed with the WSS-spec tyres and, once he gets his head around the limits of the bike and its electronics, expects to be able to push hard from the opening round.
The full 2022 World Supersport rider lineup is as follows:
N° RIDER NAT. MOTORCYCLE TEAM
24 Leonardo Taccini ITA Yamaha YZF R6 Ten Kate Racing Yamaha
77 Dominique Aegerter SUI Yamaha YZF R6 Ten Kate Racing Yamaha
55 Yari Montella † ITA Kawasaki ZX-6R Kawasaki Puccetti Racing
61 Can Öncü TUR Kawasaki ZX-6R Kawasaki Puccetti Racing
7 Lorenzo Baldassarri † ITA Yamaha YZF R6 Evan Bros. WorldSSP
Yamaha Team
56 Peter Sebestyen HUN Yamaha YZF R6 Evan Bros. WorldSSP
Yamaha Team
16 Jules Cluzel FRA Yamaha YZF R6 GMT94 Yamaha
94 Andy Verdoïa FRA Yamaha YZF R6 GMT94 Yamaha
66 Niki Tuuli FIN MV Agusta F3 800 RR MV Agusta Reparto Corse
54 Bahattin Sofuoğlu *† TUR MV Agusta F3 800 RR MV Agusta Reparto Corse
3 Raffaele De Rosa ITA Ducati Panigale V2 Ducati Orelac Racing Verdnatura
73 Maximilian Kofler † AUT Ducati Panigale V2 CM Racing
52 Patrick Hobelsberger GER Yamaha YZF R6 Kallio Racing
88 Alessandro Zetti *† ITA Yamaha YZF R6 Kallio Racing
25 Marcel Brenner * SUI Yamaha YZF R6 VFT Racing
9 Kyle Smith GBR Yamaha YZF R6 VFT Racing
10 Unai Orradre ESP Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha MS Racing
50 Ondřej Vostatek CZE Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha MS Racing
6 Jeffrey Buis *† NED Kawasaki ZX-6R Motozoo Racing by Puccetti
21 Benjamin Currie † AUS Kawasaki ZX-6R Motozoo Racing by Puccetti
64 Federico Caricasulo ITA Ducati Panigale V2 Althea Racing
11 Nicolò Bulega ITA Ducati Panigale V2 Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team
32 Oliver Bayliss† AUS Ducati Panigale V2 Barni Spark Racing Team
12 Filippo Fuligni * ITA Ducati Panigale V2 D34G Racing
22 Federico Fuligni * ITA Ducati Panigale V2 D34G Racing
38 Hannes Soomer EST Triumph Street Triple RS Dynavolt Triumph
62 Stefano Manzi † ITA Triumph Street Triple RS Dynavolt Triumph
28 Glenn van Straalen NED Yamaha YZF R6 EAB Racing Team
99 Adrian Huertas † ESP Kawasaki ZX-6R MTM Kawasaki
69 Thomas Booth-Amos *† GBR Kawasaki ZX-6R Prodina Racing WorldSSP
*WorldSSP Challenge
†2022 rookie