WorldSBK is finally heating up at the halfway mark, and we’re set for a thrilling chase to the title. Welcome to Cycleview on CycleOnline.com.au.

Seven rounds into the Motul FIM Superbike World Championship, and the series taken another twist with Misano’s stop set to change the landscape of the second half.

Entering last weekend’s round with a healthy 41-point advantage, former MotoGP contender and now WorldSBK rookie Alvaro Bautista saw his lead reduced to just 16, suffering a major hit his points gap with a single crash in race two.

The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati pilot dominated the first four rounds as he failed to lose a race, however a series of mistakes in recent rounds have seen his lead gradually reduce, suffering the biggest loss at the weekend.

Image: Supplied.

With four-time reigning champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) maintaining superior consistency, and picking up two victories in Italy, he’s positioned himself right back in the title hunt with six rounds to go.

WorldSBK looked like it was going to be a Bautista show all year long there for a while, although now that’s completely changed, it’s going to be incredibly interesting to see how it all plays out.

Either way, if the Spaniard can win the title in his rookie season, it’s going to be incredible, and if Rea gets the job done for the fifth consecutive year, it’s going to be miraculous!

That’s it for this week, we’ll catch you next Wednesday with another Cycleview feature! In the meantime stay tuned to CycleOnline.com.au for the latest daily content and be sure to follow us on social media via @cycleonline on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.