A WorldSBK Debut and Valuable Experience at the Pirelli Dutch Round

Twan Smits made his WorldSBK debut at the Pirelli Dutch Round at TT Circuit Assen. The weekend showed real promise, but crashes at key moments got in the way of stronger results.

After completing pre-season testing in early April, Smits arrived with confidence. In first free practice he immediately impressed, running consistently inside the top 15 with stable times around 1'35, ending the session 17th at 1'35.471 — 1.519 seconds off the pace.

He improved further in FP2, dipping under his previous best within two laps and holding a consistent 1'35 pace over 17 laps, before a crash ended the session early. He finished 18th at 1'35.121.

Saturday's FP3 showed a big step forward — nearly a full second faster than Friday — before a second crash interrupted his progress. He was still the third-fastest Yamaha rider in the session, ahead of the likes of Andrea Locatelli and Stefano Manzi.

The team rushed to repair the bike in time for Superpole, but without spare parts on hand the setup was compromised. Superpole suffered as a result, with a 1'34.969 leaving him 22nd on the grid.

Smits made a strong start in race one, passing several riders and trading positions with Mattia Rato, finishing 21st, 51.822 seconds off the winner. After overnight repairs to the crash damage, technical issues persisted into Sunday: the Superpole race ended 21st, and race two 22nd, as the gaps grew because of continuing mechanical problems.

Despite the setbacks, Smits called the weekend "very educational," thanking sponsors and fans and looking ahead to the upcoming EURO MOTO round at the Sachsenring.