The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for the final round of an enthralling campaign. The Prometeon Spanish Round concludes an epic 2024 season with the title still to be decided, and the fighting talk from the title contenders got underway on Thursday.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “In 2021, I had the same… P3 is enough for me, but I’m always looking for P1”

Speaking ahead of a round where he’s aiming to be crowned Champion for a second time, Razgatlioglu said: “I’m feeling good because we come back to Jerez again. Last year, I lost the race in the last corner. It’ll be completely different this year on the BMW. My target is to win the race. A 46-point margin is a really big gap. If I finish the race in P2 or P3, I’ll win the Championship. I know this, but still my target is to win the race. In 2021, I had the same. P3 is also enough for me, but I’m always looking for P1. I hope we get this because it’s important for me. When I signed for BMW, everyone said I’m crazy many times but now everyone’s started to believe in BMW and me. This is the final round and we’ve almost got the title. I hope we’re World Champions. It’s been an incredible season for me to ride the BMW and nobody believed me. First year and we could be World Champion, this is incredible for my career and also for BMW because they’ve never been World Champions on two wheels.”

Speaking light-heartedly about sharing a birthday with title rival Bulega plus former teammate Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), Razgatlioglu said: “We didn’t celebrate together, and not also Bulega… he was born in 1999, me in 1996, but Locatelli has the same birthday as me! Everything is the same, we just need to check the time. It’s not just Bulega and Locatelli, also Casey Stoner and Charles Leclerc. It’s just a birthday, we’re getting older… I’m not happy!”

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “Toprak’s a Champion, Alvaro a two-time Champion. To be in the middle of them in my first year, it’s fantastic”

A title contender at the final round in his rookie season, Bulega spoke about how ‘proud’ he is of his 2024: “It’s incredible, I’m really happy because we come here from a strong weekend at Estoril. I have a good feeling with my bike and Jerez is a track I like a lot, one of my favourites, so I will try to do my best. It’s very difficult but I think I have to try to fight for the win, especially because I need extra motivation for next year. It’s a surprise for me, to be here at the last round and I can say I’m still fighting for the Championship. I never had this in my head when I signed this contract, or when I won the first race. I’m very proud. It’s incredible. It’s my first year and I’m fighting with a lot of Champion sand guys who’ve been here a long time. Toprak’s a World Champion, Alvaro a two-time World Champion. To be in the middle of them in my first year, it’s fantastic.”

Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven): “I wanted to remain in this paddock… the racing here is amazing!”

Fresh off the back of securing his future, Iannone said: “It’s good news for me and also for the team. This was my priority, I wanted to remain in this paddock. The racing here is amazing. I think it’s the best choice for me for next year and we’ll try to improve things compared to this year. Next year, we’ll have more potential. My management worked to improve the level a bit. I think we gave a bit more support from Ducati. My target for next year is to improve everything a little bit, we have everything to be stronger. I always want to improve, always be on the podium, but it’s not easy. My dream is to fight for the first position in every race or the podium. It isn’t easy, the level is really high here. I’m confident. In Race 2 at Estoril, I enjoyed it a lot; it was unbelievable, completely crazy. I really enjoyed, for the first time this year, the feeling with the bike like this. It was for eighth position, but we fought for fifth.”

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “There’s nothing I can do… if we can fight for victory, it’ll be nice”

Previewing his home round, Bautista spoke about potentially helping Bulega and his desire to win again: “have really good memories of here. I took my first win in 125cc here in 2006, and last year, we won the title in WorldSBK. In the past, I was at the final round with title chances, but I was in a different position. I was leading by a lot of points, and it was easy to get the title. For Nicolo, it’s a different situation. It’s his first year in WorldSBK and he’s second in the Championship with a big points difference. It doesn’t all depend on him; it depends on Toprak’s results. He has to be proud because, in his first year, he got to the last round with some chances. On Saturday, if nothing strange happens, the difference will be too big, and Toprak could be Champion. Here, I can’t help Bulega. At Estoril, I could help to not take off more points from Nicolo. Here, I can’t. In the same situation as Estoril, I can attack Nicolo because, even if he’s second, he has less chance of the title. There’s nothing I can do. If we can fight for the victory, it’ll be nice. If not, I’ll be happy without it if I can do my best in all races.”

Iker Lecuona (Team HRC): “We started from zero… we finished the year with a good base, so we’ll start next year from that base”

Back on the rostrum at Estoril, Lecuona is aiming to end 2024 on a high: “I’m really happy after the first podium after the season and second in WorldSBK. After all the injuries, all the work at home and at the track, we’re happy to have that result. I always said during these years that this is one of the worst tracks for us, or one I struggle at more during the last two years. It looks like we’re quite fast. I think from the summer, we did a good job on the bike; the pace was improving during the weekends. My strategy with my crew chief, the feeling on the bike, everything we improved a lot. When we started this year, I had a lot of injuries, but we also didn’t have a clear base on the bike. We started from zero. This year, we finished the year with a good base, so we’ll start next year from that base that is performing quite well.”

Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha): “Most challenging season of my whole career… expecting to take a good step forward in 2025”

A tricky season for Rea concludes at Jerez, with the six-time Champion saying: “I’m looking forward to the weekend. Parts of me are really excited about Jerez and trying to cap off the season in a good way, and then a part of me that wants to completely forget about this disappointing and challenging season as a whole and re-focus for ’25. It’s nice because we’re coming from a good weekend at Estoril. From what I understand, the base setup we have now is very similar to when first rode the bike last year in November. With all the changes we’ve made, we’ve come back to a happy base setting. I feel like I’m more optimistic going into here than I was going into Estoril, but in the end, Estoril turned out to be a positive one. In all honesty, when I first rode the Yamaha, I loved the feeling of the bike. It wasn’t a full grid at the test, but I still felt quite fast. I couldn’t imagine this being the most difficult season of my whole career. We know it’s challenging times, but I really feel better days are coming. I know Yamaha are working really hard in the background to improve the bike in all different aspects. I feel there’s reasons to be optimistic that we can be more competitive next year. It’s just piecing all the bits together, all the marginal gains. I’ll work on myself, trying to improve, because I don’t feel the team, or the bike are getting my full potential right now.”

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “It feels like this season’s gone really quickly!”

The last weekend for Kawasaki in their current form, before morphing into Bimota by KRT with Alex Lowes saying: “It feels like this season’s gone really quickly, every year goes quickly but there’s been a few changes inside the garage for me, working with Pere and the crew, and it seems like yesterday we started working together. It’ll be an emotional weekend because Kawasaki green has been so famous in WorldSBK for the last 15 years, especially with some fantastic results with Jonny and Tom. Multiple World Champions, not just Riders’ but Teams’ and Manufacturers’. A shame, personally, to be the last weekend in green but we have a new challenge; we’re staying together, it’s just a different challenge. I have a lot of good memories at Phillip Island. My first race for Kawasaki in 2020 was good, and this year, my first race with Pere and the guys was good.”

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW): “It’s going to be emotional… excited for the change, happy I have the memories I have”

Gerloff’s last weekend as a BMW rider is here and he said: “I’m happy with how we’ve been able to recover this year and how the second half of the season’s been going, and the results I’ve had, and the team’s had. I’m pretty content. We should’ve started the year like we are now and that’s a shame. It’s super emotional. I was so happy I was given the opportunity to come to Bonovo two years ago. The team and I have clicked so much. We have such a good team dynamic. It’s going to be really difficult to leave that behind because literally, in one night, everything changes from Sunday to Monday. It’s going to be emotional. I’m excited for the change and I’m happy I have the memories I have. A podium would be amazing, it’s what I’m always pushing for; to at least be in the top three. I don’t think it’s going to be super easy as it’s Jerez and everyone knows this track super well from testing.”

Watch every moment from Jerez LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED using the WorldSBK VideoPass – only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads for a title decider at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for the final round of the season. The Prometeon Spanish Round will be where the 2024 Champion is crowned, either Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) or Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with the BMW rider holding a 46-point advantage before the round. But how did we get to this point?

ROUND 1 – PHILLIP ISLAND GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT

Winners: Bulega (Race 1), Alex Lowes (Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Alex Lowes (50 points), Bulega (41 points), Locatelli (29 points)

Australia kicked off a new era in WorldSBK, and what better way to show that than a new rider winning? Bulega stunned in Race 1 with a strategic masterclass, before Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed the double on Sunday to lead the standings heading back to Europe. As for Razgatlioglu, a technical issue in Race 2 halted his progress, leaving Australia P8 in the standings after a Superpole Race podium.

ROUND 2 – CIRCUIT DE BARCELONA-CATALUNYA

Winners: Razgatlioglu (Race 1, Superpole Race), Bautista (Race 2)

Championship top three: Bulega (87 points), Bautista (75 points), Alex Lowes (75 points)

Razgatlioglu didn’t have to wait long for his first BMW win, claiming two in Barcelona including a Valentino Rossi-style pass on Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in the Superpole Race. The #1 responded in Race 2 with his first victory of the season, and Razgatlioglu had moved up to P4 in the standings – behind Bulega, Bautista and Alex Lowes.

ROUND 3 – TT CIRCUIT ASSEN

Winners: Spinelli (Race 1), Bautista (Superpole Race), Razgatlioglu (Race 2)

Championship top three: Bautista (123 points), Razgatlioglu (117 points), Bulega (109 points)

Assen was the scene of shocks as Nicholas Spinelli (Barni Spark Racing Team) rocked up in place of the injured Danilo Petrucci… and won. Bautista and Razgatlioglu shared the Sunday spoils, although little did anyone know at the time the run ‘El Turco’ was about to embark on…

ROUND 4 – MISANO WORLD CIRCUIT “MARCO SIMONCELLI”

Winners: Razgatlioglu (Race 1, Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (179 points), Bulega (158 points), Bautista (155 points)

After his first wins with BMW came the first hat-trick. A dominant performance in Italy gave Razgatlioglu all three wins and the Championship lead, something he hasn’t relinquished since taking it. Bulega was second in all three races to limit the damage as he moved ahead of Bautista in the standings.

ROUND 5 – DONINGTON PARK

Winners: Razgatlioglu (Race 1, Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (241 points), Bulega (200 points), Bautista (186 points)

Another hat-trick soon followed for the 2021 Champion as WorldSBK headed to his favourite circuit. His most crushing victory yet, by more than 11 seconds, in Race 1 set the tone for the weekend as he extended his lead in the standings over Bulega to 41 points.

ROUND 6 – AUTODROM MOST

Winners: Razgatlioglu (Race 1, Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (303 points), Bulega (239 points), Bautista (199)

A hat-trick of hat-tricks for Razgatlioglu as he made it three in a row in the Czech Republic, redemption after his 2023 retirement there. Bulega was second in both races on Sunday to again stem the bleeding, while Bautista’s double DNF – crashing out in the Superpole Race after a fight with Bulega and at the start of Race 2 – dropped him 104 points back from Razgatlioglu.

ROUND 7 – AUTODROMO INTERNACIONAL DO ALGARVE

Winners: Razgatlioglu (Race 1, Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (365 points), Bulega (273 points), Bautista (223 points)

A sunset showdown at Portimao welcomed WorldSBK in August and Razgatlioglu yet again scored a maximum 62 points, moving his tally to 365 and already 92 points clear of Bulega, while Bautista was 50 points further back. Bulega’s Race 2 P2 somewhat limited the damage but ‘El Turco’ was starting to pull clear.

ROUND 8 – CIRCUIT DE NEVERS MAGNY-COURS

Winners: van der Mark (Race 1), Bulega (Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (365 points), Bulega (310 points), Bautista (243 points)

The Championship turned on its head at Magny-Cours. Razgatlioglu’s FP2 crash ruled him out of the French Round and the Italian Round next up, giving Bulega and Bautista the chance to take big points out of his lead. Bulega’s Sunday double meant he clawed back 37 points, but would he regret not taking anything in Race 1?

ROUND 9 – CREMONA CIRCUIT

Winners: Petrucci (Race 1, Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (365 points), Bulega (352 points), Bautista (283 points)

With Razgatlioglu still out of action, Bulega had the chance to take the Championship lead. Second in Race 1 and third in Race 2 helped but with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) taking an emotional hat-trick, Bulega remained second in the standings, 13 points behind the #54. Bautista had also closed the gap, now sitting 82 points back.

ROUND 10 – MOTORLAND ARAGON

Winners: Iannone (Race 1), Bautista (Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (414 points), Bulega (375 points), Bautista (333 points)

Spain was up next and Razgatlioglu returned to action, taking three second places in his first races back from injury. That helped him extend his Championship lead back up to 39 points, with Bulega’s technical issue in Race 1 giving him a non-score. Bautista’s two Sunday wins helped him claw back some ground, but he was still 81 points back and close to being out of mathematical contention.

ROUND 11 – CIRCUITO ESTORIL

Winners: Razgatlioglu (Race 1, Race 2), Bulega (Superpole Race)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (473 points), Bulega (427 points), Bautista (356 points)

The penultimate round of the season came from the Circuito Estoril, and it duly delivered a showdown between two title contenders. Razgatlioglu won Race 1 and Race 2 but in the Superpole Race, Bulega came out on top by just 0.003s – the closest-ever WorldSBK finish. With Bautista’s Race 1 crash, he was officially out of contention, with Razgatlioglu and Bulega separated by 46 points heading into the season finale at Jerez.

Who will come out on top in the title-deciding round? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Two more pieces of the silly season jigsaw have fallen into place. The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team will keep their current line-up of Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner for 2025, retaining the same pairing for a third MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign. It’s been a mixed season for both riders, but they have shown their speed, helping to secure their place on next year’s WorldSBK grid.

AEGERTER’S SEASON: illness, injury, strong results

Aegerter’s 2024 campaign got off to a tricky start after missing the winter tests through illness, putting him on the back foot heading into the season-opener in Australia. Despite his first time on the bike this season being in the Australia test, the Swiss rider took P6 in Race 1 when racing for underway – his best result of the season. He was in the top ten in all three races ‘Down Under’ and in the second round in Barcelona, before those top ten positions became harder to come by. Aegerter, a double WorldSSP Champion, bounced back from a difficult Most to three top-ten finishes at Portimao, but in a season of bad luck, he was then injured in a training crash and needed surgery, ruling him out of action until Estoril last weekend. Despite the tricky start and mid-season injury, he’s shown enough to secure a spot on the grid with GRT Yamaha next season.

THE SWISS RIDER’S VIEW: “I feel like I have unfinished business in WorldSBK…”

Discussing his renewal, Aegerter said: “It’s been a challenging season for me with illness and injury, so I am grateful to Yamaha and the team for continuing to believe in me. I feel like I have unfinished business in WorldSBK, so I am very happy to be able to continue for another year with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team. I am looking forward to getting back with the team before the end of this season so we can look at building nicely into 2025 and show exactly what we can do in the WorldSBK class.”

GARDNER’S CAMPAIGN: a maiden podium at Assen

Gardner too has had an up-and-down campaign. It was characterised by bad luck in the first couple of rounds, running towards the podium places on home soil in Australia before he was taken out at Turn 10 in Race 1, while he was caught up in someone else’s accident in Race 2. At Assen, Gardner took a long-awaited maiden WorldSBK podium when he was third in Race 2 in the Netherlands, which would be the highlight of his season. At Most, he was in the top five in all three races, including P4 in Race 2, but that was the last time the #87 finished in the top five this season. A crash in Race 1 at Estoril ended his season when he fractured his wrist, forcing the former MotoGP™ rider to sit out this week’s Spanish Round that concludes 2024. He’ll be back on the grid next season with GRT Yamaha, remaining with the R1 machine he took to the podium this year.

THE AUSTRALIAN SAYS: “I’m still hungry for more…”

“I am happy to be staying for another year with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK team,” began Gardner when talking about his new deal. “2024 has been a bit mixed, but overall, there are a lot of positives including my first podium in WorldSBK at Assen. I’m still hungry for more and hopefully we can build on some of the steps we’ve made this year to be fighting at the front more consistently with another year under our belt in WorldSBK with the R1.”

FROM YAMAHA: “Remy has had a strong season… for Dominique, it’s not been the easiest of years”

Andrea Dosoli, Yamaha Motor Europe’s Road Racing and Research & Development Manager, had stressed throughout 2024 that the ideal scenario was to keep Aegerter and Gardner and they have been secured. He said: “We are pleased to have retained the services of Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter for the 2025 FIM Superbike World Championship with the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team. Remy has had a strong season, fighting for the podium on numerous occasions as well as often finishing as the top R1 rider. We are confident he can continue this trajectory towards more success in 2025. For Dominique, it has not been the easiest of years and luck has not been on his side. We know how fast he can be and do not believe he has shown his true potential in WorldSBK yet, so given the challenges of this year, it made sense to continue with him for 2025.”

THE TEAM’S POINT OF VIEW: “We had some great moments with this duo, and we’re looking forward to many more”

Giving the inside line from GRT Yamaha was Team Principal Filippo Conti, who said: “We are pleased to announce our 2025 line up.  We have had a good run with both Remy and Domi, and we are very happy to be able to continue with them next season. We had some great moments with this duo, and we are looking forward to sharing many more. We look forward to a great 2025 together and reaping the fruits of the work done in these two years, where both proved their speed and talent, and we are sure that they will continue to do so and make further progress.”

Watch all the action from the season finale at Jerez using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Every race decided by less than a second. Three different winners and six different podium finishers. Countless dreams turned into a reality and memories made to last a lifetime. The inaugural FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship has been nothing short of remarkable and now, it’s down to the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto to decide the first-ever Champion in the class. It’s a showdown between Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros. Racing Yamaha Team) and Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) with just 18 points splitting them, whilst the Championship’s most-recent race winner Sara Sanchez (Terra&Vita 511 Racing Team) has a tiny chance if things should take a turn ahead of her.

THE HEAVYWEIGHT FINALE: Carrasco vs Herrera in history-making title race

She may have four wins in comparison to Herrera’s five but Ana Carrasco is leading the Championship into the final round of the season. The mathematics are simple: if she wins Race 1, Herrera must be second to deny Carrasco the title. If Herrera wins both races, Carrasco must be P2 at least once, as two P3s will only tie her on points but she’ll lose out on countback of wins. A dramatic end to WorldWCR’s first season but the one it deserves. Herrera has beaten the likes of Fabio Quartararo at Jerez in JuniorGP™ a decade ago, whilst Carrasco has had her own wins at the track, back in WorldSSP300 in 2019. Both are the heavyweights of the class and the obvious target for Sanchez. A costly Cremona crash has halted a realistic chance of the title, however, if there was to be a first incident of the year between the two girls ahead of her, then she would be in a prime place to take advantage and inject another breath into her title chances. Slim yes but impossible, no. This is motorcycle racing after all.

OUTSIDE THE TITLE FIGHT: Neila seeking to confirm her ‘best of the rest’ status

Awsy from the top three and the title fight, Beatriz Neila (Ampito/Pata Prometeon Yamaha) returned to the rostrum last time at Estoril and now, she gets to showcase her talents again at a circuit she knows well. It’s a pleasing circularity for Neila and WorldWCR overall, as this was the circuit where the first demonstration lap was undertaken by Neila herself. Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) is 27 behind Neila and struggled to emulate her Cremona podium feat at Estoril. Pakita Ruiz (46+1 Racing Team) sits sixth and can leapfrog Ponziani if the Italian has a tricky weekend, whilst Tayla Relph (TAYCO Motorsport) is a solid seventh and hopes to finish 2024with top five results, having tested at Jerez. Mexican rider Astrid Madrigal (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) has been one of the riders in form of recent rounds with six consecutive top ten finishes; can Jerez see her crack the top five? Ran Yochay’s (Terra&Vita 511 Racing Team) season has had a mid-season dip meaning she’ll be extra motivated for top ten finishes this weekend, whereas completing the top ten is Ornella Ongaro (Ongaro Racing Team).

REASON TO BELIEVE: concluding 2024 on a high

A best weekend of 2024 last time out for Adela Ourednickova (DafitMotoracing by Smrz) saw her in the top ten in both races, whilst it was also the biggest points haul of Mallory Dobbs’ (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) season with eighth and seventh at Estoril. Chun Mei Liu’s (WT Racing Team Taiwan) season has been cut short after her Race 1 crash at Estoril, leaving her vulnerable to the opposition behind in the standings. Emily Bondi (YART Zelos Black Knights Team) ties Liu on 31 right now, with Chilean Isis Carreno (AD78 FIM Latinoamerica by Team GP3) just one point further back, also tied with Lucy Michel (TSL-Racing). Carreno’s return from injury at Estoril welcomed her back to the points with 13^th in Race 1 before moving into P9 in Race 2. Nicole van Aswegen (Andalaft Racing) remains out after her leg fracture at Portimao, meaning home-hero Andrea Sibaja (Deza – Box 77 Racing Team) will look to end her year at home on a positive note, with three straight points-scoring rides in as many races. Austria’s Lena Kemmer (Bertl K. Racing Team) completes the top 20 and aims to return to the points after missing them in both races at Estoril for the first time in 2024.

POINTS TO PROVE: 2024’s final hurrah with a plan to end on a high

Luna Hirano (Team Luna) has had four points-scoring finishes in 2024 with a top ten at Donington Park but missed the points in the last three races; can she showcase her potential this weekend? Jessica Howden’s (Team Trasimeno) pace is there but getting points and the bike to the end of races has been a struggle – a previous test at Jerez may help her cause this weekend. Colombian rider Sara Varon (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) seeks her first points of 2024 after missing the opening two rounds through injury and the rider from Ibague does come from her best weekend of the year at Estoril. Iryna Nadieieva (MPS.RT) remains out, as does Alyssia Whitmore (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) – the British rider is replaced by Jamie Hanks-Elliott for Jerez after bagging the team their first double points-scoring ride of the year.

There are two new faces on the grid for this round too, with British ace Chloe Jones (GR Motosport) debuting for Brent Gladwin’s team – Gladwin is no stranger to World Championship paddocks, having fielded WorldSBK wildcards before and also take the European Superstock 1000 crown in 1999 with Karl Harris; his team have won plenty of titles in British Superbike classes and this year, took their first win. The other rider is American Sonya Lloyd (Lloyd Motorsports), as she doubles up the American contingency on the grid with both aiming to score points in their debut weekend.

JOIN THE COMMUNITY: Follow WorldWCR on X, Instagram and Facebook and watch all the races FREE on YouTube! Races get underway on Saturday and Sunday at 12:45, with Tissot Superpole starting on Friday at 14:00. All times are local (UTC +1).

Source: WorldSBK.com

One of the hottest MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship silly season topics will cool off, as Andrea Iannone agreed to stay with Team GoEleven for the 2025 campaign. Iannone’s first WorldSBK season was capped off with a victory at Aragon a few weeks ago, and he’ll return next year as he looks to add more wins and podiums to his tally following a stellar rookie campaign. It puts to bed any speculation about Iannone’s future, with the Italian committed to his Independent Ducati team for another season.

A DEBUT TO REMEMBER: Iannone straight on the rostrum

The 35-year-old made his WorldSBK debut in Australia and, despite four years with no racing, was immediately on the podium. Third in Race 1, while also leading the race, was an impressive start and he backed that up with second in the Tissot Superpole Race in Barcelona, getting the best seat in the house as Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) created one of the races of the season with a final corner showdown.

MIXED RESULTS: an up and down year for the rookie

It’s no surprise that Iannone’s results have been mixed, with inexperience of the Panigale V4 R, Pirelli tyres and some circuits mixed with his four years away creating the perfect storm for an inconsistent season. He took a best of fourth at Assen but was 15^th in the Superpole Race, fifth in the Superpole Race at Misano but 11^th in Race 2 and didn’t score a single-digit result at Donington Park. He returned to the podium in Race 1 at the Autodrom Most, before taking P4 at Portimao in Race 2.

THE END OF HIS ROOKIE CAMPAIGN: winner at Aragon, consistently in the top ten

As Iannone’s gained more experience, his consistency has improved. Fifth, 11^th and 12^th at Mangy-Cours was followed by a third and two retirements at Cremona but, since then, the #29 has been a consistent figure in the top ten. That all started with a famous win at Aragon, his first in eight years in all Championships, and GoEleven Ducati’s first since 2020 at the same venue. Two fourth-place finishes followed on Sunday before he took ninth twice and eighth at Estoril. Iannone is in a tight fight for P6 in the Championship. He currently sits seventh on 211 points, four behind Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in sixth and eight ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha).

BEFORE WORLD SUPERBIKE: a race winner in MotoGP™

Iannone made a name for himself in the 125cc World Championship, taking four wins and a best Championship finish of seventh in his final season. That earned him a spot in Moto2™ for 2010 and he spent three seasons in that category, finishing third in each one. Eight wins and 19 podiums was enough to secure him a spot in MotoGP™ with Pramac Ducati. He stayed there for two seasons before the switch to the factory Ducati team for 2015 and 2016, when the Italian became a race winner with victory in the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix. He then moved to Suzuki for two seasons before one year with Aprilia in MotoGP™. However, he was sanctioned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following a violation of an anti-doping rule after a positive test for a banned substance in the following Malaysian GP, coming in from December 17th, 2019, which kept him away from competitive racing for four years.

IANNONE’S THOUGHTS ON HIS RENEWAL: “We will continue to work together to constantly improve…”

Discussing his new contract with Team GoEleven, Iannone said: “I am happy to continue this journey with the Pata GoEleven Team riding the Ducati Panigale V4 R. The first year in the WorldSBK Championship was full of surprises and satisfactions, we will continue to work together to constantly improve and reach new goals. I thank Gigi Dall’Igna, Claudio Domenicali, Paolo Ciabatti, Marco Zambenedetti, Mauro Grassilli and the whole Pata GoEleven Team for the renewed trust. A special thanks also to Remo Gobbi and the WorldSBK family.”

THE TEAM SAYS: “We are ready to fight for the important position in 2025!”

Team Owner, Gianni Ramello, added: “Keeping continuity to the project with Andrea Iannone, it means a lot to all our team, I was particularly keen on it because I am convinced that, with the experience gained in 2024, we could have a lot of data in each race and start with a solid base. We are following up on a choice made at the end of 2023, a choice outside the box, but which still proved to be a winning one, giving us great satisfaction and podiums. I also want to welcome Pata, who chose to believe in GoEleven and Andrea’s project, allowing us to make a further step forward, joining the support of all our partners and sponsors. I would like to thank all my collaborators, especially Elia, Denis and Luciana who have always supported me in this journey and Ducati which allows us to have a competitive and strong bike. A specific mention for Andrea, a rider and man with whom a special relationship was born, different from many others, I didn’t know him but after a few races he entered my heart, not only for the talent he showed, but also as a person. Knowing that we will go on together in 2025, it fills me with great enthusiasm, and we are ready to fight for the important positions in 2025!”

DENIS SACCHETTI’S VIEW: “I’m really excited to be able to keep working with Andrea in 2025…”

Team GoEleven’s Team Manager, Denis Sacchetti, stated: “I am really excited to be able to keep working with Andrea in 2025, I believe that he and the team have provided harmony and continuous growth, this is certified by the victory at Aragon, a dream come true with three rounds to go, which projects us to 2025 with very high motivation. After four years without racing and a championship, tyres, bike, brand new for Andrea, the results have been better than expected that’s why we are sure that we can aim for even more important results. Our project is further enhanced by a fantastic bike, the Ducati Panigale V4R, of which we will enjoy all the technological developments that Ducati will bring on tracks. I would like to thank Andrea Iannone, Mauro Grassilli, Marco Zambenedetti, Gigi Dall’Igna for the renewed trust in us and the Ramello family for the effort they are putting into the growth of Go Eleven.”

Can Iannone win at the final round of the season? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid will have four extra riders on it at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto as the paddock gears up for an epic end-of-season round. The Prometeon Spanish Round will host the action as four wildcards – two Hondas and two Yamahas – join the grid to add to the intrigue around this year’s finale.

NAGASHIMA BACK WITH TEAM HRC: Japanese rider set for Jerez comeback

Tetsuta Nagashima has been seen on occasion with Team HRC and he’ll make a welcome return to WorldSBK action at Jerez as one of the four wildcards. He last raced in WorldSBK back in 2022 at Phillip Island, impressing in mixed conditions. Nagashima will be supported by the test team at Jerez, with the Japanese rider’s duties with Honda including testing the CBR1000RR-R. He’s also won the iconic Suzuka 8 Hours on multiple occasions, alongside Iker Lecuona in 2022 and Xavi Vierge last year; he’ll race alongside both at Jerez.

Nagashima said: “I’m really looking forward to competing in the final round of the WorldSBK Championship at Jerez. I’ve been carrying out WorldSBK testing for a while now, and in 2022, I took part in my first and only race weekend in Australia, where the results weren’t bad. I’m curious to see how the bike performs now and what we can achieve. I hope to gain a better understanding of the bike and identify the differences with respect to two years ago. I can’t wait to be back in action.”

BERNARDI RETURNS: second consecutive weekend for the Sammarinese

Luca Bernardi is back in WorldSBK for the second consecutive weekend, linking up with the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team. The Sammarinese rider competed in 2022 with the Barni Ducati outfit before finding a new home in the Italian Superbike championship. A tricky Estoril last weekend meant he didn’t score points, but he’ll be back at Jerez and aiming to return to the points-paying positions in the final round of the season.

On his second wildcard of the season, Bernardi said: “First of all, I am very happy to be able to still be part of Sandro Carusi’s team. Jerez is a track that I really like. I have never raced on this track, only tested, and I know that it is very technical and that it suits my riding style. I hope to continue the work started in Portugal, to continue my growth and to obtain better results.”

RYDE COMING TO JEREZ ON THE CREST OF A WAVE: the 2024 British champion in WorldSBK

Kyle Ryde’s wildcard was announced a long time ago and since then, he and his OMG Racing team have been enjoying domestic success. Ryde won the British championship last weekend at Brands Hatch, up against Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK), before heading to Spain for his first WorldSBK appearance. The 27-year-old has experience of the paddock, having raced in WorldSSP in 2016 and 2017, while he was on the rostrum in a one-off appearance in 2015 at Donington Park.

Speaking when his wildcard was announced in September, Ryde said: “It’s obviously really exciting to hear that the team will be going to compete in the final round of the FIM Superbike World Championship at Jerez, and it is something I’m incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to do. I love Jerez, it is such an awesome track. I did a few laps there on my R6 earlier this year, and I really like the circuit, so I’m already itching to get out on the World Superbike-spec R1. The team are working hard behind the scenes now to get it all ready, and I just can’t wait. Thank you to Alan, Paul and all my guys for giving up their time and efforts to give us the chance to ride on the world stage.”

BRIDEWELL COMPLETES HONDA CONTINGENT: the Brit returns for a second wildcard

Bridewell was Ryde’s rival in the BSB title fight and both will be on track at Jerez. The 2023 British champion raced in WorldSBK at Cremona this year, where he also tested with Team HRC back in the summer. With six CBR1000RR-R machines on the grid, Bridewell will be hoping he can make a step forward and he revealed he would have a slightly upgrade spec of his machine.

He said: “I love racing motorbikes so to get to go and have another go is another great opportunity to go out and race my bike. Jerez is a really good circuit too as it’s got a bit of everything, heavy braking with a slow first sector that then starts opening up and getting quicker and quicker. Going to Jerez for me is about continuing the work that we are doing, gathering information and doing the best that I can. I rode well at Cremona with the package that we were on and ultimately, we will be a little bit better equipped with a slightly upgraded spec at Jerez. I want to go there and do as well as I can.”

Follow all the action from Jerez using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for the 2024 season finale this weekend. All four titles will be decided as WorldSBK, WorldSSP, WorldSSP300 and WorldWCR are in action in the south of Spain for the Prometeon Spanish Round, where history will be made. We’ve gathered some of the key numbers to watch out for, with big milestones on the horizon…

116-118-119 – Italy has 116 wins, 2 short of the 3rd all-time place held by Australia and 3 less than the 2nd place held by the United States. Great Britain leads with 307.

88.8 – After the Estoril weekend, Razgatlioglu holds the all-time record of percentage of podium finishes (88,8%) and wins (62,9%) for any given manufacturer in history, discounting Mick Doohan and his 3 wins out of 4 races for Yamaha.

46/37/25 – Toprak Razgatlioglu has an advantage of 46 points over Nicolo Bulega in the standings. He needs to have 37 after Race 1 to claim the title or 25 after the Superpole Race, as in case of a tie after the last race his wins tally is enough to make him Champion.

31/32 – BMW needs just one win to reach Suzuki in 6th in the all-time list (32 wins).

31-13 – BMW have 31 wins, before this season they had 13.

28 – In 2019, Jerez became the 28^th track that Yamaha won at. The 27^th track had been Silverstone, nine years earlier, when Cal Crutchlow achieved a double. At the moment, Yamaha have won at 34 tracks.

22 – The manufacturer with most podiums at Jerez is Ducati with 22, followed by Kawasaki with 17.

18 – BMW have 18 wins this season. Only Ducati and Kawasaki have scored 19 or more. Only Ducati have scored 20 or more (record: 28 last year).

12-0 – Ducati are the most successful manufacturer with 12 wins, more than the sum of its competitors, Aprilia and Kawasaki (4 each), and Yamaha (3). BMW, the manufacturer currently leading the Riders’ World Championship with Toprak Razgatlioglu, have never won here.

11/5 – The last 11 wins here (starting from 2019) came only from the first two grid spots, the last 5 all from pole position.

9 – Only one win here didn’t come from the first six grid places: that was Jonathan Rea, winning from 9^th in 2017, Race 2.

9 – Last year, Jonathan Rea claimed the record of Jerez podiums, 9, overtaking Chaz Davies’ 8.

9/10 – 9 years out of 10, we had a rider winning twice at Jerez: 1990 (Roche); 2013 (Laverty); 2014 (Melandri); 2016 (Davies); 2017 (Rea); 2019 (Bautista: Race 1 and Superpole Race); 2020 (Redding: Race 1 and 2); 2021 (Razgatlioglu); 2023 (Bautista: 3 times).

5-3 – Until last year, the record of wins here was split by Jonathan Rea and Chaz Davies, with 3 each. Bautista twelve months ago, with a triple, increased his tally from 2 to 5.

4 – The best winning streak at this track belongs to Aprilia: 4 from 2013 to 2014. Ducati stands at 3 after last year’s Bautista triple.

4-4 – Kawasaki and Ducati share the record of poles here: 4.

3x3x3 – Toprak Razgatlioglu counts 56 wins, just three short of the 3rd all-time place held by Carl Fogarty. Ahead: Jonathan Rea at 119 and Alvaro Bautista at 63. So, Razgatlioglu needs 3 race wins in the last 3 races to reach the 3rd all-time spot this year.

1 – Jerez was the scene of the first WorldSBK Superpole and win for Scott Redding, in 2020 in Race 1.

Watch every moment from the season finale using the WorldSBK VideoPass – only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

And so it comes down to the final round of the season to determine the 2024 Superbike World Champion. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) versus Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) isn’t the heavyweight title duel that anyone expected coming into the season. When the chequered flag falls on Sunday to draw a close to the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign, it will be remembered for Razgatlioglu.

BOX OFFICE RAZGATLIOGLU: a massive statement…

The BMW star has been box office all season. He’s the focus of attention every time he rolls down pitlane and on Saturday he’ll have the chance to wrap up his second world title. Toprak is standing on the verge of history. To win the title for BMW would be a massive statement of his talent, determination, and racing instinct. When he announced his move to the German manufacturer last year, there were scoffs around the paddock. Everyone has been eating humble pie since then.

A NEW-LOOK BATTLE: Razgatlioglu takes on Ducati

Coming into the season, I wrote that Toprak has changed the dynamic of his battle with Bautista and Ducati. Moving to BMW was another chance to prove himself. The question posed at the time was whether he could win a title and he answered that question very quickly. Looking more comfortable and natural on the BMW than he did on the Yamaha is something that was unfathomable a year ago. Go back and watch videos of Toprak on the R1 and compare him to now. Amazingly, he looks better now than ever. BMW’s test programme got him ready for the season. His ability on the bike moulded the team around him and got them ready to win.

EARLY SUCCESS: the BMW switch vindicated by Round 2

By the second round of the campaign, I wrote that the new track surface in Australia had helped BMW. Had the high grip nature of the asphalt and mid race pit stops papered over some cracks? Toprak won in Catalunya. By Assen “the best pound for pound rider in WorldSBK” had shown he could lead BMW to the promised land. By Round 4 he had taken the title lead. At the time, just four months ago, rumours started spreading about BMW making a move to MotoGP™. The pressure to win was immense and so Toprak went on a relentless winning run that lasted for the summer. He reeled off 13 wins on the bounce. The bounce that mattered for the 2024 campaign though was just around the corner. 

ALL CHANGE: Razgatlioglu’s big France crash and Aragon comeback

With the Championship now, as I wrote in July, “inevitable” we were given the reminder that in motorcycle racing nothing can ever be taken for granted. A sickening Free Practice crash at the French Round saw Toprak lucky to escape without broken bones. The crash though was bad. Forced to miss six races due to a lung injury he watched on as Bulega doubled up in France and clawed back points at Cremona. Having to sit on the sidelines was tough for Toprak so when he came back at Aragon, he was ready to prove his worth.

Finishing second in all three races was a stellar return by any standards. Last weekend he finished 1-2-1 and when he clinched Saturday’s win it was clear how much the victory meant to Razgatlioglu and his team. On a weekend of tricky conditions, he had proved his mettle and won his battles.

TITLE ALMOST SECURED: the right rider-machine combination is crucial

If nothing else for fans this year Toprak has proved that, once again, the most important factor in success in motorsport is the man on the machine. The right rider makes the difference. The right rider galvanises a team. The right rider makes people believe. The right rider can define a season. The fight to get back on track after Magny-Cours was more intense than anything he’s faced this season. On Saturday he’ll have the chance to claim the title. It will be richly deserved.

Watch the 2024 title race conclude in style using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is heading to the final round of the season at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto this week, and Pirelli have announced their solutions ahead of the Prometeon Spanish Round. Similarly to the previous Estoril Round, teams and riders will have options which include the two versions of the SCX back tyre, the standard solution at the front and the development D0820.

FRONT CHOICES: Standard solutions

The standard Pirelli tyres that are on offer from Pirelli as the front options include the SC1 medium tyre which is the softest available along with the SC2 hard tyre. In the event of wet weather, the riders and teams will have the choice of the standard intermediate and rain tyres.

REAR SOLUTIONS: SCX variants are back
 

Pirelli have decided to rely on the same specifications that were also on offer in Portugal, including the pair of rear SCX variants. There will be a double option of SCX and rain allocations. For the rear, the two versions of SCX, the standard version and the development specification D0820. The development tyre is intended only for Tissot Superpole and the Tissot Superpole Race. If there is rain at Jerez, there will be two options including the standard SCR1 in 7 units and SCR1 development in D0737 specification in 5 units.

 

WORLD SUPERSPORT: Four standard tyre options

In the WorldSSP class, for the front, each rider will have the SC1 soft compound and the medium compound SC2, while at the rear it’s a choice of the super soft SCX or soft SC0 tyre. If it rains, the options are once again from the standard tyres for both the front and rear: in both cases, it’s the standard rain tyre available with no intermediate option.

PIRELLI SAYS: “It’s important to give the teams the peace of mind of counting on the same range of options that they already had in Estoril a few days ago.”
 
Describing the allocation for the Spanish round, Pirelli’s Motorcycle Racing Director Giorgio Barbier said: “The Jerez round is the last of the season and is decisive for the final definition of the standings, so we felt it was important to give the teams the peace of mind of counting on the same range of options that they already had in Estoril a few days ago.

“These are all solutions that they already know very well, including the development SCX in D0820 specification which has given very positive feedback in all the rounds in which it has been present. The riders have chosen it as a race option on several occasions, so they will be able to focus on the work to be done on the set-up of the bikes and finding their best performance… it will be up to them to play the cards available to the best of their ability.”

Explaining how the tyres perform at the circuit, they added: “At the Jerez de la Frontera circuit, it is often subject to a large temperature difference between the morning and afternoon sessions, which requires good adaptation from the tyres.”

Follow all the action from the final round at the Jerez Circuit using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com