Stefano Manzi (Pata Prometeon Ten Kate Racing) remains the only title contender to Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) in the FIM Supersport World Championship following his Race 2 victory at the Circuito Estoril. The pair are separated by 45 points after the Estoril Round with one round left, with Manzi keeping the title fight alive heading to Jerez by beating Huertas in Race 2 after Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) crashed from P1.

Manzi claimed third in Friday’s Tissot Superpole session, with running curtailed thanks to a mid-session downpour meaning there was no chance riders would improve their times. In Race 1, the #62 finished in third place to add to his podium tally for the season, finishing five seconds down on race winner Montella and four seconds away from Championship leader Huertas. Those results put him 50 points behind the #99, almost but not quite ruling him out of Championship contention.

In Sunday’s Race 2, Manzi was running in second behind Montella, and ahead of Huertas, when the Italian ahead crashed out at Turn 7. The crash ended Montella’s title hopes while promoting Manzi into first position. Although Huertas did briefly close the gap to the Yamaha rider, Manzi was able to open it up again to claim a third victory of the season and just keep his title hopes going to Jerez, although they’re very slim chances.

Discussing his Race 2 win, Manzi said: “Race 2 was super good, especially after Saturday which was a bit disappointing. We made quite a big step in Sunday’s Warm Up session, so I already felt really good with the bike. I thought something could happen in the race already in the morning. I started the race and was immediately into second place at Turn 1, but Yari had a very fast rhythm. In the end, he made a mistake, and he was out. When I saw that I had 1.5 seconds over Huertas, and saw the gap was going up a bit. In the end, it was super and quite happy to keep the Championship alive until the last round.”

Heading into Jerez, Huertas leads Manzi by 45 points, meaning the Spanish star will be crowned Champion if he scores five points over the weekend. The Italian would need to win both races and hope Huertas scores fewer than four points to pull off a remarkable comeback. While admitting he wasn’t close to the title, Manzi spoke about the fight.

He said: “I’ll just try to have the best weekend possible, as I said at Cremona to do the last three rounds like this. I’m not close but it’s still alive. We’ll try to have a weekend like this one, the best as possible.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Ducati had reason to celebrate at the Circuito Estoril as they wrapped up the 2024 Manufacturers’ title in the FIM Supersport World Championship. Victory for Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) in Race 1 during the Estoril Round was enough to secure the title with three races to spare, thanks to the efforts of Montella, Championship leader Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) and Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team), all of whom took valuable points for Ducati’s title success.

After returning to the Championship in 2022, Ducati didn’t have to wait long for success. Consistent podiums came in that season with Nicolo Bulega, before winning both the Riders’ Championship and Manufacturers’ Champion in 2023, with Bulega taking the former before his move into WorldSBK. His place was taken by Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team), and he, along with Montella and Tuuli, have won on the Panigale V2 this season.

Out of 22 races run so far this season, Ducati have claimed victory in 18 of them. Huertas has taken the majority of Ducati’s wins this season with 10 victories, giving him control of the Riders’ Championship heading into the season finale at Jerez. The key run for the #99 came between Misano and Most, when he won six consecutive races. Wins have been more difficult since then with just two wins – Race 1 at Cremona and Race 1 at Aragon – since taking the Riders’ title fight to Jerez.

Montella had been in title contention until Estoril, but he has contributed seven wins to Ducati’s charge, starting off his season with a double in Australia before returning to winning ways with two wins at Portimao. Wins at Aragon and in Race 1 at Estoril helped him stay in title contention but a Race 2 crash in Portugal ended his hopes of this year’s crown.

The third and final Ducati race winner this year is Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team), who made a small bit of history. His first three wins in WorldSSP have come with three different manufacturers after he won Race 1 at Magny-Cours in wet conditions.

In the four races not won by Ducati riders, it’s been Huertas and Montella there to pick up the valuable Manufacturers’ Championship points by finishing on the podium in three races. Ducati’s worst result that counted towards the Manufacturers’ Championship was a P4 finish in Race 2 in Barcelona, showing the manufacturer’s pace and potential throughout the whole 2024 season.

Discussing the Bologna-based manufacturer’s success, Gigi Dall’Igna, Ducati Corse General Manager, said: “We are happy and proud to celebrate winning our second WorldSSP Manufacturers’ title, a victory that follows our sixth Constructors’ title in MotoGP at Misano at the end of September. This is another important milestone, once again demonstrating the commitment and dedication of the men and women at Ducati Corse. Thanks to all of them, as well as the teams and riders who helped bring the Panigale V2 to the top of the world.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

A new name took to the top step of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship as Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) claimed her first win in Race 2 of the Estoril Round. Sanchez has consistently been in the lead group throughout the season, standing on the podium seven times prior to the visit to the Circuito Estoril. She came out on top in an epic last-lap battle against Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) in Race 2 to claim her first victory in the Championship and mathematically keep her in title contention heading to Jerez.

Sanchez took fourth in Friday’s Tissot Superpole session and was up against it in Race 1 thanks to a Long Lap Penalty, which she was given for the crash at Cremona in Race 2 which took out Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team). She finished fourth in Race 1 at Estoril despite the red flags curtailing the race, and she set the fastest lap of the race to lead away the Race 2 grid from pole position on Sunday.

Race 2 was another epic four-way scrap, with Sanchez, Carrasco and Herrera joined by Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha). Carrasco led the final lap until the final corner, when Sanchez got a good run out of Turn 13 and utilised the slipstream to great effect, passing the #22 just before the finish line to take victory by 0.032s, the second-smallest winning margin in WorldWCR this season. It was Sanchez’s first of the year as she became the third different victor in 2024.

Discussing her first win, an emotional Sanchez said: “Race 1 was a very difficult race because of the Long Lap Penalty but today I had a good feeling with the bike. I pushed from the first lap to the last lap. On the last lap, I tried to pass Ana. I finally won! I’ve been waiting for this all season.”

Next up for the WorldWCR field is a visit to Jerez for the season finale, which will also decide this year’s title. Carrasco has a healthy points lead heading to Spain, leading Herrera by 18 points while Sanchez is 42 back from the lead. The trio are in mathematical contention, although Sanchez will need a lot of luck and results to go her way.

When she was asked about repeating her win at Jerez, the #64 said: “I hope so! I think Jerez is a good circuit for all the Spanish girls, so I think it’ll be difficult, but we’ll try to win again.”

Watch Tissot Superpole and both races from the title decider at Jerez for FREE on the WorldWCR YouTube channel!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship will be decided in style in the south of Spain at Jerez later this week, with the first Championship-point at Estoril going begging. The closest finish of all-time, Honda’s first podium of the season and a two-horse race to be World Superbike Champion in 2024, the penultimate round of the season was a special one and left us with some muito picante headlines.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “I can’t fight for the title… Nicolo has a small chance; a very small chance”

Playing the team game and thinking in the bigger picture, Alvaro Bautista didn’t threaten Nicolo Bulega but he kept him honest as a reminder of why the #1 is with him for now: “Well, team orders: it’s true that I can’t fight for the title anymore and Nicolo has a chance. A very small chance but anything is possible. In the last laps, I thought, ‘he has to lose as little points as possible’ in comparison to Toprak. I had a big moment exiting Turn 6 and he used that moment to pass. He was in front and I couldn’t catch Toprak, so I thought that maybe he has something but in the end, he was very similar to me. I just stayed behind and, in the last laps, I felt like I had a bit more like in other races but we’re a team.”

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “I tried to bring out more and it paid off… I won the race with the closest finish”

Winning the closest race finish of all-time, Nicolo Bulega’s name is in the history books: “I really enjoyed the Superpole Race this morning because I was very on the limit but on the last lap, I tried to bring out something more. It paid off because Toprak was faster but not in the last corner. I tried something more than 100% and I exited very well. In the end, I won the race with the closest finish. When I got me the Italian flag is when I knew I’d won the race. After the chequered flag, I was just happy because it was quite positive that maybe I won but I wasn’t for sure. Toprak’s wing is quite big so I couldn’t understand if I was in front or not. I was happy anyway but then I saw Toprak and we looked at each other as if to say ‘who won?’ but I don’t think he understood! When I got to Turn 6, Federico Capelli (team press officer) gave me the flag so I understood that I won then! When I saw in the last metres of the last corner that I was gaining, I said ‘I can do it’ so I just stayed focused to try and be perfect, also when changing gear. 0.003s… maybe if I made a mistake with the gear change, I wouldn’t have won. It was important to be perfect.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “If I didn’t come back at Aragon, I’d have lost the Championship”

Angry at the Superpole Race loss, Toprak Razgatlioglu discussed the final lap on Sunday morning as well as thinking in the bigger picture: “When I exited the last corner, I felt and heard a different sound. I understood that he was coming so I went to the right but after that, I stopped as it isn’t allowed. Maybe if it was at Kenan’s track, there’d be no problem but this is the World Championship! Congratulations to Nicolo as he pushed so hard with the SCQ tyre but I’m really surprised that it didn’t drop on the last laps. I saw on my board +0.3s or 0.4s but I thought that it would be impossible as his tyre hasn’t dropped and mine still doesn’t grip. On the last corner, I just felt the spinning and no acceleration and he always caught me there. He passed me on the straight and I’m really angry for that! I won in Race 2 and that’s important as we take good points for the Championship.

“If I didn’t come back at Aragon, I’d have lost the Championship. I tried to come back for Italy but I wasn’t 100%. I came back at Aragon because I needed points for the Championship. Still now, it’s not a big gap. Before the crash, everything was unbelievable; it looked like the title race is done three races early, I felt comfortable and I’d be World Champion.After the crash, everything was destroyed. I haven’t made a plan; I’m just focused on my job and riding the bike and that’s much better for me. That’s why I’m always relaxed on the bike. After the crash, I haven’t lost, I’m just learning. I understand that in the last races, fighting for the Championship, I need to be calmer. Everyday, everyone is learning something.”

Iker Lecuona (Team HRC): “I started crying in pitlane… I’d started to think that maybe I wasn’t good enough”

An emotional second career podium for Iker Lecuona, who proved the doubters – and his inner demons – wrong and showed that he does belong here: “I started crying in the pitlane because even this year, at the beginning, I started to think that maybe I wasn’t good enough. After the injuries and after two years that I struggled a lot, I didn’t feel like a rider. I felt like I was present, did some laps and then went home. I started to cry because I thought about everything, particularly about the things I struggled with mentally. Since the summer, I started working with a pyschologist, to try and help me to be more relaxed in the box and to find a method that works for me. We’re happy because we struggled a lot before. M

Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha): “This is by far my best weekend on the Yamaha”

The best weekend of the season for Jonathan Rea who came away with two top five finishes in the full races and top Yamaha: “On Saturday, my rhythm wasn’t too bad but starting from third, I had good track position. On Sunday, I went down at the chicane in the Superpole Race and then started Race 2 in P10. My start was incredible! 0 to 200kph was one of the best I’ve done. I had good track position at Turn 1, passed Petrucci at Turn 3 and was just focused on Locatelli. We’re on the same bike so I just wanted to keep the rhyrhm; in Race 1, I felt stronger in the latter stages before he went down so I thought that the race may come to me. Then, all of a sudden, he and Iker went down and I was all on my own and I got really nervous! I just tried to focus on the two Ducatis ahead and pull myself from behind. We’re still a bit far from the front group but that’s not my reference right now, I’m my own reference and this is by far my best weekend on the Yamaha. There has to be some reason for optimism and to keep pushing. Jerez, on paper, should be one of the tracks where we’re more competitive.”

Xavi Vierge (Team HRC): “We’re getting super close to Yamaha and especially Kawasaki”

A mighty Sunday comeback from outside the top ten to the top six for Xavi Vierge, who made it 14 top ten finishes in a row, his best ever streak in WorldSBK: “If we compare to the beginning season, I think we are off completely; I’ve said already, the bike looks similar to last year but it’s completely new and we didn’t have track time. Then, we started to follow a certain direction which wasn’t the correct one so, we were completely off. From mid-season to now, we’ve taken our strongest points and tried to minimise our weak ones and I think we can say right now that we’re getting super close to Yamaha and especially Kawasaki. With BMW and Ducati, we’re still a little too far. If we see the improvement we’ve made from the start of the year to now, the next improvements we need to make are smaller. This gives me and everyone in the team confidence. In really difficult times, understanding the correct things makes a big difference.

Jose Escamez (Team HRC team manager): “I have no words; it’s been a rollercoaster… it’s always nice to get this feeling back”

A tearful Jose Escamez, who came into the team management position at Honda only at the start of 2024, was almost lost for words when he gave instant reaction in pitlane to Iker Lecuona’s podium in Race 1: “It’s been amazing; actually, right now, I have no words. It’s been a rollercoaster with lots of ups and downs but Iker made it! I’m happy with some tears. It’s always nice to get this feeling back but we need to be honest; there’s a lot to do and we still need to work a lot. We need to stay humble and keep doing what we’re doing.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The Circuit Estoril provided Yamaha with a glimmer of hope after a difficult recent run in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) finished fifth and fourth in Race 1 and Race 2 respectively during the Estoril Round, while teammate Andrea Locatelli was close to the front even if he didn’t get the results to back that up. Yamaha showed a big improvement in terms of results at Estoril, with both Rea and Locatelli claiming a P4 finish, after recent rounds where getting into the top ten was a challenge.

Mixed conditions on Friday meant there was a lot of uncertainty heading into Saturday’s Tissot Superpole session, where Rea used his wet-weather prowess to secure a first front row start since Assen earlier in the year. Rea used his good starting position to full effect, finishing fifth in Race 1 and fourth in Race 2. He did crash in the Tissot Superpole Race at Turn 10, which meant he lost a top-nine grid slot for Race 2 but was still able to finish P5 for the final race of the weekend after getting a superb start.

When asked whether it was the best weekend of the year, Rea said: “Yeah, 100%. Unfortunately, I didn’t start my morning great which meant I started Race 2 from tenth. That didn’t really matter because I made such a good start. The 0-200km/h stage was good, and I found myself good track position at Turn 1. Iker came past quite early, there was the front group, then Iker, Loka and me. The rhythm was very similar, and those guys went down, suddenly I found myself on my own. I was so nervous! From that point, I just tried to do my rhythm. I felt like I was riding on the limit, so I just backed off a little bit, but it was a long race, so it was just about not making any mistakes, understanding all the sensations from my Yamaha R1 and pushing it to the limit without making any mistakes. 5-4 for the weekend, it’s far and away our best weekend. Something to build on but the gap to the front is still quite big but if we forget about that and look at the progress I’ve made, the team’s made, in the last few rounds since coming back from injury. Aragon was a tough one. To rebound here with some positivity, it’s been solid.”

For teammate Locatelli, the pace was there but not necessarily the results. Fourth in Tissot Superpole gave him a good starting position and he led in Race 1 before his rivals started passing him. His challenge ended in the gravel when he crashed at Turn 7. In the Superpole Race, ‘Loka’ secured a P4 finish, his first top-four result since he was third in Race 2 at Most, before another strong start in Race 2 put him in a good position. Unfortunately for the #55 and his team, he crashed from P4 at Turn 6, ending his weekend on a low point despite good pace.

Despite the two crashes, Locatelli was positive leaving Jerez, saying: “In the end, we can say it was a great weekend because we were always at the front, we showed our potential again. We did the maximum like always, but in this situation, we were really near the top three. We were fighting on Saturday and in the Superpole Race, when we finished in P4. In Race 2, I crashed at Turn 6. We can learn and understand why this happened but maybe we can have a solution for this. We need to keep this motivation and feeling to go to Jerez and try to do the maximum we can again.”

Heading into Estoril, Yamaha’s last top-six result had been Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) at Magny-Cours, when the Australian finished P6, and the last top-four finish was Locatelli’s Most podium (Gardner finished P4 in the same race). The new homologation of the R1, with a few rounds worth of data secured and utilised, has seemingly helped the Japanese manufacturer take a step forward.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship moves from Estoril to the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for Round 12 of the season. The Prometeon Spanish Round hosts the season finale and there are still four titles to be decided in the south of Spain, so don’t miss out on any of the upcoming thrilling action and get your tickets HERE. Here are 10 reasons why you should head to Jerez this weekend.

WORLD SUPERBIKE’S TITLE FIGHT: taken to the last round

While it seems likely Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) will be crowned Champion at Jerez, it’s a title-deciding final round and anything can happen. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) is the only rider who can stop the #54 and he’s sure to put up as much of a fight as possible.

HUERTAS VS MANZI: another decider

In WorldSSP, it’s advantage to Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) with a 45-point lead over Stefano Manzi (Pata Prometeon Ten Kate Racing) in second, with 50 available. Mathematically, the Italian rider can take the title but needs two wins and for Huertas to score a maximum of four points. Still, it’s another title that will be decided in Jerez.

THREE-WAY CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT: WorldSSP300 goes to the wire

Three riders can win the WorldSSP300 title: Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse), Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) and Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki). 32 points separate the three riders and, given WorldSSP300’s unpredictable nature, anything can, and surely will, happen.

CARRASCO VS HERRERA: the last stages of an intense 2024 rivalry

Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) leads the WorldWCR standings by 18 points heading into Jerez, with Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) in second. Their rivalry has ignited in recent rounds and with the title on the line at Jerez, it could go up a notch. Of course, Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) is also in mathematical contention, although needs a lot of luck to go her way.

THE LOCATION: a beautiful part of the world

Jerez is situated in Andalusia in the south of Spain, and it is a beautiful place. Not far from the stunning Sevilla, there’s plenty of history in the Sherry-making region and something for everyone to make it a key part of your Jerez visit.

JEREZ AS A CITY: a must-visit

Jerez de la Frontera is an incredible city to visit, with an old quarter that is the envy of a lot of historic cities. Complete with churches, palaces, museums, and plenty of monuments, staying in Jerez for your visit will complete the weekend.

THE PADDOCK SHOW: entertainment guaranteed

Based in the heart of the paddock, the WorldSBK Paddock Show is the place for all your off-track entertainment. Interactive games and question-and-answer sessions mean fans can get close to their favourite riders in a more casual setting.

PODIUM CELEBRATIONS: joined by the fans

The podium celebrations in all four categories will take place at the Paddock Show, putting fans in the best position to see the celebrations take place. Of course, with titles still to be decided, the podiums could be even more special with Championships being honoured too.

2023 REVISITED: an epic fight for victory…

Of course, things have changed in a year with Razgatlioglu moving to BMW, but last year’s Spanish Round gave us one of the best WorldSBK races of all time. He and Bautista overtook each other 39 times… and 38 of those came in the second half of the race. Re-watch their epic battle HERE. Will there be another unmissable scrap this year?

SEASON FINALE ATMOSPHERE: end of year vibes

While there’s plenty still on the line at Jerez, it’s also going to be a party atmosphere as thousands of fans gather across the weekend to watch four classes provide elbows-out action. You won’t want to miss out on an incredible atmosphere in Spain.

DON’T MISS OUT: get your tickets for the Jerez season finale HERE!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) has enjoyed an impressive 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season with three wins and numerous podiums, and his success this year has been rewarded with the top Independent Riders’ title for the season. He secured the title in Race 2 at the Circuito Estoril as he fended off the challenge from Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven), ensuring he and the Barni Ducati team celebrated success in 2024.

PETRUCCI’S SEASON: three wins, 10 podiums… but a horrible training crash

It has been a turbulent 2024 season for the Italian rider, with some incredible highs: three wins on home soil, podium consistency but also a devastatingly low period when he suffered a near-career ending crash in March whilst training ahead of the Dutch Round: “I must say that the accident I had made me understand the value of life and what matters.” He continued: “From the accident I had during the training in April, from that moment on we had always good fights in the top five, and in August and September we were really good. Now I have no pressure, I still have a good fight with Alex Lowes for fourth place in the Championship but for sure the weekend was something unexpected.”

WRAPPING UP THE INDEPENDENT TITLE: success for Petrucci

Petrucci described his happiness about winning the Independent Riders’ title – with a round to spare despite missing a round earlier in the season following his crash: “I’m really happy…exhausted. Who would have predicted this many podiums and wins, fourth place in the championship especially having missed one and a half rounds.” Despite Estoril not being one of the #9 riders most successful weekends, he still claimed the title ahead of fellow Italian Andrea Iannone (Team GoElevon).

Danilo explained: “In fact, this has been our worst weekend, because I crashed yesterday, fifth this morning and this afternoon… but from one moment to another I have been fighting for the lead all the session. We have faced a lot of difficulties with traction and so on, we are still to understand why, because in testing here it was a good testing and we were quite confident. In the end we managed to enjoy and hope to have a good final round in Jerez.”

2025 CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES? A strong contender for the title

Responding to the potential chance of being a strong contender in 2025, the 33-year-old explained: “It would be really tough to fight for the title next year. I think it would be good to fight for the top 3 in the championship but looking at the people who are in front of us, big names, especially Toprak, Nicolo and Alvaro, really good riders and you have to be perfect to beat them. I don’t know about the title but it would be really nice to finish in the top 3, we will still fight and first of all we have to finish in a good way this championship.”

Looking forward to the final round of the season he added: “Jerez is always a particular round because we have testing there in January so all the riders know the track really well. It’s a track that I like, last year I scored a top five, it was not a really good weekend. but we have no pressure, I want to enjoy this last weekend with my team and a bit of celebration I think after.”

Don’t miss the WorldSBK Championship decider next week in Jerez using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99

Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) achieved two third place results on Sunday in the Superpole Race and Race 2 at the Estoril Circuit. After a disappointing first Race at the track on Saturday, where he crashed out of contention and subsequently out of the title race, it was a positive return for the #1 rider.

BULEGA SUPPORT: Team-mate assists #11

Describing his first race of the day, Bautista said: “In the Superpole Race I could make a really good comeback from 11^th position. I was really happy because I felt strong, Nicolo and Toprak had better pace than me and I finished in third position.” In the afternoon’s Race 2, Bautista demonstrated impressive late race pace, however was conscious of his team mate Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who is still in contention with BMW’s Toprak Razgitaloglu ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to be crowned 2024 Champion. The #1 was leading the race ahead of Bulega, before Razgatiloglu passed both team-mates, and Bulega soon followed; taking second place from Bautista.

“In race 2, in the last few laps, I had something more, maybe attack for second position but at the end he has a chance, a very small chance to fight for the title. So as a team, I think it was better to stay in third. I am proud about this maneuver as it is not easy for a rider to not try and gain any position. I think it was the right decision for the team and I hope we can be closer to fight for the title with Nicolo.”

“It’s not my mentality, but today was like this…I still help.”

It was evident Bautista was able to fight for second position, but with team loyalties in mind, the Ducati rider remained in third position. “Behind Nicolo especially in the last three laps I felt I could brake harder than him and he was stopping me in some areas, but in some places, I can attack him. I felt I could attack for second, but I think it was correct to let him finish second and not lose a lot of points to Toprak and let’s see what happens in Jerez.”

“You never know what happens in the future but in this moment, I think it was the right decision, I did it. If I can help somebody, I sill help. It’s strange because normally it’s not in my mentally, I want to get the maximum in all the situation but today was like this. I think it has been the first time in all my career that I do this but there is always a first time for everything.

FOTI PRAISES: “In this case today, he was also world champion.”

Ducati’s World Superbike Team Manager, Serafino Foti commented on speculation about team orders between the two Ducati riders and praised Bautista’s efforts to support his team mate in the Championship race, stating; “To be honest, we didn’t show a team order because Alvaro was smart. He worked for the team for the is a team-mate. So, in this case today, he was also world champions. So, and I would like to thank you, Alvaro and also Nicolo, because he did a really good race was difficult to beat Toprak because the differing is quite a lot.”

JEREZ FINAL ROUND: #1 rider’s intentions

Looking ahead to the final round of the 2024 season, Bautista added: “The target will be to have a good feeling with the bike, to enjoy my riding because here I struggle more than in Aragon with traction so let’s see if we can be better and more competitive in Jerez. I will do my best. If in a race situation I can help Nicolo I will do but right now there is no sense to speak about Jerez because we have to start with FP1, FP2 etc.”

Don’t miss the WorldSBK Championship decider next week in Jerez using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99

Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport World Championship Race 2 concluded the racing weekend in Portugal on Sunday afternoon, and an unpredictable race unfolded at the Estoril Circuit perfect weather conditions set the stage for the 18-lap race. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was dominant from lights out, as he led into turn 1 ahead of title rival Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) and the #94 bike of Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha). A surprisingly poor start from Championship leader Adrain Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) meant he fell back to fifth position.

EARLY CRASHES: Bayliss and Booth-Amos out

Turn four witnessed an early race collision on the opening lap, as Thomas Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph) and Australian rider Oliver Bayliss (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) crashed out of contention. Back at the front, the lead group was providing plenty of thrilling racing for the Portuguese spectators as Montella led fellow Italian Manzi in second, whilst Huertas gained momentum to catch Mahias in third position.

TOP THREE BATTLE: Title rivals lead the field

The tension increased as the race continued to unfold in Estoril, and it was the #99 of Huertas who increased the pressure on his championship rivals as he moved into a podium position and hunted down the Ducati frontman. It was a French battle further behind the lead group as Debise and Mahias jostled for fourth place and displaying plenty of skilled overtakes throughout the four-kilometer circuit.

MONTELLA CRASHES: Loses lead and Championship chances

Responding to Manzi’s increase in pressure from P2, Montella attempted to create a larger gap back to the chasing group, but at turn 7 a crucial mistake saw the #55 Italian crash out with just 8 laps remaining. This has now ended his hopes of contending for the WorldSSP 2024 Championship.

HUERTAS V MANZI: Who will be crowned 2024 Champion?

With Manzi and Huertas taking the top two spots on the podium, Debise impressed with a third place in front of Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) and Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in fourth and fifth, whilst Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) rounded off the top 6. The Race 2 result is 4th win for Yamaha this year and the 99th podium for Ducati in the WorldSSP class. The result has created a two-horse race between Huertas and Manzi as the paddock heads to Jerez for the final round of the season next week. Just 45 points separate the #99 and Manzi who is chasing the Spaniard at the top of the current rankings.

The top six from WorldSSP Race 2, full results here:

1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)
2. Adrián Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +2.506s
3. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +4.103
4. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +4.351s
5. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +7.670s
6. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +9.355s

Fastest lap: Stefano Manzi, Yamaha – 1’40.063s

Championship standings:

1. Adrián Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 410 points
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 365
3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 354
4. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) 218
5. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 204
6. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) 184

Don’t miss the WorldSSP Championship decider next week in Jerez using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com