The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has seen plenty of drama over the years, some of which has come down to choosing the right tyre at the right time. Sometimes it’s starting on a completely different type of tyre – a wet-weather one instead of a dry, perhaps – or choosing a softer compound, but every decision matters and can prove crucial in races. Let’s look back at some of the biggest tyre choices and how they led to success…

NICHOLAS SPINELLI, ASSEN RACE 1, 2024: the intermediate call

Starting with the most recent, if you look up “super sub” in the dictionary now, you’ll see “Nicholas Spinelli (Barni Spark Racing Team)”. Epitomising the phrase, Spinelli replaced the injured Danilo Petrucci at Assen and found himself on the top step of the rostrum. He went for an intermediate front and rear tyre on a wet track, while everyone else went for slicks with the rain stopping and track drying. A well-timed red flag – for Spinelli and the team anyway – meant he held on for victory in his first race, after his lead of almost 26 seconds was cut to two at the time of the stoppage, with a third of the race remaining.

JONATHAN REA, MOST RACE 1, 2023: a first, and only, win of the year

Jonathan Rea’s (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) final season with the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK outfit was difficult, with only one win to his name. That came at the Autodrom Most, when he opted to use intermediate tyres while his rivals went for full wets. Losing ground in the opening laps, he stormed his way to P1 when the track dried out, taking advantage of not quite dry conditions and his opponents switching tyres for a last win with KRT.

ALVARO BAUTISTA, AUSTRALIA SUPERPOLE RACE, 2022: a risk pays off

With that year’s title won, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had nothing to lose in the Tissot Superpole Race, and he opted for slicks on a damp-but-drying track. He lost ground at the start of the 10-lap race, dropping to 14^th at the end of Lap 1 from pole position, but was soon into his grove and fought his way into the lead, before claiming victory by just over three seconds. You can watch his epic comeback from his onboard camera right HERE.

SCOTT REDDING, ARAGON RACE 2, 2021: slicks on a drying track

When racing for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team, Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) took a big risk at MotorLand Aragon. A pre-race shower had dampened the track but the #45 opted to go for slick tyres and it looked like it wouldn’t pay off for the Brit, initially dropping down to fifth. However, with the track constantly drying, he took the lead on Lap 6 and didn’t look back, going on to claim his first victory of the year by almost 10 seconds.

CHAZ DAVIES, MAGNY-COURS RACE 1, 2016: intermediates as others go for full wets

The Magny-Cours circuit was wet but with the sun shining, Chaz Davies was able to make the intermediate tyre work during Race 1 in France on his Ducati. He started from third and was able to stay in that group throughout the race but lost time in the opening stages, before fighting his way to the front as others opted to make pit stops and change from their full wet tyres. He took the lead ahead of Tom Sykes on Lap 17 of 21 and didn’t look back for the first of his two wins that weekend.

PIERFRANCESCO CHILI, MISANO RACE 2, 2004: a fierce fightback

After dropping to 11^th in the opening part of the race, Pierfrancesco Chili, using intermediate tyres with the threat of rain looming, to full advantage on home soil. With 10 laps to go, the Italian was trailing race leader Regis Laconi by 10 seconds, but the pace Chili had in the closing stages meant that gap came down before a stunning last-lap pass meant Chili claimed his last WorldSBK win.

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The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is well underway, with three rounds and nine races already in the history books and a lot becoming an instant classic. From last-lap deciders, final corner showdowns and incredible tyre gambles, the first quarter of 2024 has had everything. Now it’s time to dissect what we’ve been able to learn from the first three rounds with a stunning season in store.

BMW IN CONTENTION AT EVERY TRACK: wins in Barcelona and at Assen for the first time…

BMW’s step forward in 2024 was clear but now it’s safe to say they’re in contention at most, if not every, circuit. At the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, neither BMW nor Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had won before. Until this year. A strategic masterclass followed up by an unforgettable final-corner showdown changed their record, and it was similar at Assen too. Neither rider nor manufacturer had tasted victory but the #54 changed that. The good thing for BMW is it’s not just Razgatlioglu at the front, with teammate Michael van der Mark close to the front in 2024.

ALEX LOWES’ BIG STEP FORWARD: eight top-six finishes in nine races

With Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) leaving KRT for this season, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) became the de facto team leader and he’s embraced that role. He’s now working with Pere Riba and has spoken about what they’re working on including managing situations better, with the team getting results. Two wins, three podiums and every race bar one in the top six show the Brit’s progress in 2024.

A THREE-WAY TITLE FIGHT? Bautista, Bulega and Razgatlioglu to battle it out?

The top three in the Championship are just starting to break away from the rest of the pack, potentially setting up a three-rider title fight. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed the standings lead at Assen and he’s six points ahead of Razgatlioglu in second, while Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) is third on 109 points and eight behind the #54. It’s early days, there’s plenty of twists to come, but will WorldSBK in 2024 be a three-way title fight?

IANNONE’S LEVEL IS REAL: no pre-round testing, still towards the front

Both the Australia and Catalunya Rounds featured a pre-round test in the lead up to the weekend, but the Dutch Round didn’t have this. It perhaps added an extra challenge for Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven), but he proved he was rapid without testing beforehand, fighting towards the front and in the podium places more often than not at Assen. Of course, it’s a circuit he knows well from his MotoGP™ days, but it had still been four years without riding there competitively.

REA FINDING HIS FEET AT YAMAHA: a pole position and closer to the front

Jonathan Rea’s (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) move to Yamaha hasn’t gone quite as he’d expected just yet, but there were signs in the Netherlands that he’s adapting to the R1 machine. He took pole in mixed conditions and was closer to the front than he’d been before – 5.376s from victory in Race 1, compared to 16.963s in Barcelona Race 2 (he didn’t finish Race 1) and 38 seconds in Australia Race 1 (he didn’t finish Race 2, so no comparison can be made) – before being caught up in Lowes’ Turn 1 accident in Race 2 at Assen. The first blue podium remains elusive and maybe conditions helped a bit, but Rea and Yamaha will be happy to see him closer to the front with more to come.

MAKING PROGESS: compared to 2023…

After three rounds, it’s possible to make comparisons with to 2023. The big one is that BMW have scored 80 more points this year compared to last season (126 in 2024 vs 46 last season), with Kawasaki also up by seven points. Yamaha have lost the most in a year-on-year comparison, down 42 points, with Honda 33 points lower and Ducati 17 down in a year-on-year comparison. In terms of riders, Alex Lowes and van der Mark are the big winners, up 49 and 39 points respectively. Riders who have switched teams are generally down year-on-year; Rea’s down 50 points and Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) is 55 points worse off. Razgatlioglu is also down, but only by a point and, of course, he had a technical problem fighting for the podium in Race 2 in Australia. Although he didn’t switch teams, Bautista is worse off compared to 2023 to the tune of 51 points.

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One novelty that came when the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship calendar was announced was the Cremona Circuit in northern Italy, which would host its first round in WorldSBK. Preparations for the track’s debut have been underway ever since, with modifications to the track and viewing facilities already completed plus a freshly unveiled logo to mark the milestone in the circuit’s history.

Shortly after the calendar was announced, it was announced that the circuit would undergo renovations to several aspects of the track including track layout enhancements, resurfacing and an expansion to the spectator facilities. The circuit now has capacity for approximately 20,000 fans, while the track works mean a new length of 3.768 kilometres for the circuit. The work started in January 2024 and was completed in March, with a particular focus on the final sector of the Italian circuit and Turns 11, 12 and 13. A new vehicle entrance has also been created to improve access to the circuit, with the new one separate from the pedestrian one.

Not only have works been completed on the circuit, but a new, fresh, look has been revealed ahead of WorldSBK’s visit in the form of a new logo. Designed to incorporate vital aspects of riding a bike to its maximum – acceleration, turning, and braking – it also features the traditional red and grey colours of the Cremona region.

Discussing the circuit changes and new logo, Cremona Circuit CEO, Alessandro Canevarolo, said: “We are excited to present this new logo to the world, which distinguishes us for our proximity to people, the territory, motorcycle, and motorsport lovers. We have chosen as inspiration one of the most iconic curves of the circuit, Turn 10, which launches us on the long straight adrenaline rush, graphically applying to the logo all the features that our motorcyclists know. The colours: red and dark grey, represent in themselves the passion and territory of Cremona. The track opened in early April, and many enthusiasts have already been able to enjoy the elevation slopes and new layout of the last stretch of the track.”

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Following the thrilling 2024 Pirelli Dutch Round, the TT Circuit Assen and WorldSBK are delighted to announce the extension of their agreement, securing the venue as a host circuit until 2031. This extension promises continued excitement for motorsport fans and ensures a Dutch Round in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship calendar for a further six years.

The 2024 event attracted 56,734 attendees over three days, showcasing the circuit’s appeal and its importance to the community and the championship. The Dutch Round remains a pivotal event, especially for home-grown talents like Michael van der Mark, Jeffrey Buis, and up-and-coming riders such as Loris Veneman, and Glenn van Straalen, the latter clinching his first WorldSSP victory this year.

The agreement builds on a strong tradition of racing at the TT Circuit Assen, known affectionately as the ‘Cathedral of Speed’. Having hosted WorldSBK since 1992, the circuit’s role is further underscored with the renewed commitment with MotoGP™, also extended until 2031. This double commitment underlines TT Circuit Assen’s prominent role in both world-class motorcycle racing championships.

Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Executive Director, commented: “We are proud to announce the continuation of TT Circuit Assen as a staple venue in the WorldSBK calendar through 2031. TT Circuit Assen, with its rich history and thrilling racing, remains an essential part of the WorldSBK heritage. We are excited to keep delivering outstanding racing experiences to our fans.”

Arjan Bos, Chairman of TT Circuit Assen, added: “WorldSBK is such an important fixture on our calendar. Because of the constant interaction with the fans, young and old, we can continue to grow our fanbase for motorsport in general. World Superbike always gets a lot of appreciation from riders and public alike. We are very proud to continue as a location for this major event.”

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As far as starting a new chapter with a different manufacturer, things don’t get much better than Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) new journey with BMW. He’s the first rider to three wins in a season where many doubted if he’d be a Championship contender, whilst he’s just six points away from top spot – answering the critics in true Toprak style on the track. A podium in just his second race for the manufacturer followed by three wins in the last six races, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers said that they’re “going to go for it” in terms of a Championship charge immediately after Race 2, whereas technical director Chris Gonschor spoke of the developments of the project from all aspects and how it feels to be part of it right now.

“RACE 2 WAS THE BEST PART OF THE WEEKEND… SPECIAL TIMES” – Gonschor on Toprak’s third win

“Race 2 was the best part of the weekend but anyway, it was a good weekend,” began Gonschor as the teams packed away from the Pirelli Dutch Round. “Toprak showed a good performance on the SC0 tyre, and he managed to do it perfectly until the end of the race. The Superpole Race was a gamble for everybody, as everyone went with the SCQ but nobody had experience with it. So it was a hard race for Toprak and for us to watch, but it is very good to see how strong he came back in Race 2 and finish an incredible race.”

Talking about how the position of the project now and them being regular winners and contenders, he continued: “It is special times with special focus for all of our riders and bikes. OK, we don’t have all four of our riders at the front right now but the performance from Mikey in Race 2 showed how hard we can fight and work with the bike, which is the most important thing for me as an engineer. Toprak managed it from his point of view from the lead and then from sixth to recover by staying calm. Mikey was fighting like the good old Mikey and we saw today why he was a race winner in the past, and I am sure he will come back to the podium soon.”

“ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN” – title tilt talks after three rounds

Experessing how talk of a Championship challenge feels following on from Bongers’ comments in pitlane, Gonschor echoed the sentiment and wants it to become normal: “It feels good there is nothing more to say. It shows that the work we do is going in the right direction, and now we have already proved it in the second round. Even during winter testing at Jerez and Portimao, we have been competitive at five tracks now. For sure, it is a long season, and anything can happen, but we will try and fight.”

Speaking personally about how it makes him feel, having been in BMW for his entire working life as well as in the World Superbike team’s official entry as chassis engineer in their first years, he stated: “It feels good because, as I have said, it is passion and everything that I develop with the ladies and gents in Munich makes me happy. It is a technical solution for our rider that they request and that we deliver, so if the rider is happy, we are happy.”

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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has been the home to sensational battles for victory and incredible tussles for the title. In this series, we’ll look at some of the best races the Championship has ever seen, from the mid-90s to last couple of years. From Fogarty to Razgatlioglu, Davies to Laconi, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.

The first of the races features Carl Fogarty’s first victory for Honda in a thrilling encounter at Hockenheim in 1996, before we go five years further forward to witness Regis Laconi’s first win at Imola in Race 2. Then, in 2010, enjoy the closest finish of all time between Leon Haslam and Michel Fabrizio at Phillip Island. Sepang Race 2 from 2015 would see Chaz Davies and Jonathan Rea clash at the final corner on the last lap, before turning the attention to 2019 and Toprak Razgatlioglu giving Turkey their first WorldSBK win.

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Source: WorldSBK.com