The race for the 2024 FIM Supersport World Championship is well and truly on after the Motul French Round, with Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) taking victory in Race 2 and closing the gap to Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) in the standings to 14 points; it had been 46 heading into the Portuguese Round two rounds ago. Speaking after his victory at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, the Italian stated how it could be the most important win of the season after a hard-fought battle with Huertas and Stefano Manzi (Pata Prometeon Ten Kate Racing).

Montella claimed sixth in Sunday morning’s Race 1 but was penalised for irresponsible riding after making contact with title rival Huertas at Turn 8 in the closing stages, forcing the #99 onto the wet patches although he was able to keep his Panigale V2 machine upright. Montella was given a Long Lap Penalty for the incident, and while he finished behind Huertas in Race 1, it seemed to fire him up for Race 2.

Montella started Race 2 from sixth, while Huertas was third, with the pair having contrasting starts. Montella got away superbly to move into second by the end of Lap 1, behind only Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), while Huertas dropped to fifth. Huertas was back in second behind Montella by Lap 4 but was unable to pass his rival before the fight intensified as Manzi joined the party. It turned into a three-way fight in the final third of the 19-lap race, with Montella, Manzi and Huertas scrapping it out. Championship leader Huertas dropped back over the last couple of laps to finish in third, with Montella resisting Yamaha star Manzi by just 0.171s to claim a hard-fought victory in Race 2 even with the trio often trading positions on track.

Discussing his victory, Montella said: “It was a great victory, and so important. Maybe the most important one of the year, because we fought as a trio until the end. It wasn’t easy to manage the other two riders who I know are very strong. It’s great to be here, win the race and nothing more. We need to keep focused. We were able to start the first two laps with the race pace and maybe I opened the gap, and I forced other riders to push so they could close it. I was able to win because I knew that for them to close the gap, they’d need to use more tyre than me and, in the end, not Manzi but maybe Adrian felt less grip at the end.”

The gap in the Championship standings has closed up massively in the last two rounds. Heading into Portimao, Huertas held a 46-point lead over the #55 Ducati, but it now sits at just 14 points with four rounds to go. Montella gained 26 points at the rollercoaster Portimao venue to reduce it to 20, before gaining another six on the leader at Magny-Cours. With four rounds and eight races to go, there are still 200 points available.

Previewing the next round, which takes place at the Cremona Circuit, Montella said: “It’s more or less a ‘home’ round because I’m seven or eight hours away by car! I expect, like every race, Huertas, Manzi and maybe some other riders. We tested there after Misano and the MV Agusta was strong so maybe they could fight for the victory also. It’s a new track for everybody so I think everybody needs to understand it better. It’s a small track but not easy, with a lot of turns and technical parts. I think it’ll be fun.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team) created a small bit of FIM Supersport World Championship history at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours after claiming Race 1 victory. The Finnish rider’s win was his third in the class on a third different manufacturer, after he mastered a wet-but-drying track during the shortened 12-lap race by opting for slick tyres when the race got underway. It means the #66 has now won with three different brands, Yamaha, MV Agusta and Ducati, only the third rider in WorldSSP to achieve such a milestone.

Tuuli claimed 10^th in Friday’s Tissot Superpole session but the grid would have to wait until Sunday morning, with Race 1 postponed from its original starting time on Saturday afternoon due to torrential rain at the track. When racing did get underway, the Ducati rider opted to use slick tyres on a wet but drying track and was ninth in the first couple of laps. After that, he started to make even more gains and was fourth by the halfway stage before gaining three places on Lap 7 to move into first, a position he held on to after building a gap to the riders behind.

“I can be really happy,” began Tuuli when discussing his win. “Unfortunately, on Saturday, the race was postponed because I was hoping all day that it would rain because I know in the rain, I have a better chance to do a really good job. It rained a bit too much! On Sunday morning, I was a bit worried because I don’t really like to go out with the slick tyres in the wet; maybe I’m getting a little bit too old, and don’t have this crazy feeling anymore! After the first lap, I don’t know what happened, but I started to go faster and faster. I felt really comfortable with the bike, and I saw a couple of places where I was so much faster than the others. I was able to have a five second gap in a couple of laps and then just cruised to the finish line. It was a fantastic moment. My first win in this class was here in 2017 so it was really nice to do it again.”

A remarkable stat from Tuuli’s win is that he’s the third rider to win with three different bikes, joining Jules Cluzel and Fabien Foret. However, Tuuli is the first to claim their first three wins in WorldSSP for three different manufacturers. He won at Magny-Cours in 2017 for Yamaha, at Mandalika for MV Agusta and Magny-Cours again but this time with Ducati.

Reflecting on his three wins with three brands, the 28-year-old said: “It’s nice to win with three different bikes. There’s not been too many wins like I hoped but it’s really nice to have good results for the teams. Overall, we need to improve the package to be inside the top six in dry conditions. The team level is really high, and we just need to improve overall and then maybe we can fight.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

One of the most dramatic rounds in recent memory concluded with the end of a winning streak and perhaps, the start of a new one. With injuries, Championship twists and familiar faces returning to the podium, Magny-Cours in 2024 brought all of the action with interest. Right across both race days, there were plenty of epice quotes coming from the key stars.

Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “It was difficult for me to keep believing”

Talking about his win after a 1070 day wait, Michael van der Mark spoke of the intense conditions during Race 1 and how support at home got him through the tough times: “Alex passed me and I tried to stay with him without taking too many risks but he pushed quite hard and crashed. It was a long race after that, trying to find the balance. It feels really weird right now; we wanted to fight for the podium this weekend and on Friday, we showed strong pace. Even though the conditions were horrible, you still have to finish first. It feels unreal; it’s a shame Toprak isn’t on the podium with me but the team get another win. It’s been a tough two years with the injuries and it’s difficult to come back in WorldSBK now. It was difficult for me to keep believing. Everyone here just sees me at the race track and it hasn’t been easy to be at home for so long many times. My girlfriend never complained about it, she always supported me and my son too. Without them, maybe I’d have retired. It was good to see Toprak here, he’s very lucky. I said to him before the race, ‘my goal is to steal away as many points as possible’ from your rivals. I also said that if you can’t get another win, I’ll try and get BMW a win, so now they have 14.”

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “To be P2 after starting P17 is like a big victory”

Continuing with the wet weather race on Saturday, Alvaro Bautista evaluated his Race 1 – he was unfit for Sunday after a crash in the Superpole Race left him with a broken rib: “The feeling in Superpole was terrible and it was like riding on ice, the rear was sliding aggressively and I had zero confidence. We went with a full dry setup for the slicks and I was hoping it wouldn’t rain, thinking that if the full wet setup was bad at the start of the day, it’d be worse in the rain with a dry setup. I was the first rider in the pits because I know that at this track, the grip is very low in the wet. I nearly crashed at the last chicane like Nicolo and Jonny! I felt good after the pitstop; I could push and when I saw my lap time, it was faster than in Superpole. I tried to survive to finish the race and to be P2, after starting P17, in the wet, is like a big victory.”

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team): “If it was a motocross Grand Prix, I’d have won with the most points!”

Scoring the most points out of anyone from the round with a hat-trick of rostrums, Danilo Petrucci can be happy: “If it was a motocross Grand Prix, I’d have won with the most points! Jokes apart, I’m really happy because finally, we showed our potential. Today, Nicolo was unbeatable for me as he did a great job in the first laps. I tried to manage the tyre but from then, it was very clear that I was a little bit in trouble. I can’t complain, the team are doing a great job and the bike works perfectly. We still need to improve because we have been quite lucky yesterday, with all the crashes but we still miss a bit compared to the factory Ducatis and the BMWs. I’m really happy because I’ve never scored three podiums in a weekend. I still need to train and I’m focused on the right arm. There are a lot of muscles, especially around the shoulder but Sunday Race 2 is always the most difficult. I wasn’t expecting this kind of race though, more of a group race with Nicolo and Alex.”

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “Sunday was perfect, Saturday was not”

A crash on Saturday left Nicolo Bulega with a collarbone contusion for Sunday but that didn’t stop him inflicting maximum damage on Toprak Razgatlioglu’s Championship advantage, taking a Sunday double: “Sunday, perfect! Saturday, not! I want to say thanks to the doctors as they helped me a lot because I had pain after the bad crash in Race 1. My neck and shoulder has pain but the important thing is that I was able to ride well. I felt inside of me that I had the speed but it was difficult to put it all together, along with the difficult weather. I don’t have a lot experience when the weather changes a lot of times like this. Saturday was difficult because it was a bad crash and unexpected with the throttle closed. It was a bad moment and, in the night, I was thinking whether or not I could race. I only wanted to recover the bad result from Saturday.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “I hope to be back at Cremona… my recovery is the most important thing”

Speaking on Saturday at the circuit about his recovery and his teammate’s win, Toprak Razgatlioglu is still the Championship leader despite his big FP2 crash that ruled him out of the round: “I hope to be back in two weeks’ time at Cremona. We’ll have checks again, but I think it should be okay. We will see. I want to thank all the medical stuff at the track and in Moulins hospital. And I want to thank everybody for the many messages and best wishes. Michael did an incredible job in Race 1. He is always strong in wet conditions and he showed that again. It was a fantastic ride. He did not take a risk; he was just riding smoothly and finally he got the deserved win. It’s a pity that I can’t take part in the races after my crash yesterday but my recovery is the most important thing. This is what I focus on now.”

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW): “Michael had tears on his eyes on the podium… that’s what racing is all about”

It had been just under two years since Garrett Gerloff stepped on the podium but he got his first with BMW, which was also a first for the team: “It’s so nice that I was able to do it with the BMW and I’m so happy to have given Bonovo their first podium too. I love all the guys down there and I’m sad we’re having to part ways at the end of the year; they’re awesome and we’ve had a great time. I don’t know why it’s been so difficult but for us to have a couple of good weekends in a row, it means a lot. To come from what feels like rock bottom and to then climb all the way back up to the podium, it’s really nice and means a lot. I’m so happy for Jurgen and Michael Galinski; Michael had tears in his eyes on the podium! That’s what racing is all about.”

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “We need to look at what went wrong”

A Race 2 of what could have been for Alex Lowes, who suffered a mechanical glitch on the opening lap: “We need to look at what went wrong. I made a good start again – we’ve been having good starts this weekend. At Turn 6 and 7, I had an issue with the bike; it felt big enough to end the race. I heard a strange sound, as if it was coming from the engine. I pulled the clutch in, got off the line and then did all the resetting that we have to do now with these bikes! I kept going and tried to do one more lap to see how it was. I was convinced there was something wrong but, in the end, it was all OK and I had no lack of speed; it was performing well. What’s disappointing is that I had the chance to win Race 1 and I also had the chance to fight again with Nicolo in Race 2. We didn’t do that and it’s a shame but the bike is working well, the team are doing a great job and it was a successful weekend. It was positive to pass all the guys, keep my focus and get to the end.”

Xavi Vierge (Team HRC): “We’re in the mix and in the fight”

One of the standout performers of Magny-Cours was Xavi Vierge, who was in the podium fight during both Sunday races as Honda take a big leap forward: “Already in the last few rounds, we’ve improved a lot but we couldn’t demonstrate it because I’ve had a lot of problems with arm pump but I’ve had the operation. We took to advantage of the wet conditions in Superpole to start from the second row, which is mandatory in WorldSBK. I had an opportunity to fight for the podium on slicks in Race 1 but unfortunately, the rain came and didn’t give us the opportunity. We were close on Sunday in the dry too so I’m super happy. We’re understanding how to take the most out of the bike’s performance and I hope to continue like this for the next races. It’s a completely new bike for this year and we didn’t have enough time to understand the new things. We followed one way that we thought was correct but after a few rounds, we discovered it was the opposite was, so we found a new base and made small steps. The teams here have their test teams in Europe and they’re getting so many kilometres in with different riders. Like this, you can improve much faster. It’s one of the keys. I can’t say anything but for sure it’s on the table and we’re all pushing for that. At least now, we are in the mix and in the fight.”

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Honda enjoyed their strongest weekend of the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with both Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and teammate Xavi Vierge securing three top-ten finishes at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, with the #97 fighting for the podium and taking fifth in the Tissot Superpole Race. Both riders were positive following the Motul French Round, praising the team and Japanese manufacturer for making gains in recent rounds.

Vierge claimed sixth in Saturday’s Tissot Superpole session while Lecuona was 19^th in the classification after a tricky session. Vierge finished Race 1 in seventh place in a flag-to-flag battle after starting on slick tyres before pitting on Lap 4, while Lecuona came in a lap earlier and finished in sixth after starting on an intermediate front and slick rear tyre. In the Superpole Race, Vierge took fifth while Lecuona was seventh, securing the #7 a third-row grid slot after starting from towards the back in the first two races.

In Race 2 both Hondas were again in the ten and in the mix for a top six after an incredible four-rider showdown. They were fighting with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW), with the fight going right until the chequered flag. A last-lap track limits infringement penalty for Redding promoted Vierge into seventh, behind Gardner, while Lecuona received a three-second penalty for shortcutting the track and not losing one second and was classified in 10^th; he had taken the flag in P9.

Discussing Honda’s strong weekend and recent gains, Vierge said: “I want to say thank you to the team. They’re working so hard as always, but now we’re starting to see the results. In the last few races, our potential was more than we demonstrated. I was struggling a little bit with arm pump as everyone knows, I had the operation and Portimao was quite good. After that, we went to Estoril, and we had a really positive test. Here, we can see the benefits. It’s true that it was a strange weekend with the weather conditions, but we were competitive in all conditions so I’m really happy with that. The problems are still the same but we’re trying to minimise them. We’re making good progress in all areas. We’re still not ready to fight but if you compare now to the beginning of the season, we’re much closer and when you’re close to the top guys, it’s easy to see the difference and easy to improve.”

Lecuona’s thoughts were similar to his teammate’s, with the Spaniard saying: “Overall, I’m really happy because this morning in the Superpole Race, I started basically last and still managed to finish P7. I even had a chance to fight for the top five, if not for a clash with van der Mark along the way. Anyway, the goal of improving my grid position for the main race was achieved, and Xavi was right there too, so having two Hondas in the top seven was really cool. This afternoon, I was expecting a bit more, but I struggled a lot with my right arm—I’ve been dealing with this issue all weekend, to be honest, and today it was especially difficult to manage. It meant I made a few mistakes, lost some positions on track, and then I received a penalty that moved me back to tenth after the flag. Not that it changed much, though. The positive is that both Hondas were fighting close to the front, which shows we’ve taken a step forward. Let’s see if we can keep this momentum and hopefully build on it. But, yes, we’re happy today.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship moves from France to Italy for Round 9 of the season next time out, with a new venue ready to host the Championship. The Acerbis Italian Round will take place at the Cremona Circuit and, while teams and riders have tested there already, it’s still going to be a step into the unknown. Here are 10 reasons why you can’t miss being at Cremona, so make sure you get your tickets HERE!

A NEW VENUE: the latest WorldSBK circuit

Cremona is the newest venue on the WorldSBK calendar which is sure to provide plenty of surprises. Visiting a new track always brings plenty of intrigue and a bit of a reset with limited knowledge and data collected by teams, even with a bit of testing. 13 corners make up the 3.768km circuit, with a 400m start-finish straight and a longer back straight.

THE TOWN: stunning architecture and plenty of history

The Cremona town has lots to enjoy and incredible history to explore, with a musical history to dive into, with the most famous aspect being that violins have been produced there for centuries. But the question is… who will get a tune out of their bike at the circuit? Of course, if music’s not your thing, you can always take in the churches and buildings that help make the town unique.

CREMONA’S LOCATION: the stunning Lombardy region

Cremona might be a small town in northern Italy, even with lots to see, but it’s also not too far away from incredible cities. It’s around an hour away from Milan and Bergamo if you wanted to incorporate a city break, or a slightly longer journey means you could visit the beautiful Lake Garda or the Iseo Lake near Brescia.

TITLE FIGHT RAGES ON: 55 points in it…

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) still leads the Championship fight but after he was declared unfit in FP2 in France, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) completed a Sunday double to close the gap to 55 points with 248 available…

THE RETURN OF WorldWCR: second half of the season kicks off

Cremona hosted the first WorldWCR track action back in May with a test for the entire field, and now it’s time for competitive action at the Italian venue. With seven points between Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) and Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team), plus Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) 19 away from top spot, it’s sure to be a crucial round in the title fight.

WorldSSP CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT GETS CLOSER: Huertas vs Montella heats us

In the last two rounds, Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) has gained 32 points on Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) and, while the latter is still leading the title race, it looks – based on Portimao and Magny-Cours at least – as if this could be heading for an end-of-season showdown, with Cremona the next venue.

THE PADDOCK SHOW: get close to the celebrations

The WorldSBK Paddock Show is in the heart of the paddock and allows fans to get close to the podium celebrations or see their favourite riders take part in question-and-answer sessions, while there are also interactive activities that take place there.

UNPREDICTABILITY TO COME? limited testing at Cremona…

While most riders have had experience of the Cremona circuit from tests in May and June, data collected then will only be able to help so much with different conditions possible. Will this lead to a shake up in the pecking order?

A PASSIONATE MOTORCYCLING COUNTRY: an incredible atmosphere to come

Italy has a rich history in motorsport in general, but also when looking specifically at motorcycle racing. The Ducatisti are always out in force when WorldSBK hits Italy, at any venue, while fans of Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), Bulega, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) will be loudly cheering on their riders too.

IT’S ALL TO PLAY FOR: four rounds to go…

The end of the season comes thick and fast, and that means every moment matters with four rounds in five weeks. Cremona is back-to-back with Aragon and ensuring momentum is carried through the two double headers is crucial as the season concludes in style, with all titles still in play.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had mixed emotions after Race 2 in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, declaring it a ‘fun’ race after he fought back from 19^th on Lap 1 to finish in fourth. The #22 had shown strong pace all weekend and that was the case even as he carved his way through the field to claim an unlikely top-four finish to conclude his Motul French Round.

Lowes started the 21-lap race from second on the grid and he slotted in behind Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on the opening lap, before he pulled off the track at the Turn 8, 180-degree hairpin and looked down to the left side of his ZX-10RR machine. He was able to re-join the race but had dropped all the way down to 19^th and, even with 20 full laps to go, looked to be out of contention for a top-five finish. He eventually finished 6.567s down on race winner Bulega and just over two seconds away from Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) in third as he secured P4.

Discussing what happened on the first lap, Lowes said: “It was a disappointing first lap. I made a good start, I was behind Bulega and felt like I had the pace to challenge. Obviously, unfortunate with Toprak and Alvaro being injured. Firstly, I wish them all the best to be back as soon as possible but with those two injured, it opened the race up a little bit. I felt strong. On the first lap, I had an issue with the bike; we have to analyse it and see what it was. I thought it was going to end the race, so I pulled directly off the track, as I didn’t want to be in the way of the other guys, reset some buttons a bit and got going. I was convincing myself it wasn’t right for a few laps but then I got my head down and felt quite strong. It was disappointing. It’s so close in WorldSBK now, you can’t be starting last on the first lap and expect to be doing too much, but it was a fun race.”

Despite losing so much time on Lap 1 – he lost five seconds in Sector 3, which starts just where he pulled off the circuit, when comparing the times from Lap 1 and Lap 2 – he was able to fight his way back to P4. By the end of Lap 2, the Kawasaki rider was into 14^th, and he reached the top ten by the end of Lap 8. Progress became a bit slower by this point, but he got ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) for ninth at Turn 5, where he made so many of his passes, before Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) followed in the next couple of laps. After he got ahead of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) on Lap 13, he took advantage of Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) running wide to move into fifth before his final pass on Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) came at Turn 13 on Lap 18.

Explaining his fight through the field, while also lamenting his issue on Lap 1, Lowes stated: “If I take all the expectation out of it, the race was great because I enjoyed it, passed a lot of guys. In the last couple of laps, I used up a lot of tyre trying to turn the bike more to pass some of the other riders. It shows how good the Kawasaki’s working at the minute to be able to pass so many guys. I feel like I’m able to ride the bike on the limit and really put the bike where I want. The general disappointment is I had the chance to win, and we probably had the speed to win; not taking anything away from Nicolo because we weren’t there so we don’t know, but certainly we had the chance to fight for the podium and fight for victory. We need to look as a team, analyse why we didn’t do that but also be positive that we’re fast enough to have the opportunity to do it. Overall, it’s been positive. A second and fourth place on Sunday, it felt like we maybe could’ve done a bit more but the speed’s there, confidence is there, and we have a few rounds coming up in quick succession.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The visit of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship to the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours turned out to be highly positive for Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) as he stood on the podium after all three races.

Third in Race 1 in the pouring rain on Saturday, Petrucci repeated that result in the Tissot Superpole Race before going one better with his excellent ride to second place on Sunday afternoon. Although Petrucci could not challenge the unstoppable Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) for the win, he held off the threat of Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) who was on his rear chasing for second place.

Petrucci also took advantage of the first lap run-off for Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) with whom he had anticipated a Race 2 fight.

“I was already really confident about this race, as this morning I was able to catch all the riders after starting from ninth and I finished third,” said the Ducati rider after Race 2. “I expected to fight with Alex and Nicolo this afternoon but I don’t know what happened to Alex on the first lap. I was not able to follow Nicolo on the first two or three laps, then the gap remained the same. I tried to push all the way through, when I was catching maybe two or three tenths per lap to Nicolo, then the gap was fading.”

He continued, “At the end I was suffering a bit with my right arm then there was Garrett trying to catch me. It was not a difficult race, but it was difficult to manage all the race because I was alone. In the end it is three podiums, which has never happened in my career. I think looking at the points I was the one who scored most this weekend. I’m really passionate about motocross and if this was motocross I would have won the Grand Prix!”

Following the Superpole Race incident which had seen Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) crash as the pair battled at Turn 5 on lap 5, Petrucci later acknowledged, “The first thing I did after the celebration before heading to my garage was I went to Andrea’s garage and he was a little bit upset. In that race I was on the inside, he tried to hold on and he just closed the corner when I was there and I was on the inside.”

“I’m so sorry because Loka really is a great guy and I’m so sorry that he crashed. I was thinking about the crash all the way after that and I thought I would be penalised but in the end fortunately the race direction made a good choice.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) secured his first MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship podium in almost two years on Sunday as he claimed third place in Race 2 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. It was also a joyous moment for the Bonovo BMW team as they achieved their first WorldSBK podium.

For Gerloff his last podium result came in Race 1 of the 2022 Catalunya Round in the September of that season, when he was still on Yamaha machinery.

“First off I just want to say I wish the speediest recovery to Toprak (Razgatlioglu), it’s a shame to not have him out there and for sure it would have been a lot harder to get on the podium if he was here, but I was able to get it done,” said the Bonovo BMW rider as he reflected on a successful Race 2 at the Motul French Round.

He added, “This year I honestly thought we were going to start a lot stronger and have more podiums, at least one by now but this year has been a struggle since the beginning and we’re finally figuring things out. We’ve all had our heads down and we’ve all been focussed. To finally have it all pay off for the team, it’s a big relief, the emotions are high for everybody.”

Asked about his improving feeling and results at recent rounds Gerloff stated, “I think the biggest thing is we’ve just found a set-up that feels like it is working. It wasn’t perfect, but we just kept riding. It’s helped me a lot to predict the bike more and to ride in front of the bike, that’s helped me to be more consistent. We’re having to work with things that are completely different to last year so we’ve been through a metamorphosis, working through a bunch of stuff to get where we are now. But we’ve found something good and I feel like we’re here now for the most part.”

Gerloff will aim to continue on an upward trajectory at the remaining rounds of the 2024 season, before his switch from BMW machinery to Kawasaki Puccetti Racing for the 2025 campaign.

Bonovo Action BMW team manager Michael Galinski said of the team’s first WorldSBK rostrum result, “We are very proud now, it’s been a really, really long time. We have a very good team, so I want to thank everybody. It was good that we came back with fourth in the first race with Scott (Redding), but now the first podium for us it’s really unbelievable. Garret is not always a fast starter, but coming from the middle of races he gets faster and faster. He manages the tyres very well in the end and if he can go a little faster in the first three or four laps he could also win a race.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ended his wait for his second victory in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as he fended off Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the Tissot Superpole Race during the Motul French Round. The #11 finished just 0.115s clear of his rival when the chequered flag fell at the end of the 10-lap race to win his first race since the season-opening encounter at the Australia Round, before backing that up with a commanding Race 2 victory ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team).

BULEGA’S HARD-FOUGHT SUPERPOLE RACE WIN: fending off the in-form Alex Lowes

Bulega crashed out of Race 1 on the opening lap on Saturday and was looking to bounce back, and he did so in style. Lowes got the holeshot from pole position when the lights went out but ‘Bulegas’ wasted no time in passing the #22 as he moved up the inside of Turn 5 on Lap 1 to move into first. From there, he looked to build up a gap to the chasing pack and, in the first half of the race, was able to do. However, Lowes started to close the gap in the final five laps.

With three laps to go, Lowes moved his Kawasaki ZX-10RR machine ahead of Bulega at Turn 5 but the Ducati rider cut back at the Adelaide Hairpin and re-took P1 heading into the Nurburgring chicane. Lowes then tried to pass his rival again at Turn 13 on the penultimate lap, but ran wide, allowing Bulega to take a larger gap into the final lap. Despite the #22 closing up in the second half of the final tour, Bulega held on to take victory and return to the top step for the first time in 21 races.

BACKING IT UP WITH RACE 2 VICTORY: Bulega untouchable on Sunday afternoon

Bulega followed up his Superpole Race win with victory in Race 2 by beating Petrucci by around two seconds. The #11 got the holeshot when lights went out and immediately built up a gap to Alex Lowes in second before the Brit ran wide at Turn 8 and fell to 19^th. That handed second place to Petrucci but the Independent Ducati rider was unable to catch Bulega out in front, with the factory Ducati rider claiming victory.

Reflecting on his Sunday double, Bulega said: “It’s incredible. I needed a day like this after Saturday because that was a very bad day for us. I was fast all weekend from the beginning, but it was very difficult to put it all together especially with the strange weather conditions. I felt that I had the speed, but it was difficult to put it all together. Today, finally, I put it all together and won the Superpole Race and Race 2. It’s incredible, thanks to all my team and all the doctors because they helped me have less pain after Race 1’s huge crash.”

RACE 2 STRATEGY REVEALED: “I tried to push from the beginning… I knew that from half race distance, I could start to have problems…”

After his crash in Race 1 at the Turns 16-17 chicane, Bulega was reviewed in the medical centre on Saturday and was declared fit on Sunday morning after a reassessment although he was suffering from right shoulder and collarbone contusions. With 21 laps of racing to come in Race 2, managing this would be crucial in determining the outcome of Bulega’s race and he revealed after that he had devised a strategy which he hoped would help him.

On his Race 2 strategy, the Ducati rider said: “I tried to push a lot from the beginning because I knew that maybe from half race distance, I could start to have problems with my shoulder. I tried to make a gap in the opening laps, so I was able to reduce the rhythm a little bit at the end of the race if I needed to. Petrucci was very fast today so I tried to maintain the gap. In the end, it was a perfect race.”

THE CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT: 55 points behind Razgatlioglu

With Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) declared unfit after his Free Practice 2 crash, Bulega closed the gap in the Championship standings to 55 points after gaining 37 on the #54. Although he played down his chances of clinching the World Superbike title in his rookie season, Bulega did discuss the opportunity to fight for the title with the BMW star.

Asked whether he was the main contender to Razgatlioglu, Bulega said: “I don’t know. I’m really sorry that Toprak had this problem because he crashed in a very fast and difficult point. I’m sorry for him. I knew that I had the opportunity to take some points and I tried to do my best today; I tried also on Saturday, but it wasn’t like Sunday! Toprak will be very fast like always, so he’ll be strong. I don’t know if can beat him but, for sure, I will try.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was peerless in Race 2 of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Motul French Round, leading from start to finish to complete a perfect day. Reacting to his Saturday afternoon crash at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in style, Bulega followed up on a fantastic Tissot Superpole Race win with a 2.3s victory over second placed Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), who took his third podium of the weekend.

PETRUCCI & GERLOFF: podium results for the Italian and the American

Petrucci chased hard throughout the race and was Bulega’s nearest challenger, though in truth the factory Ducati rider was never under significant threat from his compatriot, having built a 2.5s lead by the end of lap 4, a gap that remained stable until the chequered flag. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) made it up into third in front of Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) on lap 10 and the American did not look back from there as he charged on for his first BMW podium.

REMARKABLE FIGHTBACK: Lowes from last to fourth

Starting in second on the grid Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) ran wide at Turn 8 on lap 1 – dropping to the back of the race. Lowes then fought back brilliantly, making his way through the pack, eventually getting on front of his former Yamaha teammate Van der Mark for fourth with four laps to go. Race 1 winner Van der Mark notched another solid top five result, 7.5s down on Bulega, whilst just over four seconds behind the Dutchman Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) came home sixth.

TOP TEN BATTLES: Vierge the top Honda rider

Just over half a second behind Gardner was Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) in seventh place, the Honda rider benefitting from a penalty for Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW), who was finally awarded eighth, the Briton being demoted one position for exceeding track limits on final lap. The top 10 was rounded out by Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and Iker Lecuona (Team HRC), after Lecuona was given a three second penalty in lieu of a Long Lap Penalty for shortcutting a corner during the final laps.

EVENTFUL RACE FOR BASSANI: Italian was briefly up to third

Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had charged through from 10^th on the grid to take over from Van der Mark for third on lap 5, the Italian dropping back to fifth before he was demoted to 11^th after a Long Lap Penalty for an earlier shortcut of Turn 6. There was also a DNF for Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) due to a technical issue.

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

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

2. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +2.841

3. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +4.300s

4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +6.576s

5. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +7.521s

6. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +11.620s

Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati – 1’36.717s

Championship standings:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 365 points

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 310

3. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 243

4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 235

5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 190

6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 170

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Source: WorldSBK.com