The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is back on track at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours for the Motul French Round, with a brand-new Race 2 time on Sunday. Friday’s action kicks off at 09:40 Local Time (UTC+2) with WorldSSP300 Free Practice, followed by WorldSBK FP1 at 10:20 and WorldSSP FP an hour later. In the afternoon, WorldSSP300 Tissot Superpole takes place at 14:10 with WorldSBK FP2 at 15:00 and WorldSSP Superpole at 16:00. On Saturday, the action starts with WorldSBK FP3 at 09:00 followed by Warm Up sessions for WorldSSP300 and WorldSSP. World Superbike returns to the track at 11:00 with Superpole before racing starts at 12:45 with WorldSSP300 Race 1. WorldSBK Race 1 is at 14:00 and WorldSSP Race 1 at 15:15. On Sunday, Warm Up sessions start the day from 09:00 before racing begins at 11:00 with the WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race. WorldSSP300 Race 2 is at 12:45 before a new afternoon schedule. WorldSSP Race 2 takes place at 14:00 before WorldSBK Race 2 rounds out the action at 15:30.

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Friday, 6^th September (all times are Local Time, UTC+2)

09:00-09:25 – Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Free Practice

09:40-10:05 – WorldSSP300 Free Practice

10:20-11:05 – WorldSBK Free Practice 1

11:20-12:00 – WorldSSP Free Practice

13:30-13:55 – Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Superpole

14:10-14:35 – WorldSSP300 Tissot Superpole

15:00-15:45 – WorldSBK Free Practice 2

16:00-16:40 – WorldSSP Tissot Superpole

 

Saturday, 7th September

09:00-09:20 – WorldSBK Free Practice 3

09:30-09:40 – WorldSSP300 Warm Up

09:50-10:00 – WorldSSP Warm Up

11:00-11:15 – WorldSBK Tissot Superpole

11:50 – Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Race 1 (9 laps)

12:45 – WorldSSP300 Race 1 (11 laps)

14:00 – WorldSBK Race 1 (21 laps)

15:15 – WorldSSP Race 1 (19 laps)

 

Sunday, 8^th September

09:00-09:10 – WorldSBK Warm Up

09:20-09:30 – WorldSSP300 Warm Up

09:40-09:50 – WorldSSP Warm Up

11:00 – WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race (10 laps)

11:50 – Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Race 1 (9 laps)

12:45 – WorldSSP300 Race 2 (11 laps)

14:00 – WorldSSP Race 2 (19 laps)

15:30 – WorldSBK Race 2 (21 laps)

Source: WorldSBK.com

After they acquiesced their mid-season holiday and spent time away from the track, the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship slides away to France for Round 8. 5 rounds in 7 weeks, it’ll be a supersonic end to the year but don’t go away, stand by us and enjoy every twist and turn from the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours to Jerez. Having been so successful in the past, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) won’t have time to look back in anger in France and whilst some might say it’s a done deal, the rest of the field are rolling with it, ready for a Sunday morning call to get stuck in. Definitely – perhaps not – but maybe, we’ll have a surprise this weekend. Do you know what we mean?

WILL RAZGATLIOGLU’S STREAK CONTINUE? Plenty of rivals out to stop him…

Last time out at Portimao, Razgatlioglu broke the record for most consecutive wins with 13 victories in a row, and he could extend that to as many as 16 at Magny-Cours; a circuit the M 1000 RR has gone well at in the past and the #54 loves with eight wins there already. Anyone who is winning has a metaphorical target on their back and the Turkish star’s rivals will be aiming to prevent him from winning. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) are winners at Magny-Cours in WorldSBK, the latter with nine – the most at the circuit, which Razgatlioglu can match and beat with two wins. Second in the Championship and hoping to gain points on the 2021 Champion is Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), in his first WorldSBK race in France, but he did win at the circuit in WorldSSP, while Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) has been a consistent podium challenger in recent rounds so will ‘Petrux’ be able to take another step and claim victory? Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was quick at Portimao and has four podiums at the French venue, while Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) continued his impressive campaign and will be hoping to keep his run of podiums in every round bar one going in France.

PLENTY OF RIDERS IN CONTENTION: shocks and surprises on the cards?

There’ll be several other riders hoping to be in the mix, too. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) heads into the French Round on the back of his best weekend of 2024 at Portimao and he was also on pole here last year, although unable to convert it into a podium finish. Similarly for teammate Scott Redding, he’s been a race winner and podium finisher at Magny-Cours before and will be aiming to reach those levels again. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) is another who’s been a rostrum finisher at the venue and, after three finishes outside the top ten at Portimao, will be looking to bounce back in France. Likewise, Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) will be hoping he can move forward on the ZX-10RR and fight where he has fought before, while Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) will want to continue his push to be the top Yamaha rider. At Team HRC, both Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge were out testing at Estoril straight after Portimao and will be hoping that proves valuable in the run-in, while Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) will be look to back at the sharp end; it’s his first visit to Magny-Cours in WorldSBK.

AIMING TO FINISH WELL: a turning point for some in France?

2024 has been a difficult season for Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) but he comes into Magny-Cours at a circuit he knows he’s strong at, with two second-place finishes there in the last four races (but also two retirements). Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) will race at the French circuit for the first time since 2021, when he was with Barni Ducati, and scored points in Race 1 and Race 2. A regular fixture in the top ten at Magny-Cours, Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) will be hoping he can secure a best result of the season at his team’s home round while Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) is aiming to put himself in points-scoring contention.

RIDER NEWS: Aegerter to miss French Round, Lopes replaces Norrodin

After sustaining injuries to his rib and shoulder in a training crash, Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) will miss the French Round. Ivo Lopes (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) returns with MIE Honda for the French Round, replacing Adam Norrodin, while Tarran Mackenzie – due to be in the box next to Lopes – will have to pass a Thursday medical check; he was declared unfit at Donington Park and missed the following rounds at Most and Portimao. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) is also hoping to be on track again after missing Portimao following his crash at Most where he sustained a broken collarbone. He did, however, complete a one-day test at Estoril between the Portuguese and French Rounds.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) will miss out on the Motul French Round next week after sustaining rib and shoulder injuries in a training crash. The two-time WorldSSP Champion was training in Austria when he crashed, with Aegerter flown back to Switzerland where multiple rib fractures and an injury to his right shoulder were diagnosed. He will therefore miss the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship round at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.

A statement from Yamaha read: “GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK rider Dominique Aegerter has been injured in a training incident in Austria while preparing for the remainder of the 2024 season. He was flown back to his native Switzerland, where it was confirmed he had sustained multiple rib fractures and an injury to the right shoulder. He will undergo surgery today for a stabilisation procedure. A full recovery timeline will be determined after the planned surgery, but the Swiss rider will sit out Round 8 of WorldSBK in Magny-Cours next weekend.”

2024 has been a difficult season for Aegerter so far, after ending 2023 with two podiums. The Swiss rider missed winter testing through illness, which put him on the back foot heading into his sophomore campaign. Aegerter’s best result of the season is sixth in Race 1 at Phillip Island, the opening race of the season. He currently sits 11^th in the Riders’ Championship with 79 points, seven points behind Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) who completes the top ten in the standings.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is just over halfway through the season and Toprak Razgatlioglu’s move to the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team has been a key talking point. 15 wins, including 13 consecutive victories to set a record, have been the obvious highlights for the #54 and BMW, but Team Manager Shaun Muir gave us a deep dive on the team’s season so far, from both Razgatlioglu and teammate Michael van der Mark’s side, as well as his hopes for the end of the year.

2024 SUMMED UP: “Going to Misano and doing what he did in Ducati’s backyard was a shift in the tide…”

Muir first reviewed the journey with Razgatlioglu from testing to a record-breaking winning run, saying: “We’re having to pinch ourselves and keep our feet on the ground. We started off in quite a measured fashion coming out of the winter tests in December, coming to Portimao in January. I think Toprak’s confidence was super high already at that point so when we went to Australia, we had a mechanical DNF which really upset everybody because we just didn’t expect it. We came out of Australia with quite a bit to gain and then going to Barcelona was just a sensational switch in our expectations. If you asked what our expectations before the season started were, we would’ve said finishing in the top three and winning six races would’ve been a good target for Toprak. I think everyone could see the target bar was getting lifted higher and higher and, especially after there were some fundamental moments; the first one being the performance at Barcelona which was quite sensational on a predominately Ducati track. Equally, going to Misano and doing what he did there, in what was probably Ducati’s backyard, was a shift in the tide really and that momentum’s carried on and here we are in this position where it’s just kind of totally unthinkable. We’re redefining our scope and aligning everyone and trying to keep our feet on the ground.”

THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEASON: “Quite obscure ones… it was at Valencia where his eyes widened”

“I’ll give you two highlights and they’re quite obscure ones for totally different reasons and these are things that really only the team would quite understand,” began Muir when discussing some less obvious highlights. “We had a difficult December test because of the whole timing of Toprak being able to ride the BMW. We had a moment in Valencia. We were still quite unsure, but Toprak made a brave decision to move away from Yamaha onto this package. It was really at Valencia where his eyes widened and thought, ‘Do you know what? I have made the right decision. I know we can make this bike work; I know we can make this package work, what we have now is good enough.’ That was the first one because it was like, wow, we can really enjoy our Christmas turkey. The second one was clearly that amazing ride to come back and beat Nicolo in Barcelona. Not the move in the Superpole Race, but to come from 3.3 seconds down and to do that. It was a little bit of a rookie race for Nicolo to use his tyres as he did, but it was also really measured by Toprak. Coming out of that event, the race time in Race 1 and Race 2 of Toprak’s were identical within a few tenths of a second in overall race time. That was a sensational performance from him, and it just made us realise that we’ve got such a talent.”

THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE BOX: Razgatlioglu and van der Mark reunited

Razgatlioglu and van der Mark have been teammates before, in 2020, and were paired up again for this year. Talking about the atmosphere in the team, Muir said: “I’ve had riders in the past that have won, and you don’t get the same atmosphere. We had Tom who’s been on the podium, Mickey’s had results in the past at Portimao. It’s such a balanced team. I keep saying it, the group of mechanics that I have here, the group of technicians, are 90% what we started with at the beginning of the project and doing pretty much the same job, same role, with the same energy and professionalism but the outcome at the end when it all clicks together is just sensational and we’re seeing that now on this potential record breaking run. We’ve got Mickey in a really good place now. We’ve had a few disappointing Superpoles. What you saw at Most, coming from 16^th in the gravel trap, to get a Superpole Race of ninth and a Race 2 of fifth or sixth, that is sensational for us. At Portimao, a good exit in Superpole, consolidate that with a second row start and fighting for the podium and finishing in the top six. We don’t expect anything more than that. We’ve got to be in contention because that proves to everybody, and what Garrett did, this bike is a lot better and isn’t all Toprak. The BMW package is better.”

Speaking specifically about van der Mark, Muir said: “I think it’s quite a difficult dynamic being a teammate Toprak, for anybody. It’s a tough one. I’m sure the years Jonathan was dominating, his teammates must’ve felt similarly. Michael gets so much energy and effort from everybody to make him realise that he can be a winner and he can be a worthy teammate to Toprak. When you see the Race 1 results at Portimao, it gives him that energy to go forward with and I think we’ll see more of it. If we can inch up just a few positions, and get into that top six for Mickey, I think that’ll really justify our decision to re-sign him for next year.”

THE FINAL FIVE ROUNDS: “I can’t believe we’re here talking about this situation!”

2021 Champion Razgatlioglu broke the record for consecutive wins at Portimao, making it 13 in a row in Race 2. Speaking ahead of Sunday’s action, Muir believed ‘El Turco’ would ride freer once he broke the record while also praising rivals Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “We don’t have many parts coming now until the first pre-season test of 2025. It’s some electronic upgrades to do with electronic strategy and fault finding. The package we have today will see us through until the end of the final race. In terms of here and now, I think there’s a little bit of a monkey on Toprak’s back and hopefully he can conquer that because I felt he rode a bit tight in Race 1 with this consecutive wins record in his mind; I mean, I can’t even believe we’re here talking about this situation! Once that’s gone, I think Toprak will probably ride a bit freer. I think he’ll go into Magny-Cours, a circuit we know we should be good at as well, he’ll be really strong there and, edging forward from there, he doesn’t have to win every race. He just has to beat the closest person to him, whoever that may be. I think what Danilo did in Race 1, he’s threatened a few times. He’s back from injury and that was great to see. I really rate that guy, he’s a credit to this Championship. I’d like to see Andrea Iannone step back up again, he’s a had a few week rounds. The Ducatis are coming. Alex has been super consistent. I think, what we’ve seen up until the Portuguese Round and we’ll see until the end of the year, that gap will close.”

THE BEST TO COME FOR MUIR’S CAREER? “If Toprak can lift that trophy, I can see that probably being the highlight of my racing career…”

“Every week, we move the bar somewhere differently,” started Muir when talking about a potential career highlight. “I think what really stands out for me is that the group’s got tighter and I think that comes from all the really tough times we had from ’19 onwards where we couldn’t grind a point out at some races. Overall, I think we’re going to get to a position, whether it be Aragon, Estoril, or Jerez, where Toprak – fingers crossed – can lift that trophy, I can see that probably being the highlight of my racing career whether that’s as a rider, manager or operator.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

With the first ever FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship well underway, riders from the 2024 season are being profiled to allow fans to get to know them better. This time, it’s the turn of Andrea Sibaja (Deza – Box 77 Racing Team) who is competing in WorldWCR while also managing the same team in WorldSSP300. Read more about her journey below.

FROM ANDALUSIA TO THE WORLD STAGE: Sibaja’s background

Experienced rider Andrea Sibaja from Cordoba, Andalusia, in southern Spain, is a dedicated and passionate racer who has fought long and hard to make it to the inaugural WorldWCR grid. Sibaja is not from a motorcycle racing family and having first fallen in love with the sport as a fan, she was already riding road bikes before she herself became a competitive rider. Having battled back from a long series of injuries over many years, she is proud to represent Spain and participate in the first season of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship.

FROM THE ROAD INTO RACING: fulfilling a dream

As a 13-year-old Sibaja began watching elite level races on television and started dreaming about one day becoming a professional rider herself. At the age of 16 she got her 125cc licence and took ownership of her first motorcycle, a Yamaha YZF 125cc street bike. Two years later she would enter her first race on a Pitbike, which she fondly recalls, saying, “It was an unforgettable day. I was fulfilling my dream and after I didn’t sleep for days”. Despite crashing twice in that first race, she persevered and would not look back, only thinking about how to continue racing as frequently as possible. The following year she would enter the 125cc Andalusian Championship…

SOLID PROGRESS IN SPAIN: success in Andalusia leads to WorldSSP300 wildcards

As she pursued her career on the track Sibaja would become the Andalusia Series 600 champion in 2014 as the only female rider on the grid. She was runner-up in Spain’s Women’s 600cc Cup in 2015 and finished second in the Spanish national Women’s Open 600 in 2016, 2020, 2021 and 2022. Sibaja was also the runner-up in the Andalusia Open 600 in 2020, competing against men, again as the only woman in the competition. Her results on the Spanish national scene earned her two wild card appearances in WorldSSP300 in 2017, at Aragon and Jerez.

BATTLING BACK FROM INJURY: 18 months without racing…

Sibaja has not had much luck with injuries in the last few years of her racing career. Her numerous setbacks have required her to undergo more surgeries than most riders and she has often competed whilst in significant pain, sometimes almost unable to get off her bike unaided after races. She spent 18 months without being able to compete, but after her last hip operation in August 2023, following months of recovery, physiotherapy and training she is back in the game.

CURRENT RACING HEROES: “Marc Marquez seems to me to be a great reference…”

“Marc Marquez seems to me to be a great reference in the MotoGP™ class. He has also overcome many operations and apart from valuing his talent and his way of being as a rider, which is so brave, I find his approach after such a complicated injury record incredible… his way of overcoming and growing in the face of adversity. In WorldSBK I admire many riders, like Alvaro Bautista. I think he also overcame difficult moments like those in MotoGP™ or in his first year in WorldSBK when it seemed like he would win everything, and he started to crash a lot. He has managed to come back and improve incredibly. Toprak Razgatlioglu is undoubtedly an incredible rider, and he is very well liked. Andrea Locatelli seems to me to be a very, very hard-working rider.”

THE ATTITUDE OF A CHAMPION: “Once I tried it, I was unable to get rid of that adrenaline…”

When Sibaja talks about her own journey into racing, it’s obvious that her energy and sheer force of will to become a World Championship level rider has been a key factor. She states, “I had no family history in racing or anyone close to me doing it. I was simply just passionate about it. It was the sport that I was most interested in and that I admired the most. Once I tried it, I was unable to get rid of that adrenaline, that addiction to speed, and that constant desire to improve myself and overcome the obstacles that this difficult sport puts in front of you every day.”

MOTORCYCLES 24/7: Sibaja’s life away from the track…

Race weekend or not, motorcycles are on Andrea’s mind 24/7. She works at a motorcycle team in logistics and organisation, as well as coaching the riders. She gives riding classes to children as well. When asking her what she likes to do in her free time, she laughed and gave an example of her previous night: she got into bed with her iPad, rewatching videos of races to study techniques until she fell asleep.

DOUBLING UP: riding and managing a team

Sibaja is in a unique position in 2024. She’s a team manager in WorldSSP300, for the DEZA-BOX 77 Racing Team outfit which has two riders: Ivan Bolano and Pepe Osuna. Of course, this is an extra challenge at the rounds where both WorldSSP300 and WorldWCR are in action, with Sibaja often jumping between team manager and rider roles.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

It’s been a demanding and often difficult season for Team HRC so far in the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Poor weather blighted testing with their new bike, Iker Lecuona missed the first round of the year through injury and the opposition have all made a step, meaning Honda’s development and progress has been overshadowed. After seven rounds of the season, we caught up with team manager Jose Escamez to get his thoughts on the year so far.

OPEN AND HONEST: “We’re not in a place or position we thought we were going to be”

“It’s true that we’re not in a place or position we thought we were going to be as with this new model and we had a lot of expectations,” began a frank and direct Escamez, new in the job for 2024 after Leon Camier’s departures. “It’s true that it has been harder than expected and actually, sometimes, it can be frustrating to see that we’re not performing at the level we believe we can be.

“At Misano with Iker, we saw some potential after testing a lot. We got some new ideas that we thought coule be worthy and then at Most – not at Donington, definitely, as we knew that it wasn’t a track that plays to our bike – we saw some improvements and we made steps. We need to prove that it wasn’t a coincidence and that it was just a step forward. At Portimao, the gap is closer but it’s always been like that; it’s not something we can take seriously so we’ll need to confirm it once again in the coming races. We continue to develop the bike to the highest level but it’s been hard. We know that there are some priorities within the company and it’s not easy to make the right steps quicker.”

Speaking about dealing with Honda’s lack of performance and what exactly the struggles are, Escamez explained: “We need to accept it, keep working and the most important thing is that the team is doing the maximum and with good will. Even the riders, where in general, they always want the best and emotions can be like a rollercoaster. They’re doing their best every time they go to the track and I take that as a positive. The biggest challenge is that we’re still struggling with something from the past: stopping the bike, turning it and improving drive grip. These are they key points that we need to improve but this is something we’re dragging from previous years. There have been some improvements but we can’t see it reflected due to other manufacturers making a big step.”

NEW PARTS TO COME? “At Aragon’s test, we expect to try some new items that can perhaps help us in the last part of the season”

Talking about whether or not there’ll be new parts in the second half of the year – either at races or at tests, he confirmed: “Yes. We don’t know yet whether they’ll be positive or not. At Aragon’s test, we expect to try some new items that can perhaps help us in the last part of the season, which would also be good for 2025. We have superconcessions but in the end, we didn’t homologate any new parts because we are not capable to do a development quicker than what we are. It’s a pity but we can use these tests to try different parts which otherwise, we couldn’t test.”

The Aragon test is of particular interest, with the track having a new surface. This usually offers higher grip than normal and with Honda’s issue of generating grip, could this mask their problem? “I don’t think this test can be comparitive to previous years as the track has been resurfaced. Withna different asphalt, we don’t know how grippy it will be but that is our weakness. So far, it should be realistic or give us an idea of how the last part of the season will be and moving forward to 2025.”

TEST TEAM? “It’s something that we want to improve and could be one of the possibilities”

At the Cremona test in May, Team HRC were working with their British Superbike counterparts and Escamez explained exactly why: “When the BSB guys came to Cremona to test, we invited them to join us as they’re inside the Honda family and there’s people with a lot of experience with the Fireblade. It’s helpful for us and for them and they’re working a lot and really well too with all their experience. Maybe we can take profit of that. They have developed their own bike but it’s nothing related to using their suspensions or brakes or anything like that. Maybe we can get inputs to develop and improve our bike.”

With all other teams having a dedicated test rider – or in BMW’s case, test team – based in Europe, is this an option that could help Honda’s progression back to the top? “It could be one of the plans, to use this structure that has so much experience and the fact that they’re doing such an amazing job. However, it’s something that we want to improve and it could be one of the possibilities of course.”

2025 TALK: “There’s not going to be any excuses… the whole company has made some movements on the strategy”

2025’s strategy is underway and Escamez believes it will be a far more prosperous season: “I have no doubt about it. We are working already on our 2025 strategy and I think, so far, we’re close to getting it all defined. I personally think that it will be so much better because the company has been putting such a huge effort to turn to the places where we want to be. There’s not going to be any excuses. We are quite honest with ourselves and we know that it’s going to be really challenging, even more than in the past probably because the situation we are facing right now, it could be seen as worse than before. The season is not over yet and we’re not going to give up easily. I’m quite sure about this because the company has made some movements on the strategy for next year which I think will be in the right direction. I see the effort they are putting; nobody is happy with these results and how the season is going so far. I talk by facts and that the reactions the whole company is taking.

“It’s never easy to make a prediction about how it’s going to be in 12 months because when I started this season, I thought we are going to be much better than right now. I have a positive way of thinking and I can see that we are going to be much, much better and at least not in the situation we are facing so far. There are still a lot of things to do and the season isn’t over. We’re not going to stop until we are fighting for wins or the Championship, which is our only target.”

Confirming that both riders will stay for a fourth consecutive season – the most stable of any official team in WorldSBK in the same period – Escamez stated: “Our riders have two years on their contract which is 2024 and 2025 and we’ll keep this. At this moment, it’ll be the same riders that we have right now. The bike has already had the launch presentation for next year, with some minor changes but it’ll be pretty much the same bike.”

A NEW JOB: “I’m only trying to think in the future, dreaming about being where we want to be”

To conclude and on a personal note, how has the ex-MotoGP™ engineer – who has worked alongside Marc Marquez and even back to Max Biaggi – found his time in his first WorldSBK year? “Overall, I take this as a positive experience and of course, it’s not easy to raise a project like this up. I don’t want to look back, only forward. I’m only trying to think in the future, dreaming about being where we want to be.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Having been Champions in 2021 and winning over 20 races in the last two seasons, it perhaps hasn’t been the 2024 WorldSBK season that Pata Prometeon Yamaha team boss Paul Denning had hoped for.

Always to the point, Denning firstly stated the competitivity of WorldSBK in 2024: “First of all, WorldSBK as a racing platform is more intense than it has ever been. There’s a big difference in comparison to just a year ago and that is that a slight lack of performance or comfort and confidence in the riders results in a P10 result in practice or a race instead of P4 or P5. We’re going a lot faster everywhere with ‘Loka’ than we did a year ago and ‘should have, could have, would have’ but… was either going to win or fight with Alex to win Race 2 at Phillip Island but we had the unfortunate fault that caused the accident. Sometimes, circumstances like that make a big difference and winning a race can be a catalyst to a lot of other things happening.

“Despite that, he’s maintained a very good level with consistently good performances, including another podium at Most and on the back wheel of the Ducatis. You can’t say anything bad really, other than we need to maximise the performance and the potential of the bike everywhere we go, with the level of infill that there’s been from our competitors this year compared to a year ago to be inside the top six, let alone fighting for a podium. It was a tough weekend at Portimao for ‘Loka’, the first tough one of the year, where he’s not felt confident and he’s not had the package that he needs.”

NOT THE DREAM: “There’s no hiding from the fact that it could not have gone worse”

Attention then turned to Jonathan Rea, where it’s been setback after setback for much of the season: “With JR, there’s been a lot of hope, expectation and excitement that a six-time World Champion ends his agreement early in order to come over to Yamaha and there’s no hiding from the fact that it could not have gone worse. There’s been some technical problems and accidents and a list of issues that have restricted his performance. We feel that we’re coming out of that now and we’re seeing a rider who is enjoying riding the bike. He’s starting to understand how to get the best out of the R1 and the team are understanding what he needs.

“The Superpole Race podium at Donington Park was a great performance but Most was a disappointment after the Superpole crash and then having to come back through from P15. Even then though, in Race 2, there were a lot of signs of determination to come through and make great passes on what is a tricky track to pass on and to get in the top six. Unfortunately, we had a problem in Race 1 at Portimao from one of our strongest positions of the year in a main race but again, the fact he didn’t pull in, he kept riding and scored a point, there’s a lot of respect that he’s showing to the bike and the team and the efforts everyone’s making. That respect is reciprocated massively. I don’t think we’ve yet seen Jonathan in his full element and that’s a match needed in terms of confidence, technical setting and the ability to get the most out of a package that is still relatively new to him. We’re getting there and looking forward to the second half of the year.”

OVERALL PACKAGE: “Our bike has measurably improved… the competition is a lot stiffer; Yamaha aren’t asleep”

“The package is better than last year and to not be in the same positions in the Championship is a reflection of the strength and depth in the Championship,” Denning analysed. “Petrucci in his second year on the bike, the obvious improvement led by Toprak on BMW’s side, Alex and Kawasaki clearly taking a substantial step forward compared to last year, Iannone’s not shy of getting involved… however you look through the field, there’re so many good riders on good bikes, it just takes a slight bit of underperformance. Our bike has measurably improved in a few areas and that’s reflected by the improvements we’ve seen over race distance. The competition is a lot stiffer and we need to do a lot more. Yamaha aren’t asleep in Japan or in the WorldSBK development centre in Milan and we’re working hard. The plan is always to try and improve the bike. No surrender and keep pushing.”

END GOAL: “If we can win a race before the end of the year then it’d be a spectacular result”

It may seem that targetting just a win for the team that won seven races in 2023, 14 in 2022 and the title in 2021 is a small goal but with the competition so strong, Denning maintains that winning before the end of the year would be something huge: “If we can win a race before the end of the year then it’d be a spectacular result, based on where we are right now after seven rounds. What would make us satisfied is continued improvements on both sides of the garage and particularly to give JR a package to fight at the front, which is clearly his position.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The first season of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship is in full swing with every rider generating their own story, be it with results or their progress as the season continues. As part of the season, every rider is being profiled to give the fans a chance to get to know their favourite riders even better and this time it’s the turn of 18-year-old Czech star Adela Ourednickova (DafitMotoracing).

YOUNGSTER READY TO TAKE ON THE WORLD: 18-year-old inspired by Valentino Rossi

Adela Ourednickova is an 18-year-old rider who shows great natural talent on the bike and combines her racing career with medical studies to become a nutritionist. Although she is not the most experienced rider on the grid she clearly has the speed and ability to compete with the world’s best once she has more racing under her belt. Like many riders, Ourednickova’s father was the person who guided her into racing and also Valentino Rossi has inspired her on her journey to competing at World Championship level.

CZECH PRIDE AND PASSION: “I’m so happy that I can be one of the few representatives”

Ourednickova is from Prague, in the Czech Republic, a country which is passionate about motorcycle racing, but which has not had prolific representation at the top level in terms of participating riders, with Karel Abraham blazing a trail as the highest profile Czech racer in recent years. So, she is sure to have lots of interest in her WorldWCR progress in her home country. She explains, “We don’t have many riders from the Czech Republic in the World Championships, and I am so happy that I can be one of the few representatives. It is very important to me, and I appreciate it very much that I got such an opportunity.”

MAKING RAPID PROGRESS: from miniracng to IDM and WorldWCR

Ourednickova got the bug for motorcycles from her father who was also a competitive racer. She began riding on a minibike at her father’s workplace – a motorcycle dealership – around an improvised circuit she had set up herself using spare tyres as markers. Having begun her racing journey aged 12 on a minibike in miniracing and in junior championships, she got a chance to ride as a wild card in the Yamaha R3 bLU cRU FIM World Cup at Most in 2022. She also competed in DAFIT FILLA Racing Agency championship events at Most, Brno and Slovakia Ring. Last year she began racing in the Internationale Deutsche Motorradmeisterschaft (IDM) Supersport 300 class where she continued to build her experience and hone her race craft.

THE YEAR OF WorldWCR: combining motorcycling with working and studying

Although she is a student and has part-time jobs, she currently spends most of her time training and competing. “We try to go around as many tracks as possible so that I know the layouts,’ she explains. In addition, she works hard on both her cardio and mental strength in preparation for the races. Her goal for this year? To learn a lot and finish in the Top 10, or even the Top 5.

ON VS. OFF TRACK: Ourednickova’s hobbies and interests

When putting on her racing suit, Adela loves the speed, adrenaline, and competitiveness, but when she leaves the track, the tomboy in her gets left behind, too. She loves dressing up, shopping for clothes and pole dancing, letting her feminine side shine.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Dorna Group CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta and WorldSBK express their deep condolences on the passing of Bekir Yunus Uçar, President of the Turkish Motorcycling Federation. Uçar was a dedicated figure in Turkish motorsport, working diligently to promote motorcycling within the country. His commitment to the sport and its community helped nurture a growing interest in motorcycle racing in Turkey.

WorldSBK extends its heartfelt condolences to Uçar’s family, friends, and the Turkish motorcycling community during this time of loss.

Source: WorldSBK.com

As the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship charges into the second half of the year, it was a good time to grab various representatives from up and down the paddock to get their thoughts on the first half of the season. 2024 has already been a winning year for Kawasaki with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and team principal Guim Roda’s been happy despite the limitations the team face with their engine power. He gave a big overview of 2024, commented on what might’ve been if Jonathan Rea had stayed and gave insights into the first big visual change for 2025’s Bimota project.

2024 SO FAR: “We’re maximising the material we have”

2024 has been better after seven rounds than after seven of 2023 for KRT, with Roda assessing how it’s going: “Technically, we can consider it an upgrade with reference to the past but still, the aim is to stay at the front. We need to be realistic; we have some limitations in terms of engine power and performance, according to the bike being the oldest one and we need to face this point and do the best possible. In Race 1 at Portimao, we saw Alex lose a lot of positions on the straight and he needed to make up time in the rest of the lap. Overall, we’re quite happy as we’re maximising the material we have. Still, we can improve, this is always possible but we need to find a way. With Axel, he’s arriving step by step; he’s understanding how to ride the bike and how to improve sectors, managing his past experience so overall, we’re quite happy with the evolution of the riders and the teamwork and we’re happy to be part of the show. We still miss a little bit at the end of the race but we’re quite happy.

“We could introduce the parts that we prepared last year as a superconcession but this is like peanuts for the real power we need. Of course, it’s a help but we improved in other areas to compensate this. We’ve worked a lot in electronics, suspension, bike setup according to new tyres, some polishing on the engine according to the rules. There’s a lot of work to be done, not just in one area. We did some items and also, the riders – a more important point – extract the maximum from that. This season is still ongoing and we need to work in parallel, taking care of 2025 and everything we have to do but also, not losing the focus of 2024 because the target is to be in the top three and this is possible. We’ll fight for that, not relax and there’s still a lot of things to do. We’ll use the tests to make the necessary steps.”

IF JONNY HAD STAYED IN GREEN? “We’re extracting the bike in another way… a very complex question to answer”

With Kawasaki making gains and Jonathan Rea terminating an agreement with the team to join Yamaha, something that has seen the #65 struggle in the first half of 2024, the question of ‘what could’ve been’ has been a topic: “It’s difficult to say. Jonny was used to riding the bike in a way and now, we’re extracting the bike in another way. I don’t know but it’s difficult to answer. Even last year, Alex was very close or on the same level as Jonny in terms of speed and he just basically missed the consistency, not the speed itself. This year, he improved his consistency, so when you can ride the bike at a lap time that it allows, you need to work on the consistency. We improved the speed a bit compared to last year but Alex has more consistency. The only way to fairly answer this is to have both on the same bike and then answer but then, you could make the same question with Toprak and Jonny at Yamaha. The bike needs to be well-suited to the rider, the rider needs to understand how to extract the most, so it’s a very complex question to answer.”

THE BOX WITHOUT A SIX-TIME WORLD CHAMPION: “It’s always a more comfortable way to work when the expectation is less”

Having commented at the start of 2024 that expectations will be naturally less, Roda said of how this has had an impact within the box: “It’s always a more comfortable way to work when the expectation is less and for sure, with a six-time World Champion in the team, the expectation is super high and this puts a lot of pressure to work on them. Doing the same job or a very good one this year, we’ve been more conservative in the expectations, so this makes the results we achieve worthy and people are happier as it’s on the way to the target we set at the beginning of the year. There’s a pressure when you take a rider like Jonny or Toprak or Alvaro who have already been World Champions and they can’t be less than that. With Alex, we’re building a good, solid base point and also with Axel, so let’s see where we can arrive.”

BASSANI’S FIRST YEAR: “A realistic goal for Axel could be a podium; he has the capacity to go fast”

Setting the targets for new recruit ‘El Bocia’, Roda believes a rostrum is within his grasp: “A realistic goal for Axel could be a podium, why not? He’s showing more speed step-by-step. He has the capacity to go fast but still needs to learn when and how. He’s on the way with many races to go and when the temperatures cool down, we have a little bit more possibility to go. When we lose the grip in the tyre, we can’t extract the most from the bike because you lose grip when turning so then it’s difficult to take profit of the engine power. With good grip conditions, we can extract all the potential of the chassis and the bike and why not, in the next rounds, make another step and be closer. At Portimao, in the hot conditions, we were close to the top guys and we’re working in a good way. Let’s see what we can do.”

BIMOTA AND 2025: “The bike is not going to be green… we’ll have more areas to cover with new roles”

Talking about 2025 with the Bimota project, Roda remained tight-lipped but did give us something: “The bike is not going to be green! It will be a nice machine to ride with and I’m sure the fans will really enjoy this challenge that Kawasaki have decided to take. To bring a new brand to the Championship and be focused with the Superbike but I can’t explain too much more than this. There will be improvements within the team and we’ll have more areas to cover with new roles but this is linked to find the right people to cover it, the budget… we have a wishlist to improve but we need to work step-by-step with Kawasaki and sponsors to see how it’s possible to grow up.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com