It’s been a tough year for Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) so far following his switch to Yamaha for the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, but perhaps there’s some light at the end of the tunnel for the six-time World Champion after a decent showing at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. He was fighting at the front in Race 1 before a technical issue forced him to the lower end of the points, before he secured 10^th in the Tissot Superpole Race and sixth in Race 2.

The #65 started the weekend with sixth in Friday’s combined classification, lapping just three tenths slower than Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) who was fastest on the first day of track action. In Tissot Superpole, Rea was directly behind teammate Andrea Locatelli as they led away the third row, but it was Race 1 where Rea showed big potential for the weekend. Before a problem with his quickshifter, he was running as high as fifth in the first seven laps, but he was in the mix in the lead group. He eventually finished 15^th.

In Sunday’s action, it was a bit more challenging for Rea. He was 10^th in the Tissot Superpole Race, meaning he lost his third-row grid position for Race 2 and started from 11^th, but was soon able to fight inside the top ten. He had a fierce fight with Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) which cost him time but, once he got ahead of the Honda rider, he was able to make more progress and finish in sixth ahead of Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW).

Reflecting on the weekend as a whole, Rea said: “It’s been a positive weekend in some ways, as we improved my feeling with the R1 a lot, but Portimao has highlighted where we need to improve. Yesterday in Race 1 I had a good rhythm and pace until we had the technical issue, and today in the Superpole race I got a good start but fighting in the group proved difficult when everyone had grip. That compromised our start position for Race 2, I had to start P11. I made a good start, but I got involved in a few fights, especially with Vierge, I struggled a lot to pass him, and it dictated my race a bit as he was not as strong over the lap, but stronger down the straight so it was a bit of a fight before I could get through. When I got through, I focused on both van der Mark and Petrucci and even though the gap was there, I managed to close them down as one of our strengths with the R1 is pace on used tyres, so I was able to make use of that and stick a strong pass on Mikey on the last lap. I’ve got mixed emotions as it’s the best I’ve felt with the bike from a chassis point of view and was able to use the bike’s strengths much better. All in all, it’s been a confidence inspiring weekend as from a feeling point of view, and with the electronics, I’ve gained more trust to ride the bike more like I should. Credit to Andrew and the crew as they arrived with a set-up which gave me some more direct feedback from the rear of the bike, so hopefully we can take this on to Magny-Cours. Thanks to all the travelling supporters, it’s those people who really give me strength in tough times!”

In his debrief from Yamaha, Andrea Dosoli, the Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager, provided a more thorough analysis of Yamaha and Rea’s performances over the weekend. The Italian said: “Overall, it has been a tough weekend for us as a whole, although there have been some positives including the podium finishes in Supersport and Jonathan Rea’s overall feeling with the R1 improving. However, it is clear we have been struggling and for sure we cannot be satisfied with the performance achieved. “In Superbike, our strongest result was sixth place with Jonathan Rea in Race 2. In the first race, he was unlucky as he got a very strong start and had the chance to stay with the top group fighting for the podium. Unfortunately, he almost crashed but managed to save it, which lost him a couple of positions and then a couple of laps later an issue developed with the quickshifter which compromised his race. In the Superpole race, he was unlucky in the first laps and this left him 11th on the grid for Race 2 – which was a tough race as he was fighting the whole race long, but without a single mistake, so this was a very good effort. There is no doubt that our competitors have done a better job in Portimao, so we need to improve to close this gap. Despite the gap from the winner, and the fact the track was slower this year due to conditions, Jonathan was the only top rider to improve his 2023 race time – he has taken a step forward and his feeling with the R1 is getting better and better, so there are positives to take away from the tough weekend.”

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The rollercoaster Autodromo Internacional do Algarve provided a huge twist in the FIM Supersport World Championship title race. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) completed the double during the Pirelli Portuguese Round, and he benefitted massively from title rival Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) crashing at Turn 5 in Race 2, with the #99 eventually finishing in 12^th place. It means Montella is now just 20 points behind Huertas as the second half of the season got underway.

In Tissot Superpole, Montella finished second behind Huertas after setting a 1’43.352s, around two tenths slower than the Championship leader. It didn’t impact him too much though as the Italian star got the holeshot when the Race 1 lights went out, claiming the lead and from there not looking back. He eventually took the chequered flag more than three seconds clear of Huertas to close the gap by five points in the standings and ended the Spaniard’s winning run at six races.

Reflecting on his Race 1 victory, his first outside of Australia in WorldSSP, Montella said: “Finally, we got it! It was incredible because I felt stronger than ever. I enjoyed the whole race. My strategy was just to push from the beginning. In these races, we saw Adrian pushes from the start. I tried to do the same thing. I understood he didn’t have a great start, so it was probably a little bit lucky. I think we were stronger than him. Now we just have to keep focused and try to make the same thing in Race 2.”

Race 2 was a completely different story. Both Huertas and Montella were close together on track as they fought for victory, with Montella leading the first six laps and Huertas the next two. However, on Lap 10, the race and the Championship battle complexion changed. Huertas came off his bike from P1 at Turn 5, dropping out of the points but eventually fighting back to finish 12^th. That left Montella unchallenged at the front and the #55 converted his lead into an almost 6 second win over Stefano Manzi (Pata Prometeon Ten Kate Racing).

Talking about his Race 2 win, Montella stated: “I feel crazy! I’m happy about the result because we needed a weekend like that. After Misano Race 1, Donington Race 2, we fought in more races against Huertas for the win. Every time something happened, so we needed a weekend like this. Sunday was completely different from Saturday, there was a lot of wind, less grip and, at the start, I tried to push like Race 1 but I couldn’t. I decided to follow Adrian because I thought it was better to follow someone. Adrian tried to push but it was difficult conditions, and it was easy to make a mistake. We just now have to stay focused. We’re fighting for the Championship, and we need to continue in this way, fighting for the win in every race.”

In the title fight, it means Montella has more than halved the gap to Huertas. The 2021 WorldSSP300 Champion had been 46 points clear heading into Portugal, but his P2 in Race 1 and P12 in Race 2 mean the gap is now just 20 points with five rounds to go. Manzi was also able to gain ground on Huertas thanks to a double podium, with the #62 now 41 points behind Huertas and 21 behind Montella in second.

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Danilo Petrucci will remain with the Barni Spark Racing Team for a third season after inking a new contract with the Ducati-powered team. ‘Petrux’ made his MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship debut with the team in 2023 and was a podium contender in his rookie season, before building on that in 2024. Petrucci stated on Thursday at Portimao he wanted to remain with the team and his wish has been granted with his new contract. The team have also stated that they are working on fielding a second Ducati bike next year, although stopped short of confirming it.

THE FIRST BARNI STINT: STK1000 runner-up in 2011

Petrucci’s first experience of the WorldSBK paddock was in 2007 in STK600 and he completed two full seasons in the Championship in 2008 and 2009, finishing seventh and fourth in the standings, winning three races in the latter season. That earned him a seat in STK1000 for 2010 with Team Pedercini on the Kawasaki ZX-10R, where he finished ninth in the Championship. He moved to Barni Ducati in 2011 and it was a partnership that hit the ground running: seven podiums and four wins in 10 races helped the Italian to second in the standings, finishing two points behind Davide Giugliano.

PETRUCCI’S MOVE: a shot at MotoGP™

The Terni-born star’s performances on production-based machinery impressed so much he moved to MotoGP™ in 2012, joining the Ioda team with their CRT bike between 2012 and 2014. A switch to Pramac Racing for 2015 for four seasons put ‘Petrux’ in the shop window for a ride at the factory Ducati squad and he was rewarded with a seat there in 2019, where he took the first of his two wins at Mugello. He took another win a year later, at Le Mans, before a move to KTM for 2021 where he took a best of fifth. Although his full-time MotoGP™ career ended after this season, he made two one-off appearances – with Suzuki in Thailand in 2022 and Ducati in 2023 at Le Mans – since.

THE AMERICAN DREAM AND OFF-ROAD CHALLENGES: Petrucci goes stateside and rallying

For 2022, Petrucci took on a new adventure in the Dakar Rally with KTM and became a stage winner before returning to asphalt in MotoAmerica on the Ducati Panigale V4 R. He claimed five wins when racing in the USA and 16 podiums as he finished second. His performances secured him a return to the WorldSBK paddock with Barni Ducati.

BACK WITH BARNI: seven podiums in two seasons

After adapting to the Pirelli tyres and the WorldSBK format – new to Petrucci – the 33-year-old became a podium contender. His breakthrough weekend in terms of pace came at Misano, before the results followed at Donington with a first rostrum. He backed that up with two podiums at Most, and his next podium came at Phillip Island. He suffered a huge motocross training crash before the Dutch Round, which meant he missed the round, but was back on home soil at Misano and finished a heroic sixth in Race 2. He was back on the podium at Most at the halfway stage of the season before third at Portimao in Race 1 and the Superpole Race. His 2024 performances mean the team have committed to Petrucci for 2025, his third campaign with the team.

PETRUCCI SAYS: “I feel at home here… the renewal was what I wanted”

Expressing his excitement at his new contract, Petrucci said: “This is the team where I was before going to MotoGP™, and the one with which I returned to a World Championship after Dakar and MotoAmerica. In short, I feel at home here, and the renewal was what I wanted. Barni, his family, and his team give everything they have to make a competitive bike. I’m not that young anymore, but I still feel good, and as long as I’m in shape, I have no intention of staying home. Barni and I still want to enjoy some success together, this year and next.

BARNI DUCATI’S PLANNED EXPANSION: a potential second bike, rider unknown

With plenty to celebrate this year, from Petrucci’s incredible performances particularly after his comeback from injury to Nicholas Spinelli stunning the field at Assen to claim Race 1 victory on his debut thanks to an inspired tyre choice, the team have announced their plans to field two Panigale V4 R machines in 2025. Although it is not yet confirmed they will have a second bike, it is the team’s plan as part of their growth; Petrucci’s potential teammate has not yet been named.

THE TEAM’S VIEW: “Renewing with Danilo has always been our priority… goal is to win the Independent teams’ title and stand on the top step of the podium”

Team Owner Marco Barnabo spoke about Petrucci and the possibility of a second bike, adding: “Renewing with Danilo has always been our priority. We know his worth and have great confidence in his abilities. I’m very happy to continue racing with him next season. Together we are on a path that has already brought us great results, like during the weekend just concluded in Portimão. Our goal is to win the Independent teams’ title in 2024 and 2025 and stand on the top step of the podium in a WorldSBK race. I would like to thank Danilo for the trust and esteem he shows towards the team, and all the sponsors who support us and wanted this renewal with us. Together with Spark we are working for the growth of the team: the second Panigale V4 in WorldSBK. This has always been our goal, and we would like to have another rider alongside Danilo.”

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The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s seventh round at Portimao was a firecracker with the Pirelli Portuguese Round delivering the goods once again. The rollercoaster gave everything, from new record win streaks to late race heart ache and of course, everything in between. Our trip to the Algarve left us with muito picante headlines, as you can see below.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “Alvaro is coming step-by-step… I’m waiting for him”

13 in a row for Toprak Razgatlioglu, who demonstrated that whilst you may be able to take a wing from him, you can’t take a win right now: “It’s special for me because with a total of 54 wins in WorldSBK, I’m happy! 13 wins in a row is also incredible. Race 2 was very difficult with the wind being very strong and the bike not turning at the final corner. When the Ducati riders came, I was ready to fight with them! I know that Ducati are very strong in the final corner and I was waiting to start fighting. Alvaro crashed at Turn 5 and after that, Nicolo came.  We won again and it’s a very special weekend. Now, I look to Magny-Cours, one of my favourite circuits and we’ll see how good we are there with BMW. The bike works well and in general, everything is good. We improved the bike on Sunday at Portimao but not enough for an easy win. If we weren’t fighting then maybe I’d forget about the hard braking! The shooter is very famous now in the world and I did the same style. I think it is a good celebration! Alvaro is coming step by step but I don’t know why he’s destroyed this year. Last year, he was very strong but not this year. I am waiting for him because I really enjoy fighting a lot with him.”

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “It was the first time in 2024 that Toprak was very close and I had the possibiility to beat him”

A mighty effort from Nicolo Bulega saw the Italian battle illness and miss out on victory in Race 2 by just 0.035s: “I just want to go to sleep. I’m finished; unfortunately, before the weekend, there was too much air conditioning and I had a fever. It was one of the most difficult weekends of all my life. In sector one and two, Toprak was faster than me but in the last sector, I was faster than him but I was destroyed. In the last laps, I was just sitting on the bike and the bike was riding me. I played my card in the last corner because it was the only point where I was faster but it wasn’t enough. I’m happy though; P2 and almost a win is good. I think that I wasn’t at 100% so I think that it was the first time in 2024 that Toprak was very close and I had the possibiility to beat him. He was very strong like always.”

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “I smelt the blood and wanted to attack… I’m nearly 40 but I’m 18 inside!”

Another story of what may have been for reigning double World Champion Alvaro Bautista, who remained upbeat and remains determined to win in WorldSBK: “Races can be like this; the important thing is that we led the race, at least for some metres! I’m happy because our performance has been increasing this weekend and I have more confidence. What happened in the race could always happen; when I got to Toprak, in other conditions, I’d have said ‘OK, breathe a bit and attack’ but now, I smelt the blood and wanted to attack straight away. I felt strong and I had a bit of bad luck. When things happen, it’s easy to say but I’m nearly 40 years old. Inside, I am 18! I have the same as a rookie which is good but sometimes, not so good. Fortunately, I still have this feeling and that means that I want to do it. Not like that ‘P2 here is OK’; if I can win, I’ll try. There was no strategy for the last five laps; just full gas, the maximum I could. At the moment, I have nothing to lose. We were close to fighting with Toprak and I hope that at Magny-Cours, we keep making small steps and reduce the gap.”

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team): “I must be happy but I’m not!”

Two podiums out of three but missing out in Race 2, Danilo Petrucci summed up one of his weekends: “After the good result of the Superpole Race, I thought Toprak was a step ahead and he showed his true potential. I thought I’d be able to fight for the podium in Race 2 but the wind was so strong and a problem for me. I’m quite tall but I keep the rear really sat down and the front quite high, so I was suffering in the long corners. This meant that in the first part of the race I was there but losing time out of the last corner and down the straight. When I caught van der Mark, we were in trouble because in every straight, he put himself in front of me and we lost the connection with the front group and also Iannone. We didn’t have the pace for the podium but the bike was tough to ride; the front was very unstable. I must be happy even if I’m not because I was looking for a podium in Race 2 but two podiums in three races means we gain a lot of points and we’re close to fifth overall in the Championship. We’ve were in the top five all weekend, so we look forward to Magny-Cours where it was positive last year.”

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “It’s good to see the consistency at so many tracks now”

Two podiums on Sunday for Alex Lowes, who closes right in on the top three overall in the Championship: “The wind changed direction and was strong; the bike was really unstable and dificult to ride. All my braking markers were completely out and the problem was the wind was different each lap, one lap strong and one lap not. In my head, I was thinking that everyone’s going to be struggling, not just me so I ahd to relax and keep focused. On the straight, Toprak hit the back of me; I think he got sucked in with the slipstream. I tried to follow him for a couple of laps and where I’m strong on the Kawasaki is the trail braking because you can carry a lot of speed into the corner but the others don’t ride like that. I nearly hit Toprak at Turn 3, lost time but then I just tried to manage. It’s good to see the consistency at so many tracks now, so I’m looking forward to Magny-Cours. For the top three overall in the standings, I’m not fast enough on speed, so it depends on the consistency of the other riders. Some weekends, we’ll be strong and on those, I’ll need to be on the podium. If I can finish in 6th, 7th and 5th on a bad weekend instead of zero points, maybe I have a chance, especially if Alvaro has a DNF. I feel like I’m riding as good as I have ever ridden; I enjoy each weekend and the result will be what it’ll be.”

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW): “Toprak’s making the difference”

After a season-best P4, Garrett Gerloff explained his Portimao strength and looked at the BMW performance and how Toprak makes the most of the package: “I had a good weekend in 2024; it’s a track that plays to our strengths, with a lot of braking on the side of the tyre and I feel like I have a good feeling with it and I can finesse it a bit. From FP1, I felt good and I said to the guys not to touch anything. The bike is working really well, I feel like I can predict what it’s going to do and that makes a world of difference in how I can ride. If you look at my race pace from this year to last, I think it’s the same. Toprak’s making the difference; I’d like to say it’s the bike but all my races this year have been slower. I haven’t had the feeling to ride this year how I wanted to ride and then it’s been a scramble to figure it out.”

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The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship visited the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve and it was a strong weekend for Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who narrowly missed out on a return to the rostrum on Sunday in the Tissot Superpole Race. It was his joint-best result of the season as he continues to fight at the front during the campaign, backing up his fourth place with P7 in Race 2 during the Pirelli Portuguese Round.

Dutch rider van der Mark was inside the top ten in Friday’s combined classification as he showed his hand early, and claimed fifth in Saturday afternoon’s Tissot Superpole session. He posted a 1’40.246s to start from the second row, half-a-second down on teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu with the pair working together during the 15-minute session. In Race 1, the #60 finished in sixth before finishing two places higher in the Superpole Race, losing out to Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in a thrilling last-lap fight.

Reflecting on Sunday as a whole, the #60 said: “I think we must be happy. It was quite difficult because I was so close to getting onto the podium in the Superpole Race. I was lined up perfectly behind Alex into the last corner and unfortunately, just before the finish line, the bike started to wheelie, and I lost some speed. A shame to lose out on the podium but it was nice to fight again. One of the most important things is to have a good position again for Race 2. Starting fourth is not so bad, I had a good start in Race 2, but I immediately struggled a little bit with the bike; it didn’t feel as good as Sunday morning or Saturday. I think due to the wind. We had a good strategy with Toprak. I took the lead, tried to go but I didn’t have the pace I was expecting. I struggled a lot during the race. I fought as hard as I could but, at one point, I couldn’t go faster or fight back like I wanted. Finishing seventh is not where I wanted to be but, looking back at the weekend, the whole team had a fantastic weekend in Portugal.”

Van der Mark and Razgatlioglu were re-united for the 2024 season on the BMW M 1000 RR, having worked together at Yamaha in 2020. They have often shown they have a good working and personal relationship and that’s continued this year, with van der Mark celebrating Razgatliolgu’s Superpole Race win which was a record-breaking victory. Five-time race winner van der Mark spoke about the disappointment of losing out on a podium but also how Razgatlioglu is helping him fight for the top positions once again.

The BMW star said: “It was hard to accept. It gave me a lot of confidence as well. We know we’re getting closer, step by step. As an athlete, you always want more. I should be happy with P4, but I could smell the podium. We’ll keep building on this and I’m sure it’ll come. It’s nice to share the box with him. I think that’s one of the reasons I’m getting closer and closer to the podium, because I can learn a lot from him. This weekend, we showed we worked together really well already in practice. We have to work together because the competition is so close. Having him in the pit box is fantastic and it’s even better that we work together and want to help each other.

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