After all of the predicting, excitement and talk of the new names, refreshed rider line-up and possibilities for some huge shocks, it was Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) who came to the fore to remind everyone that he’s got what it takes to battle it out at the front. A race winner at Phillip Island in his debut weekend for Kawasaki, the British rider enjoyed a day of putting his ZX-10RR through its paces.

Leading the Kawasaki project in 2024 with new crew chief Pere Riba, Lowes started the day in second position but only set four laps. However, in the afternoon, he flew to top spot and set a new lap record in the process, even if the 1’29.042 will be vulnerable moving into Saturday and the remainder of the weekend. Spending a lot of time on understanding the tyre performance level and which compound will help him more during the shorter stints.

Recapping his first day of the season, Lowes was upbeat, confident and enjoyed being at the forefront: “It was good. We had some difficult conditions today and didn’t do many laps. The format for the weekend has changed since the test, so we have a bit of a different mentality. We’re trying to look for out-and-out performance and we have to look after the tyres for 10 or 11 laps, rather than the 22 laps. This means we can play a bit more with the power of the bike, maybe have a bit more of an aggressive setting on the way the bike turns to use the tyres a little bit more.

“In the afternoon, we used the tyres from the morning to start with and didn’t feel too bad. We used the SC2 front tyre, which I quite liked in the test when it was hotter, and by using it today, it means we can focus on the SC1 tyre which gives me some more turning and helps me ride the bike a little bit, especially for 10 laps I think it’s better. I didn’t expect to be as fast as I was. With the SC2 tyre, maybe you can use the grip and then it was dropping a bit, and I was struggling to turn the bike, so I’m sure there’s plenty of areas we can improve. In general, I’m positive and feel good. Quite a lot of good laps and my pace is staying okay. We know there’s so many fast guys in WorldSBK. If I can have a good Superpole, I think I can be in the mix tomorrow and start the year strongly.”

Discussing his goals for the weekend, the #22 has his eyes on the podium: “My goals are to do my job and get the most from the Kawasaki. We’ve not been around some of these guys, like Bulega, Iannone, Sam Lowes, on the Ducati; one of the strongest packages in the race situations. I’m looking forward to racing with them and getting stuck in. Toprak’s going to be there; there’s going to be a lot of guys who are there. I’m strong, I’m fast and when the grip’s there on the bike, I think I’m as quick as anybody else. I’m going to enjoy it, fight tomorrow and try to get on the podium to start the year.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is as wide open as we’ve ever seen it, with new names, line-up changes and more making it a melting pot of unpredictability and excitement. The Titanic Trio – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) all have new challenges for 2024 but Friday wasn’t quite as easy going as they’d have hoped for, with only Toprak scraping into the top ten in P10, albeit with not much of a gap to the front-runners. For Bautista and Rea, headshaking was seen on their way to P12 and P16 respectively.

REA AT A LOSS: “Fundamentally, something’s not right”

Jonathan Rea’s long-awaited and highly-anticipated round debut with Yamaha got underway but it wasn’t the brightest of days. He was down in 16^th come the end of the day and reported a vibrating issue during the session. Again, he was shaking his head, with plenty of work still to be done for the #65 to feel at ease with his new steed.

Like Bautista, Rea set 18 laps and both improved a lot compared to the morning. At the end of the day, Rea explained Friday away: “It’s been a super difficult day; as you can see, I didn’t do many laps on track. I didn’t know with the weather to be honest but we suffered some issues straight away this morning, probably continuing on from the test. We struggled to pinpoint exactly what it is; the bike is very difficult to ride. We’re trying to rule out the problems and we’re changing the setup of the bike quite a lot but not touching on it. Fundamentally, something is not right and it’s not exactly how I imagined day one of the season to start but we are where we are and I have full confidence in the team to find the root of the issue and try to be stronger tomorrow. We’re so far away to be thinking about a chance. First, we need to have a good feeling with the bike and then nail the pitstop and see where we are. Hopefully, we can start in the right way.”

SOLUTION NEEDED: “We need to find the issue otherwise it’ll be the hardest race of my life.”

Talking in his media debriefs, Rea explained further: “We’re working as a team through the items, trying to eradicate it. Right now, it’s unacceptable; something’s not right and we need to find the problem. I’ve been told I can’t say too much but it’s frustrating for me as well as I’d love to say the full story… it’s been a difficult day, one of the most difficult. I have full belief in the guys that we’ll find it but it’s not how I dreamed of starting the World Championship. We’re really on the backfoot; I knew that when I was running out of time, I had to register a lap time. Maybe they were the sketchiest three laps I’ve ever done! Even with the issue, I’m not riding the R1 in the best way, but I need to get the bike close enough to me to exploit my strengths. We need to find the issue otherwise it’ll be the hardest race of my life.”

DENNING’S WORDS: “Our responsibility to improve and give him the package”

Speaking in pitlane on the World Feed, team principal Paul Denning commented on Rea’s struggles and his big testing crash at Turn 11 on Tuesday: “Physically, he’s not bad, he’s better than expected. He’s got restricted movement in one of his legs, his left leg, and it’s quite hard to move his foot back and forwards for the left handers around here but it’s actually better on the bike when the adrenaline was flowing than it was statically. He did three timed laps but he still didn’t have confidence and feeling with the bike. The R1 itself is working great when you look at the performance of Locatelli, and Gardner and Aegerter were fast in FP1. The bike’s got all the potential, a six-time Champion’s got all the potential as well, we’ve just got to match Jonathan’s confidence with the bike. It’s obviously hereditary from the crash on Tuesday.

“He has a history of being a very different animal when the lights are on and it’s time to actually race. We need to rebuild his confidence; after nine seasons with different people, team and philosophy and bike, it’s not easy. His first test and feeling with the R1, going second quickest at the Jerez test in November, we’ve just not quite translated that through Portimao and Phillip Island. A few problems have got in the way to make that more difficult. That’s our responsibility to improve and give him the package that helps him use 100% of his talent.”

TOPRAK SHRUGS OFF FRIDAY CONCERNS: “I think we can fight for the podium…

Starting with Razgatlioglu, who set an all-time WorldSBK lap record during the Official Test earlier in the week, he spent a lot of time on track with teammate Michael van der Mark and featured inside the top five at times but didn’t stay there. He slipped down the order to finish P10, although for all riders, difficult weather – which isn’t expected to continue – means you can’t read too much into the placings, especially given the #54’s pace from the tests.

Speaking at the end of the day, the Turkish star said: “We started not very strong as today’s conditions were completely different and everyone pushed for a lap time. The wind was very strong and the bike wasn’t working or turning. I tried to adapt to the situation. In P10, I’m not thinking about this because Saturday is a different day and I’ll try my best to improve the bike a little bit. Tomorrow morning, I think we can start strong to do a different setup. We’ll need to do a good Superpole and then in the race, I think we can fight for the podium. It looks like we’re strong but it was my first time riding the BMW with the strong wind today and I was fighting a little bit, it felt a bit heavy. Tomorrow, the weather looks a bit better.”

Talking about following Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) and Bautista in FP1, Toprak said: “I wasn’t pushing, just following them to understand some corners. The Ducati sometimes uses a different line and I was looking at that; I’m working for the race as I need to see who I’ll be fighting with. I forgot this morning to do a good lap time but it’s only FP1 and FP2; on Saturday, I think we’ll start strong.”

“I STOPPED A LOT OF TIMES” – electronics issues and setup dramas limit Bautista

In the red corner – and with extra kilos on his bike to contend with – Alvaro Bautista was seen shaking his head and gesticulating when he was entering the pitlane in the final quarter of the session. The reigning double Champion comes into the season without an ideal testing experience, having been injured and unable to really push to his usual limit. He’s won eight of the nine races he’s took part in for Ducati on ‘The Island’ but, in his own words, isn’t the favourite for success.

Setting just 18 laps across the two sessions, Bautista commented on his first Friday of the season: “It was a very special Friday for everyone as in both Practice sessions, it started raining just before, so we didn’t do a lot of laps. Then, in FP2, we found issues with the electronics parts and we also tried a different setup to try and improve my feeling and it didn’t work. I stopped a lot of times and didn’t do a lot of laps. However, in the few laps I did with the setup in the morning, I was happy as I was good and consistent. My physical condition is good and I feel more flowing on the bike. My feeling is coming and that’s the important thing of today. About the position, everyone is going very fast and the times are very close, so I’m not worried about it. I can say it’s been a short but positive Friday.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round kickstarts the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship but one rider will be missing from the grid: Iker Lecuona (Team HRC). The #7 Honda rider suffered a highside during Tuesday’s test in the morning session and sustained a shoulder injury. He took to the track across the two sessions on Friday but following a further assessment after FP2, has been declared unfit for the remainder of the weekend. Last year, Lecuona achieved two top six finishes for Honda at Phillip Island in what was one of his strongest weekends of the season. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) will be the sole factory Honda on the grid for the races.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

As the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship gets underway, lots of personalities from the paddock have been giving their opinion in the build-up to the new campaign. One of these is ten-time race winner Chris Vermeulen, who spoke about an array of topics during Free Practice 1. The Australian, who was speaking to Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and his Crew Chief, Andrew Pitt in the pitlane during FP1 as they waited for conditions to improve, covered racing with the duo, the 2024 season and whether Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) could go one better than he did and win both the WorldSSP and WorldSBK titles.

RACING WITH REA AND PITT: catching up with old friends

Vermeulen raced against Pitt in WorldSSP as they fought for the title, with Pitt claiming the 2001 title, and another one in 2008, while Vermeulen won the 2003 title. Both then raced in WorldSBK, with Vermeulen finishing fourth in his rookie WorldSBK campaign in 2004 before claiming the runner-up spot in 2005. He also raced against Rea as the six-time Champion was bursting onto the scene, competing in 2010 and 2011.

Reminiscing about racing against the pair, Vermeulen said: “Pitt was just before my time, he was the guy I was always trying to beat. He won a couple of WorldSSP Championships when I was there, and I raced him in WorldSBK for a while. Jonathan Rea was coming into the Championship in my last couple of years, so I’ve known him for a long time. What he’s achieved, the six world titles with Kawasaki, it’s exciting for him but I can see the drive and determination. He’s got a new challenge with the Yamaha this year. He said he’s just got to understand the bike to get the most out of it, he said he can go quick, but can he go quick for a whole race?

ROUND 1 AND 2024: “WorldSBK is exciting this year…”

After discussing his racing past, the Brisbane-born race winner turned his attention to 2024, saying: “WorldSBK is exciting this year. Toprak moving to BMW, Rea to Yamaha, we’ve got Nicolo Bulega coming in fast as a rookie. Bautista’s a little bit injured, but he’s fast around ‘The Island’. It’s been resurfaced. Round 1 is going to be wide open. We’ve got the pit stop in the races and it’s going to be interesting to see how the season starts.”

BULEGA’S CHANCES: “hopefully he can go on and do what I didn’t…”

Reigning WorldSSP Champion Bulega earned himself a seat with Ducati for his rookie campaign, and Vermeulen discussed whether ‘Bulegas’ could win both titles, something he was unable to do after he finished runner-up in WorldSBK. He said: “It was a little bit different for me because I came in as a rookie, but the team did as well. Ten Kate really stepped up, they ran one bike with me, and it was the only Honda that was really competitive. It was about half a season before I won a race. He’s already quick and he’s in with the title winning team. Hopefully he can go on and do what I didn’t do which is win both Championships. I was runner-up in WorldSBK and the Champion in WorldSSP. He’s got the opportunity and he’s been fast in other categories, such as Moto2™; the guy is quick on any motorcycle, and it looks like that Ducati really suits his style at the moment. It’s going to be really interesting and it’s exciting just to throw more guys in there. It’s fun for us to watch.”

A NEW ERA BEGINS: watch every moment from the 2024 season in style using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is, wait for it… UNDERWAY! Day one of the season is in the books from Phillip Island and after a lot of time battling weather and even wildlife – with Cape Barren geese causing a short red flag – we got our first look at the stars of 2024 in anger. With lap times already on lap record pace from the start, it was Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) who shone at the front to end day one as the rider to beat.

ALTERNATIVE STARS AT THE FRONT: Lowes, Bulega and Locatelli, Bautista and Rea outside top 10

In green, Alex Lowes rocketed to lead the way in the closing stages, setting a new lap record – although it is likely to be beaten further if weather permits. Lowes was a race winner for Kawasaki at Phillip Island in 2020 and with upgrades to performance coming into the year, the combination of the #22, new crew chief Pere Riba and Kawasaki’s gains seems to be working well for the #22. For new teammate Axel Bassani, the Italian had some flashes during FP2 but only finished in 15^th overall.

A revelation during testing, P2 went to Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as he got down to business straight away and was competitive from the start and in the top three. Bulega, a double winner in World Supersport at the circuit last year, has been the fastest of the two factory Ducatis since stepping on the bike, with reigning WorldSBK Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) still getting up to speed after an injury-hit pre-season. All was not well with the #1, who was seen shaking his head and gesticulating when returning to pitlane, clearly experiencing problems. He was soon back out and inside the top ten before finishing 12^th overall but was fastest in the final section.

First out on track, Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) did one circulation before coming back in, reporting a vibrating issues. He was soon back out with less than ten minutes to go, getting crucial laps in after rain limited running earlier in FP1. Not quite on the pace that he’d have liked and had enjoyed back at Jerez during testing, there’re still refinements to be done for the #65 and collaboration with Yamaha, only 16^th. However, teammate Andrea Locatelli set a new lap record in FP1 and was inside the top three for the majority of FP2’s running. Working with crew chief Tom O’Kane in a weekend for the first time, ‘Loka’, who always goes well at Phillip Island, is in the mix for strong results, finishing third on Friday.

INDEPENDENT CONTENDERS: Petrucci majestic for P4, Sam Lowes and Iannone impress

In terms of Independent contenders, there were no shortages of places to look, with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) the best-placed of them in third in FP2, a mega strong start for the #9. He was fourth overall, whilst Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) snatched a strong fifth place in FP2 to put him sixth overall, despite a big save at Turn 2. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) was P7 overall, just ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing).

RAZGATLIOGLU VS VAN DER MARK: the #60 causes a stir

One of the biggest stories coming into 2024, Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) journey with BMW officially fired up and after a quiet FP1, he was inside the top five in FP2 for most of the closing stages. He got to have a look at some of his main rivals in FP1, following Andera Iannone (Team GoEleven) and Bautista in what could be a taste of 2024. Toprak towed teammate Michael van der Mark round in the closing stages as both worked together with the Dutchman able to feature inside the top four. The #60 is 1-0 up on his Turkish teammate, finishing ahead on the combined times; fifth for van der Mark, tenth for Toprak, who was just behind home-hero Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in P9.

OUTSIDE THE TOP TEN: Oettl in touch, Honda struggle

Less than half a second from Alex Lowes’ top time was Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) but he was 11^th, impressive times for the #5 despite the position maybe not reflecting it. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was on the front row in third last year but just 13^th on Friday, ahead of the first Honda of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC), who will be flying the flag for the brand this weekend as, whilst he’s participating, Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) is injured and finished 20^th overall. Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was 17^th, ahead of Bonovo Action BMW duo Scott Redding and Garrett Gerloff. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) and his teammate Adam Norrodin completed the order.

Top six combined after Friday in WorldSBK at Phillip Island, full results here:

1. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’29.042s

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.059s

3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha)

4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.195s

5. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.222s

6. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.250s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) claimed a stunning pole position for the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round despite a late crash in the 40-minute Tissot Superpole session. The #99 was fastest from the start at the legendary Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit but a Turn 11 highside brought his session to a premature end, although the Spaniard was still able to claim his first FIM Supersport World Championship pole position.

THE FIRST HALF: lap record pace for the newest polesitter

With the threat of rain hanging over the field, there was a rush to get an early lap time in to the 40-minute session, with Huertas smashing the lap record with a 1’31.934s to take provisional pole, ahead of Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), although Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) also went sub-1’31s as he set a 1’31.954s, just 0.020s behind his fellow Ducati rider. However, in his second stint, Huertas posted a 1’31.519s to extend the gap to fourth tenths.

THE RAIN FALLS… AND STOPS AGAIN: a 10-minute flurry at the end of Superpole

Around halfway through the session, drops of rain were reported in sector one before all sectors reported precipitation just a few minutes later, meaning Huertas’ time remained unchallenged until the final 10 minutes, when Montella set a 1’31.566s to close the gap to 0.047s. Huertas started his third stint later than the #55 as he went a tenth quicker before trying to improve on his next lap. However, he had a highside through Turn 11 which ended his session; he was taken to the medical centre following the crash and declared fit. Huertas becomes the 57^th different rider to claim pole in WorldSSP and the second rider to have pole position in both WorldSSP300 and WorldSSP. 

ON THE SECOND ROW: Manzi close behind his rivals…

With rain coming down in sectors one and two in the final minutes, the session came to an effective early end as riders were unable to improve their lap times. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) will line up from fourth on the Race 1 grid, ahead of Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha), with the French duo showing impressive speed after their switch of teams for the 2024 season.

THIRD ROW START DESPITE CRASHING: Sofuoglu, Caricasulo and Navarro all tumble

Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was seventh after his session was cut short by a crash at Lukey Heights on the lap after he set his best time. His best time was 1’31.219s to claim a third-row start for Race 1, but he was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following his crash and later declared fit. He’ll be joined by Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) on row three, with ‘Carica’ also crashing during the session. He went down at Turn 11 but was able to bring his bike back to the pits and re-joined the action later on. Jorge Navarro (WRP-RT Motorsport by SKM-Triumph) will start ninth ahead of Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team). Navarro crashed at around the same time as Caricasulo but at Turn 4 and was able to re-join the action.

HOUSEKEEPING: dramatic opening ten minutes

It was a frantic start to the session, with Navarro, Caricasulo, and Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) crashing at roughly the same time at different corners, with van Straalen coming down at Turn 2. Meanwhile, Niccolo Antonelli (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) had stopped at Turn 8, halting his first Superpole session, before he re-joined the session but had to pull off the track on the start-finish straight. Anupab Sarmoon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) will start 20^th after he took a Turn 4 tumble.

The top six from WorldSSP Superpole, full results here:

1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’31.407s

2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.159s 

3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.412s

4. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.598s

5. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.634s

6. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.744s

Don’t miss Race 1 on Saturday at 14:30 Local Time (UTC+11) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The moment we’d all been waiting for took a little bit longer, after a rain shower right at the start of the session. Adam Norrodin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) was the first rider to hit the track and set a lap time but it wasn’t really representative, nearly 30 seconds off the pace. A few minutes later, the whole field was on track and on the pace, getting down into the sub-1’30s. It was a frantic final ten minutes but the order was all jumbled up. Come the chequered flag, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was fastest with a fast lap right at the end of the session.

It was the last roll of the dice for ‘Loka’ that saw him fly up the standings to take a new lap record, albeit slower than the Official Test at the start of the week. He stood in the way of what would have been a Lowes 1-2. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was originally on top after his late lap ahead of identical twin brother Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), who made an emphatic debut. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was up in P4, a fine first session of the year for him at home in Australia. One of the headlines was in fifth place; Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven), who was originally the first rider out at the start of the session, sitting in behind Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in the closing stages. ‘The Maniac’ is back and on the pace from the start.

Elsewhere, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) made it three Independent Ducatis inside the top six, one place ahead of rookie and his factory Ducati replacement, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). The reigning WorldSSP Champion, a revelation during testing, took seventh, ahead of teammate Bautista. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was ninth whilst Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was tenth, although he only set five laps. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) split him and rival Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) in P12. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) was best Honda in 16^th.

Top six from WorldSBK FP1, full results here:

1. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 1’29.197s

2. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.106s

3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.520s

4. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.558s

5. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +0.688s

6. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) +0.727s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2024 FIM Supersport World Championship season officially started on Friday at the iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, with Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) leading the way ahead of Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) by just a tenth as riders smashed the existing lap record. The session was cut short by a few minutes due to a red flag in the sole session before this afternoon’s Tissot Superpole session for the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round.

Manzi put in a 1’31.939s to smash the existing lap record, set by Andrea Locatelli back in 2020, although it had been beaten by Schroetter earlier in the session. In his first run, the German rider posted a 1’32.028s to top the timesheets in the early stages, before Manzi went 0.089s faster to claim top spot in a session that was cut short due to track conditions after a technical problem for Yeray Ruiz (VFT Racing Yamaha) in the final five minutes. In third place was Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team), with the Spaniard three tenths behind Manzi.

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) came into the sole Free Practice session for the WorldSSP field after setting the pace in testing, and he finished practice in fourth place after setting a 1’32.278s, less than a tenth behind Huertas. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was fifth on a strong start for MV Agusta, within four tenths of Manzi’s record-breaking pace, while Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) was sixth as he returns to the Championship on a full-time basis.

Jorge Navarro (WRP-RT Motorsport by SKM-Triumph), making his debut on the Street Triple RS 765 following his switch from Yamaha, was seventh with Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) in eighth. ‘Carica’ is also making his debut with a new manufacturer, having opted to leave Ducati to race with the MV Agusta F3 800 RR this year. Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) was ninth with Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) completing the top ten.

There were several technical issues during the 40-minute session which impacted the field. Home hero Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) didn’t set a lap time thanks to two technical issues, including in the first five minutes, while Kaito Toba (Petronas MIE Racing Honda) also had an early tech problem but was able to set a lap time, taking 23^rd place. John McPhee (WRP-RT Motorsport by SKM-Triumph) had to pull over when he had a technical issue, while Nicolo Antonelli (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) was the sole crasher in the session when he went down at Turn 6.

The top six from WorldSSP FP1, full results here:

1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 1’31.939

2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.089s

3. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.320s

4. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.339s

5. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.382s

6. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.466s

Watch the first Tissot Superpole session of 2024 at 14:55 Local Time (UTC+11) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Dorna WSBK Organization (DWO) is thrilled to unveil the lineup of broadcasters set to bring the excitement of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship to fans worldwide for the 2024 season. With new partnerships and renewed agreements, the Championship is poised to captivate audiences across the globe. Additionally, the debut of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship in June promises to further enhance the racing experience for fans.

NEW BROADCASTERS AND PARTNERSHIPS: renewals and new signings

• USA: MAVTV joins as the new broadcaster for the USA for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
• Turkey: RedBull TV enters as the new broadcaster, focusing on live coverage and collaboration to enhance the Championship’s awareness in the territory. The contract initially spans the 2024 season, with a strong emphasis on promoting national riders.
• Renewed Partnerships: Servus TV (Austria, Germany) and Arena4 (Hungary) have renewed their commitments, while ITV (UK) has extended the highlights package for two more seasons.

EUROPE: lots of broadcasters remain in place

Eurosport remains a cornerstone broadcaster for the Championship, delivering WorldSBK action to enthusiasts several countries in Europe via Eurosport 1, Eurosport 2, and the Eurosport Player. Notably, Eurosport UK will provide comprehensive coverage of all rounds, including the UK Round in July, supplemented by a 46-minute highlights package on the ITV network. Italian fans can catch the thrilling races on Sky Sport, with free-to-air coverage on TV8. Spanish viewers can follow the action on DAZN and RTVE, while Portuguese fans can tune in to Sport TV. GIB Telecom remains WorldSBK’s broadcast partner in Gibraltar.

Servus TV has renewed its partnership for three years, ensuring continued coverage for fans in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, with Servus also offering on-site coverage at European Rounds. Arena4, having renewed its commitment for two more seasons, will continue to cater to fans in Hungary. Ziggo Sport will broadcast highlights for Dutch fans, while Nova Sports and Pop TV are set to continue providing coverage for fans in Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia, respectively. Belgian fans can tune in to RTBF to catch every thrilling moment of the Championship race, while RTL will maintain its coverage of WorldSBK for viewers in Luxembourg. Auto1 will be airing WorldSBK action in Ukraine through a 46-minute highlights package.

Additionally, a new partnership with RedBull TV in Turkey will focus on live coverage and collaboration to enhance the championship’s awareness in the territory.

NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA: a new home for WorldSBK in the USA

Exciting developments await fans in North America with the introduction of MAVTV as the new exclusive broadcaster for the USA for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Canadian fans can continue to enjoy coverage on REV TV. Brazilian broadcaster Bandsports TV will continue to show WorldSBK in Brazil. In Latin America, Fox Sports Mexico will air all classes, while ESPN will cover all other LATAM territories.

ASIA: Trans7, SpoTV and Douyin the places to watch

J-Sports will continue to bring WorldSBK to Japanese fans, while Trans7, maintaining its broadcast rights, will continue to air WorldSBK in Indonesia. SpoTV will offer coverage across Pan-Asian territories, including Korea, Hong-Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam. Chinese fans will have the opportunity to follow the series on the Douyin platform.

MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA, CENTRAL ASIA AND OCEANIA: a new five-year partnership

Exciting developments continue in these regions with SMC (Saudi Motorsports Company) securing the rights for MENA territories, including free-to-air coverage on MBC channels and SSC’s TV channels and OTT platform (Shahid) for the next 5 years.

Supersport will provide coverage across multiple Pan-African territories. Eurosport will broadcast in various Central Asian countries, with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan all enjoying coverage.

Fans in Australia can catch all the action on Fox Sports, while SBS will provide highlights. In New Zealand, Sky Sport will continue to broadcast all three classes.

WorldSBK VideoPass

In 2024, fans from all across the globe will once again have the opportunity to enjoy every exhilarating moment of the WorldSBK season with the WorldSBK VideoPass. Providing live and uninterrupted coverage of every session and every class, along with a vast archive of historical action, the VideoPass ensures that viewers never miss a beat. Additionally, fans can enjoy races OnDemand, giving them the flexibility to watch the action whenever and wherever they are.

With these broadcasters and partnerships, the 2024 WorldSBK season promises to deliver unparalleled excitement and coverage to fans around the world.

Source: WorldSBK.com