The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has welcomed enormous change on the grid but it’s not been a dream start for Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha). As teammate Andrea Locatelli holds the honour of top Yamaha overall, Rea has only had one points-scoring finish: last time out in Barcelona. We caught up with team principal Paul Denning to chat about that and more.

JR’S START TO 2024: “We haven’t achieved anything like we wanted to… adaptation to race situation required”

A rocky start to Rea’s Yamaha chapter, as Paul explained: “The start of the journey between Jonathan and Yamaha has been positive in terms of him fitting into the team, the working atmosphere and how he’s enjoyed the testing with the bike but unfortunately, the first two race events have been extremely disappointing. They’ve been coupled with a combination of factors, some of which were obvious to see including crashes but also factors which were unseen and hindered his performance quite significantly. This combination means we haven’t achieved anything like what we wanted to achieve in the first two events but the upsides are that he’s physically fit, very motivated after a solid Barcelona test. We have two years as a minimum to achieve what we want to achieve but as an alpha male competitor with the success he’s had, he won’t be wanting to wait too much longer before we’re fighting for the podium and achieving the results that he and the bike are capable of and we’re hoping we’ll be in a position for that to start at Assen.”

Managing the situation and the difficulties it has entailed, Denning’s experience plays a crucial part: “The motivation is the same as always and super high. The danger when you have challenges like we’ve had with Jonathan in the first rounds are to overreact and do the wrong things. The trick is to not start playing the blame game but to assess problems rationally and to stick to the process, making sure that we do the right things to recover the performance. It’s a challenge when things aren’t going in the right direction as you can find yourself wanting to do more and overcompensate for problems which then creates more problems than it solves. Clearly, there’s an adaptation in a race situation required from him as well and particularly – unusually for any rider – as he’s been on the same bike and in the same team for so long. The adaptation perhaps has been a bit more challenging than it might have been. I don’t think it’ll take too much more to grow that last big of confidence and to start having the confidence to over-extend himself and to start trusting the bike and to have the additional bit of performance to start challenging for the podium.”

CREW CHIEF CHATTER: Loka’s “very next step has to be to win”, Pitt-Rea working relationship

For Rea’s teammate Locatelli, he’s top Yamaha in the standings and made a big step forward: “Whilst there’s been frustrations on JR’s side of the garage, it’s a positive message for him that clearly, the bike is capable of running at the front. As his confidence continues to grow, the very next step has to be to win a race and to take that step of believing you can do it to doing it and repeating it. The level at the front of the field being more stacked than ever before in terms of talent. He’s enjoying working with Tom; he’s very close to Andrew Pitt and still is on a personal basis. Perhaps they came too close in their working relationship. If you’re too close to someone on a personal basis, then you can speak to that person in a certain way that you wouldn’t do at an arm’s length professional basis. Tom has a very clever and calm approach to the process and hasn’t been changing the bike too much at all, doing a super-detailed, quality job. I can’t say that it’s a better job than what Andrew did, it’s just different. He has responded very well to that difference but ultimately and genuinely speaking, the bike he nearly won on in Australia is the same in terms of the setting balance that Andrew gave him a year ago in Australia, with small refinements and detailed changes. Nothing has been turned upside down but Tom’s way of working in a very structured, step-by-step basis – always with significant engineering reasoning and knowledge behind it – seems to be suiting Andrea really well.”

With Pitt moving to work with Rea and the two being good friends, how is that dynamic working? “I would say really well despite the results, responded Denning. “Obviously, everyone had a super difficult test and race in Australia. When a rider has a big crash and then another at the same corner and things aren’t flowing that tensions are felt. However, AP has responded really well to it and during the test and the race, I thought he did a really solid job. The issues he we had in Race 1 and Superpole, Andrew could have done nothing about from his side in order to prevent or improve those situations. He’s doing his best in order to keep everything positive and calm. Jonathan has a really good trust with Andrew and his work ethic, the way he motivates the guys in the box and his desire to do well. For JR, his character is one whereby he really responds to that desire of everyone in the garage to do well and Andrew is very much a competitor. I think in a new team, the fact that they knew each other for so long and very well personally, gave Jonathan a level of trust and comfort which he may have otherwise not had. We may not have had a positive start to the story but if we keep working in a positive way, then we can have a good middle and end to the story.”

DOES LUCK COME INTO IT? “I’m always very wary of relying on that…”

With more than 25 years running high-level race teams, Denning’s seen almost every situation imaginable but how much is luck a variable in the outcome? “Good luck and bad luck does exist but I am always very wary of relying on that as any form of justification for a good or poor result, particularly in the case of a poor result, your not doing anything proactive to try and improve. Unfortunately, on JR’s side of the garage, on top of issues that we could have been on top of and done better with, sometimes when you’re in trouble, the world conspires to make it a little bit more difficult for you by throwing in more bad luck on top. Ignoring Jonathan’s travails, on Loka’s side of the garage, it would be easy to it was ‘bad luck to be ran off the track’ on the first lap in Barcelona but if we’d qualified better and he’d been in the first six, he’d not have been run off the track. So, qualify better – whether it’s use a better strategy or have more ultimate performance in the bike – whatever it is, to be further up the grid and then he’d not have been in that position. Luck does come into it but if you dig in, then there’s always something as a group you could have done to avoid it.”

YAMAHA’S RACING FUTURE: ‘Yamaha’s commitment in Japan and Europe is absolute’

Following the news that Yamaha’s R1 production would be halted for 2025 and beyond, Denning said on how that can be a positive for the racing side: “There are disadvantages to a bike that effectively, remains the same but there are also great advantages to that in terms of development, clear targets and knowledge of the engineers. The fact is that for 2025, the R1 is available in the European markets as a race/track day only machine and that it will be sold to customers in the same way a motocross bike is, as a leisure/racing machine. I don’t know any details at this stage but it’s logical that if a manufacturer isn’t having to invest in the emissions side of things and the continuous updates of the road legalities, there is the scope to make it more attractive as that racing/sport machine. Let’s wait and see and as I say, I don’t know any details but what I do know is that Yamaha’s commitment both in Japan and in Europe to the R1 is absolute and there are no intentions that the R1 remains anything other than the halo of the Yamaha range. From a racing perspective, that’s good for the ongoing specification upgrade.”

TOPRAK’S BMW WIN: “It was a painful watch from a team and Yamaha perspective”

Having won 37 races together – the most of any rider in Yamaha’s WorldSBK history – Denning spoke of how Toprak’s first win with BMW: “We never said at any time that he wouldn’t be competitive on whatever bike he was riding but honestly speaking, it was a painful watch from a team and Yamaha perspective, there’s no getting away from it. Toprak when he’s feeling it has a depth of talent that can do many things; he surprised me and us because Barcelona has always been a circuit that has been difficult to manage the tyres on. We’ll see. I think there’s a lot of racing still to be done and as we’ve already touched on, I don’t think we’re going to have either one, two or three riders that you can pick from that are going to be winning at a particularly track.”

EVERY SECOND LIVE: watch all the action from 2024’s new era with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

With a historic win at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in just his fourth race, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) brought BMW back to the top in just his fourth race with the team. Not only is this earlier than any of his wins in the last three years with Yamaha, it was a sign that bigger things are coming. Crew chief Phil Marron stated that he and Toprak are “only just scratching the surface” with the package but how has the story been from the start?

2023’S BIG SIGNING

MONDAY, MAY 22^nd: out of the blue and going to BMW

With just one win so far in 2023, ‘El Turco’ had taken part in a MotoGP™ test for Yamaha but the comments were mixed, with Toprak’s style needing to adapt to the MotoGP™ needs. With a door seemingly shut – for the moment – Toprak stated that if he is to stay in WorldSBK, then he needs a new challenge. That challenge came in the form of BMW with one of the biggest transfers the Championship had ever seen.

THURSDAY, JUNE 1^st: “I hope we win the Championship”

As round five at Misano beckoned, it was our first chance to talk with Toprak and key BMW people about the move. Toprak eluded to the reasons, saying: I say if I stay in WorldSBK, I need a new challenge. This is good motivation for me, I’m feeling more than 100% motivated. First, I am happy I have signed with a new team. I see people say, ‘this is not a winning bike, this is not easy’. This motivates me more because I listen to some people and I feel more motivated now because now my dream is that, after the first win, I can just ride. It’s possible this is a winning bike. It’s a big dream for me and a big new challenge.” BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers also shared his view, saying that is was “very exciting” amongst other things.

HAVING THEIR SAY: “I don’t know what he can bring… maybe he’s the missing link”

Toprak’s move caused a stir and eventually, was the catalyst for one of the biggest silly seasons of all-time, with his rivals not shying away from what they thought of the transfer. Scott Redding, who would be the rider Toprak replaces at BMW stated he ‘didn’t know’ what Toprak would bring to the project whilst fellow titanic trio members Alvaro Bautista and Jonathan Rea were open-minded about it. Bautista hailed it as “not a crazy idea”, whereas Rea even spoke of the #54 perhaps being the “missing link” for the German manufacturer.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3^rd: the first laps with BMW – “On the first lap, I was just smiling”

After having to wait to see out his Yamaha contract, Toprak’s first taste of the BMW M 1000 RR came at Portimao in December, 2023. After a mechanical issue in his first run, Toprak was able to hit the track with his first words being that “on the first lap, I was just smiling”, something that clearly showed good signs from the start. For the likes of Shaun Muir, team principal, he said that with the positive first comments, “our time has to come” and how right he’d go on to be.

2024’S NEW ERA

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17^th: BMW’s team launch in Berlin – “The mission is clear”

Germany’s capital was the stage for the 2021 World Champion’s livery unveiling alongside good friend Michael van der Mark as well as the Bonovo Action BMW team of Scott Redding and Garrett Gerloff. However, those who were talking about Toprak, such as Muir, Bongers and BMW’s Technical Director Chris Gonschor, were all excited with what is a new era for the German manufacturer. Muir said that “Toprak brings a certain quality to the team that we’ve perhaps not had before”, whereas Marc Bongers stated that “the pressure is on but we don’t crack under pressure and we go for it.” However, it was Gonschor who set out the big claim from the start: “The mission is clear; we want to win the Championship title.” A stark warning for BMW’s competition…

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25^th: Razgatlioglu’s first podium in maiden weekend with BMW

A fine performance in the Tissot Superpole Race from Toprak saw him hold off Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in a straight line on the last lap – the irony from the last races of 2023 – to take third in just his second race with the manufacturer. It was an impressive performance from Razgatlioglu but a Race 2 engine failure meant his maiden weekend was “50/50”.

SATURDAY, MARCH 23^rd: THE FIRST WIN – “It’s been my dream”

In an absolute classic World Superbike race, one of the greatest we’d ever seen, Toprak stormed to victory in a mesmerising last lap. Coming from over four seconds adrift in the last six laps in what was a battle of tyre wear, the Turk pounced on Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), after the rookie went too hard and too soon. Speaking of the win, Toprak hailed it a “dream” to win in Barcelona for the first time and to do it at what had historically been BMW’s worst track. Read all of BMW’s key personnel’s thoughts!

SUNDAY, MARCH 24^th: A Superpole Race classic – “That was a Rossi job!”

In a final lap battle for the ages, Razgatlioglu left it until the final corner to pass Alvaro Bautista after the showdown to end all showdowns, emulating Valentino Rossi’s famous Grand Prix-winning pass against Jorge Lorenzo in the 2009 Catalan MotoGP™ event. The #54 was on top ahead of Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) who pounced, whereas Bautista could only manage third – again beaten by Razgatlioglu but this time in a last lap fight – something that hadn’t happened since San Juan’s Superpole Race in 2022.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT? Follow Razgatlioglu and BMW’s first year together with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Two rounds and six races down in the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship and there’s an idea of who’s impressing and who needs to find form. While the spotlight has been on race winners, rookies and podium contenders, some riders have found themselves wanting, and needing, more in the early stages of the season. Let’s take a look at some riders who will be hoping the TT Circuit Assen really starts their 2024 season.

A DIFFICULT START TO LIFE IN BLUE: first points come in sixth race…

Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) moved to Yamaha for 2024 with aspirations of fighting at the front, but that’s not happened after two rounds. Rear chattering issues in Australia left him out of the points until Race 2, where a crash dropped him out of contention. He returned for Barcelona but a clutch issue in Race 1 forced him to retire, and he finished 13^th in the Tissot Superpole Race. Eighth in Race 2 meant he secured his first points, but it’s not the season the team, rider or manufacturer hoped for so far. With Assen up next – a circuit the Ulsterman won a track record 17 times at – can his 2024 kickstart in Round 3?

NEW BIKE, POOR RESULTS SO FAR: can Honda turn things around?

Honda introduced a new CBR1000RR-R machine to much fanfare at the 2023 EICMA show, but the results haven’t come through yet. Just a single top ten is their best, which came in Race 1 in Australia, and even the usual happy hunting ground of Barcelona was a struggle: 13^th in Race 1 the best result there. Team HRC’s Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge will be hoping for more and Honda will be aiming to make some big leaps soon. They have a podium at Assen thanks to Lecuona so maybe the legendary Dutch circuit will be the catalyst they need this year.

BASSANI’S ADAPTATION: aiming to find a step

Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had a big move for 2024, leaving behind the Panigale V4 R machine and stepping on Kawasaki’s ZX-10RR. It’s a huge change for ‘El Bocia’ and there’s been little to shout about for Bassani so far. Tenth, in Race 1 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, is the Italian’s best result so far while teammate Alex Lowes has won two races. It’s no surprise the #22 is ahead given his experience on the bike, but Bassani has shown his potential during his first three seasons in WorldSBK, and he’ll be looking to make steps as soon as possible.

GERLOFF AND REDDING: on the back foot?

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) ended 2023 as the fastest BMW rider, securing a stunning pole position at Magny-Cours before fighting close to the podium in the final few rounds. Fast forward to 2024, and Gerloff’s been in the top ten on three occasions but not near the podium. It’s been a tricky start for the Texan, and not just for him at the team. Across the box, Scott Redding is yet to secure a top-ten finish, with a best of 11^th. Both know they are capable of fighting at the front, on a bike that has two race wins in 2024, and they’ll be hoping there’s a breakthrough sooner rather than later.

MIXED RESULTS SO FAR: Rinaldi strong in Australia, not in Barcelona

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) left the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati squad for 2024 but found a new home at Motocorsa Racing, still on the Panigale V4 R. He showed good pace in Australia, taking sixth in Race 2 and fighting close to the podium places. However, in Barcelona, he was outside the top ten at a circuit he’s won at and been in podium contention a lot, which culminated in a retirement in Race 2 after a crash with rival Bassani. The #21 will be looking to be a consistent runner in the top ten as he’s shown he can do in his WorldSBK career.

THE NEW ERA CONTINUES: can riders find form at Assen? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

With two rounds completed in the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, a picture begins to emerge about who is coming out on top against their teammates – with some early surprises in store. Here, we explain who’s coming out on top in the opening stages, where riders are impressing but also losing ground.

SURPRISES IN STORE: Bulega leads the Championship, Bautista ahead in races

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) has shown impressive speed so far in his rookie campaign, racking up 87 points and one win. However, Alvaro Bautista holds the advantage overall, leading ‘Bulegas’ 4-2 in races. Interestingly, Bulega beats Bautista when taking Race 1 in isolation, leading 2-0, but the #1 responds on Sunday, holding a 4-0 advantage over the Sunday races held so far. Bulega’s results in Superpole – first and second – mean his average result is the best with 1.5, while Bautista’s is 10 thanks to ninth and 11^th in Superpole results (not including any grid penalties). In races, it’s much more evenly matched: Bulega averaging 3.0 in races, Bautista 4.67 despite an anomaly of 15^th in Australia Race 1 thanks to a crash.

RAZGATLIGOLU SURGES INTO THE LEAD: new team, new bike, no problem

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) already has two BMW wins to his name, and he’s also got the upper hand over teammate Michael van der Mark so far. The #54 leads van der Mark 5-1, with the Dutchman only finishing ahead in Race 2 in Australia when Razgatlioglu had a technical problem. 2021 Champion Razgatlioglu averages 3.0 in Superpole while his teammate averages 10 but, again, it’s closer in races they’ve finished: 2.6 for Razgatlioglu, 8.5 for van der Mark who, aside from one race, has been consistently in the top ten and showing his best form following his return to full fitness.

EARLY ADVANTAGE TO LOWES: a whitewash against Bassani so far

Kawasaki have enjoyed a strong start to 2024, with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) taking two wins and finishing in the top six in every race. It means he has a 6-0 advantage in races over new teammate Axel Bassani, as the #47 adapts to the ZX-10RR. Lowes has an average finishing position of 3.83, compared to Bassani’s 11.6 and it’s a big gap in Superpole too: an average of 5 for Lowes in the results, 15 for Bassani. It’s also one of the biggest average gaps when setting the grid, with the #22 0.810s faster than Bassani in the two Superpole sessions so far.

LOCATELLI LEADS REA: an early surprise at Yamaha?

Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) came into the Yamaha team hoping to fight at the front on a consistent basis, but that’s not happened in 2024 yet. Without points until Race 2 in Barcelona, the #65’s struggles coupled with Andrea Locatelli’s rapid pace mean the Italian leads 5-1 over Rea, with the six-time Champion finishing ahead in Race 2 in Barcelona when ‘Loka’ was caught up in someone else’s accident. Locatelli has an average finishing position of sixth, but that’s lowered when considering his Barcelona Race 2 result of 13^th, while Rea’s average is 12^th when finishing races.

STRUGGLES AT HONDA: one top-ten finish, only Barcelona compared

With Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) ruled out of action for Australia, it’s only fair to look at the Catalunya Round when comparing him to Xavi Vierge. The #97 leads Lecuona 2-1 in races, with Lecuona 1-0 up in Superpole and, as usual, their gap is very close. In Barcelona, only 0.020s separated the duo in the Superpole results. Honda’s best result in 2024 is tenth, which came in Race 1 in Australia courtesy of Vierge, with his average finishing position 13^th and Lecuona’s 17^th (Vierge’s average includes the opening round).

THE NEW ERA CONTINUES: follow every moment from 2024 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com