As the start of the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship creeps closer, one rider who appears to be on the backfoot heading to Australia is Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). After picking up a neck injury in a testing crash at Jerez right after 2023 concluded, the #1 has been fighting his way to full fitness and, while at Jerez he felt he made a step, Day 2 at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve was a challenge for Bautista.

“NOT TOO PAINFUL, BUT ALWAYS THERE AND IT’S NOT EASY” – Bautista provides fitness update

Bautista completed 90 laps on Day 2, four more than on Day 1, with a best time of 1’40.645s on Tuesday. He was left in P15 as rookie teammate Nicolo Bulega continued to shine throughout the test, although it was revealed they were running different test programmes. Speaking at the end of Day 2, Bautista explained that, although this test was “better than Jerez”, there was still more to come as the WorldSBK paddock gets ready to descend on Australia in February to kickstart the 2024 season in style.

When asked about his test, the Spaniard said: “Basically, I can say that it has been better than Jerez but not enough. On Day 1, I felt a lot of improvement from Jerez about my physical condition, but on Tuesday, I felt a bit worse than Monday. Maybe this track is more demanding. It’s not too painful but it’s always there and it’s not easy. Also, we worked with the bike, and I think we took the setup that wasn’t the best because, at the end of the day, we saw the way we started on from Day 1, maybe I’m not 100% and I cannot push to the limit. Maybe that way wasn’t correct, but we realised at the end of the day. I’m not 100% but I think we miss something on the bike setup. A difficult two days, but now we have some time to think about the setup of the bike and try to recover a bit more for Australia.”

“I DON’T HAVE CONFIDENCE, BUT I HAVE CONFIDENCE…” – needing to find form for Australia?

With four days of testing under his belt for 2024, Bautista is in a position to talk about the start of the season and how he feels heading into it as he looks to make it three titles on the bounce on the Panigale V4 R. With outright lap time seemingly lacking at this stage – although it’s hard to make a proper comparison to his rivals due to the nature of testing – and the nerve injury in his neck still lingering, Bautista spoke about how he was feeling ahead of the Australian Round.

The 39-year-old added: “I don’t have confidence, but I have confidence. I’ll try to work as hard as possible at home, I think this is the only way. It doesn’t matter about confidence. If we work hard, it’s the only way we can arrive in better condition. Let’s see. I have to go day by day and then, when we arrive in Australia, I will see what my physical condition is like, and we’ll try to do our best.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

We say it every year: ‘this season is going to be one of the best’ and let’s be fair, we’ve been pretty on the money. However, the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is going to be off the scale as far as excitement, unpredictability, stories and memories are concerned. We learnt a lot in testing but it is just that: testing. Even so, we analyse the patterns that emerged from Jerez and Portimao before the flight cases are packed and shipped Down Under for the season’s start.

NEW COLOURS, SAME SPEED: Razgatlioglu and Rea as competitive as ever

We’ll start with Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) for this one; the first test last year at Jerez – just 48 hours after he stepped off Kawasaki machinery – was already a success but he improved again in a private test at the same venue. In the last two tests, again at Jerez before the most recent one at Portimao, he was once again right in the mix. However, outright speed is still lacking, even if he gets faster as the race goes on with used rubber and a lower fuel load, something he highlighted after Portimao. If one lap pace can be improved, Rea’s a genuine threat once more – not that he wouldn’t be once the lights go out anyway. A wide operating window, the YZF-R1 Yamaha is slowly but surely fitting the six-time World Champion like a glove.

Ahead of preseason, the other major transfer of Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to BMW from Yamaha was certainly one with a lot less guarantees. BMW, without a win since 2021 (without a dry one since – get ready – 2013 at the Nurburgring with Chaz Davies) and a whole 2023 season without a podium (a pole for Garrett Gerloff at Magny-Cours was the big highlight), were in need of a star signing to really propel them forward. The smile after his first test at Portimao in December said everything but his pace after Christmas at Jerez and Portimao has had heads turned. At the rollercoaster in particular, scene of heartbreak in last year’s penultimate round in a head-to-head fight against Bautista, saw him top a test with BMW for the first time.

Strong race pace, big updates to engine specs, chassis and constant work on electronics, BMW have pulled out all the stops so Toprak can prepare all the celebratory stoppies. A little more edge grip and turning – the constant complaint from all BMW riders over the years – is still a sticking point but Toprak’s making it work. He signed off the Portimao test – the last one before going to Australia – with a warning to his rivals: “The bike is starting to feel like my bike.”

BAUTISTA’S NIGHTMARE, BULEGA’S DREAM: Ducati’s form book out the window

All the talk of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) adapting to the new rules, where he’ll need to carry an extra 6kg of weight in 2024, have been superseded by another challenge: the Spaniard’s injury. He crashed during the first day of testing for 2024 back in 2023, after the Jerez round, before heading to Sepang for his MotoGP™ wildcard. Perhaps, the injury was worse than everyone, including Alvaro, first thought. Three months later, he’s still struggling, with no training allowed until the start of January. Add on top of that the fact that he’s got to muscle more weight around than ever and with no big updates to the Ducati Panigale V4 R, it’s not been the easiest road to Australia for the defending double Champion. But did we expect him to be this far off the top? The competition level in WorldSBK is extraordinary but Bautista hasn’t been in the top ten at the end of either the Jerez or Portimao tests. Phillip Island awaits and he vows to get fit at home but as he admitted, it’s kind of out of his hands.

As one side struggles, a new Ducati star has emerged in reigning WorldSSP Champion, Nicolo Bulega. It’s been something rather astounding in testing and almost unbelievable; three days out of four have seen Bulega on top, only beaten by Razgatlioglu on day two at Portimao. Not just on top either but under the existing official lap record too. He had plenty of tests on the bike last year but to come in straight away and be this competitive is something rare. A total revelation, it’s important to remind ourself that it is only testing and, as Marco Zambenedetti – Ducati Corse’s Superbike Technical Director – said, “races will be different.” Bulega responded, saying “I’m not at 100%”, so maybe the races will be different but not how Marco expects.

THE NEW HONDA: strong start but work still to do

Initial feedback from Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and teammate Xavi Vierge was positive after testing at Jerez in November, with then-team boss Leon Camier confirming split throttle bodies, a lighter crank and wings had been introduced for the new homologation. However, things turned sour as 2024 got underway, with Lecuona left frustrated at Jerez; just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, he crashed on day two at Portimao, lost time and then still couldn’t find a direction to work in, questioning whether or not they’ll be ready for a top ten challenge. Vierge has been calmer, insisting that whilst there’s work to do, he’s ready for the challenge and keen to develop. The big issue is rear grip; the engine is so powerful that the rear tyre is just spinning coming out of corners but not with traction. Honda lost two days of vital testing in December last year due to poor weather but it could be a matter of getting stuck in, biting the screen and seeing what happens for the first round.

HOW ARE THE ROOKIES PROGRESSING: Iannone, Sam Lowes and more

Besides the aforementioned Bulega, there are four more rookies on the grid in 2024. They don’t come much bigger than MotoGP™ Grand Prix winner Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven), who lit up the timing screens at Jerez but spent most of his two days at Portimao adapting to the track, a place he’d never raced at. Everyone up and down pitlane was impressed with ‘The Maniac’ proving his speed and potential is still there. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) has also been quick, with the new team settling straight into a solid testing schedule in WorldSBK. Lowes has been up inside the top ten throughout testing and with Phillip Island as a first track, familiar territory will only enhance his initial good feelings. The other two rookies are 2021 BSB champion Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) and teammate from WorldSSP last year Adam Norrodin, who moves up with ‘Taz’. Less testing than others and with a mix of 2023 and 2024 parts, the full-spec 2024 Honda is expected at Phillip Island.

OTHER NOTABLE MENTIONS: KRT’s preseason and BMW’s development

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) seems to be adapting to life as the number one rider within KRT well and working with Pere Riba also seems to bringing the #22 on too, as he finished P3 at the end of Portimao’s test. Teammate Axel Bassani is continuing his adaptation to the ZX-10RR and inline four machinery, with work on corner entry and riding style being his key areas to focus on. The other BMWs of Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and teammate Scott Redding have also all had reason to smile throughout the preseason, with BMW looking one of the strongest manufacturers after huge investments and developments in the WorldSBK project. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) has likewise been fast and competitive, although teammate Dominique Aegerter sat out both Jerez and Portimao tests with illness.

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Faster lap times, new names rising and the established guard holding their own, the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has been sent into February – the month racing commences (AT LAST) – in some style. Once again, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fast but even faster was Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who – for the first time since joining BMW – topped the timesheets.

BMW CONTINUE TO FLEX MUSCLES: Razgatlioglu turns heads to top final European test

Going into lunch time, Toprak Razgatlioglu was on top of the pile, courtesy of a quick stint on the SCX tyre which saw him set a 1’39.255, four tenths under the official lap record but still a couple of tenths shy of Alvaro Bautista’s time from last year’s preseason test. Toprak was testing with the updated swingarm on day one with “continued work” seeming to carry on across to day two. During the first half of the second day, ‘El Turco’ did a long run with the SC0 tyre, where he seemed to lap strongly with all laps in the 1’40s and the first ones being close to the 1’39 barrier. In his final run, he fired in a 1’39.189 to seal the deal; he’s topped a test for the first time with BMW with a full grid in action. The lap was also set with teammate Michael van der Mark behind him. van der Mark was working more on the setup of the bike which has “changed quite a lot”, meaning that he can “play more with the setup”, although they’ve already found a good base.

BULEGA LEADS DUCATI’S CHARGE: is the #11 the real deal?

Once more, Nicolo Bulega was in mighty form; whilst many may have thought that ‘Bulegas’ wouldn’t have been a threat to teammate Alvaro Bautista in 2024, he may already being giving the #1 a headache. Electrically fast all through testing, the reigning WorldSSP Champion was once again one of the benchmark riders on day two. Despite Marco Zambenedetti, Ducati Corse WorldSBK Technical Director, stating that Bulega is only “learning and understanding” the bike and being “positively impressed” with a “very good surprise”, he maintained that “races will be a different story” once the season gets properly underway. When asked about whether or not he will be a contender throughout the season, Zambenedetti said “for sure.” For Bautista, Ducati continued to work with the ballast configuration, although at lunch time, he was only P11 and the fourth Ducati before finishing a lowly 15^th. Both Ducati riders were double checking items previously tried at Jerez.

RISE OF LOWES: Alex finds pace with Kawasaki to go P3, Bassani improves on day two

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) continued his work with the ZX-10RR, confirming items from Jerez, with the key focus on maintaining good race pace in the second half of the race. Electronics and chassis work were vital for Lowes, who also had Showa material to try on his way to P3 overall. As for teammate Axel Bassani, the #47 continued to try and adapt from V4 to inline four engine configuration, as well improve his feeling on corner entry. Anti-wheelie work was also carried out, as well as refining the engine braking setting. Whilst Lowes spent most of the day inside the top ten, Bassani struggled and was down in 17^th heading into the second half of the day. Come the chequered flag, ‘El Bocia’ was 11^th.

OUTSIDERS: Gardner, Petrucci, Redding and Gerloff strong

2024 is shaping up to be the year of revelations, as a variety of contenders were in the mix behind the main factory stars. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was up inside the top three going into the final hour as he worked on a variety of parts, whilst Danilo Petrucci went 1.5s quicker than he did as a rookie at Portimao last winter, up into the top ten at a circuit he’s historically struggled at; he’s been trying a new seat to improve his position on the bike. Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) and teammate Garrett Gerloff tried a variety of settings and finished the test both inside the top ten, meaning all four full-time BMW riders were strong, the only manufacturer with four bikes in that top ten, whereas Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) was still learning a Superbike and how it handles around the rollercoaster of Portimao.

YAMAHA: day of two halves for Rea and Locatelli

Third at lunch time and the first rider in the 1’39s during the day, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) has really found his feet in WorldSBK and was rapid across both days. Teammate Jonathan Rea was less fortunate, with a technical issue in the morning halting his track time and indeed the session. He returned to the track 40 minutes later but was only ninth at lunch. Having spent day one back-to-backing items previously tested at Jerez and understanding the bike on SC0, Rea stated he was still missing a one-lap attack going into day two. Come the conclusion of track action, ‘Loka’ was sixth, one place ahead of Rea.

IMPROVEMENTS FOR HONDA: encouraging signs but work to do

After doing more laps on day one than both days combined at Jerez, Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was an early faller on day two at Portimao. He tumbled out at Turn 7, with the bike needing repairing before it could go back out. Portimao was a track where the #7 was fast at in 2023, so whilst signs are more positive than at Jerez (a track Honda struggled at), it’s difficult to determine how competitive they are. The Spaniard moved up the order a little bit with a late lap to improve his time in the final 15 minutes. Both he and teammate Xavi Vierge spent time adjusting electronics, given that most of Honda’s are new for 2024. Vierge commented that they’re still missing traction, so day two was spent trying to resolve that so that they can use one of the bike’s strengths.

ROUNDING OUT: the rest of the stars

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Motocorsa Racing) was working on long runs and found steps on used tyres but much like Petrucci, struggled with fresh rubber. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) spent day two working on electronics and engine setup and the team even began working within the new fuel rules that come into force from 2025 and finished just behind the #21, whilst Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was next up, who worked on new triple clamps and swingarms on day one and tried to confirm his feelings on day two. Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) took 20^th, ahead of Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) and the two BMW Test Team riders of Sylvain Guintoli and Bradley Smith. Top WorldSSP rider was Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team), ahead of Niccolo Antonelli (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team).

Top 10 after day two, full results here (laps are combined across two bikes): 

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’39.189s – 74 laps
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.086s – 61 laps
3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.332s – 90 laps
4. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.377s – 79 laps
5. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.428s – 76 laps
6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) +0.489s– 80 laps
7. Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) +0.496s – 64 laps
8. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.767s – 53 laps
9. Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.946s – 76 laps
10. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.947s – 59 laps

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Preseason testing in Europe is done; the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is another step closer to bursting into action at Phillip Island, meaning Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) is a bit closer to his debut for the Japanese manufacturer. Two days of testing at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve is over and whilst Rea was only seventh overall on day two, he’ll be happy to have had good mileage under his belt.

138 LAPS IN TOTAL: productive Portimao testing for #65

In the official blue colours for the first time instead of the black testing livery, Rea had an eventful day when he suffered a technical issue, bringing out the red flag. The six-time World Champion returned to the circuit, with 64 laps completed, he can be proud of a solid days work and getting acclimatised at a different track. Previously, Rea had only tested at Jerez but now with a total of 138 laps in Portugal, he has experience aplenty across the rollercoaster circuit.

“OUR OUTRIGHT SPEED, WE NEED TO IMPROVE” – race pace gains but one-lap lacks

Speaking after the second day, Rea stated: “The guys need to check exactly what happened but I just came to a halt at Turn 1; we parked that bike for the day, so lost a little bit of time with what happened and then obviously, we only had one bike for the rest of the test. We focussed on our workload again, confirming the bike and I’m not completely satisfied with the feeling out there. I did a longer run to understand the tyre drop but I got faster and faster during that, so there’s some positives.

“I think our outright speed, we need to improve a little bit. I wasn’t completely comfortable so we’re still working to find that optimum setup for that style; it’s our first time here at Portimao together and the bike was behaving a little bit differently to what I was used to do. There’s work to do for everybody but I am happy, confident and relieved that testing has finished.

“WE’RE IN THE BALLPARK” – optimism for Rea ahead of Australia

Talking about what was tested, the six-time World Champion explained: “We tested some suspension ideas, some chassis parts and normal, test items. We experimented with geometry and setup, just running through the ideas we had to improve our feeling. I haven’t done a full weekend at Portimao on the Yamaha so I was starting from a Jerez-based setup and we ended up somewhere similar to that. We’re in the ballpark but I think we can fix that right now and continue working on that in Phillip Island.

“The items were positive, step-by-step we are trying to understand how the tyre behaves, an area we are trying to focus right now, to give me some traction as I pick up the bike. Some ideas and parts were better, some were the same and not too different. We’ll keep working with that and see what we can do in Australia.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is readying for what could be one of the most enthralling seasons of racing yet; with a myriad of changes in the rider line-up, there’s no shortage of stories. After two days of testing at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, that’s exactly the case for Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who goes to Australia – somewhat incredibly – as the rider to beat after testing.

It was a busy day for the Turkish star, who set 74 laps and a best of a 1’39.189, closing right in on the 1’38s but unable to be the first Superbike to get into that bracket. However, besides the sub-lap record pace, it was Toprak’s consistency over race pace that impressed many: 15 laps on the SC0 tyre, a tyre of favour at Portimao, saw him in the 1’39s, astonishing considering this is only his second fully-dry test with the BMW M 1000 RR.

“WE ARE 99% READY TO RACE” – Toprak talks tough

“It was a fantastic day as we did a very good job,” began an elated 2021 World Champion. “I wasn’t focussed on the lap time but also on the race pace. After this test, we go to race and we need a good setup for the race. We are 99% ready to race. The feeling is good and every day, we are getting better as we keep improving the bike. Today, I did a 1’39.8 with the SC0 and did it three or four times. With the SCX, I did a 1’39.2 which is an unbelievable lap time and I am really surprised. At the end of today, thanks to Bonovo, who we asked for a Q tyre from, we got one but only improved by 0.1s. We used a different swingarm for a short bike and put the SCQ but the bike was jumping around and there was a lot of wheelie. I couldn’t make a 1’38 but do next time we can!

“I did a race simulation of 15 laps and did two lap times with the SC0 in the 1’39s. It looks like we’re ready to race but we’re still learning and we need time. Every day, we improve but in general, I am happy. We’ll see at Phillip Island because it’s completely different, as is the grip. After Jerez, we still improved the bike and tried different parts, finally finding the setup. Finally, I feel like the bike is my bike. It’s my style, sliding and with the grip improving too. The turning is not 100% but we are close. The team is very happy and the motivation is very high now; I’m happy with Michael, who did a very good job today. In the season, we’ll work together and make a very good race result. We need some time to adapt the bike.”

BONGERS ON TOPRAK AND BMW PAIRING: “The bike seems to give him confidence”

Adding to Toprak Razgatlioglu’s comments, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers said: “Australia and Barcelona are, in terms of results and grip and position, the odd ones out but as we carried our Jerez setup from there to Portimao and it immediately worked, we’re convinced that we have a good base package. I go there with a lot of optimism. The bike seems to give him confidence and Portimao is a track where the rider needs confidence on the bike, there’s a lot of rider dependency here. We’ve been able to give him the confidence to get him close to the lap record, so it’s pleasing. I think the main steps we’ve made have been on engine braking, especially for Toprak’s extreme style and for us to adapt to that. The chassis has been the normal tweaking.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

It was nearly a clean sweep in January testing but in the end, he was toppled; Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had to settle for second as the WorldSBK rookie finished two hard days of testing at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal. The #11, a revelation in testing, was once again top Ducati for the third test in a row, whilst teammate Alvaro Bautista could only manage P15 as he struggled to make an impact for the second consecutive test.

Bulega was the only rider in the 1’39s on the opening day and was the first rider to dip under the lap record with a 1’39.275 on lap 24 of 61 completed. The time was reported to be done with an SCQ tyre, which did ultimately leave him 0.086s adrift of top rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). However, despite not topping the final timesheets before the Official Test in Australia, Bulega was happy with the days work as he and Ducati continue to learn more about each other and where to go from here.

BULEGA SUMS UP PRESEASON: “I think it’s been very good”

Talking at the end of the day, ‘Bulegas’ was pleased with the job done: “It was a very good day; my feeling with the bike is nice. Obviously, I need to adapt as I’m not at 100% but it’s normal. We’re working very well all together. I’ll go to Australia with good positivity. The lap was with the SCQ but with the SCX, I was very fast so apart from lap times – which are important but not a lot – I am happy because my race pace was good.”

Evaluating his preseason testing, Bulega continued: “I think it has been very good; we started at Jerez with a normal feeling but every day, my feeling was getting better, so this is very important and I think we have some margin. We’ll try to be more ready in Australia. It’s a little bit better than expected. I don’t have a lot of things to do; more time on the bike, do more laps and understand the bike better with worn tyres and low fuel. I am excited and looking forward to Australia with this amazing bike, as Phillip Island is my favourite circuit.”

ZAMBENEDETTI ON BULEGA: “Races will be a different story”, title contender “for sure”

Speaking during the middle of the day, Marco Zambenedetti – Ducati Corse’s WorldSBK Technical Director – praised the Italian youngster, saying: “Nicolo is only understanding and learning the bike with his crew. We’re happy about his performance but for sure races will be different story. However, we have the pace.” When asked whether Bulega was a contender or not, a wry smile with a stern look was followed by: “For sure.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

It’s been a positive testing season for Australian Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) as he gears up for his second MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season. Flying the flag for Filippo Conti’s team at the test with teammate Dominique Aegerter still unwell and out of action, the #87 stormed to fourth on the timesheets as he once again impresses.

Setting more laps than anyone else inside the top ten (89 laps to be specific), Gardner worked thoroughly throughout the day with plenty of long runs, whilst also launching a late time attack in the closing stages. Second Yamaha in the order to Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) ahead of him, 0.207s split the pair, with the Australian +0.355s off Nicolo Bulega’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) top time. Gardner topped the test at Jerez in 2023 immediately after the final round of the season and after a strong Jerez test last week, he’s taken his competitivity to Portugal.

Speaking after the first day in the Algarve, Gardner said: “We had a lot of things to try. It was a decent day and we got up to speed quite fast, we need to find something else for tomorrow but a good start. I managed to do an OK lap time in the end and of course I wanted more but it’s only day one. We tried to look for some grips and were reconfirming parts from Jerez. We tried some more tyres to but nothing new.”

“Tomorrow, we’ll work on our base setup and not work on testing so many things; we’ll treat as more of a race weekend,” resumed Gardner. “The first race is coming and we’ll try to be a bit better with the pace and do a long run as well tomorrow. I think we got off to a good start and both factory guys have really good pace. Hopefully we can find something for day two and find another step.”

2024 IS HERE: WorldSBK’s new era is unmissable; enjoy it all, wherever you are, with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

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As the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s curtain starts to lift up off the ground, the stage is set for an almighty battle. BMW are keen to be part of that and with new signing Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) seemingly straight on the pace, teammate Michael van der Mark is in contention too.

‘EL TURCO’ responds to BMW critics: “Everyone speaks about it, says it’s not good but it is”

Day one at Portimao was prosperous for both; Razgatlioglu, who had a couple of days to recover from burning and aching on his backside after a seat position didn’t work out at Jerez, was straight on the pace and didn’t leave the top three pretty much all day. The #54 stated that he was 95% happy with the braking of his M 1000 RR ahead of the test and instead, was searching for an improvement in rear grip, one of the long-lasting complaints of the bike since it was introduced in 2021. Having tested a swingarm at Jerez and not being convinced on it, this test serves as one for purely reconfirming – or disregarding – items, ideas and theories.

Speaking about what he tested, the agenda of the day and what’s to come on day two, Razgatlioglu said: “I can’t say what we tried but the feeling is that the first bike is much better. We’ll just use that and then tomorrow, we’ll try some different setups as well as shocks and suspensions. I like to go to Jerez and Portimao, here is my favourite circuit and I’m riding very well. Every day, we have improved the bike and it’s not bad. Everyone speaks about it, saying it’s not good but it is good. It’s not 100% but we’re still improving and we’re coming. We aren’t far away. If the bike didn’t have potential, I wouldn’t have made the lap time of a 1’40.0. I feel the potential and I’m happy for this, we just need to keep working.”

“I wasn’t happy with it at Jerez but here, I’m a lot happier” – van der Mark on new swingarm

On the other side of the box, Michael van der Mark likewise had plenty to keep him busy. The new swingarm was one of the main items for the 2014 WorldSSP Champion to be working on. Having already echoed the sentiments of BMW’s big bosses in saying that it isn’t one singular thing that improves the bike but instead a collection of parts, van der Mark finished P7 on day one and was right in the top four places for most of the day, with others working on long runs before firing in softer rubber at the end.

Summarising day one, the #60 stated: “We had a good day and our programme was to just to confirm the parts we tried at Jerez. We had two different bikes and did longer runs to do a full comparison. It was quite interesting; this is a different track and the feedback from the parts was different to Jerez, so there’s a lot to think about. We tried a new swingarm; I had it in Jerez as well but this is a different track so we back-to-backed it here. I wasn’t happy with it at Jerez but here, I’m a lot happier with it. If it’s working here, we can play with the setup and make it work.”

2024 IS HERE: WorldSBK’s new era is unmissable; enjoy it all, wherever you are, with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) switching to Yamaha, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) joining BMW, Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) returning to action or even Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) getting a dream factory ride with KRT. We weren’t short on stories ahead of the season starting and the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has another headline – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). Over 80 laps at Portimao, the #11 was on top again as day one concluded.

MAN ON A MISSION: full gas for ‘Bulegas’

He was one of the fastest at Jerez at the end of 2023, he topped last week’s test at the same circuit (with a new unofficial lap record) and now, he’s hit top spot again. Nicolo Bulega has been fast from the start of his WorldSBK career and once again, outshone reigning World Champion teammate Alvaro Bautista. Bulega worked on getting familiar with the bike at a different circuit and seemingly it went well, with him being the only rider to set a 1’39 – a 1’39.932. Teammate Bautista was three quarters of a second off the pace, albeit further up the order than Jerez (P8 compared to P16), the #1 is seemingly still struggling with his neck injury as well as adapting to the 5-6kg that have been put on his Ducati Panigale V4 R to meet the new weight rules.

BMW SHINE: Razgatlioglu and van der Mark on the pace

P2 belonged to Toprak Razgatlioglu, who confirmed that he had new parts – although what remains to be confirmed. One thing we do know is that BMW on a whole have a new swingarm, updated engine specs, revised aero packages and ever-improving electronics. Speaking at Jerez, the plan was to continue testing the same parts, making sure the findings are consistent from one track to another. The #54 continued to try and find a solution for rear grip and is 95% happy with the braking of the bike. Teammate Michael van der Mark had a solid day one in P7, with the objective of the day refining the base bike as well as trialling different swingarms, with the new one heading out at the end of the day. Elsewhere for BMW, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) also had a new swingarm and setting options to work through. He was 12^th overall, with teammate Scott Redding 15^th.

YAMAHA’S LATE CHARGE: Rea and Locatelli join Gardner to complete the top five

On his penultimate flying lap, Jonathan Rea flew into P3 to slash the gap to Bulega to just 0.148s. Ahead of him on the track, teammate Andrea Locatelli finished P5. Rea’s mission to get more comfortable on the bike continued, with it being the first track at which he tries out the R1 besides Jerez. As for ‘Loka’, he confirmed ahead of testing that he’s now debriefing in English with crew chief Tom O’Kane, instead of Italian with ex-crew chief Andrew Pitt. Team boss Paul Denning confirmed that the team had various small new items but they were all inside. Between the two factory Yamahas, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was fourth and once again having a strong test. His teammate Dominique Aegerter isn’t present as he’s still unwell.

OUTSIDE THE TOP 5: stories galore as Sam Lowes rockets to sixth, Honda improve

Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) was sixth and looking strong as he got down to business at a new circuit. With the idea to get used to Portimao on a Superbike, he also had seat position updates and fuel tank shape, purely for ergonomics. On day two, he may have new fork internals from Ohlins. At Honda, one side of the garage can be happy with work done as Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) finished ninth as the team continue to get acclimatised to the new CBR1000RR-R. One place behind him and the last rider within one second of Bulega’s time, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). He tried a new swingarm, as the hunt for more rear grip and better acceleration continues, although a tech problem slowed his progress. Just behind him, Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was back in action after missing Jerez and started on the 2023-spec Yamaha.

FURTHER DOWN FIELD: Lecuona struggles, Rinaldi, Redding, Petrucci, Iannone and Bassani behind

Less than three tenths covered Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) in 13^th to Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in 18^th. Whilst better than at Jerez, the #7 Honda of Lecuona still seemingly needs time to get up to speed and find a solid base for the new bike, whilst Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Motocorsa Racing) was in 14^th on his second day of 2024 testing. Redding was 15^th but expect more from the Brit on day two, whilst Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) is back at a circuit he struggled at during testing in 2023. ‘Petrux’ finished 1.239s adrift of Bulega, despite new seat and swingarm parts, as he seeks a solution for his new-tyre struggles. Spending the day understanding the rollercoaster of Portimao, Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) bedded in, with bike geometry and setting refinement to come. Axel Bassani set his fastest lap on his final flying lap and only used one bike throughout the day, as he spent time working on riding style and position on the bike.

ROUNDING UP: the rest of the order, Huertas tops WorldSSP

Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) continued his track time with the factory-spec ZX-10RR, just 1.571s off Bulega, with Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) behind him – expect Oettl to be faster on day two, repeating the trend from Jerez. BMW’s test team of Sylvain Guintoli and Bradley Smith were tied together in the order, although the 2014 WorldSBK Champion nearly eight tenths quicker than his British counterpart. Florian Marino (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) continued his test-rider duties, whilst the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team of Tarran Mackenzie and Adam Norrodin missed most of the action on day one, with just two laps being set my Mackenzie and not on the pace. In WorldSSP, Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was fastest with a 1’43.806, whilst Niccolo Antonelli (Althea Racing Team) and teammate Piotr Biesiekirski were behind.

Top ten at the end of Day 1 at Portimao, full results here (lap times combined below):

1 Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’39.913 – 82 laps

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.094s – 73 laps

3. Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) +0.148s – 74 laps

4. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.355s – 89 laps

5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) +0.357s – 78 laps

6. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.550s – 74 laps

7. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.723 – 82 laps

8. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.760 – 86 laps

9. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) +0.816s – 89 laps

10. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.866s – 65 laps

2024 IS HERE: WorldSBK’s new era is unmissable; enjoy it all, wherever you are, with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship takes to the track once more as testing duties continue, this time at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal, with all teams present for what is a super important two days of action. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) comes into the test as the rider to beat after a stunning Jerez test a few days ago, whilst reigning World Champion Alvaro Bautista will seek to either confirm to those that say he was sandbagging at Jerez or maintain that he was genuinely struggling. Get a full look at what happened at Jerez here with highlights, whilst the full report is here. All times below are local (GMT +0). You can follow the Live Timing from the test here.

11:00 – 1 hour down, plenty more to go! Toprak Razgatliolgu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) lead a BMW 1-2 ahead of teammate Michael van der Mark with a 1’40.874, although Gardner just went up to P2. The outright WorldSBK lap record at Portimao is a 1’39.610 set by Rea on a Kawasaki in Tissot Superpole in 2022.

10:45 – After the first 45 minutes, Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) leads the way ahead of Remy Gardner, with Alvaro Bautista in third. Rea’s teammate Andrea Locatelli is in P4, ahead of Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW). Bulega is currently P7; the top seven are all covered by 0.269s.

10:06 – The first track activity! Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) was the first one out, followed by Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Motocorsa Racing), Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Remy Gardner (GYTR GT Yamaha WorldSBK Team).

10:00 – GREEN FLAG: the track is officially open as WorldSBK testing continues!

2024 IS HERE: WorldSBK’s new era is unmissable; enjoy it all, wherever you are, with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com