‘The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is going to be off the scale’ – that was the prediction and it’s what is happening. Racing harder than ever with more names and more bikes at the front, the next round at the TT Circuit Assen is an absolute MUST-VISIT. Below are 10 reasons why you have to be there, from stories, to atmosphere, activities and more. If the below reasons aren’t enough, enjoy the last lap of Barcelona’s Superpole Race and we’re sure to see you at the track!

FOUR WINNERS IN SIX RACES: WorldSBK’s new era is well-and-truly upon us

In a phenomenal start to 2024, we’ve had four winners in six races for three different manufacturers. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) won on his debut, then Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) made it a double in Australia. Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) sensational Barcelona double preluded Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) Race 2 win – could it be Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven), Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) or Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) – or all three – at Assen?

A NEW MANUFACTURER IN CONTENTION: BMW’s rise to challenging

“We’re only just scratching the surface with this package” – ominous words from Phil Marron on Sunday after Barcelona. Toprak Razgatlioglu’s crew chief plays a pivotal part in the rider’s success and with two wins at what looked like their worst track, BMW are in the battle and there to stay.

LAST LAP BATTLES: WorldSBK’s theme continues

6 of the last 11 races in WorldSBK have been decided in final lap battles, an insane statistic as once again Toprak Razgatlioglu and Alvaro Bautista continue to knock spots off each other. With Alex Lowes, Andrea Iannone and more in the mix, Assen will be explosive at the final chicane, like many years before.

BACK IN THE GAME: “Alvaro Bautista is back”

A huge self-declaration on Sunday in Barcelona, Bautista is back in contention and looks here to stay after a shaky start to 2024. However, the reigning double Champion now heads to a track where he’s won the last four races, although as Barcelona and Phillip Island proved, this year could be different.

REA’S PREVIOUS FORM: the most successful we’ve ever seen

The most successful rider with 17 wins and a place where the Yamaha should be in form, Jonathan Rea will want to really get his season going on Dutch soil. First points of the year in Barcelona with P8, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Rea back towards the front at Assen and how welcome it’d be.

VAN DER MARK ON FORM HEADING HOME: can he sprinkle some more magic?

Michael van der Mark’s form coming into his home round is, for the first time since 2021, mega. 2023, he rode well but then got injured in a huge Race 2 crash whilst in 2022, he was injured with a broken leg but finished in P8. Is a podium possible like many times before with Honda and Yamaha?

UNPREDICTABILITY: WorldSBK is in good health

Pooling all those aspects together, we have one thing in WorldSBK: unpredictability. However, it’s the right kind; the narratives are strong and whilst it’s unpredictable, we have a large list of names that can throw the cat amongst the pigeons. At least Assen is used to having such big battles and drama!

CLASSICS BEFORE: will history repeat itself?

There have been countless final chicane thrillers in WorldSBK; whether it’s 1996 with Carl Fogarty vs Troy Corser and John Kocinski, two years later with ‘Foggy’ vs Frankie Chili, 2007’s Troy Bayliss vs James Toseland dash for the line of home-hero van der Mark beating Jonathan Rea to P2 in 2019. 2024, with the form the Championship is in, could well bring the biggest clash of titans yet.

ASSEN’S HISTORY: steeped in history, the ‘Cathedral of Speed’

It’s a classic venue that always brings a surprise. Whether it’s final showdowns at the chicane – who’d be against that this year? – a shock result or just hard, good racing with bold passes and big celebrations, Assen has it all. Never discount anyone in one of WorldSBK’s bucket-list venues.

PADDOCK SHOW: be immersed with access like no other

You can’t get closer access in any other World Championship with just a general admission ticket; the podium takes place at the Paddock Show, and you can get up close to the stars at Parc Ferme too. With activities everyday, commentary and plenty of prizes, the Paddock Show is exactly what the WorldSBK experience is all about.

EVERY SECOND LIVE: watch all the action from 2024 and beyond with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Nicolo Bulega’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) strong start to his rookie campaign continued at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with two more rostrums and a fourth place, with the #11 leading the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship standings after two rounds. Although he didn’t claim victory during the Pirelli Catalunya Round, Bulega was left pleased after two podiums and learning lessons that could prove invaluable in the future.

The #11 was second in Saturday’s Tissot Superpole session, posting a 1’39.591s that would’ve been a lap record had Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) not pulled out a 1’39.489s out of the hat for pole. It left him in good stead for Race 1, but he lost ground at the start before fighting his way into the lead and opening a gap of around four seconds to the #54. It looked like ‘Bulegas’ would take another win, but Razgatlioglu had other ideas.

The 2021 Champion slowly started eating into Bulega’s lead and he took advantage of the #11’s pace dropping in the closing stages. On Lap 15, Razgatlioglu was half-a-second quicker, six tenths faster a lap later, eight tenths quicker on Laps 17 and 18 and a huge 1.5 seconds faster on Lap 19 as Bulega posted a 1’44.9s. It set up a last-lap battle with Razgatlioglu coming out on top despite the Ducati star’s best efforts.

In the Superpole Race, Bulega once again lost ground at the start before fighting his way to a P4 finish, giving him the best view of the incredible last-corner fight ahead. In Race 2, Bulega and teammate Alvaro Bautista were fighting for victory, with the double Champion able to fend off the rookie and claim his first win of 2024. Nevertheless, Bulega was in good spirits after Race 2.

Reviewing his weekend, and the lessons he could take forward, he said: “I’m more than happy than Saturday because maybe I made a mistake, pushed a little bit too much in the beginning and destroyed the tyres. I was fast but maybe too fast. On Sunday, the strategy was the opposite of Saturday. I decided to stay calm and try to follow the more experienced guys like Toprak, Alvaro, and some others. I’m happy because I learnt something from Alvaro, he was in front of me for a lot of laps and I saw how he doesn’t destroy the tyres with the throttle.”

Assen is next up and it’s a track Bulega knows very well from his time in Moto3™ and Moto2™ as well as WorldSSP recently. In the latter, he has three podiums from four races including a double in 2023. His best finish in Moto3™ there was seventh while he didn’t score points in the Netherlands in Moto2™. After learning lessons in Barcelona, will ‘Bulegas’ take the fight to his rivals once again at Assen?

Watch every moment LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED throughout 2024 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took his best finish in two and a half years this weekend at the Pirelli Catalunya Round. The #60 had a solid Superpole which gave him the chance to fight inside the top six all weekend, culminating in a fine P4 in Race 2 on Sunday. A clear sign of BMW’s huge progress, his results will certainly warm his home fans up for the next round at Assen in the Netherlands.

STORY OF THE WEEKEND: van der Mark’s emphatic return to the front

The weekend started well for van der Mark, working together with teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu in Superpole to try and get himself in contention for a front row. Images of Toprak helping the #60 in the box were shown and when van der Mark followed his teammate, he went up into P4 for a best Superpole Result since Donington Park in 2022. In Race 1, he opted for the softer front tyre which gave initial pace but then dropped off in the second half of the race, leaving him ninth.

However, on Sunday, the 2014 World Supersport Champion held his own and battled to sixth place, right in contention throughout. This meant he kept his second row starting status for Race 2, even if he did drop to P6. For Race 2 itself, it was another strong start and he fought his way into P4. Up ahead of him was teammate Toprak, who was chasing Ducati pairing Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and teammate Nicolo Bulega. Whilst Bautista and Bulega led and were ahead of Toprak at the line, fourth for van der Mark is the first top four finish for the 31-year-old since Race 2 at Mandalika in 2021. That emphasises that not only is he back to full fitness but that the BMW M 1000 RR has developed into a strong package for both Toprak and him.

HIS OWN WORDS: “I’ve built a lot of confidence”

Talking after the race, van der Mark was elated with a return to form: “With Assen next, there was no better time to demonstrate that he’s a contender: “It was really nice and I had a good race. I got a good start, felt good but knew it was going to be a long race. At the beginning, I didn’t want to push too hard and tried to stay out of trouble. Some guys pushed really hard at the beginning and it is difficult to stay calm but I managed to get going, pass them again and I was in P5 for a long time. I tried to manage the tyres as in Race 1, I lost a lot of time. When Iannone crashed, I was up into P4 and I had a good gap to the others and get home there.

“Australia was already quite good but this whole weekend was quite good and I’ve built a lot of confidence and it’s nice to see the bike is working so good and also, working together with Toprak too. They said before the round that this is one of the worst tracks for us and look what we did: Toprak two wins and one other podium and for me, P9 in Race 1 but then P6 on Sunday morning but then P4, I’ve got a lot of confidence back. “

“WE KNOW HE’S A SPECIAL RIDER” – praise for his teammate, ‘Abi’

Speaking about Toprak bringing a special quality to the team, he agreed: “It’s very special and we know he’s a special rider but I think he showed straight away that the bike isn’t as bad as everyone thought the bike was. I’ve been unlucky in the last two years by not being fit but we always tried to work and get the right direction with this project and developing the bike. Even when the results weren’t as good as we wanted, this direction we went in seems to be the right one. The atmosphere in the team is really good and if we keep going like this, it can only get better.”

Looking ahead to his home round at Assen, the Dutchman has a clear target in sight as he looks to give the fans what they want: “It’d be really nice to get on the podium, it’s been a while! Honestly, we had a really strong weekend here and if we can do the same at Assen, with a little bit extra pressure, I hope to be on the podium there.”

LOOKING AHEAD: Assen calls as expectations rise

It’s been a strong weekend for van der Mark, with eighth in the Championship secured whilst he’s achieved five top ten finishes in the six races, form he’s not enjoyed since the last seven races of 2021 which were kickstarted with a win at Portimao in the Superpole Race. His best result at Assen with BMW is a fourth from 2021, so he’ll look to mount the podium for the first time at home with the German manufacturer.

EVERY SECOND LIVE: watch all the action from 2024 and beyond with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Spain’s Gonzalo Sanchez achieved another dominant victory in the second race of the FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup at the Circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya, completing a perfect home race weekend and a promising start to the season.

Uncertain conditions in the morning added an extra element to the 10-lap race, but it was declared dry and slick tyres were used by the entire field.

However, this meant a slightly cautious start to the race was necessary, but Sanchez still made sure to get his R3 in front into the first corner. From there the 15-year-old rookie from Teruel settled into a strong rhythm and took control of the race, building his advantage to win by more than eight seconds. An impressive start the World Cup season for the 2023 R3 SuperFinale winner, taking the maximum 50 points available across the weekend.

As in Race 1, there was plenty of excitement among the remaining riders with much of the field in podium contention. Despite their best efforts, they had no answer for Sanchez’s speed, but Marc Vich was able to make an initial break from the pack to begin chasing Sanchez, and the Saturday podium-sitter looked strong enough to repeat the performance, but later in the race the rider from Mallorca struggled with tyre management and lost ground. Dawid Nowak, penalised in Race 1, was determined to achieve his first R3 bLU cRU podium, and the young Pole managed this feat perfectly. Joining Sanchez and Nowak on the podium was Czech rookie Nicolas Zanin.

A multi-rider incident two laps from the end brought out the red flag and called a permanent halt to the race with more than two-thirds distance having been completed. Six riders went down, including Vich who was caught out by debris on the track. All riders were uninjured.

Round 2 of the FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup will take place at TT-Circuit Assen from April 19^th-21st

FULL RESULTS – R3 bLU cRU World Cup – RACE TWO

Gonzalo Sanchez, Race 2 winner, said: “It has been a perfect weekend here in Catalunya – my family, my team and Yamaha gave everything to support me and this was the result – a double win. It feels good to start the championship so well and I’ve put in a lot of effort which has paid off. Assen will be a new track for me but I will learn a lot and of course I hope to fight for more wins.”

Source: WorldSBK.com

The level of the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is extremely high, so much so that six-time World Champion Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) could only salvage an eighth place in Barcelona’s Race 2. The second round of the year welcomed a return to Europe for the field and despite a positive test, gremlins and misfortune continued for Rea.

In Race 1 on Saturday, Rea stated that he “fried the clutch” on the grid and had to retire after one lap. However, he had another bite at the cherry in the Superpole Race but he could still only manage P13 after being forced off-track at Turn 1 on Lap 1. For Race 2, he went from the fifth row again but this time, managed to make big gains and put himself in contention in the latter parts of the race. Making up four positions on the opening lap, he was up into P7 by the end of Lap 6, although he dropped back behind Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) in the next laps. He managed to recover the position with Sam Lowes on Lap 17 but was unable to get on terms with ‘Petrux’ and his ex-teammate despite closing in.

“IT’S NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE RIGHT NOW” – Rea speaks after first 6 races of 2024

A tough start to 2024, Rea gave a summary of his weekend: “Overall, it’s been a very disappointing weekend. Like the trend of Phillip Island, we have made progress even if it might not look like that. We’ve taken our first points of the season in Race 2. Race 2 was a problem-free race without issues. I struggled starting from P13 because you don’t have track position and you have to be a bit more aggressive in the beginning. Then, after that, I’d already wasted some tyre and then tried to conserve as much as possible. Guys like Remy Gardner, Danilo Petrucci and Michael van der Mark and Alex, I thought they’d come back to me at the end. They dropped their pace a little bit but not enough. I was catching but I ran out of laps.

“There are some positives in there; it’s not where we want to be right now but we’ll move onto Assen and try and have an open mind with what could happen there. The tide has to change; we’ve had a lot of issues thrown our way and we’re dealing with them in a really good way as a team by trying to breathe and turn the page.”

Rea’s eighth place does at least give him his first points in what has been a very tricky start to the year; he was best of the team too after Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was caught up in a crash at Turn 4 when Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) took out Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on the opening lap, leaving ‘Loka’ nowhere to go but through the gravel.

Talking about how tight it is now in WorldSBK, Rea said: “You don’t have to be too far off the pace now to be fighting outside the top ten and I don’t have that ultimate pace on the bike yet. I’m still finding my feet and trying to understand the bike. I’m really pushing the team to give me what I need to be fast. It’s taking time but I’m sure it will arrive. I really believe in the people around me so there’s a lot of credit to them; they deserve this as much as I do. We’ll keep with it, not give up and Assen is a happy hunting ground for me so there’s no better place to go next to try and score some big points.

TALKING TOUGH: “If the stars aren’t aligning, you’re on the struggle bus”

“You have to take these small wins; we’re not fighting for the podium, that’s always the target. The class is stacked; last year, you could be a little bit off and fight easily in the top ten. Now, if something’s not right or not there or the stars aren’t aligning, you’re on the struggle bus. We need to maximise our weekends and try and stay out of trouble. Superpole is super important; I messed up my lap so I have to shoulder some of that but we probably didn’t prepare in the right way either with Free Practice 3 being tough. When you start from the fifth row, your race is almost written on the wall. Assen’s focus will be getting a bike that I can race with well but also starting further up the grid. We can’t force the wave to come but when it does, I’m sure we’ll ride it well.”

EVERY SECOND LIVE: watch all the action from the Catalunya Round with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport World Championship continued to provide plenty of excitement as Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) claimed a first win of the 2024 season in Race 2 for the Pirelli Catalunya Round. In a shortened red-flag race, there were plenty of early title race twists with Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) the last classified rider after a small Turn 1 crash on Lap 5 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Huertas got a good start when the lights went out and kept the lead despite early pressure from Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing)., Oncu, on Lap 2, tried to move into first by overtaking Huertas and Montella at Turn 1. All three made contact, and continued, but Huertas dropped to fourth, allowing Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) into the podium fight.

Huertas soon moved back into the lead with a two-for-one move into Turn 1 with Mahias in second, and the experienced Frenchman kept the pressure on the #99 until the red flags were shown. They were deployed following a crash for rookie Piotr Biesiekirski (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) at Turn 1, with the Pole taken to the medical centre following his tumble.

When the race got underway, it was over a six-lap distance with a front row of Huertas, Mahias and Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse). Montella got away well when the lights went out, taking the lead of the race, but it didn’t last long as Huertas pulled off another two-for-one overtake around the outside of Turn 1, passing both Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) and Montella. The battle continued to rage on until a mistake by Huertas meant he went into the gravel and dropping all the way down to 32^nd place.

That promoted Schroetter into the fight, and he took advantage by passing Manzi into Turn 7 to take the lead before the #62 responded at Turn 1 on the final lap and instantly built a gap over the MV Agusta star. Manzi was able to hold on despite Schroetter’s pressure for victory by 0.086s, ahead of Mahias in third; the Frenchman taking his first podium since Estoril 2020. It was Manzi’s sixth win and 25^th podium, while Schroetter claimed his 11^th rostrum – and continues his record of scoring a podium in every race this year.

The top six from WorldSSP Race 2, full results here:

1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)

2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.086s

3. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.201s

4. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.681s

5. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.714s

6. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +1.279s

Fastest Lap: Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’44.432 – New Race Lap record

Championship standings:

1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 76 points

2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 72

3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 65

4. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) 44

5. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 41

6. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 36

WorldSSP heads to the Netherlands next and you can watch it all using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Four winners in six races in the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) got back to the top of the podium with a vintage Race 2 win. A race about managing tyres and very much ‘master vs apprentice’ themed with teammate Nicolo Bulega right in contention, it was an emphatic win for the reigning double Champion who is very much back in the mix.

After a good start from the front, Bautista led the field and a Ducati 1-2-3 into the first corner. Teammate Bulega tried to make his way through on Lap 4 at Turn 10 but ran wide on exit, allowing his veteran teammate back into the lead. At Turn 1 a lap later, ‘Bulegas’ was into P1 and immediately pulled out an advantage of seven tenths of a second. However, staying calm and not being dragged into another tyre tussle, Bautista let the race come to him, passing his rookie stablemate with 11 to go at Turn 1. Although Bulega tried to go with him, the 39-year-old had the overall race pace to stay ahead and managed his tyre to take a first win of his 2024 campaign.

“It has been amazing,” began Bautista at the end of race day. “Even with the penalty on the grid from yesterday and having to recover a lot of positions, also today in the Superpole Race, we were able to be competitive and have a good performance and fight for the victory until the last lap. In Race 2 I enjoyed because it wasn’t easy. In the grid we decided to change the rear tyre because, with less temperature, I thought the SCX could be a better option than the 900. In the beginning I tried to not force the tyre, maybe I slowed down too much, but I was leading, nobody wanted to go faster.”

The Spaniard’s quest to become Ducati’s first rider to achieve three consecutive titles is now back on track and he’s second in the Championship standings with just a twelve-point deficit to his new teammate Bulega. Bautista came into 2024 injured after a testing crash at Jerez at the end of 2023’s season, whilst new rules give him something to contend with too. Moreover, with the level increasing all the time in WorldSBK, his 60^th career win on Sunday afternoon came as one of his most calculated; it was also a 97^th win for Spain, meaning next time out at Assen, they could mathematically make it to 100, the fifth country to hit such a mark (UK on 307, USA on 119, Australia on 118 and Italy on 108).

Resuming about his strategy for the win, Bautista stated: “After a few laps, Nico passed me and I said ‘yes, I agree, I’m too slow. Maybe you want to push a bit more’. I could be 3-4 tenths faster, but not more, otherwise the tyres were going to drop a lot on the last laps. He did two very fast laps, so I just kept calm and a few laps later I started to catch him.

“I’m really happy; today and yesterday we did three very different races and in all three we were quite competitive. This year, we have to get the maximum in all circumstances because there are a lot of riders fighting for the win. Last year, I was winning but it was like ‘another win, OK, another win’ and this isn’t good. You have to be beaten to value the victories more and for that, today I have a special memory. Now I’ve won but when can I do it again, you never know.”

EVERY SECOND LIVE: watch all the action from the Catalunya Round with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ended his short MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship win drought with a Race 2 victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya after scrapping with teammate Nicolo Bulega. After starting from the front row for the first time during the Pirelli Catalunya Round, the #1 took full advantage for his 60^th win in WorldSBK but his first of the season, with Bulega coming home in second.

THE FIGHT FOR VICTORY: Bautista vs Bulega, the fight that had been building…

A crash on the opening lap took riders out of contention. Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) went down at Turn 4, with ‘Loka’ forced into the gravel although he was able to continue. The FIM Stewards opted to investigate the incident after the race. Out in front, Bautista got the holeshot into Turn 1 while teammate Bulega and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) banged bars under braking for Turn 1.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) dropped down the order as lights went out but moved back into third on Lap 2. Bulega had to fight his way back into podium contention and did just that by first passing Iannone with a stunning overtake at Turn 9, before passing teammate Bautista at Turn 1 and immediately gapping the #1 by seventh tenths as he led the field. However, perhaps it was a case of too much, too soon for the #11 as, at the halfway mark, Bautista re-overtook Bulega at Turn 1 to re-claim first place.

Slowly but surely, the reigning Champion edged out a gap over his rookie teammate although ‘Bulegas’ didn’t allow Bautista to clear away, remaining within a few tenths off his more experienced rival to stay in contention. On Lap 15, Bautista lapped two tenths quicker to extend his lead back up six tenths before taking it to over a second with three laps to go. Behind the Ducati pair, Razgatlioglu came home in fourth place for his third podium of the weekend. It was Bautista’s 60^th win in World Superbike, surpassing Carl Fogarty’s total of 59. For BMW, Razgatlioglu’s third place gave them their 50^th race where they took a podium and already have four rostrums in six races, their best since 2021 when they had five across the whole season.

DRAMA OFF THE PODIUM: Iannone crashes, Petrucci top Independent rider

Iannone had been running a fairly comfortable fourth place but a crash at Turn 10 on Lap 13 forced him out of the race and promoting Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) into fourth. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was fifth after he made a late race move on Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) at Turn 1 in the final few laps, with the #87 holding on to cross the line in sixth. However, he was given a once-place penalty for exceeding track limits at Turn 5 on the final lap. This promoted Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who had been chasing the #87 down, into P6 with Gardner in seventh.

REA’S FIRST YAMAHA POINTS: a top-ten finish for the #65

It’s taken six races, but Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) finally has points for Yamaha. Coming home in eighth after fighting former teammate Alex Lowes and his twin brother Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), Rea was able to take P8 and a first top-ten on the R1. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was ninth with Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) beating teammate Scott Redding into the top ten after they scrapped in the second half of the race.

BATTLING BACK, DROPPING DOWN: Sam Lowes loses ground, Locatelli scores points after Lap 1 incident

Despite a strong race, Sam Lowes dropped down the order and finished in 12^th place, three seconds behind Redding. Locatelli battled back from his Lap 1 incident to score points and take 13^th, passing Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) on the final lap and beating the #97 by a tenth. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the final points scorer as he came home in 15^th place on home soil, although he had been running towards the top ten in the first half of the 20-lap race. Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha), Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) and Adam Norrodin were the final classified riders.

OVER BEFORE IT STARTED: Lecuona, Ray crash at Turn 1

It had been a difficult weekend for Honda, and that continued when Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) collided at Turn 1. Both were able to walk away from the crash, and the FIM Stewards said they’d look into the incident after the race.

The top six from WorldSBK Race 2, full results here:

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.041s

3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +7.005s

4. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +12.452s

5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +15.076s

6. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +15.285s

Fastest Lap: Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’41.578s

Championship standings:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 87 points

2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 75

3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 75

4. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 71

5. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) 51

6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 47

The ‘Cathedral of Speed’ is up next! Watch all the action from Assen next time out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

An epic MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship keeps getting stronger and stronger as the Pirelli Catalunya Round comes to a close with an unbelievable weekend of racing. The Tissot Superpole Race was an absolute belter, with Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) snatching a win from underneath Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in a final corner showdown, one of the best races in WorldSBK. Watch the last lap here!

RAZGATLIOGLU’S VIEW: “If I didn’t try, I’d be really angry”

Having lost opportunities at Turns 4, 5 and 10, Razgatlioglu had to invent something in the final sector, similar to Valentino Rossi’s 2009 MotoGP™ race-winning pass and he replicated it phenomenally: “I am really happy; I didn’t have more chances because at Turn 10, I lost it because I wasn’t close enough to attack,” said Toprak in Parc Ferme. “I was then just thinking in the last corner and what Valentino Rossi did many years ago, so I thought ‘why not now?’ and I was close enough. I used second gear in the last corner, took the line and the plan was perfect. The acceleration wasn’t bad and I am winning again. I’m not surprised, I was just thinking in the last corner!”

Talking about it at the end of the day, he said: “If I didn’t try, I’d be really angry. I need to see if it works or not! It’s a good plan and I need to show it. I used second gear for acceleration because maybe in third gear, it doesn’t accelerate well. This Superpole Race and especially the last corner have given me good memories! Maybe it’s one of my top three race wins.”

BAUTISTA ON THE RECEIVING END: “Even if I was on the inside kerb, he’d try!”

“Starting from the back, I didn’t expect to be on the podium,” began Bautista in Parc Ferme, immediately after the heat of the battle in which he finished in P3 after Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) took advantage of the Turn 14 squabble. “I expected the overtake from Toprak, so I closed the line a little bit, more than normal. However, even if I was on the inside kerb, he’d try. More than pass me, it was going to be push me out, crash or something else! But this is racing, so in any case, I am so happy and the performance has been really good.”

Continuing after Race 2 – in which he won for the first time in 2024 – he said: “I knew that Toprak was going to try it in the last lap, he should. I tried to close a bit the line, but not too much because he was trying it either way, whatever my line was! It’s important to finish and not crash, so I just closed a little bit to not leave the door open, but I had to pick up the bike and go to the dirty area and lost the position with Iannone. It was an aggressive move, but in any case, if I tried to close more, there would have been contact.”

THE MANIAC STRIKES BACK: “Unfortunately, the race has finished!”

With a perfect view of it all, Andrea Iannone was the big winner as he picked up P2 when Bautista was wide, with him saying in Parc Ferme: “It was incredible and all the race too! We overtake in every corner with different riders! I said ‘what happened? We went into the same corner all together!’ but it was a really fun race. A great battle with everyone, the first time I have battled like this. Unfortunately, the race has finished! My feeling was good!”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Race 2 was a story of redemption for Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) as he claimed a hard-fought victory at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. After crossing the line P1 in Saturday’s race before receiving a penalty, Iglesias took the win in Race 2 for the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship after an incredible last-lap fight during the Pirelli Catalunya Round. Elsewhere, there was history made as Kove took their first podium thanks to Julio Garcia Gonzalez (KOVE Racing Team).

0.064s IN IT: a fight to the line as Iglesias takes victory

WorldSSP300 continue to be as unpredictable as ever and the race was decided on the final lap. Iglesias was fighting at the front throughout and stayed there heading onto the last lap, fighting his way into P1 to respond from yesterday’s post-race disappointment. He was 0.064s ahead of Julio Garcia with the Spaniard taking Kove’s first podium despite losing ground before battling back over the final couple of laps. Bruno Ieraci (Team ProDina Kawasaki), back in World Championship action on a full-time basis after a year away, claimed third and completed the podium.

A RELATIVELY INCIDENT-FREE RACE: two retirements

The first crash of the race came on Lap 7 when Emiliano Ercolani (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSSP300 Team) and Gustavo Manso (Yamaha AD78 FIM LA by MS Racing) crashed at Turn 1, with both able to re-join the race but at the back of the field and well out of contention. Ercolani opted to bring his bike into the pits after returning from the gravel. On the final lap, Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PL Performances) went down at Turn 7 with the #85 out of contention.

A HUGE GROUP FOR THE WIN: as many as 20 riders in the lead group

The race often featured a 20-rider lead group with several riders exchanging first place, and it was hard to call until riders crossed the finish line with 12 riders separated by less than a second, the most riders within one second in WorldSSP300 history. In the end, Iglesias, Garcia and Ieraci rounded out the second podium of the year, with several riders narrowly missing out.

ENDING THE WEEKEND IN THE TOP TEN: strong results on Sunday

Just off the podium was Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kawasaki) was fourth, 0.143s away from victory, with the Spaniard enjoying a strong home round. He was a tenth clear of Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) in fifth. Two Indonesian riders followed Mogeda and Svoboda with brothers Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitRacing) and Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) in sixth and seventh, with Unai Calatayud (ARCO SASH MotoR University Team) in eighth despite leading at several points. Teammate Samuel Di Sora was ninth with Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) completing the top ten.

The top six from WorldSSP300 Race 2, full results here:

1. Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki)

2. Julio Garcia Gonzalez (KOVE Racing Team) +0.064s

3. Bruno Ieraci (Team ProDina Kawasaki) +0.116s

4. Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kawasaki) +0.143s

5. Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.264s

6. Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitiRacing) +0.514s

Julio Garcia Gonzalez (KOVE Racing Team) 1’54.997

Championship Standings

1. Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) 29 points

2. Iñngo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) 28

3. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-PALIGO Racing) 25

4. Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) 24

5. Samuel Di Sora (ARCO SASH MotoR University Team) 23

6. Julio Garcia Gonzalez (KOVE Racing Team) 20

Next up, Assen! Watch every moment from the Netherlands using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com