Tag Archives: WSBK

TWO NEW 2024 WINNERS: Huertas, Manzi share the spoils in Barcelona after WorldSSP thrillers

The 2024 FIM Supersport World Championship had more twists and turns at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as two riders claimed their first victory of the season in style. In Race 1, the glory belonged to Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) after he went from pole to victory, while Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) made it three winners from four races this season to really kickstart his title challenge.

After taking pole in Australia, Huertas did so again on home soil as he posted a 1’44.197s and he was able to convert this into Race 1 victory on Saturday. He finished 1.2 seconds clear of Manzi in second after leading all 18 laps across the line, although he did face stiff competition from Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in the first few laps. He was unable to repeat it in Sunday’s Race 2 though, a crash at Turn 1 in the closing stages dropping him down to last and leaving the #99 unable to score points.

Discussing his first win on Saturday, Huertas said: “I’m really happy about this victory because Australia was quite difficult, and we saw in Barcelona that we’re one of the strongest and that we can fight for the Championship. I think we managed everything really well all race and it paid off. Now I know I can lead a race; this is useful for me because I hadn’t led a WorldSSP race. Now, I know what the feeling is. It’s important not just for this victory but the whole season.”

For Manzi, Barcelona was redemption after a difficult weekend in Australia where he crashed twice in Race 2 – at Turn 4 and then Turn 10. Second in Race 1 in Spain was followed by a hard-fought victory in a shortened Race 2. A six-lap dash to victory featured an incredible fight with four riders going for the win, until Huertas dropped out of contention. Manzi was able to overcome Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) by just 0.086s to claim his first win of 2024.

On returning to the top step, Manzi said: “I feel super, finally! After we worked all winter to go as fast as possible on track and then you come to a weekend like this and be on the podium in both races, the feeling is super. It was a strange Sunday because we didn’t do the Warm Up. We were waiting because I woke up at 6:30am and we raced at 3pm; it was a long wait! The race was super. In the first part, I was managing a bit because we saw a big drop in Race 1. When I saw the red flag, I thought we’d have a very short race and it’ll be a hard fight. Luckily, I had a new tyre for the second part, and we were able to win the race.”

Watch more stunning WorldSSP action throughout 2024 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

HOT HEADLINES FROM BARCELONA: “I knew Toprak was going to try, which ever line I took!”

Four winners from six races, three manufacturers winning and a Championship top five covered by just 36 points, the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was already in sixth gear but it went up a notch at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Two last lap showdowns, emotional first wins with a new team and more – this week’s hot headlines are ‘molt picant’ from Catalunya.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “It’s incredible to attack at the last corner like Valentino Rossi!”

In just his fourth race with BMW, Toprak Razgatlioglu spoke of his strategy to win in Race 1: “My plan was to ride calmer and after Bulega passed me, I was just going to follow him for some laps and check the tyre grip. I saw Nicolo pushing and then I pushed the limit more but I said ‘OK, I need to close the gas as the podium is good’ because I know Ducati are strong here and their tyres in the last five laps are always good. I’d never won here before, neither with BMW, so this is just a dream for me. Andrea Iannone passed me but after two laps, he dropped and I immediately got ahead of him. I was just riding to my pace, doing 1’42s and in the last five or six laps, Bulega started to drop and I pushed more because I needed to win! With two laps to go, I lost the front at Turn 10! I got ahead on the last lap at Turn 5 and I was just smiling! I got the chequered flag and I’ve always said we’re not far away and still, we’re not 100% but now everyone sees how good the BMW is. Everyone before was saying some bad words but now, everyone sees we’ve won in our second weekend.”

Talking about his Superpole Race final corner pass on Bautista, he was proud to emulate Valentino Rossi from MotoGP™ in 2009: “At Turn 13, I saw that I’m very close to him. I said, ‘now, it’s time to attack’ and at the last corner, I attacked. I used second gear for stopping and I stopped his good line. I had good acceleration in second gear. For me, it’s incredible to attack at the last corner like Valentino Rossi. I remember many years ago he fought with Jorge Lorenzo. It’s not similar, but the same attack.”

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “If I go on the inside kerb, he’ll go over the kerb!”

Starting with the Superpole Race battle before moving onto his Race 2 return to winning ways, reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista said: “I enjoyed that battle with all the guys a lot. I just missed the win in the last corner. I knew Toprak was going to try, which ever line I took! I tried to close it a little bit but not too much because I thought, ‘if I go on the inside kerb, he’ll go over the kerb’. In the end, I tried to manage but he entered to pass me rather than taking the corner. In any case, I was happy with the performance. When everyone is pushing, starting from further back was hard. I could take the lead on the last lap at Turn 1. In Race 2, I changed tyre choice on the grid. I did the sighting lap with the X tyre and the feeling was much better. It worked. In the first laps, I was very slow, but no one passed me! When I saw Nico pass me, I thought it was normal. I kept calm. When I caught him again, I thought it was possible to keep that pace until the end, so I took the lead. I could be very precise with my riding, concentrated all race, so I’m happy with the win and the way we won. Step by step, my confidence and feeling with the bike is coming.”

Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “This is Toprak! He’ll try things where you think it’s not possible and makes it possible!”

A fine P4 from Michael van der Mark was his best finish in two and a half years but he praised teammate Toprak’s final lap corner Rossi-style pass in the Superpole Race: “I could see it, which is positive because it means I wasn’t that far away! I saw something happening and I was like, ‘nah nah nah’ and then he went and I thought he IS going to try it! Honestly, I almost missed the corner because I was enjoying it! Especially when I came out of the last corner, I saw what happened and it’s Toprak, you can never relax. He’s always trying, it’s the strongest point of his riding. He’ll try things where you think it’s not possible and makes it possible!”

Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven): “I saw nothing dirty”

Picking up the pieces from Turn 14’s last lap Superpole Race shuffle, Andrea Iannone spoke from his perspective: “The race is the race. Everyone wants to win and it’s normal when you have a chance, you try. In any case, I’m happy about today’s races. We fought and this is important. I know everything’s good but it’s not easy. We try to improve every race. I expected that Toprak would try, he was in the position to try, and he did. I saw nothing dirty; it was clean. On the TV, it’s like I’m closer to Toprak but I’m not close, I’m a bit far away. I tried to also overtake Toprak. When you are there at that point, you try to win but we need a little bit more in some areas.”

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “Until the last lap, I was doing an incredible job!”

So close, yet so far for Nicolo Bulega, who nearly bagged a second win of his rookie season in Race 1: “In the straight, I was like a chopper because the rear tyre was finished! I’m happy but not happy; first until the last lap… I didn’t have a lot of experience because this was my first long race, where I had to manage tyres. Until the last lap, I was doing an incredible job. I chose the new 900 rear tyre; the track temperature was high so maybe the SCX was a better choice but if the race finished one lap less, my choice would be the best. I didn’t know it was Toprak, I just knew someone was coming. With two laps to go, I knew I had to do something because I was in a bad situation and was struggling a lot. Then, on the last lap, I heard Toprak from behind and when he overtook me, it was like me but seven or eight laps before. I have to be happy for second in my first full race… I learnt something.”

Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha): “We have to trust the process”

After five races in Yamaha without points, a P8 was Jonathan Rea’s first points haul of 2024. He outlined his struggles so far: “I really love the bike and the character and the engine is amazing but to be really fast on the bike is hard. The rate of progression and development has been very slow, much slower than expected and than necessary to make progress. We have to trust the process and trust that we can make it better. It’d be much worse if I came here and said that I’m doing everything, the bike is perfect etc, no; we have a lot of margin to improve, both my understanding of the bike but also the crew’s help and support of making it my bike. That’s why I’m not super disappointed about where we are; I have to be patient. We’ve had a lot of strange things happen this year; maybe the first test was the smoothest!”

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

Source: WorldSBK.com

10 reasons to get tickets for WorldSBK’s UNMISSABLE visit to Assen!

‘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

Tyre management education for Bulega after Race 2 rostrum: “I learnt something from Alvaro”

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

“I’ve been unlucky in the last two years” – van der Mark’s return to contention in P4

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

Sanchez completes perfect home weekend with Race 2 win

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 19th-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

Rea after Barcelona struggles: “It’s been a very disappointing weekend… the tide has to turn”

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

LAST-LAP BATTLE: Manzi pips Schroetter to Race 2 victory, Mahias returns to rostrum as Huertas finishes 32nd

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 32nd 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 25th podium, while Schroetter claimed his 11th 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

"You have to be beaten to value the victories more" – Bautista after return to winning ways

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 60th career win on Sunday afternoon came as one of his most calculated; it was also a 97th 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

BACK ON TOP: Bautista beats Bulega for first win of 2024, Razgatlioglu makes it three Barcelona podiums

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 60th 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 60th win in World Superbike, surpassing Carl Fogarty’s total of 59. For BMW, Razgatlioglu’s third place gave them their 50th 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 12th place, three seconds behind Redding. Locatelli battled back from his Lap 1 incident to score points and take 13th, 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 15th 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