The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for the final round of an electrifying season. The Prometeon Spanish Round brings the curtain down on an epic year, with the Championship still undecided. The title contenders got the ball rolling with some fighting words on Thursday.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team):
“In 2021, P3 was enough, but I’m always looking for P1”
Ahead of a round where he hopes to claim his second Championship, Razgatlioglu expressed his excitement: “I’m feeling good because we’re back at Jerez. Last year, I lost the race at the last corner, but this year, on the BMW, it will be completely different. My target is to win. A 46-point margin is a big gap, and if I finish in P2 or P3, I’ll still win the Championship, but I’m aiming for P1. In 2021, P3 was enough, but I always aim for P1. When I signed with BMW, people thought I was crazy, but now everyone believes in us. This is the final round, and we’re close to the title. It’s been an amazing season for me and for BMW, as they’ve never won a two-wheel World Championship. Hopefully, we’ll be World Champions soon.”
On a lighter note, Razgatlioglu joked about sharing a birthday with his rival Nicolo Bulega and former teammate Andrea Locatelli: “We didn’t celebrate together. Bulega was born in 1999, and I was born in 1996, but Locatelli and I share the exact same birthday! It’s just a birthday, but we’re getting older… I’m not happy about that!”
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati):
“Toprak is a Champion, Alvaro a two-time Champion. To be in the middle of them in my first year, it’s fantastic”
A rookie with Championship aspirations heading into the final round, Bulega reflected on his remarkable 2024 season: “It’s incredible. I’m really happy, especially after a strong weekend at Estoril. I love Jerez; it’s one of my favorite tracks. My goal is to fight for the win, especially since I need extra motivation for next year. It’s a surprise to still be in the Championship fight at the last round. I never expected this when I signed my contract or won my first race. To be fighting alongside Champions like Toprak and Alvaro in my first year is fantastic.”
Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven):
“I wanted to remain in this paddock… the racing here is amazing!”
With his future secured, Iannone shared his excitement: “I’m happy to stay in this paddock. The racing here is amazing, and it’s the best choice for me next year. My target is to improve, and I think we have more potential for next season. Ducati is providing more support, and we aim to be stronger. My dream is to fight for the podium in every race, though it’s not easy with such high competition. Race 2 at Estoril was insane, but I loved it.”
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati):
“There’s nothing I can do… if we can fight for victory, it’ll be nice”
Previewing his home round, Bautista reminisced about Jerez: “I have great memories here. I took my first 125cc win in 2006, and last year we won the WorldSBK title here. This time around, it’s different for Nicolo. He’s in his first year and has some title chances, but it doesn’t depend entirely on him—it depends on Toprak’s results. At Estoril, I could help Bulega by not taking points, but here, I can’t. If we can fight for the win, great, but I’ll be happy just doing my best.”
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC):
“We started from zero… we’ll start next year from a strong base”
After finishing strong at Estoril, Lecuona reflected on his season: “I’m happy to have achieved a podium finish despite a tough year. Jerez has been difficult for us in the past, but we’ve improved a lot since the summer. Starting the season, we had no clear base and dealt with many injuries, but we ended with a solid foundation to build on next year.”
Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha):
“Most challenging season of my whole career… I expect a big step forward in 2025”
Rea looks to end a tough season on a positive note: “I’m excited for Jerez, but also ready to forget this challenging season and refocus for 2025. We’ve returned to a strong base setup recently, which gives me optimism. When I first rode the Yamaha, I loved it, but this has turned into the toughest season of my career. I believe better days are ahead, and Yamaha is working hard to improve. We just need to piece everything together.”
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK):
“It feels like this season’s gone really quickly!”
As Kawasaki prepares for a major transition, Lowes reflected on his season: “This year has flown by. Working with Pere and the crew has been great, and it feels like we just started. It’ll be emotional this weekend as Kawasaki’s iconic green color makes its last appearance. The results over the past 15 years have been incredible, with multiple World Championships, but now we face a new challenge.”
Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW):
“It’s going to be emotional… I’m excited for the change, happy I have the memories I have”
Gerloff’s final race as a BMW rider brings mixed emotions: “I’m happy with how we’ve recovered in the second half of the season. It’s emotional to leave this team; we’ve bonded so well over the last two years. Sunday will be tough, but I’m excited for the change and grateful for the memories. A podium at Jerez would be amazing, but it won’t be easy—everyone knows this track well from testing.”
Official WorldSBK Press Release
