Rinaldi sets the pace on opening day at Jerez
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) has faced a challenging 2024 season, but on the first day of the final round at Circuito de Jerez Angel Nieto, the Italian rider set the pace. Rinaldi posted the fastest time of 1’39.591, using Pirelli’s SCQ tyre, the softest option designed for maximum grip and performance over a single lap. This tyre will be used in tomorrow’s Tissot Superpole session. Rinaldi led the field by over a tenth of a second.
Championship leader Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) completed 35 laps and finished the day with the third-fastest time, making him the only top-ten rider to set his best time in the morning session.
Nicolo Bulega finished second, trailing Rinaldi by 0.15 seconds. Bulega, another Ducati rider, is currently 46 points behind Razgatlioglu in the championship standings, with 62 points still up for grabs this weekend.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) secured the fourth fastest time, while Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) showed encouraging pace, finishing fifth.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was the most active rider on the day, completing 42 laps. However, the Spaniard ended the day in 11th position, more than half a second behind the top pace.
P1 | Michael Ruben Rinaldi | Team Motocorsa Racing
“Today was a positive day for us. I felt pretty confident this morning, but the tyre allocation meant I had to use tyres I wouldn’t choose for racing, so the feeling wasn’t perfect, but still decent. The afternoon was much better, and I was happy with my pace on the race tyre. We made some electronic changes that made us more competitive compared to previous rounds. It’s my last Friday as a Superbike rider, so it was important to finish on top, and I’m glad about that. Tomorrow, we’ll focus on improving for Superpole, which is crucial. I’ll take whatever comes, but I want to bring at least one trophy home in 2024, so I’ll give it my all.”
P2 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“It was a strange day because I didn’t have the best feeling with either tyre. Other riders have mentioned they felt the same. I’m still happy with P2 and feeling good overall, so I’ll aim for the win. Jerez is one of my favorite circuits, and I know it well on the Superbike compared to others this season. I tested here earlier in the year, so it feels familiar. Tomorrow, I’ll approach things as I always do, focusing on a strong race performance. If I can, I’ll go for the win, but Toprak is far ahead in the championship, so I’m just staying focused on my job and seeing what happens.”
P3 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“We’ve had a strong start to the weekend. The race simulation in the afternoon was positive, and we completed 13 laps with a solid pace. I tried a different tyre to see how it would perform, but I didn’t like the second run. I used a hard front tyre, the SC2, but it felt too heavy and lacked grip. Despite that, I have a good race setup, and it looks like we can challenge Ducati. I’m not thinking about the championship; my focus is purely on getting the best setup for the race. My goal this weekend is to win, and I’ll give it my best shot.”
WorldSBK Combined Results after FP2
1. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) 1’39.591s
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.150s
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.175s
4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.229s
5. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +0.283s
6. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.349s
Eighth pole of the season for Huertas as he stands on the verge of the title
Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) concluded a flawless qualifying record for the 2024 WorldSSP season by securing a front-row start for every race. The championship leader has earned eight pole positions this season and will line up tomorrow with the opportunity to clinch the title with a race to spare.
Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) recovered from a crash at Turn 6 mid-session to set the second-fastest time, just two-tenths of a second behind Huertas. This marks Navarro’s best qualifying result of the season, and he will start from the front row for the third time in 2024.
Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) also fell victim to Turn 6 but had already set the third-fastest time in Superpole. This front-row start bookends his WorldSSP season, matching his performance at the season opener in Phillip Island.
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing), the only rider still in contention for the title, qualified in fourth place, just ahead of Federico Caricasulo and Yari Montella.
P1 | Adrian Huertas | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team
“We had a lot of issues in the morning session, but the team did an amazing job to fix them. Once the problem was solved, we were able to secure pole with a really good pace for tomorrow. It’s been a highly competitive World Supersport season with very strong riders, so to achieve eight pole positions out of twelve is incredible. Tomorrow, my goal is to have a good race and, hopefully, secure the World Championship. My plan is to stay calm and keep everything under control. If I have the pace and feel comfortable, I’ll push, but if not, I’ll approach it like every other race this year, reading the race and adapting as it unfolds. We’ve been consistent all season, so there’s no need to change much now.”
WorldSSP Tissot Superpole Results
1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’42.115s
2. Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) +0.219s
3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.249s
4. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.270s
5. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +0.274s
6. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.301s
First career pole position for Carter Thompson
Superpole Highlights
In a dramatic Tissot Superpole session, Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) overcame a late-session crash to secure his first-ever WorldSSP300 pole position. Despite his fall at Turn 6 midway through the session, the Australian rider bounced back impressively to break the lap record just ten minutes later.
Championship leader Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) qualified in fourth position for the season’s final Superpole session. The Indonesian rider displayed his consistent single-lap pace yet again, marking his sixth appearance in the front two rows this season.
Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) solidified his place as the top qualifier of 2024 by winning the Tissot Superpole Award, given for the best performances throughout the season. Veneman, currently 16 points behind Mahendra in the championship with 50 points still up for grabs, qualified second, just 0.019 seconds slower than Thompson. This is his fourth front-row start in the last five Superpole sessions.
Another title contender, Inigio Iglesias Bravo (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki), Thompson’s teammate, will start seventh after setting his fastest lap on his final attempt. Iglesias Bravo sits 32 points behind Mahendra in the standings and will need a strong performance in the race to keep his title hopes alive.
P1 | Carter Thompson | Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki
“The session went pretty well, apart from the crash, which was a bit frustrating. But overall, I felt really comfortable on the bike. This morning, I quickly got a good feel for the track and adapted. Starting from pole should help tomorrow. We’re focusing on the race now, and with the strong race pace we showed this morning, I’m excited for tomorrow. My goal is to go for the win, but the most important thing is to stay at the front, keep battling, and maintain my position.”
WorldSSP300 Tissot Superpole Results
1. Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) 1’51.999s
2. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) +0.019s
3. Pepe Osuna (DEZA-BOX 77 Racing Team) +0.074s
4. Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) +0.076s
5. Humberto Maier (MS Racing) +0.086s
6. Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitiRacing) +0.094s
WorldSBK resumes its action on Saturday with FP3 starting at 9:15 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole at 11:00 and Race 1 at 14:00. Meanwhile, WorldSSP continues with a Warm Up at 10:25, followed by Race 1 at 15:15. WorldSSP300 Warm Up will be at 10:05 followed by Race 1 at 12:45.
Official WorldSBK Press Release
