Razgatlioglu claims first WorldSBK title for BMW
Tissot Superpole Highlights: Bulega Shatters Lap Record to Secure Pole
For the fourth time this season, Nicolo Bulega dominated the Tissot Superpole session, breaking the WorldSBK lap record at the Circuito de Jerez Angel Nieto. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider posted a blistering time of 1’37.596, securing pole position. Bulega’s consistency throughout the season is evident, having qualified in the front two rows in all 12 Superpole sessions, including nine front row starts. His impressive performances earned him the 2024 Tissot Superpole Award.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) faced challenges during his final stint due to a yellow flag but still managed to qualify in second place. This marked the eighth time this season that the Turkish rider started on the front row.
Race 1 Highlights: Bulega Takes Victory, But Toprak and BMW Steal the Show
In a historic Race 1, Toprak Razgatlioglu clinched BMW’s first WorldSBK Championship by finishing second, opening an insurmountable 41-point lead over Bulega. Razgatlioglu, who initially chased Bulega in the early laps, decided to secure the points necessary to seal the title when the gap widened to over a second by one-third race distance.
Meanwhile, Bulega led from start to finish, setting the fastest lap on Lap 2, delivering a flawless performance for Ducati.
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) continued his strong form, following up his performance at the Portuguese Round with another podium finish. Locatelli started from sixth and battled fiercely to secure third place. He withstood relentless pressure from Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Iker Lecona (Team HRC) throughout the race, marking his fourth podium of the season.
Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished sixth after a race-long fight with Xavi Vierge (Team HRC), as the two riders raced closely from Lap 2 until the finish.
Championship Standings Highlights
The top three in the championship standings are now locked in, with Razgatlioglu leading, followed by Bulega and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). Ducati has also secured the Manufacturers Championship, holding a 40-point lead over BMW with two races remaining.
Rider Reactions:
P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“I’m really happy because we’ve secured another win, and it was the best I could do today. Congratulations to Toprak and BMW on an incredible season. They’ve been strong in every race. I started fast this weekend and felt great from the first lap. The key for me was being able to ride the bike how I wanted. When I can do that, I’m naturally faster, and today was a perfect example. I hope we can have another strong race tomorrow and finish the season on a high note. Winning the last race of the season is important for momentum going into next year.”
World Champion (P2) | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“This season hasn’t been easy for me. When I signed with BMW, some people thought my career was over, but now we are World Champions. Everyone can see my potential on the bike, and that BMW is a winning machine. I’m incredibly happy, and I want to thank my team for their hard work every weekend. We are World Champions!”
P3 | Andrea Locatelli | Pata Prometeon Yamaha
“We absolutely deserved this podium. We’ve been close to the podium all season, and now we’ve made the step forward. In the last part of the season, we’ve been fighting in the top five, and today we’re back on the podium. We were close in Estoril but were unlucky. Yesterday, I struggled with the bike, but today the team did an amazing job, and my confidence was there from Superpole. It was a great Race 1, and we’ll try for even better tomorrow.”
WorldSBK Race 1 Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +6.067s
3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +9.361s
4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +11.249s
5. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +13.597s
6. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +14.976s
Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega, Ducati – 1’39.371s
Championship Standings
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 493 points
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 452 points
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 356 points
WorldSSP Huertas makes history as Manzi wins Race 1
Huertas Clinches World Supersport Title with Third-Place Finish
Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) secured the 2024 Supersport World Championship with a third-place finish, making history as the youngest rider to ever win the title at just 21 years old.
Huertas started the race from pole position but dropped to sixth during the chaotic opening laps. As several riders crashed around him, he skillfully navigated the early chaos to settle into third by Lap 4. Once the race stabilized, Huertas maintained his focus on the bigger picture: securing the championship. He held third place until the chequered flag, which was enough to claim the coveted title.
Meanwhile, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) needed to win to keep his championship hopes alive. The Italian rider delivered, taking the lead from Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) on Lap 2. From there, Manzi extended his advantage and crossed the line nearly two seconds ahead of Montella to take the victory.
Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph) was initially running in third but was handed a long lap penalty, dropping him to seventh. He fought back to finish sixth and showed impressive speed throughout, setting the eighth-fastest lap of the race and securing a third-row start for Race 2.
The race saw drama when Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) crashed into Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura). Oncu was penalized with a double long lap penalty, though he still managed to set the second-fastest lap and will start from the front row in Race 2.
Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) had a difficult race, starting from the pit lane due to a tyre pressure infringement. After an early crash, Caricasulo focused on setting the fastest lap of the race, which earned him pole position for Race 2.
Rider Reactions:
P1 | Stefano Manzi | Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing
“This was the race I’ve always dreamed of, pulling away from the pack lap by lap. The pace was strong, and my team made great improvements to the bike since yesterday, when I had some issues and only qualified on the second row. Today, I felt strong from the start, and everything clicked. I’m super happy with the win. Tomorrow, I’ll start from the front row in third, so let’s see how the final race plays out.”
World Champion (P3) | Adrian Huertas | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team
“This is an unbelievable feeling. Winning the championship at my home round makes it even more special. Last year, I wasn’t even on the WorldSSP podium, and now I’m the World Champion. When I signed with Aruba, they believed in me and my potential, even when others didn’t. Now I can say I’m a two-time World Champion, and not many people can say that! I’m ready for more success ahead.”
WorldSSP Race 1 Results
1. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +1.971s
3. Adrián Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 3.793s
4. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +6.288s
5. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +6.581s
6. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph) +9.595s
Fastest lap: Adrián Huertas, Ducati – 1’42.115s
Championship Standings
1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 426 points
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 390 points
3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 374 points
WorldSSP300 Podium finish puts Mahendra on the verge of the title
David Salvador Takes Victory in WorldSSP300 as Title Battle Heats Up
David Salvador (MS Racing) secured his first win of the season, becoming the eighth different winner in the 2024 WorldSSP300 class. Starting from the third row, the Yamaha rider surged to the front on the opening lap and showed his pace throughout the race, battling for the lead on three separate occasions. In a thrilling drag race to the finish line, Salvador edged out Julio Garcia Gonzalez (KOVE Racing Team) by just 0.003 seconds to claim the victory.
Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) finished third, extending his lead in the championship standings. The Indonesian rider now holds a 22-point advantage over Loris Veneman heading into the final race of the season. With only 25 points available in Race 2 tomorrow, Mahendra can clinch the WorldSSP300 title by finishing 12th or higher. If he finishes 13th or higher and Veneman doesn’t win, he will also secure the championship.
Veneman, who needs a Race 2 win to keep his title hopes alive, struggled to reach the podium after falling back on the opening lap. The MTM Kawasaki rider’s race took a further hit after a last-lap clash with Marco Gaggi, Mahendra’s teammate. Veneman was penalized one position for irresponsible riding, which saw him finish outside the top three.
Rider Reactions:
P1 | David Salvador | MS Racing
“I’m really happy for myself and for the team because we’ve worked so well all weekend. Julio overtook me in the first corner, but I felt confident with my front tires throughout the race. I wasn’t sure exactly when to attack, but when I saw my opportunity, I went for it and managed to take the lead. Once I was in front, I felt great. I’ll stick to the same strategy tomorrow because I’m feeling strong on the bike, and hopefully, I can secure a second win.”
WorldSSP300 Race 1 Results
1 David Salvador (MS Racing)
2. Julio Garcia (KOVE Racing Team) +0.003s
3. Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) +0.549s
4. Antonio Torres (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +0.558s
5. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) +0.817s
6. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) +0.820s
Fastest lap: Mirko Gennai (Kawasaki) – 1’52.178s
Championship Standings
1. Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) 211 points
2. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) 183 points
3. Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) 163 points
WorldSBK action resumes on Sunday with Warm Up from 9:15 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole Race at 11:00 and Race 2 at 14:00, while WorldSSP action continues on Sunday with Race 1 from 10:15, and Race 2 at 15:15. WorldSSP300‘s Warm Up will be at 9:55 followed by Race 2 at 12:45.
Official WorldSBK Press Release
