BMW star Toprak Razgatlioglu made it three wins out of three with a one-sided masterclass at Misano to flex his muscles emphatically in The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. A massive weekend for BMW, after well over a decade in SBK, they finally got the trifecta. Report: Ed Stratmann/WorldSBK
Friday practice
WorldSBK
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the fastest rider on Friday at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” despite a fall at the final corner in Free Practice 2. He was around a tenth clear of his rivals after the day’s action concluded for the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round, with his FP1 time – a 1’33.448s – enough to earn top spot overall on Friday.
Read our WorldSBK 2024 Round Three Report here…
The fastest rider for Ducati was Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who was typically rapid out of the blocks. He was the first rider into the 1’33s in FP2 and his fastest time was a 1’33.552s, claiming P1 in FP2 and P2 overall, just a tenth behind Razgatlioglu.
Teammate Alvaro Bautista rode to third place overall, setting a 1’33.913s for his best time of the day in FP2. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) was fifth overall after setting a 1’34.192s in FP2. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) carried on his momentum from his Dutch Round podium with the fourth fastest time (1’34.462).
WorldSSP
The WorldSSP Superpole session saw yet more drama, speed and crashes as the picture for Saturday morning became a lot clearer, with the pacesetters at the top of the standings displaying their prowess and pace.
Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was awarded pole position following the end of the Superpole session as Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) finished the afternoon session the same way he did in the morning – fast. His time of 1’36.843s was enough for P2 in Race 1. He thought that he had done enough to confirm pole, but found out that he’d exceeded track limits at turn 13, and was consequently demoted. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) rounded out the front row.
Elsewhere, the second row took on an interesting shape. France’s Valentin Debise (Evan Bros WorldSSP Yamaha Team) continued his promising form to grab P4, whilst Finnish rider Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team) bagged a spot in the top five.
Full Friday Superbike and Supersport results available here…
Saturday
WorldSK
WorldSBK Race 1
BMW’s star man secured a flawless Race 1 victory at Misano, a win that saw the Turk become the first BMW rider to lead the WorldSBK Championship since Marco Melandri in 2012. Once again, Toprak Razgatlioglu made all the difference on Saturday in Race 1 at Misano. “El Turco”, who started on pole following an epic Tissot Superpole session earlier in the day, initially surrendered his lead, but was able to regain it. However, this time, he never looked like relinquishing his advantage as the Turk stretched out a commanding gap before crossing the line in P1.
Full Superbike Superpole results here…
Nicolo Bulega and reigning World Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) both enjoyed successful races, with them finishing P2 and P3 respectively. Bulega, in particular, showed handy pace and stable consistency throughout Race 1. Reigning World Champion Bautista started to come on strong towards the end of the race, having struggled for pace in the opening laps.
A very interesting variety of riders was represented at the end of Saturday’s race. Yamaha, in particular, enjoyed a successful day on the Adriatic Coast, for Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) secured P4 and P6. Fellow Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki also enjoyed an admirable Race 1, with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) rounding out the top five.
“It was a really hard race for everyone because of the hot conditions, the bike was just spinning. I felt the front tire not working a lot because I used it a lot, but I’m just focused on riding the bike and improving the pace. Finally, we won, and for BMW, the first winner here,” Razgatlioglu reflected.
WorldSBK Race 1 Results
- Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
- Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.782s
- Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +3.176s
- Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +10.337s
- Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +11.671s
WorldSSP Race 1
As has been the story of the season, Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) fought it out between themselves to determine the race win, as well as the lead of the Championship.
The Spaniard stalked Montella around the track for nearly the entirety of the race, before starting to close in on his rival towards the final sector of the track. By the time the final corner came, Huertas capitalised on a slight slide by Montella to level his bike alongside the Italian and just pip him to the line. A truly exciting battle indeed. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) rounded out the podium with a classy P3 performance.
Many of the Championship contenders rounded out the top six to keep up their title ambitions. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros WorldSSP Yamaha Team) quietly continued his impressive campaign to date as he locked in P4, whilst Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) claimed a very solid P5 placing. German Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) completed the top six.
WorldSSP Race 1 Results
- Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
- Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.021s
- Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +4.667s
- Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +5.892s
- Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +14.686s
Sunday
Superpole Race
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) keeps single-handedly shaping the narrative of the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship by putting on another epic display to win the Tissot Superpole Race by a comfortable margin.
Turkish superstar Razgatlioglu was once again the best rider on the grid, and ultimately made sure that the Superpole race ended in comfortable fashion. Starting on pole, “El Turco” was briefly overtaken by Bulega, who got the holeshot off the line, but Razgatlioglu was able to reclaim the lead and never looked like losing it from that moment.
Toprak also made some big WorldSBK history, overtaking WorldSBK legend Noriyuki Haga to become the fifth-placed all time leader in wins in WorldSBK with 44. Great Britain’s Alex Lowes capped a personally memorable weekend by converting his front-row start into a P3 finish.
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) then clinched P4 to remain the top Iwata-based bike on the grid. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) enjoyed a very positive Superpole in his home race by securing a P5 finish.
The big news from the rest of the action was that reigning World Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) suffered a crash at turn 10, but was able to finish the race in 17th. Australian rider Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) also fell after enjoying a tidy day up until then.
Superpole Race Results
- Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
- Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.651s
- Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +4.779s
- Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +8.061s
- Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +10.913s
WorldSBK Race 2
Round 4 of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship will be firmly remembered as the weekend of one man. Toprak Razgatlioglu was untouchable all weekend, on his way to completing a first personal hat-trick in two years, as well as BMW’s first ever treble.
The Turkish rider was temporarily relegated to fifth place at the start of Race 2, before the inevitable comeback came. Nicolo Bulega and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) were able to maintain the pressure by finishing Race 2 in P2 and P3 respectively, but neither could get close to “El Turco” at any point during the weekend.
Once more, Great Britain’s Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) banked an uplifting finish, this time registering P4 in Race 2. The British rider has consistently spoken about the progress made by the Japanese giants, and all their hard work is clearly paying off nicely.
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) kept flying the flag for Yamaha, remaining their highest finishing rider by virtue of his P5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) capped off a remarkable comeback at his home round by securing P6, a result not even the most optimistic of supporters could have seen coming.
A P7 finish in Race 2 saw Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) make some improvements. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) rode home to P8 while Iker Lecouna (Team HRC) obtained P9. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) again suffered a miserable start to his Race 2. Fortunately, his race ended better than it began, with the Ulsterman’s pace enough to seal a place rounding out the top ten.
“I’m really happy because when I came to Misano, I had just one target: three wins with BMW. I did it! We did a great job today,” Razgatlioglu explained.
WorldSBK Race 2 Results
- Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
- Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.980s
- Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +3.940s
- Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +9.951s
- Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +11.974s
Championship Points
- Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 179
- Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 158
- Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 155
- Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 124
- Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 94
WorldSSP Race 2
Adrian Huertas closed out an outstanding weekend in the FIM World Supersport Championship by winning a red-flagged Race 2. The Spaniard, who also won Race 1, once more proved why he sits atop the standings.
Yari Montella enjoyed a strong race too, but was forced to settle for P2 yet again following Huertas’ overtake towards the end of Race 2. French native Valentin Debise finished P3 to round out another quality weekend for the Yamaha pilot.
Elsewhere, within the Race 2 standings, many of the main title contenders maintained their push. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) sustained his momentum in the Championship by grabbing a P4 spot, finishing just outside the podium places.
Spaniard Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) logged a P5 finish in Sunday’s race, whilst Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) crossed the line in sixth.
WorldSSP Race 2 Results
- Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
- Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +1.161s
- Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +2.274s
- Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +3.176s
- Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +4.197s
Championship Points
- Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 136
- Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 125
- Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 114
- Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 104
- Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) 78
WorldWCR
Tissot Superpole
The first pole in the history of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship was claimed by Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) as the Spaniard beat her rivals in a hotly-contested Tissot Superpole session.
As in the morning’s Free Practice session, the times kept improving as the session progressed. Herrera was able to set a 1’49.390s to claim the first ever WorldWCR pole, but it was fine margins, with just 0.051s between the #6 and Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) in second. Sanchez, who topped the FP session, set a 1’49.441s, to claim second ahead of Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) in third. Just 0.124s separated the top three in a closely fought Superpole session. However, towards the end of the session, it was announced that Sanchez was under investigation for slow riding, with Sanchez penalised with a three-place grid drop for Race 1.
Italian star Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) lined up from third following Sanchez’s sanction after fighting for pole position, finishing less than two tenths away from Herrera’s pole-setting time. South Africa’s Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno) claimed fifth in the timings ahead of Chile’s Isis Carreno (AD78 FIM Latinoamerica by Team GP3).
WorldWCR Race 1
Saturday saw history made, with the maiden FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship Race 1 taking place at Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”. In a day which saw several red flags, the fans were ultimately gifted the finish that such an occasion deserved, with Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Racing Team) beating rival Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team).
There was drama as soon as the lights went out for the initial start, with Ornella Ongaro (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) and Tayla Relph (TAYCO Motorsport) colliding at Turn 2, while wildcard Beatrice Barbera (Team GP3 AD11 by Tirso) crashed at Turn 4, as all three riders retired from the race. Relph was taken to the medical centre for a check-up, while the incident was investigated by the FIM Stewards after the race.
Herrera grabbed the holeshot from pole position, leading through the first half of the opening lap, but Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) didn’t let her have it all her own way. Although Herrera responded quickly to this attack, Carrasco didn’t let her get away, keeping the pressure on, with less than a second separating the top four.
On Lap 6, the race was red flagged for a crash by Mia Rusthen (Rusthen Racing) at Turn 16, when she came down at the end of Lap 5. Rusthen suffered a head concussion and received treatment at the Bufalini Trauma Centre in Cesena. Her condition is stable. The race was eventually re-started, and then immediately red-flagged again for a crash that involved Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno). Howden also sustained a concussion, but was conscious following the accident. Following this incident, the remaining riders on the grid followed the quick start procedure and rolled back out onto the track for a five-lap race.
With just five laps to be completed, it ultimately proved to be Herrera and Carrasco that would fight it out to determine who would make history as the first ever race winner in the WorldWCR Championship. Herrera spent four laps monitoring Carrasco, matching her pace through every sector and turn. In the last sector, Herrera made her move, sliding the bike under Carrasco to take a lead that would ultimately prove enough to propel her to victory.
WorldWCR Race 1 Results
- Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team)
- Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) +0.067s
- Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) +0.986s
- Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) +1.454s
- Beatriz Neila (Ampito/Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +1.591s
WorldWCR Race 2
Race 2 saw another thrilling fight, with Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) scoring her second win of the weekend after overtaking Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) at the final corner on the last lap. Both Herrera and Carrasco got superb starts as the lights went out, going side by side through the opening couple of corners before Carrasco came out in front. That didn’t last long, however, with the #6 responding almost immediately.
The lead group was made up of four riders – Herrera, Carrasco, Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) and Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) – with Turn 10 and the run to Curvone being the preferred overtaking places. With the lead group fighting hard, Sanchez looked to take advantage and got an excellent run out of Turn 10, using it to full advantage as she passed both Herrera and Carrasco to briefly lead even though she was unable to keep it.
Heading into the final three laps, Herrera was ahead of Sanchez while Neila had been in the top three prior to Carrasco reclaiming third on Lap 10. The #6 and #64 continued to trade fastest laps out front with the gap stabilising at around two tenths, but the final lap was a different story.
Herrera led on the exit of Turn 10, but Sanchez slipstreamed her way alongside, and ahead, of the #6. However, she didn’t take that lightly, fighting around the outside of Turn 14 before outbraking Sanchez at Turn 16 to claim victory. This demoted Sanchez to second, with Carrasco completing the podium after her fight with compatriot Neila, who came home in P4.
While the top four were fighting, home hero Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) took another strong result as she finished in fifth place, ahead of Isis Carreno (AD78 FIM Latinoamerica by Team GP3) in sixth, with the Chilean rider showing great potential once again as she returned to World Championship level.
WorldWCR Race 2 Results
- Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team)
- Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) +0.085s
- Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) +1.305s
- Beatriz Neila (Ampito/Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +1.352s
- Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) +14.711s
Championship Points
- Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) 50 points
- Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) 36 points
- Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) 36 points
- Beatriz Neila (Ampito/Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 24 points
- Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) 24 points
World SSP300 Championship Standings are here… And race reports here..
