Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) made it two from two at the iconic Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit as he resisted Marcel Schroetter’s (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) late-race challenge for his second win in two days. Taking a maximum 50-point haul from the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round, the #55 heads back to Europe full of confidence after his Australian masterclass in the FIM Supersport World Championship.

TWO FROM TWO: Montella unbeatable, Manzi crashes twice

Due to track conditions and oil needing to be cleared from a substantial portion of the track after an oil spill in a domestic championship race, there was a lengthy delay. As a consequence, the race was reduced to nine laps, and, because of this, the mandatory pit stop was removed. When the lights did go out, Race 1 winner Montella immediately pulled out a gap of around eight tenths over his rivals before expanding that to more than a second on Lap 2.

While Montella managed the lead out in front, Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) battled for second third but, as the race hit the halfway mark, the gap started to reduce. A series of fast laps from Schroetter allowed him to bring Manzi and Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team), who had surged from tenth on the grid to the podium fight. On Lap 6, Manzi had a lowside crash at Turn 4 and dropped out of contention, re-joining the race in 15^th place. However, he took a second crash when he tried to climb through the field, on Lap 7 at Turn 10 before he brought his bike into the pits.

This promoted Huertas to third while Schroetter set his sights on Montella out in front, with the gap around half-a-second on Lap 7 before it came down to four tenths on the start of the final lap. Montella managed to withstand Schroetter’s challenge for his second consecutive win, his first WorldSSP double and his third win – all have come at Phillip Island. Schroetter’s ninth podium means he’s now two away from the record of rostrums without a victory, while Huertas claimed his first WorldSSP podium.

A STRONG START: consistency the key?

Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) claimed another fourth position as his career on the F3 800 RR machine started in style, with ‘Carica’ around five seconds down on Montella. He was just 0.265s behind Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) in fifth, who had been in the early podium fight before dropping back. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) ended his weekend with his second consecutive P6, after finishing there in Race 1, although he didn’t have to fight from the back of the grid in Race 2 like he did in Race 1.

LOCAL HERO IN THE TOP TEN: Bayliss ends home round in style

Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) was seventh and just eight tenths away from the top six, with the Frenchman the last of the lead group. He had a five-second margin over John McPhee (WRP-RT Motorsport by SKM-Triumph) in eighth. McPhee finished as the lead Triumph rider as his new adventure started strongly, with Lorenzo Baldassarri (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in ninth and Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) completed the top ten on home soil.

TAKING POINTS HOME: a strong end to the opening round

Yeray Ruiz (VFT Racing Yamaha) was 11^th and just a tenth away from the top ten, with the Spaniard leading home two Triumph riders. Jorge Navarro (WRP-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) was 12^th ahead of Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph), the rider Manzi was trying to overtake when he crashed for a second time, in 13^th. Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team) and Anupab Sarmoon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) completed the points.

TO NOTE: Oncu misses out on points, van Straalen penalised

Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) missed out on points as he took 16^th place, ahead of rookie Niccolo Antonelli (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team), wildcard Tom Toparis (Stop & Seal Racing) and Ondrej Vostatek (PTR Triumph). Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) was 20^th after he had to serve a Long Lap Penalty. The Dutchman was penalised for a crash in Race 1 with Oncu, which he took in the early stages of Sunday’s race.

The top six from WorldSSP Race 2, full results here:

1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team)

2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.203s

3. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +1.658s

4. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +5.289s

5. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Racing Team) +5.554s

6. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +5.677s

Championship standings

1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 50 points

2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 36

3. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) 26

4. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 20

5. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 20

6. Oliver Bayliss (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) 17

Next up, Catalunya! Watch all the action from Barcelona using the comprehensive WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Britain’s Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) ended a four-year drought to claim his third MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship win during the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round. After fighting with his rivals, Lowes was able to pull out a one-second margin in the final few laps to claim victory for the first time since he won at Race 2 at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit four years ago, while Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed his first rostrum for BMW with third.

A RACE TO REMEMBER: Lowes on top, Razgatlioglu’s rostrum, Iannone drops back

In a repeat to Race 1, Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) got a superb start as lights went out, leading the race although Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) came past on Lap 2 at Turn 1. Iannone’s race was interrupted by a mechanical issue on Lap 6 which dropped him out of contention, coming home in 14^th. This allowed Lowes to pull out a gap for his first victory in four years by just over a second. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) took second after dropping as low as tenth, charging through the field in the second half of the 10-lap race with aggressive moves on his rivals at Turn 4 and Turn 10. In just his second race with BMW, Toprak Razgatlioglu claimed his first podium as he battled his way P3 in a run to the line with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati); the two Champions separated by just 0.074s. Razgatlioglu’s podium was his 116^th, putting him level with Noriyuki Haga at third in the all-time level. Lowes, Locatelli and Razgatlioglu will start Race 2 from the front row.

CHAMPIONS BATTLE IT OUT: Bautista just beaten by Razgatlioglu, Gardner in the podium mix

Bautista narrowly missed on a podium as he bounced back from a difficult Saturday for fourth, finishing just over a second ahead of Race 1 winner and teammate Nicolo Bulega in fifth. ‘Bulegas’ lost out at the start again but was unable to recover as he did in Saturday’s race, coming home in fifth. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was sixth, but it could’ve been more for the Australian. Gardner had fought his way into podium contention around the halfway mark of the race but was bundled down the order in the closing stages.

FIGHTING BACK: Aegerter drops down and climbs up, Rea battles to P10

Gardner’s teammate, Dominique Aegerter, had a similar story to Race 1. After starting from fourth, the Swiss rider dropped down the order before battling back. He was able to recover to P7, just two tenths behind his teammate. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) secured eighth place in his first Tissot Superpole Race, ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) in ninth with Aegerter, Lowes and Rinaldi on row three for Race 2. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) fought his way to P10 in the Superpole Race after his Saturday disaster, giving the Ulsterman hope for a good result in Race 2 although he will start in his original grid position.

The top nine from the Tissot Superpole Race, full results here:

1. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)

2. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +1.157s

3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +1.738s

4. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.812s

5. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +2.838s

6. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +2.853s

7. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +3.051s

8. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +3.341s

9. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) +5.535s

Watch Race 2 from Australia LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED at 16:30 Local Time (UTC+11) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The opening Sunday of the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign provided plenty of drama at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) continued to show his speed Down Under as he led Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) by just 0.012s. It sets up a showdown for the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round with some of Race 1’s front runners down the order.

Locatelli has been quick throughout the Official Test and the Australian Round, including a podium in Race 1, and he showed he’ll be in contention come the Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2 on Sunday. His 1’29.064s was just ahead of Bassani in second, who will be hoping this performance means he’s made a step forward with adapting to his ZX-10RR and not just a flash in the pan. His teammate, Alex Lowes, claimed third in the 10-minute session, with the top three separated by 0.095s.

Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the lead BMW rider on Sunday morning as he posted a 1’29.229s, with the Dutchman aiming to repeat is flying start from Saturday. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) bounced back from a difficult Race 1 with fifth on Sunday morning, two tenths behind Locatelli. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) rounded out the top six.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) has been quick on ‘The Island’ and the #21 kept this up in Warm Up, as the finished in seventh place and only 0.006s away from Aegerter in the top six. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) was eighth with home hero Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), aiming for more luck today after he was taken out in Race 1 on his birthday, completing the top nine; Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was 10^th.

Jonathan Rea’s (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) struggles continued as he was 16^th in Warm Up, nine tenths away from top spot. He was the last rider within one second of teammate Locatelli’s time. Meanwhile, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) started Sunday with a bump. After running wide on the exit of Turn 2, ‘Bulegas’ crashed at Turn 3. He didn’t set a lap time in Warm Up, but he was able to ride his bike back to the pits.

The top six from WorldSBK Warm Up, full results here:

1 Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 1’29.064s

2. Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.012s

3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.095s

4. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.165s

5. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.185s

6. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.282s

A NEW ERA HAS BEGUN: watch the Tissot Superpole Race at 13:00 Local Time (UTC+11) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Six-time World Champion Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) had a Saturday to forget as his debut with Yamaha resulted in him coming home in just 17^th. Having barely featured inside the top ten all weekend, Rea’s been suffering from rear chatter issues and vibration right the way through his YZF-R1. After all the hype from the pre-season and expectations, it’d be fair to say that nobody saw Rea’s difficulties coming to be laid bare this clearly.

From Friday, things weren’t going to plan as he languished down field with an “inherent” problem with the bike. Trying to fix it the best the team could and find a solution, the #65 was only 11^th on the grid but broke into the top ten in the early stages, up to the fringes of the top six. However, it was soon to turn against him; pitting as soon as the pit window opened, Rea lost a huge amount of time in the pits, exiting with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who had crashed. In a battle for 17^th, the Champions of eight of the last nine seasons were in an unlikely placing but there was nothing Rea could do after just a handful of laps in the closing stages. 17^th at the flag and some head-scratching to do for the guys in blue.

IN HIS WORDS: “We can’t catch a break… I’m really not happy with the bike”

Talking about the race, Rea’s words weren’t being minced: “It was really difficult right from when the lights went out, I got a bad start but I made headway in Turns 1 and 2. I was in a consistent rhythm, fighting with Domi and van der Mark at one point. I decided to pit at the earliest possible moment and unfortunately in the pits, we had a small issue that prohibited us from exiting onto the track and I lost quite a lot of time. I exited with Alvaro, able to ride with him for a few laps and at his rhythm but after four or five laps, I started making mistakes and then struggled to pass Rabat. Once I cleared him, I could find some more rhythm.”

The drama in the pits cost the Ulsterman 22s; he entered the pits at 16:13:55 local time (hours, minutes, seconds) and left the pits at 16:15:20, spending a total of 1 minute 25 seconds in there. There is a hard minimum pit intervention time of 1 minute and 3 seconds, meaning Rea lost 22 seconds in the pits. Teammate Andrea Locatelli lost 1.1s, however it’s an area which has been problematic for the team before. In 2022 at Phillip Island, Toprak Razgatlioglu lost six seconds in the pitstop, whereas ‘Loka’ lost two seconds.

Resuming his dramas, Rea said: “Frustrating, it feels like we can’t catch a break. Since Portimao, we’ve had a lot of curve balls thrown our way but fortunately, we’re still here to keep showing up. Tomorrow we will try some set up change, because I’m really not happy with the bike, the way it’s handling. It’s knocking some confidence out of me. We know now, with WorldSBK being so competitive, we need the bike to work, but we also need to feel confident with the bike to push to the maximum. Right now, I feel like I’m just riding, just managing, but that’s not enough to trouble even the top ten in WorldSBK. We need to make a step overnight.”

REAR CHATTER THE ISSUE: is a fix possible?

Talking about what the biggest issue is, Rea stated: “The biggest issue we have here at Phillip Island is rear chatter and vibration through the bike on the bumps. I feel for the guys too; it’s me behind the handlebars but we’ve tried to take a lot of grip out of the bike, different geometries and almost exercised every option but it still remains and whilst that’s there, I don’t have the confidence to push.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship started a new era at the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round, and there was a new look order to go with the start of the 2024 season. From Nicolo Bulega’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) stunning pole and win, Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) marking his comeback with a podium and plenty of drama for several other riders on the grid. Here, we take a look at some of the numbers to emerge from Saturday’s action.

2021 – the last time a WorldSBK podium didn’t feature either Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) or Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) prior to Race 1 in Australia was 43 races ago, at the 2021 Portimao Tissot Superpole Race.

2018 – the last front row without either Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) or Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was Phillip Island in 2018, when Tom Sykes, Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri lined up from first to third.

34 – Iannone is the eighth oldest rider, at 34 years, six months, 15 days, to take his maiden WorldSBK podium.

29 – Iannone, who uses #29, is the 29^th rider to record a front row start in both MotoGP™ and WorldSBK.

29 – Bulega is the 29^th different winner at Phillip Island.

11 – Bulega, racing using #11, is the 11^th rider to win a race in WorldSSP and WorldSBK.

5 – Iannone’s last podium came in MotoGP™ at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, five years, three months and 27 days ago when he finished second.

5 – Bulega is the fifth rider to win on his first race for Ducati, after Doug Polen, John Kocinski, Anthony Gobert, and Alvaro Bautista.

4 – Only four riders have taken pole position on debut: Nicolo Bulega (2024), Ben Spies (2009), Tommy Hill (2006) and John Kocinski (1996). Bulega is the first Italian rider to achieve this.

3 – Race 1 was the third time with two debutants on the podium. It happened at Donington in 1988 – the Championship’s first race – and again at Hockenheim in the same year.

2/10 – Race 1 was only the second time Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) has been beaten at Phillip Island on Ducati machinery in WorldSBK. The other was when he was fifth in Race 1 in 2022.

2 – Bulega is only the second rider to win the WorldSSP title and lead the WorldSBK standings, after Chris Vermeulen in 2004. Bulega is also the first Italian to lead the Championship since Marco Melandri in 2018.

0 – the last time Rea failed to score in two consecutive races was back at Portimao in 2021, when he crashed in Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race. However, following his crash at Jerez in Race 2, but finishing the race still, and finishing out of the points, it’s the first time he’s finished two consecutive races without scoring.

A NEW ERA BEGINS: watch all the action from Australia LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) made MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship history in Race 1 of the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round by becoming the first rider to win on their WorldSBK debut since teammate Alvaro Bautista in 2019. He led an all-Italian podium, the first time this has happened since Race 1 at Misano in 1993, with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) completing the rostrum; the latter marking his return to competitive action by leading the race and taking third place.

IANNONE LEADS ON COMEBACK: stunning start from lights out

Iannone got the holeshot to lead in his first race back after four years away from any competition, proving ‘The Maniac’ still has what it takes to compete at the front. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was able to challenge the Ducati star an took the lead with an incredible move through the Hayshed to move into the lead, which he held before Iannone come through into Turn 1 on Lap 2.

There was a several rider group fighting for the top positions, including Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who surged from ninth to be in the top three although a crash at Turn 10 on Lap 4 dropped him out of victory contention. The lead group exchanged positions consistently until the pit stop phase between Laps 9 and 11, with the order shaken out a bit following the stops to change the rear tyres.

BULEGA’S DREAM COMES TRUE: a debut win as Iannone takes the podium

The first leaders came in on Lap 9, with Iannone, Bulega, Lowes, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and Bautista all pitting. Bulega came out ahead – he was in the lead prior to the stops after passing Iannone at Turn 1 on Lap 7 – before remaining unchallenged as he claimed a stunning maiden victory on the Panigale V4 R, leading home an all-Italian podium. Locatelli battled his way from sixth into second place, as he used an alternative strategy by pitting on Lap 11, with Iannone in third after losing ground on his outlap.

The #29 had to fight against Lowes and Razgatlioglu to claim his first podium, his first visit to the rostrum since the MotoGP™ Australian Grand Prix in 2018, finishing only two seconds down on Bulega out in front. Locatelli showed strong pace in the second half of the race to move ahead of his rivals, including passing Iannone before he took advantage of ‘The Maniac’ running wide at Turn 4 to extend his gap. Bulega became the first rider to win consecutive races in different Championships, after winning Race 2 at Jerez in WorldSSP and Race 1 at Phillip Island in WorldSBK, while only the third Italian to win on debut after Max Biaggi and Davide Tardozzi. The podium not featuring the ‘Titanic Trio’ is the first since Portimao in 2021 when Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) and Loris Baz shared the rostrum.

JUST MISSING OUT: Razgatlioglu P5 in first BMW race, Aegerter fights back

Despite fighting for a podium, Lowes finished the race in fourth although his pace was fast throughout the 20-lap race, finishing only four seconds away from victory. Razgatlioglu claimed fifth place although he did cross the line in P4. The 2021 Champion was given a 1.225s penalty for a Pit Intervention Time infringement while swapping his tyres, which demoted him to fifth as he finished as the lead BMW rider. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was sixth. He started from P4 but dropped as low as 14^th in the first half of the race before fighting his way back into the top six.

IN THE TOP TEN: Gerloff battles, Redding penalised, all five manufacturers in the top 10

The BMW’s pace was on display throughout with van der Mark (in seventh after the Dutchman battled his way up the grid. The #60 had been setting fastest laps throughout the first part of the race as he finished just a tenth behind Aegerter. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was ninth ahead of Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), who had battled forwards from the back of the grid after a difficult Tissot Superpole. His teammate, Redding, had followed him forwards but a Pit Intervention Time penalty of 2.030s dropped him behind Xavi Vierge (Team HRC). Vierge crossed the line in 11^th, but Redding’s penalty promoted him into the top ten to ensure all five manufacturers were in the top ten.

POINTS DESPITE PENALTY: Bassani starts with P12, Bautista 15^th after crash

Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) scored points on his KRT debut despite having to complete a Long Lap Penalty after a collision with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). ‘El Bocia’ and Gardner came together on Lap 3 at Turn 10 as Bassani tried an ambitious overtake, with the FIM Stewards penalising the Italian with a Long Lap Penalty for the collision. He was ahead of Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), who dropped down the order after a superb start, with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) in 14^th. Bautista claimed a solitary point after his crash.

DISASTER FOR REA: no points for Yamaha’s new recruit

Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) had shown incredible pace at Phillip Island both last year, and throughout the Official Test and Free Practice sessions this year, but was unable to repeat his top-five performance from last year. He came home in 16^th place, ahead of Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha). The Ulsterman has struggled throughout the weekend and that continued in Race 1, with Rea finishing 38 seconds away from victory. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 18^th ahead of PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team duo Tarran Mackenzie and Adam Norrodin, while Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was 21^st and the last classified rider after he had a crash in the first half of the race.

The top six from WorldSBK Race 1, full results here:

1 Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

2. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +2.280s

3. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +2.630s

4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +4.728s

5. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +5.706s

6. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +8.333s

Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega (Ducati), 1’28.564s – new lap record

A NEW ERA BEGINS: watch the 10-lap Tissot Superpole Race on Sunday at 13:00 Local Time (UTC+11) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Four years away but certainly back to play and in the thick of the feisty action, Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) returned to World Championship competition with emotion, flare and charisma at Phillip Island. His first race day was the moment he’d been waiting for and at one of his most successful circuits, ‘The Maniac’ was always going to be strong. However, after an incredible charge to second on the grid – forming the first-ever rookie 1-2 on the grid for their debut round – he converted it into a first podium having led numerous laps, finishing P3 at the chequered flag.

FIRST RACE DAY IN OVER FOUR YEARS: front row and rostrum

The strong start for ‘Crazy Joe’ got underway at Phillip Island in the Tissot Superpole session, where he went provisionally pole before fellow rookie Italian debutant Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) stormed to pole. P2 for Iannone was nonetheless a massive surprise and a welcome return to form, becoming the – ironically – 29^th rider to achieve a front row in both MotoGP™ and WorldSBK.

The race itself was always going to be eventful for Iannone and it was no different – albeit local wildlife and seagull population were not impacted. He grabbed the holeshot with a mega launch from his P2 starting place; he was passed by Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) just before the end of the opening lap but before the end of Lap 2, he was back ahead and for the first time in over seven years, led a race across the finish line. He led until just before the pitstops, when Bulega came by whilst Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was right there.

COSTLY MISTAKES: P3 but perhaps what could have been?

Iannone stayed in contention for second place but it was Bulega who checked out at the front. A mistake at Turn 4 on his first lap after the pitstops dropped him down to P4 from P2 and lost him valuable time but he fought back into P2 when challenging Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha). However, he made another mistake with just a handful of laps remaining, ending any hopes of second but he was a solid third at the flag for his first podium in over five years, leading to joyous scenes in his pit box and when the team made their way to Parc Ferme.

“IT’S INCREDIBLE FOR ME… PURE ENERGY” – emotional Iannone’s first words after first podium

Speaking about his debut WorldSBK podium, Iannone was absolutely thrilled: “It’s incredible for me; I didn’t expect this comeback and I’m living the dream. When you have a feeling with the bike it’s important but for me, it’s fantastic to be at this level. I saw a lot of support from other people and this is more important than the level that I’m at now. It’s pure energy for me after all these years. The race was much better and when I was leading, I was full of emotions and it was a little bit ‘wow, a shock!’. I made a mistake twice but we’re not at 100% with the engine braking. For the start, it’s OK! Tomorrow is a different day so we’ll try to improve but without any stress. It’s important that we smile right now and enjoy this.”

THE NEW ERA IS UNDERWAY: follow it all LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

It was a day to remember for Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as he enjoyed his first race day as a factory Ducati rider in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Starting from pole position, it was a busy race for the #11 after dropping back in the early stages but fought through to take a sensational debut win in the class, despite playing down any chance of his pre-season testing pace being converted in the opening races of the season.

STORY OF SATURDAY: the #11 in P1 for most of it

It’s not often that someone takes pole position in the last World Supersport race of the season and then, when graduating WorldSBK, qualifies on pole for that too. In fact, it’s so rare that it had never happened – that was until a sensational debut by Nicolo Bulega saw him rocket to pole position in Tissot Superpole with a 1’27.916. It was the first-ever 1’27 for WorldSBK at Phillip Island and the first rookie debut pole position since Ben Spies in 2009.

Come the race itself, ‘Bulegas’ was squeezed by compatriot and fellow rookie Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) off the line, with the #29 taking the lead at Doohan’s for the first time, showing no signs of rustiness after four years away from the races. However, before the round of pitstops and fighting back through from fifth in a calm manner with bold moves, reigning WorldSSP Champion Bulega had hit the front and was the first to blink to come into the pits. Getting it timed to absolute perfection in terms of the pit intervention time, he pulled a gap and from that moment, went unchallenged. He came down across the stripe for the final time to take victory in one of the most formidable starts to a World Superbike season ever.

“It’s something special that I’ll never forget” – the dream comes true

Emotion was clear for all to see as the dream had been achieved, with Bulega saying: “Maybe it’s the best day of my life! It’s difficult to already believe it but it is something incredible; I was dreaming about this for many months but now it’s reality. I took pole position, I won my first race and got the lap record. It’s something special that I’ll never forget.”

THE MILESTONES: Bulega breaks records

Bulega set numerous records on his first race day as a WorldSBK rider – and now, WorldSBK winner. He leads the Championship for the first time after becoming just the third Italian to win at Phillip Island after Max Biaggi and Marco Melandri in 2012 and 2018 respectively. He’s also the fifth rider to win their first race with Ducati; Doug Polen, John Kocinski, Anthony Gobert and Alvaro Bautista all achieved it before.

In terms of being a winner in WorldSSP and WorldSBK, the 24-year-old is the 11^th rider to win in both. He is also only the second rider in history to win a WorldSSP Championship and then lead a WorldSBK Championship; in Imola 2004, Chris Vermeulen was briefly ahead but he is the only one to have done it. It’s also another win for the #11 at Phillip Island, after the factory Ducati of Troy Corser in 1999’s epic Race 2 fight with teammate Carl Fogarty.

“I STARTED TO CRY” – the raw emotions

When asked about what his first thoughts were when he came down the straight and crossed the line, the emotions let loose: “I started to cry a little bit and then, there were good emotions as I saw all my guys on the finish line and all my guys with a big, incredible smile. It was so nice for me. It’s incredible because this team is like my second family and they always believed in me. When I came here from Moto2™, I was in a bad moment but they kept believing. This is my third year with them and we started in a very good way. I’ll try to continue giving them a lot of smiles. I’m ready for my first Tissot Superpole Race and I’ll try to do my best.”

BAUTISTA ON HIS NEW TEAMMATE: “It’s nice to have him as a teammate; a good motivation”

Usually the one stealing the show at Ducati, Alvaro Bautista could only manage 15^th after a crash in his first race of 2024 but was happy for his stablemate’s debut win: “It’s not easy; when I won in 2019, it was a real rookie race! I didn’t know the tyres, Championship or the bike. At least he won last year with the Pirellis and this is his third year with them and also, he knows Ducati, as the bike, even in WorldSSP, has a similar concept. It’s not easy, especially this season as there are a lot of riders that can win the race. Congratulations to him and it’s nice to have him as a teammate as it’s a good motivation and good rider to learn from every race.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) started the 2024 FIM Supersport World Championship campaign in the perfect style with an almost-flawless performance at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. The Italian ended a drought of more than 400 days for his two victories in WorldSSP, both coming at this circuit, as he recovered from a poor start to take the first win of the season at the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round, while polesitter Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) ended before lights went out.

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF: Huertas’ race ends before it begins, drama for Montella

There was drama from before lights out as Huertas was taken off the grid, before re-joining after the Warm Up lap but boxing once again. After the race started, Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) came together on the entry to the Southern Loop. The incident was placed under investigation by the FIM Stewards. When the lights went out, Montella – who effectively led the field away – lost momentum as he dropped back despite seemingly moving before the lights went out, allowing Manzi to take the lead as Montella tried to recover from his poor start.

THE VICTORY FIGHT: Montella finds time over Manzi

Manzi had been the race leader in the early stages but lost ground, and positions, to Montella, Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) before the pit window opened on Lap 8. There were split strategies in the lead group, with Manzi and Montella pitting on Lap 8 and Schroetter and Debise a lap later. When it had all played out, Montella had opened a six second gap over his rivals while Schroetter stayed ahead of Manzi, before the #62 came past on Lap 11 to re-claim second place. Meanwhile, Debise’s race had come to an end when he crashed at Turn 6 on Lap 10.

Manzi tried to close the gap to Montella ahead but ended up in a fierce scrap with MV Agusta rider Schroetter, with the German trying to pass Manzi into Turn 4 although the Italian held on. This allowed Montella to create a gap of over seven seconds to the chasing pack as he claimed his second win in WorldSSP, both of which have come at the legendary Australian venue. It gave his Barni Ducati their first win since Imola 2018, when Matteo Ferrari won in STK1000, while it also ended a wait of 462 days for Montella’s victories.

THE BATTLE FOR FOURTH: five riders in just over a second

Behind the top three, an incredible scrap for fourth developed. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) took fourth on his first race with his new team and manufacturer following his switch from Ducati. He was just 0.704s ahead of home hero Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) in fifth as the Australian secured a career-best fifth place, showing strong pace to kickstart his 2024 campaign. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was sixth after starting from the back of the grid due to a tyre pressure infringement. The Turkish star was one of a handful of riders to pit on Lap 10, the final lap of the pit window, and used this to his advantage to take a top six.

Jorge Navarro (WRP-RT Motorsport by SKM-Triumph) and teammate John McPhee got their new adventure off to a stunning start with P7 and P8, with the duo separated by just 0.006s. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) featured in this battle although lost ground at the end, plus the Frenchman received a 1.950s penalty for a Pit Intervention Time infraction, with Mahias’ time in the pit lane coming in at just under the required 78 seconds. Tom Toparis (Stop & Seal Racing) secured a top ten, benefitting from a penalty to Yeray Ruiz (VFT Racing Yamaha). The Spaniard, like Mahias, wasn’t in the pit lane for long enough and he had 1.750s added to his time to be classified in 11^th.

SECURING POINTS: fighting for the top 15

Anupab Sarmoon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) took 12^th place, around five seconds back from Ruiz ahead of him in the classification. Marcel Brenner (VIAMO Racing by MTM), returning to the Championship after not securing a full-time seat in 2023, battled with Sarmoon with the pair separated by just under a second. Ondrej Vostatek (PTR Triumph) was 14^th with Malaysian rider Khairul Idham Bin Pawi (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) completing the points on his debut. Krittapat Keankum (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) took 16^th, with the Thai rider penalised 1.550s for a Pit Intervention Time infraction. Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team) was classified in 17^th and a lap down after he brought his Ducati machine into the pits; he did re-join the race. Van Straalen was classified in 18th and the last classified rider.

BALDASSARRI RETIRES, DEBISE CRASHES: big name retirements from Race 1

Aside from Oncu and Huertas, there were some other huge contenders dropped out of contention. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) had a technical issue in the second half of the race, while Niccolo Antonelli (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) crashed at Turn 10 at a similar time.  Hikari Okubo’s (Vince64 Racing Team by Puccetti) return ended in the gravel trap at Turn 4 on Lap 7, while Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph) went down at Turn 12; the Brit was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Kaito Toba (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) was the final retirement, crashing at Turn 2 shortly after he received a 3.760s penalty for a Pit Stop Intervention infraction.

The top six from WorldSSP Race 1, full results here. See the fastest laps to set the Race 2 grid here.

1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team)

2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +6.666s

3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +6.968s

4. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +16.748s

5. Oliver Bayliss (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) +17.452s

6. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +17.580s

A NEW ERA BEGINS: watch WorldSSP Race 2 on Sunday from Australia at 14:30 Local Time (UTC+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The first session that counts, the first that matters for the larger context of the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship: Tissot Superpole from the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit and the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round was electric. With all the hype about unpredictability and the new line-up for this new era, it was a session with stories everywhere you looked. In what is probably the most incredible Superpole session in recent memory to open a season, it was rookie Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who denied Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) in the closing moments with two rookies lining up 1-2 on the grid for the first time in WorldSBK history.

STORY OF SUPERPOLE: the early laps banked

Every rider hit the track almost instantly, with Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) the first on the circuit ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and teammate and good friend Michael van der Mark went out together. Latching onto the back of them, Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW), who did the same in the Jerez test in January, leading to a fallout between the Dutchman and the #45. Gerloff went top having allowed Bautista through on him for track position but it was all about to change.

After the first laps, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was top and with a new lap record, even faster than during the Official Test, ahead of Nicolo Bulega and Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). Bautista had slipped to P12 and behind the Independent Ducati of Andrea Iannone, whereas Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) struggled in P15. With the first run done with eight minutes to go, van der Mark hadn’t set a lap time after crashing at Turn 4 but he was OK.

SECOND STINT: Yamaha work together as times tumble more

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was the first out with teammate Rea in tow, with just seven minutes remaining – Rea didn’t look particularly enamoured in pitlane. On their first flying lap of the second stint, there was plenty of riders who were exiting pitlane and by the time Rea got to Turn 4, he suffered a big moment with teammate ‘Loka’ dropping him but the lap was still good enough for provisional P6. Meanwhile, Bautista was now down in P13 before firing himself into P5 provisionally, with just three minutes to go.

THE CRAZIEST FRONT ROW: two rookies as Bulega does a 1’27 ahead of Iannone

However, there were red sectors everywhere and soon, ‘The Maniac’ was coming to play. Iannone blasted into provisional pole position, much to the delight of the entire Team GoEleven box. However, it was Bulega who came through to pip him, before the Italian then went faster again for the first ever 1’27 lap of Phillip Island in WorldSBK with a 1’27.916. Iannone took second for a rookie 1-2 as well as an Italian and a Ducati 1-2, with Britain’s Alex Lowes in third and just over three tenths adrift.

Bulega becomes the first rookie to set pole position in WorldSBK since Ben Spies at Phillip Island back in 2009 for Yamaha, as well as the first rider in history to achieve back-to-back poles in WorldSSP and WorldSBK in consecutive events. He is also the first Italian rider on pole EVER at Phillip Island in WorldSBK. It’s also the first time ever that rookies will line-up 1-2 in WorldSBK history, whilst it is the first time in 31 years (and second ever) with two Italians on Ducatis 1-2 on the grid. The last time was with Mauro Lucchiari and Giancarlo Falappa at Misano in 1993 In 3^rd that day? A Kawasaki, like today, with Scott Russell.

BEHIND THE FRONT ROW: Aegerter flies as Toprak seals solid P5

The second row of the grid is a heavyweight one with double WorldSSP Champion Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in fourth. In his first weekend with BMW, Toprak Razgatlioglu was a solid fifth and right in contention during his first Superpole session with the German manufacturer, albeit 0.009s slower than his Official Test time on Tuesday. His ex-teammate Andrea Locatelli completes the second row in sixth.

THIRD ROW: an Aussie, a strong debut and a Champion at sea

Heading up the third row, home-hero Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) made it three Yamahas inside the top seven, whilst it was a fine eighth place for Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) who fought back after his huge crash in FP3 at Turn 12. One of the biggest shocks was that the winner of eight of the nine races he’s competed on Ducati equipment at Phillip Island, Alvaro Bautista, was only ninth and nearly eight tenths off his rookie teammate. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) rounded out the top ten.

ELSEWHERE: Rea struggles to 11^th, van der Mark crash leaves him on Row 6

Outside the top ten, it was a tricky first Superpole session in blue for Rea, who was nearly a second off Bulega’s astonishing lap time. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), after starting strongly on Friday, could only manage P12, whilst Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) was 13^th and best Honda. Garrett Gerloff took 14^th and Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in 15^th. Van der Mark’s crash cost him to leave him 16^th, ahead of Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha), Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) and Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 20^th. Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) and teammate Adam Norrodin round out the field.

Top six after WorldSBK Superpole, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’27.916s

2. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +0.238s

3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.323s

4. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.487s

5. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.604s

6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +0.624s

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Source: WorldSBK.com