The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship might only be three rounds in, but already, attention is turning into what the 2025 grid will look like. Some riders are under contract for next season, plenty have their futures up in the air, and there have been plenty of comments made about what to expect in 2025. So, what is known so far about the complexion of next year’s grid.

UNDER CONTRACT: who has their future secure?

The easy place to start is who has a 2025 contract in their pocket already. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) is under contract for next year, as are Pata Prometeon Yamaha duo Jonathan Rea and Andrea Locatelli. At Team HRC, both Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge’s renewal was announced as two years to cover the 2024 and 2025 seasons. It’s been confirmed by both Kenan Sofuoglu and Shaun Muir that Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) contract covers both this and next season.

NOT YET SORTED FOR 2025: the riders aiming to secure a ride

The biggest name without a deal for next season is reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who opted to sign a one-year contract last season. Both GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team riders, Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing), Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) are all yet to sign for next year. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) is also out of contract, while teammate Axel Bassani is on a multi-year deal– of course, next year, it’ll be the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team squad. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) revealed last year he was contracted for 2023 and 2024, so he’s a free agent for 2025 as it stands. Elsewhere, Andrea Iannone’s (Team GoEleven) contract expires at the end of 2024.

WHAT’S BEEN SAID SO FAR: retirement talk, factory team ambitions

With rumours already circulating about next year, riders have been asked about it already. Bautista said in an interview that “he doesn’t have anything in his mind” and that he’ll keep racing while he’s having fun,  but isn’t in a hurry to make a decision. However, in his media debrief on Friday, Bautista made a contradictory statement by saying he wants to decide soon: “If the top management in Ducati want me, it’s always a pleasure! I’m focused on riding with my best performance. I think I will make a decision soon for me and for my team.”

Iannone addressed rumours about his future at Assen, saying: “I’m happy I’m being spoken about. I know if I’m on top, I have many chances. My target is to be in a factory team, but we will see. I’m happy because after a long time, I felt many things, and interest from many manufacturers. I’m honoured. I think, after Assen at Misano, we will know something more about this.”

Alex Lowes was also asked about silly season at Assen, and the #22 said: “I don’t really know, it’s very early. Like we’re seeing in MotoGP™ and previous years in WorldSBK, everything starts really early. We have a break after the Assen round, so maybe there’ll be some more news in the break. From my side, I don’t know yet.”

At BMW, van der Mark gave an answer to rumours about his future, saying the only thing he can do is deliver results. When asked about rumours linking Iannone to BMW, van der Mark simply replied: “I need to have some good results and that makes everything a bit easier.” During Free Practice 1, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Marc Bongers spoke about their rider line-up for 2025, refusing to give anything anyway: “We’re happy the way it is and it’s way too early to say anything.”

Although his future is secure, Razgatlioglu was asked about who he wanted as a teammate and stated van der Mark as his preference: “I am happy with Michael as a teammate and the atmosphere in the garage is very good and we work well together. If BMW ask me, it’s easy to say Michael, he’s a good teammate, a good guy and respectful; we work together in the race and Superpole.”

Gardner has been quoted by Motorsport-Total.com as saying he has an option for 2025 to be with GRT Yamaha, while Aegerter – in the same article – said “the conditions must be right” to stay with the team and that there are “other alternatives” for the double WorldSSP Champion.

2025 WorldSBK grid (TBA = To Be Announced)

Aruba.it Racing – Ducati: Nicolo Bulega and TBA

Pata Prometeon Yamaha: Jonathan Rea and Andrea Locatelli

Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team: Axel Bassani and TBA

Team HRC: Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge

ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: Toprak Razgatlioglu and TBA

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was one of the big movers for the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, moving from Independent Ducati machinery to the factory Kawasaki squad. It’s been a challenging start to the season for the #47, with two top-ten finishes to his name so far. In an interview, Bassani reviewed his season so far, how his adaptation is going, having a teammate for the first time in his career and his home round at Misano.

THREE ROUNDS IN: “a difficult season, because the level of WorldSBK is really high…”

Bassani has become known for challenging for podiums since he debuted in WorldSBK in 2021, but that hasn’t happened so far. Assen was the highlight, fighting in the podium positions in difficult conditions, but he dropped back as the track dried. The Feltre-born star reviewed his 2024 season so far, calling it difficult but explaining how he sees positives in the hard start to the year.

Bassani said: “It’s been a difficult season, at the moment, because the level of World Superbike at the moment is really high and changing team and the motorbike is never easy. The level of WorldSBK isn’t helping me at the moment. This means if you start to go well and have a good speed, you’ll be fast and strong. We need to work step by step, slowly.”

ADAPTING TO THE BIKE: “if you start out of the first or second row, it’s difficult to have a good race”

The Ducati and Kawasaki machines are very different, in terms of how to ride them, the engine configuration and much more. Speaking about this, and also how the Tissot Superpole sessions are currently his weakest point – with a best of 15^th so far – Bassani said: “It’s a completely different bike. There are always two wheels but it’s a completely different feeling! You have to change your riding style, under braking and the exit of corners, because the bike is different. The first time was not easy but now, weekend by weekend, I’m starting to feel better on the bike. On the bike, I don’t have a bad feeling, but it’s always difficult to be fast and especially in Superpole we have some problems. We’ll try to have a better Superpole because now, if you start out of the first or second row, it’s really difficult to have a good race.

“When we put the softer tyres, the bike starts to be more difficult for me to ride. It starts to be difficult for me to do what I want to do. With harder tyres, it’s better. We have to improve a lot with the softer tyres because the bike starts to do something strange for my riding style. We need to improve. We’ll work on this point. We have to work on the SCQ tyre but also the soft tyre for the race because, after ten laps, we start to have some problems. We have a lot of work to do but we know what we need.”

A TEAMMATE FOR THE FIRST TIME: “strange to have a teammate… Alex is a really good guy”

For the first time in WorldSBK, Bassani has a rider alongside him in the garage. He’s teamed up with Alex Lowes for 2024, with the #22 in his fifth season in green. Explaining how their relationship is going and how Lowes is helping him, Bassani said: “After three years alone with Ducati, it’s strange to have a teammate. At the same time, it’s good, because you have someone who’s riding the same bike and it’s always good to see what they’re doing. Alex is a really good guy. He always tries to do his best; he pushes to the limit with the Kawasaki because it’s his fifth season with Kawasaki. It’s really important for me to see his data and see where I can improve. He can help me, but you have to remember that he’s my teammate, but always one of my rivals. He can help me somewhere… but not too much! It’s normal. It’s the same for me. We’re two riders riding for the same team, but, at the same time, we want to be the best. He’s doing his work and the same for me.”

A HOME BREAKTHROUGH: “I want to get a podium, but we need to be realistic”

Misano is up next and has often been the scene of the start of Bassani’s charge to the front, and he’ll be hoping for more of the same in 2024. When asked about this, the Italian rider said that he would like to be on the rostrum on home soil but also played down expectations, stating that the focus has to be on improving the bike.

He said: “I want to get a podium at Misano because it’s my home round, it’s always important. Usually, there are a lot of people pushing not only me but all the Italian riders. It will be important for me to get a good result, but we need to be realistic. We have to improve a lot. I think, for us, for my side of the team, it’s important to think about improving the bike and try to find our setup and then, after, think about podiums. It’s really difficult at the moment because the level of WorldSBK is really high.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Whilst there’s an abundance of headlines at the front of the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field, Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) took a best finish of the year in 11^th at Assen, a circuit he knows well. Race 2 saw him fight tooth and nail with factory counterpart Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and followed him home, just missing out on a first top ten by just 0.103s. However, despite not being able to lay claim to top Honda honours, both he and crew chief Mick Shanley spoke of the work done to be in the position to fight for such positions.

“IT WAS REALLY POSITIVE” – the #95 shows strength and potential

Giving an overview of Assen, Mackenzie stated: “It was a stronger weekend overall and the wet sessions just helped me build confidence and it was more of a level playing field. I had some good results, was a bit better in Superpole and closer to the guys in front. In the Superpole Race, I felt like I messed up a little bit; I felt like I could have been stronger in the opening laps but I was determined to have a good start. It made such a difference getting dragged round with the likes of Garrett and Xavi. It was cool from that side; we caught Rinaldi and then it was us three towards the end. I tried my best to pass them both but couldn’t do it; Garrett ran wide and then I managed to get by so to finish right behind Xavi is great, as well as being in the mix and scoring points. It was really positive.”

Detailing the difficulties of 2024, Mackenzie explained how important this result is for him and the team: “It was a struggle for sure and in Australia, we had no testing really compared to anyone else. We didn’t have the bike we’re riding now until the Tuesday before Australia, then I crashed, the weather didn’t help and it was just a bit of a struggle. Having Mick in my corner from the Barcelona test onwards, I made a big step and was a bit closer to the factory guys in Barcelona and had a bit of a better race there. Then, we made another step here even if it was hard. We didn’t get many dry laps so we went back to base setting from Barcelona. In the rain, we were a lot stronger so it was nice to see some light at the end of the tunnel and a bit more positivity lifts the whole morale of the team.

“Everyone’s working hard and trying their best with the package we’ve got. We’re always trying to think of new things and in the wet and dry, try to be quite competitive. OK, it’s not top ten and at the front but I think with what we’ve got, we’re doing a pretty good job. We’ve scored an 11th so for sure, the next goal is the top ten.”

“IT’S GOOD TO CHALLENGE THE RED BIKE!” – Shanley talks of fighting with factory Honda at Assen

Crew chief Mick Shanley also spoke of Mackenzie’s progress as he got nearer to Xavi Vierge: “I’m really happy for us; we made a bit of a step in Barcelona and we wanted to continue that here. It’s been tricky with the weather when it’s cold, wet and dry but Tarran handled it really well. It was the first time he had ridden the bike with traction control in the wet so there was a lot for him to learn and take on board. Things came together in Race 2 in the dry and he rode really well all the way through; just trying to judge and understand, setting off higher up the grid with a better Superpole starting place. It’s good for him to see that he can ride with these people and be in the mix to gain confidence from it. If we can keep making steps forwards in each race, it’s good to challenge the red bike!”

Speaking about the belief that Tarran could fight in the P10 to P15 battle, Shanley believes this result is confirmation of that potential: “I kept trying to tell him that and he’s not been so sure but fair play to him, he got a better Superpole with the wet session and it’s shown him that he can be in that group. We’ve gained a lot more data to be running faster for longer so we’ll see what we can learn before next time out. We have two tests – Cremona and Misano – so it’s a chance to have a play with a few things and hopefully make some steps forward.”

“HE FULLY DESERVES TO BE OUT THERE RACING WITH THESE GUYS” – Mackenzie earning his stripes

“I’ve got to take my hat off to him; he fully deserves to be out there racing with these guys and we know he can race inside the top ten. I have full belief in him. It’s been impressive and I think people underestimate just how hard this Championship is. You look up and down the grid and there’s a lot of MotoGP race winners, World Champions… it’s incredible. For him to come here in his first season, with a lot of things to learn from the electronics side, we know that as a manufacturer that there’s still work to do. He’s taken it all in his stride and step by step, it’s good to work away for the top ten.”

Finally, detailing how a result like that can help team morale after a difficult period, he said: “Definitely and not only with Tarran but it’s been a good result in WorldSSP with Kaito Toba grabbing P7. Overall, as a team, it’s good to see everyone packing up with a smile on their face and we can see the progress! Everyone’s always pushing so hard so it’s good for everyone to see a result for all their efforts.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s latest visit to the TT Circuit Assen created history, with Nicholas Spinelli (Barni Spark Racing Team) claimed a shock win in Race 1 – his first WorldSBK race. The Italian added his name to an illustrious list of riders who won on their debut, bringing the total to nine. Here, we look at the nine history makers who stunned the field as their WorldSBK career started.

WORLD SUPERBIKE BEGINS: Tardozzi becomes the first WorldSBK winner, Donington Park, 1988

The first WorldSBK race took part at Donington Park in 1988 and that meant someone had to win and start this list. That rider was Davide Tardozzi on his Bimota machine, winning a 30-lap race ahead of Marco Lucchinelli by just over a second. Tardozzi would go on to win five races in 75 attempts, as well as 11 podiums, before taking on several off-track roles at both Ducati and BMW, becoming a key figure in the former’s success in both WorldSBK and MotoGP™.

PERFECT POLEN: American star moves to P1 at Sugo in 1989

Doug Polen’s WorldSBK debut came in 1989 at Sugo and he wasted no time in showing his potential, taking victory in Japan by more than seven seconds ahead of Michael Dowson, with American star Polen on Suzuki machinery. Polen would go on to win 27 races and take 40 podiums, as well as claiming two titles – in 1991 and 1992.

GODDARD ON HOME SOIL: Australian wins at Oran Park in 1989

Peter Goddard made his debut at Oran Park in November 1989, and he showed exactly what he could do. On Yamaha machinery, Goddard not just won, he wiped the floor with his opposition. He finished the 39-lap race 56 seconds clear of Robert Phillis in second, and 70 seconds ahead of Fabrizio Pirovano who completed the podium. In fact, Goddard lapped everyone except those in second, third and fourth.

MISANO THE VENUE: Kocinski takes debut win in Italy in 1996

John Kocinski followed in Doug Polen’s footsteps when he made his WorldSBK debut in 1996 at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”. Like Polen, the Arkansas-born Kocinski fended off his rivals albeit with a closer margin, coming home just over a second ahead of Troy Corser with Pierfrancesco Chili in third in a Ducati 1-2-3 on their home soil.

TAKEDA ON TOP: more history created at Sugo with Takeda in 1996

Although it wasn’t his first round – he competed at Sugo in 1989 although he didn’t start a race – Yuichi Takeda took victory in his first race he started. It was a thrilling battle in Japan with Noriyuki Haga, with 0.086s separating the two Japanese riders after 25 laps. Takeda came out on top ahead on his Honda, with Haga having to settle for second.

BRILLIANT BIAGGI: a seamless shift from MotoGP™ to WorldSBK

Max Biaggi made his WorldSBK debut in Qatar in 2007 after many successful years in the MotoGP™ paddock, including four 250cc World Championship titles and was instantly a hit. Racing for Suzuki, the Italian beat James Toseland by 1.4 seconds over the 18-lap race at Lusail for his first of 21 wins; he’d go on to claim two WorldSBK titles in 2010 and 2012.

THE PERFECT START: Bautista’s WorldSBK career starts with P1 in Australia, 2019

After Biaggi, it would be 12 years before a rider who won on debut, with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claiming victory in at Phillip Island in 2019 following his move across from MotoGP™. It was the first of 11 consecutive wins for the Spaniard to start the 2019 season before a series of crashes cost him the title. Two years at Honda were a struggle before a return to Ducati in 2022, winning the titles in that year and 2023.

FOLLOWING IN HIS TEAMMATE’S FOOTSTEPS: same venue, five years on, for Bulega

They had a different path to WorldSBK, and are at different stages at their career, but their first World Superbike race had a similar outcome. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) entered WorldSBK on the back off a WorldSSP title and he soon became a race winner in the premier class. A 2.2 second win over Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) started his career in style.

SPINELLI SURPRISES: tyre gamble pays off for the substitute rider

Nicholas Spinelli (Barni Spark Racing Team) stepped in as Danilo Petrucci’s replacement with the #9 injured for the Dutch Round. 11^th in the Tissot Superpole session was impressive, and what happened in the race was even more so. Opting for an all-intermediate tyre combination, the only rider on the grid, stormed into a 25-second lead over the first few laps. As the track dried, the gap closed rapidly, but a fortunately timed red flag, in Spinelli’s eyes, meant he claimed his, and Barni Ducati’s, first WorldSBK win.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS: impressing even without victory

Several riders have made a mark without climbing to the top step. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) claimed fourth in his first Race 1 when on Honda machinery, and the late Marco Simoncelli rocked up to WorldSBK in 2009 at Imola and claimed a third-place finish in Race 2 for Aprilia, beating teammate Biaggi. Ben Spies, in 2009, started with 16^th in Race 1 in Australia but Race 2 kickstarted his season as he claimed victory.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Iker Lecuona and Team HRC have taken to social media to give an update on the #7 after his crash during the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship last week. With WorldSBK visiting the TT Circuit Assen, Lecuona crashed at Turn 16 in Saturday morning’s Free Practice 3 session and was subsequently declared unfit, first for Saturday’s action and then for the remainder of the weekend on Sunday morning, with a right knee contusion and functional impairment.

In the days after the round, the one-time podium finisher had more checks completed on the knee which showed nothing broken but still some inflammation to the ligaments and muscle as well as swelling in the meniscus. Despite the injury still lingering, Lecuona set out his goal to be back on the CBR1000RR-R towards the end of May, with private tests scheduled.

On Team HRC’s Instagram account, Lecuona is quoted as saying: “I’ve had some additional checks done at home which confirmed that, fortunately, nothing is broken in my knee. However, the ligaments and muscles are still inflamed, and there’s a significant edema in the meniscus. The pain persists, especially in the morning. It’s just a matter of giving it time to heal, taking things easy, and starting a gentle training regimen as soon as possible. My goal is to be back on my bike for the testing sessions at the end of May.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

It’s been a mega start to the 2024 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship season and the TT Circuit Assen hosted the first double winner of the season with Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kawasaki). The Spaniard, who had never won a race but come close on numerous occasions before Assen, executed two perfect races to lead at crucial moments, becoming the new Championship leader. However, it wasn’t an easy weekend for the team, with Paul Tobin’s outfit suffering mechanical issues of their own on the way to the round, making Mogeda’s victories even sweeter for the Irish team.

In Race 1, it was the usual fight at the front in WorldSSP300 but a red flag for a crash involving Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) and Julio Garcia (KOVE Racing Team) at the final chicane halted action. On the restart, Mogeda was a key feature inside the leading group and pounced in the final sector of the last lap, having previously led the way halfway through the lap. In the second race, strategy was pivotal and Mogeda went wide at Turn 10 from the lead so he could slipstream into the final corners. He made it into P2 with Kove’s Julio Garcia leading but he went wide and lost speed at the chicane. This allowed Mogeda to come through on the run to the line for a memorable victory.

MOGEDA WINS: “The only thing I have in my mind are my team, family and friends”

Speaking after Race 2 on Sunday afternoon, the #88 said: “It was a very difficult weekend but it’s great to be where we are! I only have happy words and that’s it! On the last lap, it was crazy, like all WorldSSP300 races! This one is crazier because it’s my victory; there were a lot of riders with a lot of fighting but finally, we can win. I don’t have words to explain but the only thing I have in my mind are my team, my family and friends, who all stayed with me in the bad moments. I feel very good but the Championship is long and we have many races to go.”

TEAM MANAGER TOBIN: “All the bad luck was out of the way before we got on track!”

In terms of getting to Assen, drama had already started for the MotorLand Aragon-based outfit as team manager Paul Tobin explained: “When we loaded the truck, it wouldn’t start so I got a mechanic out and then, we needed a part but that was on Saturday and by Monday, the part didn’t arrive. We needed two vans, couldn’t find any big enough in the area, so we had to go Zaragoza! That left there early on Monday morning and the second one on Monday afternoon, which then had a problem, so then we had to get another van, unload the old one on the side of the road and repack again. We got to Assen on Thursday morning; not the greatest start but all the bad luck was out of the way before we got on track!”

Talking about the races themselves, Tobin spoke of Race 1: “In Race 1, the quick shifter was cutting the bike and he actually had his hand up on the main straight on the start. He was going to pull in at the end of Lap 2 but it came good; he was dead last! He’s started to catch the group pretty fast and when the red flag came out, he was on the back of the main group. In the pitlane, he told us what we problem was and changed the quick shifter during the red flag and he was good to go then. I said to him it’s a five lap sprint so he can’t hang about but he was confident with the bike handling really well. He rode an incredible race with incredible courage, knowing it was raining! The way he took Ramshoek and the chicane, we knew he’d be OK. It was really, really emotional when he crossed the line with the history and the team and what not. Myself and Scott Thompson, his crew chief, were crying like babies in pitlane. It was an incredible win and an unbelievable moment for the team.”

In Race 2, it was all about strategy: “He got into Turn 1 first but made a mistake at Turn 11, missing a gear, so then the group caught up with him but it’s almost impossible to breakaway in WorldSSP300! He stayed inside the top four or five for more or less the whole race and you could see him working out where he needed to be in the last three or so laps. On the penultimate lap, he made a mistake at Turn 4 but he did this in Barcelona where he ran wide at Turn 11 so riders could get under him to not get caught on the straight which was amazing race craft from him. Coming down into the last sector, he said he was exactly where he needed to be but surprised that Garcia was leading. However, he could see Julio missed his braking marker by about 10 metres, so all he needed to do was take his proper line through the chicane and he had a chance. He leant on Loris Veneman going through the chicane but Dani got it.

STICKING WITH MOGEDA: “If you give up on a rider then, his career is finished”

Talking about why Mogeda is special for the team, Tobin commented: “He’s grown massively as a rider in the last 12 months. He’s a special rider for us as he filled in for us at Magny-Cours in 2021; he’d never met the team or seen Magny-Cours, the bike and got a P5. At the end of the season, he was involved in the incident with Dean Berta Vinales and in 2022, we’d signed him for the full season and he was nowhere. Starting from the back of the grid, looking over his shoulder, he was very badly affected about what happened to him at Jerez – even if he said to us he wasn’t, we knew he was. The team helped him through that period because if you give up on a rider then, his career is finished. We stuck with him and I think he feels he owes us something back. He’s now 18, so he’s a young man now and not a 16-year-old kid. He’s grown into a very respectful, decent young man as well as a very, very good racer.”

The story of the team is also remarkable: “Sean Hurley got me into racing, he was a good friend of mine and we used to do track days together. He started racing and in his second year, he asked me to go racing and I did. He went on to win the Irish Supersport championship in 2011 but in November that year, he left his house in Cork on a bad, stormy night. His car aquaplaned, spun, hit a tree and he tragically died. Before he passed away, he spoke to his mum and set out life goals for himself, things like run a marathon, do more education, ride trials, win a World Superbike race, mad stuff like run a pub! We did that stuff, set-up a fundraiser for riders in Ireland and we have the #109 award which is still going. Then, instead of funding, we decided to buy a bike and things and have a team!”

“THE WORK STARTS AND WE HAVE TO STAY THERE” – title ambitions for the rest of 2024

Speaking of whether or not they can fight for the title, Tobin said: “We do a video call meeting with the team and I said that we’ve made it to the top with the incredible results this weekend but now the work starts and we need to stay there. We have to push, as much as we can, to try and win this. Dani came to the team knowing that the bike and team were good. He knew us before and feels comfortable; it’s like a family to him and when a rider is like that, it gives so much confidence. I’ve seen a lot of Champions in the class and he’s riding as well as any. We have a chance!”

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Source: WorldSBK.com