Whilst WorldSBK may have taken many of the headlines during the Pirelli Dutch Round, the FIM Supersport World Championship was also full of major stories and emotions as for the first time in ten years, a Dutch rider won with a Dutch team at Assen, the stuff of childhood dreams. Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) rode a magnificent flag-to-flag race to come surging through the field, taking a career-first win to the delight of over 56,000 Dutch fans.

After a promising weekend right the way through and narrowly missing out on the podium in Race 1, van Straalen pitted a lap later than Race 1 winner Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team). He was sixth by the time the field had shaken itself out before picking his way through the field. Long-time race leader Nikki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team) was out front and enjoying his best showing aboard Ducati machinery before van Straalen came though on Lap 15 and began to break clear. Huertas was likewise charging through the order and with a lap and a half to go, got into P2, demoting Finnish star Tuuli to the final place on the rostrum. Heading onto the final lap, 1.796s split van Straalen and Huertas and despite closing in, the #28 held on for a memorable career-first win, much to the appreciation of a noisy home crowd, his home team and the media centre.

NERVOUS THOUGHTS: “I started to think about whether or not I would win today!”

Speaking in his post-race interview, the 23-year-old was overwhelmed: “I followed the guys into the pitlane to make a pitstop as I thought the last sector would be dry but, then it was so wet so I thought that the grip in the rain tyre would be really good. I had a good rhythm in the rain and it was just incredible to do good lap times, close the big gap down but in P1, it wasn’t easy! I started to think about whether or not I would win today! I focused on the race and corner by corner, I made it to the finish line. It’s amazing to do it here in these colours and with all the fans is brilliant.”

When all the rain tyre-shod riders were in the leading positions, the #28 was 10.135s back at one stage, a remarkable effort to come back through the field. He spoke of how special it was to win for the team too: “It feels really good and it gave a lot of adrenalin because I was on slicks to start! Then, the public enjoyed it because I was catching up and they wondered if I’d make up the time or not but, in the end, it happened!

Speaking about how important his good friend Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) has been in helping his career, van Straalen was appreciative: “Michael’s been really important and I see him a couple of times a week, training together and for sure, he’s important for this result. It’s for sure a dream to win here.”

DREAMS DO COME TRUE: “I was freaking out basically… the party’s going to be quite big”

After van Straalen’s post-race emotions, we caught up with team manager Kervin Bos outside an absolutely electric Ten Kate Racing hospitality and it’s fair to say he was more than delighted with the result: “It’s really, really unbelievable; when I started in Ten Kate 15 years ago and then joined the team in 2018, I said to Ronald and Gerrit Ten Kate, the owners, ‘the big dream is to win a race with a Dutch guy at Assen.’ Now, we’re in 2024 and we’ve won with Glenn van Straalen, at Assen – in orange, the national colour and the branding of the tulips, the Dutch flower – with all the fans going crazy and our hospitality… it’s a dream coming true like a kid. The young boy was dreaming to win a WorldSSP race at home and Glenn did it.

“That’s why it is even more special; there are some big contenders that also made mistakes but he was there and won the race, it’s just unbelievable. He came into the pits one lap later than Adrian Huertas, so after that, I was quite confident that he would be able to catch up as he was so fast on all the tyres. Then, he put the hammer down in the last five laps and I was really impressed because it wasn’t necessary to go so fast! I was freaking out basically! I can be quite calm normally but this is so special because it’s been quite mixed. The Championship leader, Manzi, chose a different pit window which was completely the wrong choice, so one side of the box was amazing and the other one was disappointed. What a day!”

Speaking about the celebrations prior to the real partying, Bos was in the mood to really enjoy one of the most special moments of his career in the Ten Kate Racing family: “I’ve already been 90 days sober but now I will quit it this evening! The party is going to be quite big, so I hope for a good headache on Monday!” We’ll catch up with Bos next time out at Misano to see how big the party was.

VAN DER MARK ELATED FOR VAN STRAALEN: “I’m very proud of him; It’s magic, they’ll never take away this win”

Meanwhile, Michael van der Mark likewise praised fellow countryman van Straalen, who replicated what the #60 managed to do for Ten Kate ten years ago: “I had to cry! It’s fantastic to see how he managed the race; he’s always very calm but when he’s on the bike he isn’t! He showed he could stay calm and it’s well-deserved. He put a lot of effort in to getting this seat with Ten Kate with his sponsors, so for him to do it at his home race, I’m very proud of him. It’s magic and they’ll never take away this win.”

DOSOLI ON DUTCH PROWESS: “I’m sure this result will give him extra self-confidence and motivation!”

Likewise sharing a moment to congratulate the #28, Yamaha Motor Europe road racing manager said: “The Result of Race 2 almost reset the classification; it’s almost like starting from zero, there are four riders within two points! It was really nice to celebrate in the best possible way the special livery launched by Pata Yamaha Ten Kate for van Straalen for their home race. To see the orange R6 cross the line was a huge boost for the Dutch fans! After a difficult start to the season, I am sure this result will give him extra self-confidence and motivation for the rest of the season.”

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The FIM Supersport World Championship’s visit to the TT Circuit Assen was an unpredictable weekend thanks to rain falling at different moments, with Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) one of the riders who mastered the conditions to claim a win in Race 1 and a podium in Race 2. The results meant the #99 stormed into the Championship lead, although it’s very tight at the top of the World Supersport standings.

Huertas claimed a front row start for Race 1 with third in Friday’s Tissot Superpole session, lapping around a second away from polesitter Stefano Manzi’s (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) time when he posted a 1’46.251s. In Saturday’s Race 1, a pre-race downpour made tyre choice and strategy crucial. Both Huertas and Manzi started on slick tyres on the quick-drying track, with the Ducati rider coming out on top by just over eight seconds ahead of the #62 despite dropping all the way down to 20^th at the end of Lap 2.

Looking back on Race 1, the Madrid-born star said: “It was an incredible race because, at the beginning, there were really difficult conditions. I was not aiming for the win at the start, I was just trying to stay calm on the bike and then suddenly I was feeling better and starting to recover and then I was P6, P3 and then P2… I saw Valentin in front, I said, ‘Ok, this is my day!’. I tried to pass him, finally managed to be first. I’m incredibly happy.”

Race 2 was a similar affair, with the track left soaked by a shower before lights out but when riders were on the grid, coming in to change tyres would prove beneficial after everyone started on slicks. Huertas came in at the end of Lap 2, title rival Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) at the end of the next lap and Manzi at the end of Lap 5. That gave Huertas the advantage over two of his rivals and he capitalised to claim second place, with Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) – who pitted on the same lap as Huertas – claiming an emotional home win.

Explaining his tyre strategy for Race 2, Huertas said: “I think we were just trying to push at the beginning. I saw the heavy rain coming. I had a big moment at Turn 1 but then I kept pushing, I was comfortable, but I saw a lot of rain coming. The weather predictions weren’t what we were expecting. I decided to enter. My team did an incredible job changing the tyres, they were really calm and that gave me a lot of extra power for the second half of the race. In the wet, I needed to get used to these conditions. The track started to dry, and I started to get faster, but I was not fast enough to win. We were close but we needed more laps.”

With the results of the weekend, including Manzi’s non-score in Race 2, Huertas moved into the lead of the Championship. He’s one points clear of Montella in second and Manzi in third – both on 85 points – while Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) is fourth on 84 points with an incredibly tight Championship in store this season.

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Whilst the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship may have only just started, there’s big news surrounding the 2025 season as Bimota will be back on the WorldSBK grid. They will be partnering with Kawasaki in a joint venture which will result in a Bimota chassis with Kawasaki engine (plus allied technology), competing in WorldSBK. Not only will the donor Ninja ZX-10RR powerplant be familiar, but also many of the team staff as Kawasaki transfers its efforts into the Bimota racing program marking a landmark moment in the journey of the Kawasaki Racing Team after nearly four decades in the premier global racing series based on production machines that can be purchased at dealerships.

BIMOTA’S HISTORY IN RACING: WorldSBK winners with big names

Winners of the 1980 350cc World Championship fielding Jon Ekerold on a two-cylinder, two stroke Bimota YB3 machine, success was also achieved in TT Formula 1 with legend Virginio Ferrari aboard a YB4R taking the Championship honours in1987. No strangers to four stroke machinery, Bimota won no less than seven races in the very first World Superbike Championship year of 1988 thanks to Davide Tardozzi (5) and Stephane Mertens (2). Even as late as the year 2000, Bimota were still able to achieve a WorldSBK race win thanks to the late, great Anthony Gobert aboard an SB8R machine mounting the top step of the podium at a wet Phillip Island race weekend.

A NEW ERA: Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team

Recognising not just the legacy of Kawasaki in Superbike racing, but also the close cooperation and synergies between majority Bimota shareholder, Kawasaki, and the Rimini-based Italian manufacturer, the new team will operate under the title of ‘Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team’ for 2025. Fielding a machine jointly developed by Bimota and Kawasaki, the new team will play a pivotal role in the wider global recognition and market presence of the Bimota brand as well as being crucial in highlighting the hand-built craftsmanship and care that goes into the creation of every Bimota product. This wider appreciation of the Bimota brand and its core racing DNA is also expected to create increased demand and sales of Bimota street motorcycles. 

THE QUOTES: Hiroshi Ito, Pierluigi Marconi and Guim Roda

With this new direction for Kawasaki in WorldSBK, President and Chief Executive Officer of Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. Hiroshi Ito, shared his thoughts: “Bimota has an enviable reputation for excellence in motorcycle design and manufacture. As part of our vision for the evolution of this world-famous brand we see racing as a logical next step in terms of both product development as well as brand exposure on the global stage. Our commitment to WorldSBK is as strong as ever and we hope that this new racing project will energise fans of both Bimota and Kawasaki. The passion for race success remains and we look forward to the presence of the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team on the 2025 WorldSBK grid”.  

Bimota’s COO, Pierluigi Marconi, commented: “The engineering, technology and day to day business support already offered by Kawasaki has put Bimota firmly back into the consciousness of the media and potential customers; now it is time to take a next step in our evolution. Bimota has had racing as part of its DNA from day one and to compete in WorldSBK alongside developing our new product range, while expanding the European and global dealer network, has an undeniable logic to it. With the unparalleled experience of the existing Kawasaki Racing Team experts plus the full support and cooperation of Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. in Japan fills us with pride and optimism. The Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team will surely form the foundations of the next chapter in the Bimota story”.

KRT WorldSBK Team Manager, Guim Roda, concluded: “In the past thirteen years, myself, and all of those at the KRT workshop in Granollers, have dedicated ourselves wholeheartedly to the Kawasaki Superbike project and garnered seven WorldSBK rider titles in that time plus numerous team and manufacturer awards. Now – after Kawasaki competing for nearly four decades in the Superbike World Championship – we are proud to be part of a new era forming the infrastructure of the new Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team.

“For sure we will spare some time to reflect on and celebrate the heritage of Kawasaki in Superbike racing but we are also extremely excited to be a core component of this new Bimota and Kawasaki joint venture. This is an evolution for Kawasaki’s approach to the top level of production racing and we are honoured to play our role in this new project. I am confident we have the technology and human resources necessary to succeed and it will be a fresh, energising experience fielding an impressive two rider team in the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship.”

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The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s visit to the iconic TT Circuit Assen produced everything you would have expected. A shock winner, incredible fights for the win and impressive overtakes that left the crowd in awe. Here, we have a look at just some of the best moves – successful or otherwise – that came from the three races during the Pirelli Dutch Round.

AROUND THE OUTSIDE: Iannone’s attempt on Gardner at the Geert Timmer Chicane

Most overtakes at the final chicane come by diving down the inside, but Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) had other ideas when fighting Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in Race 2. The #87 defended the inside line but with Iannone having a slight pace advantage at that time, he tried to sweep around the outside of the first right-hander of the GT Chicane. Gardner had the ideal line though and he held position, but it showed that it’s possible to try moves around the outside there too.

OPENING LAP OVERTAKE: Rea utilises Turn 7…

The opening lap can always bring unusual overtaking hotspots and that was no different at Assen. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was on the charge in the early stages of Race 2 with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) just ahead, until they got to Turn 7. At the left-hand corner, Rea dived up the inside of the rookie to move into a provisional P3 as he went in search of a maiden Yamaha rostrum.

RACE 1, LAP 1: Spinelli makes overtakes left, right and centre…

With rain falling before the race, tyre choice was up in the air. Everyone except Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and Nicholas Spinelli (Barni Spark Racing Team) opted for slicks, with ‘Loka’ on an intermediate front and Spinelli and intermediate front and rear. It paid off for super-sub Spinelli, who moved up from 11^th on the grid as he overtook all the slick-tyre runners to claim a stunning, and unexpected, Race 1.

BAUTISTA GOES UP TWO PLACES IN TWO CORNERS: opportunistic from the Champion

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had to make a dramatic comeback in the Tissot Superpole Race, dropping from seventh on the grid to ninth on Lap 1, before fighting his way to victory lane. The #1 pulled off an incredible two moves in two corners with four laps to go, first going up the inside of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at the exit of Turn 3 before holding a tighter line against Rea at Turn 4, moving the reigning Champion from fourth to third.

THE TURN 8 HOTSPOT: Gardner vs Razgatlioglu

A maiden WorldSBK podium was on the line for Gardner in Race 2, and he grabbed the bull by the horns. He moved into second place in Race 2 when he overtook Razgatlioglu at the right-hander of Turn 8 with Bautista right in front. Although he was unable to hold onto second following Razgatlioglu’s charge to victory, the #87 came home in third for a rostrum; something he’d been threatening to secure for a while but kept falling just short.

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Well, the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship just keeps on giving as the Pirelli Dutch Round at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands gave ENORMOUS milestones. With first-time winners, new Assen winners and landmark achievements, the post-round stats speak for themselves.

950 – The 950^th WorldSBK race is now complete; like the 900^th and the 800^th races, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) won.

430/330 – Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) gave Yamaha a 430^th podium place in WorldSBK and gave Australia a 330^th podium place in WorldSBK; the last Australian podium was by Troy Corser at Misano in Race 1, 2010, for BMW.

160 – Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) took a first pole with Yamaha at Assen, the 160^th for the UK too, increasing their advantage over Australia in P2 with 86.

121 – Razgatlioglu took his 121^st podium and 42^nd win in WorldSBK in Race 2 at Assen, meaning he’s just nine podiums away from Troy Corser in second overall with 130 and only one way from Noriyuki Haga’s tally of 43, which is the fifth all-time place.

96 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) equalled Troy Bayliss’ tally of podium in Race 1, making it 94, before going onto pass him and finish the weekend with 96.

80 – Nicholas Spinelli (Barni Spark Racing Team) became the 80^th different WorldSBK winner in history, the 13^th Italian and the first for Marco Barnabo’s team in the Superbike class.

65/5/1 – In 65 previous Assen races prior to the weekend, only two riders had won at Assen from outside the top five on the grid: Chris Walker from P13 in the wet of Race 1, 2006 and Jonathan Rea, also for Kawasaki, in Race 2, 2017. This weekend, all wins came from P7 or further back on the grid: Nicholas Spinelli from P11, Bautista from P7 and Razgatlioglu from P9.

23 – Nicholas Spinelli became the 23^rd rider to achieve a podium in WorldSBK and WorldSSP, both coming in tricky conditions (Phillip Island Race 1, 2023 in WorldSSP, Assen Race 1, 2024 in WorldSBK).

14 – 14 years since the last Australian rider on the podium, Gardner took a maiden podium in World Superbike, becoming the 134^th rider in history to achieve a top three.

11 – Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) took P11 in Assen Race 2, a career-best finish.

10 – Two top ten finishes in the long races for Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) in the same round for the first time since Misano last year.

9 – Only nine riders have won their maiden WorldSBK races: Davide Tardozzi (Donington Park Race 1, 1988), Doug Polen (Sugo Race 1, 1989), Peter Goddard (Oran Park Race 1, 1989), John Kocinski (Misano Race 1, 1996), Yuichi Takeda (Sugo Race 1, 1996), Max Biaggi (Lusail Race 1, 2007), Alvaro Bautista (Phillip Island Race 1, 2019) and Nicolo Bulega (Phillip Island Race 1, 2024).

8 – It’s taken eight races for Alvaro Bautista to take the lead of the Championship, achieved with a win in the Tissot Superpole Race. This is the longest it’s taken him, after he led straight away in 2019 and took three races in 2022. In 2023, like in 2019, it was immediate after Race 1 at Phillip Island.

7 – Gardner’s podium means he is the seventh Australian to achieve a rostrum for the manufacturer and the 34^th rider overall. The other Australians are Mick Doohan, Peter Goddard, Michael Dowson, Andrew Pitt, Kevin Magee and Troy Corser – Corser with the most at 22 but no win.

5 – First top five finish of the season in the Superpole Race for Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) with P5.

3 – Razgatlioglu is the first rider to win three races in World Superbike this season. His three BMW wins mean he is equal on BMW wins with Chaz Davies from 2013 and a third of the way to matching Marco Melandri’s nine across the 2012 and 2013 seasons.

1 – Razgatlioglu won at Assen for the first time, which was also BMW’s first victory there. In Race 1, his P2 gave them their first podium at the track.

3/1 – Rea’s pole position with Yamaha meant he’s the 16^th different rider to get a pole for the manufacturer. He also becomes the fourth rider to achieve a pole position with at least three different manufacturers (Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha). The others are Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha, Ducati and Aprilia) and Stephane Mertens (Bimota, Ducati and Honda) with three, whilst Troy Corser holds the all-time record with six (Ducati, Aprilia, Petronas, Suzuki, Yamaha and BMW).

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Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) went in search of a return to the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship podium on home soil at the TT Circuit Assen, although he fell just short. The best classification for the #60 was seventh, but he was close to the podium and victory across the Pirelli Dutch Round, and he spoke after Sunday’s action about how he feels to be back at the front of the field.

Although he didn’t win, with teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu claiming victory in Sunday’s Race 2 as BMW’s highlight for their first win at Assen, with van der Mark crossing the line in sixth and just five seconds behind the 2021 Champion. However, he was given a three-second penalty for cutting the final chicane and not losing one second. That came after he was seventh in Race 1 and eighth in the Tissot Superpole Race, where he finished ahead of Razgatlioglu.

Looking back on his home round, van der Mark said: “It was nice to fight again for the podium and stay with the top guys. It’s been a while. In Barcelona, I was pretty close but today I had a chance to fight with them. I would’ve liked to have been on the podium at Assen; I tried, for sure! I came pretty close, but I think we have to stay realistic. It’s been a while since I’ve been in these positions and this form. I struggled a bit at the end of the race because I went back into my old habits a little bit, pushing too hard in the wrong places, which is why I lost the top group, but I should be happy that we’re making steps.”

Van der Mark fell just short of his podium target, but he did get to see teammate Razgatlioglu take a hard-fought victory in Race 2, which was impacted by light rain falling and dampening the track a little bit but not enough for intermediate tyres. The Gouda-born star spoke about the Turk’s victory after the race in typical van der Mark style, with a bit of humour mixed in his answer.

“The atmosphere is fantastic, I saw in the race how strong he was, and I made a little cheeky pass on him as well to wake him up a bit,” joked van der Mark. “It was nice to fight with him. It was fantastic to see him taking this win and I hope, soon, we will have two BMWs on the podium. You can always learn from Toprak, and we will even afterwards.”

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