History beckons at the Circuito Estoril as Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) looks to secure the FIM Supersport World Championship during the Estoril Round. He heads to Portugal with a sizeable margin over his rivals and he can wrap up his second World Championship on Sunday as he looks to end his WorldSSP career on a high. Both Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Stefano Manzi (Pata Prometeon Ten Kate Racing) remain in contention as they look to make it a season finale showdown.

THE TITLE FIGHT: Huertas leads by 41 points

Huertas takes a 41-point lead into Estoril with Montella in second and Manzi a further five points back. If the #99 Ducati is to take the crown, it can only be on Sunday. He’ll need to leave Estoril 50 points clear of both, meaning the title is secured if he outscores Montella by nine points and Manzi by four across the weekend. If he does win the title, Huertas will become the first rider to win both the WorldSSP300 and WorldSSP titles. Huertas took two top-eight finishes in 2022 in WorldSSP at Estoril, while Montella claimed a P4 in Race 2 in the same year; both were on Kawasaki machinery. Manzi was also at Estoril that year but did not finish either race.

CAN SCHROETTER CATCH DEBISE? A close fight for fourth

Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) have been in a close fight in 2024, with just 14 points between them heading into Estoril. Schroetter endured a tough few rounds across the summer but seems to be back to his best, while Debise has been a consistent podium contender. With little to separate the duo, who will come out on the tight for P4? Neither has raced at Estoril in WorldSSP, just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons for this battle…

CEMENTING A TOP SIX SPOT: Navarro aiming for more podiums, Caricasulo just behind…

Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) has been a revelation since his switch to the Ducati Panigale V2, often fighting for the podium and moving into sixth in the standings. He’s just ahead of Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) who’s raced at Estoril in both WorldSSP and WorldSBK and just 12 points separate the pair. Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) sits eighth and he’s 22 clear of Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team) in ninth, while there’s a big fight for P10 between Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) and Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph); just five points separate them.

THE WORLD SUPERSPORT CHALLENGE: Edwards vs Corsi for the title

Tom Edwards (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team) leads the WorldSSP Challenge title race ahead of Simone Corsi (Renzi Corse) but just four points separate them heading into the penultimate round. It means the title could be won by Australian rider Edwards at Estoril, although there would need to be a massive points swing in Edwards’ favour.

GRID CHANGES FOR ESTORIL: a new team for Sofuoglu, Bendsneyder set for debut

Bo Bendsneyder will make his WorldSSP debut with the MV Agusta Reparto Corse team as he replaces Bahattin Sofuoglu, with the #54 making the switch to the Yamaha Thailand Racing Team for the final two rounds of 2024. Guillermo Moreno will make his WorldSSP debut with the VIAMO Racing by MTM squad, while Goncalo Ribeiro (FIFTY Motorsport) will also be on the grid for the first time as a wildcard. Azroy Anuar is back as a wildcard with the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda team. Elsewhere, Lorenzo Baldassarri (WRP by SKM-Triumph) will be hoping he’s back on track, but he’ll need to pass medical checks.

Watch all the action from WorldSSP’s visit to Estoril using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to the Circuito Estoril for the penultimate round of the 2024 campaign. With titles on the line, there’s plenty to be excited about for the Estoril Round. Ahead of the action getting underway, we’ve gathered some of the key numbers to whet your appetite ahead of a crucial round…

115-118 – After Andrea Iannone’s win at Aragon, Italy now has 115 wins, 3 short of Australia (3^rd all-time spot).

43 – Ducati has yet to record a pole position at Estoril. So far, they’ve recorded pole position in Superpole at 43 tracks out of 53 they’ve visited in their history.

20 – In 2021, Estoril became the 20^th track in which Jonathan Rea won, setting a new record in WorldSBK history. He then improved and is at 22 now.

16 – In the 13 races run so far at Estoril, 16 different riders stood on the podium.

15/24 – Toprak Razgatlioglu, on his return, maintained his standards, posting 3 podiums out of 3. So far, he has recorded 21 podiums out of 24 starts for BMW, and, with an 87,5% podium score, it is, at the moment, the best in history with Kevin Magee, the latter though racing only 8 times with Yamaha and posting 7 podiums. Razgatlioglu’s best challenger is Jonathan Rea, who ended his Kawasaki experience with an 80,9% podium rate (221 podiums out of 273), then…himself, who claimed 100 podiums in his 131 races for Yamaha (76,3%).

15/17 – Toprak Razgatlioglu counts 15 wins this season and is 2 short of the second all-time value of 17, recorded for the first time in 1991 by Doug Polen, and equalled only in 2018 and 2019 by Jonathan Rea. The all-time record of 27 by Bautista last year, is unreachable this season.

14 – Yamaha leads Ducati for podium finishes at Estoril: 14 to 11. Yamaha is on a streak of 11 races on the podium here started in 1993 Race 1.

9 – Estoril has so far had 9 different winners out of 13 races run. The only ones to record more than a win have been Toprak Razgatlioglu (2), and Jonathan Rea (4).

9 – Toprak Razgatlioglu is the only rider who climbed on the podium 9 times here, all his Estoril races. Jonathan Rea follows at 6.

5 – Estoril is the only track in WorldSBK history where 5 different winners won the first 5 races run (Davide Tardozzi and Stephane Mertens in 1988, Fabrizio Pirovano and Carl Fogarty in 1993, Toprak Razgatlioglu in 2020 Race 1).

4/5 – Jonathan Rea has won four of the last five races at Estoril, with Alvaro Bautista winning the other. Scott Redding has also won at Estoril, with Toprak Razgatlioglu winning twice back in 2020.

3 – On WorldSBK’s last visit to Estoril, all three races were decided on the final lap: Jonathan Rea won twice for Kawasaki, while Alvaro Bautista took one win for Ducati.

3-4 – Yamaha became the most successful manufacturer at Estoril in 2020, taking their victory tally to three, equalling Ducati, but they were overcome in 2022 as both Ducati and Kawasaki upped their tally to 4.

1 – In 2020, the Tissot Superpole Race at Estoril was the stage for the first Yamaha podium lockout in WorldSBK history.

1 – In 2020 at Estoril, Toprak Razgatlioglu took his maiden pole position, the first for a Turkish rider.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Iryna Nadieieva (MPS.RT) has a unique story to her racing career. The 29-year-old only began racing four years ago but her rapid rise has seen her compete in the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship in its inaugural season. Nadieieva revealed more about her journey to this level, the challenges she’s faced and much more.

HAILING FROM UKRAINE: more about Nadieieva

Ukraine’s 29-year-old Iryna Nadieieva is a woman of many talents who has arrived at top level racing at a relatively late age, having first ridden competitively just four years ago. As a gifted gymnast who is also adept at wakeboarding and snowboarding, she recognises that motorcycles and racing are her true passion. She proudly takes her place on the inaugural WorldWCR grid, hoping to inspire more young Ukrainians to get into racing and she dreams of one day seeing a female MotoGP™ World Champion.
 
HOW THE PASSION STARTED: “I didn’t have enough money for my own bike, so a friend and I decided to buy one together…”

Explaining how she got into riding on the road first, before taking the path into racing Nadieieva reveals: “I didn’t have enough money for my own bike, so a friend and I decided to buy a Yamaha FZ8 together. I had never been on a bike before. It was unforgettable. If it is close to your heart and you like it, you will understand that from the first moment you try it. It’s a very emotional thing. Motorcycles have given me the best feelings I’ve ever had in my life. I will never forget my first time on a bike and I will never forget my first race. I can’t imagine with what I could replace bikes in my life.” Once she had fallen in love with motorcycles, it was clear that they would eventually become an integral part of her daily life…
 
STARTING TO RACE: “My first race was at the first round of the Ukrainian championship… I crashed on the first lap on Saturday and got my first podium on Sunday!”

“My story is ‘from the road to racetrack,” says the Ukrainian rider, “I only started racing when I was 25. I wanted to improve my riding, because I wasn’t very confident in my city riding and wanted to do it better. That moment I couldn’t even imagine where this decision would lead me. I found a nice coach and in Kyiv it is difficult with track days, because we have no normal tracks, so we train on karting tracks.” She details how she has quickly made progress from smaller, local circuits and lower capacity bikes to racing at the elite level against the most talented female riders on the planet, adding: “I started on karting tracks on a small bike. My first race was at the first round of Ukrainian Superbike in 2020. I crashed on the first lap on Saturday and got my first podium on Sunday. I felt so alive and absolutely happy. At the end of the season I was second among the women and at the end of 2021 I was already first in the Women’s class and second overall in the Ukrainian STK600 class. In the following years I trained and raced on a Yamaha R1 in the Spanish Yamaha Cup. There were many failures and many victories. But the main thing is that I’m still able to learn, acquire new skills and get faster every day.”
 
FAMILY BACKGROUND: “My parents never dreamed that their daughter would race a motorcycle!”

Unlike many pro riders who have been encouraged into the sport from a young age by parents and families with a background in racing, Nadieieva has forged her own path into competitive riding. Indeed, it’s even taken some convincing through both actions and words to convince her inner circle of the beauty of racing. She openly states: “My parents never dreamed in their wildest dreams that their daughter would race a motorcycle. In my country there are a lot of stereotypes that motorcycling is an extremely dangerous and very masculine sport. My family initially took my hobby very badly. Mum cried a lot. It took me two years to prove to those around me that this is an interesting sport that requires a lot of work and professionalism. That women can be fast. That it is about discipline and willpower. Now my family supports me a lot and I know that many girls go to Ukrainian motorcycle schools because they want to be like me. This inspires me every day.”

HOPING FOR A LEGACY IN UKRAINE: “I hope that racing will develop in Ukraine, infrastructure will be built…”

“In my opinion my participation in WorldWCR is super important for my country,” Nadieieva asserts. “Racing is at a very poor level in Ukraine. We have just one racetrack, called “Chaika”. It was built in 1973 and never renovated. This season will be challenging for me and my team. Surely, we will learn a lot about racing and will be able to teach others. I hope that my participation will help to increase people’s interest in racing. I want to show how beautiful this sport is. I hope that racing will develop in Ukraine, infrastructure will be built, and many little boys and girls will be able to get a good training base to perform well in competition. Of course, I’m very proud to represent Ukraine. People in Ukraine are very persistent, hard-working. We know how not to give up and go to the end. I will try to be worthy of my country.”
 
2024 EXPERIENCE: “It’s sport at a very high level, but what I feel and what I’ve seen there is absolutely wonderful”

“I feel like the WorldSBK paddock is very friendly and very warm,” acknowledges Nadieieva, explaining what she has discovered this year to date on the WorldWCR grid. “I thought the competition would be colder maybe, but I feel it’s really good. The girls are wonderful, I like to communicate with them very much. The guys are always very helpful, and I think that the competition is very fair. It really is a very cool place to be. It feels like friends who want to compete with each other. It’s sport at a very high level, but what I feel and what I’ve seen there is absolutely wonderful.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

After the adventures of Aragon comes the latest episode in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with the Circuito Estoril ready for Round 11, the penultimate round of the season and, potentially, a title decider. It’s advantage Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) heading into the Estoril Round, but will the #54 be celebrating a second title on the Portuguese coastline or will Aruba.it Racing – Ducati duo Nicolo Bulega and Alvaro Bautista take the fight to the season finale?

WHAT RAZGATLIOGLU NEEDS: a 62-point lead leaving Portugal

Razgatlioglu returned from injury last time out at Aragon and secured three P2 finishes but, crucially for ‘El Turco’, outscored title rival Bulega across the weekend. The gap was just 13 points heading into Spain, but Bulega now trails Razgatlioglu by 39 points, while Bautista is 81 back. The BMW rider can only win the title on Sunday if he outscores Bulega by 23 points across the weekend and loses 19 points at most to Bautista. Razgatlioglu has tasted victory at Estoril before, winning Race 1 and the Tissot Superpole Race 2 in 2020 while Bautista won in 2022 – after an epic last-lap fight with the Turk. In fact, all three races were decided by last-lap shootouts on WorldSBK’s last visit. For Bulega, it’s his first time at Estoril on a WorldSBK machine but he raced there in 2022 in WorldSSP, taking a podium in Race 1 but not scoring in Race 2.

INDEPENDENT TITLES ON THE LINE: Petrucci and Barni Ducati to secure them?

Danilo Petrucci’s (Barni Spark Racing Team) in recent rounds has been nothing short of remarkable, including three wins on home soil at Cremona, and he’s now fourth in the standings ahead of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), with the #22 needing to be declared fit following his Aragon spill. He’s 56 points down on Bautista in third, meaning a bronze medal is possible, but Petrucci can also wrap up this year’s Independent Riders’ title at Estoril, with ‘Petrux’ needing a 62-point advantage over Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) to secure it. Barni Ducati can also secure the Independent Teams’ title if they have the same margin over GoEleven, and it’s possible it can be as early as Race 1 if Petrucci finishes ahead of Iannone; to win it then, Barni Ducati would need a 99-point lead and currently have a 107-point advantage.

THREE RIDERS, SIX POINTS: the battle for P6 intensifying

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) currently sits sixth in the Championship standings, but he faces late pressure from Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Iannone to stay there. ‘Loka’ leads that fight on 197 points with van der Mark and ‘The Maniac’ just two points back but finding themselves in podium contention and winning races a lot more often than the #55 Yamaha at this point. Locatelli has two P5s and two P4s in six races at Estoril, while van der Mark was on the rostrum in 2020 in the Superpole Race. As for Iannone, he raced here in Moto2™ three times with a best of P5.

BIG FIGHTS AND PREVIOUS WINNERS: will Estoril be a turning point?

Four of the last five races at Estoril have been won by Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), although these were all when he was on the Kawasaki ZX-10RR. It’s been a challenging year for the #65, not helped by the deep thumb wound and surgery required after his French Round crash, but he’ll be hoping he can get back to top positions after two more weeks of recovery and more time on Yamaha’s new aero package. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who started the season strongly but has seen results tail off in recent rounds, will be hoping to be back in the top-five conversation. He comes into the Estoril Round on the back of a MotoGP™ wildcard at Motegi with Yamaha as the #87 races in five consecutive weekends: Cremona, Aragon, Motegi, Estoril and Jerez. Gardner is locked in a fight with Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) for P9 in the standings, with Gardner currently leading but Gerloff’s run of top-five finishes getting him closer and closer to the Australian. 

GOOD HONDA FORM: Lecuona and Vierge closing in on the top ten

Honda have shown good form lately and Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and teammate Xavi Vierge will be hoping that continues at a circuit Honda have had one podium at, but this came back in 1988. The pair are separated by just a point and sit 11^th and 12^th in the standings, 35 points back from Gardner in the top ten. Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) is just 12 points behind the Hondas, so he’ll hope to be in the mix at a circuit he has three podiums at when racing for Ducati. Elsewhere, Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was on track at Jerez between rounds as he tested in hot conditions while working on both race and one-lap pace; could that help him in Portugal? Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) has been in the top nine in all but one of his nine Estoril races and will be aiming to end a challenging season on a high, while Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda), Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) will be looking to get good results at the business end of the season. 

RIDER LINE-UP NEWS: Aegerter hoping to return

Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) has missed the last few rounds through injury but outlined his intention to return at Estoril, although he’ll need to pass pre-round medical checks. Adam Norrodin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) was ruled out of Aragon, so he’ll need to be declared fit to race this weekend. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) is another who will undergo medical checks after his crash at Aragon.

Enjoy extended highlights from Aragon here, read the FREE Official Programme for Estoril and watch the action for just €9.99 with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to the Circuito Estoril for what could be a title-deciding Estoril Round. The action kicks off at 09:40 Local Time (UTC+1) with WorldWCR Free Practice, followed by WorldSBK FP1 at 10:20 and WorldSSP FP an hour later. In the afternoon, WorldWCR’s Tissot Superpole is at 14:10, WorldSBK FP2 at 15:00 and WorldSSP Superpole at 16:00. On Saturday, WorldSBK FP3 is at 09:00 followed by Warm Up sessions for WorldWCR and WorldSSP. At 11:00, the WorldSBK Superpole session takes place before racing gets underway: WorldWCR at 12:45, WorldSBK at 14:00 and WorldSSP at 15:15. On Sunday, Warm Up sessions take place from 09:00 before the WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race at 11:00. At 12:45, WorldWCR Race 2 takes place followed by WorldSBK Race 2 at 14:00 and WorldSSP Race 2 at 16:15.

Watch every moment from the Circuito Estoril using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Friday, 11^th October (all times Local Time, UTC+1)

09:40-10:05 – WorldWCR Free Practice

10:20-11:05 – WorldSBK Free Practice 1

11:20-12:00 – WorldSSP Free Practice

14:10-14:35 – WorldWCR Tissot Superpole

15:00-15:45 – WorldSBK Free Practice 2

16:00-16:40 – WorldSSP Tissot Superpole

Saturday, 12^th October

09:00-09:20 – WorldSBK Free Practice 3

09:30-09:40 – WorldWCR Warm Up

09:50-10:00 – WorldSSP Warm Up

11:00-11:15 – WorldSBK Superpole

12:45 – WorldWCR Race 1 (12 laps)

14:00 – WorldSBK Race 1 (21 laps)

15:15 – WorldSSP Race 1 (18 laps)

Sunday, 13^th October

09:00-09:10 – WorldSBK Warm Up

09:20-09:30 – WorldWCR Warm Up

09:40-09:50 – WorldSSP Warm Up

11:00 – WorldSBK Superpole Race (10 laps)

12:45 –WorldWCR Race 2 (12 laps)

14:00 – WorldSBK Race 2 (21 laps)

15:15 – WorldSSP Race 2 (18 laps)

Source: WorldSBK.com

Bahattin Sofuoglu has left the MV Agusta Reparto Corse team ahead of the final two rounds of the 2024 FIM Supersport World Championship campaign. Sofuoglu joined the team in 2022 for a WorldSSP Challenge campaign before re-signing for 2023 with a full season, where he claimed one win. This year has been trickier for the Turkish rider with no visits to the podium, and now he and the team have split after three seasons. Dutchman Bo Bendsneyder will replace him for the final two rounds of the season.

SOFUOGLU’S TIME WITH MV AGUSTA: one win, four podiums and a WorldSSP Challenge title

The WorldSSP300 race winner first joined the team in 2022 and finished 14^th in the standings as he brought home the WorldSSP Challenge crown. He remained with the team for 2023, claiming sixth in the standings, as well as taking a first WorldSSP win in Race 2 in Barcelona. In total in that season, Sofuoglu claimed four rostrums as he racked up 168 points. Sofuoglu hasn’t been able to match those results in 2024, with the #54 sitting 13^th in the Championship standings with a best result of fifth in Race 2 at Assen. For the rest of the season, Sofuoglu will not race with MV Agusta after three years with the team.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: Bendsneyder joins WorldSSP

Bendsneyder will make his WorldSSP debut with the MV Agusta Reparto Corse team at Estoril and also race at Jerez. The Dutchman has been a regular Moto2™ racer since 2018 and claimed his first podium in 2023 at the Grand Prix of the Americas when he finished third. Prior to that, he had two seasons in Moto3™ and stood on the rostrum twice: at Silverstone and Sepang, when he finished both. The Dutchman, who runs the #64 in Moto2™ but will have to change it in WorldSSP as Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) uses it, completed two races in the European Junior Cup in 2023 as a wildcard, winning at Assen and the Nurburgring. The 25-year-old will get two cracks at WorldSSP this season on the MV Agusta F3 800 RR machine, alongside Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) at Estoril and Jerez, the final two rounds of the 2024 season. 

BENDSNEYDER SAYS: “I’m very happy to begin this new adventure with MV Agusta…”

Discussing his move into WorldSSP for the end of the season, Bendsneyder said: “I am very happy to begin this new adventure with MV Agusta Reparto Corse. I thank Andrea for the trust and for giving me the opportunity to race in these two races. I am ready and very motivated, I can’t wait to start working with the team, to give my best already at Estoril and Jerez.”

FROM THE TEAM: “The next two races will be a sort of dress rehearsal… I thank Bahattin for his work done”

Andrea Quadranti, Team Principal, took a longer-term approach to Bendsneyder coming in for two rounds, saying: “I welcome Bo to the MV Agusta RC team. I am very happy to have him in our team for next year. The next two races will be a sort of dress rehearsal in view of the winter preparation. I thank Bahattin for the work he’s done in these three years with us. We have shared so many exciting moments and I wish him all the best for his future.”

Follow all the action from WorldSSP in 2024 using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

While the battle for the Riders’ Championship in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship rages on, the Manufacturers’ Championship was wrapped up at MotorLand Aragon. Kawasaki have now won the last two titles with their Ninja 400 machine and six in total, with riders on the machine fighting for this year’s Riders’ Championship crown, while a Kawasaki-powered team lead the Teams’ Championship.

Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) and Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) still have a chance of this year’s Riders’ Championship heading into the season finale at Jerez, and the pair have made significant contributions to the manufacturer’s success this season. The duo have five wins between them out of a possible 14 so far, although they’re not the only riders to win on the Ninja 400.

Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki) has three wins – two at Portimao, one at Aragon – although is out of title contention. Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kawasaki) also has two wins, adding to a successful season for Kawasaki, while Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki duo Petr Svoboda, and his replacement rider following the Czech rider’s injury, Carter Thompson, have all added valuable points to Kawasaki’s tally, as did Italian rider Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo-PL Performances).

In total, Kawasaki have 10 wins and 22 podiums in seven races this season and, with a round to spare, have an unassailable lead over Yamaha. Kawasaki have amassed 302 points in 14 races this season, with Yamaha railing them by 72 points with 50 available across the Spanish Round that concludes the 2024 campaign.

Steve Guttridge, Race Planning Manager at Kawasaki Motor Europe, said: “Kawasaki is understandably proud to have added to our existing Championship success in WorldSSP300 by achieving the manufacturer title honour once more in 2024. This is now our sixth success as a brand from eight attempts, but the real credit has to go to our teams and their riders for delivering such consistently strong results on the Ninja 400. With no less than four riders sharing the top step of the podium so far in 2024, this Championship provides real excitement and – being part of the WorldSBK paddock – creates a great ladder of opportunity for aspiring riders. For now, we will celebrate… and tomorrow we make plans for further manufacturers’ titles!”

With the Spanish Round at Jerez to go, Kawasaki have two competitors fighting for the Riders’ Championship crown, although neither lead the way heading to Jerez. Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) is P1 in the standings and the Indonesian rider holds a 16-point lead over Veneman, while Iglesias sits 32 back from the Yamaha rider. Although it’s an advantage for Mahendra at Jerez, it’s possible Kawasaki walk away with the Riders’ and Manufacturers’ Championship, while MTM Kawasaki also lead the Teams’ Championship with a round to go.

Watch all the action from the WorldSSP300 season finale at Jerez using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) will remain on the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid in 2025. The British rider made his debut this year and has shown good pace although it’s been mixed in with disappointing results at times as he adapted to the Ducati Panigale V4 R, some new circuits and Pirelli tyres. The #14 has secured his future in WorldSBK for next year, extending his stay with a team he’s enjoyed so much success at in Moto2™.

SEASON SUMMED UP: a rollercoaster campaign

Lowes’ best result in 2024 so far was a P6 in Race 2 at Assen, although he took a front-row grid slot and led in Barcelona. He’s taken five top-eight finishes in his rookie season, but he’s found results harder to come by in recent rounds. Crashes and an ultra-competitive field mean he’s struggled to break into the top ten, with his last top-ten finish coming in the Tissot Superpole Race at Donington Park.

BEFORE WORLD SUPERBIKE: success in Moto2™, WorldSSP and in British Supersport

Prior to his team in WorldSBK, Lowes competed in 155 Moto2™ races, including four seasons with the Marc VDS squad from 2020. He finished third in the standings in his first season with the team, before backing that up with fourth the season after. Two trickier seasons followed but the team remained committed to Lowes for 2024, making the switch to WorldSBK with the Ducati Panigale V4 R. He also had a season in MotoGP™, taking part in 18 races and scoring five points.

The 34-year-old is already a World Champion after he claimed the 2013 WorldSSP title before he made his switch to the MotoGP™ paddock. He won six races that season with a total of 11 podiums in his first season with Yamaha in the Championship. He’d previously spent two full-time seasons on Honda machinery, the same brand he claimed the 2010 British Supersport title on with five wins and 10 podiums.

AIMING TO CONTINUE SUCCESS: a big 2025 to come?

For 2025, with a year of learning under his and the team’s belts, and not having to learn the bike or tyres, Lowes will hope he can become a regular top-ten finisher or fight for podiums in his second season as he looks for success with the Independent Ducati team. It would continue their success as a partnership, having taken multiple wins in Moto2™ and fought for the title.

LOWES HOPING TO END 2024 ON A HIGH: “I’m looking forward to getting some strong results in the final part of the season”

On renewing his partnership with the team, Lowes said: “I’m very happy and proud to be continuing for one more year in WorldSBK with the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team. The goal for me and the team was always a minimum two-year plan due to the massive difference between Moto2™ and WorldSBK. The last races have been complicated after my shoulder injury, but the first rounds were really enjoyable as we made good progress, so I am looking forward to getting some strong results in the final part of the season.

“We will focus a lot over the next races to make some steps forward, so we can start the 2025 season at a much higher level. I am enjoying the challenge of racing in WorldSBK. I am enjoying the bike, and the technical differences compared to Moto2™, so let’s first enjoy the end of the 2024 season before focusing on future challenges. I have to say a big thanks once again to Marc van der Straten and everybody connected to the Elf Marc VDS Racing Team for their trust and support.”

VAN DER STRATEN SAYS: “I am convinced that next year his name and Elf Marc VDS Racing will shine at the top of the Championship”

Team Owner Marc van der Straten added: “Sam’s dedication and determination to improve day by day and earn himself a place among the fastest in WorldSBK has been admirable. New beginnings are always complicated, as it’s not easy to adapt and move forward every day. That’s why I’m proud to continue with Sam for the 2025 season. I am convinced that next year his name and Elf Marc VDS Racing will shine at the top of the Championship standings.”

Source: WorldSBK.com

Just a couple of days after the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship visited MotorLand Aragon, Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was on track again. He and the team ventured across Spain to the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for two days of testing, with Bassani the sole KRT rider on track. Alex Lowes did not test as he continues to recover following his Tissot Superpole Race crash at Aragon.

Conditions were very hot in Andalusia, with air temperatures around 35 degrees Celsius and track temperatures peaking around 15 degrees higher. With the incredibly hot conditions, the #47 was limited to 120 laps by his team but he was still able to work on both race pace and one-lap pace. KRT reported that Bassani was ‘even faster’ than when he tested with the team at Jerez in January.

It was good preparation for the season finale which takes place at the same circuit in a few weeks, although conditions may differ between the test and the round. It will be Bassani’s first race weekend on the ZX-10RR machine at Jerez but with tests at the start of the year and now a test not long before the round, he’ll feel confident heading into the round.

Reflecting on the test, the Italian rider said “We have now finished two days of hard testing, which we started very soon after the previous round in MotorLand Aragon. Physically, it has not been so easy because we had a race weekend so recently. But they worked a lot and worked well to try to improve the bike in these hot conditions. We improved in some areas, and I am happy with what we did together in the team. I have to thank all the guys for the big effort they put in over these two days. I think we went in a good direction and now we can relax a bit before we head to the next round in Estoril.”

His Crew Chief, Marcel Duinker, added: “It was an interesting test because, especially today, it was hot. Really hot. That made it very suitable to help us work towards race weekend, but at the same time, it helped us understand the other areas we needed to improve in. That’s what we did, and it was also interesting because Axel was faster in the 50°C track temperatures than he had been in winter testing at Jerez. Axel was riding with a lot of confidence on both race and Q tyres, and he was really on top of his job. We did what we needed to do, so we will be ready not just for the Jerez race weekend, but also the next round at Estoril.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com