WorldSBK Round 10 Report | Bautista brilliant in Aragon

WorldSBK Round 10 Report | Bautista brilliant in Aragon. Alvaro Bautista claimed a brilliant Sunday double on home soil while Andrea Iannone reigned supreme in Race 1. It was all action weekend that sees the title chase closer, 39-points separating the top two! Report: Ed Stratmann/WorldSBK

Friday practice
WorldSBK Round 10

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) denied Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) a dream injury comeback on Friday at MotorLand Aragon by securing top spot in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Gerloff set a 1’49.017s to lead his BMW stablemate by just 0.004s during the Tissot Aragon Round. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished second in the combined classification after topping Free Practice 1 this morning, although he was P9 in FP2.

Read our WorldSBK Round 9 Report here…

Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) put three M 1000 RR machines in the top ten as he claimed tenth with a 1’49.552s. Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) completed the BMW field as he took 18th with a 1’50.387s.

Bulega set a 1’49.153s on his way to P2 as he led the Ducati contingent, finishing a tenth ahead of teammate Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in fourth place in the combined standings; the #1’s best time was a 1’49.262s. Bulega’s day was disrupted in FP1 following a small electrical issue with him unable to set a time in the first 15 minutes. Bautista was followed by Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in fifth and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) in seventh.

WorldSSP

The FIM Supersport World Championship returned to the newly surfaced Aragon Circuit on Friday as the riders battled to secure the best possible grid positions for the upcoming race on Saturday. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) claimed his fourth consecutive pole position with a lap time of 1’52.932s, which secured him the Tissot Superpole Award for 2024, ahead of Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) and Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura).

Huertas appeared to be struggling in Free Practice, losing time to his rivals, but he found it in time for the crucial Superpole session. His 1’52.932s was enough to give him pole by less than a tenth ahead of French rider Mahias, while Navarro had been looking good for a maiden pole but found himself demoted to third, around a tenth behind the #99. Huertas’ pole means he wrapped up the Tissot Superpole Award for this season. Ducati’s Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) secured fourth on the grid, followed by Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing).

Read the full Friday results here...

Saturday
WorldSK

WorldSBK Round 10 Race 1
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returned for a thrilling Race 1 at the Tissot Aragon round in Spain on Saturday. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took the holeshot at lights out, with Andrea Ianonne (Team GoEleven) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) chasing him down. The race was shortly red flagged however after British rider Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) suffered a mechanical failure which resulted in a crash on Lap 1 of the race.

With a 17 lap revised race after the track conditions were deemed safe, an unexpected mechanical issue for Ducati rider Bulega on the warm up lap, forced him out of the race restart. He joined Sam Lowes trackside who was also unable to return to the grid following his crash. #29 Anrdea Iannone led the field from the restart, with last week’s triple race winner, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) hunting him down and fellow Italian, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) close on his tail. With 10 laps remaining, it was Petrucci who flew to first position, with an impressive performance from Championship leader Razgatlioglu to ride to a strong second place in his comeback race.

It was a close five-way battle for much of the race, with 2023 World Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in close contention, amongst rivals Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW). With nine laps remaining, Bautista challenged the #54 for a podium spot, but failed to make it stick, running out wide and falling to sixth. Fast forward to less than two laps remaining, and Iannone was out in front, finding strong race pace and gapping Razgatlioglu and Gerloff in second and third. Bautista had worked his way back to challenge Gerloff for third on the last lap. But an impressive response from Gerloff kept him on the rostrum, with the Spaniard taking fourth at the chequered flag.

Four new race winners, including Nicolo Bulega, Nicholas Spinelli, Petrucci and now Iannone have taken the top podium position in the 2024 WorldSBK Championship season, the first time since 2008 (Fonsi Nieto, Neukirchner, Carlos Checa and Kiyonari). The #29 became the 15th Italian to step on the podium and the 82nd WorldSBK winner. It was Petrucci who led Spaniard Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) to round off the top six.

“It’s amazing. I came back to have this feeling and it’s always special. Today is a little bit different as it was after a long, long time. It’s not easy to come back but it’s really special. I had a really difficult moment, and, in the end, the dream always lived inside me. In the end, I decided to come back. It’s not easy. I had to recover a lot this year as, after a long time, everything was difficult. Today, we are here and I’m really happy,” a delighted Iannone said.

WorldSBK Round 10 Race 1 Results

Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven)
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.845s
Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +1.124s
Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.190s
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +2.528s

WorldSSP Race 1

Perfect track conditions greeted the FIM Supersport World Championship Race 1 on Saturday afternoon, as Championship leader Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) claimed yet another dominant first place victory as he increased his lead to Championship rivals Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team).

After claiming the Tissot Superpole Award on Friday following four consecutive pole positions, the 21-year-old Spaniard was looking to make it three out of three first place results with Sunday’s Race 2. The 15-lap race at the Aragon round showcased an exciting battle for the podium positions, with Montella and Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) strong at lights out and duelling for second place.

Despite his strong start in the race, Montella appeared to struggle with his late race pace, with the Yamahas proving to be the dominant bike on the track. He missed out on a podium result, as Debise crossed the line over six tenths quicker just behind Manzi who secured a confident second place at the Spanish Circuit. Coming over the line in fifth was Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) and Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) who rounded off the top six finishers at the Spanish round. The #99 Ducati star rode home to win his 10th victory of the 2024 season at Aragon, whilst Manzi gave Yamaha their 400th podium placement as they became the first manufacturer to reach this milestone.

WorldSSP Race 1 Results

Adrián Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +1.929s
Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +2.062s
Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +2.706s
Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) +7.332s

Sunday
Superpole Race

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship provided non-stop action on Sunday morning, as the riders took to the Spanish track in the Tissot Superpole Race. It was 2023 World Champion, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who stormed to victory at his home round, after a nail-biting battle between current title leader Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and teammate Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). It was Bulega who took the holeshot at lights out, leading Saturday’s Race 1 winner, Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven), with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Bautista chasing him down.

Despite a poor start off the line, Razgatlioglu soon gained speed, overtaking both #9 and #1 on the first lap, and moving ahead of Iannone on lap 2. A five-way battle unfolded in the early stages of the race, but it was Bulega who demonstrated consistent pace throughout, with a determined #54 hot on his tail. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was in close contention in the top six, however, he crashed out of the race at Turn 1 with eight laps remaining. He was taken to the medical centre, where he was declared unfit for the afternoon’s Race 2.

Back at the front, it was Razgatlioglu who began matching the pace of #11 and with six laps of race distance remaining, overtook the Ducati rider for first position, whilst Bautista waited in the wings in third. Toprak was eager to showcase his skills on his comeback to racing, putting in an incredible lap time of 1’47.935s, a new race lap record at Aragon. It was down to the wire for the top spot on the rostrum, with an exciting last lap battle, where Bautista came out on top after a sensational Turn 15 pass on “El Turco”, achieving his 62nd win, and 99 wins for Spain. Razgatlioglu took home the silver and Bulega achieved his 17th podium, matching the likes of Ben Bostrum, Ben Spies and Andrea Locatelli. Just missing out on the podium was Race 1 winner Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) who led Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and Petrucci.

Superpole Race Results

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.088s
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.172s
Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +4.691s
Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +5.317s

WorldSBK Round 10 Race 2

The perfect home round unfolded for Bautista, as he took victory in Race 2 in Aragon. Starting from pole position, the #1 Ducati rider took the holeshot at lights out, and despite attempts from rivals Razgatlioglu and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) during the opening stages, he managed to hold onto P1. BMW’s Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) battled for fourth position with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) hunting them down.

Bulega’s rocky weekend continued in Race 2, as he struggled in the early stages of the race, falling to ninth position with 17 laps remaining. American rider Gerloff picked up his race pace with 10 laps to go, stalking #29 Iannone for a podium spot in third before managing to cleanly overtake the Italian. Nicolo Bulega overcame his difficulties from earlier in the race, as he worked his way through the field and passed Iannone into fourth position.

Back at the front, Razgatlioglu was being held off from P1 by Bautista who was determined to take a double win at the Aragon circuit. The double World Champion showed outstanding late race pace, which proved too much for the #54 to compete with, and with vital Championship points to consider, he settled into a comfortable second place, crossing the line 3.366s behind #1. Bulega managed to achieve a respectable third ahead of Iannone in fourth. It was the 26th time Bautista had won ahead of Razgatlioglu, as he clinched a Sunday double on home soil. Garrett Gerloff’s strong Race 2 ride resulted in a fifth, as he led triple Cremona winner Danilo Petrucci and Van Der Mark over the line.

“The pace was amazing, it was incredible as well because the pace especially after mid-race was amazing, it was similar to the Superpole race or even better. I had to concentrate because I was pushing to the limit. I was enjoying riding to the limit and I’m really happy for the victory and the feeling I have,” Bautista explained.

WorldSBK Round 10 Race 2 Results

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +3.366s
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +10.800s
Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +12.338s
Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +13.903s

Championship Points

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 414 points
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 375
Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 333
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 277
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 264

WorldSSP Race 2

The FIM Supersport World Championship Race 2 delivered plenty of quality racing on Sunday afternoon, as Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) scorched to victory at the Tissot Aragon Round at MotorLand Aragon as he worked to close in on Championship leader Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team). Montella claimed the win by almost two seconds ahead of fellow Italian Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) and Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura).

It was an unsettled start for the WorldSSP, and not the perfect start for Montella in the opening stages of the race, as he went wide off the track, losing valuable positions and opening room for Manzi and Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) to pass, with Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) in close contention amongst the front pack. Despite his strong start in the race and leading Huertas over the line in fourth with 10 laps race distance remaining, Oncu began to struggle with his halfway race pace, dropping to 10th position as the #99 held onto fourth and hunted down a podium position.

Navarro took control of the race with nine laps to go and it was three riders abreast heading into turn one, as Montella worked his way back up the field, overtaking Manzi into second. The Yamaha bikes demonstrated some impressive strength in the latter stages of the race, with Debise latching onto the tail of Huertas as he chased a rostrum result. The #53 was eager to secure a third-place finish, as he overtook Huertas with just five laps remaining and chased Navarro into the closing stages. The #9 Spaniard showed his strength, though, as he pipped Debise on the final straight and took third at the chequered flag, behind Manzi and Montella. Coming in over the finish line in fifth was Championship leader Huertas, whilst Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph) secured sixth.

Huertas remains at the top of the Championship standings, but Montella’s outstanding Race 2 result now means he’s in second place with only a 41-point gap. Yamaha rider Manzi is still in title contention with just a five-point difference to Montella.

WorldSSP Race 2 Results