Sunday WorldSBK/SSP/WCR round ups from Cremona

WorldSBK 2024 – Round Nine
Cremona – Sunday

WorldSBK riders reflect on Cremona
In order of championship standing

Toprak Razgatlioglu – 365 points (1st)

DID NOT Race

Nicolò Bulega – 352 points (2nd)

“I knew this track would be difficult for me so to come away with two podiums after such a tough weekend is really positive. In Race 2, there was a small battle with Alvaro toward the end. I expected him to be fast, especially in the closing laps when the tyres are worn. Alvaro has more experience and a different riding style to me and that helps him to manage those moments better. In the early laps I pushed hard but when Alvaro and Danilo overtook me I decided to take fewer risks and let them go. I’m still happy with third place. It was important to score 16 points because every point counts.”

Alvaro Bautista – 283 points (3rd)

“I’m so happy because after this race I feel better than yesterday. For me, my condition is the most important news of the day. I’m improving and that means I can recover for the next rounds. I was really happy with my performance in the Superpole race to secure a good starting position for Race 2. In Race 2, my mentality was the same. I wanted to make a good start, avoid mistakes and finish the race. My pace was good and I was faster than yesterday. I want to say congratulations to Danilo for his hat trick at his home round because it’s a very special moment. Aragon is my home round so hopefully I can be in better physical shape for it.”

Alex Lowes – 255 points (4th)

“Obviously my rear tyre choice helped me in the Superpole Race when those other guys lost grip and I was there to pick up the pieces. The SCQ tyre would have been tough to manage over ten laps, so we made the right choice with the SCX-A. I just needed the riders in front to slow down a little bit so I could have a chance. With my character and my riding style it was still not an easy race. At the start they were faster so I just needed to be patient – and that’s not one of my strong points. Yesterday I was digging-in halfway through the race, trying to stay in the ‘victory fight’ rather than accept a podium. So this podium was a great way to bounce back. I felt like I did the best I could in Race Two. When the track temperature gets hot I cannot use the corner speed that I need to make up for the time we lose in the straight. It is not an excuse, it is the reality of what it is. We did a good job with the bike. It felt better than yesterday and I was able to be really consistent to the end. I tried to hold Garrett off and I set a good lap time at the end. He just had a bit more pace than me. The team deserved the podium in the Superpole race and I think we did the best we could in Race Two.”

Danilo Petrucci – 252 points (5th)

“This has been one of the best weekends of my career. I was overwhelmed after winning yesterday and I didn’t expect to win the Superpole Race. I was really nervous for Race 2, especially about Alvaro, because I knew he would be faster at the end of the race. I managed to build a gap and then to maintain it. Today’s success is special because this is our home round. Our workshop is an hour away. It’s special because we are an Independent with small sponsors and small businesses supporting us. Today were all here and I think they truly deserve this.”

Andrea Locatelli – 184 points (6th)

“It was a difficult weekend for some reason, we showed our potential in qualifying and we were not far away but the overall results are not what I would like to do here at home. It was a big opportunity for us – after the test in May, we were really competitive but during this weekend we were always struggling a bit with the rear grip, with the front grip, and we never found a big solution to improve the bike really well. But we need to look forward to the next round, we need to believe in ourselves and we need to try to push to the maximum at the last races. I’m happy because I gave my all, every single lap I tried to do my best so this is an important point. The guys are always working to improve and to give me the best, but we know that it’s never easy. I want to be positive and to go to Aragon with positive vibes next week.”

Michael van der Mark – 177 points (7th)

“It was a tough weekend, especially the start of it was difficult. We’ve struggled with the feeling of the bike and the set-up. In Superpole we did a good lap but it unfortunately got cancelled. For the races, we analysed the data and made some small changes on the electronics and the riding style. During the weekend we understood the bike better and how to ride the circuit. I learned a lot, so let’s say it was a tough weekend but also very interesting, with a lot of things we’ve learned. It was nice to see that we made so much progress and I need to be happy with P7 in the two main races, also with some good points.”

Andrea Iannone – 151 points (8th)

“Today we achieved a podium in the Superpole Race, which is always a great result, especially in front of so many Italian fans. Unfortunately, in the long races things didn’t go as we hoped, but we still showed that we can be fast. We hope to be able to make some progress in the next race weekend in Aragon.”

Remy Gardner – 139 points (9th)

“A Sunday to forget. In the Superpole Race a tyre issue forced us to retire and we couldn’t progress more. Then, in Race 2, we tried to make another comeback as happened in Race 1 but the feeling was not great and although I tried everything I could to secure decent points, I ended up crashing in the latter stages. Let’s move on and we’ll try to have a better weekend in Aragon next week.”

Garrett Gerloff – 117 points (10th)

“Qualifying was just a struggle for me, all the competitors were going so fast. It was also really difficult to make up ground in the Superpole race, but luckily I was able to move to P9, so to the third row, which did help me in the second long race. But like I said, everybody was going so fast until the first six laps were over and it’s really hard to make forward progress. But then once everybody started to lose grip, I had an advantage and I was able to move forward. The only unfortunate things is that I lost my rear brake half way through the race, that did not help me at all. Anyway, I’m still really happy with how the bike feels and with the whole Bonovo team and how we’re working together. It’s not a podium like last weekend but I’m still really satisfied with how I’m riding and I hope to continue that in the next races.”

Xavi Vierge – 89 points (11th)

Another solid weekend with good speed, but we were lacking some rear grip in every session. The team worked really hard, and we made several adjustments to the bike setup to try and resolve it, but we were unable to find any real improvement. In the Superpole race, we chose the Q tyre, and I think it was the right choice, as the goal was to be fast and gain some positions at the beginning, and then manage the tyre drop at the end. Unfortunately, I made a mistake at the start, in turn 2, making contact with another rider and losing ground. So I had to push too much at the beginning, which meant that the tyre drop was then greater than expected. Anyway, all in all, we had three good races and collected valuable points to improve our championship standing. Iker also had a very good weekend, showing more speed, which is great because we can analyze the data and compare it to try and improve for Aragon”.

Jonathan Rea – 86 points (12th)

DID NOT RACE

Iker Lecuona – 84 points (13th)

“A fourth, fifth, and sixth place finish in this weekend’s three races makes me happy. And it’s not just the results, but that fact I could fight at the front, very close to the podium. This gives me and my team a good feeling and a real boost. Right now, I feel like I’m the fastest of the second group or the last of the first group, so I’m enjoying this progress. Today in the Superpole race, we decided to go with the rear SCX-A instead of the Q, like many others in the field, because I felt the softer tyre was at its limit in the conditions. I was confident I could manage it during the first five laps, even though it required more effort to stay with the front group, before exploiting it in the second part of the sprint. Our final target was not to lose our grid position for race 2, and we achieved that, even moving up a row in fact. In race 2, we finished sixth but not far from the podium fight, with good enough rhythm to stick very close to the top riders. This, on the other hand, allowed me to see that to consistently fight at the top, we need to take more steps, which mainly involve making the bike turn naturally and improving drive. These are the points that can really make a difference for us, but for now, I want to enjoy the progress made during these last rounds, as Xavi’s strong races also demonstrate.”

Scott Redding – 82 points (14th)

“The weekend was up and down. It has been a little more difficult than I had expected it to be here but today I had a good feeling in the warm up. We had changed a lot on the bike overnight. It’s always a gamble if it’s better or worse. I felt better. Then in the Superpole race, I felt not bad. I got some rhythm in the race but I missed a bit of something really to the group in front. In race two, I am kind of not sure what happened to the track temperature rising. I felt not bad in the middle of the race but in the beginning, I was losing the front tyre a lot so I had to change my riding style. I had lost the group in front but managed to close the gap to them. I just struggled really to find a good rhythm here at Cremona but we finished the weekend more positive than we started so it’s good.”

Axel Bassani – 80 points (15th)

“It has been a difficult Sunday for me. In the Superpole Race we tried to recover some positions but it was not possible because the pace was really fast for everyone. I tried to overtake some riders but I finished towards the back. In Race Two the start was not good because I touched with another rider and lost a lot of positions. But, after one lap I recovered four positions. The speed was there but on the second lap I crashed at T7. I am sorry for the team because we would have been able to make a good race and result. But this is racing. I hope next round to do a better job and for sure the team is working hard. I have to say thank you to them and we will continue our work.”

Tarran Mackenzie

“After struggling to ride the bike for most of the weekend, we went back to a normal setting today. We’d been trying something different since I came back from injury, but in going back to my ‘base’ setting this morning we were already able to take a step during warm-up. In the Superpole race, I had a little crash but got back on and was still able to ride with reasonable lap times despite bent handlebars. And the same again in Race 2 really, I felt I was having a better race but after I lost the front and went down, I couldn’t continue as there was too much damage to the bike. One of the toughest weekends I’ve ever had, to be honest, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Thanks to the team for working so hard to repair my bike and now we look ahead to Aragón.”

Ivo Lopes

“Overall, I felt we took a step forward with each session and with each race this weekend, so that’s a good thing. It was harder to maintain a rhythm in the Superpole race after I lost contact with those in front, but in today’s long race I was able to remain closer to the group, which helped, and I felt better than I did in yesterday’s race 1. I’ve enjoyed the weekend anyway and know that we worked hard, regardless of the race results. I want to thank the team for giving me another opportunity and the chance to race at another new track. Hopefully I have made a useful contribution.”

Markus Reiterberger

“The weekend was very nice and exciting, but also very exhausting. Getting on such a powerful and demanding bike after such a long FIM EWC race at Le Castellet was not easy. Nevertheless, it was a really great experience for me. The most important thing was that we accomplished our goals and tasks so that Toprak can continue to fight for the championship as soon as he returns and I believe we fulfilled that task well. At the same time, I was able to see how fast I still am and managed to set some great lap times. Unfortunately, I couldn’t quite translate that into results in race two. But still, we’ve seen that we can deliver a good performance, and that was nice. For that, I’m very thankful to BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the team.”

Niccolò Canepa

“This morning I enjoyed riding the R1 a lot! We did a big change before the Superpole Race and I was able to gain some positions and have a good fight with the other Yamahas, so it was good fun. Race 2 was a bit more complicated but anyway, apart from the result I am really happy with my last race of my career. I enjoyed to see the chequered flag and to come back to the box to see the guys – to share the garage all weekend with Loka – it’s a really special day for me. I want to say thanks to Yamaha for this opportunity and now it’s time to think about the future. Thanks to everyone, to Crescent, to the guys, to Yamaha and to my teammate. We’re looking forward for Jonathan to come back.”

Tommy Bridewell

“It has been a challenging weekend of racing for sure, but this weekend has been about more than just the racing. We’ve gained a whole heap of data and learnt some new things about the bike in a different spec and using more electronics, which ultimately is of benefit for racing here and in BSB.”

Marvin Fritz

“It was a challenging Sunday. In the Superpole Race unfortunately I crashed in the early stages and couldn’t complete the race, I’m sorry to the team and Yamaha. The guys did a great job following the incident, so I was able to race in the afternoon, I would like to thank them for that. Afterwards, in Race 2 we showed decent speed, coming back home with valuable data.”

Team Managers

Sven Blusch – Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport

“I think we managed to minimise the damage in regards of the championship this weekend. It was definitely not an easy weekend. First and foremost, we’d like to extend a big thank you to Markus Reiterberger. It was great to see how well Reiti integrated into the team, and the whole crew was impressed with his approach. It was really enjoyable to have him on board here. His support for the BMW family was very important, and we truly appreciate his efforts. Garrett fought his way forward after a difficult qualifying session and did an outstanding job today, particularly in race two, where he put in a great performance to finish fourth. He also showed his excellent tyre management skills. Mickey had a tough start to the weekend but was able to demonstrate strong pace in both main races, finishing P7 each time. Unfortunately, Scott had a challenging weekend, but we hope to improve in the upcoming races. Overall, we are very hopeful that Toprak can return at Aragón. The entire BMW family sends their best wishes from Cremona. The battle for the championship is now fully underway, which is fantastic for the fans, and we hope to be back in the mix with the full squad next weekend.”

Paul Denning – Pata Prometeon Yamaha Team Principal

“Andrea rode as hard as he could for every one of today’s 33 racing laps, but unfortunately our potential was not enough to bring him close to the podium positions. We suffered all weekend with a lack of rear grip and today, with a lack of turning – which is normally the R1’s strongest point. If it weren’t for Andrea Iannone re-entering the track erratically and without consideration in Race 2, Loka had the potential to finish a couple of places higher and challenge for the top six. He picked up damage from the incident which clearly compromised the rest of his race. Whilst we missed every single aspect of having JR here in the team this weekend, and of course missed his performance potential on the R1 – it was still a pleasure to have Nico ride his final ever professional race with us. In particular, he rode a very strong 10-lap Superpole Race this morning which he really enjoyed and beat some competitive WorldSBK riders. Congratulations to Nico on a wonderful and highly-varied racing career, and we’re really looking forward to continue working with him closely in his new role within Yamaha in the future.”

WorldSBK Race Two Report

Starting from pole position, by virtue of his Superpole victory, Petrucci led every lap before taking the flag with over a second in hand from his nearest rival. By claiming the victory in Race 2 Petrucci became just the fourth rider to win three races in a WorldSBK weekend.

Having started from sixth on the grid, Bautista made a good start to spend the first third of the race in fifth position. On lap seven he leapfrogged Alex Lowes and Iannone to move into third position. For the next 14 laps he closed down his teammate Bulega before making his move into Turn 11 on Lap 20. Bautista was the fastest rider throughout the second half of the race and finished the race just one second behind Petrucci.

Bulega set the fastest lap but struggled in the final third of the race and having been overtaken by Bautista the title contender managed his race to claim 16 points.

From ninth on the grid Gerloff was able to show strong pace throughout to move into fourth position on the penultimate lap. Gerloff was able to ease his way past Lowes to finish the race as the leading BMW rider with Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) seventh at the flag.

In sixth position Lecuona ended a very strong weekend for Honda with three top six finishes.

Despite missing the previous six races Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) continues to lead the World Championship as he recovers from injury.

Having finished fourth in the Superpole Race and third in Race 2 Bulega now sits 13 points behind Razgatioglu.

WorldSBK Race Two Results

WorldSBK Superpole Race

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was back on track at the Italian circuit in Cremona for a dramatic Superpole Race, with Danilo Petrucci securing his 12th career podium victory in WorldSBK and Ducati’s 428th win in WorldSBK. Behind the Italian hero at the line was Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), and Andrea Iannone Team GoEleven taking the third spot on the podium.

Starting from third on the gird, Petrucci claimed the hole shot and stormed to Turn 1 ahead of Aruba.it Racing – Ducati’s Bulega and #29 Iannone, who also had a strong launch. Britain’s Alex Lowes was keen to take part in the action at the front of the pack, overtaking Bulega into third position, just one lap into the Superpole race. Further back it was a three-way battle for fourth place, with Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) determined to continue his impressive performance from yesterday’s Race 1, showcasing some close battles between rivals Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and Xavi Vierge (Team HRC).

Race 1’s podium finisher, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who put on an impressive performance to take third in Saturday’s Race, demonstrated another strong ride on Sunday morning. Bautista was outside of the top 10 during the first half of the rcae, but picked up speed throughout, managing to secure some vital championship points with a 6th place finish.

It was all to fight for in the closing stages of the Superpole race, with Alex Lowes showing some late race pace after opting for the SCX tyre choice, pulling an impressive overtake on Bulega on the penultimate lap, and once again through on Iannone into the last lap at the Italian circuit. Out ahead, though, it was the #9 who was back on top of the rostrum once again at his home track, with almost a two-second lead over his rivals before crossing the chequered flag.

It was Italian Nicolo Bulega who held onto fourth place ahead of Lecuona and Bautista, whilst Andrea Locatelli, Honda’s Vierge and Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) rode in to the top 9 positions.

WorldSBK Superpole Race Results

WorldSBK Standings

WorldSSP Race Two

A crash for Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) has handed the WorldSSP title advantage to Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team). The Ducati rider crashed at Turn 7 mid-way through the 20 lap race while leading. The mistake proved costly and leaves Montella 43 points behind in the standings.

Starting from pole position Huertas dropped behind Montella on the opening lap before retaking the lead. A mistake on Lap 5 dropped him to third position before inheriting second position as he maintained his pace throughout the 20 lap race to follow Stefano Manzi home.

Manzi’s win was his first since the Catalan Round in March as the Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing took the lead on Lap 10 and then controlled the race to win by more than two seconds. Manzi is now seven points behind Montella in the standings.

Having finished fifth in Race 1 Tom Booth-Amos was able to finish on the podium in WorldSSP for the first time. Having started from eighth on the grid Booth-Amos ran a consistent pace throughout to hold a comfortable margin ahead of a three rider group fighting for fourth position behind him.

The fight for fourth saw Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) overtake Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) in the closing stages. Caricasulo then lost another position to Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) on the penultimate lap.

Oli Bayliss was the highest-finishing Australian in 14th place, while countryman Tom Edwards just missed the points in 16th.  Luke Power finished 23rd.

WorldSSP Race Two Results

WorldSSP Championship Points

2024 FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship|
Round Four – Cremona – Sunday

Australia’s Tayla Relph (TAYCO Motorsport), backed up her seventh place on Saturday with a breakthrough podium on Sunday from ninth on the grid to catapult her up the championship ladder to seventh on 54-points.

Tayla Relph – P3

“I’m speechless! I really cannot believe it, also because I made a horrible start and was down in ninth, I think, going into turn 1. I knew I had good pace though, so I did my best and pushed hard, moving up to fifth which is where I was when Maria and Sara crashed. It was a very hard-fought race, and I really worked hard to make passes and work my way up, so it wasn’t an easy podium at all. When I crossed the line, I still didn’t know that I had a podium, but I saw my fiancé cheering and then realised where I’d finished. We’ve sacrificed so much to be here this season, him and I, moving to Europe from Australia. I knew it wouldn’t be easy to come to this championship and compete against world-class athletes, but I’m so pleased to have made gradual progress, round by round, and have finished top three today. I knew I could be strong here at Cremona and we did it! I have great people around me, so a big thank you to my team, my fiancé and everyone who supports me.”

Young Kiwi Avalon Lewis (née Biddle), made a spectacular wildcard debut over the weekend carding eight place in race one before improving to fifth in race two.

An incredible Sunday race at the Cremona Circuit saw four riders going all out for the win today. Victory ultimately went to Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team), the Spaniard joined on the podium by local rider Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) and Australian Tayla Relph (Tayco Motorsport).

The race came to a disappointing end for Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team), who led the way together with Carrasco until the very last lap. As she prepared to set up the final corners, Herrera found herself battling not only Ana, but also Ponziani and Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) who had caught the leaders and were equally eager for a top three finish.

A last gasp battle between this quartet of riders unfortunately resulted in both Herrera and Sanchez crashing out through turn 11, which meant that Carrasco was able to secure her third win of the year, while Italian Ponziani celebrates her very first WorldWCR podium, achieved at her home round.

Lying fifth at the time of that last lap incident after working her way up the field from ninth, it was Relph who took the final podium spot. This is the Australian’s first top three finish of the 2024 season

Rounding out the top five today were Spaniard Beatriz Neila (Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and wildcard Avalon Lewis (Carl Cox Motor Sports), the New Zealander having put in a strong performance all weekend during her first WorldWCR appearance.

With today’s race win and having scored a total of 41 points this weekend, Carrasco now moves into the lead in the championship standings (163 points), nine points ahead of Herrera

Both Sanchez and Herrera were checked at the circuit medical centre following their crashes. Sara has sustained a right hip abrasion, while Maria has a neck sprain and contusion and will be transported to Cremona Hospital for further assessments.

Deemed responsible for causing the crash, Sanchez has been sanctioned with a long lap penalty, to be served during the next race at Estoril.

Ana Carrasco – P1

“I’m so happy because our target at Cremona was to boost our points total and we’ve done that. It was a really tough race today, but I used the same strategy as yesterday, trying to get out front right from the start of the race. I had a few rear grip issues, but I was able to manage that and am very pleased with the result. Maria and I battled hard, passing each other so many times; it was just unfortunate that she crashed right at the end. All four of us were pushing hard in that final sector, and we all tried to be first into that corner. I hope Maria and Sara are OK of course, but I’m pleased with my results this weekend. It’s also important that we’ve now moved into the lead in the championship with just two rounds to go. It’s nice to see some new faces on the podium too, I’m very pleased for Roberta and Tayla.”

Roberta Ponziani – P2

“I’m so, so happy. I knew I could be fast here, but I didn’t know if I could reach the podium. Yesterday I had trouble overtaking and couldn’t do more than I did, but today I was really determined and went all out to pass and finish top three. I did my best to battle with Ana and Maria, and then Sara caught up to us too and I knew we had a fight on our hands. On the last lap, I tried to use the slipstream and pass both Ana and Maria; I’m just sorry for Maria and Sara of course. I leave Cremona happy anyway, and it was great to be in the fight and feel competitive here. We have two more rounds still to run, and they will be tough because I don’t know the Estoril or Jerez tracks, but we will do our best to fight.”

Crashes for Mallory Dobbs (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team), Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno), Luna Hirano (Team Luna) and Sara Varon (ITALIKA Racing FIMLA) early in the race meant that these riders also failed to reach the finish line.

Having crashed in Saturday’s race, Alyssia Whitmore (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) was transported to Cremona Hospital, where it was determined that there are no serious injuries to her head. X-rays show that Lissy has sustained a fractured right wrist and contusions to the chest, torso and leg areas. Whitmore remained in hospital overnight for observation.

WorldWCR returns for the penultimate round at Estoril on October 13 before the season finale at Jerez the following weekend.

World WCR Race Two Results

World WCR Points