WorldSBK 2024 – Round Nine
Cremona – Friday
Both championship leader Toprak Razgatlioglu and Yamaha star Jonathan Rea will not be lining up on the grid this weekend when the ninth round of the 2024 WorldSBK Championship gets underway at Cremona.
Recent medical examinations have shown that Razgatlioglu requires more time for his recovery following his heavy crash in Magny-Cours (FRA). Markus Reiterberger (GER) will step in alongside Michael van der Mark (NED) for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team in Cremona.
Razgatlioglu sustained a mild pneumothorax in the crash during the second free practice session in Magny-Cours and has been receiving medical care since then. Up until that point of the season, Toprak had looked unstoppable.
Toprak Razgatlioglu
“I would have loved to be back on track in Cremona, but the recovery of the mild pneumothorax is taking longer than I initially hoped. It’s important that I make a full recovery, and my goal now is to return on my BMW M 1000 RR at the next race weekend at Motorland Aragón. But we need to wait and take it step by step. One thing is certain: as soon as possible and when my health allows, I will rejoin the championship fight! I’ll be rooting for my team in Cremona, and I hope to see the BMW M 1000 RR at the front and on the podium. A big thanks to everyone who’s been supporting me through this tough time – we’ll see each other back on the track soon!”
For Nicolo Bulega Toprak’s repeated absence from any points-scoring opportunities opens up another opportunity to put himself further into championship contention. Before Toprak’s accident at Magny-Cours the Turk was 93-points in front; that lead was trimmed to 55 at Magny-Cours. There are three more rounds still to go after this Acerbis sponsored Italian round, but they all come pretty thick and fast leading up to the Jerez finale on October 20.
While Jonathan Rea is not in the championship chase, the lost time for him and the team to further pursue growth together will be curtailed by his absence at Magny-Cours. Based on current medical advice, both from his surgeon in France and local medical team in Northern Ireland, Rea will miss the Italian Round in order to allow the skin graft and internal repairs to his right thumb to fully heal – with eyes firmly fixed on a return in Aragon next week. Rea withdrew from the French Round in Magny-Cours following a crash at the end of Lap 1 in Race 1 and underwent emergency surgery in Clermont-Ferrand on 7 September. The Northern Irishman has since focused on recovery at home, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy sessions to assist healing.
Yamaha’s Official Test and Development Rider, Niccolò Canepa, will ride the Pata Prometeon Yamaha R1 WorldSBK in Cremona – joining the team for one final strop before his retirement from professional racing. Last weekend, Canepa finished third with his teammates for the Yamalube YART Yamaha EWC Official Team at the 24-hour Bol d’Or race at Paul Ricard.
WorldSBK Standings
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | T Razgatlioglu | 365 |
| 2 | N Bulega | 310 |
| 3 | A Bautista | 243 |
| 4 | A Lowes | 235 |
| 5 | D Petrucci | 190 |
| 6 | A Locatelli | 170 |
| 7 | M Mark | 159 |
| 8 | A Iannone | 144 |
| 9 | R Gardner | 133 |
| 10 | G Gerloff | 95 |
| 11 | J Rea | 86 |
| 12 | D Aegerter | 79 |
| 13 | S Redding | 75 |
| 14 | X Vierge | 69 |
| 15 | A Bassani | 69 |
| 16 | I Lecuona | 56 |
| 17 | M Rinaldi | 46 |
| 18 | S Lowes | 40 |
| 19 | N Spinelli | 25 |
| 20 | T Rabat | 10 |
| 21 | A Delbianco | 9 |
| 22 | T Mackenzie | 7 |
| 23 | P Oettl | 5 |
| 24 | M Pirro | 3 |
| 25 | B Ray | 3 |
