WorldSBK riders reflect on Aragon R1 + WorldSSP/300/R3 reports/results

WorldSBK 2024 – Round Ten
Aragon – Saturday

WorldSBK Rider Quotes

Andrea Iannone – P1

“I am very happy with this victory, which has a very important meaning for me, it is a personal satisfaction, a revenge after the difficult moments we have gone through. I owe a lot to all the people who have been close to me and who have welcomed me. I thank Gigi Dall’Igna, Claudio Domenicali, Paolo Ciabatti, Marco Zambenedetti, Mauro Grassilli, the whole Go Eleven team and the WorldSBK family. Having won both in MotoGP and WorldSBK is incredible. It is a special moment. This year I have achieved 4 podiums, with this 5, and 1 victory. As a first year back it was difficult to ask for more than this. Now we look with confidence and optimism to tomorrow’s races.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu – P2

“This feels so good because after that big crash I’ve come back and finished on the podium. It’s incredible but I’m not entirely happy because I couldn’t fight for the win during the final laps. My front tyre was dropping and I could only battle for second place. I tried to just ride the bike but Andrea was riding really well and his pace was unbelievable. We have two more races tomorrow and I’ll try my best again. I felt on the limit throughout this race, especially with the engine braking, which wasn’t working well. We just need a few improvements for tomorrow.”

Garrett Gerloff – P3

“I felt really good at the end of the race. I still had a bit left in the tank and was trying to catch up with Andrea. Both Andrea and Toprak were riding really well so I just tried to stay calm. I thought I’d close the gap more in the last few laps but it didn’t happen. When Alvaro passed me on the last lap, I thought, ‘There’s no way I’m giving up another podium.’ So I went for it and I’m happy to be back on the podium. The bike feels great, and hopefully, we can find some consistency in the upcoming races.”

Alvaro Bautista – P4

“Unfortunately, the second start wasn’t the best, and I immediately lost ground on the front group. I tried to fight back even though the feeling with the front was no longer the same. It was still a hard-fought race. I’m confident I can do better tomorrow”.

Danilo Petrucci – P5

“To be honest, I’m not happy with this result. We could have won this race, but we weren’t fast enough on the straights, and we need to figure out why. Our chances slipped away when Iannone passed me at Turn 3, and within a few corners, I found myself in sixth place. That’s racing, but luckily we have another chance tomorrow. We’ll have a fresher engine and make some setup changes to address what we were missing today.”

Iker Lecuona – P6

“Overall, I’m happy. We knew that we were very strong through certain sections of the track, like sector 1 and sector 3, but struggled in sector 4, for example, along the back straight. Qualifying was not so bad, P9 in a classification so close that every tenth can make a big difference in terms of positions. The start of the race wasn’t bad either, but I was caught in a ‘sandwich’ between the two BMW riders and had to close the throttle just a fraction to avoid crashing on the straight, and in doing so, I lost ground. Anyway, I was able to overtake a couple of riders before the end of the first lap and then I stayed calm because I knew we had the pace to fight in the front group. I passed first Xavi and then Van Der Mark. We were still within a couple of seconds of the top group at that point, but then Michael passed me again. By the time I was finally able to get back in front of him, we had lost contact with the podium contenders. I managed to catch Lowes but couldn’t reach Petrucci. Having said that, the good news is that my race pace was strong until the end, still in the ’49 bracket. The bike worked well, and I’m happy with the performance and the feeling, because I could overtake in different places like turn 5, 7, and 12. This gives me extra motivation for tomorrow”.

Alex Lowes – P7

“I feel I did the maximum I could and I tried to be there in the race. Everyone was a bit concerned about the rate of tyre wear so the pace meant that everybody was sticking together. On the last ten laps some people went faster but with our package today it was impossible. It was a not an easy race and I was struggling in the last sector of each lap when people were passing me. I couldn’t get the nice rhythm that I wanted. I didn’t make any mistakes, stayed focused and it was better than the opening races at the last two rounds. Let’s see what we can do on Sunday.”

Xavi Vierge – P8

“Another solid race, at a different track. Seeing how things went yesterday, we expected a little bit more, but today it wasn’t easy. In qualifying, we tried a strategy that didn’t work perfectly, and we had to start from the fourth row. But we made a good enough start and battled as part of the front group for the entire race. It was a pity I lost the battle with Lowes, but for the first race of the weekend, another top 8 finish is not too bad, and the most important thing is that the gap to the top was really small. So, I’m very happy about that and hungry for more. We’ll check the data to see if we can refine some details and show even stronger pace tomorrow.”

Andrea Locatelli – P10

“I can take some positives from today but in the end the result is P10. Unfortunately, I made a mistake after I started very well, but this can happen when you are taking risks to keep the pace. We know what we are missing and we were a bit “unlucky” in the first part of the race because I went wide on Turn 8 where the track is a bit dirty. When I made the change of direction in Turn 13, I almost crashed and lost three seconds. With three seconds less on our race time, we would have been fighting for the top five. But, in any case, we need to keep what is positive for us: we made a good lap during the Superpole, and while we are a bit far from the front, if we can improve a little bit we will be closer. We have two more possibilities for tomorrow to try again. I want to believe until the end because maybe there can be a good opportunity, we just need to be ready. My bike was not bad, we did good work yesterday with everyone – the electronics and the set-up – so we will keep this confidence for tomorrow and try to make another step.”

Axel Bassani – P12

“Race one was a difficult one because when you start from the back it is never easy to recover any positions, Especially here, as there are two long straights and it is difficult to overtake. From the beginning of the race I tried to control the tyres, to arrive at the end in a good way. The pace was not so bad but it is always difficult to overtake here. We finished in P12 with some points and tomorrow have two more races. We will try to do a better job.”

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Jonathan Rea – P14

“Overall disappointed with the result, but in the first 10 laps of the race I felt quite competitive. I was in the back of the long train, not losing too much overall time to be honest: there was areas where I felt stronger than the guys in front, but also areas where I struggled to pass. In the last third of the race, I really struggled with front tyre traction entering the corner and turning, so that compromised everything. I had a little bit of rear tyre drop, but most of the issues were coming from the front – I couldn’t stop the bike in the same way as the beginning of the race and I couldn’t maintain the lap time. Scott Redding came through at Turn 12 on Lap 14 and I lost track position to Loka, Scott and eventually Bassani as well from being off the track. That was unfortunate and I just lost the tow so it was a case of trying to bring the bike home and gather some information for tomorrow.”

Remy Gardner – P16

“Disappointing Saturday, let’s be honest. We tried our best but I couldn’t climb higher than 15th in the Superpole session. Afterwards, in Race 1 I enjoyed a good start and managed to stay with those in front, but in the latter stages I really struggled with grip from the front tyre. We’ll check what happened and try to find some solution for tomorrow’s races, hoping to have a decent sprint race and a decent Race 2 overall.”

Tarran Mackenzie – P18

“I made a small step in qualifying, with my riding more than anything else, and then we changed a few things with the electronics before the race. I was pretty consistent from start to finish, riding on my own for a good part of the race before I started to catch up towards the end. If I can be a little stronger at the start, it might make my race a bit easier and allow me to run closer to those in front. We know where we can improve, I think, and so we’ll see if we can make another step in warm-up tomorrow and then carry that into the two races.”

Marvin Fritz – DNF

“It was another challenging day. In the morning we tried to improve our feelings to get ready for the Superpole session. When the team and Yamaha asked if I would take the extra engine for Domi and start from the back of the grid with a double long lap, I of course accepted as I fully understand the situation and that they want Domi to have the best possible chance when he returns from injury. Unfortunately, this compromises us for tomorrow too, but I am happy to support Yamaha.”

Nicolò Bulega – DNS

“There is little to say. The sensations were perfect, and I was convinced I could have a great race. Instead, we lost many points. Tomorrow, we’ll try to recover”.

WorldSBK Race One Report

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took the hole-shot ahead of Andrea Ianonne (Team GoEleven) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). The race was shortly red flagged ho, however, after British rider Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) suffered a mechanical failure on his bike which put him down the road on lap one.

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. Bulega joined Sam Lowes trackside who was also unable to return to the grid following his crash.

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 Petrucci took the lead and 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 Razgatlioglu for a podium spot, but failed to make it stick, running out wide into the track and falling to sixth.

Iannone was out in front with a lap to go after 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 the American kept him on the rostrum, with the Spaniard taking fourth at the chequered flag.

Danilo Petrucci took fifth ahead of Iker Lecuona (Team HRC).  Alex Lowes and Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) crossing the line in seventh and eighth whilst Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Locatelli completed the top 10 finishers at the Spanish circuit.

Toprak Razgatlioglu increased his championship lead back out to 33-points with that second place result.

WorldSBK Race One Results

WorldSBK Superpole Results

WorldSBK Championship Points

WorldSSP Race One

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 will be 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 dualling 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 more dominate bike on the track. He missed out on a podium result, as Debise crossed the line over six tenths quicker just behind Manzi who secure a confident second place at the Spanish Circuit.

Coming in over the chequered line in fifth was Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) and Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) who rounded off the top 6 finishers at the Spanish round.

Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) rode a strong race to finish seventh ahead of Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) and Dutchman Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) in eighth and ninth, whilst Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) rounded out the top ten.

Huertas took his 10th victory of the 2024 season at Aragon, whilst Manzi gave Yamaha their 400th podium placement as they become the first manufacturer to reach this milestone.

The new Aragon track surface didn’t seem to phase Huertas who now extends his strong Championship lead. Italian riders Yari Montella and Stefano Manzi are chasing down the seemingly unstoppable Spaniard, who are now equal on points after Race 1, with 304 points, whilst Huertas remains at the top with 359 points.

Oli Bayliss was the highest finishing Australian in 12th after team-mate Tom Edwards went out of the race with three laps to run.  Countryman Luke Power finished 22nd.

WorldSSP Race One Results

WorldSSP Championship Points

WorldSSP300 Race One

The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship returned to the Tissot Aragon Round on Saturday for the first Race of the weekend, and it was the 20-year-old Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) who took glory on home soil as he battled his way to the top spot of the podium in a closely contested Race 1. He led second place Julio García (KOVE Racing Team) across the line by a fine margin of 0.010s, with Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) in third; achieving his seventh podium result of the season so far.

It was a five-way battle from lights out at the Spanish circuit, as Veneman took an early lead in the 11-lap race, but was soon demoted down the field as he was forced off the track on lap 2. This made space for current Championship leader Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) to move into first position. The race continued to entertain the spectators throughout as the battle for the top 3 spots continuously changed. It was the Dutchman who worked his way back to the front at half-race distance, leading Iglesias and Julio García (KOVE Racing Team), as Mahendra fell back to seventh.

With just five laps remaining, Antonio Torres (MS Racing) was eager to make a name for himself as he took control of the field and rode into first. The 17-year-old who replaced David Salvador (MS Racing) for the Aragon round, made an impressive move to lead, however Carter Thompson (Fsport-rt Motorsport By Skm-kawasaki) made this short lived as he took the lead with just a third of the race distance remaining.

After a season of mixed results for Iglesia Bravo, it was clear he is now back on form and ready to fight for the Championship. A matter of 12 points now separate Mahendra, Veneman and Iglesias as the rivalry heats up ahead of Sunday’s Race 2.

Current Championship leader Aldi Mahendra took fifth at the chequered flag in Race behind Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitiRacing) and Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) rounded out the top 6, crossing the line less than two-tenths behind the race winner.

Gustavo Manso (Yamaha AD78 FIM LA by MS Racing) and Spaniard Pepe Osuna (DEZA-Box 77 Racing Team) took seventh and eighth, with Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) and Italian rider Marco Gagg (Team BrCorse) completed the top 10.

WorldSSP300 Race One Results

WorldSSP300 Championship Standings

R3 World Cup Race One

Mallorca’s Marc Vich has taken a vital victory in his hunt for the 2024 FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup crown after a thrilling Race 1 which saw the top seven riders cross the line separated by only +0.629. Title rival Gonzalo Sanchez finished third.

After a season of incredibly close racing and the emergence of several rising stars the title chase will come down to the last R3 bLU cRU World Cup race of the year at Motorland Aragón on Sunday September 28th.

Race 1 was pivotal with Vich leading Sanchez by just nine points as the lights went out, and although the two Spaniards both attempted to make a break at the front, this proved impossible.

A lead group of eight riders created one of the best track battles of the year, making both the race win and the championship swing impossible to call.

Despite dropping back in the pack several times throughout the nine-lap dash, Sanchez was determined to fight through to the front, and the 16-year-old from nearby Teruel was rewarded with third place.

Brazil’s Eduardo Burr charged through to attempt the win, pushing Vich until the end, eventually losing out by the tiny margin of +0.036 to finish second. But it was Vich’s relentlessly calm and focused riding which saw him through to the 25-points, giving him an 18-point lead going into Sunday’s Race 2. Burr closes to within three points of Alessandro Di Persio for third in the championship.

Marc Vich

“I’m really happy, the team and I have done a great job and I was able to manage the title gap. It’s been a very important race today, we’re happy with the result and I can’t ask for anything more. At the beginning of the race there were some contacts with other riders and I dropped back a bit but I knew I had good speed and I just tried to keep my rhythm. Tomorrow is a new day and let’s see what happens.”

Cam Swain put in his best dry performance of the season with a strong sixth place, taking the flag only a narrow half-a-second behind the winner.

R3 World Cup Race One Results

R3 World Cup Points