The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season is reaching a conclusion but there’s still plenty up for grabs, including the coveted Riders’ Championship. That can be sown up by Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) at the Circuito Estoril, while there were plenty of other discussions ahead of the Estoril Round…
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “My goal is to win the race… not thinking about the Championship”
Previewing what could be a title-winning weekend, Razgatlioglu said: “After 2022, we come back here again and I’m really happy because I like this track. Last time, I lost because Alvaro passed me on the straight. I like this track but this weekend’s going to be a little bit difficult. I’m just focused on the races because I missed winning races. Maybe there’s different weather this weekend. My goal is to win the race. If I win all races, and Bulega finishes in third position, we win the title. He’s also strong. I’m not thinking about this, I’m thinking the Championship finishes at Jerez. I’m just riding the bike and fighting for the win. If I win, I’m happier. I need to win again because second position wasn’t enough for me at Aragon. I have zero stress now, I’m here to win the race. Maybe if there’s wet conditions, we’re fighting for the win again because I’ve never won in wet conditions in WorldSBK. Zero stress because I’m not thinking about the Championship!”
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “Right now, there’s not that kind of team order but this weekend will be similar; try not to disturb my teammate…”
Previewing Estoril, Bautista outlined his goals by saying: “After a Sunday like I had at MotorLand Aragon, I’m very motivated. That was then and now we’re here at a different track, different conditions. It’s two years since I raced here. The target is trying to get the feeling I had at Aragon which was really nice. I’m happy the feeling’s coming back! We struggled a lot at the beginning of the season because I started with an injury, then we didn’t know why I couldn’t have the confidence with the bike, or the same performance. Fortunately, it was like a light switch on at Most and we made a change on the bike which definitely helped me to recover the confidence.”
The topic of team orders came up again at Estoril, with Bautista saying: “At Aragon, we had a small briefing before the Saturday race because it was clear that both riders had the chance to fight against Toprak, but it’s true Bulega’s chances were much better than mine. We decided to help Nicolo at Aragon, try not to be between him and Toprak, and try to help him take off some points. After Saturday, the problem he had with the engine, the situation was different. On Sunday, he was there, and it was the same idea; don’t be between Toprak and Nicolo. It’s possible between Nicolo and Toprak. In the Superpole Race, it was our target, to try to help Nicolo and be between them but with Nicolo first. In the last laps, I saw it could be Toprak, Nicolo and me so I tried to make it so Nicolo lost two points instead of three, which is better; I tried to win the race and I did, and it was the same in Race 2. Right now, there’s not that kind of team order but this weekend will be something similar; try not to disturb my teammate but also him not disturbing me.”
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “I just want to enjoy the weekend… I’ve never asked for team orders; I don’t want them”
On the Estoril weekend, Bulega commented: “I hope to be fast this weekend because Aragon, I was fast but it was a strange weekend. I would like to have a normal weekend. Race 1 at Aragon wasn’t a nice moment. We lost a lot of points; we lost the ability to take some more points. I felt very good, especially on Saturday on the race; the race pace wasn’t so strong, but I felt like I was fast.”
Discussing his goals for the weekend and whether there were any new team order meetings for Estoril, Bulega said: “I don’t have a goal for this weekend. I just want to enjoy it, try to do my best and that’s it. I’ve never asked for team orders, and I don’t want them. Alvaro is very fast. If he has the possibility to win, he has to win. We’re part of this team and Ducati so, I think, for them it’s important to win these titles. Me and Alvaro are doing a great job.”
Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven): “We’ll sign in a few days, a few weeks…”
Providing an update on his future at Estoril, ‘The Maniac’ said: “I think it’s an incredible track. I’m really happy to be here. It’s strange because it’s been many years since I rode here, but I’m excited! Unfortunately, we only won on Saturday; we lost some performance on Sunday at Aragon. In any case, we did a good job. We achieved many podiums, we won a race in my first year but, when I think of this, I want and need more! We have to be realistic. I never thought I’d fight for the first Independent rider, it was an optimistic idea because Danilo has more experience than me. I don’t know if we’ll make the test, because honestly, we haven’t signed anything at the moment for the future. We’ll sign in a few days, a few weeks… it’s a surprise for everybody! I think my season will start in January.”
Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha): “My injury’s fine… I should have no pain on the bike”
Discussing Razgatlioglu’s season and where he’s aiming to improve, Rea said: “My injury’s fine. The skin’s almost healed over so I should have no pain on the bike. It’s hard to have expectations because, going into Aragon, a track I’ve been so strong at, I had a disappointing weekend. I struggled to be competitive. Tomorrow, we’ll try to build up step by step with the team, try to address the areas we’re weak and build a bike to be strong on Sunday because the field in WorldSBK is super stacked, so if you’re just that little bit off, you can be a long way away. I’ve tried to focus a lot on Superpole, different tactics to attack it, trying to find the right rider to follow. It generally doesn’t fall my way, so back to basics, try to do my own thing and forget about other riders. Toprak’s been so super strong and had an incredible season. Unfortunately, he missed a few races due to injury – Magny-Cours and Cremona – so to still be in the lead of the Championship shows the season he’s had. It’s not a question of if, it’s when. Chapeau to him, he’s done a great job and, albeit from afar, it’s been nice to watch.”
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team): “I want to jump on the podium again!”
Hoping this weekend at Estoril goes better than his MotoGP™ visit in 2012, Petrucci said: “Honestly, Estoril has bad memories for me! For the first time in my career, I was lapped – by Stoner, I can remember the moment so well! They gave me blue flags and Casey came by with Lorenzo, Pedrosa, Rossi… I think seven riders lapped me. I was here in August for testing, and I enjoyed that day. The track is wonderful. I have quite good expectations because life has changed a lot. 12 years ago, I was last and now I’m fighting for the top positions. Our target is always to be in the top five but after the latest results, I want to jump on the podium again. I’m not thinking about the Independent Riders’ Championship; I was happier to fight for third in the Championship. In every level, we faced a very difficult moment because we have a strong relationship with Barnabo, the team boss; he was really worried, he was more ill than me when he was in the hospital for me! It was just six months ago, but it feels like a lifetime. Winning our first race, fighting with the top guys, and winning the Independent Championship is something we didn’t expect.”
Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW): “We have everything we need to the end year better than we started it…”
Aiming to keep his strong form going, Gerloff stated: “I really like this track; it’s got a good flow to it. It was really nice in 2020 but 2022 didn’t exactly go my way. I think with the BMW, I think it’ll be good especially with the straight, we’ll be able to use the top speed. Once the results start to go up, the expectations start to go up. It’s been so much easier to be there. At the beginning of the season, it took everything I had to be in the top ten. Now that the bike’s more consistent, I can ride the bike better so that’s been a part of the last few weekends. My goal is just to finish the best I can, I want to keep looking up in the Riders’ Championship. I think we have everything we need to end the year better than we started it.”
