2024 WSB: Toprak crash gives chasing pack hope

It’s too strong a statement to say the World Superbike Championship (WSB) was thrown wide open at Magny Cours, France last weekend but a crash in free practice for runaway leader Toprak Razgatlioglu has certainly given the chasing pack hope with his lead cut to 55 points with four rounds and 12 races remaining.

Bulega takes advantage

BMW’s Razgatlioglu had won a phenomenal 13 races in a row prior to the French round, which had enabled him to surge some 92 points clear of Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega in the title race.

Toprak Razgatlioglu Image Credit BMW Motorrad World SBK Team

However, an innocuous looking practice crash saw him hit a protruding wall – which will surely be removed for 2025 – and suffer minor back injuries in the process.

Unable to ride, it was the opportunity Bulega and team-mate and reigning World Champion Alvaro Bautista needed and whilst the latter blew his title hopes, Bulega took two victories to reduce the gap significantly and give himself more than a chance of claiming the crown.

Bulega Image Credit Aruba.it Racing

It was Bulega’s first win since the opening round and it could have been even better had he not fell in the opening race, which saw the race start in the dry but then be hit by heavy rain. A crash then could have derailed his weekend, but he bounced back superbly and in his rookie season he’s delivering in all aspects.

Razgatlioglu’s injuries may affect him at this weekend’s Italian round, held on the new circuit of Cremona, and Bulega will be doing all he can to reduce the gap further. He could also have Bautista in his corner with the Spaniard now a whopping 122 points off the title lead.

Second in the first race got his weekend off to a good start but a crash in the second ruled him out of the third and it should be in Ducati’s interests to have him support Bulega rather than take points off him.

Michael makes his Mark

The BMW factory team could have been forgiven for thinking all hopes of another race win had gone when Razgatlioglu crashed out, but team-mate Michael van der Mark had other ideas and took a superb victory in the opening race, winning in wet conditions by more than eight seconds.

It was the Dutchman’s first win since the Superpole race at Portimao in 2021, a gap of 1070 days, a gap longer than the more high-profile one endured by Marc Marquez in MotoGP. The intervening period has seen van der Mark go through some dark times suffering with a seemingly never-ending catalogue of injuries.

Michael van der Mark Image Credit BMW Motorrad World SBK Team

His results have suffered equally as much, understandably, and there was surprise in some quarters when he was retained once more for the 2024 season. But the factory BMW team have stood by him, recognising the qualities he has both on and off the track and it’s clear he’s quickly established a good relationship with Razgatlioglu.

In a sport where the guillotine can come down quickly on a rider’s career, it was good to see BMW’s loyalty to van der Mark rewarded. He’s enjoyed a solid season, currently holding on to seventh in the championship standings, so it was equally good to see his persistence, effort and determination rewarded too.

Lowes and Petrucci impress once more

It was also a good weekend for Kawasaki’s Alex Lowes and the Barni Racing Ducati of Danilo Petrucci, the two riders impressing in both the wet and dry conditions to continue their strong seasons.

Alex Lowes Image Credit Kawasaki Racing Team World SBK

Lowes was perhaps unlucky not to win at least one race, a mistake in the wet seeing him crash out of the lead, and then a mechanical issue dropping him down to 19th in the final race of the weekend. He fought back superbly to take fourth and with second place in the Superpole race sandwiched in between, he maintained his fourth place in the championship.

Danilo Petrucci Image Credit Barni Racing

His pace, and the Kawasaki’s, was again clear to see and it was a similar story with Petrucci. The Italian is enjoying a superb run of form and for the first time in his relatively short WSB career, he finished on the podium in all three races. One place behind Lowes in the standings, he’ll be looking to maintain that form in the final third of the season and perhaps even claim a maiden win on home soil next time out.

Good weekend for Gerloff and Redding

They may be pulling out of WSB at the end of the season, but it was the best weekend yet for the Bonovo Action BMW pairing of Garrett Gerloff and Scott Redding, American Gerloff giving them their first podium of the year with third in the final race.

Garrett Gerloff Image Credit Bonovo Action BMW

Both riders have struggled this season, particularly Redding, but they were on the pace throughout the three days of action in France. Indeed, had it not been for a crash in the opening race of the weekend, when he stayed out on intermediate tyres when everyone else pitted for wets, Gerloff may have claimed his maiden victory.

He responded well with sixth in the Superpole race and then third last time out to move up to tenth in the table, just rewards for his continued efforts on the M1000RR. Redding was equally strong took, claiming third in qualifying and then backing it up with three top eight finishes.

Scott Redding Image Credit Bonovo Action BMW

He couldn’t claim a podium like his team-mate, but he did take two fourth place finishes and that will have done him the world of good in terms of getting a ride for 2025. Gerloff already has that sorted having signed for Kawasaki Puccetti Racing some time ago, but Redding’s future is still very much up in the air although rumours of a Ducati ride continue to persist.

Honda improve

It’s been another torrid season for HRC Honda with Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona both struggling with form and, at times, injury. However, whether it was the wet weather, the characteristics of the Magny Cours track or an upturn in the in the CBR1000RR Fireblade’s performance, the two Spanish riders enjoyed their best weekends of the year.

Both riders finished all three races inside the top ten, Vierge the pick of the two with a fifth and two sevenths. Lecuona also impressed with a sixth, seventh and tenth and, more importantly, they were in podium contention in the two dry races.

Vierge Image Credit Team HRC

The duo still find themselves languishing down the table, in 15th and 16th respectively, positions that are a far cry from what Honda expect. Like their MotoGP effort though, they’re not the might they once were but the results in France will have given them a boost without doubt.

HRC have ploughed millions into their WSB effort since returning to the series in 2020, without much reward, and rumours suggest Honda UK, based in Louth and who ran the team throughout the 1990s and early 2000’s, may take over the team in 2025.

More injury woes for Rea

Six-time World Champion Jonathan Rea had another weekend to forget with the Yamaha rider crashing out in the opening race, subsequent injury ruling him out of the rest of the weekend.

Jonathan Rea Image Credit Pata Prometeon Yamaha

The Northern Irishman would never have expected such a poor season, one that has yielded a solitary podium finish, third in the Superpole race at Donington Park and each time he makes progress and takes a step forward with the R1 Yamaha, the following race or weekend he takes two steps back.

A thumb injury was the outcome of the Magny Cours crash and with zero points from the three races, he slipped back to 11th in the title standings with just 86 points. To highlight his struggles in 2024, that’s almost 300 behind Razgatliogu’s 365 so things go only get better for the 37-year old.

Having started watching motorcycle races all over the world form childhood, Phil Wain has been a freelance motorcycle journalist for almost 20 years and is features writer for a number of publications including BikeSport News, Classic Racer and Road Racing Ireland, as well as being a regular contributor to MCN and MCN Sport.

He is PR officer for a number of teams and riders at both the British Superbike Championship and International road races, including PBM Ducati, John McGuinness, KTS Racing and Jackson Racing. He is also heavily involved with the Isle of Man TT Races working with the race organisation, writing official press releases and race reports as well as providing the TV and radio broadcasting teams with statistical information.