Gordon Ritchie | October 18, 2024
Friday WorldSBK
On his last weekend with his current team Michael Ruben Rinaldi (MotoCorsa Racing Ducati), surprised all comers with the fastest time after combined Friday qualifying, setting a 1’39.591 that was just 0.150 seconds faster than championship chaser, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).
During a generally close day on the timesheets, finally no fewer than 16 riders lapped Jerez within 0.811 seconds of the leading time.
Championship leader Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was third, and just 0.025 seconds behind his rival Bulega. He, as one of only four riders to do so, relied on his FP1 time for his best time of the day.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Ducati) ended his day fourth, with the improving consistency at pace of the R1 under Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) putting him fifth.
Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) placed sixth.
Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team) was top Kawasaki rider, somewhat unusually, as Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) ended up playing catch up after losing some time to an early tech issue, and was only 12th.
Bassani was seventh, but had posted an identical lap time to Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven Ducati), who was ranked eighth.
Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Ducati) rounded out the Friday top ten, with everything to play for on Saturday in Superpole to determined final Race One grid positions.
2024 Spanish WorldSBK Results—Friday WorldSBK
1 |
Michael Ruben Rinaldi |
(Team Motocorsa Racing) |
1:39.591s |
2 |
Nicolo Bulega |
(Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) |
+0.150s |
3 |
Toprak Razgatlioglu |
(ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) |
+0.175s |
4 |
Danilo Petrucci |
(Barni Spark Racing Team) |
+0.229s |
5 |
Jonathan Rea |
(Pata Prometeon Yamaha) |
+0.283s |
Friday WorldSSP
Madrid native that he is, Adrian Huertas (Aruba Racing Ducati) does not have a ‘real’ home race to compete in, but in Andalusia he had at least a very Spanish day one success, taking the last Superpole trophy of the 2024 season – shortly before he heads off to Moto2 for 2025.
The champion elect has some degree of work to do on Saturday to win the title, despite being 45 points ahead of the next challengers, but he started his final WorldSSP campaign in a perfect fashion with the fastest lap of 1’42.115.
Another Iberian rider, Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Ducati) placed second on the Race One grid, with the first MV Agusta, belonging to Marcel Schrötter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) taking third place.
Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was fourth, and the first R6 rider, while Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing MV Agusta) was fifth and recent but now former championship contender, Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) sixth.
Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph) placed seventh and Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) eighth.
Both John McPhee (WRP-RT Motorsport by SKM-Triumph) in ninth and Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in tenth place had to be checked and cleared fit to ride before Superpole began (after illnesses and injuries picked up in Estoril last week). Öncü was fastest rider in FP1 in the morning, and the top ten were covered by only 0.596 seconds.
2024 Spanish WorldSBK Results—Friday WorldSSP
1 |
Adrián Huertas |
(Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) |
1:42.115s |
2 |
Jorge Navarro |
(Orelac Racing Verdnatura) |
+0.219s |
3 |
Marcel Schroetter |
(MV Agusta Reparto Corse) |
+0.249s |
4 |
Stefano Manzi |
(Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) |
+0.270s |
5 |
Federico Caricasulo |
(Motozoo ME AIR Racing) |
+0.274s |
Friday WorldWCR
Superpole on Friday at Jerez was headed up by local rider Sara Sanchez (511 Terra&Vita Racing Team), who was just 0.047 seconds ahead of championship leader, Ana Carrasco (Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team).
The only realistic championship challenger to Carrasco, Maria Herrera (Klint Forward Factory Team) placed third at a sunny Jerez.
Roberta Ponziani (Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) was the first non-Spanish rider on the grid in fourth place, with two more Spanish competitors, Beatriz Neila (Ampito/Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and Pakita Ruiz (PS Racing Team 46+1) completing the top six.
Jessica Howden (Team Trasimeno) and American rider Mallory Dobbs (Sekhmet Motorcycle Racing Team) placed seventh and eighth, with wildcard runner Chloe Jones (GR Motorsport) ninth and Aussie rider Tayla Relph (TAYCO Motorsport) tenth.
2024 Spanish WorldSBK Results—Friday WorldWCR
1 |
Sara Sanchez |
(511 Terra&Vita Racing Team) |
1:51.671s |
2 |
Ana Carrasco |
(Evan Bros Racing Yamaha Team) |
+0.047s |
3 |
Maria Herrera |
(Klint Forward Factory Team) |
+0.362s |
4 |
Roberta Ponziani |
(Yamaha Motoxracing WCR Team) |
+0.663s |
5 |
Beatriz Neila |
(Ampito / Pata Prometeon Yamaha) |
+1.041s |
For more WorldSBK news and results, click here