WorldSBK 2024
WorldSBK riders reflect on Jerez
In order of final championship standing
Toprak Razgatlioglu – 1st in championship – 527 points
“I want to say thank you to the entire BMW family because we had an incredible year.
“The season finale was an amazing event. We are World Champions – this was the end to a very long season and a very successful year in which we also had 13 wins in a row.
“We never gave up, and also today after the sprint race, we were working hard with the team. We changed the set-up of the bike and we tried something to get the win.
“In the race, I had a very good package and we did it – we won again. And I wanted to win the last race of the season. Usually Ducati is very strong here but we beat them again so everybody understood that BMW is really strong at all race weekends.
“It was incredible to be on the podium together with Mickey. It was dream, together with the team, to share the podium and it finally came true. He is a very great guy and he is pushing so hard at every race weekend. After his big injury, he is trying to come back and he has shown everyone what a strong rider he is. We are working together very well and I hope that we can race for the podium together again next year.”
Nicolò Bulega – 2nd in championship – 484 points
“I’m pleased with this weekend. It was the best round of an excellent season for me. I think that I have taken at least one podium (24 in total) at every circuit, which fills me with pride. I thank the team for everything they have done for me”.
Alvaro Bautista – 3rd in championship – 357 points
“I certainly didn’t expect to end the season like this. I encountered many difficulties on a circuit where I won thrice last year. I can’t wait to get out on track on Tuesday for testing to try and get the best possible set-up for next season”.
Alex Lowes – 4th in championship – 316 points
“We had a good start to Sunday in the Superpole race but it was such a fast race. There are so many fast guys now, but I was also trying to look after the tyre a little bit. On the last three laps I gave it everything I had because I really wanted to get on that podium. We have had a solid year and it has been a pleasure to be a part of the Kawasaki project for the past few years. To finish with a really good weekend was the least the Ninja ZX-10RR deserved. I am really proud of the guys and with the work that has gone in from everybody. I finished third in the championship in 2019 but I would say that this was my best year. I think there is more depth of field in WorldSBK now. I think we did a good job.”
Danilo Petrucci – 5th in championship – 307 points
“We’re not happy today, but it’s happened often this year that we weren’t satisfied with fifth or sixth place in the race. This means that our perspective has completely changed. After the serious injury that caused me to miss two races, we had a strong middle part of the season where we were consistently among the top riders and always on the podium. For this, I want to thank the team and everyone who worked with me. We were the best independent team, no rider from a private team had ever achieved a triple victory, and we finished in the top five of the World Championship, so the balance is very positive. We’ve improved a lot throughout the season, and even in the races where we didn’t make the podium, we were competitive and qualified well. Making Barni, his family, and all the sponsors who supported us proud makes me incredibly proud of what I’ve accomplished. We’ll start from here in 2025 and aim to do even better.”
Michael van der Mark – 6th in championship – 245 points
“This year has been a dream for BMW and the entire team to take the world title and it has also been fantastic for me. I’ve been putting a lot of work in developing the bike together with BMW. They were always pushing. Even if the last two years have been unlucky they still trusted in me. I was building my pace, it was getting better and better, working together with Toprak. At a certain point we knew that the podium was coming and our goal was to be on the podium together. Unfortunately he wasn’t there at Magny-Cours but to finish the season this way, with the world title, his victory in the last race and me on the podium, it was fantastic for everyone in BMW.”
Andrea Locatelli – 7th in championship – 232 points
“It was a difficult Race 2 for us compared to the podium result yesterday. In the beginning, I was in third place and we started with a good pace, but then I struggled during the race to stop the bike and make better turning. It was hard to keep the rear grip, starting from the initial braking problem. Yesterday we had really good results and today the feeling was not the same, it was difficult to try to repeat the same result. It was also a difficult season, but we always pushed hard to stay on top and in the last rounds, we clearly made a step forward. This is something positive and now we need to analyse and prepare to work over the winter, keep our focus and improve in the same direction. We got some podiums this season which was good for myself and for the team – but it was not enough, we are here to fight to win! We keep pushing and look forward to the next season.”
Andrea Iannone – 8th in championship – 231 points
“I’m happy for the growing weekend we had. Fighting for the podium today was incredible and exciting until the end. I want to thank the team, Gianni Ramello and Denis Sacchetti. It was a very beautiful and intense year, I’m happy to be back and I had a lot of fun. I hope that next year we will be even more competitive. Finally, I want to thank WorldSBK and all the people who supported me during the championship.”
Garrett Gerloff – 9th in championship – 176 points
TBC
Remy Gardner – 10th in championship – 140 points
DNS / Injured
Xavi Vierge – 11th in championship – 137 points
“First of all, I wish Iker a speedy recovery. I hope he can come back as soon as possible because we need him on the team to continue growing. It’s disappointing to end the season this way, especially after we were able to turn things around mid-season and finish with some very strong races. Here at Jerez, we had the chance to finish in the top ten of the championship, but with the incident in Superpole and the penalty I received—undeserved, in my opinion—it completely affected my chances. I tried to recover as much as possible, but I destroyed the tyres in the process. It’s a real pity. That said, we need to focus on the positives. I want to thank Honda, HRC, and the entire team for their hard work. The start of the season was incredibly tough for everyone, but no one gave up. They put in maximum effort, and we’ve shown, for the first time since I joined the team, that we were able to end a season on a positive note, definitely stronger than how we started. This gives us a real boost, as we head into the winter break, to work even harder and close the gap to the front-runners with the aim of regularly fighting for the podium, which is what everyone on this team deserves.”
Iker Lecuona – 12th in championship – 134 points
I’m obviously very disappointed with how the season is ending, especially right before two important days of testing. Now we’ll immediately undergo all the necessary medical examinations to understand the best way forward so that I can be back in action as soon as possible. I leave Jerez with the knowledge that we were fast at this track too, and more than capable of fighting at the front, just as we’ve been able to do in all the recent races. We were not only able to reach the podium at Estoril but have also had many good results and good feelings. Now, the focus is on recovering as quickly as possible. A huge thank you to everyone on the team for all their hard work this year.”
Jonathan Rea – 13th in championship – 127 points
“A little bit more positive today than yesterday, but still below our expectations. From P16, I managed to put myself in a good position quite quickly in the Superpole Race, but I couldn’t hold off the attack from Domi and Bautista at the end. Unfortunately, again I was back in the grid to start the final race. I made quite a good start to be honest and forced some good passes in the first couple of laps. I found myself in P10, but didn’t have the “out and out” pace in the beginning and couldn’t take advantage of the new tyres – and we still really need to focus on improving the turning of the bike. When the initial tyre drop came for everybody, I managed to stay consistent – I was catching the group in front but we ran out of laps. It was a more solid race, P9 is not what the target was this weekend but if we look at the big picture it is a step forward. We used today as a little bit of a test and tried some big set-up changes on the bike to try to give us some direction for the beginning of the winter test. More back-to-back testing is needed though at the next Jerez test and we expect all our rivals to be there as a reference. It’s the end of a long and challenging season, we will regroup now as a team and work to come back stronger in 2025.”
Axel Bassani – 14th in championship – 108 points
“Today saw us ride the last two races with the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR, so it is the end of an era. I think it has been quite a challenging season and we struggled a lot but we tried always to do our maximum. In Race Two we finished inside the top ten, which is not bad as we were not a great distance from the rest of the guys. It has been hard at times this year but the team has continued to believe and try to help me every time. So thanks to them and to Kawasaki for the opportunity.”
Scott Redding – 15th in championship – 107 points
TBC
Dominique Aegerter – 16th in championship – 91 points
“First of all, I’m okay and that’s the most important thing. I’m really sorry for the guys, that’s not the way we wanted to finish the year, but let’s move on and head towards the future. Today’s races were not bad anyway, especially the sprint; my pace was good and I could fight for ninth until the end, which would have promoted my into third row for Race 2. Unfortunately I couldn’t take that place, narrowly missing out at the last lap. Then, in Race 2 pace was consistent and good again, and I was able to fight for ninth; I tried my best to stay as close as possible to the rider in front of me, but unfortunately I ended up crashing. I would like to thank all the team and Yamaha who supported me in this challenging season, we’ll be back stronger next year.”
Team Managers
Sven Blusch – Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport
To be honest, I’m speechless. This is a moment where Toprak and all of us together have made history. He and the entire team have truly achieved something historic, not only for BMW Motorrad but also for BMW as a whole.
“The World Championship title means an incredible amount to everyone in the company. We are very grateful to Toprak and all those who contributed to this success. A big thank you goes out to all our people on site, to the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, and to the staff in Munich, at the Berlin plant, and in Landshut.
“I think it will take us a few weeks to fully realise it. But as early as Tuesday, we will begin testing for the new season, with the clear goal of defending the title. This Sunday was another special day for the entire team. The joy of Mickey securing third place and both ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team riders standing together on the podium was immense. It was a fitting season finale for the team.
“The Bonovo action BMW Racing Team also gave a very strong performance this weekend. We want to thank them for everything, it was a great partnership, and we wish them all the best for the future.
“For us, it’s now time to take a short breather and then dive straight into preparations for the new season. But tonight, we will celebrate first!”
WorldSBK Standings
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | T Razgatlioglu | 527 |
| 2 | N Bulega | 484 |
| 3 | A Bautista | 357 |
| 4 | A Lowes | 316 |
| 5 | D Petrucci | 307 |
| 6 | M Mark | 245 |
| 7 | A Locatelli | 232 |
| 8 | A Iannone | 231 |
| 9 | G Gerloff | 176 |
| 10 | R Gardner | 140 |
| 11 | X Vierge | 137 |
| 12 | I Lecuona | 134 |
| 13 | J Rea | 127 |
| 14 | A Bassani | 108 |
| 15 | S Redding | 107 |
| 16 | D Aegerter | 91 |
| 17 | M Rinaldi | 78 |
| 18 | S Lowes | 53 |
| 19 | N Spinelli | 25 |
| 20 | T Rabat | 22 |
| 21 | B Ray | 14 |
| 22 | A Delbianco | 10 |
| 23 | T Mackenzie | 7 |
| 24 | P Oettl | 5 |
| 25 | M Pirro | 3 |
| 26 | M Reiterberger | 3 |
| 27 | I Lopes | 2 |
| 28 | T Nagashima | 1 |
