WorldSBK hits Assen this weekend – Preview – Schedule

WorldSBK 2024 – Round Three
Assen – Preview

A track steeped in history where the fans breathe a passion for motorcycle racing, and a 2024 WorldSBK Championship that has seen three last-lap deciders in the first six races of the season. The TT Circuit Assen welcomes WorldSBK for round three this weekend.

Toprak Razgatlioglu took a dramatic first win for BMW last time out after managing his tyre to beat Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in the opening race on Saturday in Barcelona, whilst in the Superpole Race, he denied Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with a great last lap, last corner pass.

Toprak Razgatlioglu

“I am very happy to come back to Assen again. We don’t know yet how the weather will be, but it is always a bit difficult there. It looks like it will be cold and with maybe some rain; we will see. It’s Mickey’s home race and maybe he can help me a little bit because it’s my first time there with BMW and Mickey is always strong there so maybe he can help me with some lines and some data. We are always working together and I am very happy for that. My target is to fight for the podium again, but I am there with the BMW M 1000 RR for the first time and maybe my feeling is very good and I will be fighting for the win. We will see at the race weekend. In general I am happy, and as it is Mickey’s home race, I hope that we finish the race on the podium together. I am ready, I keep training every day, and I was pushing especially in the past five days with training two or three times per day. I’m feeling really ready to fight, and everyone in the team works a lot. This is also a very good motivation for me. We have done a very good job so far and I think we can also do so at Assen. We will see at the race weekend.”

Assen is the home race for Razgatlioglu’s teammate, BMW Motorrad factory rider Michael van der Mark (NED), who recently showed his return to the top field with top-four results at Barcelona (ESP).

Michael van der Mark

“It’s really nice to come to Assen, my home round, and I think that we come there at the right time. We had two very good rounds before arriving at Assen with a lot of confidence which is always nice so I’m looking forward to it. It will be a busy weekend for me with a lot of friends and family but it’s great. It’s only once a year so I will enjoy it and I think we’ve shown now that the base of the bike is really good and we can be really competitive. My goal for the weekend is to fight for the podiums and it would be fantastic to get on the podium at my home round.”

Inexperience may have cost Bulega victory in Barcelona, and bad starts may also be complicating matters further, but he leads the way into round three after undergoing surgery to help reduce arm-pump in the lead-up to this round.

17 wins, 25 podiums: they aren’t career stats – some riders would be happy with that – but they are Jonathan Rea’s (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) Assen stats. Remarkable isn’t a strong enough word for just how good the six-time World Champion is at the Dutch venue, although he’s not been able to win there since 2022. He’s not had the start to his Yamaha journey that he’d have liked with just eight-points achieved from six races, although there was a small breakthrough during Barcelona and he will be hoping his season really starts at ‘The Cathedral of Speed’.

Jonathan Rea

“I’m really excited to go to Assen because it’s a track I really enjoy, I’ve had a lot of success there in the past and I feel it’s going to be a really strong circuit for the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK as well. As always with Assen in April, we need to pay attention to the weather. It will be the first time this season that we will experience really cool conditions, so hopefully on Friday we can get a good feeling with my bike, my crew and step by step work to have a good race package that we can fight for a good result with on Saturday and Sunday. It’s always a really nice event in the Netherlands, lots of fans and lots of travelling support for me coming from the UK as well. I have high expectations for the weekend and I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in.”

For team-mate Andrea Locatelli, the Italian has had a podium every year at Assen, including a first of his WorldSBK career in 2021.

Andrea Locatelli

“I’m really happy to be back on track this week in Assen. Thinking about the first two rounds, we were able to be in the front group always to show our potential – in Phillip Island, especially. Barcelona was a bit of a tricky track for us, but in Race 1 we finished not so far from the front with P5. Race 2 was a bit unlucky, but I think overall, we have started the season in a good way. It has been a good start with some new guys on the team and with my Crew Chief, Tom. We have taken a step and improved a lot, and also with my confidence on the bike – these are important things. Assen is a really nice circuit, fast and flowing, and I love to ride it! Every year we have achieved a podium there, so it would be nice to continue the tradition and have the opportunity to get another one! In the past few weeks, I have been working on some final recovery on my knee but it is close to 100% and the feeling is good. I also met with Tom to organise our plan for the weekend and I think we have all the key things to be fast there, so let’s see. We want to be positive and I believe we can fight to be back on the podium.”

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Likewise fast at Assen, watch out for top six finishers from 2023 Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Remy Gardner.

Dominique Aegerter

“We’re finally back after one month, I cannot wait to be in Assen! I have fond memories in Netherlands from my WorldSSP years and from last season as well, we had some good races there. Overall I like the track and I’m confident we could have a good round. It’s good we’ll have some data from last year and I really hope to have a stable sunny weather throughout the weekend, but we should pay attention to the forecast as here everything could change quite quickly.”

Remy Gardner

“This track should be good for our bike, so I’m really looking forward to Assen. I like the circuit as well, we had a solid Race 2 last year there. Of course we should be careful to the weather, conditions could change quickly and we’ll need to react fast and be ready for every situation. I’m confident we could have a strong weekend in Netherlands, so I cannot wait to start and to see the team again.”

It’s been a circuit of firsts for Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the past with a first fastest lap and podium in 2014 and then a first pole in 2018. Now for Kawasaki, he’s joint-second in the Championship and just 12 points away from Bulega; Kawasaki have won 13 of the last 19 races at Assen but nothing since 2022; Lowes has been competitive in 2024 and will have eyes on a podium, whereas teammate Axel Bassani has always been inside the top ten before – albeit for Ducati – but will hope he can fight inside the top ten again.

Alex Lowes

“Assen is a great track and a really fun layout. It’s a circuit I’ve always enjoyed riding at. We know how close WorldSBK is this year and we also know that Friday is going to be so important. We need to work hard from FP1 to put us up front for the Superpole Qualifying session. From there I believe we can fight for the podium – but let’s focus on Friday and then go from there. Assen is always a busy event with lots of support, so I’m excited about getting out to the Netherlands.”

Axel Bassani

“Finally we will come back to race. I like going to Assen a lot and it is a circuit with a lot of history. It is a difficult one because it is really fast and it is not easy to find a good line in the fast corners. The first sector is really slow but the rest of the track is really nice. I hope it will be better for us than Barcelona because it was difficult. I hope that we can have good weather at Assen but we will see. We will continue to do our jobs, to try to push, to enjoy it and then we will see what happens over the weekend.”

After suffering a first crash in race conditions in Race 2 at Barcelona, Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) aims to bounce back at Assen, the first track where there’s been no prior testing, so it will be interesting to see how he and the rest of the rookies get on. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) has already led race laps in 2024 but now just needs to work on tyre life and managing the race simulation, although the pace is undoubtedly present. Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) has had a Superbike podium in 2018 in BSB so is back on familiar territory, whilst it will be a first Superbike experience for team-mate Adam Norrodin at the famous Dutch venue.

Despite a podium already in 2024, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) will miss the Dutch Round after suffering a motocross fall in training. The Italian crashed in Italy last week and had to undergo surgery after suffering injuries to his shoulder blade, collarbone, and jaw. He will be replaced by Nicholas Spinelli, who makes his WorldSBK debut.

Further back and completing the top ten in the standings, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) seeks a return to the top six competition, whereas team-mate Scott Redding has stated that his aim is that too. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) has enjoyed podiums at Assen but didn’t manage a top ten in Barcelona where he was previously a winner.

Garrett Gerloff

“I’m looking forward to Assen. It’s a track that I really enjoy and a track that I feel that I flow very well with. I think also that with some of the changes we have made with the bike it will be a good track for the BMW M 1000 RR and something that I can flow on. I’m looking forward to getting to the track and to seeing my team again after a couple of weeks off and putting our heads down and try to do the best we can.”

Scott Redding

“I’m really looking forward to Assen. It is a track that I really love! A lot of history there and I enjoy racing on circuits like this. This weekend I am hoping for more potentially after finding some good directions at the end of the Barcelona race weekend. I hope for good weather and I look forward to seeing all the fans at the Cathedral of Speed.”

Team HRC riders Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona will be looking to bounce back after a challenging second round at the riders’ home track of Barcelona. Both men have continued to train hard since the last race weekend, with the aim of putting together a stronger and more consistent performance over the course of the entire weekend. Both riders enjoy the Dutch track and have significant experience there, which they hope can be of benefit as they set out to make good inroads already on Friday. The team’s best result to date at this particular track was a third-place finish for Lecuona in 2022.

Xavi Vierge

“We arrive at an iconic track for the third round of the season. I love Assen and am eager to get back to racing after a long break. We’ve had time to analyse and reflect on how things went in Catalunya, to unwind and relax, while, of course, continuing to train hard. I also had a great time visiting the HRC MXGP team in Sardinia, a weekend I thoroughly enjoyed with our fellow Honda riders, which motivates me even more. We know our current situation is not easy, but I’m looking forward to working with my team and the HRC engineers, to understand how to improve and be prepared to fight for strong results.”

Iker Lecuona

“Assen brings back some of my best World Superbike memories of course, because I achieved a podium finish and had some strong races in the past, in MotoGP too. Having said that, after struggling so much in Catalunya, I anticipate a tough weekend ahead. But we cannot really know until we get back on track. It would be great if we could find a way with the bike setup because I really enjoy the track, so let’s see.”

WorldSBK Championship Points

WorldSSP

The FIM Supersport World Championship continues its thrilling season with a trip to the Netherlands, and the iconic TT Circuit Assen. A track steeped in history and full of iconic moments, 2024 is sure to be no different for the WorldSSP field as the action heats up for Round 3, the Pirelli Dutch Round. There have been three winners and five riders on the podium so far this season, so will there be a new name to add to the list or will frontrunners start pulling clear?

Four points separate Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), with Montella taking two wins to Schroetter’s none so far, although he has been close with four podiums out of four. On 65 points and seven away from the German is Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing), who was the Race 2 Barcelona winner and has three podiums to his name. At his team’s home race, can the #62 add to his win tally and close the gap? The other rider to win this year is Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) but a win, a podium and two crashes means he’s down in fifth, but will the #99 be able to change his mixed fortunes at Assen?

Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) has enjoyed a strong start to life on the MV Agusta, running inside the top eight in all four races this season but his next step will be to target a podium. One of the most experienced riders on the grid, perhaps Assen will be where he grabs his first MV Agusta rostrum. Elsewhere, French riders Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) and Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) both enjoyed a strong Barcelona, fighting in the lead group, with Mahias coming away with a podium. He was on the rostrum in 2017 with Yamaha machinery and will be looking to repeat that, while Debise has taken fifth in three races this year. He’s only stood on the podium in France while in WorldSSP but he’ll hope his strong form means this changes this weekend.

Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) sits sixth in the standings and is going in search of his first podium and win of the season, although Assen is a circuit he’s only made the top ten once at. For Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), it’s a return to where his 2023 season effectively ended following his crash with Montella last season and he’ll be hoping to put everything behind him with a strong result in the Netherlands. He was quick in Barcelona but faded as the race went on, but perhaps Assen will be different for the #61 at a circuit he’s had a podium at, back in Race 2 in 2022.

There will be three Aussies in the WorldSSP mix with Oli Bayliss looking to move further inside the top ten on the points table while countrymen Tom Toparis and Luke Power will do battle in the European challenge sub-category.

Two wildcard riders will race at Assen, and both will be looking to give the passionate Dutch crowd something to cheer on home soil. Twan Smits (Team Apreco) has been in the paddock before, competing in WorldSSP300 in 2021 as a wildcard as well as Portimao last year in WorldSSP where he took a best of 20th. It’ll be a debut for Wiljan van Wikselaar (WST WIXX Racing Ducati), who won the Dutch Supersport championship last year and is competing in IDM Supersport in 2024. He’s also competed in the Dakar Rally.

WorldSSP Championship Points

WorldSSP300

Following his triumph in Race 2 at Barcelona, Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) heads to Assen leading the standings. The Spanish rider aims to maintain his fine form despite lacking previous success at Assen. Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) stands second in the standings, tied with Iglesias Bravo in points. It will be Mahendra’s first WorldSSP300 race at Assen, although he is familiar with the track from his FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup campaign.

Local hero Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-PALIGO Racing) is yet to secure a win at his home round. Confident after his recent race win and with a podium finish already at the Dutch track, his focus is undoubtedly on claiming his first win at Assen.

Julio Garcia Gonzalez (Kove Racing Team), Bruno Ieraci (Team ProDina Kawasaki), and Samuel Di Sora (ARCO MotoR University Team), all podium finishers in Barcelona, will also be contenders to watch in Assen. Di Sora has previously secured two podium finishes at Assen. Another rider to keep an eye on in Assen is Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki), a double race winner in the 2023 edition.

WorldSSP 300 Championship Points

2024 FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup Points

Assen WorldSBK Schedule (AEST)

2024 WorldSBK Calendar