The second round of the 2024 FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) took place from March 22 to 24 at the Barcelona – Catalunya circuit in Spain.
In the WSBK category, during the Super Pole session, rider #54 Toprak Razgatlioglu set a new record lap time of 1 minute 39.489 seconds, securing pole position for the first race. Nicolo Bulega on #11 and Andrea Iannone on #29 followed in second and third places on the starting grid.
In the opening race, an intense battle unfolded between Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR, BMW M 1000 RR, and Ducati Panigale V4 R. Bulega led with a four-second advantage before his tires wore excessively. Razgatlioglu made a last-lap pass to claim his maiden victory with BMW. Bulega and defending World Champion Alvaro Bautista (#1) finished in second and third positions respectively.
Razgatlioglu’s triumph marked BMW’s second-ever race win in WorldSBK history – an achievement at a circuit that has historically been challenging for BMW Motorrad. The last time a BMW inline-four superbike won a race was at the Nurburgring in Germany in 2013, while their last Super Pole Race victory came at Portimao in Portugal in 2021.
The 10-lap Super Pole Race saw Razgatlioglu victorious, with Iannone finishing just 0.075 seconds behind in second, and Bautista securing third place.
In the second race, it was predominantly a showcase for the Ducati factory team. By the end of the first half, both factory riders established a strong lead. Bautista ultimately won the race, with teammate Bulega over two seconds back in second. Razgatlioglu completed the podium in third place.
