STUNNING OVERTAKES: race-defining moves from the 2024 Dutch Round!
With rain falling at different times during all three races, every move was on the line, but some stood out even more…
The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s visit to the iconic TT Circuit Assen produced everything you would have expected. A shock winner, incredible fights for the win and impressive overtakes that left the crowd in awe. Here, we have a look at just some of the best moves – successful or otherwise – that came from the three races during the Pirelli Dutch Round.
AROUND THE OUTSIDE: Iannone’s attempt on Gardner at the Geert Timmer Chicane
Most overtakes at the final chicane come by diving down the inside, but Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) had other ideas when fighting Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in Race 2. The #87 defended the inside line but with Iannone having a slight pace advantage at that time, he tried to sweep around the outside of the first right-hander of the GT Chicane. Gardner had the ideal line though and he held position, but it showed that it’s possible to try moves around the outside there too.
OPENING LAP OVERTAKE: Rea utilises Turn 7…
The opening lap can always bring unusual overtaking hotspots and that was no different at Assen. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was on the charge in the early stages of Race 2 with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) just ahead, until they got to Turn 7. At the left-hand corner, Rea dived up the inside of the rookie to move into a provisional P3 as he went in search of a maiden Yamaha rostrum.
RACE 1, LAP 1: Spinelli makes overtakes left, right and centre…
With rain falling before the race, tyre choice was up in the air. Everyone except Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and Nicholas Spinelli (Barni Spark Racing Team) opted for slicks, with ‘Loka’ on an intermediate front and Spinelli and intermediate front and rear. It paid off for super-sub Spinelli, who moved up from 11th on the grid as he overtook all the slick-tyre runners to claim a stunning, and unexpected, Race 1.
BAUTISTA GOES UP TWO PLACES IN TWO CORNERS: opportunistic from the Champion
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) had to make a dramatic comeback in the Tissot Superpole Race, dropping from seventh on the grid to ninth on Lap 1, before fighting his way to victory lane. The #1 pulled off an incredible two moves in two corners with four laps to go, first going up the inside of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at the exit of Turn 3 before holding a tighter line against Rea at Turn 4, moving the reigning Champion from fourth to second.
THE TURN 8 HOTSPOT: Gardner vs Razgatlioglu
A maiden WorldSBK podium was on the line for Gardner in Race 2, and he grabbed the bull by the horns. He moved into second place in Race 2 when he overtook Razgatlioglu at the right-hander of Turn 8 with Bautista right in front. Although he was unable to hold onto second following Razgatlioglu’s charge to victory, the #87 came home in third for a rostrum; something he’d been threatening to secure for a while but kept falling just short.
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