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12 rounds complete, history made and the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship in the record books. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed the title in stunning fashion after being pushed all the way by rookie sensation Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati), but how about the battle between teammates? Which riders came out on top against the first ones they want to beat?

BULEGA'S SUPERPOLE WHITEWASH: 12-0 when setting the grid, closer in races

Bulega had an incredible rookie campaign and that shows with his 12-0 Tissot Superpole dismantling of double Champion teammate Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati), although the Spaniard did close the gap in races. It finished 20-16 in favour of the #11 in 2024 as he finished as runner-up in the Championship, with Bulega averaging a 3.37 finishing position this season compared to Bautista’s 4.96. In Superpole, Bulega averaged 2.25 while Bautista just scraped a top-ten average, with 9.5.

RAZGATLIGOLU BEATS VAN DER MARK: 28-2 for ‘El Turco’

It’s no surprise that Razgatlioglu came out on top against Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) given he won the title. In the 30 races that can be compared – excluding the French and Italian Rounds as the 2024 Champion was injured – Razgatlioglu beat van der Mark 28-2. In Superpole, it was 10-0 in favour of the Turkish rider. Across 12 rounds, Razgatlioglu’s 527 points gave him an average of 43.92 per round, just shy of the 43.38 he won the title with in 2021, but discounting France and Cremona, his average across 10 rounds goes up to 52.70 points per round – the highest title-winning average since the three-race format was introduced (Bautista’s 52.33 in 2023 was the previous best).

ALEX LOWES BEATS BASSANI: 12-0 in Superpole, 29-7 in races

Alex Lowes had plenty of experience on the ZX-10RR to utilise in his fights in 2024 and that helped him beat teammate Axel Bassani at the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK outfit, with Bassani in his first year on the bike. The #22 finished 12-0 up in Superpole comparisons, and 29-7 in races as he battled for the top four in the Championship. The Brit’s average finishing position (when taking the chequered flag) was 5.04, while he averaged 4.58 in Superpole sessions. For Bassani, his averages were 11.79 and 13.50.

LOCATELLI BEATS REA: 24-9 in favour of ‘Loka’

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) came out on top against teammate Jonathan Rea after a season of struggle for the #65. The Italian beat Rea 24-9 in races, in the 33 that can be compared after the six-time Champion missed Cremona through injury. In Superpole, it was 8-3 in favour of Locatelli with Rea openly admitting his Superpole challenges since switching to the Yamaha R1. For the average position, the #55 averaged 7.45 compared to Rea’s 10.13.

LECUONA ON TOP AT HONDA: #7 wins in races, level in Superpole

At Honda, 30 races can be compared to Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and teammate Xavi Vierge, with the former coming out on top in races 18-12 while it was all-square in the ten comparable Superpole sessions – the duo have often been closely-matched throughout their three seasons together. This is reflected in their average finishing positions of 9.88 for Lecuona and 10.9 for Vierge, while the gap was a bit bigger in Superpole: 12.25 for Vierge and 14.10 for Lecuona.

Superpole head-to-head

Aruba.it Racing – Ducati: Alvaro Bautista 0-12 Nicolo Bulega 

ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: Toprak Razgatlioglu 10-0 Michael van der Mark

Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK: Alex Lowes 12-0 Axel Bassani

Pata Prometeon Yamaha: Andrea Locatelli 8-3 Jonathan Rea

Team HRC: Iker Lecuona 5-5 Xavi Vierge

Race head-to-head

Aruba.it Racing – Ducati: Alvaro Bautista 16-20 Nicolo Bulega 

ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: Toprak Razgatlioglu 28-2 Michael van der Mark

Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK: Alex Lowes 29-7 Axel Bassani

Pata Prometeon Yamaha: Andrea Locatelli 24-9 Jonathan Rea

Team HRC: Iker Lecuona 18-12 Xavi Vierge

Relive the best moments from an unforgettable 2024 season using the WorldSBK VideoPass!