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After the mayhem of Magny-Cours, the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock will be hoping for a calm Cremona weekend. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati), and Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) were all injured during an action-packed French Round less than two weeks ago, with Rea sitting out the Acerbis Italian Round.

RAZGATLIOGLU’S COMEBACK? Just two weeks on from his big crash…

Razgatlioglu is the most seriously injured of the trio. His crash in Friday practice left him lucky to escape without more serious injuries but while his injury is a “mild traumatic pneumothorax” it’s one that is difficult to recover from in just 13 days. The BMW star is the big name draw in WorldSBK and his absence over the last weekend was noted by all, but it opened a door for others to fill a void.

TITLE RACE IMPLICATIONS: the potential for a big swing?

With his teammate Bautista having crashed out of the Superpole Race, the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati honour was led by Nicolo Bulega in France. A double win, Bulega’s first since the opening day of the 2024 season, was impressive and necessary. With a 55-point deficit to make up, Bulega needs a perfect weekend at Cremona to have a title chance. For BMW and Razgatlioglu, the question becomes one of risk versus reward. If the Turkish superstar misses this weekend, the worst-case scenario is that he returns seven points behind in the standings. With Aragon, Estoril and Jerez remaining you would certainly fancy his chances of outscoring Bulega over the final weeks of the campaign.

BMW’S SITUATION: history awaits… but is there a big call to make?

It might be prudent for BMW to look to rest their rider but...it would be a very brave call to make. BMW are on the verge of making history and winning a World Championship. They can only do this with a fit and motivated Razgatlioglu. Toprak is the most unique rider in WorldSBK, and he has shown before that he won’t be fooled twice by a manufacturer. If you cross a line with him, he won’t let you come back. The relationship can be over with one mistake. BMW will know this and will therefore have to leave the call entirely in Toprak’s hands if he wants to race this weekend.

It’s a fascinating situation. Everyone wants to see Toprak race. Everyone wants to see BMW become a title winning manufacturer because it’s good for WorldSBK. The question now is whether we’ll see Razgatlioglu line up on the grid. The betting market would be set as more likely to race than less likely.

CONTRASTS FOR REA AND AEGERTER: missing a round with different impacts…

The same can’t be said for Yamaha. The walking wounded boys in blue are without Rea and Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) this weekend. Yamaha has called up their World Endurance riders Nicolo Canepa and Marvin Fritz to fill the void. There’ll be no pressure on either but for Rea and Aegerter, the break is an interesting contrast. Rea has nothing to gain by racing so soon after a skin graft on his right thumb. Aegerter is fighting for his future and needs to race soon if he’s to stay on the WorldSBK grid next year. A return to the World Supersport class remains a possibility so sitting out Cremona couldn’t come at a worse time for the Swiss rider.

ALL EYES ON CREMONA: what to expect from the newest WorldSBK venue?

What can we expect of Cremona? It’s a brand-new circuit that the majority of the field has tested at in recent months. The Italian venue has been excited about their debut WorldSBK event and, it’s fair to say, when the bikes roll down pitlane on Friday all eyes will be glued to see who’s there...and who isn’t.

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