Some teams and riders opted to stay in Italy after the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round for a two-day test at the Cremona Circuit ahead of its scheduled first MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship round in September. The fastest time of the test was recorded by Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) on Day 1, with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) finishing as the fastest rider on Day 2 but slower than the #54’s time overall.

RAZGATLIOGLU CONTINUES IN P1: faster than the previous Cremona test

Despite it being Razgatlioglu’s first test at Cremona, the 2021 Champion was faster than the previous best time set by Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) by a few tenths. Coming into the test on the back of a Misano hat-trick, he set a 1’28.578s for P1 on Day 1 and overall while also completing 78 laps on his M 1000 RR; the #54 only tested on Day 1. Teammate Michael van der Mark was fifth in the combined standings after he set a 1’29.098s on Day 2, with the Dutchman focused on testing setups on his M 1000 RR during his test. The #60 only took part on Day 1 and the morning of Day 2 but was still able to rack up 107 laps during his first time at the track.

LOTS OF LAPS FOR KAWASAKI: Lowes P2 in the combined standings, Bassani third on Day 2

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was the fastest KRT rider at the test, putting in a late lap of 1’28.790s to claim first place on Thursday and second overall in the classification, pipping Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) by 0.132s. Compared to Razgatlioglu’s Day 1 time, the #22 was around two tenths slower. Teammate Axel Bassani was third in the Day 2 classification after he set a 1’28.935s as both riders racked up a huge number of laps. Lowes completed 149 across the two days, while Bassani lapped the Cremona Circuit 143 times. For the Brit, the test was about learning the track and setting up his ZX-10RR for the new-for-WorldSBK circuit; KRT didn’t take part in the first test back in May. It was similar for ‘El Bocia’ as he got up to speed at the venue, while he also worked on the setup of his bike.

MORE PROGRESS FOR HONDA? Lecuona third overall, second fastest on Day 2

After his best weekend of 2024 by far, Lecuona was strong at Cremona too. His best time was a 1’28.922s, set on Day 2, as he finished just over a tenth behind Lowes. The #7 added 97 laps to his belt to go with the 99 he set during the first Cremona test back in May, while teammate Xavi Vierge was sixth overall across both days. His best time was a 1’29.349s and he completed 123 laps across both days. With Honda’s previous test at the track, albeit with conditions not exactly the same, it’s possible to compare times. Lecuona's previous best was a 1’29.787s, so he’s found around eight tenths, while Vierge has improved from a 1’30.135s; a similar margin to Lecuona’s gain. For Honda, the test was about refining setup and continuing to make small steps, including on electronics and setup, after a challenging season so far, although they headed into the test after three top-ten finishes at Misano, while they also tested tyres from Pirelli that were at the previous round. Honda’s test finished at lunchtime on the second day.

LEADING THE WORLD SUPERSPORT FIELD: Sofuoglu on top, Montella fastest on Day 1

In WorldSSP, one-time race winner Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was on top on Day 2 after he set a 1’31.866s with 50 laps under his belt, finishing ahead of teammate Marcel Schroetter in second. The two MV Agusta riders were separated by just a few tenths. French rider Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) secured third on Day 2 with a 1’32.361s and 64 laps recorded. On Day 1, Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was the fastest WorldSSP rider after the #55 posted a 1’32.579s but he did not test on Day 2.

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