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The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads for a title decider at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for the final round of the season. The Prometeon Spanish Round will be where the 2024 Champion is crowned, either Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) or Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati), with the BMW rider holding a 46-point advantage before the round. But how did we get to this point?

ROUND 1 – PHILLIP ISLAND GRAND PRIX CIRCUIT

Winners: Bulega (Race 1), Alex Lowes (Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Alex Lowes (50 points), Bulega (41 points), Locatelli (29 points)

Australia kicked off a new era in WorldSBK, and what better way to show that than a new rider winning? Bulega stunned in Race 1 with a strategic masterclass, before Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) claimed the double on Sunday to lead the standings heading back to Europe. As for Razgatlioglu, a technical issue in Race 2 halted his progress, leaving Australia P8 in the standings after a Superpole Race podium.

ROUND 2 – CIRCUIT DE BARCELONA-CATALUNYA

Winners: Razgatlioglu (Race 1, Superpole Race), Bautista (Race 2)

Championship top three: Bulega (87 points), Bautista (75 points), Alex Lowes (75 points)

Razgatlioglu didn’t have to wait long for his first BMW win, claiming two in Barcelona including a Valentino Rossi-style pass on Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) in the Superpole Race. The #1 responded in Race 2 with his first victory of the season, and Razgatlioglu had moved up to P4 in the standings – behind Bulega, Bautista and Alex Lowes.

ROUND 3 – TT CIRCUIT ASSEN

Winners: Spinelli (Race 1), Bautista (Superpole Race), Razgatlioglu (Race 2)

Championship top three: Bautista (123 points), Razgatlioglu (117 points), Bulega (109 points)

Assen was the scene of shocks as Nicholas Spinelli (Barni Spark Racing Team) rocked up in place of the injured Danilo Petrucci… and won. Bautista and Razgatlioglu shared the Sunday spoils, although little did anyone know at the time the run ‘El Turco’ was about to embark on…

ROUND 4 – MISANO WORLD CIRCUIT “MARCO SIMONCELLI”

Winners: Razgatlioglu (Race 1, Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (179 points), Bulega (158 points), Bautista (155 points)

After his first wins with BMW came the first hat-trick. A dominant performance in Italy gave Razgatlioglu all three wins and the Championship lead, something he hasn’t relinquished since taking it. Bulega was second in all three races to limit the damage as he moved ahead of Bautista in the standings.

ROUND 5 – DONINGTON PARK

Winners: Razgatlioglu (Race 1, Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (241 points), Bulega (200 points), Bautista (186 points)

Another hat-trick soon followed for the 2021 Champion as WorldSBK headed to his favourite circuit. His most crushing victory yet, by more than 11 seconds, in Race 1 set the tone for the weekend as he extended his lead in the standings over Bulega to 41 points.

ROUND 6 – AUTODROM MOST

Winners: Razgatlioglu (Race 1, Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (303 points), Bulega (239 points), Bautista (199)

A hat-trick of hat-tricks for Razgatlioglu as he made it three in a row in the Czech Republic, redemption after his 2023 retirement there. Bulega was second in both races on Sunday to again stem the bleeding, while Bautista’s double DNF – crashing out in the Superpole Race after a fight with Bulega and at the start of Race 2 – dropped him 104 points back from Razgatlioglu.

ROUND 7 – AUTODROMO INTERNACIONAL DO ALGARVE

Winners: Razgatlioglu (Race 1, Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (365 points), Bulega (273 points), Bautista (223 points)

A sunset showdown at Portimao welcomed WorldSBK in August and Razgatlioglu yet again scored a maximum 62 points, moving his tally to 365 and already 92 points clear of Bulega, while Bautista was 50 points further back. Bulega’s Race 2 P2 somewhat limited the damage but ‘El Turco’ was starting to pull clear.

ROUND 8 – CIRCUIT DE NEVERS MAGNY-COURS

Winners: van der Mark (Race 1), Bulega (Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (365 points), Bulega (310 points), Bautista (243 points)

The Championship turned on its head at Magny-Cours. Razgatlioglu’s FP2 crash ruled him out of the French Round and the Italian Round next up, giving Bulega and Bautista the chance to take big points out of his lead. Bulega’s Sunday double meant he clawed back 37 points, but would he regret not taking anything in Race 1?

ROUND 9 – CREMONA CIRCUIT

Winners: Petrucci (Race 1, Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (365 points), Bulega (352 points), Bautista (283 points)

With Razgatlioglu still out of action, Bulega had the chance to take the Championship lead. Second in Race 1 and third in Race 2 helped but with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) taking an emotional hat-trick, Bulega remained second in the standings, 13 points behind the #54. Bautista had also closed the gap, now sitting 82 points back.

ROUND 10 – MOTORLAND ARAGON

Winners: Iannone (Race 1), Bautista (Superpole Race, Race 2)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (414 points), Bulega (375 points), Bautista (333 points)

Spain was up next and Razgatlioglu returned to action, taking three second places in his first races back from injury. That helped him extend his Championship lead back up to 39 points, with Bulega’s technical issue in Race 1 giving him a non-score. Bautista’s two Sunday wins helped him claw back some ground, but he was still 81 points back and close to being out of mathematical contention.

ROUND 11 – CIRCUITO ESTORIL

Winners: Razgatlioglu (Race 1, Race 2), Bulega (Superpole Race)

Championship top three: Razgatlioglu (473 points), Bulega (427 points), Bautista (356 points)

The penultimate round of the season came from the Circuito Estoril, and it duly delivered a showdown between two title contenders. Razgatlioglu won Race 1 and Race 2 but in the Superpole Race, Bulega came out on top by just 0.003s – the closest-ever WorldSBK finish. With Bautista’s Race 1 crash, he was officially out of contention, with Razgatlioglu and Bulega separated by 46 points heading into the season finale at Jerez.

Who will come out on top in the title-deciding round? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now only €9.99!