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2024 ROOKIES REVIEW: race winners, podium finishers and title challenges from this year’s rookie crop

Wednesday, 13 November 2024 07:17 GMT

    • Five rookies competed in WorldSBK full-time this season with big names returning to action and riders stepping up with impressive performances

    The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid featured five full-time rookies, all of whom had varying levels of success. Two claimed victories, with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) standing on the top step of the podium, while Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) was a race leader. The other two – Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) and teammate Adam Norrodin – didn’t have the same results but still showed glimpses of their potential throughout the season.

    NICOLO BULEGA (ARUBA.IT RACING - DUCATI): a title-chasing rookie campaign

    The #11 was a winner in just his first WorldSBK race and tasted victory on another five occasions as he finished runner-up behind Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in his rookie season. He stood on the podium a remarkable 24 times, a number bettered only by Razgatlioglu (27), and he finished 127 points clear of double WorldSBK Champion teammate Alvaro Bautista.

    ANDREA IANNONE (TEAM GOELEVEN): ‘The Maniac’ becomes a WorldSBK race winner

    After four years away from racing, it’s perhaps no surprise there were some inconsistencies in Iannone’s campaign, but ‘The Maniac’ produced plenty of moments to remember. A podium on debut in Australia was one and he claimed five rostrums in total. It took until the second half of the season but the #29 also took victory, winning Race 1 at Aragon to become the eighth different winner of a remarkable season.

    SAM LOWES (ELF MARC VDS RACING TEAM): a mix of highs and lows

    The #14 made the step from Moto2™ to WorldSBK for 2024 but remained with the Marc VDS outfit he’d enjoyed so much success with inside the Grand Prix paddock. Although he didn’t claim a rostrum finish, he took a best of sixth at Assen. He led two races during his rookie campaign, in Race 1 and Race 2 in Barcelona, although his Race 1 effort ended with a crash at Turn 10 while leading the field.

    TARRAN MACKENZIE (PETRONAS MIE RACING HONDA): wet-weather specialist

    Mackenzie came into WorldSBK off the back of a race-winning WorldSSP campaign when he mastered mixed conditions at Most, and it was in similar conditions he starred in WorldSBK. The #95 took advantage of rain at Estoril to put his CBR1000RR-R eighth on the grid. His best race result was 11th in Race 2 at Assen, where he narrowly missed out on finishing as the top Honda rider with Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) just a tenth ahead of him.

    ADAM NORRODIN (PETRONAS MIE RACING HONDA): an injury-hit campaign

    Malaysian rider Norrodin followed Mackenzie up from WorldSSP into WorldSBK as both remained with the same team. For Norrodin, it was a difficult season, with the #27 missing several races through injury. In the 16 races he competed in, he took a best of P17 at Assen in Race 1. His season ended after Race 1 at Portimao was injury kept him out of the seat for the second half of the season.

    Relive the best moments from the 2024 WorldSBK campaign using the WorldSBK VideoPass!