WorldSBK 2024 Half Season Review: Assessing the First Half of the Season
The 2024 Superbike World Championship has reached its halfway point. Riders and teams in the SBK series are now taking stock of the first six races of the year. Here, we review how the season is progressing for the main players in SBK 2024!
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and ROKiT BMW: the dream is possible
What started as a questionable move—Toprak switching from Yamaha to BMW—has become the epic story of 2024. The Turkish rider began the season in Australia with modest, yet understandable results given his debut, even scoring a zero due to an engine explosion on his M1000RR. But he bounced back in Barcelona, securing BMW's first victory after a sensational last-corner pass. Since then, he has only progressed further. Now, the genius of Toprak has won 10 consecutive races, thus extending his lead for the title.
BMW ROKiT's resurgence is largely due to Toprak's talent, but it's clear the Bavarian brand hasn't been idle either, as evidenced by Michael Van der Mark's improved results.
Check out the ROKiT BMW Motorrad collection at the WorldSBK Store to see why it’s the best-selling among all WorldSBK team collections! If you’re a fan of Toprak, check out his merchandise collection, no matter where he races. We also have Van der Mark merch in the traditional Dutch Orange!
Bautista, Bulega, and Aruba.it Ducati: double trouble!
The situation at Aruba.it Ducati is twice as good as last year, with rookie Niccolò Bulega's performance surprising everyone and Álvaro Bautista remaining a title favorite.
However, despite having both riders in leading positions in the standings, there are headaches in the official Ducati Corse team box. Bautista has admitted to not feeling as comfortable with the bike as last season, losing the feeling he had with the Panigale V4R due to the modifications required to adapt to the new weight regulations.
For his part, although Niccolò Bulega started the season with a historic win at Phillip Island—the first time a rookie from Supersport won on their Superbike debut—the Italian now faces a new challenge: the pressure of fighting for the title while still learning new circuits on the Panigale V4R. This only adds to the merit of his excellent performance.
The Ducati Corse and Aruba.it Ducati collection is a must-have for any tifosi. This season, we also debut Niccolò Bulega’s merch collection, which complements Álvaro Bautista’s merchandise.
Kawasaki Racing Team with Lowes and Bassani: better than expected
After Jonathan Rea’s departure, marking the end of an era for the green team and WorldSBK history, many wondered if Alex Lowes could step up as the lead rider for Akashi's brand. The British rider’s answer has been a resounding yes on the track.
Lowes started with a spectacular win at Phillip Island, getting 6 more podiums in this half of the season. His results have been much more consistent than in previous seasons, currently placing him fourth in the championship.
Meanwhile, his teammate Axel Bassani is debuting on the Ninja ZX-10RR. The bike is very different from the Ducati he rode last year, and the young Italian rider is still adapting. His progress has earned him a renewal for 2025, as it did for his teammate.
2024 is the last year to grab the Kawasaki Racing Team merch! Next season, the team will debut with the Bimota by Kawasaki project and change colors. In the meantime, it’s time to grab the green—one of the most popular collections among SBK fans.
Rea and Locatelli at Prometeon Pata Yamaha: singing the blues
At Prometeon Pata Yamaha, Andrea Locatelli started the year with two podiums at Phillip Island, despite crashing in Race 2. Throughout this first part of the season, he has only been able to achieve one more podium, which was in Most. Though he is a regular in the chasing group and sits fifth in the standings.
Jonathan Rea’s switch to Yamaha SBK was one of the major headlines for the 2024 WorldSBK season. After a promising preseason, the year started disastrously for the six-time world champion. Since then, Rea hasn't been able to find the same good feelings on the Yamaha YZF-R1 that he had on the Kawasaki. So far, the season has been a disappointment. Will Jonathan be able to recover in the second half?
All Pata Yamaha merch is available at the WorldSBK store, as well as Jonathan Rea’s collection. For Locatelli fans, we also introduce the Loka55 collection, featuring the characteristic bucket hat the Italian rider wears on the grid!
Gardner, Aegerter and GRT Yamaha: mixed feelings
Remy Gardner began his second WorldSBK season strongly. The Australian rider secured his first podium at Assen WorldSBK and fights for top positions, marking a significant step forward in his second Superbike season, making him the best independent rider in the standings.
In contrast, his teammate Dominique Aegerter’s season has been more challenging. The Swiss rider has yet to reach the podium this year or enter the top 5 in any race. It's been a tougher-than-usual year, which he will surely try to improve in the second half of the season.
GRT Yamaha riders debut their merch at the SBK Store! Check out Remy Gardner 87’s new collection on our website, as well as Dominique Aegerter 77’s collection with matching cap and shirt.
Barni Racing Team and Danilo Petrucci
Danilo Petrucci and the Barni Racing Team are having an interesting season, especially in the battle to be the best independent Ducati team. In this fight, Danilo secured a podium during Race 2 at Phillip Island, starting the season strong.
Unfortunately, Petrucci suffered a severe training accident just before the Dutch Round, causing him to miss the Assen races. Despite this setback, Petrux returned strong at Misano, and in the last race of the half-season in Most, he won Race 1. As a result, he is still in the fight to be the best independent rider by the end of the season.
Fans of the popular Italian team Barni Racing are in luck: Barni SBK merch is available in our store, as well as Danilo Petrucci’s merch, featuring the Petrux #9 logo by which Danilo is popularly known among fans worldwide.