Tito Rabat just seven tenths from provisional pole in practice at Portimao
The seventh WorldSBK round has commenced at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal in extremely hot conditions.
In light of the typical August temperatures, the weekend’s schedule has been modified, moving the sessions back so that Friday’s FP2 and the weekend’s races run in the late afternoon.
The first free practice got underway at 1.15pm local time. Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider Tito Rabat set a time of 1’42”697 to place eighteenth.
In the day’s second and final practice, which began at 6pm, Rabat was able to improve significantly on his lap time (1’41”424), closing in sixteenth position, just 0.743 of a second from provisional pole. A result that bodes well for tomorrow, when the Spaniard will be back out for Superpole and, in the early evening, Race 1.
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal
Superbike World Championship
Combined free practice results: 1) Petrucci (Ducati) – 2) Bautista (Ducati) – 3) Razgatlioglu (BMW) – 4) Bulega (Ducati) – 5) Aegerter (Yamaha)……….16) Rabat (Kawasaki).
Tito Rabat: “Today we really did a good job. We’ve never been so close to the front. I didn’t have the best feeling with my bike this morning, but in FP2 we improved a lot and used the tyres that we’ll use in the race. We still have room to improve, something we’ll try to do in FP3, to be ready for the Superpole and race 1.”
Can Oncu sixth in World Supersport Superpole
The seventh WorldSSP round is now in play at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal. In very hot and sunny conditions, Kawasaki Puccetti Racing and rider Can Oncu were out in the late morning for a free practice session, in which the Turkish rider placed eleventh with a time of 1’44”995.
Superpole ran in the late afternoon, with Oncu improving on his previous best to set a 1’44”365 and qualify P6.
Tomorrow Can will get away from the second row of the grid for the 17-lap race that will get underway in the late afternoon.
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal
Supersport World Championship
Free practice: 1) Navarro (Ducati) – 2) Montella (Ducati) – 3) Manzi (Yamaha) – 4) Caricasulo (MV Agusta) – 5) Huertas (Ducati) – 6) Debise (Yamaha) ………11) Oncu (Kawasaki)
Superpole: 1) Huertas (Ducati) – 2) Montella (Ducati) – 3) Manzi (Yamaha) – 4) Caricasulo (MV Agusta) – 5) Navarro (Ducati) – 6) Oncu (Kawasaki)
Can Oncu: “Today we finally put together a strong Superpole and I’m happy about that. Everything worked well, I’m in good shape, the team has done a great job, and the bike is competitive. We need to continue to work in this direction and continue to improve. Tomorrow I’ll start from the second row and my goal is to give it our all to achieve the best possible result.”
Can Oncu finishes eleventh in WorldSSP Race One
Day two of the seventh WorldSSP round played out in very hot conditions at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal today.
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider Can Oncu was out on track yesterday for free practice, in which he prepared for the subsequent Superpole. He was able to put in a very strong qualifying performance, setting the sixth fastest time (1’44”365).
With this result, the young Turkish rider got away from the second row of the grid for the afternoon’s 17-lap race.
Can made a very fast start when the lights went out and was immediately up into the leading group. Over the subsequent laps he lost contact with the frontrunners but was nevertheless able to finish his race in eleventh position, just outside the top ten.
Oncu will be back out tomorrow for the second and final race making up this seventh WorldSSP round.
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal
Supersport World Championship
Race 1: 1) Montella (Ducati) – 2) Huertas (Ducati) – 3) Manzi (Yamaha) – 4) Navarro (Ducati) – 5) Caricasulo (MV Agusta) – 6) Debise (Yamaha) …… 11) Oncu (Kawasaki)
Can Oncu: “I started strong and was able to keep pace with the race leaders for a few laps. Before the race we decided to try a few new solutions but unfortunately, they didn’t bring the desired results and so for tomorrow we’ll go back to the previous set-up. Eleventh isn’t the result we were looking for, but we’ll use the data collected today to improve in tomorrow’s race. Thanks to the team for their support.”
Tito Rabat finishes in the points in WorldSBK Race One
Tito Rabat and Kawasaki Puccetti Racing were out at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal for the second day of action making up the seventh WorldSBK round.
The Spanish rider completed two free practices on Friday, in which he set the sixteenth fastest time (1’41”424), just seven tenths from first.
This afternoon, Tito was back on track for Superpole, which established the starting grid for Race 1. Improving on his best of Friday by almost a second (1’40”518), Rabat qualified eleventh, which meant a fourth row start for the evening’s first 20-lap race.
The Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider got away well when the lights went out, moving into sixteenth place. As the race went on, Tito was able to maintain a good pace, making up two more places to cross the line fourteenth and score two championship points.
A good result that would have been better had he not come into contact with other riders at the start of the race, something that prevented Rabat from potentially reaching the top ten.
Tomorrow the Spaniard will take part in the Superpole Race and then Race 2, which rounds out the Portuguese race weekend.
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal
Superbike World Championship
Superpole: 1) Razgatlioglu (BMW) – 2) Lowes (Ducati) – 3) Petrucci (Ducati) – 4) Bulega (Ducati) – 5) Van der Mark (BMW) – 6) Bautista (Ducati) ……… 11) Rabat (Kawasaki)
Race 1 – 1) Razgatlioglu (BMW) – 2) Bautista (Ducati) – 3) Petrucci (Ducati) – 4) Gerloff (BMW) – 5) Lowes (Kawasaki) – 6) Van der Mark (BMW) ……… 14) Rabat (Kawasaki)
Tito Rabat: “Today I think I ran my best race of the season. We closed just 17 seconds from the front, even though I had some tyre issues from mid-race on, particularly at the front. I can feel we’re close to achieving the kind of performance and results we were aiming for at the start of the season. We’re missing a step, but I’m sure this will come in the next races, perhaps already tomorrow. Thanks to the team for their incredible support.”
Seventh for Can Oncu in WorldSSP Race Two
The seventh WorldSSP round has concluded today at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal. Yesterday, Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider Can Oncu placed P11 in Race 1.
Having set the fourth fastest time in Saturday’s race, Oncu started from the second row of the grid for Sunday’s second race, which ran in the afternoon over a distance of 17 laps. The Turkish rider made a fast start, which allowed him to stick with the leading group until lap nine. Can then lost ground with respect to his rivals and slipped back into the chasing group. He was nevertheless able to cross the line seventh to achieve his best result of the season so far.
The next WorldSSP round will take place on 8-10 September at the Nevers Magny-Cours Circuit in France.
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal
Supersport World Championship
Race 2: 1) Montella (Ducati) – 2) Manzi (Yamaha) – 3) Debise (Yamaha) – 4) Caricasulo (MV Agusta) – 5) Mahias (Yamaha) – 6) Van Straalen (Yamaha) – 7) Oncu (Kawasaki)
Can Oncu: “Today we did a better job than we did yesterday. We improved the bike’s set-up a lot and I was in much better physical condition, so I’m very happy. We have to keep working and moving forwards like this. We must also stay motivated to do even better in the coming races. Now we have almost one month off between races, and we will work very hard. Step-by-step we are moving to the front again and I am very happy about this. I feel very positive as we prepare for the next race in Magny Cours.”
Tito Rabat reduces the gap on the frontrunners in WorldSBK Race 2 at Portimao
Today’s two races at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal have rounded out the seventh WorldSBK round.
Yesterday saw Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider Tito Rabat finish a strong P11 in Superpole, while in Race 1 he crossed the line fourteenth to score championship points.
This afternoon, Rabat was back out for the Superpole race, placing sixteenth at the end of the short ten-lap sprint.
Race 2 ran in the early evening, following a change to the usual schedule due to the high temperatures.
he Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider made a good start but was then unable to maintain the kind of pace that would allow him to reach the points zone, which meant he finished in seventeenth place.
The next WorldSBK round will run on 8-10 September at the French track of Nevers Magny-Cours.
Autodromo Internacional do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal
Superbike World Championship
Superpole Race: 1) Razgatlioglu (BMW) – 2) Petrucci (Ducati) – 3) Lowes (Kawasaki) – 4) Van der Mark (BMW) – 5) Bulega – 6) Bautista (Ducati) …… 16) Rabat (Kawasaki)
Race 2 – 1) Razgatlioglu (BMW) – 2) Bulega (Ducati) – 3) Lowes (Kawasaki) – 4) Iannone (Ducati) – 5) Petrucci (Ducati) – 6) Rea (Yamaha) ……… 17) Rabat (Kawasaki)
Tito Rabat: “Compared to yesterday, today’s races were tougher. Even though I couldn’t reach the points zone, I was able to further close the gap to the front, a sign that we’re continuing to improve our competitiveness. Overall, a positive round and now we need to continue along this path, working as hard as we can. I want to thank my team for their precious support.”
Garrett Gerloff signs for Puccetti Racing for 2025 and the team will run the current ZX-10RR
The American has spent two seasons with BMW, and three before with Yamaha, but will jump on the ZX-10RR for 2025
Garrett Gerloff will ride for his third manufacturer in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship next season after inking a deal with the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing for the 2025 campaign. The American star has ridden for Yamaha and BMW in his five seasons so far but will soon add the Kawasaki ZX-10RR to his collection when he links up with Manuel Puccetti’s squad for next season following his current team in their current guise, Bonovo Action BMW, announcing they’d withdraw from WorldSBK at the end of 2024. The team also confirmed their plans for 2025, including being an ‘Official’ Kawasaki team using this year’s ZX-10RR for Gerloff, with the team committing to a one-bike setup.
Gerloff makes his mark: Podiums in his first season
The #31 made the switch from MotoAmerica to World Superbike in 2020 and, after adapting to his new surroundings, soon found himself as a podium contender with the GRT Yamaha outfit. He ended his debut season with three rostrums – in Race 2 in Barcelona and in two races at Estoril – and backed that up with two more in 2021. He was third in the Tissot Superpole Race at Aragon to open the season in style, before claiming second in Race 2 at Donington Park. His final year with Yamaha was more challenging with Race 1 in Barcelona his sole visit to the rostrum.
A new challenge: Switching to the BMW M 1000 RR
Gerloff opted to leave the Yamaha family for the 2023 campaign and linked up with the Bonovo Action BMW team, first alongside Loris Baz and then as teammate to Scott Redding this season. Although he hasn’t been able to take the M 1000 RR to the rostrum, he ended the 2023 season as the top BMW rider, often challenging for a podium and claiming a surprise pole position at Magny-Cours. The highs of 2024 haven’t been so prominent for the Texas-born star, with a best result of P8 at Most in Race. After Misano, it was announced that the team, in its current guise, would leave WorldSBK at the end of the season, leaving Gerloff searching for a new seat.
SIixth season, third manufacturer: Kawasaki awaits for Gerloff
It didn’t take Gerloff too long to find himself a seat on the world stage for 2025, signing a contract with the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing outfit. Kawasaki will become the third manufacturer Gerloff has ridden for in his WorldSBK career, following on from Yamaha and BMW. The team have committed to using the Kawasaki ZX-10RR next year despite the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team’s new project, keeping the ‘Ninja’ brand in WorldSBK. It will be a one-bike structure for the #31 using the current season ZX-10RR, with hardware and data transferred to Puccetti Kawasaki as they become the “official” Kawasaki team; Bimota by KRT will be the Factory team.
From the team: “We will field current season KRT Ninja ZX-10RR machinery… this is a dream come true!”
Team owner Manuel Puccetti was delighted with his new signing, saying: “On behalf of myself and my team – as well as my sponsors and my family – I would like to express what an honour and privilege this is. Since my first days in racing I personally appreciate the elements that make a rider or team successful. I started racing on a 125cc production machine in an Italian cup race in the late 1990s and by 2002 I had taken the challenging step to become a team owner. Just one truck, some motorcycles and a loyal group of sponsors to start with. Yet, from these beginnings, we worked and worked to become what we are now; a team with World, European and National Championships to our credit and a success record that includes over 120 podiums. In 2025, we will field current season KRT Ninja ZX-10RR machinery and I can only say this is a dream come true. Rest assured we will do our best to fulfil the ambitions of Ninja fans across the world in the coming season. We are truly honoured.”
Kawasaki says: “It’s important to maintain a presence in WorldSBK with our Ninja brand”
Shigemi Tanaka, General Manager, Marketing & Sales Division, Kawasaki Motors, Ltd, added: “Manuel has a unique combination of experience, achievement and enthusiasm and his record of success is testament to his tenacity and professionalism. Already the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team are working closely with KRT in the current WorldSBK Championship, so the channels of communication on WorldSBK issues are firmly established and productive. For Kawasaki, it’s important to maintain a presence in WorldSBK with our Ninja brand. With our support for Kawasaki Puccetti and via the transfer on loan of our factory Ninja ZX-10RR race assets – we can publicly show our appreciation of Kawasaki Puccetti Racing and be confident that the Ninja brand will continue to play a significant role in the WorldSBK paddock.”
