Weather played a little havoc on Friday morning at the Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, obliging the cancellation of MotoGP™ FP1.
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Moto3 : Piqueras Fastest Friday Afternoon at Phillip Island
Angel Piqueras led Moto3 World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Phillip Island, in Australia. Piqueras used his Pirelli-shod Leopard Racing Honda to lap the 2.76-mile (4.44 km) track in 1:44.949, which led the field of 26 riders.
The 2024 Moto3 World Champion, David Alonso was second-best with a time of 1:45.991 on his Gaviota Aspar Team CFMOTO.
Piqueras’ teammate, Adrian Fernandez claimed the third and final spot on the front with a lap time of 1:47.062.
Moto3 classification Practice 1
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Piqueras powers to P1 ahead of Alonso at Phillip Island. The Spaniard topped the timesheets in tricky conditions ahead of Alonso and Fernandez.
Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) started the Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix strong, securing the top spot on a tricky opening day of action at Phillip Island. The #36 set a 1:44.949 to secure a 1.042s advantage over newly crowned Moto3 World Champion David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team), who claimed P2 at the end of proceedings. The Colombian set a strong pace, setting just 14 laps throughout Practice 1, finishing the day in front of Adrian Fernandez, who completed a strong day for the Leopard Racing squad and Honda.
It was a tricky start to proceedings at Phillip Island, with Free Practice getting underway in wet conditions. Alonso sealed top honours on Friday morning, bagging a confidence-boosting start to the weekend. Once Practice 1 got underway, conditions looked to have improved, with Piqueras bagging the top spot early on. Piqueras continued to build throughout the session, setting the best time on his eighth lap, which would be good enough to hold onto P1.
Securing fourth was David Almansa (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team), who was a further 0.049s adrift from a spot in the top three. The #22 looked confident as conditions improved, setting a 1:47.111 and placing ahead of his teammate Matteo Bertelle (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team). The Italian ended Friday in front of David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), with the #64 grabbing sixth after having some early drama with Fernandez in FP1. Meanwhile, Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) took seventh ahead of Stefano Nepa (LEVELUP – MTA) in eighth.
Further back, Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) rounded out the top 10 in what is an important weekend for Kelso, aiming for a great result in front of his home crowd. Noah Dettwiler (CIP Green Power) took 11th in front of Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), who suffered a crash at Turn 4. The #72 ended the opening day of action in front of Tatsuki Suzuki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team’s Joel Esteban, who claimed the final spot inside a vital top 14.
Set your alarm clocks and tune in as Moto3™ returns on Saturday at 08:30 local time (UTC +11) before a vital qualifying begins at 12:50 (UTC +11)!
Moto2 : Canet Tops Opening Practice In Australia
Aron Canet was quickest during Moto2 World Championship Free Practice Friday morning at Phillip Island, in Australia. Riding his Pirelli-shod Fantic Racing Kalex on the wet 2.76-mile (4.44 km) track, the Spaniard recorded a 1:41.620 to lead the field of 29 riders.
Mario Aji was the best of the rest with a 1:41.661 on his IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Kalex.
Alonso Lopez was third-fastest with a 1:41.772 on his Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro.
American Joe Roberts finished the opening session in 10th with a 1:43.014 on his American Racing Team Kalex.
Moto2 Free Practice ClassificationMoto3 : Alonso Quickest In Opening Practice At Phillip Island
David Alonso was quickest during Moto3 World Championship practice Friday morning at Phillip Island, in Australia. Riding his Valresa Aspar Team CFMOTO on Pirelli control tires, the Colombian covered the 2.76-mile (4.44 km) road course in 1:44.888, topping the field of 26 riders.
Angel Piqueras was the best of the rest with a 1:44.906 on his Leopard Racing Honda.
Matteo Bertelle was third with a lap time of 1:45.456 on his Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team Honda.
FP1 Moto3 Classificstion
WorldSBK: Riders Preview Prometeon Spanish Round
The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for the final round of an enthralling campaign. The Prometeon Spanish Round concludes an epic 2024 season with the title still to be decided, and the fighting talk from the title contenders got underway on Thursday.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “In 2021, I had the same… P3 is enough for me, but I’m always looking for P1”
Speaking ahead of a round where he’s aiming to be crowned Champion for a second time, Razgatlioglu said: “I’m feeling good because we come back to Jerez again. Last year, I lost the race in the last corner. It’ll be completely different this year on the BMW. My target is to win the race. A 46-point margin is a really big gap. If I finish the race in P2 or P3, I’ll win the Championship. I know this, but still my target is to win the race. In 2021, I had the same. P3 is also enough for me, but I’m always looking for P1. I hope we get this because it’s important for me. When I signed for BMW, everyone said I’m crazy many times but now everyone’s started to believe in BMW and me. This is the final round and we’ve almost got the title. I hope we’re World Champions. It’s been an incredible season for me to ride the BMW and nobody believed me. First year and we could be World Champion, this is incredible for my career and also for BMW because they’ve never been World Champions on two wheels.”
Speaking light-heartedly about sharing a birthday with title rival Bulega plus former teammate Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), Razgatlioglu said: “We didn’t celebrate together, and not also Bulega… he was born in 1999, me in 1996, but Locatelli has the same birthday as me! Everything is the same, we just need to check the time. It’s not just Bulega and Locatelli, also Casey Stoner and Charles Leclerc. It’s just a birthday, we’re getting older… I’m not happy!”
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “Toprak’s a Champion, Alvaro a two-time Champion. To be in the middle of them in my first year, it’s fantastic”
A title contender at the final round in his rookie season, Bulega spoke about how ‘proud’ he is of his 2024: “It’s incredible, I’m really happy because we come here from a strong weekend at Estoril. I have a good feeling with my bike and Jerez is a track I like a lot, one of my favourites, so I will try to do my best. It’s very difficult but I think I have to try to fight for the win, especially because I need extra motivation for next year. It’s a surprise for me, to be here at the last round and I can say I’m still fighting for the Championship. I never had this in my head when I signed this contract, or when I won the first race. I’m very proud. It’s incredible. It’s my first year and I’m fighting with a lot of Champions and guys who’ve been here a long time. Toprak’s a World Champion, Alvaro a two-time World Champion. To be in the middle of them in my first year, it’s fantastic.”
Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven): “I wanted to remain in this paddock… the racing here is amazing!”
Fresh off the back of securing his future, Iannone said: “It’s good news for me and also for the team. This was my priority, I wanted to remain in this paddock. The racing here is amazing. I think it’s the best choice for me for next year and we’ll try to improve things compared to this year. Next year, we’ll have more potential. My management worked to improve the level a bit. I think we have a bit more support from Ducati. My target for next year is to improve everything a little bit, we have everything to be stronger. I always want to improve, always be on the podium, but it’s not easy. My dream is to fight for the first position in every race or the podium. It isn’t easy, the level is really high here. I’m confident. In Race 2 at Estoril, I enjoyed it a lot; it was unbelievable, completely crazy. I really enjoyed, for the first time this year, the feeling with the bike like this. It was for eighth position, but we fought for fifth.”
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “There’s nothing I can do… if we can fight for victory, it’ll be nice”
Previewing his home round, Bautista spoke about potentially helping Bulega and his desire to win again: “I have really good memories of here. I took my first win in 125cc here in 2006, and last year, we won the title in WorldSBK. In the past, I was at the final round with title chances, but I was in a different position. I was leading by a lot of points, and it was easy to get the title. For Nicolo, it’s a different situation. It’s his first year in WorldSBK and he’s second in the Championship with a big points difference. It doesn’t all depend on him; it depends on Toprak’s results. He has to be proud because, in his first year, he got to the last round with some chances. On Saturday, if nothing strange happens, the difference will be too big, and Toprak could be Champion. Here, I can’t help Bulega. At Estoril, I could help to not take off more points from Nicolo. Here, I can’t. In the same situation as Estoril, I can attack Nicolo because, even if he’s second, he has less chance of the title. There’s nothing I can do. If we can fight for the victory, it’ll be nice. If not, I’ll be happy without it if I can do my best in all races.”
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC): “We started from zero… we finished the year with a good base, so we’ll start next year from that base”
Back on the rostrum at Estoril, Lecuona is aiming to end 2024 on a high: “I’m really happy after the first podium after the season and second in WorldSBK. After all the injuries, all the work at home and at the track, we’re happy to have that result. I always said during these years that this is one of the worst tracks for us, or one I struggle at more during the last two years. It looks like we’re quite fast. I think from the summer, we did a good job on the bike; the pace was improving during the weekends. My strategy with my crew chief, the feeling on the bike, everything we improved a lot. When we started this year, I had a lot of injuries, but we also didn’t have a clear base on the bike. We started from zero. This year, we finished the year with a good base, so we’ll start next year from that base that is performing quite well.”
Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha): “Most challenging season of my whole career… expecting to take a good step forward in 2025”
A tricky season for Rea concludes at Jerez, with the six-time Champion saying: “I’m looking forward to the weekend. Parts of me are really excited about Jerez and trying to cap off the season in a good way, and then a part of me that wants to completely forget about this disappointing and challenging season as a whole and re-focus for ’25. It’s nice because we’re coming from a good weekend at Estoril. From what I understand, the base setup we have now is very similar to when first rode the bike last year in November. With all the changes we’ve made, we’ve come back to a happy base setting. I feel like I’m more optimistic going into here than I was going into Estoril, but in the end, Estoril turned out to be a positive one. In all honesty, when I first rode the Yamaha, I loved the feeling of the bike. It wasn’t a full grid at the test, but I still felt quite fast. I couldn’t imagine this being the most difficult season of my whole career. We know it’s challenging times, but I really feel better days are coming. I know Yamaha are working really hard in the background to improve the bike in all different aspects. I feel there’s reasons to be optimistic that we can be more competitive next year. It’s just piecing all the bits together, all the marginal gains. I’ll work on myself, trying to improve, because I don’t feel the team, or the bike are getting my full potential right now.”
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “It feels like this season’s gone really quickly!”
The last weekend for Kawasaki in their current form, before morphing into Bimota by KRT with Alex Lowes saying: “It feels like this season’s gone really quickly, every year goes quickly but there’s been a few changes inside the garage for me, working with Pere and the crew, and it seems like yesterday we started working together. It’ll be an emotional weekend because Kawasaki green has been so famous in WorldSBK for the last 15 years, especially with some fantastic results with Jonny and Tom. Multiple World Champions, not just Riders’ but Teams’ and Manufacturers’. A shame, personally, to be the last weekend in green but we have a new challenge; we’re staying together, it’s just a different challenge.”
Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW): “It’s going to be emotional… excited for the change, happy I have the memories I have”
Gerloff’s last weekend as a BMW rider is here and he said: “I’m happy with how we’ve been able to recover this year and how the second half of the season’s been going, and the results I’ve had, and the team’s had. I’m pretty content. We should’ve started the year like we are now and that’s a shame. It’s super emotional. I was so happy I was given the opportunity to come to Bonovo two years ago. The team and I have clicked so much. We have such a good team dynamic. It’s going to be really difficult to leave that behind because literally, in one night, everything changes from Sunday to Monday. It’s going to be emotional. I’m excited for the change and I’m happy I have the memories I have. A podium would be amazing, it’s what I’m always pushing for; to at least be in the top three. I don’t think it’s going to be super easy as it’s Jerez and everyone knows this track super well from testing.”
WorldSBK: Four Wildcard Riders Set For WorldSBK Outing In Jerez
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid will have four extra riders on it at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto as the paddock gears up for an epic end-of-season round. The Prometeon Spanish Round will host the action as four wildcards – two Hondas and two Yamahas – join the grid to add to the intrigue around this year’s finale.
NAGASHIMA BACK WITH TEAM HRC: Japanese rider set for Jerez comeback
Tetsuta Nagashima has been seen on occasion with Team HRC and he’ll make a welcome return to WorldSBK action at Jerez as one of the four wildcards. He last raced in WorldSBK back in 2022 at Phillip Island, impressing in mixed conditions. Nagashima will be supported by the test team at Jerez, with the Japanese rider’s duties with Honda including testing the CBR1000RR-R. He’s also won the iconic Suzuka 8 Hours on multiple occasions, alongside Iker Lecuona in 2022 and Xavi Vierge last year; he’ll race alongside both at Jerez.
Nagashima said: “I’m really looking forward to competing in the final round of the WorldSBK Championship at Jerez. I’ve been carrying out WorldSBK testing for a while now, and in 2022, I took part in my first and only race weekend in Australia, where the results weren’t bad. I’m curious to see how the bike performs now and what we can achieve. I hope to gain a better understanding of the bike and identify the differences with respect to two years ago. I can’t wait to be back in action.”
BERNARDI RETURNS: second consecutive weekend for the Sammarinese
Luca Bernardi is back in WorldSBK for the second consecutive weekend, linking up with the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team. The Sammarinese rider competed in 2022 with the Barni Ducati outfit before finding a new home in the Italian Superbike championship. A tricky Estoril last weekend meant he didn’t score points, but he’ll be back at Jerez and aiming to return to the points-paying positions in the final round of the season.
On his second wildcard of the season, Bernardi said: “First of all, I am very happy to be able to still be part of Sandro Carusi’s team. Jerez is a track that I really like. I have never raced on this track, only tested, and I know that it is very technical and that it suits my riding style. I hope to continue the work started in Portugal, to continue my growth and to obtain better results.”
RYDE COMING TO JEREZ ON THE CREST OF A WAVE: the 2024 British champion in WorldSBK
Kyle Ryde’s wildcard was announced a long time ago and since then, he and his OMG Racing team have been enjoying domestic success. Ryde won the British championship last weekend at Brands Hatch, up against Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK), before heading to Spain for his first WorldSBK appearance. The 27-year-old has experience of the paddock, having raced in WorldSSP in 2016 and 2017, while he was on the rostrum in a one-off appearance in 2015 at Donington Park.
Speaking when his wildcard was announced in September, Ryde said: “It’s obviously really exciting to hear that the team will be going to compete in the final round of the FIM Superbike World Championship at Jerez, and it is something I’m incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to do. I love Jerez, it is such an awesome track. I did a few laps there on my R6 earlier this year, and I really like the circuit, so I’m already itching to get out on the World Superbike-spec R1. The team are working hard behind the scenes now to get it all ready, and I just can’t wait. Thank you to Alan, Paul and all my guys for giving up their time and efforts to give us the chance to ride on the world stage.”
BRIDEWELL COMPLETES HONDA CONTINGENT: the Brit returns for a second wildcard
Bridewell was Ryde’s rival in the BSB title fight and both will be on track at Jerez. The 2023 British champion raced in WorldSBK at Cremona this year, where he also tested with Team HRC back in the summer. With six CBR1000RR-R machines on the grid, Bridewell will be hoping he can make a step forward and he revealed he would have a slightly upgrade spec of his machine.
He said: “I love racing motorbikes so to get to go and have another go is another great opportunity to go out and race my bike. Jerez is a really good circuit too as it’s got a bit of everything, heavy braking with a slow first sector that then starts opening up and getting quicker and quicker. Going to Jerez for me is about continuing the work that we are doing, gathering information and doing the best that I can. I rode well at Cremona with the package that we were on and ultimately, we will be a little bit better equipped with a slightly upgraded spec at Jerez. I want to go there and do as well as I can.”
Barber Vintage Festival: AHRMA Vintage Cup Finale
AHRMA Vintage Cup Season Finale at Barber Vintage Festival
The final rounds of the 2024 American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) Vintage Cup Championship was a smackdown between the series leaders.
Rounds 18 and 19 of AHRMA’s 2024 Vintage Cup series, which highlights the 350 GP class, were held October 12 and 13, at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, AL as part of the 2024 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA Road Racing Series.
Rob Hall had secured the 2024 Vintage Cup Championship during rounds 16 and 17 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex during the prior weekend. Nonetheless, Spargo chose to fight until the last checkered flag was thrown, racing to victory on Saturday and Sunday, with Hall coming in second both days.
Sponsored by Hagerty Insurance, Roadracingworld.com, and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com), AHRMA’s 2024 Vintage Cup features the 350 GP class which includes 350cc four-stroke and 250cc two-stroke powered machines built up to and including 1968. Featured bikes from this era would include bikes such as the AJS 7R “Boy Racer,” 350 Manx Norton, Benelli 350-Four, Aermacchi 350 Road Racer, Yamaha TD2, and more.
During Saturday’s race, Alex McLean, riding Rob McKeever’s 1967 Aermacchi Drixton, took the holeshot, but was immediately overtaken by Hall, riding Stuart Carter’s 1965 AJS 7R. Spargo on John Turner’s 1967 Yamaha TD2 moved into second exiting Turn Two. Spargo took the lead within the first few corners, and built a gap on the field. During the penultimate lap, Hall reeled Spargo in and passed him, but couldn’t make it stick. Spargo won with Hall 2.5 seconds behind and McLean third.
The balance of the grid, in order of finish was Jerry Duke in fourth on a 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler; David Roper finishing fifth riding his 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT; John Tunstall in sixth on a 1981 Ducati Pantah; Craig Light, seventh on a 1973 Bultaco; Jim Jowers, eighth on a 1960 AJS 7R; Larry Watts, ninth on a 1968 Ducati 350; Doug Bowie in 10th riding a 1968 Ducati Mach 1; Patrick Svilans in 11th position on a 1964 Harley Davidson Sprint 350; Brian Larrabure finishing 12th on his 1967 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Ala D’Oro; and Eric Watts 13th, on a 1972 Ducati 350.
NYC Norton and close friends of AHRMA pitched in for a purse that was distributed to the first five finishers in Saturday’s race.
“It was very nice to be able to give Spargo another special Vintage Cup trophy since these trophies are only given out on Saturdays and all but one of his wins were on Sundays this season,” said Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton. “It was also special to present the 2024 Championship trophy to Rob Hall at the heavily attended awards ceremony Saturday evening. After the awards on Saturday, I asked Rob if he’d be riding tomorrow after clinching the championship knowing that his 7R was incredibly tired and on its last legs. Rob replied, ‘I’ll have a little surprise for you tomorrow.’”
On Sunday, Hall appeared on the grid riding his 1965 Honda CB160. While McLean again took the holeshot, Hall flew past him before the exit of the first turn. Spargo passed McLean exiting Turn Two. Hall kept a sizeable gap over Spargo’s powerful TD2 two-stroke until the last lap when he experienced a mechanical issue on the CB160 and had to roll back a bit enabling Spargo to close the gap and win the race. Hall took a commendable second on a broken bike, and McLean again rounded out the podium.
“I was just as surprised as the thousands of fans on the side of the hill when Rob Hall dominated the field, turning 1:47s on his Honda CB 160 street bike on Sunday,” said Cummings. “Although not entirely eligible for the pukka 350GP class, this spectacle was the perfect capper to the wonderful series we’ve had this year of true Grand Prix bike racing.”
Cummings continued, “along with the fireworks happening at the front there were many great battles within the race, with Jerry Duke giving McLean a run for his money on Saturday, and John Tunstall, Jim Jowers, and Eric Watts having a great race on Sunday. Another great Vintage Cup, I am a proud papa, I want to thank every single 350 GP racer who signed up and put their bikes out there this year. Looking forward to the big 500 Premier as the featured class for Vintage Cup next year.”
The balance of the grid in order of finish included Roper in fourth, Jowers fifth, Tunstall sixth, Watts seventh, Svilans eighth, and Light ninth.
Greg Tomlinson, 2024 Chairman of the AHRMA Board of Trustees said, “I’d like to extend congratulations to Rob on his 2024 Championship in the 350 GP Class. He along with the entire field of riders put on a heck of a show this entire season and put an exclamation point on the series at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend. I’d also like to thank NYC Norton and RoadracingWorld.com for their support of the Vintage Cup class and look forward to 500 Premier as the highlight vintage class in 2025.”
The 2025 Vintage Cup will feature the 500 Premier class. The first two rounds of the 2025 AHRMA National Road Race Series will be February 15-16, 2025 at Roebling Road Raceway in Bloomingdale, Georgia.
The annual Vintage Cup spotlights one of AHRMA’s road racing classes with extra attention on competitors in the selected class during each race event. Enhanced awards for the Vintage Cup competitors are presented separately from other class trophies during the Saturday awards ceremony at each AHRMA National Road Race event. Highlights from each Vintage Cup race are reported on RoadRacingWorld.com and in the online edition of the magazine as well. At the conclusion of each season, the perpetual Vintage Cup trophy is engraved with the national champion winner’s name and presented to the winner at the National Awards Banquet to keep for one year.
2024 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA Roadracing Series, 350GP – Vintage Cup Results
Saturday, October 12, 2024
1 – 19 Christopher Spargo, 1967 Yamaha TD2, Hopkins, MN
2 – 270 Rob Hall, 1965 AJS 7R, Charlotte, NC
3 – 122 Alex McLean, 1967 HD Aermacchi Drixton, Jacksonville Beach, FL
4 – 9K Jerry Duke, 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler, Florence, AL
5 – 7 David Roper, 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT, Hicksville, NY
6 – 36T John Tunstall, 1981 Ducati Pantah, St. Petersburg, FL
7 – 79A Craig Light, 1973 Bultaco, Peachtree City, GA
8 – 37 Jim Jowers, 1960 AJS 7R, East Hampton, NY
9 – 141 Larry Watts, 1968 Ducati 350, Blacklick, OH
10 – 350 Doug Bowie, 1968 Ducati Mach 1, Lilburn, GA
11 – 35X Patrick Svilans, 1964 Harley Davidson Sprint 350, Toronto, ON
12 – 14 Brian Larrabure, 1967 Harley-Davidson AERMACCHI Ala D’Oro. Calabasas, CA
13 – 87 Eric Watts, 1972 Ducati 350, Blacklick, OH
Sunday, October 13, 2024
1 – 19 Christopher Spargo, 1967 Yamaha TD2, Hopkins, MN
2 – 270 Rob Hall, 1965 AJS 7R, Charlotte, NC
3 – 122 Alex McLean, 1967 HD Aermacchi Drixton, Jacksonville Beach, FL
4 – 7 David Roper, 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT, Hicksville, NY
5 – 37 Jim Jowers, 1960 AJS 7R, East Hampton, NY
6 – 36T John Tunstall, 1981 Ducati Pantah, St. Petersburg, FL
7 – 87 Eric Watts, 1972 Ducati 350, Blacklick, OH
8 – 35X Patrick Svilans, 1964 Harley Davidson Sprint 350, Toronto, ON
9 – 79A Craig Light, 1973 Bultaco, Peachtree City, GA
About AHRMA:
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to competing on fantastic classic and true vintage along with a wide range of modern motorcycles. With over 3,000 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world. The association has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the increasing interest in classic bikes.
WorldSBK: Iannone And GoEleven Renew For 2025 WorldSBK Campaign
Aragon race winner Andrea Iannone has put to bed speculation about his future by signing a new deal with Team GoEleven
One of the hottest MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship silly season topics will cool off, as Andrea Iannone agreed to stay with Team GoEleven for the 2025 campaign. Iannone’s first WorldSBK season was capped off with a victory at Aragon a few weeks ago, and he’ll return next year as he looks to add more wins and podiums to his tally following a stellar rookie campaign. It puts to bed any speculation about Iannone’s future, with the Italian committed to his Independent Ducati team for another season.
A DEBUT TO REMEMBER: Iannone straight on the rostrum
The 35-year-old made his WorldSBK debut in Australia and, despite four years with no racing, was immediately on the podium. Third in Race 1, while also leading the race, was an impressive start and he backed that up with second in the Tissot Superpole Race in Barcelona, getting the best seat in the house as Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) created one of the races of the season with a final corner showdown.
MIXED RESULTS: an up and down year for the rookie
It’s no surprise that Iannone’s results have been mixed, with inexperience of the Panigale V4 R, Pirelli tyres and some circuits mixed with his four years away creating the perfect storm for an inconsistent season. He took a best of fourth at Assen but was 15th in the Superpole Race, fifth in the Superpole Race at Misano but 11th in Race 2 and didn’t score a single-digit result at Donington Park. He returned to the podium in Race 1 at the Autodrom Most, before taking P4 at Portimao in Race 2.
THE END OF HIS ROOKIE CAMPAIGN: winner at Aragon, consistently in the top ten
As Iannone’s gained more experience, his consistency has improved. Fifth, 11th and 12th at Mangy-Cours was followed by a third and two retirements at Cremona but, since then, the #29 has been a consistent figure in the top ten. That all started with a famous win at Aragon, his first in eight years in all Championships, and GoEleven Ducati’s first since 2020 at the same venue. Two fourth-place finishes followed on Sunday before he took ninth twice and eighth at Estoril. Iannone is in a tight fight for P6 in the Championship. He currently sits seventh on 211 points, four behind Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in sixth and eight ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha).
BEFORE WORLD SUPERBIKE: a race winner in MotoGP™
Iannone made a name for himself in the 125cc World Championship, taking four wins and a best Championship finish of seventh in his final season. That earned him a spot in Moto2™ for 2010 and he spent three seasons in that category, finishing third in each one. Eight wins and 19 podiums was enough to secure him a spot in MotoGP™ with Pramac Ducati. He stayed there for two seasons before the switch to the factory Ducati team for 2015 and 2016, when the Italian became a race winner with victory in the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix. He then moved to Suzuki for two seasons before one year with Aprilia in MotoGP™. However, he was sanctioned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following a violation of an anti-doping rule after a positive test for a banned substance in the following Malaysian GP, coming in from December 17th, 2019, which kept him away from competitive racing for four years.
IANNONE’S THOUGHTS ON HIS RENEWAL: “We will continue to work together to constantly improve…”
Discussing his new contract with Team GoEleven, Iannone said: “I am happy to continue this journey with the Pata GoEleven Team riding the Ducati Panigale V4 R. The first year in the WorldSBK Championship was full of surprises and satisfactions, we will continue to work together to constantly improve and reach new goals. I thank Gigi Dall’Igna, Claudio Domenicali, Paolo Ciabatti, Marco Zambenedetti, Mauro Grassilli and the whole Pata GoEleven Team for the renewed trust. A special thanks also to Remo Gobbi and the WorldSBK family.”
THE TEAM SAYS: “We are ready to fight for the important position in 2025!”
Team Owner, Gianni Ramello, added: “Keeping continuity to the project with Andrea Iannone, it means a lot to all our team, I was particularly keen on it because I am convinced that, with the experience gained in 2024, we could have a lot of data in each race and start with a solid base. We are following up on a choice made at the end of 2023, a choice outside the box, but which still proved to be a winning one, giving us great satisfaction and podiums. I also want to welcome Pata, who chose to believe in GoEleven and Andrea’s project, allowing us to make a further step forward, joining the support of all our partners and sponsors. I would like to thank all my collaborators, especially Elia, Denis and Luciana who have always supported me in this journey and Ducati which allows us to have a competitive and strong bike. A specific mention for Andrea, a rider and man with whom a special relationship was born, different from many others, I didn’t know him but after a few races he entered my heart, not only for the talent he showed, but also as a person. Knowing that we will go on together in 2025, it fills me with great enthusiasm, and we are ready to fight for the important positions in 2025!”
DENIS SACCHETTI’S VIEW: “I’m really excited to be able to keep working with Andrea in 2025…”
Team GoEleven’s Team Manager, Denis Sacchetti, stated: “I am really excited to be able to keep working with Andrea in 2025, I believe that he and the team have provided harmony and continuous growth, this is certified by the victory at Aragon, a dream come true with three rounds to go, which projects us to 2025 with very high motivation. After four years without racing and a championship, tyres, bike, brand new for Andrea, the results have been better than expected that’s why we are sure that we can aim for even more important results. Our project is further enhanced by a fantastic bike, the Ducati Panigale V4R, of which we will enjoy all the technological developments that Ducati will bring on tracks. I would like to thank Andrea Iannone, Mauro Grassilli, Marco Zambenedetti, Gigi Dall’Igna for the renewed trust in us and the Ramello family for the effort they are putting into the growth of Go Eleven.”
More From The Barber Vintage Festival: The Cosomoto Hypermono
Chris Cosentino treads where others fear to follow. He bought a Ducati Panigale V-Twin cylinder head and built a road racing Single around it. That is not an exaggeration. He built his own cylinder and bottom end for the engine, a single-shock front end, a custom swingarm and frame and all the rest.
Now, with Ducati’s Hypermotard single-cylinder engine available, he and business partner Ben Claman slipped the Ducati engine into a bespoke chassis and created the Hypermono, a purpose-built racebike that their company–Cosomoto–hopes to sell in track and street configurations.
Roadracing World caught up with Cosentino at the Barber Vintage Festival at Barber Motorsports Park, where the latest prototype of the Hypermoto raced in the AHRMA Sound of Singles class, piloted by MotoAmerica racer Eli Block.
“I cut my teeth racing 125s,” Cosentino, an engineer well known for his first principles approach to racing motorcycles, says. “Once you get the taste of racing lightweight bikes, you can’t match it. So the answer was to try to make a really light motorcycle with a ton of power and brakes. That’s not really what OEMs are going for, so you start making parts, and then you realize that you’ve got to make this other part, and at some point you realize that you’re going to have to make a whole motorcycle!”
The project started several years ago. After looking at big-displacement single-cylinder engines he could buy, Cosentino purchased a cylinder head from a Panigale and carved a cylinder and bottom end from billet. The motor ran and he eventually got 60 horsepower out of it, but an engine development program strained the finances of the small company. “It was a labor of love, but engine R&D is tough, because you’re breaking expensive parts,” he says.
Impressed by the 659cc Ducati Hypermotard Single, and realizing that using an EPA-approved package would open up the possibility of selling a streetbike, Cosentino slotted the engine into his Hypermono package. For the AHRMA race, the engine still had a stock and uncracked ECU, and was stock other than the carbon-fiber dry clutch. Because the engine management system couldn’t be optimized for the non-stock airbox and pipe, Cosentino estimated that it was down on stock horsepower, but with a race ECU would be good for close to 90 horsepower.
The Hypermono’s Hossack-style front end (most motorcyclists would recognize it as similar to the Telelever single-shock front end systems found on many BMW motorcycles) features twin spars carved from billet aluminum.
“The frame and linkage are all triangulated and they are all very stiff. There’s no frame deflection like modern bikes have with their long engine hangers and the headstock moves. On this (the Hypermono), the flex is all in the uprights (fork spars).
“If I need a weaker upright with more flex laterally, I can machine a thinner-walled one and keep my bracing stiffness. The parts are easy to characterize (to predict and measure specific behaviors). I don’t have this super-complex frame that needs to be stiff in this direction and flex in this direction and all of these things. You have to do that with a bike with traditional forks. Round forks can’t bend because they seize. That’s the core of all this complicated motorcycle design. Go to a different front end design and you solve all that.”
On the other end is a swingarm that is a one-piece sand casting. The mold was 3-D printed, and the entire assembly weighs 14 pounds. In contrast, the main chassis is tubular 4130 steel. It may seem to contradict the pursuit of light weight. But when Honda gave up on its four-stroke oval-piston Grand Prix machine and created the two-stroke NS500 back in the early 1980s, the first iterations of that bike came with round steel tubes in the frame. Both Honda and Cosentino know that modifications are a necessary part of frame development in the early days, and modifying steel tubes is easier than trying to do the same with aluminum spars.
The bike currently weighs 275 pounds with fuel, Cosentino says. New carbon-fiber bodywork to replace the printed plastic and a magnesium swingarm will help get the machine down to its 255 pound (wet) target weight.
Cosomoto plans to start with a batch of 25 fully-faired track-only Hypermono machines, followed by a street version with more of the mechanicals exposed. But for now, he’s enjoying the development and honing the motorcycle in competition. And AHRMA provides the perfect environment for an engineer who is challenging design norms and wants to build the bike he wants to see.
“No one in this paddock ever asks me, why’d you do this? It’s the stupidest question to ask a motorcycle guy,” Cosentino says.
MotoGP: Riders Preview The Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix
The start of a captivating and crucial triple-header in MotoGP™ has arrived as we touch down at a rider and fan favourite for Round 17 – the phenomenal Phillip Island. Ahead of what looks set to be an unpredictable weekend at the Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, our two main title protagonists and some more key names sat down in front of the media on Thursday.
Press Conference 1 saw Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) sit alongside title rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) before Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and 2023 winner Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) were joined by home hero Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) for Press Conference 2.
Check out all the top headlines from the day and then return for more as track action at the legendary Island begins on Friday!
Thursday talking points from Australia
“55% Martin, 45% Pecco” – How close is 2024’s title fight?
Acosta weighs in with his own question in the first Press Conference…
Di Giannantonio to miss Malaysian and Valencia GPs
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) has announced that he’ll return to Italy after the Thai GP to undergo surgery on his left shoulder. Consequently, the Italian will miss the Malaysian GP and Valencia GP as he aims to be at full fitness for the 2025 season.
Press Conferences: Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix
WATCH: Press Conference 1
JORGE MARTIN (Prima Pramac Racing)
Is this the most challenging weekend?
“It will be a really challenging weekend, not only because it’s the last part of the season, but the weather is so different here every day, we have a new surface and also different tyres compared to last season, so it will be really difficult and demanding in terms of analysing data for us to understand really fast what we need for racing Sunday and we saw last year that it will be the key.”
How do you feel about the title gap reducing, and is this the most important part of the season?
“It will be the most important part because it’s what remains. There are some parts of the season where Pecco was close or in front, so the important thing for me is to arrive in Valencia with options. There are still three races where we can make mistakes, and for sure, they have bigger consequences; it’s more important, and if you make a mistake, it’s a disaster. We need to be really confident and try to be competitive.”
How special would it be to win in Australia?
“It is a super nice track, and it is one of the best tracks to ride, at this point, I would love to win, but the important thing is the Championship. I will think more about that, but if I had the opportunity, I would take it 100%. It would be super nice to win here.”
Is Acosta someone who you need to watch in the next four races?
“I think Pedro is super strong, and he already had the chance to win in Japan, but he crashed also, I think he wants his first MotoGP™ win this season so bad. He will be super strong, but we also have Marc and Enea, who will be super strong and will have their own battles also and will try to win.”
Pedro Acosta: Will the manufacturer influence the Championship battle?
“For me, I can’t control that, so I won’t focus on that, I will focus on riding, but I hope not. I will focus on what I can control, which is to ride at 100% and try and be fast.”
FRANCESCO BAGNAIA (Ducati Lenovo Team)
A big challenge coming up this weekend?
“We were speaking about it before, and I think the most challenging thing will be to understand the tyres because it looks like we will not have dry sessions to understand what tyre will be good for the race. The soft tyre is the medium from last year, and already last year without new asphalt, it was a bit on the limit, so we have to understand it, we will have tyres with a. different casing like Indonesia, so we have to try and understand it. Also, the conditions, tomorrow looks like it will be rainy, Saturday looks windy, and Sunday looks ok but cold. We have to understand it, and like always, Phillip Island is complicated to understand, but the asphalt looks great, and hopefully, we will have a better feeling compared to what we started with last year.”
Do you feel you can lead the World Championship after this weekend?
“What we have learned is that it is not mandatory to be leading the Championship right now, and if it happens, then it happens, but in the case of gaining or losing points, it is not a problem as we understand that this will be decided in Valencia, it will be very complicated to decide it before. We will try our maximum, and if our maximum and if our maximum is to finish second, then we will try and finish second, but we know the potential is to win, so we will try everything to win and gain points like Indonesia and try and continue this in Thailand.”
How special would it be to win in Australia?
“I had the chance in Moto3 for the first time, but I had some complicated races with the battles that we were having. In Moto2, it was a disaster for me in both years, and in MotoGP, I was close in 2022 and 2023, but you never know. We will try again this year, but we have to be thinking about the Championship and try to get the maximum without taking too much risk, and here at Phillip Island, not taking too many risks is a huge thing.”
Is Acosta someone who you need to watch in the next four races?
“In Indonesia, nobody was expecting his performance, but then what happened with the tyre pressure. I will just think about Motegi, and it was true that he was fast. He was very competitive from the start of the weekend, and I was expecting him to be competitive as KTM was always fast in Japan, and he is a rider who brakes really hard. He was fighting for his first victory, so we already know the potential of Pedro, he was super good at the start, and then he lost some of his confidence, but it looks like he is back. This track is good for everybody, the bike makes less of a difference here because it is very fast, and it is difficult to make this difference, so I think it will be difficult to see someone opening a gap.
Pedro Acosta: Will the manufacturer influence the Championship battle?
“I think if they wanted to help me in some way, then already in Misano, I could already have something better than what is already our package because we tried a new chassis, and the chassis is not ready for everybody, so we are not using it. It’s more correct that it’s like this, and Dall’Igna was always clear on that as soon as I started to ride with Ducati and in the last two seasons, the factory team has the same package, and If I have something new, then everyone has something new. It’s a different strategy compared to others, but it’s the strategy which has put Ducati in this position. Now Ducati is so competitive because of this strategy, and I don’t think that we will change something until Valencia.”
WATCH: Press Conference 2
PEDRO ACOSTA (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3)
How much are you looking forward to the challenge?
“Japan was nice, it was like a dream, but we need to see the positives, it was the weekend that I have been the most competitive all season, and we need to see the progress that we have made in the last couple of races, and I am looking forward to this track that is normally one of my favourite of the calendar, also the atmosphere is quite nice.”
Where do you think you’re making the difference, and what will the bike’s strong points be here at Phillip Island?
“Let’s see, it is a completely different track to Japan, and I think we are improving small things because, in the last couple of races, many of us tried many things like Jack with the aero. For this, we are making small steps I think at the start of the season, we were trying to make many ways to ride, but maybe there was only one way to ride this KTM bike, but we are finding our way to be fast.”
Do you feel that Ducati are beatable here?
“Yeah, I said in Japan that they are not unbeatable and are not untouchable like everyone and even us thought. It is true that they are at a really good level and are one step ahead of everyone, but we are not so far behind. We need to believe and keep pushing in this way, and in Mattighofen, they are doing great work to bring us new things. It is not easy, and I think in the last races, we are using new things, and I think it is working. We need to be open, listen to what the factory and test team are saying and try to follow their ways.”
JACK MILLER (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
How special is it to be back here and to ride with the fans?
“First and foremost, it’s always good to come home, especially having the short trip down from Townsville and having the week at home. Coming to the island both yesterday and today with some spectacular, I don’t predict that it will stay like that as it is already starting to turn out there. I mean, we have had a couple of beautiful days, and the whole area is fantastic when the sun is out and not blowing a gale. It’s awesome to be back and to feel the love; it’s something special, and every year, it has gotten better and better. It was 10 years since we won that race, and it feels like just yesterday.”
What is a realistic result?
“I think anything is, as we have seen times over the years at the Island, if you are having some slight issues, you can mask it here. Fingers crossed, we can get away to a solid weekend, it looks like the weather conditions will be iffy throughout Friday and Saturday. The least amount of dry track time, the better, I feel like we hit the ground running but throughout the season to make progress on FP1. I feel like the least amount of dry track time will help because the speed is there from the get-go it is just making those improvements throughout the weekend.”
How impressed at Pedro Acosta are you?
“It’s easy to forget that he’s a rookie because he’s riding like a seasoned veteran. He is leading the charge for us, and Brad is also doing a fantastic job as well. There is no hiding that I have had my issues, and I think the boys are doing a fantastic job to be able to ride around it and put the bike where it needs to be on Saturday and Sunday.”
JOHANN ZARCO (CASTROL Honda LCR)
How special is it to be back at Phillip Island one year after your first MotoGP™ victory?
“It was a nice feeling, clearly, just to arrive on the island because even without the victory from last year, Phillip Island has a special taste. When I arrived yesterday, it was fantastic weather so just that, you look around and you’re happy. I was cycling on the track in the morning, and I got a good feeling at the final two corners, thinking about the moment when I was leading the race, and I got this first victory. It was pretty nice, and I am still so happy that it happened here because it is a track that I like and that impresses me because the corners are special here, which I think made the taste of victory even better. Let’s see how we can perform this weekend with these long corners, and let’s see if we can get closer to the others.”
How confident are you that you can battle in the top 10 in Australia?
“Clearly, the last two GPs gave a good boost for me and the team, even in Japan, where Friday didn’t start so well, but then the two races that we got were quite interesting. Here, it doesn’t seem to be a track for acceleration, where we have had a wheelie problem. I hope we can lose less time to the other, and if it keeps working, then it means that the step forward that we made in Misano is working, and we will confirm it here, and that will be positive for Honda, knowing that they understand and we can keep going forward.”
MotoGP : Free Practice 1 Cancelled in Australia
Weather played a little havoc on Friday morning at the Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, obliging the cancellation of MotoGP™ FP1.
Moto3 : Piqueras Fastest Friday Afternoon at Phillip Island
Angel Piqueras led Moto3 World Championship practice Friday afternoon at Phillip Island, in Australia. Piqueras used his Pirelli-shod Leopard Racing Honda to lap the 2.76-mile (4.44 km) track in 1:44.949, which led the field of 26 riders.
The 2024 Moto3 World Champion, David Alonso was second-best with a time of 1:45.991 on his Gaviota Aspar Team CFMOTO.
Piqueras’ teammate, Adrian Fernandez claimed the third and final spot on the front with a lap time of 1:47.062.
Moto3 classification Practice 1
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Piqueras powers to P1 ahead of Alonso at Phillip Island. The Spaniard topped the timesheets in tricky conditions ahead of Alonso and Fernandez.
Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) started the Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix strong, securing the top spot on a tricky opening day of action at Phillip Island. The #36 set a 1:44.949 to secure a 1.042s advantage over newly crowned Moto3 World Champion David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team), who claimed P2 at the end of proceedings. The Colombian set a strong pace, setting just 14 laps throughout Practice 1, finishing the day in front of Adrian Fernandez, who completed a strong day for the Leopard Racing squad and Honda.
It was a tricky start to proceedings at Phillip Island, with Free Practice getting underway in wet conditions. Alonso sealed top honours on Friday morning, bagging a confidence-boosting start to the weekend. Once Practice 1 got underway, conditions looked to have improved, with Piqueras bagging the top spot early on. Piqueras continued to build throughout the session, setting the best time on his eighth lap, which would be good enough to hold onto P1.
Securing fourth was David Almansa (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team), who was a further 0.049s adrift from a spot in the top three. The #22 looked confident as conditions improved, setting a 1:47.111 and placing ahead of his teammate Matteo Bertelle (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team). The Italian ended Friday in front of David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), with the #64 grabbing sixth after having some early drama with Fernandez in FP1. Meanwhile, Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) took seventh ahead of Stefano Nepa (LEVELUP – MTA) in eighth.
Further back, Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) and Joel Kelso (BOE Motorsports) rounded out the top 10 in what is an important weekend for Kelso, aiming for a great result in front of his home crowd. Noah Dettwiler (CIP Green Power) took 11th in front of Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia), who suffered a crash at Turn 4. The #72 ended the opening day of action in front of Tatsuki Suzuki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team’s Joel Esteban, who claimed the final spot inside a vital top 14.
Set your alarm clocks and tune in as Moto3™ returns on Saturday at 08:30 local time (UTC +11) before a vital qualifying begins at 12:50 (UTC +11)!
Moto2 : Canet Tops Opening Practice In Australia
Aron Canet was quickest during Moto2 World Championship Free Practice Friday morning at Phillip Island, in Australia. Riding his Pirelli-shod Fantic Racing Kalex on the wet 2.76-mile (4.44 km) track, the Spaniard recorded a 1:41.620 to lead the field of 29 riders.
Mario Aji was the best of the rest with a 1:41.661 on his IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia Kalex.
Alonso Lopez was third-fastest with a 1:41.772 on his Beta Tools SpeedUp Boscoscuro.
American Joe Roberts finished the opening session in 10th with a 1:43.014 on his American Racing Team Kalex.
Moto2 Free Practice ClassificationMoto3 : Alonso Quickest In Opening Practice At Phillip Island
David Alonso was quickest during Moto3 World Championship practice Friday morning at Phillip Island, in Australia. Riding his Valresa Aspar Team CFMOTO on Pirelli control tires, the Colombian covered the 2.76-mile (4.44 km) road course in 1:44.888, topping the field of 26 riders.
Angel Piqueras was the best of the rest with a 1:44.906 on his Leopard Racing Honda.
Matteo Bertelle was third with a lap time of 1:45.456 on his Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team Honda.
FP1 Moto3 Classificstion
WorldSBK: Riders Preview Prometeon Spanish Round
The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for the final round of an enthralling campaign. The Prometeon Spanish Round concludes an epic 2024 season with the title still to be decided, and the fighting talk from the title contenders got underway on Thursday.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “In 2021, I had the same… P3 is enough for me, but I’m always looking for P1”
Speaking ahead of a round where he’s aiming to be crowned Champion for a second time, Razgatlioglu said: “I’m feeling good because we come back to Jerez again. Last year, I lost the race in the last corner. It’ll be completely different this year on the BMW. My target is to win the race. A 46-point margin is a really big gap. If I finish the race in P2 or P3, I’ll win the Championship. I know this, but still my target is to win the race. In 2021, I had the same. P3 is also enough for me, but I’m always looking for P1. I hope we get this because it’s important for me. When I signed for BMW, everyone said I’m crazy many times but now everyone’s started to believe in BMW and me. This is the final round and we’ve almost got the title. I hope we’re World Champions. It’s been an incredible season for me to ride the BMW and nobody believed me. First year and we could be World Champion, this is incredible for my career and also for BMW because they’ve never been World Champions on two wheels.”
Speaking light-heartedly about sharing a birthday with title rival Bulega plus former teammate Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), Razgatlioglu said: “We didn’t celebrate together, and not also Bulega… he was born in 1999, me in 1996, but Locatelli has the same birthday as me! Everything is the same, we just need to check the time. It’s not just Bulega and Locatelli, also Casey Stoner and Charles Leclerc. It’s just a birthday, we’re getting older… I’m not happy!”
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “Toprak’s a Champion, Alvaro a two-time Champion. To be in the middle of them in my first year, it’s fantastic”
A title contender at the final round in his rookie season, Bulega spoke about how ‘proud’ he is of his 2024: “It’s incredible, I’m really happy because we come here from a strong weekend at Estoril. I have a good feeling with my bike and Jerez is a track I like a lot, one of my favourites, so I will try to do my best. It’s very difficult but I think I have to try to fight for the win, especially because I need extra motivation for next year. It’s a surprise for me, to be here at the last round and I can say I’m still fighting for the Championship. I never had this in my head when I signed this contract, or when I won the first race. I’m very proud. It’s incredible. It’s my first year and I’m fighting with a lot of Champions and guys who’ve been here a long time. Toprak’s a World Champion, Alvaro a two-time World Champion. To be in the middle of them in my first year, it’s fantastic.”
Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven): “I wanted to remain in this paddock… the racing here is amazing!”
Fresh off the back of securing his future, Iannone said: “It’s good news for me and also for the team. This was my priority, I wanted to remain in this paddock. The racing here is amazing. I think it’s the best choice for me for next year and we’ll try to improve things compared to this year. Next year, we’ll have more potential. My management worked to improve the level a bit. I think we have a bit more support from Ducati. My target for next year is to improve everything a little bit, we have everything to be stronger. I always want to improve, always be on the podium, but it’s not easy. My dream is to fight for the first position in every race or the podium. It isn’t easy, the level is really high here. I’m confident. In Race 2 at Estoril, I enjoyed it a lot; it was unbelievable, completely crazy. I really enjoyed, for the first time this year, the feeling with the bike like this. It was for eighth position, but we fought for fifth.”
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “There’s nothing I can do… if we can fight for victory, it’ll be nice”
Previewing his home round, Bautista spoke about potentially helping Bulega and his desire to win again: “I have really good memories of here. I took my first win in 125cc here in 2006, and last year, we won the title in WorldSBK. In the past, I was at the final round with title chances, but I was in a different position. I was leading by a lot of points, and it was easy to get the title. For Nicolo, it’s a different situation. It’s his first year in WorldSBK and he’s second in the Championship with a big points difference. It doesn’t all depend on him; it depends on Toprak’s results. He has to be proud because, in his first year, he got to the last round with some chances. On Saturday, if nothing strange happens, the difference will be too big, and Toprak could be Champion. Here, I can’t help Bulega. At Estoril, I could help to not take off more points from Nicolo. Here, I can’t. In the same situation as Estoril, I can attack Nicolo because, even if he’s second, he has less chance of the title. There’s nothing I can do. If we can fight for the victory, it’ll be nice. If not, I’ll be happy without it if I can do my best in all races.”
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC): “We started from zero… we finished the year with a good base, so we’ll start next year from that base”
Back on the rostrum at Estoril, Lecuona is aiming to end 2024 on a high: “I’m really happy after the first podium after the season and second in WorldSBK. After all the injuries, all the work at home and at the track, we’re happy to have that result. I always said during these years that this is one of the worst tracks for us, or one I struggle at more during the last two years. It looks like we’re quite fast. I think from the summer, we did a good job on the bike; the pace was improving during the weekends. My strategy with my crew chief, the feeling on the bike, everything we improved a lot. When we started this year, I had a lot of injuries, but we also didn’t have a clear base on the bike. We started from zero. This year, we finished the year with a good base, so we’ll start next year from that base that is performing quite well.”
Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha): “Most challenging season of my whole career… expecting to take a good step forward in 2025”
A tricky season for Rea concludes at Jerez, with the six-time Champion saying: “I’m looking forward to the weekend. Parts of me are really excited about Jerez and trying to cap off the season in a good way, and then a part of me that wants to completely forget about this disappointing and challenging season as a whole and re-focus for ’25. It’s nice because we’re coming from a good weekend at Estoril. From what I understand, the base setup we have now is very similar to when first rode the bike last year in November. With all the changes we’ve made, we’ve come back to a happy base setting. I feel like I’m more optimistic going into here than I was going into Estoril, but in the end, Estoril turned out to be a positive one. In all honesty, when I first rode the Yamaha, I loved the feeling of the bike. It wasn’t a full grid at the test, but I still felt quite fast. I couldn’t imagine this being the most difficult season of my whole career. We know it’s challenging times, but I really feel better days are coming. I know Yamaha are working really hard in the background to improve the bike in all different aspects. I feel there’s reasons to be optimistic that we can be more competitive next year. It’s just piecing all the bits together, all the marginal gains. I’ll work on myself, trying to improve, because I don’t feel the team, or the bike are getting my full potential right now.”
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “It feels like this season’s gone really quickly!”
The last weekend for Kawasaki in their current form, before morphing into Bimota by KRT with Alex Lowes saying: “It feels like this season’s gone really quickly, every year goes quickly but there’s been a few changes inside the garage for me, working with Pere and the crew, and it seems like yesterday we started working together. It’ll be an emotional weekend because Kawasaki green has been so famous in WorldSBK for the last 15 years, especially with some fantastic results with Jonny and Tom. Multiple World Champions, not just Riders’ but Teams’ and Manufacturers’. A shame, personally, to be the last weekend in green but we have a new challenge; we’re staying together, it’s just a different challenge.”
Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW): “It’s going to be emotional… excited for the change, happy I have the memories I have”
Gerloff’s last weekend as a BMW rider is here and he said: “I’m happy with how we’ve been able to recover this year and how the second half of the season’s been going, and the results I’ve had, and the team’s had. I’m pretty content. We should’ve started the year like we are now and that’s a shame. It’s super emotional. I was so happy I was given the opportunity to come to Bonovo two years ago. The team and I have clicked so much. We have such a good team dynamic. It’s going to be really difficult to leave that behind because literally, in one night, everything changes from Sunday to Monday. It’s going to be emotional. I’m excited for the change and I’m happy I have the memories I have. A podium would be amazing, it’s what I’m always pushing for; to at least be in the top three. I don’t think it’s going to be super easy as it’s Jerez and everyone knows this track super well from testing.”
WorldSBK: Four Wildcard Riders Set For WorldSBK Outing In Jerez
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid will have four extra riders on it at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto as the paddock gears up for an epic end-of-season round. The Prometeon Spanish Round will host the action as four wildcards – two Hondas and two Yamahas – join the grid to add to the intrigue around this year’s finale.
NAGASHIMA BACK WITH TEAM HRC: Japanese rider set for Jerez comeback
Tetsuta Nagashima has been seen on occasion with Team HRC and he’ll make a welcome return to WorldSBK action at Jerez as one of the four wildcards. He last raced in WorldSBK back in 2022 at Phillip Island, impressing in mixed conditions. Nagashima will be supported by the test team at Jerez, with the Japanese rider’s duties with Honda including testing the CBR1000RR-R. He’s also won the iconic Suzuka 8 Hours on multiple occasions, alongside Iker Lecuona in 2022 and Xavi Vierge last year; he’ll race alongside both at Jerez.
Nagashima said: “I’m really looking forward to competing in the final round of the WorldSBK Championship at Jerez. I’ve been carrying out WorldSBK testing for a while now, and in 2022, I took part in my first and only race weekend in Australia, where the results weren’t bad. I’m curious to see how the bike performs now and what we can achieve. I hope to gain a better understanding of the bike and identify the differences with respect to two years ago. I can’t wait to be back in action.”
BERNARDI RETURNS: second consecutive weekend for the Sammarinese
Luca Bernardi is back in WorldSBK for the second consecutive weekend, linking up with the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team. The Sammarinese rider competed in 2022 with the Barni Ducati outfit before finding a new home in the Italian Superbike championship. A tricky Estoril last weekend meant he didn’t score points, but he’ll be back at Jerez and aiming to return to the points-paying positions in the final round of the season.
On his second wildcard of the season, Bernardi said: “First of all, I am very happy to be able to still be part of Sandro Carusi’s team. Jerez is a track that I really like. I have never raced on this track, only tested, and I know that it is very technical and that it suits my riding style. I hope to continue the work started in Portugal, to continue my growth and to obtain better results.”
RYDE COMING TO JEREZ ON THE CREST OF A WAVE: the 2024 British champion in WorldSBK
Kyle Ryde’s wildcard was announced a long time ago and since then, he and his OMG Racing team have been enjoying domestic success. Ryde won the British championship last weekend at Brands Hatch, up against Tommy Bridewell (Honda Racing UK), before heading to Spain for his first WorldSBK appearance. The 27-year-old has experience of the paddock, having raced in WorldSSP in 2016 and 2017, while he was on the rostrum in a one-off appearance in 2015 at Donington Park.
Speaking when his wildcard was announced in September, Ryde said: “It’s obviously really exciting to hear that the team will be going to compete in the final round of the FIM Superbike World Championship at Jerez, and it is something I’m incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to do. I love Jerez, it is such an awesome track. I did a few laps there on my R6 earlier this year, and I really like the circuit, so I’m already itching to get out on the World Superbike-spec R1. The team are working hard behind the scenes now to get it all ready, and I just can’t wait. Thank you to Alan, Paul and all my guys for giving up their time and efforts to give us the chance to ride on the world stage.”
BRIDEWELL COMPLETES HONDA CONTINGENT: the Brit returns for a second wildcard
Bridewell was Ryde’s rival in the BSB title fight and both will be on track at Jerez. The 2023 British champion raced in WorldSBK at Cremona this year, where he also tested with Team HRC back in the summer. With six CBR1000RR-R machines on the grid, Bridewell will be hoping he can make a step forward and he revealed he would have a slightly upgrade spec of his machine.
He said: “I love racing motorbikes so to get to go and have another go is another great opportunity to go out and race my bike. Jerez is a really good circuit too as it’s got a bit of everything, heavy braking with a slow first sector that then starts opening up and getting quicker and quicker. Going to Jerez for me is about continuing the work that we are doing, gathering information and doing the best that I can. I rode well at Cremona with the package that we were on and ultimately, we will be a little bit better equipped with a slightly upgraded spec at Jerez. I want to go there and do as well as I can.”
Barber Vintage Festival: AHRMA Vintage Cup Finale
AHRMA Vintage Cup Season Finale at Barber Vintage Festival
The final rounds of the 2024 American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) Vintage Cup Championship was a smackdown between the series leaders.
Rounds 18 and 19 of AHRMA’s 2024 Vintage Cup series, which highlights the 350 GP class, were held October 12 and 13, at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, AL as part of the 2024 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA Road Racing Series.
Rob Hall had secured the 2024 Vintage Cup Championship during rounds 16 and 17 at Pittsburgh International Race Complex during the prior weekend. Nonetheless, Spargo chose to fight until the last checkered flag was thrown, racing to victory on Saturday and Sunday, with Hall coming in second both days.
Sponsored by Hagerty Insurance, Roadracingworld.com, and NYC Norton (nycnorton.com), AHRMA’s 2024 Vintage Cup features the 350 GP class which includes 350cc four-stroke and 250cc two-stroke powered machines built up to and including 1968. Featured bikes from this era would include bikes such as the AJS 7R “Boy Racer,” 350 Manx Norton, Benelli 350-Four, Aermacchi 350 Road Racer, Yamaha TD2, and more.
During Saturday’s race, Alex McLean, riding Rob McKeever’s 1967 Aermacchi Drixton, took the holeshot, but was immediately overtaken by Hall, riding Stuart Carter’s 1965 AJS 7R. Spargo on John Turner’s 1967 Yamaha TD2 moved into second exiting Turn Two. Spargo took the lead within the first few corners, and built a gap on the field. During the penultimate lap, Hall reeled Spargo in and passed him, but couldn’t make it stick. Spargo won with Hall 2.5 seconds behind and McLean third.
The balance of the grid, in order of finish was Jerry Duke in fourth on a 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler; David Roper finishing fifth riding his 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT; John Tunstall in sixth on a 1981 Ducati Pantah; Craig Light, seventh on a 1973 Bultaco; Jim Jowers, eighth on a 1960 AJS 7R; Larry Watts, ninth on a 1968 Ducati 350; Doug Bowie in 10th riding a 1968 Ducati Mach 1; Patrick Svilans in 11th position on a 1964 Harley Davidson Sprint 350; Brian Larrabure finishing 12th on his 1967 Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Ala D’Oro; and Eric Watts 13th, on a 1972 Ducati 350.
NYC Norton and close friends of AHRMA pitched in for a purse that was distributed to the first five finishers in Saturday’s race.
“It was very nice to be able to give Spargo another special Vintage Cup trophy since these trophies are only given out on Saturdays and all but one of his wins were on Sundays this season,” said Kenny Cummings of NYC Norton. “It was also special to present the 2024 Championship trophy to Rob Hall at the heavily attended awards ceremony Saturday evening. After the awards on Saturday, I asked Rob if he’d be riding tomorrow after clinching the championship knowing that his 7R was incredibly tired and on its last legs. Rob replied, ‘I’ll have a little surprise for you tomorrow.’”
On Sunday, Hall appeared on the grid riding his 1965 Honda CB160. While McLean again took the holeshot, Hall flew past him before the exit of the first turn. Spargo passed McLean exiting Turn Two. Hall kept a sizeable gap over Spargo’s powerful TD2 two-stroke until the last lap when he experienced a mechanical issue on the CB160 and had to roll back a bit enabling Spargo to close the gap and win the race. Hall took a commendable second on a broken bike, and McLean again rounded out the podium.
“I was just as surprised as the thousands of fans on the side of the hill when Rob Hall dominated the field, turning 1:47s on his Honda CB 160 street bike on Sunday,” said Cummings. “Although not entirely eligible for the pukka 350GP class, this spectacle was the perfect capper to the wonderful series we’ve had this year of true Grand Prix bike racing.”
Cummings continued, “along with the fireworks happening at the front there were many great battles within the race, with Jerry Duke giving McLean a run for his money on Saturday, and John Tunstall, Jim Jowers, and Eric Watts having a great race on Sunday. Another great Vintage Cup, I am a proud papa, I want to thank every single 350 GP racer who signed up and put their bikes out there this year. Looking forward to the big 500 Premier as the featured class for Vintage Cup next year.”
The balance of the grid in order of finish included Roper in fourth, Jowers fifth, Tunstall sixth, Watts seventh, Svilans eighth, and Light ninth.
Greg Tomlinson, 2024 Chairman of the AHRMA Board of Trustees said, “I’d like to extend congratulations to Rob on his 2024 Championship in the 350 GP Class. He along with the entire field of riders put on a heck of a show this entire season and put an exclamation point on the series at Barber Motorsports Park this weekend. I’d also like to thank NYC Norton and RoadracingWorld.com for their support of the Vintage Cup class and look forward to 500 Premier as the highlight vintage class in 2025.”
The 2025 Vintage Cup will feature the 500 Premier class. The first two rounds of the 2025 AHRMA National Road Race Series will be February 15-16, 2025 at Roebling Road Raceway in Bloomingdale, Georgia.
The annual Vintage Cup spotlights one of AHRMA’s road racing classes with extra attention on competitors in the selected class during each race event. Enhanced awards for the Vintage Cup competitors are presented separately from other class trophies during the Saturday awards ceremony at each AHRMA National Road Race event. Highlights from each Vintage Cup race are reported on RoadRacingWorld.com and in the online edition of the magazine as well. At the conclusion of each season, the perpetual Vintage Cup trophy is engraved with the national champion winner’s name and presented to the winner at the National Awards Banquet to keep for one year.
2024 Bridgestone Tires AHRMA Roadracing Series, 350GP – Vintage Cup Results
Saturday, October 12, 2024
1 – 19 Christopher Spargo, 1967 Yamaha TD2, Hopkins, MN
2 – 270 Rob Hall, 1965 AJS 7R, Charlotte, NC
3 – 122 Alex McLean, 1967 HD Aermacchi Drixton, Jacksonville Beach, FL
4 – 9K Jerry Duke, 1967 Ducati 350 Scrambler, Florence, AL
5 – 7 David Roper, 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT, Hicksville, NY
6 – 36T John Tunstall, 1981 Ducati Pantah, St. Petersburg, FL
7 – 79A Craig Light, 1973 Bultaco, Peachtree City, GA
8 – 37 Jim Jowers, 1960 AJS 7R, East Hampton, NY
9 – 141 Larry Watts, 1968 Ducati 350, Blacklick, OH
10 – 350 Doug Bowie, 1968 Ducati Mach 1, Lilburn, GA
11 – 35X Patrick Svilans, 1964 Harley Davidson Sprint 350, Toronto, ON
12 – 14 Brian Larrabure, 1967 Harley-Davidson AERMACCHI Ala D’Oro. Calabasas, CA
13 – 87 Eric Watts, 1972 Ducati 350, Blacklick, OH
Sunday, October 13, 2024
1 – 19 Christopher Spargo, 1967 Yamaha TD2, Hopkins, MN
2 – 270 Rob Hall, 1965 AJS 7R, Charlotte, NC
3 – 122 Alex McLean, 1967 HD Aermacchi Drixton, Jacksonville Beach, FL
4 – 7 David Roper, 1970 Harley-Davidson ERTT, Hicksville, NY
5 – 37 Jim Jowers, 1960 AJS 7R, East Hampton, NY
6 – 36T John Tunstall, 1981 Ducati Pantah, St. Petersburg, FL
7 – 87 Eric Watts, 1972 Ducati 350, Blacklick, OH
8 – 35X Patrick Svilans, 1964 Harley Davidson Sprint 350, Toronto, ON
9 – 79A Craig Light, 1973 Bultaco, Peachtree City, GA
About AHRMA:
The American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to competing on fantastic classic and true vintage along with a wide range of modern motorcycles. With over 3,000 members, AHRMA is the largest vintage racing group in North America and one of the biggest in the world. The association has grown steadily over the years, reflecting the increasing interest in classic bikes.
WorldSBK: Iannone And GoEleven Renew For 2025 WorldSBK Campaign
Aragon race winner Andrea Iannone has put to bed speculation about his future by signing a new deal with Team GoEleven
One of the hottest MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship silly season topics will cool off, as Andrea Iannone agreed to stay with Team GoEleven for the 2025 campaign. Iannone’s first WorldSBK season was capped off with a victory at Aragon a few weeks ago, and he’ll return next year as he looks to add more wins and podiums to his tally following a stellar rookie campaign. It puts to bed any speculation about Iannone’s future, with the Italian committed to his Independent Ducati team for another season.
A DEBUT TO REMEMBER: Iannone straight on the rostrum
The 35-year-old made his WorldSBK debut in Australia and, despite four years with no racing, was immediately on the podium. Third in Race 1, while also leading the race, was an impressive start and he backed that up with second in the Tissot Superpole Race in Barcelona, getting the best seat in the house as Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) created one of the races of the season with a final corner showdown.
MIXED RESULTS: an up and down year for the rookie
It’s no surprise that Iannone’s results have been mixed, with inexperience of the Panigale V4 R, Pirelli tyres and some circuits mixed with his four years away creating the perfect storm for an inconsistent season. He took a best of fourth at Assen but was 15th in the Superpole Race, fifth in the Superpole Race at Misano but 11th in Race 2 and didn’t score a single-digit result at Donington Park. He returned to the podium in Race 1 at the Autodrom Most, before taking P4 at Portimao in Race 2.
THE END OF HIS ROOKIE CAMPAIGN: winner at Aragon, consistently in the top ten
As Iannone’s gained more experience, his consistency has improved. Fifth, 11th and 12th at Mangy-Cours was followed by a third and two retirements at Cremona but, since then, the #29 has been a consistent figure in the top ten. That all started with a famous win at Aragon, his first in eight years in all Championships, and GoEleven Ducati’s first since 2020 at the same venue. Two fourth-place finishes followed on Sunday before he took ninth twice and eighth at Estoril. Iannone is in a tight fight for P6 in the Championship. He currently sits seventh on 211 points, four behind Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in sixth and eight ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha).
BEFORE WORLD SUPERBIKE: a race winner in MotoGP™
Iannone made a name for himself in the 125cc World Championship, taking four wins and a best Championship finish of seventh in his final season. That earned him a spot in Moto2™ for 2010 and he spent three seasons in that category, finishing third in each one. Eight wins and 19 podiums was enough to secure him a spot in MotoGP™ with Pramac Ducati. He stayed there for two seasons before the switch to the factory Ducati team for 2015 and 2016, when the Italian became a race winner with victory in the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix. He then moved to Suzuki for two seasons before one year with Aprilia in MotoGP™. However, he was sanctioned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following a violation of an anti-doping rule after a positive test for a banned substance in the following Malaysian GP, coming in from December 17th, 2019, which kept him away from competitive racing for four years.
IANNONE’S THOUGHTS ON HIS RENEWAL: “We will continue to work together to constantly improve…”
Discussing his new contract with Team GoEleven, Iannone said: “I am happy to continue this journey with the Pata GoEleven Team riding the Ducati Panigale V4 R. The first year in the WorldSBK Championship was full of surprises and satisfactions, we will continue to work together to constantly improve and reach new goals. I thank Gigi Dall’Igna, Claudio Domenicali, Paolo Ciabatti, Marco Zambenedetti, Mauro Grassilli and the whole Pata GoEleven Team for the renewed trust. A special thanks also to Remo Gobbi and the WorldSBK family.”
THE TEAM SAYS: “We are ready to fight for the important position in 2025!”
Team Owner, Gianni Ramello, added: “Keeping continuity to the project with Andrea Iannone, it means a lot to all our team, I was particularly keen on it because I am convinced that, with the experience gained in 2024, we could have a lot of data in each race and start with a solid base. We are following up on a choice made at the end of 2023, a choice outside the box, but which still proved to be a winning one, giving us great satisfaction and podiums. I also want to welcome Pata, who chose to believe in GoEleven and Andrea’s project, allowing us to make a further step forward, joining the support of all our partners and sponsors. I would like to thank all my collaborators, especially Elia, Denis and Luciana who have always supported me in this journey and Ducati which allows us to have a competitive and strong bike. A specific mention for Andrea, a rider and man with whom a special relationship was born, different from many others, I didn’t know him but after a few races he entered my heart, not only for the talent he showed, but also as a person. Knowing that we will go on together in 2025, it fills me with great enthusiasm, and we are ready to fight for the important positions in 2025!”
DENIS SACCHETTI’S VIEW: “I’m really excited to be able to keep working with Andrea in 2025…”
Team GoEleven’s Team Manager, Denis Sacchetti, stated: “I am really excited to be able to keep working with Andrea in 2025, I believe that he and the team have provided harmony and continuous growth, this is certified by the victory at Aragon, a dream come true with three rounds to go, which projects us to 2025 with very high motivation. After four years without racing and a championship, tyres, bike, brand new for Andrea, the results have been better than expected that’s why we are sure that we can aim for even more important results. Our project is further enhanced by a fantastic bike, the Ducati Panigale V4R, of which we will enjoy all the technological developments that Ducati will bring on tracks. I would like to thank Andrea Iannone, Mauro Grassilli, Marco Zambenedetti, Gigi Dall’Igna for the renewed trust in us and the Ramello family for the effort they are putting into the growth of Go Eleven.”
More From The Barber Vintage Festival: The Cosomoto Hypermono
Chris Cosentino treads where others fear to follow. He bought a Ducati Panigale V-Twin cylinder head and built a road racing Single around it. That is not an exaggeration. He built his own cylinder and bottom end for the engine, a single-shock front end, a custom swingarm and frame and all the rest.
Now, with Ducati’s Hypermotard single-cylinder engine available, he and business partner Ben Claman slipped the Ducati engine into a bespoke chassis and created the Hypermono, a purpose-built racebike that their company–Cosomoto–hopes to sell in track and street configurations.
Roadracing World caught up with Cosentino at the Barber Vintage Festival at Barber Motorsports Park, where the latest prototype of the Hypermoto raced in the AHRMA Sound of Singles class, piloted by MotoAmerica racer Eli Block.
“I cut my teeth racing 125s,” Cosentino, an engineer well known for his first principles approach to racing motorcycles, says. “Once you get the taste of racing lightweight bikes, you can’t match it. So the answer was to try to make a really light motorcycle with a ton of power and brakes. That’s not really what OEMs are going for, so you start making parts, and then you realize that you’ve got to make this other part, and at some point you realize that you’re going to have to make a whole motorcycle!”
The project started several years ago. After looking at big-displacement single-cylinder engines he could buy, Cosentino purchased a cylinder head from a Panigale and carved a cylinder and bottom end from billet. The motor ran and he eventually got 60 horsepower out of it, but an engine development program strained the finances of the small company. “It was a labor of love, but engine R&D is tough, because you’re breaking expensive parts,” he says.
Impressed by the 659cc Ducati Hypermotard Single, and realizing that using an EPA-approved package would open up the possibility of selling a streetbike, Cosentino slotted the engine into his Hypermono package. For the AHRMA race, the engine still had a stock and uncracked ECU, and was stock other than the carbon-fiber dry clutch. Because the engine management system couldn’t be optimized for the non-stock airbox and pipe, Cosentino estimated that it was down on stock horsepower, but with a race ECU would be good for close to 90 horsepower.
The Hypermono’s Hossack-style front end (most motorcyclists would recognize it as similar to the Telelever single-shock front end systems found on many BMW motorcycles) features twin spars carved from billet aluminum.
“The frame and linkage are all triangulated and they are all very stiff. There’s no frame deflection like modern bikes have with their long engine hangers and the headstock moves. On this (the Hypermono), the flex is all in the uprights (fork spars).
“If I need a weaker upright with more flex laterally, I can machine a thinner-walled one and keep my bracing stiffness. The parts are easy to characterize (to predict and measure specific behaviors). I don’t have this super-complex frame that needs to be stiff in this direction and flex in this direction and all of these things. You have to do that with a bike with traditional forks. Round forks can’t bend because they seize. That’s the core of all this complicated motorcycle design. Go to a different front end design and you solve all that.”
On the other end is a swingarm that is a one-piece sand casting. The mold was 3-D printed, and the entire assembly weighs 14 pounds. In contrast, the main chassis is tubular 4130 steel. It may seem to contradict the pursuit of light weight. But when Honda gave up on its four-stroke oval-piston Grand Prix machine and created the two-stroke NS500 back in the early 1980s, the first iterations of that bike came with round steel tubes in the frame. Both Honda and Cosentino know that modifications are a necessary part of frame development in the early days, and modifying steel tubes is easier than trying to do the same with aluminum spars.
The bike currently weighs 275 pounds with fuel, Cosentino says. New carbon-fiber bodywork to replace the printed plastic and a magnesium swingarm will help get the machine down to its 255 pound (wet) target weight.
Cosomoto plans to start with a batch of 25 fully-faired track-only Hypermono machines, followed by a street version with more of the mechanicals exposed. But for now, he’s enjoying the development and honing the motorcycle in competition. And AHRMA provides the perfect environment for an engineer who is challenging design norms and wants to build the bike he wants to see.
“No one in this paddock ever asks me, why’d you do this? It’s the stupidest question to ask a motorcycle guy,” Cosentino says.
MotoGP: Riders Preview The Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix
The start of a captivating and crucial triple-header in MotoGP™ has arrived as we touch down at a rider and fan favourite for Round 17 – the phenomenal Phillip Island. Ahead of what looks set to be an unpredictable weekend at the Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, our two main title protagonists and some more key names sat down in front of the media on Thursday.
Press Conference 1 saw Championship leader Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) sit alongside title rival Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) before Pedro Acosta (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and 2023 winner Johann Zarco (CASTROL Honda LCR) were joined by home hero Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) for Press Conference 2.
Check out all the top headlines from the day and then return for more as track action at the legendary Island begins on Friday!
Thursday talking points from Australia
“55% Martin, 45% Pecco” – How close is 2024’s title fight?
Acosta weighs in with his own question in the first Press Conference…
Di Giannantonio to miss Malaysian and Valencia GPs
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) has announced that he’ll return to Italy after the Thai GP to undergo surgery on his left shoulder. Consequently, the Italian will miss the Malaysian GP and Valencia GP as he aims to be at full fitness for the 2025 season.
Press Conferences: Qatar Airways Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix
WATCH: Press Conference 1
JORGE MARTIN (Prima Pramac Racing)
Is this the most challenging weekend?
“It will be a really challenging weekend, not only because it’s the last part of the season, but the weather is so different here every day, we have a new surface and also different tyres compared to last season, so it will be really difficult and demanding in terms of analysing data for us to understand really fast what we need for racing Sunday and we saw last year that it will be the key.”
How do you feel about the title gap reducing, and is this the most important part of the season?
“It will be the most important part because it’s what remains. There are some parts of the season where Pecco was close or in front, so the important thing for me is to arrive in Valencia with options. There are still three races where we can make mistakes, and for sure, they have bigger consequences; it’s more important, and if you make a mistake, it’s a disaster. We need to be really confident and try to be competitive.”
How special would it be to win in Australia?
“It is a super nice track, and it is one of the best tracks to ride, at this point, I would love to win, but the important thing is the Championship. I will think more about that, but if I had the opportunity, I would take it 100%. It would be super nice to win here.”
Is Acosta someone who you need to watch in the next four races?
“I think Pedro is super strong, and he already had the chance to win in Japan, but he crashed also, I think he wants his first MotoGP™ win this season so bad. He will be super strong, but we also have Marc and Enea, who will be super strong and will have their own battles also and will try to win.”
Pedro Acosta: Will the manufacturer influence the Championship battle?
“For me, I can’t control that, so I won’t focus on that, I will focus on riding, but I hope not. I will focus on what I can control, which is to ride at 100% and try and be fast.”
FRANCESCO BAGNAIA (Ducati Lenovo Team)
A big challenge coming up this weekend?
“We were speaking about it before, and I think the most challenging thing will be to understand the tyres because it looks like we will not have dry sessions to understand what tyre will be good for the race. The soft tyre is the medium from last year, and already last year without new asphalt, it was a bit on the limit, so we have to understand it, we will have tyres with a. different casing like Indonesia, so we have to try and understand it. Also, the conditions, tomorrow looks like it will be rainy, Saturday looks windy, and Sunday looks ok but cold. We have to understand it, and like always, Phillip Island is complicated to understand, but the asphalt looks great, and hopefully, we will have a better feeling compared to what we started with last year.”
Do you feel you can lead the World Championship after this weekend?
“What we have learned is that it is not mandatory to be leading the Championship right now, and if it happens, then it happens, but in the case of gaining or losing points, it is not a problem as we understand that this will be decided in Valencia, it will be very complicated to decide it before. We will try our maximum, and if our maximum and if our maximum is to finish second, then we will try and finish second, but we know the potential is to win, so we will try everything to win and gain points like Indonesia and try and continue this in Thailand.”
How special would it be to win in Australia?
“I had the chance in Moto3 for the first time, but I had some complicated races with the battles that we were having. In Moto2, it was a disaster for me in both years, and in MotoGP, I was close in 2022 and 2023, but you never know. We will try again this year, but we have to be thinking about the Championship and try to get the maximum without taking too much risk, and here at Phillip Island, not taking too many risks is a huge thing.”
Is Acosta someone who you need to watch in the next four races?
“In Indonesia, nobody was expecting his performance, but then what happened with the tyre pressure. I will just think about Motegi, and it was true that he was fast. He was very competitive from the start of the weekend, and I was expecting him to be competitive as KTM was always fast in Japan, and he is a rider who brakes really hard. He was fighting for his first victory, so we already know the potential of Pedro, he was super good at the start, and then he lost some of his confidence, but it looks like he is back. This track is good for everybody, the bike makes less of a difference here because it is very fast, and it is difficult to make this difference, so I think it will be difficult to see someone opening a gap.
Pedro Acosta: Will the manufacturer influence the Championship battle?
“I think if they wanted to help me in some way, then already in Misano, I could already have something better than what is already our package because we tried a new chassis, and the chassis is not ready for everybody, so we are not using it. It’s more correct that it’s like this, and Dall’Igna was always clear on that as soon as I started to ride with Ducati and in the last two seasons, the factory team has the same package, and If I have something new, then everyone has something new. It’s a different strategy compared to others, but it’s the strategy which has put Ducati in this position. Now Ducati is so competitive because of this strategy, and I don’t think that we will change something until Valencia.”
WATCH: Press Conference 2
PEDRO ACOSTA (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3)
How much are you looking forward to the challenge?
“Japan was nice, it was like a dream, but we need to see the positives, it was the weekend that I have been the most competitive all season, and we need to see the progress that we have made in the last couple of races, and I am looking forward to this track that is normally one of my favourite of the calendar, also the atmosphere is quite nice.”
Where do you think you’re making the difference, and what will the bike’s strong points be here at Phillip Island?
“Let’s see, it is a completely different track to Japan, and I think we are improving small things because, in the last couple of races, many of us tried many things like Jack with the aero. For this, we are making small steps I think at the start of the season, we were trying to make many ways to ride, but maybe there was only one way to ride this KTM bike, but we are finding our way to be fast.”
Do you feel that Ducati are beatable here?
“Yeah, I said in Japan that they are not unbeatable and are not untouchable like everyone and even us thought. It is true that they are at a really good level and are one step ahead of everyone, but we are not so far behind. We need to believe and keep pushing in this way, and in Mattighofen, they are doing great work to bring us new things. It is not easy, and I think in the last races, we are using new things, and I think it is working. We need to be open, listen to what the factory and test team are saying and try to follow their ways.”
JACK MILLER (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing)
How special is it to be back here and to ride with the fans?
“First and foremost, it’s always good to come home, especially having the short trip down from Townsville and having the week at home. Coming to the island both yesterday and today with some spectacular, I don’t predict that it will stay like that as it is already starting to turn out there. I mean, we have had a couple of beautiful days, and the whole area is fantastic when the sun is out and not blowing a gale. It’s awesome to be back and to feel the love; it’s something special, and every year, it has gotten better and better. It was 10 years since we won that race, and it feels like just yesterday.”
What is a realistic result?
“I think anything is, as we have seen times over the years at the Island, if you are having some slight issues, you can mask it here. Fingers crossed, we can get away to a solid weekend, it looks like the weather conditions will be iffy throughout Friday and Saturday. The least amount of dry track time, the better, I feel like we hit the ground running but throughout the season to make progress on FP1. I feel like the least amount of dry track time will help because the speed is there from the get-go it is just making those improvements throughout the weekend.”
How impressed at Pedro Acosta are you?
“It’s easy to forget that he’s a rookie because he’s riding like a seasoned veteran. He is leading the charge for us, and Brad is also doing a fantastic job as well. There is no hiding that I have had my issues, and I think the boys are doing a fantastic job to be able to ride around it and put the bike where it needs to be on Saturday and Sunday.”
JOHANN ZARCO (CASTROL Honda LCR)
How special is it to be back at Phillip Island one year after your first MotoGP™ victory?
“It was a nice feeling, clearly, just to arrive on the island because even without the victory from last year, Phillip Island has a special taste. When I arrived yesterday, it was fantastic weather so just that, you look around and you’re happy. I was cycling on the track in the morning, and I got a good feeling at the final two corners, thinking about the moment when I was leading the race, and I got this first victory. It was pretty nice, and I am still so happy that it happened here because it is a track that I like and that impresses me because the corners are special here, which I think made the taste of victory even better. Let’s see how we can perform this weekend with these long corners, and let’s see if we can get closer to the others.”
How confident are you that you can battle in the top 10 in Australia?
“Clearly, the last two GPs gave a good boost for me and the team, even in Japan, where Friday didn’t start so well, but then the two races that we got were quite interesting. Here, it doesn’t seem to be a track for acceleration, where we have had a wheelie problem. I hope we can lose less time to the other, and if it keeps working, then it means that the step forward that we made in Misano is working, and we will confirm it here, and that will be positive for Honda, knowing that they understand and we can keep going forward.”