The 2024 FIM WorldSBK Superbike World Championship’s third race took place on April 19-21 at the TT Assen circuit in the Netherlands.
In the WSBK category, British rider Jonathan Rea, now riding for Yamaha with number 65, secured pole position for the Superpole session before the wet track. Following him were Nicolo Bulega (11) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (54) in second and third place, respectively.
The first race, held amidst changing weather conditions, started with rain but soon cleared up. Italian rider Nicholas Spinelli, driving the 24, was the only one to use intermediate tires (INT) from start to finish. He quickly took the lead and extended it to over 4 seconds after the first lap; by the end of the fourth lap, his advantage had grown to over 24 seconds.
As the track dried out, championship contenders accelerated, closing gaps lap by lap. However, the 21-lap race was red-flagged after lap 15 due to an oil spill caused by Andrea Locatelli’s (55) crash. Results were determined based on their positions at the 14th lap. Spinelli emerged victorious, securing his first WSBK title, followed closely by Razgatlioglu in second, just under 2 seconds behind, and Alvaro Bautista (1) in third place.
The 10-lap Superpole Race saw Bautista take the top spot, with Bulega in second, more than two seconds behind, and Alex Lowes (22) claiming third.
The intense battle between M 1000 RR, Panigale V4 R, and YZF-R1M unfolded in the second race, with BMW riders claiming victory. Razgatlioglu clinched the win, securing BMW’s second victory of the season, while Bautista finished 0.6 seconds behind and Remy Gardner (87), an Australian, rounded off the podium, less than 0.4 seconds adrift.
After the Dutch round, Bautista led the WSBK standings with 123 points, Razgatlioglu in second with 117, and Bulega trailing in third with 109 points. The series will not have any events in May, with the next round scheduled for June 14-16 at Misano, Italy/San Marino.