Cremona made its debut in WSBK with the 2024 SBK Italy round. The shortest race in the championship, which had to be modified to comply with the regulations, passed with flying colours. A track where we saw overtaking and where there was a great protagonist once the red lights went out: Danilo Petrucci.
SBK Italy Race 1: Petrucci makes history
In the first race, which was shorter than expected due to a red flag brought out due to a situation outside of what was happening on the track, it was clear that overtaking was possible at Cremona. But it was also clear that it is a tricky track for the front end. The crashes continued almost at the same rate as Danilo Petrucci gained positions until he reached first place, to the detriment of Niccolo Bulega who could only manage second. And if Petrucci’s performance was brilliant, so was Álvaro Bautista’s.
The Talavera native arrived at the 2024 SBK Italia round physically weakened after the crash in France, but he recovered in the race to climb back to a great third position. In fact, the feeling was that Bautista could have even overtaken Bulega, although the red flag waved six laps from the end and we were left without the outcome. What the first race did leave us with, despite being shorter than expected, was Petrucci making history by being the first rider to have won in MotoGP, WorldSBK, STK1000, STK600, MotoAmerica and a stage of the Dakar Rally, something difficult to achieve and which demonstrates the talent of the Italian.
As for the rest of the riders who were off the podium, the Hondas performed well, including Iker Lecuona with his fourth place and Xavi Vierge who was sixth. Axel Bassani slipped in between them. Michael Van de Mark completed his comeback in seventh position with Gerlof, Rinaldi and Gardner completing the top 10. A top 10 where Tito Rabat was expected, but he crashed at the start of the race.
SBK Italia 2024 Superpole Race: More Danilo
The second race of the weekend and the first on Sunday once again saw Petrucci as the protagonist. The Barni rider started strongly to take the lead, and did not relinquish the position until he crossed the finish line. Behind him, the fight for the podium was intense between Bulega, Lowes and Andrea Iannone, with the last two getting on the podium and leaving Bulega in fourth position, which meant that he was able to reduce the gap on the great absentee: Toprak Razgatlioglu, by fewer points than expected.
Lecuona’s good performances were repeated with a valuable fifth position. This time Bautista did not have time to reach the podium, but he did stage a new comeback to finish sixth ahead of Locatelli, Vierge, Gerloff and Rabat who, this time, did manage to be among the top ten.
SBK Italia 2024 Race 2: Petrucci excels and takes the triple win
After what we saw in the two races of the weekend, it was expected that Danilo Petrucci would once again climb to the top of the podium in Cremona in the third race and so it was. Once again Petrucci took the lead and most of the battle for the podium was behind him and with Alvaro Bautista shining at his best, coming from thirteenth position on the grid to second. A new podium for the Spaniard who reached number 100, equalling a legend like Carl Fogarty.
The third step of the podium went to Álvaro’s teammate and title contender, Nicolo Bulega. Despite making it to the podium, he feels like he didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to take the lead in the standings due to Toprak’s absence. In fact, the Turk is still the leader and despite not having competed in either France or Italy, he maintains a 13-point advantage with three rounds to go. Everything is still to be decided in that regard, but the feeling is that if Toprak recovers he will win the championship.
Back to the race, a surprising Gerloff took fourth position with Alex Lowes fifth, Iker Lecuona sixth, Michael Van Der Mark seventh, Xavi Vierge eighth, Andrea Locatelli ninth and Tito Rabat tenth.
Just like in MotoGP, the WSBK riders will not have time to recover and after the Italian SBK round they will arrive at the always spectacular MotorLand Aragón track this weekend. The start of the end of the WSBK season, with only the Aragon round, the Portuguese round and the final one in Jerez, which will close the championship, remaining.
