If the BMW rider takes the top step of the podium in Race 1 this Saturday at the 2024 Pirelli WSBK Round in Portimao, he will equal the record of 11 consecutive wins currently held by Álvaro Bautista and Jonathan Rea. But what will undoubtedly motivate him most is completing a new triple and thus overtaking them both, something that does not seem unlikely to us because the Algarve circuit in Portugal is one of his favourites.
We are all looking forward to seeing him take off on his legendary flights from Turn 9, one of the delights of this spectacular track, which many call ‘the roller coaster‘ due to the number of slopes it presents throughout its 4,600 metres. This makes it one of the most technical and difficult circuits in the entire catalogue for drivers.
Bautista, meanwhile, will be eager to make amends for his performance at Most. The rider from Talavera has fond memories of this circuit, having won the last four races on the Algarve circuit. A similar case is that of Jonathan Rea, whose record at Portimao is 13 victories, 25 podiums and 6 pole positions. Some impressive numbers for the Briton.
Who will dare to challenge Toprak for the title?
It is clear that the Turkish driver is in a state of grace compared to any of his pursuers, who will have to push themselves beyond their maximum if they want to try to catch him.
Nicolo Bulega will make his debut in this category at Portimao. The Italian, second in the championship, 64 points behind the leader, will certainly have a chance of doing well this weekend, as he could not have left the Portuguese circuit on a better note in 2023. There, with his 14th victory of the year, he secured his world Supersport title.
Another rider making his debut on a superbike there is Andrea Iannone. The Italian has shown great speed in past rounds and will surely be looking to find some more consistency in his results. He will also surely be riding on the high from his pole and second place in the exhibition race organised by Ducati recently, where he also got to compete against the best MotoGP riders.
Alex Lowes, fourth in the standings, will be looking to continue his podium streak to try and stay in the top three. The Kawasaki rider has achieved at least one podium in every round, except in Catalunya, but he is already 124 points behind the leader.
Unusual drivers on the Portimao starting grid and absences
Honda riders Tarran Mackenzie and Adam Norrodin are still awaiting medicals following their respective crashes at Donington. Sam Lowes, who broke his collarbone at Most after the heavy crash in which he was violently spit out by his bike, will miss the race. What we do know is that Hafizh Syahrin will return as a wildcard with the JDT Racing Team.
An epic weekend is expected under the light of the Portimao sunset
As if this round wasn’t already exciting enough thanks to the special Portuguese track and the memory of last year’s battle between Bautista and Toprak until the last corner, an extra epic factor will be added with the new schedule set for the races. The lights will go out at 6 p.m.
This new feature will give us the chance to enjoy races bathed in the Portimao sunset light, which will certainly add some spectacularity. But what we fans really want to find out is whether someone is finally going to be in the running to make things difficult for Toprak on the track and in the championship.
