The final leg of the 2024 FIM Superbike World Championship got underway at Estoril this past weekend, with back-to-back rounds in Portugal and Spain to end the season.
For Yamaha, it was a welcome return to form with both Andrea Locatelli and Jonathan Rea fighting at the front in the Superbike class for the Pata Prometeon Yamaha team. Locatelli showed impressive pace, but two costly crashes ruled him out of a potential podium finish. Rea on the other hand enjoyed his strongest weekend on the R1 to date, showing clear progress throughout.
In Supersport, Stefano Manzi kept his title hopes alive with an impressive victory in Race 2, while Valentin Debise also stood on the podium.
There was also success for Yamaha further afield, with Kyle Ryde and OMG Racing clinching the British Superbike Championship crown in a timeless last-lap battle for the trophy. Here’s the take of Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing and R&D Manager, Andrea Dosoli in this week’s Dosoli Debrief.
Locatelli and Rea had strong pace all weekend
“Talking about Superbike, it has been a better weekend than the previous two rounds at Aragon and Cremona. Clearly a step has been made and the team understand better the new bike with the aero-package, plus Estoril is a track where we have had success in the past.
“The Pata Prometeon Yamaha team were able to show the potential of the bike and fight for the podium. It was a shame for Locatelli to crash in both races as he showed a lot of speed this weekend. It was nice to watch him in the first few laps, where he was so aggressive yet in full control of the bike. He was so close to the podium in race one, finished fourth in the Superpole Race, and then confirmed his performance in race two with another strong performance until the crash. He should take home the positives from the speed shown this weekend.
“It was nice to see the improvement for Jonathan Rea, too. What really impressed me the most was his speed in the first few laps of Race 2, where he was capable of recovering five or six positions in one lap.
“With Jonathan, it is a matter of finding the confidence and for sure the injury in Magny Cours did not help. The results achieved here mark a step forward, a P4 is his best result on the bike in a long race so hopefully we can start from his and keep building the momentum now.”
It was Jonathan Rea’s strongest weekend of the year
“We were very pleased to have Dominique back in action this weekend. For sure he has been struggling with his shoulder, but he has been so motivated and working a lot at home in order to be ready so I am glad he has been declared fit and could be back on the bike this weekend. He had a bit of pain and a lack of strength in the shoulder, so finishing all three races is an achievement. It shows he has worked hard to get back and hopefully he will be even stronger in Jerez.
“It was a hard weekend for Remy Gardner, who was injured in a racing incident which was not his fault. But as we discussed with him, these things can happen when you start the races so far back on the grid. We are all aware this is the area we need to improve, as starting 16th on the grid means you have higher risk for a crash like this. We wish him a speedy recovery.
“Sticking with Superbike, I would like to congratulate Kyle Ryde for a well-deserved championship victory in the British Superbikes. It was amazing to watch the last lap of the last race of the championship, where he really showed his speed and commitment to get the title. Congratulations to him, and the rest of the OMG Racing team, to Alan Gardner and Paul Curran, who achieve their second title. Congratulations also to Yamaha Motor UK, who won the manufacturers championship – we would like to thank them for their continued support and commitment to motorsport. We are looking forward to welcoming OMG Racing and Kyle to Jerez for a wildcard in a few days.”
Kyle Ryde won the British Championship
“We had another strong weekend in World Supersport, with an amazing Race 2 not in terms of the fight, but in the consistency of the pace for Stefano Manzi. He struggled in Race 1 and a few set-up changes were needed as the guys had no time to work on dry-set up with practice wet, plus this was a new track for Manzi on the R6, so this gives even more value to his victory in Race 2.
“He is now second in the championship and the gap is very big, but anything can happen so we need to go to Jerez and do our best to win the races. It was also great to see Valentin Debise back on the podium with Evans Bros Racing, while Lucas Mahias also had a strong weekend as he continues to recover from his shoulder injury.”
Stefano Manzi Won WorldSSP Race 2
“Another big event took place this weekend with the R3 bLU cRU SuperFinale; an important event for Yamaha Motor Europe. The best kids racing in our bLU cRU programmes around the world came together for this event and there was exciting racing. Congratulations to Emanuele Pastore, who took the overall victory – we look forward to following him in the FIM R3 bLU cRU World Cup next year.
“It was also a special weekend for us, because the SuperFinale became the first ever international two-wheel competition running with 100% sustainable fuel. This is a huge milestone, and it is nice to see how motorsport can contribute to a more sustainable environment. We are glad to be the first achieving this target together with our partner TotalEnergies. All the riders enjoyed the R3, confirming that we achieved good performance and rideability in a sustainable way.
“We do not have long to wait for the next race as we proceed to Jerez. It is quite exciting that all of the championships will be decided in Jerez, especially for us as Yamaha as we have the chance to win two of them in WorldSSP and WorldSSP300. It will be an important race for us.”
