WSBK 2024... Line ups

[weeksy]

Aruba.it Ducati
Alvaro Bautista (End of 2024)
Nicolo Bulega (End of 2024)

Kawasaki Racing Team
Alex Lowes (End of 2024)
Axel Bassani (End of 2024)

Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK
Andrea Locatelli (End of 2025)
Jonathan Rea (End of 2024)

Team HRC WorldSBK
Iker Lecuona (End of 2024)
Xavi Vierge (End of 2024)

ROKIT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
Toprak Razgatlioglu (End of 2025)
Michael Van Der Mark (End of 2024)

GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
Remy Gardner (End of 2024)
Dominique Aegerter (End of 2024)

Barni Spark Ducati Racing Team
Danilo Petrucci (End of 2024)

GoEleven Ducati
Andrea Iannone (End of 2024)

Bonovo Action BMW
Garrett Gerloff (End of 2024)
Scott Redding (End of 2024)

Marc VDS Ducati
Sam Lowes (End of 2024)

Motocorsa Ducati
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (end of 2024)

PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team
Tarran Mackenzie (End of 2024)
Adam Norrodin (End of 2024)

Puccetti Kawasaki
Tito Rabat (End of 2024)

GMT94 Yamaha
Phillip Oettl (End of 2024)

Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSBK Team
Bradley Ray (End of 2024)

BMW
Michael Van Der Mark will remain at BMW alongside Toprak Razgatlioglu, while in the satelitte Bonovo team it will be Garrett Gerloff and Scott Redding.

Honda
Iker Lecuona will be retained for a third season, alongside Xavi Vierge. Tarran Mackenzie and Adam Norrodin will step up to WorldSBK with PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team.

Yamaha

With Toprak Razgatlioglu leaving the Japanese manufactuer to join BMW, signing a star rider in place of the Turk was their main objective, which they have since done. Andrea Locatelli was signed to a two-year deal shortly after the Razgatlioglu, but Yamaha have since found an even bigger name after completing the signing of Jonathan Rea from Kawasaki.

Dominique Aegerter has been confirmed at Yamaha for 2024 and will stay at GRT Yamaha alongside Remy Gardner. Bradley Ray will keep his seat.

Kawasaki
Like Bautista, Alex Lowes is continuing with the same brand after putting pen to paper during his home round at Donington Park.

Regarding Rea's vacant seat, that has now gone the way of Axel Bassani, with the Italian securing his first-ever full factory ride.

Ducati
Winner of 18 races out of 24 so far in 2023, reigning world champion Alvaro Bautista is staying at Ducati for a third consecutive year.

Bautista announced the new during a special press conference prior to his home round in Barcelona, where it was announced that the former MotoGP rider will be staying with Ducati on a one-year deal.

The big change at Ducati has come in the form of the second seat as Nicolo Bulega has been signed to replace Michael Ruben Rinaldi Rinaldi, who will go to Motorcorsa. Elsewhere, Andrea Iannone is officialy back in world championship racing after joining GoEleven.

[KungFooBob]

I do hope Tophat is competitive on the Beemer, or that the Yam is quicker than the kwak for Rea, otherwise it's going to be pretty dull watching the little girl on the Ducati clear off every race.

[weeksy]

I do hope Tophat is competitive on the Beemer, or that the Yam is quicker than the kwak for Rea, otherwise it's going to be pretty dull watching the little girl on the Ducati clear off every race.

HAven't they made the weight of bike/rider mean that he'll not have the same advantages for 2024 ?

[Flux]

Yes they have, be very interesting to see how much difference it makes, hopefully level the field somewhat.

[Yorick]

IIRC, the new rules will reduce the difference between Bautista and Toprak by about 50%

[wull]

During the first tests after the season finale Alvaro tested the new weight limit and was struggling, I think it will make a difference, it’s a case of whether they can find a “sweet spot” and get going from there.

The new rule with regards to weight is anyone who is under 80kg suited and booted will have to add 50% of the difference, so Alvaro being 66kg has to add 7kg.

The other rule that may affect them is the fuel tank size(fuel allowance), the limit is being reduced from 24 litres to 21 litres.

[Skub]

There are a lot of interesting sub plots to the coming year's championship.

How will Toprak do on the beemer?

Will JR be more competitive on the Yam than the Kawa?

Will Alvaro be borked by the weight penalty?

Will Sam Lowes be chasing the wins?

Will Iannone still be a fast fecker?

Practically every rider I look at on the grid makes me wonder how the story will unfold.

2024 has the potential to be a classic year for wsbk racing.

[mangocrazy]

The new rule with regards to weight is anyone who is under 80kg suited and booted will have to add 50% of the difference, so Alvaro being 66kg has to add 7kg.

It does beg the question - why only 50% of the difference? Or is there a background plan to move to a full 100% of the difference next season if Alvaro/Ducati run away with it again this year?

[wull]

I’m not sure, that does sound plausible, trial this first see how it goes, if it levels the field then just stick with it.

[wull]

There are a lot of interesting sub plots to the coming year's championship.

How will Toprak do on the beemer?

Will JR be more competitive on the Yam than the Kawa?

Will Alvaro be borked by the weight penalty?

Will Sam Lowes be chasing the wins?

Will Iannone still be a fast fecker?

Practically every rider I look at on the grid makes me wonder how the story will unfold.

2024 has the potential to be a classic year for wsbk racing.

And that’s what makes it exciting, I’m looking forward to it. As always I hope for great racing, obviously I want Toprak to win but I’ll take top class exciting racing any day of the week.

[Yorick]

The new rule with regards to weight is anyone who is under 80kg suited and booted will have to add 50% of the difference, so Alvaro being 66kg has to add 7kg.

It does beg the question - why only 50% of the difference? Or is there a background plan to move to a full 100% of the difference next season if Alvaro/Ducati run away with it again this year?

They can't penalise him for being light. He's naturally not as strong as other riders so that's a penalty in itself. Sort of

[mangocrazy]

The new rule with regards to weight is anyone who is under 80kg suited and booted will have to add 50% of the difference, so Alvaro being 66kg has to add 7kg.

It does beg the question - why only 50% of the difference? Or is there a background plan to move to a full 100% of the difference next season if Alvaro/Ducati run away with it again this year?

They can't penalise him for being light. He's naturally not as strong as other riders so that's a penalty in itself. Sort of

But that is precisely what the new regs will do, in effect. I wouldn't call it penalising a light rider, I'd say it was more a case of levelling the playing field. There's a combined rider and bike weight rule in Moto 3 and Moto 2 and even Gigi Dall'igna has called for something similar in MotoGP.

[Yorick]

It does beg the question - why only 50% of the difference? Or is there a background plan to move to a full 100% of the difference next season if Alvaro/Ducati run away with it again this year?

They can't penalise him for being light. He's naturally not as strong as other riders so that's a penalty in itself. Sort of

But that is precisely what the new regs will do, in effect. I wouldn't call it penalising a light rider, I'd say it was more a case of levelling the playing field. There's a combined rider and bike weight rule in Moto 3 and Moto 2 and even Gigi Dall'igna has called for something similar in MotoGP.

I meant that 50% seems fair.