Every manufacturer’s top rider in 2024 will be?

Ducati - Alvaro Bautista

• New weekend schedules, grid positi🐽on tweaks among the new WorldSBK rules 
• Rea on final race with Kawasaki:: ‘I wasn’🐻t riding wit♋h emotion’

There is real𝓰ly no other place to start than the two-time reigning WorldSBK champion, who will again be the odds-on favourite to make it three titles in a row.

Bautista has been sensational since returning tღo Duca๊ti, and following a dominant year in 2022, the former MotoGP rider was nearly untouchable for much of 2023.

A new team-mate in the form of Nicolo Bulegღa, who is also a Superbike rookie is unlikely to prove a consistent challenger to Bautista, while the likes of Andrea Iannone and Sam Lowes will need some time to adjust as they too are rookies in the class.

Yamaha - Jonathan Rea

Although Rea is by far the m♛ost accomplished WorldSBK rider of all-time, Andrea Locatelli has a proven track record of getting stronger every season.

At times in 2023 Locatelli matched Toprak Razgatlioglu for pace, while also leading Rea in the battle for third in the standings before eventually lo𝄹sing out.

Locatel💜li, who has three years of experience aboard the R1 could be the strongest Yamaha rider out of the gate, but Rea will be expected to overhaul the Italian and be a threat for race wins, just li🍰ke Razgatlioglu was for the Pata Prometeon team. 

Kawasaki - Alex Lowes

This is a very difficult one to call, because L🌟owes has all the experience needed to suggest he should be Kawasaki’s top rider, however, Axel Bassani is a very talented individual.

Like Locatelli at Yamaha, Lowes, on his day was able to challenge Rea for out-right speed, and give⛄n his vast amount o🌊f experience aboard the ZX-10RR, we believe he will narrowly edge out Bassani.

That’s not to say Bassani w▨ill struggle at Kawasaki, far from it, as the former Ducati rider is someone that knows how to produce his best when it matters.&🎉nbsp;

BMW - Toprak Razgatlioglu

The biggest move to take place in 2023 ꦅwas the stunning departurꦚe of Razgatlioglu from Yamaha to BMW.

The Turkish rider was sensational again in 2023, an𒉰d despite missing out on the title, Razgatliogꦿlu showed why he’s thought of so highly by his competitors.

Razgatlioglu challenged for victory in races where Ducati a🦄nd Bautista seemed to have a clear advantage, proving he can ride well beyond the capabilities of his machine.

Razgatlioglu will have very good riders to try and bಞeat at BMW in Michael Van Der Mark, Scott Redding an🌳d Garrett Gerloff, however, picking any rider other than Razgatlioglu to be top BMW was just not an option.

Honda - Iker Lecuona

At Honda, the battle✨ to finish first will likely come d🐬own to factory Team HRC teammates Lecuona and Xavi Vierge, as it did in 2023.

Only six points separaꦯted the pair last season, with Vierge coming out on top although Lecuona missed a race.

Lecuona was better than Vierge as a rookie and if he can avoid injury problems, he should be𝓀 the favourite to return to being Honda’s top rider.

Biggest surprise will be Danilo Petrucci

Although he should never be taken lightly as a two-🦂time MotoGP race winner and a Dakar stage winner, Petrucci might not necessarily be expected to be a consistent podium finisher in 2024.

But that’s exactly what we envision will take place for the Italian, who with a year of experience under his belt, and being aboard the most competitive bike on the grid, could make huge strides forward💯.

With Razgatlioglu and Rea needing to adapt to their new bikes, Pe🍨trucci could be an early contender for big results.

But Petrucci is not the type of rider who fades as the se🐼ason goes on and instead we expect him to be strong throughout, despite WorldSBK arguably being the most competitive it has ever been. 

Top rookie - Andrea Iannone

Being a factory Ducati ♕rider, Nicolo Bulega would be the obvious option here, however, two other riders, also aboard Ducatis could be very big challenges to the Italian.

One of those is Iannone, who in terms of talent🙈 would sit very high on the current list of riders set to compete in WorldSBK this season.

Of course, being a rook𝓀ie and having to ove✱rcome a four-year absence from racing won’t be easy, but Iannone is a special rider on his day.

Having a Panigale V4 R will make things easier and if he clicks with the GoEleven squad, the foꦚrmer MotoGP rider could be very hard to beat, even for the series’ top riders.