Two different winners from two races started the 2024 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship as it will go on, with unpredictability the name of the game. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM – PALIGO Racing) was promoted to victory in Race 1 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya following a penalty for Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki), before the Spaniard made amends in Race 2 with a hard-fought victory during the Pirelli Catalunya Round.

Iglesias had crossed the line first in Race 1, but a three-second penalty in lieu of a Long Lap Penalty demoted him down to 13^th after a collision with Matteo Vannucci (Pata Yamaha AG Motorsport Italia) and Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitiRacing) at Turn 5 on the final lap. It promoted reigning Champion Buis to P1 after he had an up-and-down race, fighting at the front at the start and end but dropping out of the points in between. 

It meant he started his KTM career with victory and discussing this, the #1 said: “It’s incredible. It’s not the way you want to win, finishing second and gaining through a penalty. For the points, it’s good. I’m very happy to have the winning formula also with the new bike. The start of the race was good, but I started falling back, I was even in P17 or something like this so that was not so good. The tyre dropped and it’s new for me with this bike, so I needed to adjust my riding style for this. I started to gain confidence and it was a lot better. I fought back to the first position so it’s an incredible way to start the season.”

Although Iglesias was classified in 13^th in Race 1, he knew he had the pace to fight for victory and he did so in Race 2, overcoming what was at times a 20-rider lead group for his first win at World Championship level. It was his first weekend back after moving to the IDM championship for 2023 and winning in Germany, and he restarted his World Championship career with a victory in Barcelona, his first in WorldSSP300 with his fifth podium.

Reacting to his first win, Iglesias said: “I knew I had the pace, and my bike is really good. We worked really hard on the setup so I could do what I wanted. It’s really important because I took a step back last year, so I was a little bit sad not to be here last year. I won IDM last year and I come back stronger. I feel like I’m in a good moment. The last lap is always incredible, but I was saving the tyre in the whole race. I was thinking about the last lap, so I pushed to the maximum to get the win.”

Who will take victory as WorldSSP300 hits the Netherlands? Find out using the WorldSBK VideoPass!