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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship reached the halfway point of the season at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”, and with it came plenty of hot talking points. Riders spoke about their incidents, reacted to their wins and podiums and there was even a hint about one rider’s future… read the hottest quotes from the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round below.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati): “He said when he braked, he lost the front. But when I watched the video, I saw that he lost the front because he touched me”

Discussing his Sunday fightback from tenth to second, and the Superpole Race crash, Bulega said: “Today, I raced with the SC1 and maybe it was a bit better, but Sunday was even hotter. It was a difficult race, especially when you start from behind. It’s difficult to get into a rhythm after you pass the riders. It was a difficult race but second is still good. He said when he braked, he lost the front. But when I watched the video, I saw that he lost the front because he touched me. If he doesn’t touch me, he doesn’t lose the front. He didn’t have the pace to win, so why make a stupid overtake at the first corner? You cannot win the race at the first corner. A rookie mistake. Even worse is that he didn’t come to say sorry to me, just an Instagram story for the people. It’s not enough. Also, to give respect to my team, because they had to rebuild the bike again, completely new. I destroyed the bike completely and the chassis. A lot of damage. The minimum is to say sorry to me and my team. Just an Instagram story isn’t enough. He just said, ‘I closed the front when I braked’, some excuses for what happened. When you see the video, no need for excuses. When you lose, you lose. Points are always the same in every circuit. We always want to win. Misano would’ve been even more special because we were at home. At Most, it’s not my home and when I won, it was crazy.”

Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team): “I tried everything to stop and to not hit him, but I lost the front and we crashed”

Giving his view of the Superpole Race clash with Bulega, Bassani said: “I felt like I braked at the normal point, but hard because it was me, Bulega and Toprak. I tried to defend my position. I wasn’t able to slow down when Bulega stopped. He closed the door. I tried everything to stop and to not hit him, but I lost the front and we crashed. I’m so sorry because I know I put him down and he’s fighting for the Championship and I’m not. For me, it’s a crash but, for him, it’s something more. I’m sorry for him and the team and his team. I said sorry to him in the gravel, two, three, four times. After the race, I stayed in the office because I was feeling quite bad. I didn’t have the energy to go to him and say sorry because I was also thinking about Race 2. If I have the possibility to speak with him, no problem, I’ll speak to him. It was my mistake; I took my penalty in Race 2, and I accept it.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “Sunday was my best Sunday. I remembered the penalty from last year. I said, ‘I don’t care’. I did a stoppie there”

Another Misano hat-trick for Razgatlioglu, who said: “We improved in some corners, especially Turn 8 and 10, so I improved in the last sectors. Turns 1 and 4, I had the same problem, because the engine brake there wasn’t working well. When I saw Nicolo was starting in tenth, immediately I pushed hard because I needed strong pace and my rhythm. I did many 1’33s. This was thanks to good teamwork with my crew. Everyone was pushing so hard. We needed to improve in some areas, and we did. Sunday was my best Sunday. I remembered the penalty from last year. I said, ‘I don’t care’. I did a stoppie there. I don’t know if a penalty is coming or not but no problem, I’ll pay! I feel good when I do a stoppie. I’ve signed for the next two years and I’m happy for that. When I move to MotoGP, I want to move with the ’25 WorldSBK Championship.”

Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team): “The last three laps were long! I was looking at the crowd and thinking about everything other than what I should’ve been thinking about”

After putting Bimota on the rostrum for the first time since 2000, Lowes said: “Really happy with the Superpole Race. Track position is so important. Turn 1 was unfortunate but then I got good position behind Toprak, put in two or three good laps and got a bit of a gap. The last three laps were a long three laps! I was looking at the crowd and thinking about everything other than what I should’ve been thinking about. Really happy for the team, they deserve it. To get a podium is a good sign of our progress. Having the test here really helped. It’s very special because it’s changed a lot, with the Italian input. The guys from Bimota are here. I think it makes it more special because the factory is so close. When you’re involved in the project from last year, rode the bike quite early in the development, I feel attached to the bike so to come to their home track, achieve a podium against the opposition we’re racing against that have been competitive for quite a few years, it’s a nice feeling because it’s the best part of the story. In racing, you always want to keep doing better, but it’s important to realise we’ve got the first podium here and we have to enjoy it.”

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team): “I had a big fight with Alex. It was great. We were both on the limit”

On his Saturday battle with Lowes, a tricky Superpole and his future, he said: “I didn’t expect to be on the podium, but it was the target. I’m so happy because the race was so hot, and it was so difficult to stay up on the bike. I had a big fight with Alex. It was great. We were both on the limit. It’s my first podium in WorldSBK at Misano and I’m happy because it’s not one of my favourite tracks despite there being a lot of people here. In the end, I spoke with both [Bulega and Iannone] but didn’t understand. I was quite far away. They weren’t pushing but not really giving up. They turned their heads a couple of times so I said, ‘Okay, I can go through’. I got to the last sector, and they stayed in the middle. In the end, I was sorry for the penalty. I had two orange sectors. It wasn’t the best lap of my life but maybe I could’ve gained some positions. I managed to reach my target for today.”

Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha): “I don’t want to speak too much because it’s in a bad moment, but I still have the fire inside”

Discussing his best result of the season in the Superpole Race and his Race 2 crash, Rea said: “I made a good start and was able to try and stay in that group. The start makes the biggest difference. The carnage at Turn 1 helped open up some space. My rhythm was okay at the end. Sam came past, just a little bit faster and I couldn’t progress any further. It was good because I found some weaknesses that we need to work on. It gave me amazing track position for Race 2. I was P7, first third row start of the year. I committed to go down the left-hand side and jump a row in front. Alvaro squeezed me a bit at Turn 1, and I ended up bottlenecked a bit in Turn 2. 10 laps in, the rear was just popping up at Turn 1. As soon as it landed, it pushed the front, and I locked it quite early. Another tough weekend but some glimmers of positivity. Some areas to work on.”

Rea's future is also currently undecided, and he said: “Don’t want to talk about my future just yet, especially after a tough weekend. Something I’ve been thinking about quite a lot recently, what to do and what’s next. I’m sure we can understand more between Donington and Balaton, I guess in the summer break for sure. There’s a couple of seats now available, some rider movements. There’s a lot of noise. I think it’ll be some weeks or months before everything gets settled. I think everything’s open. I don’t want to speak too much because it’s in a bad moment, but I still have the fire inside. I still feel like I’m riding well. It’s just we’re not getting the best of my potential right now. As frustrating it is, I just need to keep believing in myself.”

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati): “It’s difficult to ride in these conditions when the grip is low. I feel the inertia of the bike more”

On his return to the rostrum, Bautista stated: “The only difference from Saturday is I started closer to the front, and I could fight for the podium. On Saturday, I think the performance was similar. As I said before, in the mornings I felt quite good and in the Warm Up, we tried a setup change. I felt good. In the afternoon with the heat, I struggled more. It’s difficult to ride in these conditions when the grip is low. I feel the inertia of the bike more and it’s difficult to stop, to go in, change direction. On the gas, the bike just pushed me out. I’m happy with the result but I’m not happy because, with the bike in these conditions, I’m like a passenger; I can’t force it, and I can’t ride it how I want because I feel limited to how the bike moves.”

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