Suzuki riders claimed the Japanese manufacturer’s first FIM Sportbike World Championship wins at the TT Circuit Assen, with Jeffrey Buis (Track & Trades Wixx Racing) winning Race 1 on home soil and teammate Ferre Fleerackers claiming victory in Race 2 during the Pirelli Dutch Round. It marked Suzuki’s first win in the WorldSBK paddock since 2014, when Eugene Laverty won at Phillip Island.

EMOTIONAL HOME WIN: “To win three times in a row here, I don’t have any words for this”

Dutch riders led the charge in Friday’s Tissot Superpole session, with Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) on pole ahead of Buis, with just 0.006s separating the duo. Veneman’s hopes of a home victory ended on the opening lap when he was taken out at the Geert Timmer chicane by Fenton Seabright (PHR Performance Triumph). Buis and teammate Fleerackers took advantage at the front of the field, running in 1-2 across the line for all but two laps: Lap 11 and Lap 12. Buis hit the front on the final lap after dropping to P4, picking up three places on the last lap to claim his first WorldSPB victory, and, when looking back at WorldSSP300 last year, his third win in a row at Assen.

Reflecting on an emotional Race 1 victory, the #6 said: “The race went quite well. I was in the front together with Ferre. That strategy worked. One lap before the end, I made a little mistake, I looked behind and two or three riders passed me. I had to overtake them all again. I did it on the last lap and it was just incredible. To win three times in a row here, I don’t have any words for this. I live close to here so maybe that’s why! It’s a great to win here again. It’s incredible to have a new manufacturer in WorldSPB and to win for them for the first time. It’s great to have this to my name.”

USING RACE 1 KNOWLEDGE: “From Saturday, I learnt that I couldn’t be in front through the last few corners”

Fleerackers finished Race 1 in fifth after losing out over the final lap, his position in P1 at the start of Lap 12 costing him at the end. However, he made amends in Race 2. Like in Saturday’s race, the #6 and the #65 positioned themselves at the head of the field to try to work together. At the start of Lap 11, Fleerackers was in fourth place but he used this to his advantage on the final lap, moving up to P1 to claim his first victory in WorldSPB and his first on the world stage after finishing second in the 2025 British Sportbike championship.

Discussing his Race 2 win, the Belgian rider said: “I had a really strong start from pole position and I just stayed at the front. Jeffrey came past and a couple of guys went with him. I just tried to get in front as fast as possible again, because I knew that when you’re in the pack, it’s a bit harder with all the overtakes. I just tried to stay in the first three positions. I think it worked really well. From Saturday, I learnt that I couldn’t be in front through the last few corners, so I tried to position myself as best as possible going into the last lap and that worked out brilliantly. It’s amazing to get my first win in my second round in the World Championship.”

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