Tarran Mackenzie is about to deliver the highlight of the Honda / World Superbike Championship

At the 2024 World Superbike Championship meeting in Assen, Tarran Mackenzie rode in Honda’s factory driver class for the first time in the second race. In the second race, the Englishman fell short by just 0.1 seconds.

Honda is treading water in the World Superbike Championship, with the 2024 edition of the CBR1000RR-R doing worse than previous years. There were no single-digit scores in the first three meetings of the season. Factory driver Xavi Vierge’s three tenths were his best finish to date. A shame.

On the other hand, the defeated Petronas team showed an upward trend at the Assen meeting, certainly also helped by the bad conditions at times. In the second race, Tarran Mackenzie was the best Honda driver until lap 10, when Vierge found a way past the Englishman. Mackenzie stayed on the Spaniard’s back wheel to the finish line, and at the finish line the 2021 BSB champion was just 0.1 seconds behind the factory Fireblade.

It would be a sensation and a shame for Honda Racing Corporation if Mackenzie finished ahead of Vierge! 11th place, 19 seconds behind the winner, was Mackenzie’s best finish since his promotion to the Superbike category this year.

“It feels good to get some solid points,” said a satisfied and relaxed Mackenzie. “We worked well together as a team and we had a very good weekend. The second race was very good. The bike is the same as in Barcelona but I have started to understand it and ride it better. With every race I gain more experience, which is very important in racing conditions .

Welcome to the Assen race

Start of the race

Razgatlioglu, Bautista, Gardner

Remy Gardner

Andrea Locatelli

Rea, Lowes, Gardner

Alvaro Bautista

Toprak Razgatlioglu

Bautista and Bulega

Bautista and Razgatlioglu

Gardner and Lowes

Razgatlioglu and Gardner

Bautista vor Locatelli

Toprak Razgatlioglu wins the race

Sieger Toprak Razgatlioglu

Bautista, Razgatlioglu, Gardner

Sieger Toprak Razgatlioglu

Amazing: Along with Garrett Gerloff (12/BMW) and Michael Rinaldi (13/Ducati), Mackenzie left behind two big bike pilots with competitive material.

“I’m glad I was able to keep up with other experienced drivers and I feel like I’ve gained a lot of valuable knowledge.” Despite the rain here and there, I handled the situation as best as I could and really enjoyed the race. The competition boosts my confidence and motivates me for the next race. I am very happy and I thank the team.”

Looking at the overall ranking is still impressive for the Petronas driver: with a manageable seven points, he is 19th in the overall standings. Scott Redding is eleven points short of him.

Assen Superbike World Championship results, race 2:
Pos	the driver	Motorcycle	Different
1.	Toprak Razgatlioglu (TR)	BMW
2.	Alvaro Bautista (E)	Ducati	+ 0,625 sec
3.	Remy Gardner (AUS)	Yamaha	+ 1,022
4.	Andrea Iannone (I)	Ducati	+ 3,120
5.	Andrea Locatelli (I)	Yamaha	+ 3,217
6.	Sam Lowes (GB)	Ducati	+ 5,174
7.	Dominique Aegerter (CH)	Yamaha	+ 5,538
8.	Nicolò Bulega (I)	Ducati	+ 6,337
9.	Michael v Mark (NL)	BMW	+ 8,059
10.	Xavi Vierge (L)	Honda	+ 19,453
11.	Tarran Mackenzie (GB)	Honda	+ 19,556
12.	Garrett Gerloff (USA)	BMW	+ 21,771
13.	Michael Rinaldi (I)	Ducati	+ 22,322
14.	Philipp Öttl (D)	Yamaha	+ 31,822
15.	Tito Rabat (E)	Kawasaki	+ 35,305
16.	Nicholas Spinelli (I)	Ducati	+ 35,392
17.	Bradley Ray (GB)	Yamaha	+ 37,947
18.	Axel Bassani (I)	Kawasaki	+ 43,360
19.	Jonathan Rea (GB)	Yamaha	+ > 1 min
20.	Adam Norrodin (MAL)	Honda	+ > 1 min
–	Alex Lowes (GB)	Kawasaki
–	Scott Redding (GB)	BMW
Results of the Assen Superbike World Championship, Superpole race:
Pos	the driver	Motorcycle	Different
1.	Alvaro Bautista (E)	Ducati
2.	Nicolò Bulega (I)	Ducati	+ 2,686 sec
3.	Alex Lowes (GB)	Kawasaki	+ 7,403
4.	Remy Gardner (AUS)	Yamaha	+ 7,551
5.	Jonathan Rea (GB)	Yamaha	+ 8,177
6.	Andrea Locatelli (I)	Yamaha	+ 9,114
7.	Sam Lowes (GB)	Ducati	+ 9,702
8.	Michael v Mark (NL)	BMW	+ 9,824
9.	Toprak Razgatlioglu (TR)	BMW	+ 10,034
10.	Scott Redding (GB)	BMW	+ 11,981
11.	Garrett Gerloff (USA)	BMW	+ 14,886
12.	Xavi Vierge (L)	Honda	+ 15,148
13.	Axel Bassani (I)	Kawasaki	+ 15,922
14.	Dominique Aegerter (CH)	Yamaha	+ 16,927
15.	Andrea Iannone (I)	Ducati	+ 21,202
16.	Michael Rinaldi (I)	Ducati	+ 22,384
17.	Tarran Mackenzie (GB)	Honda	+ 25,887
18.	Nicholas Spinelli (I)	Ducati	+ 26,597
19.	Philipp Öttl (D)	Yamaha	+ 29,518
20.	Bradley Ray (GB)	Yamaha	+ 29,851
–	Adam Norrodin (MAL)	Honda
–	Tito Rabat (E)	Kawasaki
Assen Superbike World Championship results, race 1:
Pos	the driver	Motorcycle	Different
1.	Nicholas Spinelli (I)	Ducati
2.	Toprak Razgatlioglu (TR)	BMW	+ 3,205 sec
3.	Alvaro Bautista (E)	Ducati	+ 3,392
4.	Remy Gardner (AUS)	Yamaha	+ 5,989
5.	Alex Lowes (GB)	Kawasaki	+ 6,256
6.	Jonathan Rea (GB)	Yamaha	+ 6,361
7.	Michael v Mark (NL)	BMW	+ 6,474
8.	Scott Redding (GB)	BMW	+ 12,289
9.	Axel Bassani (I)	Kawasaki	+ 12,013
10.	Xavi Vierge (L)	Honda	+ 17,794
11.	Nicolò Bulega (I)	Ducati	+ 25,271
12.	Andrea Locatelli (I)	Yamaha	+ 40,632
13.	Dominique Aegerter (CH)	Yamaha	+ 57,577
14.	Tarran Mackenzie (GB)	Honda	+ > 1 min
15.	Bradley Ray (GB)	Yamaha	+ 1 Rd.
16.	Garrett Gerloff (USA)	BMW	+ 1 Rd.
17.	Adam Norrodin (MAL)	Honda	+ 1 Rd.
18.	Philipp Öttl (D)	Yamaha	+ 2 Rd.
19.	Sam Lowes (GB)	Ducati	+ 3 Rd.
–	Michael Rinaldi (I)	Ducati
–	Tito Rabat (E)	Kawasaki
–	Andrea Iannone (I)	Ducati
World Superbike Championship 2024: Status after 9 of 36 races
Pos	the driver	Motorcycle	Points
1.	Alvaro Bautista (E)	Ducati	123
2.	Toprak Razgatlioglu (TR)	BMW	117
3.	Nicolò Bulega (I)	Ducati	109
4.	Alex Lowes (GB)	Kawasaki	93
5.	Andrea Locatelli (I)	Yamaha	64
6.	Andrea Iannone (I)	Ducati	64
7.	Michael v Mark (NL)	BMW	58
8.	Remy Gardner (AUS)	Yamaha	54
9.	Danilo Petrucci (I)	Ducati	47
10.	Dominique Aegerter (CH)	Yamaha	46
11.	Sam Lowes (GB)	Ducati	31
12.	Garrett Gerloff (USA)	BMW	29
13.	Nicholas Spinelli (I)	Ducati	25
14.	Xavi Vierge (L)	Honda	25
15.	Jonathan Rea (GB)	Yamaha	23
16.	Axel Bassani (I)	Kawasaki	22
17.	Michael Rinaldi (I)	Ducati	21
18.	Scott Redding (GB)	BMW	18
19.	Tarran Mackenzie (GB)	Honda	7
20.	Philipp Öttl (D)	Yamaha	4
21.	Iker Lecuona (L)	Honda	3
22.	Bradley Ray (GB)	Yamaha	2
23.	Tito Rabat (E)	Kawasaki	2

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