Nicholas Spinelli on surprise WorldSBK win: ‘Maybe I was lucky, but I won’

Nicholas Spinelli was the only rider on the grid to choose intermediate tyres on the front and rear of his Panigale V4 R.

Spinelli, who made his Superbike debut on Friday after stepping in for the injured Danilo Petrucci, then escaped at the front of the field. 

• Remy Gardner aiming to get first WorldSBK podium in Race 1 at Assen 

• 2024 World Superbike Assen - Race (1) Results

Heavy rain prior to the race meant a third consecutive wet session, after FP3 and Superpole were also heavily impacted by downpours just before the action got underway.

Andrea Locatelli was the only other rider to opt for the intermediate tyre, however, the Yamaha rider chose to run a slick rear tyre.

At the front, Spinelli led at the end of lap one before creating a gap of over 24 seconds.

It wasn’t until eight laps in that the blue skies started to create a crossover for the slick tyre runners.

Spinelli gradually lost time before Toprak Razgatlioglu and Alvaro Bautista had the Italian firmly in their sights.

But on the same lap that he would have lost the lead, a red flag was brought out due to oil spilling onto the circuit, thus giving Spinelli the win as two-thirds distance was completed.

Speaking in parc ferme, an elated Spinelli said: “It’s incredible. I’m very happy because yesterday I tried the Superbike for the first time. 

“When I tried it I said ‘Woah!’. This bike is incredible. Today, I did my first race and I won. 

“Maybe I was lucky, but I won. I’m very happy for the team and for everyone.”

While the tyre gamble ultimately paid off for Spinelli, the Italian admitted he relied upon the team for direction. 

“I said with my team that I didn’t know what the good tyre would be, so it was a team decision to go for the intermediate," said Spinelli. 

"In the first laps, I rode very well because I had a very big gap, up to 25 seconds, but in the latter laps, the gap got closer. 

"When I saw four seconds on the last lap, I said, ‘it’s finished for me!’. Then I saw the red flags and for this, I’m very lucky, but this is racing.”

Barni Ducati team manager Marc Barnabo was ecstatic after Spinelli’s win saying: “We are very happy to have won this race. Obviously, we are sorry that Danilo got injured and couldn't lead this race, for which he could and would have been a protagonist.

“Anyway, we are happy because it is our first victory in the Superbike World Championship.

“After Danilo got injured, we had to decide whether to keep the bike off or put someone in his place.

“We decided to have Spinelli, who had won the Italian Supersport with us and then for many reasons we couldn't go on with him in other World Supersport seasons.

“So, we decided to give him this opportunity and to have won the race with him, who had never ridden a Superbike, and came here in really difficult conditions, it was very, very nice. Fantastic.”