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Post by truenorth on Sept 23, 2023 7:47:38 GMT -8
TWO YEARS LATER: Rinaldi claims Aragon victory ahead of Razgatlioglu, Bautista crashes twice including from P1 Saturday, 23 September 2023 Rinaldi’s wait for victory came to an end but teammate Alvaro Bautista’s Championship challenge took another twist as he crashed twice Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ensured Ducati had something to cheer in Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon as he ended a two-year wait for victory in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship while teammate Alvaro Bautista crashed twice. He first crashed from the lead before going down again on the final lap when in the points as his Championship lead was slashed by 20 points during the Tissot Aragon Round with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) securing second. BAUTISTA CRASHES TWICE: no points for the leader, Rinaldi wins ahead of Razgatlioglu Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) got a good start as the lights went out but soon found himself bundled behind Bautista through the exit of Turn 1 and into Turn 2, and he was able to hold the lead despite being hustled by the six-time Champion throughout the first couple of laps. He was able to retain the lead and extend the gap to around six tenths, but his race unravelled on Lap 6. He lost the front of his Panigale V4 R heading through the Turn 8-9 chicane and crashed before re-mounting his bike. He was back in the race but well down the order, allowing Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) to move into first and second with Rinaldi just behind. The reigning Champion battled his way back through the field to take 15th on the final lap but as, he looked to move for P14, crashed at the final corner on the final lap to not score points. The pair remained nose-to-tail at the front of the field with Bautista’s teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, within a second of the pair. Like the #65 did to Bautista, Razgatlioglu was husting the rider who’s replacing him next year at Yamaha and kept the pressure on his rival while Rinaldi started closing the gap to the duo ahead; on Lap 12, it was just four tenths. On Lap 13, Rinaldi made the move on the #54 into Turn 5 to move into P2. Two laps later and Rinaldi made his first move for the lead as he passed Rea at Turn 5, but the Ulsterman responded at Turn 7 to retain the lead. However, on the back straight into Turn 16 Rinaldi made a second move and held the lead this time before breaking away from the chasing duo. At Turn 1 on the next lap, the #54 overtook Rea to move into second but he was unable to close down the #21 ahead of him. Rinaldi ended a two-year wait for victory as he took the win for his fifth in WorldSBK and his 21st podium. With Razgatlioglu taking second, the gap in the Championship standings closed from 57 points to 37. Razgatlioglu moves one shy of Carl Fogarty in terms of podiums with his 108th rostrum, while Rea took third for his 260th career podium; double the number of Troy Corser, the rider closest to him on the list. A COMEBACK TO REMEMBER: Petrucci goes from 24th to fifth Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) took fourth and finished only three seconds away from the podium but undoubtedly the star of the show was Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team). The #9 didn’t set a lap time in the Tissot Superpole session after a crash in the early stages and he started the race from 24th. He was already up to 17th in the first laps before he continued fighting his way up the order. He finished the race in fifth, gaining 20 places, and only 1.651s behind compatriot Locatelli. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) continued his strong Aragon weekend as he took sixth, finishing almost seven seconds down on ‘Petrux’. OVERCOMING PENALTIES: Lecuona in the top ten after double Long Lap penalty Australian rookie Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) continued where he left off as he finished seventh, holding off America’s Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) by 0.245s as the Texan-born star finishing eighth. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) was ninth with Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) rounding out the top ten. The Spaniard had a double Long Lap Penalty to serve for a jump start and, after taking both, was down in 15th before recovering to the top ten. SCORING POINTS: taking advantage of Bautista’s second crash Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) fought his way to 11th place as he fended off a late charge from Xavi Vierge (Team HRC), with the pair separated by just three tenths at the end of the 18-lap race. Redding’s BMW teammate, Michael van der Mark, was 13th with Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) in 14th and completing the quarter of regular BMW riders. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was the last points scorer as he benefitted from Bautista’s second crash, while he was only half-a-second behind Baz. HOUSEKEEPING: missing out on points… KRT stand-in rider Florian Marino (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was 16th in his first WorldSBK race in five years, finishing almost four seconds away from the points. He had a nine-second margin over Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) in 17th while Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was just over a second back from the Italian. Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) was 19th with Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing), wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) completing the classified riders. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the first retirement as he brought his Kawasaki ZX-10RR machine into the pits in the early stages. Bautista was a retirement following his second crash while Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) had a technical issue. The top six from WorldSBK Race 1, full results here: 1 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +1.253s 3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.837s 4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +5.902s 5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +7.553s 6. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) +14.427s Fastest lap: Alvaro Bautista (Ducati), 1’49.556s
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Post by truenorth on Sept 23, 2023 7:48:55 GMT -8
RAZGATLIOGLU CLOSES IN: "It’s good for the Championship, I’ll take more risks" Saturday, 23 September 2023 He won’t be done down and he’s not going to be shaken off easy – Toprak Razgatlioglu takes more points out of Alvaro Bautista’s title advantage as the reigning World Champion begins to falter Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) took a huge chunk out of Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship standings lead in Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon. The #54 finished second at MotorLand Aragon whilst Bautista crashed twice in a dramatic opening race of the Tissot Aragon Round, allowing the 2021 Champion to close the gap further and add more pressure to his rival. Razgatlioglu started the race from third on the grid and was there as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) hustled the Championship leader before it looked like the #1 had broken away from the chasing pack. However, on Lap 6, Bautista went down at Turn 8 and dropped all the way down the field. Razgatlioglu then battled with old foe and his 2024 replacement Rea on Lap 7, before bursting through with a few laps to go. However, by then, it wasn’t for victory as Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had got ahead of both to take a first win in over two years, but 20 points nonetheless for 2021 World Champion Razgatlioglu mean he’s now 37 adrift of Bautista. “Firstly, I am very happy as we didn’t start very strong but we have improved,” said Razgatlioglu, who had previously said on Friday evening that it was worse than in 2022 before a breakthrough on Saturday morning. “Especially in the race, my plan was to pass Jonny and Alvaro but after the crash, my plan was to stay with Jonny and if I stay behind into the last two laps, then I’d try to attack and fight for the win. “Michael was very strong and I was just thinking that maybe the rear tyre drops in the last two laps but he was still strong. I tried to do my best, I’ve never won at this circuit and finally, I’m pushing a lot to take P2. It’s good for the Championship as now the gap is 37 points and I’m very happy, especially today. The Championship is something I’m not thinking about; every weekend it’s changing and it looks like everything isn’t finished. We’re focussed race-by-race, on Sunday, I’ll take more risks, my target is to win.” Razgatlioglu has been a consistent force in 2023 and whilst he’s finished second to Bautista 12 times, he’s whittled down Bautista’s at-one-point 98-point lead down to 37 and it could have been even less had it not been for misfortune out of Toprak’s hands. In Race 2 at Phillip Island, he was taken out by Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in the battle for a top five, whilst at Most, after a flawless display of defensive riding against Bautista in Race 2, a rear tyre failure left him on the floor from the lead. In all other races, he’s been on the podium, with just five times being third.
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Post by truenorth on Sept 23, 2023 7:50:45 GMT -8
"Incredible… I took the opportunity and won the race!" – emotional Rinaldi after two-year victory drought ends Saturday, 23 September 2023 The Italian showed his pace and consistency in Race 1 as his won his first race since 2021 on a dramatic day in WorldSBK MotorLand Aragon has always had a special place in Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) heart. Five years ago, he made his MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship debut at the Spanish venue and, in 2020, it was the scene of his first podium and win. Now, in 2023, the circuit ended his two-year win drought after he battled his way to victory in Race 1 of the Tissot Aragon Round ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK); the latter of whom he beat in 2020 on his way to his first win. Rinaldi started the race from fifth on the grid but was immediately into the top four as he closed down Rea and Razgatlioglu ahead. Rea was putting pressure on Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ahead although it looked like the Spaniard was in control of the race before it abruptly unravelled at Turn 8. He lost the front of his Panigale V4 R and crashed, dropping down the order. This promoted Rea, Razgatlioglu and Rinaldi into the podium positions. The #21 had been keeping his distance but slowly started closing the gap to his rivals before he made his move on the #54 for second. The move came on the 2021 Champion came on Lap 13 to move into second place before he overtook the six-time Champion a couple of laps later to move into the lead. From there, he was able to extend his lead to claim his first victory in almost exactly two years: his last one was on the 19th September 2021 in Barcelona, where Razgatlioglu also finished second. Reacting to his first win of the year, Rinaldi said: “It’s incredible! At Aragon, strange things happen, I had my first race win here and then this victory today is one of my best, as I fought! It was a race where I had to manage the tyre and think a lot. There’s been some really dark moments this year but this is the best road to come back. I decided to not give up and here I am, really happy and enjoying this moment.” Although Rinaldi was able to win, his outright pace was not as quick as those around him, but it was more consistent which allowed him to first close in on the leaders and then pass. Rinaldi’s best lap was a 1’50.020s, on Lap 2, and 10 of his first 11 normal lap times – excluding Lap 1 – where in the 1’50s bracket. His pace did drop into the 1’51s but never slower than this. In contrast, Razgatlioglu’s fastest time was a 1’49.585s but he only set seven lap times slower than the 1’51s, while Rea was similar: his best lap was a 1’49.568s, but only seven race laps were in the 1’50s or lower and both dropped into the 1’52s towards the end of the race. Explaining his race, Rinaldi said: “I think that the problem for them was at the beginning of the race; I was lapping in the 1’50s but they went away, and I think they were using too much tyre, so at the end, it was the key as I was able to catch them. It’s what I thought at the beginning of the race. I’m sorry for Alvaro’s crash and I’m sure his pace was even better, but I took the opportunity and won the race. These things happen and I wish him the best for tomorrow. My target is to always be there fighting for the victory and we’ll see tomorrow if we can repeat it with Alvaro.”
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Post by truenorth on Sept 23, 2023 7:53:22 GMT -8
ONE HAND ON THE TITLE: Bulega brilliance gives him Race 1 victory, Manzi P11 after last-lap mistake Saturday, 23 September 2023 Bulega can be crowned 2023 Champion as soon as Sunday after a race full of drama in Spain… Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) has one hand on the FIM Supersport World Championship title after his victory in Race 1 at MotorLand Aragon, coupled with Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) finishing outside the top ten, allowed him to open up his standings lead to 80 points. The #11 was untouchable on Saturday after a stunning Tissot Superpole session and he kept that form up in Race 1 to edge closer to a first World Supersport crown with victory by more than three seconds as his rivals squabbled behind him. BULEGA WINS, MANZI 11TH: the gap opens up… Bulega got the holeshot when the 15-lap race got underway and was immediately pulling clear of his rivals as he looked to put one hand on the title, and his gap over Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) at the end of the opening lap was one second, before extending that to 1.6s on Lap 2. Title rival Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) made gains on the opening lap as he passed Federico Caricauslo (Althea Racing Team) at Turn 8 but the #62 found himself 1.7s down on Bulega at the end of his opening lap. The Ten Kate rider had to fend off Caricasulo in the early stages as the #64 looked to re-claim the position he lost to Manzi on the opening lap. This allowed Montella to pull away from his two fellow Italians behind him. As the race progressed, Caricasulo found himself under pressure from Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) who was bringing Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki), Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) and Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) with him. Meanwhile, Bulega was extending his lead out in front. With the #64 having to defend, Manzi was able to escape a little bit up the road as he looked to close down Montella for second. On Lap 10, the Yamaha rider gained a huge amount of time over Montella and briefly got ahead of the one-time race winner, before the Ducati star responded immediately. On the same lap, Huertas retired from the race with a technical issue. A lap later and Manzi barged his way through on his compatriot at Turn 13, catching him by surprise, with Montella then having to fend off Schroetter; the German got through at Turn 16 on the same lap. Turn 1 on Lap 13 was where Schroetter moved into P2 as Montella and Caricasulo kept themselves in the hunt for a podium. The #62 made a move at Turn 15 to re-take P2 but Schroetter was able to respond into the next corner before starting to edge out a gap to claim second with Manzi secured third. On the final lap, Manzi ran wide at Turn 15 as he looked to pass Schroetter for second but dropped down to 11th, with the German and Montella making up the podium. Bulega crossed the line 3.5 seconds ahead of Schroetter for his 12th win and 16th podium of the season, and with Manzi dropping down the order, he can be crowned Champion on Sunday if he leaves the Spanish circuit 100 points clear of Manzi; the gap is now 80. It was Schroetter’s seventh podium since his switch to WorldSSP while Montella claimed his fifth. The #55’s rostrum was also Italy’s 191st in the Championship and tied them with France at top spot in the all-time list. JUST MISSING OUT: so close to a podium Caricasulo finished the race fourth and just two tenths away from a podium after the dramatic battle, with 4.3 seconds separating the top four. De Rosa took fifth while Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), who had joined the battle in the closing stages before dropping back down the order, was sixth and less than a second away from De Rosa. All three riders who finished between P4 and P6 were all in the podium fight at times before securing their finishing positions. NOTHING TO SEPARATE THEM: two tenths keep three riders apart Dutch rider van Straalen was seventh despite being in the lead group in the early stages as the Yamaha rider dropped down the order, as he fended off Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) by just two tenths at the flag. It was a closely-fought battle for the places in the top ten with French rider Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha), fresh from his maiden podium last time out, completed the top ten. He was almost 12 seconds off the lead as he benefitted from Manzi’s last-lap excursion. Manzi was just a quarter of a second behind Debise at the line. SCORING POINTS: Diaz equals his best, wildcard in 12th Wildcard Yeray Ruiz (MDR Offitec Yamaha) secured points at his home round with 12th while Alvaro Diaz (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was 13th. The reigning WorldSSP300 Champion equalled his best result in WorldSSP as he secured points as well as finishing as the lead WorldSSP Challenge rider. He was directly ahead of MotoE™ race winner Nicholas Spinelli in 14th as he took points on his return to WorldSSP action after missing the French Round. Ondrej Vostatek (PTR Triumph) completed the points-scoring places. HOUSEKEEPING: a Ducati debut to forget for McPhee John McPhee’s first race with D34G Racing ended after just one complete lap as he crashed at Turn 3 at the start of Lap 2. He was the first retirement from the race. Tom Booth-Amos’ (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) race ended on Lap 6 when he had a technical issue, while debutant Hector Garzo (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) crashed out on Lap 9 and Turn 7. The top six from WorldSSP Race 1, full results here: 1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 2. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +3.581s 3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +4.106s 4. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +4.306s 5. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +5.830s 6. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +6.763s Fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega (Ducati), 1’53.488s – new lap record
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Post by truenorth on Sept 24, 2023 1:46:44 GMT -8
Superpole Race 1 2 1 A. BAUTISTA ESP Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 10 1'49.173 322,4 1'48.324 325,3 2 1 65 J. REA GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 10 0.179 0.179 1'49.028 307,7 1'47.973 317,6 3 3 54 T. RAZGATLIOGLU TUR Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 10 0.475 0.296 1'49.168 313,0 1'48.523 320,5 4 4 55 A. LOCATELLI ITA Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 10 5.013 4.538 1'49.474 311,2 1'48.710 316,7 5 5 21 M. RINALDI ITA Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 10 6.013 1.000 1'49.939 315,8 1'48.804 317,6 6 6 7 I. LECUONA ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 10 7.024 1.011 1'49.750 321,4 1'48.876 320,5 7 12 97 X. VIERGE ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 10 8.592 1.568 1'49.884 326,3 1'49.418 325,3 8 8 5 P. OETTL GER Team GoEleven Ducati Panigale V4R IND 10 9.384 0.792 1'49.981 314,9 1'49.000 318,6 9 10 31 G. GERLOFF USA Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000 RR IND 10 9.740 0.356 1'49.978 322,4 1'49.083 317,6 10 9 87 R. GARDNER AUS GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 10 10.103 0.363 1'50.018 317,6 1'49.031 315,8 11 13 45 S. REDDING GBR ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000 RR 10 10.279 0.176 1'50.021 317,6 1'49.556 318,6 12 25 9 D. PETRUCCI ITA Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R IND 10 10.405 0.126 1'49.855 317,6 311,2 13 14 60 M. VAN DER MARK NED ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000 RR 10 15.185 4.780 1'50.570 320,5 1'49.738 320,5 14 P 16 77 D. AEGERTER SUI GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 10 15.300 0.115 1'50.167 318,6 1'50.005 318,6 15 7 47 A. BASSANI ITA Motocorsa Racing Ducati Panigale V4R IND 10 15.699 0.399 1'50.702 317,6 1'48.909 319,5 16 18 99 F. MARINO FRA Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 10 20.947 5.248 1'51.121 314,9 1'50.509 316,7 17 19 53 T. RABAT ESP Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 10 23.827 2.880 1'51.243 312,1 1'51.040 313,0 18 17 28 B. RAY GBR Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 10 27.934 4.107 1'51.091 310,3 1'50.052 312,1 19 20 35 H. SYAHRIN MAS PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR1000 RR-R IND 10 28.005 0.071 1'51.848 314,0 1'51.135 316,7 20 21 32 I. VINALES ESP TPR Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 10 29.003 0.998 1'51.721 306,8 1'51.184 307,7 21 15 34 L. BALDASSARRI ITA GMT94 Yamaha Yamaha YZF R1 IND 10 34.311 5.308 1'50.605 309,5 1'49.917 313,0 22 24 52 O. KONIG CZE Orelac Racing MOVISIO Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 10 42.997 8.686 1'53.254 305,9 1'52.863 308,6 -----------------Not Classifed----------------- RET 22 51 E. GRANADO BRA PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR1000 RR-R IND 7 3 Laps 1'52.742 316,7 1'51.249 313,0 RET 23 16 G. RUIU ITA Bmax Racing BMW M1000 RR IND 2 8 Laps 309,5 1'51.691 314,0 RET 11 76 L. BAZ FRA Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000 RR IND 0 1'49.256 315,8
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Post by truenorth on Sept 24, 2023 12:37:04 GMT -8
SBK Race2 1 1 1 A. BAUTISTA ESP Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 18 1'50.206 313,0 1'48.324 325,3 2 3 54 T. RAZGATLIOGLU TUR Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 18 4.064 4.064 1'50.491 314,0 1'48.523 320,5 3 5 21 M. RINALDI ITA Aruba.it Racing - Ducati Ducati Panigale V4R 18 7.109 3.045 1'50.699 314,0 1'48.804 317,6 4 2 65 J. REA GBR Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 18 14.007 6.898 1'50.659 310,3 1'47.973 317,6 5 10 47 A. BASSANI ITA Motocorsa Racing Ducati Panigale V4R IND 18 15.270 1.263 1'50.579 312,1 1'48.909 319,5 6 6 7 I. LECUONA ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 18 17.104 1.834 1'51.225 314,9 1'48.876 320,5 7 8 5 P. OETTL GER Team GoEleven Ducati Panigale V4R IND 18 18.152 1.048 1'51.356 314,9 1'49.000 318,6 8 7 97 X. VIERGE ESP Team HRC Honda CBR1000 RR-R 18 18.574 0.422 1'50.988 318,6 1'49.418 325,3 9 11 87 R. GARDNER AUS GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 18 19.940 1.366 1'51.417 317,6 1'49.031 315,8 10 9 31 G. GERLOFF USA Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000 RR IND 18 22.509 2.569 1'51.424 318,6 1'49.083 317,6 11 14 60 M. VAN DER MARK NED ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000 RR 18 23.129 0.620 1'51.284 314,9 1'49.738 320,5 12 16 77 D. AEGERTER SUI GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 18 27.041 3.912 1'51.766 314,0 1'50.005 318,6 13 12 76 L. BAZ FRA Bonovo Action BMW BMW M1000 RR IND 18 27.818 0.777 1'51.382 313,0 1'49.256 315,8 14 13 45 S. REDDING GBR ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team BMW M1000 RR 18 32.000 4.182 1'51.481 319,5 1'49.556 318,6 15 18 99 F. MARINO FRA Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK Kawasaki ZX-10RR 18 34.509 2.509 1'51.837 320,5 1'50.509 316,7 16 15 34 L. BALDASSARRI ITA GMT94 Yamaha Yamaha YZF R1 IND 18 34.821 0.312 1'51.875 310,3 1'49.917 313,0 17 17 28 B. RAY GBR Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team Yamaha YZF R1 IND 18 36.678 1.857 1'51.921 312,1 1'50.052 312,1 18 19 53 T. RABAT ESP Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 18 42.804 6.126 1'52.311 307,7 1'51.040 313,0 19 22 51 E. GRANADO BRA PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR1000 RR-R IND 18 51.427 8.623 1'52.757 310,3 1'51.249 313,0 20 21 32 I. VINALES ESP TPR Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 18 51.690 0.263 1'52.812 300,0 1'51.184 307,7 21 23 52 O. KONIG CZE Orelac Racing MOVISIO Kawasaki ZX-10RR IND 18 1'06.208 14.518 1'53.853 301,7 1'52.863 308,6 -----------------Not Classifed----------------- RET 4 55 A. LOCATELLI ITA Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Yamaha YZF R1 15 3 Laps 1'50.681 310,3 1'48.710 316,7 RET 24 9 D. PETRUCCI ITA Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R IND 7 11 Laps 1'50.783 314,9 311,2 RET 20 35 H. SYAHRIN MAS PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR1000 RR-R IND 6 12 Laps 1'52.764 309,5 1'51.135 316,7 RET 25 16 G. RUIU ITA Bmax Racing BMW M1000 RR IND 5 13 Laps 1'53.426 302,5 1'51.691 314,0
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Post by truenorth on Sept 24, 2023 12:40:12 GMT -8
BOUNCING BACK: Bautista buries Race 1 blunder with brilliant Sunday double Sunday, 24 September 2023 The Spaniard moved into the top three in the all-time winners’ list with his second victory on Sunday; Razgatlioglu P2 after thrilling fight with Locatelli Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) responded in the perfect style from his Saturday mistakes at MotorLand Aragon as he claimed Race 2 victory during the Tissot Aragon Round. The Spaniard was under early pressure but took his 53rd MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship win to write his name into the history books. Behind him, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) finished second as Bautista extended his Championship lead to 47 points with two rounds to go. FIGHTING FOR THE WIN: Bautista adds history, Locatelli and Razgatlioglu fight The holeshot belonged to Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) as the lights went out but Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was the big mover as he stormed into second place behind his future teammate. On Lap 2 at Turn 1, ‘Loka’ passed the six-time Champion under braking to move into the lead, albeit briefly as Bautista came through at Turns 4 and 5. Despite the Italian’s best efforts, Bautista started pulling out a gap to claim victory and bounce back from his Saturday disaster. With the #1 extending his lead over Locatelli, it turned into a three-way fight between Locatelli, Razgatlioglu and Rea although Race 1 winner Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) did close in on the trio. The #65 started losing ground to the two Yamahas directly ahead, leaving them to fight for second and third, before the #21 overtook Rea at Turn 16 to move into fourth. The Italian was then able to leave Rea in his wake as he closed on the Yamaha duo ahead. Razgatlioglu got ahead of his teammate on Lap 15 before the #55 was forced to bring his bike into the pits after a technical issue with this Yamaha YZF-R1 machine, dropping the Italian out of contention after a strong performance to keep his teammate behind. This promoted Rinaldi to the third and final podium spot, although he did lose time to Razgatlioglu and was unable to close the gap to the 2021 Champion. Locatelli received the black flag with orange disc when the problem became apparent but returned his bike to the pitlane. For not respecting the flag when it was first shown earlier in the lap, the FIM Stewards penalised him with a back of the grid start for his next race. Bautista’s victory means he is now on 53 in WorldSBK and moves into third in the all-time winners’ list, going ahead of Troy Bayliss. It was also the 90th Spanish win and his 83rd podium, while Razgatlioglu has 110 career podiums. With 28 podiums to his name this season, he’s only one shy of his personal best tally in a single season. For Rinaldi, his eighth podium of the year means he’s now scored the most in one season – one better than his previous best of seven. IN THE TOP SIX: securing a good finish to the Aragon Round Locatelli’s technical issue promoted Rea back into fourth place although he was some 14 seconds down on Bautista and seven behind Rinaldi after losing ground after the Italian passed him. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) salvaged fifth on Sunday. He got off to a good start to gain places and, despite his pace dropping off in the closing stages, the #47 was able to finish just a second behind Rea and almost two seconds clear of Iker Lecuona (Team HRC). The Honda rider had shown rapid pace all weekend and converted that into a top six finish. BEST RESULT SINCE ASSEN: van der Mark impresses at Aragon Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) concluded his Aragon weekend with another top-ten finish as the German finished P7, four tenths clear of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) in eighth. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was another who had a good weekend as he took ninth, finishing as the second Yamaha rider, while Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) made a late-race move on Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to claim tenth. The two BMW stars were separated by just six tenths at the end of the race. RETURNING TO THE POINTS: heading to Portimao full of confidence The Dutchman finished four tenths clear of Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in 12th with the #77 fending off Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW). Baz took 13th as he responded from not taking part in the Sunday morning Superpole Race. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was 14th as he finished four seconds behind Baz. The #45 was in a French sandwich with Florian Marino (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) completing the points-paying positions with 15th. Marino, standing in for the injured Alex Lowes, overtook Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) in the closing stages to secure his first point since San Juan Race 1 2018. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was two seconds away from the points but he was able to finish six seconds clear of Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 18th. Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) and Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) battled it out for 19th place with the Brazilian coming out on top by just under three tenths, while Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) was the last classified rider in 21st. HOUSEKEEPING: technical issues prevent comebacks Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) was the first retirement when he brought his BMW M1000RR machine into the pits on Lap 5, with Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) following shortly after. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) had been making progress from the back of the grid but a technical issue when he was closing in on another strong comeback forced him out of the race. The top six from WorldSBK Race 2, full results here: 1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +4.064s 3. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +7.109s 4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +14.007s 5. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +15.270s 6. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +17.104s Fastest Lap: Alvaro Bautista, Ducati – 1’50.206s
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Post by truenorth on Sept 24, 2023 12:41:13 GMT -8
SSP Race2 1 1 11 N. BULEGA ITA Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team Ducati Panigale V2 14 I1 1'53.191 268,0 1'52.306 275,5 2 5 62 S. MANZI ITA Ten Kate Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 14 I1 2.160 2.160 1'53.856 266,7 1'53.337 274,1 3 3 64 F. CARICASULO ITA Althea Racing Team Ducati Panigale V2 14 I1 2.913 0.753 1'54.073 267,3 1'53.170 279,8 4 10 54 B. SOFUOGLU TUR MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta F3 800 RR 14 I1 3.906 0.993 1'54.021 277,6 1'53.724 277,6 5 4 23 M. SCHROETTER GER MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta F3 800 RR 14 I1 4.378 0.472 1'54.060 274,1 1'53.220 274,8 6 8 9 J. NAVARRO ESP Ten Kate Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 14 I1 7.688 3.310 1'54.220 274,1 1'53.619 274,8 7 14 94 V. DEBISE FRA GMT94 Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 14 FL.1 1 Sector 1 Sector 1'54.148 272,7 1'54.067 272,7 8 2 55 Y. MONTELLA ITA Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V2 14 FL.1 1 Sector 1.728 1'54.287 273,4 1'53.030 274,8 9 6 3 R. DE ROSA ITA Orelac Racing Verdnatura Ducati Panigale V2 14 FL.1 1 Sector 0.484 1'54.418 270,7 1'53.363 274,1 10 11 29 N. SPINELLI ITA VFT Racing WEBIKE Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 14 FL.1 1 Sector 0.304 1'54.387 272,0 1'53.873 274,1 11 13 69 T. BOOTH-AMOS GBR Motozoo ME AIR Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R * 14 FL.1 1 Sector 0.948 1'54.215 270,7 1'53.933 273,4 12 23 50 O. VOSTATEK CZE PTR Triumph Triumph Street Triple RS 765 14 FL.1 1 Sector 5.963 1'54.688 276,2 1'55.396 272,0 13 18 17 J. MCPHEE GBR D34G Racing Ducati Panigale V2 14 FL.1 1 Sector 0.062 1'54.785 276,9 1'54.659 278,4 14 17 71 T. EDWARDS AUS Yart-Yamaha WorldSSP Team Yamaha YZF R6 * 14 FL.1 1 Sector 0.392 1'54.740 273,4 1'54.588 274,8 15 16 72 Y. RUIZ ESP MDR Offtec Yamaha Yamaha YZF R6 14 FL.1 1 Sector 0.606 1'54.703 267,3 1'54.584 270,7 16 15 27 A. DIAZ ESP Arco Yart Yamaha WorldSSP Yamaha YZF R6 * 14 FL 2 Sectors 1 Sector 1'55.232 267,3 1'54.493 277,6 17 19 61 C. ONCU TUR Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R 14 FL 2 Sectors 12.127 1'55.506 270,7 1'54.699 278,4 18 24 51 A. SARMOON THA Yamaha Thailand Racing Team Yamaha YZF R6 14 FL 2 Sectors 0.104 1'55.837 268,7 1'55.446 274,1 19 22 22 F. FULIGNI ITA Orelac Racing Verdnatura Ducati Panigale V2 * 14 FL 2 Sectors 0.112 1'55.835 272,0 1'55.380 273,4 20 21 73 M. KOFLER AUT D34G Racing Ducati Panigale V2 * 14 FL 2 Sectors 0.203 1'55.802 268,0 1'55.202 274,1 21 25 68 L. POWER AUS Motozoo ME AIR Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R * 14 FL 2 Sectors 0.575 1'56.047 267,3 1'55.698 266,7 22 27 95 T. MACKENZIE GBR PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR600RR 14 FL 2 Sectors 0.075 1'55.748 268,0 1'55.905 266,0 23 28 26 M. NORRODIN MAS PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team Honda CBR600RR 13 SPD 1 Lap 1 Lap 1'56.757 265,4 1'56.047 268,7 24 26 16 Y. OKAYA JPN ProDina Kawasaki Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R * 13 SPD 1 Lap 5.336 1'56.961 268,7 1'55.759 272,7 25 29 35 L. TACCINI ITA Vince64 by Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R 13 SPD 1 Lap 0.110 1'56.936 271,4 1'56.962 273,4 -----------------Not Classifed----------------- RET 12 66 N. TUULI FIN PTR Triumph Triumph Street Triple RS 765 14 1'53.805 274,8 1'53.879 276,2 RET 20 48 L. DALLA PORTA ITA Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team Yamaha YZF R6 12 1'55.020 272,0 1'54.900 277,6 RET 7 99 A. HUERTAS ESP MTM Kawasaki Kawasaki ZX-6R 10 1'53.915 271,4 1'53.369 274,8 RET 9 28 G. VAN STRAALEN NED EAB Racing Team Yamaha YZF R6 0 1'53.650 275,5
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Post by truenorth on Sept 24, 2023 12:42:43 GMT -8
CLOSING IN ON HISTORY: Buis’ hard-fought Race 2 win puts him in pole position for Portimao title decider Sunday, 24 September 2023 The Dutchman is 30 points clear in the Championship fight and can be crowned WorldSSP300 Champion for a second time next week Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) put one hand on the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship trophy after a brilliant display of riding at MotorLand Aragon. The Dutchman left it until the last corner to claim victory and extend his Championship lead to 30 points. Buis held on by just 0.021s over Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) on a drag race to the line for Race 2 of the Tissot Aragon Round. HISTORY BECKONS: Buis on the verge of a new record Buis got away well as the lights went out and immediately looked to build a gap over his rivals, initially extending it out to over seven tenths across the first lap. While the chasing group were squabbling, Buis was able to maintain his lead, but the gap started to close across the second lap. Buis remained ahead until Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) came through. On Lap 4, the #6 had a scruffy lap including a huge moment on the exit of Turn 12, which cost him time and positions. He was soon back into the top four though as he looked to prevent Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) gaining too much on him in the Championship standings as the Spaniard moved into the lead briefly. On Lap 7, Buis moved back into the lead as he looked to put one hand on his second WorldSSP300 title. Perez Gonzalez got ahead at Turn 12 on the same lap before they slipstreamed each other down the back straight. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) used the outside line on the entry to Turn 16 to great effect to sweep into the lead on both Lap 9 and 11 although he lost it at Turn 1 on the final lap. At the final corner, Buis moved into the lead and held on from Vannucci to claim his fourth win of the season and 11th overall. It was also his 20th podium, tying him with Scott Deroue, and it helped Kawasaki secure the 2023 Manufacturers’ Championship. Vannucci took his eighth podium while Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) battled from 15th to third for his second podium. The top three were separated by just 0.097s. TITLE FIGHT DRAMA: the gap extends to 30 points Gennai finished fourth after his epic comeback by just 0.268s, with German rider Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) in fifth and exactly two tenths back from Gennai. Despite Veneman’s surge up the order, he finished down in sixth place after the #60 pipped him to the line by just 0.003s. Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) took seventh place in the thrilling race ahead of Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) in eighth. The Italian had crossed the line in ninth but a penalty for Perez Gonzalez, for exceeding track limits on the final lap, promoted him to eighth ahead of the Spaniard. With the gap now 30 points between Buis and Perez Gonzalez, the #6 can wrap up the title in Race 1 at Portimao. Britain’s Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) was in the top four in the latter stages of the 12-lap fight but dropped down to 10th place, only 0.085s. He set the fastest lap of the race on the final lap to show his consistency. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) was 11th and the last rider within a second of the leader. AWAY FROM THE LEAD GROUP: still able to score points Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) was another who had been in the lead group but dropped down the order in the latter stages, eventually finishing in 12th and two seconds back from Sabatucci. Julio Garcia (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) was 13th ahead of Unai Calatayud (Arco Motor University Team) in 14th. The Spaniard was just 0.012s behind Garcia but he was a second clear of Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) who was the last points scorer. HOUSEKEEPING: drama until the end Christopher Clark’s (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) second race ended early after he crashed at Turn 4 on the opening lap, while Troy Alberto (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) went down at the same corner a lap later, while teammate Petr Svoboda crashed on Lap 11 at Turn 8. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) had been in the large lead group but a Turn 12 crash on Lap 9 forced him out of the race. Marc Vich Gil (Arco Motor University Team) retired with technical issues while teammate Ruben Bijman crashed out at Turn 1 on Lap 12. The top six from WorldSSP300 Race 2, full results here: 1. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) 2. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) +0.021s 3. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) +0.097s 4. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) +0.268s 5. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) +0.468s 6. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) +0.471s Fastest Lap: Fenton Seabright, Kawasaki – 2’06.780s Championship standings 1. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) 194 points 2. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) 164 3. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) 147 4. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) 131 5. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) 130 6. Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) 121
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Post by truenorth on Sept 24, 2023 12:44:22 GMT -8
"We have to keep fighting… everything is possible" – Bautista on title fight situation Sunday, 24 September 2023 The 38-year-old from Talavera de la Reina corrected his Saturday falls to live up to the pre-round billing with a solid Sunday double Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) picked himself up and dusted himself down – twice – to bring the home crowd to the feet with a fine return to winning ways on Sunday. It started by leaving it late in the Tissot Superpole Race at MotorLand Aragon, hitting the front on the approach to the final corner, whilst his pre-round form of being able to lead from the front and put time into his rivals came true in Race 2, with a strong Sunday double to keep Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) at arm’s length in their title fight. SUNDAY ROAST: awesome Alcaniz to overcome Race 1 blunder Sunday morning saw Bautista beaten on the short shoot to Turn 1, with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) leading from the Spaniard, whilst Toprak Razgatlioglu was all over the Ducati’s rear wheel. It was like scenes from 2022; the titanic trio back to their best, with the riders and their bikes working well at different points of the circuit. Rea was able to continuously pull a gap of up to eight tenths before the back straight, although Bautista would haul himself back into contention by Turn 16. However, on Lap 7, Bautista hit the front briefly at Turn 1 but the six-time World Champion was resilient and pushed the Spaniard out at Turn 2, allowing for Razgatlioglu to pounce at Turn 3. On the final lap, Bautista responded on Toprak at Turn 4 with a bold move, whilst at the front, it looked like Rea had it in the bag until going wide at Turn 12, allowing the Ducati into position to fly by on the straight, holding on through the final two corners to take victory. In Race 2, the Championship got the holeshot from his hard-earnt pole position following his Superpole Race victory, with rivals Rea and Razgatlioglu close behind. Rea did lead at Turn 4, whilst Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) also got into P2 at Turn 6, before he went on to take the lead briefly at Turn 1, pushing Rea wide and allowing Bautista into P2. Bautista found his way through to the lead at Turn 4 on Locatelli before easing clear, setting consistent lap times to take a second victory. HIS OWN WORDS: Bautista happy with Sunday fight back, wary of Razgatlioglu threat Speaking about his Sunday double, Bautista was elated: “I am so happy to get two victories on Sunday. Since Misano, I haven’t won two races on a Sunday! I’m happy, especially today, because I can reset from yesterday. We started from zero from the feeling I had and in Warm Up, I felt very good. In the Superpole Race, it was amazing with Jonathan, Toprak and myself. We did a great race with three different rear tyres, so the level was really high. I felt good as the pace was so fast and, in the end, I was able to overtake them both on the last lap. I thought I could fight for the victory and I just tried, without thinking about anything else. I’m happy as I did my best.” Talking about Race 2, Bautista continued: “In the afternoon, the conditions were very critical as it was very hot and it wasn’t easy for the tyres – life or the performance. From the first lap, I felt the rear spinning a lot and I didn’t have good traction. I tried to not push the rear a lot and I forced the front more and after mid-race, I felt a drop on the front and in many corners, I felt like it was closing. Fortunately, I had a good gap and I could manage the distance. In two very different races, we were able to be competitive. It’s not been an easy weekend but it’s been good for the feeling of the bike and we have to keep fighting; we can’t make more mistakes. This weekend, I’ve learnt that even if a track fits well to me and the bike, you can’t be confident 100%. In the races, everything is possible and anything can happen. I think we need more humility and try to stay focussed and not to relax.” THE MATHS FOR TITLE NUMBER TWO: it sounds easy, looks easy, but this is WorldSBK Bautista needs a points swing of 15 at the Pirelli Portuguese Round if he is to be crowned World Champion for a second consecutive season, although he’s won there just twice for Ducati – 2019’s Race 2 and the Race 2 from last year. However, the form guide suggests Razgatlioglu will keep taking profit of mistakes and dramas for the #1, with the deficit coming down from a high of 98 points after Imola’s Race 1 to a current 47. Six races remain in the 2023 season; mathematically, Bautista can finish third in every race if Razgatlioglu wins them all – although the difference would be just a single point despite a hair-raising start to his title defence
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Post by truenorth on Sept 24, 2023 12:45:21 GMT -8
Razgatlioglu full of praise for ‘surprise’ Locatelli, "fantastic" to score three Aragon podiums Sunday, 24 September 2023 The Turkish superstar was second in Race 2 after a race-long fight with teammate Andrea Locatelli until the Italian was forced to retire The tenth round of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is in the history books as MotorLand Aragon’s track action comes to an end. The Tissot Aragon Round wasn’t supposed to be a track where Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) could eat into Alvaro Bautista’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) Championship lead – on paper at least. However, races aren’t decided on paper; Razgatlioglu took P2 as Bautista crashed in Race 1, which saw him take 20 points out of Bautista, whilst he only gave up ten on Sunday in what was billed to be a damage limitation weekend for the Turk. A thrilling battle in the Superpole Race saw Razgatlioglu in the fight for victory but he wasn’t able to overcome his rivals, as Bautista came through on the final lap at Turn 4, before he went on to win, defeating Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on the last drag down the back straight. In Race 2, Razgatlioglu wasn’t able to stay with Bautista who broke clear and had trouble passing teammate Andrea Locatelli. However, with five laps to go, smoke started billowing out from the #55 Yamaha, with Toprak quick to disperse of his Italian colleague. Locatelli retired after being shown the ‘meatball’ flag, which gave Razgatlioglu breathing space over Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), meaning he only lost ten points to Bautista on Sunday, with a net gain of ten compared to the start of the weekend. Speaking about his Race 2 P2, Razgatlioglu said: “In general, I’m really happy because Friday was a disaster, but we made big improvements, and I took three podiums this weekend. This is fantastic. In Race 2, Locatelli was very strong, and he was riding very calmly. I saw Alvaro was very strong and my teammate. I was waiting, following him and maybe in the last laps I could start to fight. After I saw Rinaldi coming, I said, ‘this time, I need to fight with Rinaldi because I need P2 because I need good points for the Championship’. I saw some smoke and immediately passed Locatelli. I got P2 and this is good, but I’m also really surprised at Locatelli. He made a big improvement for Race 2. Maybe in the last laps, we’d have fought. I’m very happy for him, but it’s bad luck for him to not finish the race.” Razgatlioglu’s net gain of ten points means the gap is 47 up to Alvaro Bautista in the standings, down from a high of 98 after Race 1 at Imola. With six races to go, reigning World Champion Bautista remains the favourite for back-to-back crowns, although it’s now not as straightforward as it could have been back in July and before the August break. With 13 races where he’s finished second to Bautista, if he does so again at Portimao – where he won twice last year – then the title race goes to the final round at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. Bautista needs a points swing of 15 at the Pirelli Portuguese Round, whilst the form book suggests Razgatlioglu will keep taking profit of mistakes and dramas for the #1.
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