The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship saw Race 1 action on Saturday, with Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) securing a stunning Race 1 win to become the new Championship leader. Aruba.it Racing – Ducati continued the hunt however, with both Nicolo Bulega and Alvaro Bautista securing P2 and P3 to keep the pressure firmly on.
RIVETING RAZGATLIOGLU: BMW’s ace comes up trumps yet again
Once again, Toprak Razgatlioglu made all the difference on Saturday in Race 1 at Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli”. “El Turco”, who started on pole following an epic Tissot Superpole session earlier in the day, initially surrendered his lead, but was able to regain it again. However, this time, he never looked like relinquishing his advantage; the Turk stretched out a commanding advantage before crossing the line in P1.
DUCATI PUSH THE PACE: Bulega and Bautista continue the hunt
Nicolo Bulega and reigning World Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) both enjoyed successful races, with both riders finishing P2 and P3 consecutively. Bulega, in particular, showed strong pace and stable consistency throughout Race 1, especially at the beginning. Reigning World Champion Bautista started to come on strong towards the end of the race, having struggled for pace in the opening laps of Race 1. Bautista has been vocal about his struggles in finding a consistent race setup for his Panigale V4 R; however, the reigning Champion will be hopeful that he has found something positive based off of his late-race pace on Saturday.
TOP TEN BATTLE: Diversity at the top of the timesheets
A very interesting variety of riders was aptly represented at the end of Saturday’s Race 1. Yamaha, in particular, enjoyed a successful day on the Adriatic Coast, with both Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) securing P4 and P6 respectively. Fellow Japanese manufacturer Kawasaki also enjoyed a very successful Race 1, with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) rounding out the top five. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team – Ducati) ensured strong representation for Ducati at their home round. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished in a respectable P8, whilst Iker Lecouna (Team HRC) secured an impressive top ten finish.
REST OF THE ACTION: Rea, Sam Lowes fail to finish
It was mixed fortunes for the rest of the grid, as Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) both failed to finish. Rea, whose struggles onboard the R1 have been much publicised, suffered a massive crash on the opening lap. He was then taken to the medical center for a check-up and will be reassessed before the Warmup session tomorrow morning. Lowes was forced to retire following a sliding crash towards the end of the race.
Top six from Race 1 at Misano:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.782s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +3.176s
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +10.337s
5. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +11.671s
6. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +14.822s
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