Estoril made a dramatic return to the WorldSBK calendar with a day of mixed conditions.
The morning saw a wet Free Practice 1, followed by a dry afternoon session, but in both scenarios, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) proved to be the rider to beat. The Turkish star only completed 14 laps across both sessions but still managed to set the fastest time, leading the field by over three-tenths of a second.
Championship runner-up Nicolo Bulega crashed during the wet morning session. Competing at Estoril on a Superbike for the first time, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider ended the day in sixth place. Having qualified on the front row in all but two rounds this season, Bulega will be aware of the importance of Saturday morning’s Tissot Superpole session.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was second fastest overall, with Alex Lowes finishing third in both sessions. Despite crashing at Turn 6 in the morning, the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK rider completed 18 laps throughout the day. It was a positive start for Kawasaki, as Axel Bassani also had a strong outing, securing seventh place.
Team HRC continued to show strong form with Iker Lecuona finishing fifth fastest, while teammate Xavi Vierge took ninth. Vierge’s day ended early due to a crash at Turn 3, but both riders have been consistent, each achieving nine consecutive top-ten finishes. Having recently tested at Estoril, the team appears well-prepared for the Portuguese Round.
P1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“We have started strong. It’s been a long time since we rode in these conditions but we are strong. I only did four laps before coming back to the box because we were a little bit cautious. We’re fighting for the world title and that’s the target. The feeling was good in the wet and we’re ready. In the afternoon the bike also felt great. I’m not feeling any pressure; I’m just enjoying riding this bike. Tomorrow the weather seems a bit unpredictable. It might rain in the morning and then be dry in the afternoon but we’ll see. I’m ready for both conditions and will just do my best. It’s a very important race weekend for me but I’m focused on winning the race. If I think I’m taking too many risks I might settle for second but I like the circuit, and we’ll see how it goes tomorrow.”
P2 | Danilo Petrucci | Barni Spark Racing Team
“This morning the conditions were really tough because there was quite a bit of rain and cold temperatures. The feeling wasn’t too bad for me and it’s just my second time riding this bike in the wet so we don’t have a perfect setup yet. We’re still developing to improve my feeling on the bike. In the end, it wasn’t bad, but not perfect either. I think that Toprak is on another level right now but we want to improve and get closer. Looking at the lap times today, I believe a top five is possible but I definitely want to get back on the podium after missing out in Aragon.”
P3 | Alex Lowes | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK
“This morning the conditions were really difficult. Normally, with conditions like this, I wouldn’t be too eager to do many laps, but with changeable weather expected tomorrow, I wanted to get some track time in. The track was changing a lot, and some sections were very slippery and difficult to manage. It wasn’t just me struggling with the conditions this morning. In the afternoon, it was mostly dry. This is our first time on this track in a couple of years. I enjoy the layout and it’s a fun track to ride and it’s very fast. I think, in the wet, I can fight and in the dry I can be in the group. We’re struggling a bit in the last sector, especially with the straight here in Estoril, which is a bit of a weakness for us. But I’m confident there are parts of the track where I’ll be really strong, and I think I can be in the fight.”
WorldSBK Combined Results after FP2
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’37.355s
2. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.710s
3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.719s
4. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.892s
5. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +0.894s
6. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.040s
Montella times it right to claim pole position
Montella times it right to claim pole position Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) timed his lap perfectly to claim his third pole position of the season, clocking a 1’41.318 just before a heavy rain shower soaked the Estoril circuit. It was Montella’s first pole since the Czech Round at Most.
Adrian Huertas narrowly missed out on the top spot, but the Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team rider maintained his strong form, having qualified on the front row at every round this season.
Stefano Manzi will complete the front row, with his Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing bike edging out Yamaha rival Valentin Debise by less than a tenth of a second.
Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura), who is sixth in the championship standings, will have to fight his way up the grid in tomorrow’s race after setting only the 29th fastest time in the session.
With just two rounds left in the Supersport Challenge, Simone Corsi (Renzi Corse) gained a crucial advantage over Tom Edwards (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team). Corsi trails Edwards by four points but will start from the third row, while Edwards, after suffering two crashes, will line up 24th.
P1 | Yari Montella | Barni Spark Racing Team “I came into the pits and changed the tyre, and within two laps, we had Superpole! It was an old-school Superpole, so I’m happy. This is my third pole of the year, but tomorrow is uncertain, especially since we didn’t work much on the setup due to the rain. Whether it’s wet or dry, we’ll see how it goes. We’ve only done two laps in the dry, so I’m not sure what to expect, but I hope to finish ahead of Huertas and keep fighting for the championship.”
WorldSSP Tissot Superpole Results
1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’41.318s
2. Adrián Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.380s
3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.607s
4. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.669s
5. Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +1.136s
6. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +1.380s
WorldSBK resumes Saturday with FP3 at 9:00 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole at 11:00, and Race 1 at 14:00. WorldSSP continues with a Warm-Up at 9:50 and Race 1 at 15:15.
Official WorldSBK Press Release
