Toprak Razgatlioglu Dominates Czech Friday in Superbike Free Practice
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) opened the Czech weekend in superb form, completing 38 laps on Friday and topping both sessions. His best time of 1’31.519 was over a tenth of a second faster than any other rider. An 18-lap stint at the start of Free Practice 2 ensured he is well-prepared for Race 1 tomorrow.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) clocked more laps than anyone else and ended the day satisfied with his speed. With a time just a tenth of a second behind Razgatlioglu, the Ducati rider is optimistic about challenging for his first win since Round 3 at Assen.
Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), following his first podium as a Yamaha rider, finished the day in third position, 0.514s behind Razgatlioglu, completing 38 laps.
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) secured the fourth spot, making it four different manufacturers in the top four positions on Friday. The Englishman continues to build on his strong start to the season.
On his first visit to Autodrom Most, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) showed improvement throughout the day. The Italian, currently second in the championship standings, ended the day fifth fastest and aims to maintain his impressive Superpole form tomorrow with a potential sixth consecutive front-row start.
Rider Comments
P1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“My weekend started well on Friday. It looks like we are strong again. I’m very happy to be back at Most because it’s a very nice circuit. We are using the SC1 rear tire, but it’s a bit difficult as it doesn’t have the same grip as the SC0. We made some adjustments to the bike and we’re very happy. We also tested the SC1 and SC2 front tires and I did a race simulation. Our pace is very strong. In FP1, I tried the standard SC1 rear tire and in FP2, I tried the new SC1 rear tire. These two tires are very similar, and I haven’t decided yet which is better for the race. But overall, I’m happy with today.”
P2 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“This season we are struggling a lot but today I’m really happy because we made some changes to the bike since last weekend at Donington Park and I have a good feeling with the bike again. We adjusted the setup, allowing me to push the bike more. I have more feedback from the tires, helping me find the limit better. I can now ride the bike as I wanted to from the beginning of the season. I feel confident now.”
P3 | Jonathan Rea | Pata Prometeon Yamaha
“We didn’t have any issues, and I was able to find my feet with the Yamaha here at Most. I was impressed because the bike works well here. We just had to tidy up the electronics to get the bike to stop the way I want it to. This track requires many compromises. The bike needs to be agile and change direction quickly, and also stop well in turn one and in the last sector. We worked well in the garage and tested both rear tires, understanding them better. We have a clear idea of our preferred option, though we haven’t done many laps on one of them. Today is a good start to the weekend, and we need to keep that momentum.”
WorldSBK Combined Results after FP2
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’31.519s
2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.103s
3. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +0.514s
4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.533s
5. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.552s
6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.591s
WSSP Second pole of the season for Montella
Superpole Highlights
Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) secured his second Supersport Superpole of the season with a new lap record at Most. The Italian rider, who also claimed pole at Misano, has been in excellent form this year and aims to end Huertas’ streak of four consecutive wins in tomorrow’s 19-lap race.
Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was just over a tenth of a second slower than Montella’s record pace.
Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) and Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) led the Yamaha contingent, with Manzi achieving his fifth consecutive front row start.
Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) achieved his best qualifying performance of the season, securing sixth position. He is one of three MV Agusta riders in the top ten.
Rider Comments
P1 | Yari Montella | Barni Spark Racing Team
“It was a good day for sure. It was strange because in the morning I didn’t feel comfortable with the rear tire. We worked hard during the sessions and found a good solution. I believed we had the speed for pole position. We fought for pole with Huertas, and I expect tomorrow’s race to be similar to Donington and Misano. I have good pace and feel good with the bike. We’ll try to do our best in Race 1.”
WorldSSP Tissot Superpole Results
1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’34.126s
2. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.155s
3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.383s
4. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.585s
5. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +1.019s
6. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +1.019s
WSSP 300 First Superpole for Veneman
Superpole Highlights
In a red-flagged Superpole session, Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) secured his first pole position in WorldSSP300. The Dutch rider, who has scored points in every race this season, aims for his second career victory.
The red flag was brought out with just over two minutes remaining in the session due to a crash involving five riders. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse), one of the crashers, qualified third fastest, marking his first front row start in the class.
One-event rider Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) surprised the field with his speed, finishing second fastest in Free Practice and securing the second position in qualifying. The Australian delivered an impressive performance on his debut.
Championship leader Inigo Iglesias Bravo (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) ended the Superpole session in sixth place.
Rider Comments
P1 | Loris Veneman | MTM Kawasaki
“The first session was really about trying to get a feel for the bike and finding my rhythm. In Superpole, I rode with Mirko [Gennai], and it worked out really well. We could ride fast lap times together, and I knew I had a good lap. I’m really happy with pole position, and it’s also important for me mentally. I’m much happier now. I’m ready for the race and was able to set some fast laps on my own. I believe I can win the race.”
WorldSSP300 Tissot Superpole Results
1. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) 1’46.137s
2. Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.186s
3. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) +0.198s
4. Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki) +0.229s
5. Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) +0.376s
6. Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.394s
WorldSBK resumes its action on Saturday with FP3 starting at 9:00 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole at 11:00 and Race 1 at 14:00. Meanwhile, WorldSSP continues with a Warm Up at 9:50, followed by Race 1 at 15:15. WorldSSP300 Warm Up will be at 9:30 followed by Race 1 at 12:45.
Official WorldSBK Press Release
