Toprak tops the times on the opening day at Donington Park
Superbike Free Practice
After overnight rain, the day at Donington Park began with damp patches around the 4.023km circuit. However, the rain stayed away for the rest of the day, and conditions improved steadily with plenty of track action across multiple classes.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) dominated both sessions, setting the fastest time of 1’26.013. The championship leader left little doubt about his status as the favorite for this weekend, with an early save at the final corner in FP2 being the only moment he seemed unsettled throughout his 34 laps.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was second fastest in both sessions. Despite recovering from injuries sustained in a training crash in April, the Italian looked very comfortable, completing 32 laps despite staying in his pit garage for the first 15 minutes of FP2.
The day proved challenging for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati duo of Nicolo Bulega and Alvaro Bautista, who finished third and sixth fastest, respectively. Bautista crashed at Redgate, while his teammate ran off the track twice.
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was the leading British rider at his home round, ending the day 0.283s slower than Razgatlioglu.
P1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“I was feeling very positive coming here because I remember last year I was losing time in some corners and sectors due to the bike setup. I love the engine braking with the BMW and it’s working well. The bike stops easily and turns efficiently. We are very strong, especially in the last sector, but I’m not feeling 100% confident in the last two corners. We are trying to improve there. In all sectors, we are strong, but I feel like I am losing in some areas. I need to improve in those areas and I think tomorrow we can ride better than today.”
P2 | Danilo Petrucci | Barni Spark Racing Team
“Today was good. It’s always fun to ride on this track. It’s one of my favorite circuits. I especially like the first part of the lap because it’s so fast and exciting every time. After Misano, I spent two weeks resting and not using my right arm and shoulder because after the race the inflammation was very difficult. During the last two weeks, we have worked on the shoulder but I couldn’t train properly. The situation is a little bit better compared to Misano, but I still lack a lot of power. It’s good to be here and to be fast.”
P4 | Alex Lowes | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK
“It’s been quite a good day honestly. Last year when we came to Donington it was a brand new surface and the track was quite abrasive. I was pretty fast on both compounds of tyres. Donington Park is a great circuit and everybody loves it, and the lap times are always really close. It’s not the longest lap so you’ve got to be on it and be consistent. The bike was working well and I enjoyed it. It’s great to see a good crowd here already on Friday, and I’m looking forward to the weekend.”
WorldSBK Combined Results after FP2
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’26.013s
2. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.222s
3. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.225s
4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.283s
5. Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.421s
6. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.567s
WSSP Friday
Third pole for Huertas as red flag brings an early end to Superpole
Superpole Highlights
Mid-session spots of rain did little to deter Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) as the Spanish star claimed his third Superpole of the season with a lap record of 1’28.322.
Until the final moments, Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) seemed poised to secure a second consecutive Superpole. The Italian finished just 0.063 seconds behind Huertas, but his consistent pace will give him plenty of confidence heading into Race 1.
Late crashes involving Kaito Toba (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda), Piotr Biesiekirski (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team), and Ondrej Vostatek (PTR Triumph) brought out the red flags at the end of the session, confirming Huertas’ pole position. Stefan Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) secured third place and the final spot on the front row of the grid.
Tom Booth Amos (PTR Triumph) was the leading British rider, with the 28-year-old set to start Race 1 from seventh position.
WorldSSP Tissot Superpole Results
1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’28.322s
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.063s
3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.573s
4. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.819s
5. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.906s
6. Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +1.062s
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.
Official WorldSBK Press Release
