Razgatlioglu edges closer to the crown
Tissot Superpole Highlights: Sixth Pole of the Season for Toprak Razgatlioglu
The Tissot Superpole session at Estoril was held in tricky conditions after early morning rain soaked the 4.182km circuit. Despite the challenging track, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) waited until his final lap to clock the fastest time. His lap of 1’52.430 secured his sixth pole of the season and the 18th of his WorldSBK career.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was close behind but a mistake on his final lap cost him pole position. However, he still secured his third front-row start of the season, qualifying in second just 0.082s behind Razgatlioglu. This result marked Petrucci’s best Superpole performance of the year.
Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) also delivered a strong performance, securing third place and earning his second front-row start of the season. His teammate Andrea Locatelli qualified fourth, notching up his best Superpole result of the year.
Meanwhile, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team had mixed results, with Nicolo Bulega qualifying fifth and Alvaro Bautista down in 11th.
Race 1: Razgatlioglu Returns to Winning Ways
After missing six races due to injury, Toprak Razgatlioglu made a triumphant return, winning Race 1 of the weekend at Estoril. The Turkish rider was the only one in the field to opt for the harder SC0 Pirelli tyre, and it proved to be the right choice. Early on, Razgatlioglu battled with Locatelli and Petrucci for the lead, but by lap five, he asserted his dominance and took the front. He crossed the line with a winning margin of nine seconds, marking a commanding performance.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had a tough start from the second row, dropping as low as seventh after an early clash with Jonathan Rea. However, Bulega managed to fight his way back into contention, eventually taking second place. His recovery was aided by Alvaro Bautista’s crash on lap 10, which eliminated his teammate from the race. Bautista’s crash left him 106 points behind Razgatlioglu in the standings, officially ruling him out of title contention.
Andrea Locatelli made a brilliant start from the second row, moving into the lead on lap two. However, his race ended in disappointment when he crashed at Turn 7 two-thirds of the way through.
The fight for the final podium spot saw Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) come out on top. Lecuona secured third place, giving Honda their first podium of the season. This marked the Spanish rider’s first podium finish since the 2022 Dutch Round. His ride from the fifth row of the grid demonstrated his impressive speed and race craft, securing a crucial result for the team.
Championship Battle Intensifies
With his Race 1 victory, Toprak Razgatlioglu now holds a 44-point lead over Nicolo Bulega in the championship standings. With five races remaining in the WorldSBK season, there are still 99 points available, setting up an intense battle for the title.
Rider Reactions:
P1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team
“I took a gamble using the SC0 tyre today, and it turned out to be the right choice. My pace was great, and it feels incredible to win again. We’ll need to fine-tune some things for tomorrow, but I’m feeling confident for the next two races. The weather looks unpredictable again, but I’m ready for both rain or dry conditions. This weekend is crucial for me to collect good points, but my focus is on winning.”
P2 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“Race 1 was my first full dry session of the weekend, so I had to figure out a few things with the bike early on. After the incident with Jonathan, I had to stay calm and work my way back. I’m happy with second place; Toprak was really fast today, and this was the best result I could get.”
P3 | Iker Lecuona | Team HRC
“When I arrived in the pit lane, I couldn’t hold back my emotions. It’s been a tough year with many doubts and injuries. To finally be on the podium is a huge relief. I owe so much to my team for believing in me. I hope this isn’t our last podium!”
Race 2 and the final races of the weekend promise more exciting action, with Toprak Razgatlioglu looking to extend his championship lead and Nicolo Bulega aiming to close the gap. As the title race heats up, all eyes will be on the final rounds at Estoril.
WorldSBK Race 1 Results
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +9.221s
3. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +11.020s
4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK +11.973s
5. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +14.018s
6. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +17.727s
Fastest lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu, BMW – 1’37.149s
Championship Standings
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 439 points
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 395 points
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 333 points
Montella makes it six!
Montella Clinches Sixth WorldSSP Win of the Season as Ducati Seals Manufacturers’ Title
In a thrilling race-long battle between the WorldSSP title contenders, Yari Montella secured his sixth win of the season, handing Ducati their second Manufacturers’ Championship in the Supersport class.
Starting from pole position, the Barni Spark Racing Team rider led every lap of the race but faced relentless pressure from Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team). Huertas, chasing Montella for all 18 laps, kept the race tight, with the top three riders maintaining the same order throughout. Stefano Manzi held onto third, making it a tense contest where the gap between the riders remained small.
As the race entered its final stages, Montella dug deep to set the fastest lap on the final circuit, managing to break away from Huertas just in time to cross the finish line first.
Manzi Secures 16th Podium of the Season
Stefano Manzi’s third-place finish marked his 16th podium of the season, securing the Teams’ Championship for Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing. Despite the podium finish, Manzi was under constant pressure throughout the race, particularly from Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team), who was closing in fast for the final step on the podium. However, Debise’s charge ended abruptly when he crashed on Lap 14.
Intense Battle for Fifth
Behind the leaders, a thrilling nine-rider group fought fiercely for fifth place. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) led the pack home, narrowly beating fellow MV Agusta rider Marcel Schroetter by just a few hundredths of a second. Simone Corsi came in seventh after an impressive ride from seventh on the grid.
Corsi’s performance also gave him the upper hand in the Supersport Challenge standings, where he now holds a five-point lead over Tom Edwards.
Championship Highlights
With his second-place finish, Adrian Huertas now holds a 36-point advantage in the WorldSSP standings. The Spaniard is on the brink of clinching the World Championship, needing to maintain a 50-point lead after Race 2 to seal the title.
Rider Reactions:
P1 | Yari Montella | Barni Spark Racing Team
“Winning this race was incredible, and to set the fastest lap on the final lap was amazing. I focused on maintaining my pace and pushing hard every lap. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done so far this weekend. Towards the end, I had some brake issues, which allowed Adrian to close the gap, but when I saw the gap was 0.3 seconds on the last lap, I knew I had to stay focused and push to win. I’m happy with the result, but we need to keep working hard and see what tomorrow brings.”
With Race 2 just around the corner, all eyes will be on Adrian Huertas as he aims to secure the WorldSSP Championship, while Montella looks to continue his winning momentum and challenge for the title.
WorldSSP Race 1 Results
1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team)
2. Adrián Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +1.321s
3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +5.391s
4. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +17.164s
5. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +22.548s
6. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +22.603s
Fastest lap: Yari Montella, Ducati – 1’40.266s
Championship Standings
1. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 390 points
2. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 354 points
3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) 340 points
WorldSBK action resumes on Sunday with Warm Up from 9:00 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole Race at 11:00 and Race 2 at 15:30, while WorldSSP action continues on Sunday with Race 1 from 9:45, and Race 2 at 14:00.
Official WorldSBK Press Release
