Bautista pips Razgatlioglu to victory, inches closer to the title.
In a gripping WorldSBK Race 2 at Portimao, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) etched his name in the record books once again. The reigning champion clinched his 56th victory on a Ducati, surpassing the legendary Carl Fogarty’s win tally with the Italian manufacturer.
However, this historic achievement didn’t come easy, as Bautista engaged in a breathtaking duel with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), where the first position changed hands throughout the race. Bautista briefly took the lead on several occasions, only for Razgatlioglu to respond with remarkable moves of his own. In the end, it was Bautista who managed to secure the victory in a dramatic drag race to the finish line, edging out Razgatlioglu by a mere 0.126 seconds. Bautista’s triumph marked another milestone for Ducati, but it fell just short of securing him a second riders’ title.
Meanwhile, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) mounted a spirited charge from the second row to claim the final spot on the podium. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) continued his impressive form with a solid fourth-place finish, followed closely by Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in fifth and sixth.
Bautista secured his 56th Ducati win, pushing ahead of Carl Fogarty’s record.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“It was amazing! It was a great battle between Toprak and me and I’m so proud to fight with him. He did his best and he had nothing to lose, so he tried every time, everywhere. It didn’t matter which corner or how he tried the pass. I’m proud to fight with him. I also tried my best. I tried to overtake him and close the corners, but he always tried. We were very close to touching many, many times! For me, it was a very enjoyable race. In the end, at the last corner because I was strong there, I tried to pass him but he learnt about the pass after the morning overtake and he closed the last part of the corner. At the moment, I thought if I couldn’t go inside, go outside because it’s the only chance you have. I opened the gas, the bike started to accelerate, and I went to the kerb. I could pass him. I think it was a great move! It was like instinct.”
Razgatlioglu fought valiantly in the epic duel with Bautista, finishing a close second in the race.
P2 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK
“We kept fighting in the race because I’m just focused on winning because I was very angry after the Superpole Race. I saw Alvaro wasn’t very strong and I was better in the last corner than in the Superpole Race but in the race, I fought with him. I said ‘this race is mine’ because he wasn’t very strong and whilst I was on the limit, it was easier to attack. I said, ‘I need to win’ and, especially on the last lap, the feeling was good, and every corner was better than before. At the last corner, I tried something different, but it didn’t work; when I picked up the bike, there’s no acceleration and this was the biggest problem. Alvaro went outside but I don’t understand how his rear tyre grips better than me, but his bike’s acceleration is unbelievable, and it was possible to come back. I’m really angry and I did everything to win. Anyway, we finished second, but I don’t care for this; we lost, and I’m just focused on winning.”
Rinaldi delivered a strong performance, claiming the final spot on the podium in Race 2.
Gerloff continued his impressive form with a solid 4th place, missing the podium for 1.100s.
Locatelli finished 5th in Race 2 and currently holds 4th place in the championship.
WorldSBK Race 2 Results
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.126s
3. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.764s
4. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +2.864s
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +6.373s
6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +9.305s
Sprint Race
WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race Results
1. Alvaro Bautista | Ducati
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu | Yamaha | +0.142s
3. Andrea Locatelli | Yamaha | +4.024s
Manzi edges the new WorldSSP Champion in thrilling last-lap battle
Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) emerged victorious in Race 2 of the FIM Supersport World Championship, narrowly defeating newly-crowned champion Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) by a mere 0.084 seconds. The battle between Championship two two lived up to the hype as they fought fiercely for the win on the final lap.
The battle for supremacy began with Bulega securing the holeshot, but his lead was short-lived as Manzi overtook him at Turn 5 on Lap 3, surging into the lead. The race took another dramatic turn when Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) raced past Bulega at Turn 1 on Lap 5, relegating the Champion to third. Montella displayed remarkable pace, but a slip on Lap 16 allowed Bulega to seize an opportunity and challenge Manzi for victory. The final lap saw a breathtaking exchange of positions between the two. Although Bulega briefly took the lead at Turn 1, Manzi countered with a spectacular move through Turn 9 to regain control and claim the race win, triumphing by the slimmest of margins.
Manzi’s perfectly timed moves on the last lap claimed his 5th WorldSSP victory and halted Bulega’s impressive winning streak of five consecutive races. Manzi’s win means he secured his second place in the Championship standings.
Meanwhile, Yari Montella secured a well-deserved third place. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) secured a commendable fourth place, firmly establishing his position as the third-ranked rider in the World Championship standings. Following closely in fifth was Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team), while Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) displayed remarkable resilience, bouncing back from a Race 1 crash to secure a solid sixth-place finish.
Stefano Manzi’s thrilling last-lap victory at Portimao secured him second place in the Championship standings.
P1 | Stefano Manzi | Ten Kate Racing Yamaha
“It was a fantastic race. We had a great race start, me and all the front row. The rhythm of the race was faster than yesterday, I think. I could close the gap, and I was battling at the front, then I could lead the race, and I started to think that I was fast enough to win. In the end, it was a hard fight in the last lap with Bulega. Normally, when I fight in the last lap, I win. And today it happened again! Bulega overtook me on the straight on the last lap, and I thought that it was over, but then he missed a bit the exit of Turn 1, so I could go inside and stay tight. But in sector two, he was faster than me, and I was expecting that he would overtake me there. But then I saw a little space in Turn 10-11, and I thought ‘it’s now or never.’ I could overtake and closed all the doors in the last corners to take the win. I hope to also enjoy the two races in Jerez and finish the season well.”
Bulega’s 28th podium and record-equalling season podium tally underline his dominance.
Montella’s strong race performance earned him his 6th career podium.
WorldSSP Race 2 Results
1. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.084s
3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +3.278s
4. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +6.300s
5. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) +7.905s
6. Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) +9.427s
Buis clinches historic title as Gennai seals Race 2 win
effrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) made history by becoming the first-ever two-time WorldSSP300 Champion, securing the title with an 11th-place finish.
The race featured an intense battle between title contender Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing GBR) and Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse). Gennai emerged victorious after a dramatic last lap where Perez Gonzalez briefly led but was penalized for irresponsible riding, dropping him to second place.
Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) finished third, leading a tightly contested group that included Daniel Mogeda (ProGP Racing) in fourth and Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) in fifth. Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) claimed the sixth position, with these riders separated by just four tenths of a second at the end of the 13-lap race.
Gennai took his second race win at the Portuguese Round and securing third place in the Championship.
P1 | Mirko Gennai | Team BrCorse
“I finished first in Race 1 and Race 2, and I’m very happy. Perez Gonzalez and I worked together to escape at the front. We were able to break away, and I knew he would try to overtake me at the exit from the last corner, but he received a penalty. So, I got lucky. When I arrived at the parc fermé, I realized I had won when I saw my team. I want to thank them for the great job this week.”
WorldSSP300 Race 2 Results
1. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse)
2. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) +0.002s
3. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) +6.446s
4. Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) +6.493s
5. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) +6.518s
6. Galang Hendra Pratama (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) +6.553s
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship will return for the Prometeon Spanish Round Round at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto from the 29th to 29th of October.
Credit WorldSBK Press Release
