The last round of World Superbike Championship brought a unique battle between the two biggest title contender’s of 2023, in Portimao: Alvaro Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu. Such battle will remain for a lot of time in the memory of many and Serafino Foti confessed this one was… a test, to his heart.

The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team Boss spoke of the battle of «his» rider and the turkish, and confessed this one put on some stress on him: ‘It was an amazing race, incredible! To be honest, my heart was at 1000bpm every corner! For the people in the stands, it was one of the best races of the year’.

He also took the opportunity to praise Razgatlioglu: ‘Toprak, this year, has been so strong. We have a lot of respect for him and to the Pata Yamaha team. Sometimes we lost in some areas on the track, sometimes they lost in other areas. The combination between rider, team and bike is so important’.

Foti then came to say in what areas each rider had more than the other: ‘The positive point of Alvaro was the final corner especially. We checked the data and compared to other riders; he was unbelievably fast. The strong point of Toprak is braking. Some parts of the track, Toprak is favourite and others Alvaro is. The combination is the same because they finished so close!’.

Recall the big battle here:

O conteúdo Bautista vs Razgatlioglu in Portimao «tested» Serafino’s Foti heart: ‘My heart was at 1000bpm every corner!’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

In great shape and about to secure his second title in Superbike World Championship, Alvaro Bautista is standing out as the strongest rider of the called ‘Titanic Trio’ but during his life at the motorcycling competition he also had other fierce rivalries with very know names of the sport.

After the big battle with Toprak Razgatlioglu in Portimao during the past weekend of the WSBK, the current world champion was asked were the turkish stacks up in terms of his career rivals. In his response, the Ducati rider said: ‘I have had many, many riders. Marco Simoncelli, Valentino Rossi… maybe they weren’t all direct for the title but also with Dani Pedrosa and Marc Márquez’.

With his mind setting him to speak about his MotoGP time more than ever, he then highlighted the situation is different… just like the bikes are: ‘These bikes are different to MotoGP. It’s not easy to fight with him as he’s very aggressive and he can move the bike easily and make manoeuvres very on the limit whilst having a lot of control. Toprak is one of the toughest rivals I have fought with’.

O conteúdo Alvaro Bautista puts Toprak Razgatlioglu higher on his rivals list: ‘He is one of the toughest I have fought with, and there is Rossi, Márquez,…’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Last weekend in Portugal, on sunday, Alvaro Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu starred one of the greatest battles of the World Superbike Championship so far and it was so close that even made the spaniard to think that he might crash if the turkish rider did too. A crazy duel that ended up with the Ducati rider to win right at the end.

The #1 spoke of the fierce battle he had with his Yamaha rival: ‘Basically, Toprak had nothing to lose and he tried everything. Sometimes when I was behind, I tried for a couple of laps to not stay so close to him to cool down the front tyre. When you are too close, especially in the flowing section, the temperature comes up and you lose a bit of performance, so I wanted some space. I tried to close the doors a lot but he always put the bike inside! It’s normal, I expected this from him. It was great because we saw a Toprak without anything more than that’.

It was such a close race and with both so close to each other than many times, he added: ‘He did his best in every moment and many times, I thought: «Shit, if he crashes, I’ll go down with him». He entered on the limit and almost every time, I had to pick the bike up otherwise we’d touch. I enjoyed it; I didn’t just stay in second until the end or try and get points for the title. I wanted to fight with him and beat him. It was like a normal race, not a race that can decide a lot of things’.

Bautista also tried to predict the #54’s moves to take the lead and ultimately win: ‘In Spain, we say: «The devil knows more for being old than for being the devil». I expected this move from Toprak, he knew I’d try on the last corner on the inside and already, in the morning, I was on the outside but he was using all the kerbs and I changed the line! In Race 2, I kept the outside because I thought maybe he’ll close the corner. Instead, I saw him not open more the gas more to stay inside, so then I said: «He’ll close the corner». So, I went full throttle with the bike spinning a lot and I can carry more speed exiting on the outside’.

O conteúdo Alvaro Bautista had a stunning duel with Toprak Razgatlioglu that even came to scare him: ‘He had nothing to lose; If he crashed I would too’ aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

This weekend’s Superbike Race 2 on Portimao had one of the most exciting battles so far in the championship with Alvaro Bautista taking the best out of Toprak Razgatlioglu right at the end. Both riders fought every lap for the lead, in a stunning duel that made the Ducati rider super happy.

Now just two points away from securing the title, Bautista spoke of how he wasn’t expecting to be so successful in Portimao, while not forgetting to address the battle he had with his Yamaha rival Razgatlioglu: ‘A really exciting weekend. I certainly didn’t expect to score a hat-trick and what makes me particularly proud is that I won fighting every corner with Toprak, who I congratulate because he was a really tough but always fair opponent. I have to admit that I enjoyed it very much: he never allowed me to match my pace, attacking me on every lap. I stayed focused, trying not to make mistakes’.

As he didn’t managed to finish race 2 with a seven point advantage over the turkish, the title decision was then set to be decided in Jerez, from 27 to 29 of october:

–The championship? I’ll tell you the truth: it’s only fair that the title is awarded at Jerez and I hope many fans come for the round.

O conteúdo ‘It makes me proud fighting with Toprak Razgatlioglu in every corner, he is tough but a fair opponent, I enjoyed the battle’ – Alvaro Bautista aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

What a battle between Alvaro Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu in Portimao in race 2! Lap after lap the rivals exchanged the lead, but in the end the championship leader was stronger and beat his opponent on the finishing straight, as happened so many times today. The spaniard now has one hand on the title, but the decisions are postponed until the Jerez round.

First matchpoint for Bautista in the World Superbike Championship, with the spaniard “only” needing to finish the race seven points ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu to become champion with one round still to go.

Razgatlioglu got the best start and took first place in the race straight away, ahead of Bautista and Andrea Locatelli, when Xavi Vierge crashed. Jonathan Rea and Scott Redding were also involved in the incident.

Hafizh Syahrin was still the first to drop out of the race, as Vierge remained on track despite falling behind the competition.

On the second lap Michael Rinaldi wanted to leave a good image in Portugal and climbed to third place, behind his teammate and the #54.

The battle between Razgatlioglu and Bautista was lively, with the spaniard overtaking his opponent but the latter soon returning the move and inheriting the lead. Less than two tenths separated the riders. Rinaldi was 1.6s behind.

Bautista briefly retook the lead when he hit the Yamaha rider on the straight, but at the next corner he was back at the front of the race.

With four laps completed only 0.091s divided the #1 from the #54, so it was no wonder that Bautista was back at the front of the race on the following lap.

In the space of two laps the Ducati spaniard gained 0.507s on Razgatlioglu while Rinaldi was 1.997s behind. At this point Bautista had 60 points more than Razgatlioglu in the live championship accounts.

The turk didn’t give up and not only recovered the gap to the spaniard, but overtook him shortly afterwards. It was all over for now.

With ten laps completed, that was the top ten in Portimao:

Remy Gardner dropped out of the race, as did Loris Baz a few laps ago. Razgatlioglu was once again in the lead, proving that this race was going to be hard fought… but Bautista showed the power of the Panigale V4R on the straights and was able to move into the lead afterwards.

It was constant: on every lap the two rivals swapped positions. Rea, recovering, was already 12th with six laps to go. It was Rinaldi who benefited from this, now 1.3s behind when he had been twice that.

At the start of the 16th lap, the leader in Portimao was Bautista, who invariably moved to the front on the finishing straight.

With two laps to go, the duel continued. Rinaldi remained in third with 1.6s, Garrett Gerloff was fourth and Locatelli fifth.

O conteúdo Bautista wins epic battle with Razgatlioglu and puts a hand (and a half) on the Superbike title aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

It was a high-intensity superpole race in the World Superbike Championship at Portimão. Álvaro Bautista secured his win only on the final straight, moving him a little closer to the championship title, which he might clinch this afternoon in the second race.

The start of the race was not easy for Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati), as he lost some positions. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha) took the lead ahead of his teammate Andrea Locatelli. Disaster for Kawasaki at turn five, as both of their riders, Alex Lowes and Jonathan Rea, crashed in separate incidents.

Eight laps from the end, Bautista was already in third place, chasing down the Yamaha riders ahead of him, and he completed the overtake on Locatelli two laps later.

The reigning champion then set out to chase Razgatlioglu, launching his first attack on the seventh lap. The duel extended until the final lap, and at the exit of the last corner, Bautista completed the overtake to win 0.142ss ahead of Razgatlioglu.

Locatelli rounded out the podium, with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha) in fourth. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) rounded off the top five. Further down the field, Michael van der Mark brought the top BMW home in seventh place. With the factory riders retiring, Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the only Kawasaki rider to finish the race.

O conteúdo Breathtaking finish with Álvaro Bautista’s winning the superpole race at Portimão aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Álvaro Bautista is closer to the World Superbike title with his triumph in the first Portimão race held this Saturday. The possibility of wrapping up the championship this Sunday remains on the table and could happen in the superpole race. Ducati has already secured the constructor’s title.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha) was the strongest at the start, and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki), who started from pole position, dropped to fourth and, while trying to recover, came into contact with Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati). Both remained on the track, but the British rider dropped to seventh. The Spanish rider, on the other hand, only reached the podium positions on lap 3.

One lap later, Bautista took the lead, but Razgatlioglu reacted and regained it. The battle continued between the two, with the Turkish rider always having an answer to the championship leader’s attempts… until on the seventh lap Bautista managed to take the lead and defend it.

Despite Razgatlioglu always being close, the defending champion managed to build a relatively comfortable gap, which he extended in the last laps, crossing the finish line with a 2.098s gap. Rea made a recovery race to finish third.

In fourth place was Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), who came out on top in a four-way battle for that position. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki), Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha), and Michael van der Mark (BMW) were also involved. Iker Lecuona was eighth and the best Honda rider.

Results:

O conteúdo Álvaro Bautista victorious in race 1 in Portimão hands WSBK title to Ducati aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

The Superbike World Championship is in Portugal this weekend for another round on the 2023 calendar. And after a very lively Friday, with some surprises, the Superopole was no different.

Jonathan Rea showed a very strong pace, reaching the 1st place of the grid, with a lap that put him only 0.010s from the record of the Algarve circuit in a Superbike, a record that belongs exactly to the six-time world champion. At his side was his team-mate Sam Lowes, who managed to take second place in qualifying, the day after learning who his new team-mate will be in 2024.

Opening the second row was Andrea Locatelli, who despite the 3rd position will be forced from the last place of the grid, after a penalty applied, for not having removed his Yamaha from the track in Aragon, when it began to lose fluids and were shown the respective warnings. Behind him, in 4th place, Toprak Razgatlioglou managed to surpass Alvaro Bautista who went no further than a 5th place.

In sixth, and best Honda, was Iker Lecuona, who saw his teammate qualify only 14th. Garrett Gerloff, who even closed FP1 in first place and FP2 in second, did not go beyond 12th position in Superpole.

With the Kawasaki showing excellent pace and Razgatlioglu in urgent need of points to prevent Bautista from reclaiming the title, the first race of the weekend in the biggest category of the SBK world championship promises to be quite lively and could offer surprises up front, although a three-way fight with Rea is expected once again.  Bautista and Toprak fighting for the top spot on the podium.

O conteúdo Rea and Lowes dominate, Yamaha lurking and Bautista just 5th aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is heating up as the season nears its conclusion. The Pirelli Portuguese Round at Portimao has already shown signs of being a spectacular event. On the first day, Alvaro Bautista of Aruba.it Racing – Ducati took the top spot, setting a strong pace that left many trailing.

Factory Ducatis had a commendable performance with both Bautista and his teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, showing their prowess. Bautista led for most of the FP1 session and continued his dominance in the afternoon, setting a time of 1’40.476. Rinaldi, on the other hand, secured the third spot by the end of the day.

Jonathan Rea of Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK, a 13-time winner at Portimao, managed to secure the fourth position. His teammate, Alex Lowes, who had missed the Aragon round, finished the day in 14th place.

Garrett Gerloff of Bonovo Action BMW was the star of the day. After topping the FP1 session, he finished the day in second place on the combined times. His performance has undoubtedly put BMW in the spotlight, with Michael van der Mark of ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team finishing in sixth.

However, the day wasn’t as fruitful for Toprak Razgatlioglu of Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK. Despite his past successes at Portimao, he finished in the eighth position. His teammate, Andrea Locatelli, was just ahead in seventh.

Team HRC had a challenging day with Iker Lecuona finishing in 11th and Xavi Vierge in 17th. The day was filled with intense moments, including an incident between Lorenzo Baldassarri of GMT94 Yamaha and Gerloff.

The top six after WorldSBK’s Friday at Portimao are:

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.476s
2. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.287s
3. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.351s
4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.542s
5. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.546s
6. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.771s

O conteúdo Bautista Dominates, Gerloff Shines, and Toprak Struggles on Day 1 at Portimao aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.

Leading the championship with a commendable 47-point margin, Alvaro Bautista is undeniably in the spotlight as the match point weekend approaches. However, what’s going on in the mind of this racing sensation?

Bautista shares, “While I’m at the forefront of the title race, it’s crucial to remember that the championship’s outcome isn’t solely in my hands. Rather than getting caught up in the what-ifs, my strategy is to remain centered on my performance and push my limits in every situation.”

The upcoming weekend promises to be challenging, with soaring temperatures expected on the track. But for Bautista, it’s all about prioritizing. “It’s essential to concentrate on what truly matters – preparing for the weekend and navigating through each of the three days. This approach helps me stay in the moment, keeping additional pressures at bay,” he explains.

Bautista’s philosophy is simple: live in the present. He says, “I don’t get swayed by the allure of setting records or achieving specific combinations. My focus is firmly on the here and now. I’m confident that if I give my all, the weekend will unfold positively.”

Racing, like any sport, comes with its fair share of unpredictability. Bautista acknowledges this, stating, “Unforeseen challenges like technical glitches or crashes are par for the course. While no rider wishes for them, they remain a reality in every race.” Reflecting on his recent mishap at Aragon on Saturday, he adds, “Mistakes happen. My hope is to learn from them and ensure they don’t recur. After all, it’s all part of the racing journey.”

O conteúdo ‘The title isn’t 100% dependent on my side’ – Alvaro Bautista aparece primeiro em Motorcycle Sports.