Toprak Razgatlioglu was coming off a hat-trick of wins (his first in two years) at Misano. No one could doubt his ability to keep a clear head and repeat the feat at Donington. But he still had to demonstrate it on the track...
Race 1 : a self-assured leader
The MOTUL FIM World Superbike Championship leader arrived at Donington Park with his confidence boosted, taking pole position at the start of the weekend. It was all El Turco needed to confirm his status as one of the German manufacturer's generation riders. A win in Race 1 ahead of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) to get things underway...!
Results Race 1 (Top 5)
Will Superpole determine the weekend's outcome?
For Jonathan Rea, the six-time WorldSBK Champion, there's no doubt about it : "In the Superpole Race, everything depends on the start. I've got to pray to the heavens that I get off the grid well, because that will determine my day, and that this position will be maintained until Race 2."
The riders were warned and the holeshot went to Bulega (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) while Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) leapt to 3ᵉ position. A place that will end a 14-race drought without a podium finish, the first under the Yamaha effigy. El Turco took the lead for the first time on Lap 3, racing into Turn 11, never to let go.
From then on, the suspense was worth it for 4ᵉ place. Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW), Alex Lowes and Alvaro Bautista battled it out in the final stages of the race. However, it was Redding who retained fourth place at the expense of compatriot Alex Lowes. The latter became the 6ᵉ driver in history to pass 300 race starts.
Starting from 11ᵉ on the grid, Bautista was able to limit the damage with a +5 place (6ᵉ), ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), who, conversely, was unable to improve on his starting position.
Résultats Superpole Race (Top 5)
Toprak Razgatlioglu on a roll !
By taking pole position for Race 2, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) puts himself in the best possible position to consider the treble on his "favorite track", as he puts it. Previously mentioned, Rea (3ᵉ) will fall to 8th place at the end of the 23 laps of race 2... Proof indeed that nothing can be taken for granted, and that he had to pull out all the stops to capitalize on his position.
All the more so as the second race was certainly the liveliest. At the finish, 8 seconds (8.062 seconds to be exact) separated the leader from his runner-up in the overall standings, Nicolo Bulega. Behind Alex Lowes, Redding held on to fourth place in the final stages. No.1 Bautista completes the top 5, having had to make do with a crash on the reconnaissance lap.
Toprak "El Turco" Razgatlioglu, WorldSBK overall leader
The feeling is incredible. After Misano, we've done it again. It's been an incredible year for me with BMW. It's a new challenge, and every race weekend we're getting better and better. The team is working at over 100% every round.
Race 2 results (Top 5)
El Turco joins Tom Sykes
One week follows another in the WorldSBK championship for Razgatlioglu. And even though he's shown a certain ease in his latest outings, it's worth taking credit for an outstanding performance. These three victories, equivalent to 62 points, come on top of the previous 4 (he also won the second race in the Netherlands last April). A series of 7 victories which brings his total to 9 over the past five events.
In doing so, El Turco equals Tom Sykes' record of 9 wins at Donington Park. "My aim every race weekend is to try and win all three rounds, but it's not easy". The question now is where the Turkish rider will stop, titled in 2021. At the moment, no one seems to be in a position to compete with him over the long term, and the gap is opening up at the halfway stage.
WorldSBK standings after five races (out of 12)
WorldSBK 2024 calendar:
N54 won't have long to rest, as attention now turns to Most (Czech Republic) !
1. Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round - Australia, February 23.
2. Pirelli Catalunya Round - Catalonia, March 22.
3. Pirelli Dutch Round - Netherlands, April 19.
4. Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round - Italy, June 14.
5. Prosecco DOC UK Round - Great Britain, July 12.
6. Czech Round - Czech Republic, July 19.
7. Pirelli Portuguese Round - Portugal, August 9.
8. Motul French Round - France, September 6.
9. Acerbis Italian Round - Italy, September 20.
10. Tissot Aragon Round - Spain, September 27.
11. Estoril Round - Portugal, October 11.
12. Prometeon Spanish - Spain, October 17.
