This weekend, all eyes were on Toprak Razgatlioglu, the main attraction of the event. The burning question was whether he would set a new record for consecutive wins in the category. As you can see from the headline, he did!
WorldSBK: Toprak, almost unhindered in Portimao...
Toprak's rivals tried everything to destabilize him, even going so far as to cause him to lose an aileron in a race incident, but to no avail. Toprak once again reigned supreme in Portimao.
The start of the weekend wasn't perfect with two technical problems, which hadn't prevented him from finishing on the podium in FP1 (1ᵉʳ) and FP2 (3ᵉ). Although the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK team had to analyze these incidents in depth to avoid further problems in the race, the objective remained clear From Race 1, it was clear that this concern would have no impact, and then during the Superpole Race, the Turkish rider demonstrated a disconcerting ease. Danilo Petrucci seemed to be the only one capable of challenging him, even taking the lead for half a lap. However, Toprak, riding his M 1000 RR, maintained his blistering pace, maximizing the advantage offered by the super concessions. Alex Lowes took third place in the sprint, ahead of the BMW of a "normal individual", Michael van der Mark, who, despite his best efforts, was unable to keep up with the pace set by the leaders.
Here's what could have thwarted the plans of BMW and its flagship leader: a slight contact with Alex Lowes' Kawasaki was enough to blow off Toprak's spoiler. But once again, this setback did nothing to dent his determination. A performance that overlooks Álvaro Bautista's 100ᵉ podium finish in the first race. The Spaniard, who actually admitted defeat after the second race: "I certainly could have fought with Toprak, but I don't know if I could have beaten him or not". It has to be said that Bautista didn't make things easy for himself: starting from sixth place on the grid, he quickly dropped to thirteenth position at the start of Race 1, launching himself into an intense battle to climb back up the field. It was the same story in Race 2, this time putting an end to any chance of points.
For Nicolo Bulega, the competition was also testing. "It was the hardest weekend of my life, I had no strength left," said the rookie, who tried to keep up with Bautista after the latter failed to capitalize on his own efforts.
Results Race 1 (Top 5)
Superpole Race results (Top 5)
Results Race 2 (Top 5)
WorldSBK standings after seven races (out of 12)
Records are made to be broken
Toprak Razgatlioglu has not only surpassed Álvaro Bautista's record of eleven consecutive victories in 2019 on Ducati, but also that of Jonathan Rea the previous season on Kawasaki. By taking his twelfth Superpole Race victory the sixth this year in seven attempts. The 2021 champion made history once again. With a total of 54 Superbike victories (like his number), he has now overtaken the legend Troy Bayliss, and with 132 podiums, he ranks behind the unshakeable Jonathan Rea, holder of 264 career podiums. Want more? In this dazzling season, he already has 14 victories to his name, and increasingly seems to be cultivating an overwhelming self-confidence against his rivals.
El Turco doesn't spoil the party
Before the start of the weekend, Toprak said: "I'm concentrating on 12 consecutive wins, not just 11. I'm going to give it my all on Saturday to win Race 1, then try to do the same on Sunday in the Superpole Race. Everyone is strong and very fast, so I'll do my best." Afterwards, he promised a great party in the event of a record. That's all there is to it!
An uncertain future for other drivers
While things are becoming clearer for BMW and Toprak for the coming years, others will remain in limbo While the Bonovo Action BMW team will retire at the end of the 2024 season, Garrett Gerloff will join Kawasaki Puccetti Racing to ride a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR. As for team-mate Scott Redding, his plans for 2025 remain unclear, although he has expressed his desire to continue in the World Superbike Championship.
WorldSBK 2024 calendar:
"El Turco" is now on 14 consecutive wins and will have the opportunity to amplify this feat at the next round in Magny-Cours.
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
Crédit photos : WorldSBK
