Tissot Superpole Race Highlights
With Toprak Razgatlioglu on the sidelines Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took advantage to win the ten lap Tissot Superpole Race.
The Italian rookie led from the start and claimed his first victory since the season opening race in Australia in a strong performance for the Number 11.
From pole position Alex Lowes was the only points scoring rider who started the race on the harder SCX rear tyre. The Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK rider bounced back from crashing out of the lead in Race 1 to battle Bulega throughout. Having tried to overtake at Turn 13 on the penultimate lap Lowes lost momentum on the exit and finished in second position for his third consecutive Superpole Race podium.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) came out on top of a seven rider group to finish on the podium. A mid-race clash with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was investigated by the FIM Race Stewards before the Ducati rider was cleared to finish on the podium.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) crashed on the opening lap at Turn 6 while chasing Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) and Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team). The reigning World Champion suffered a left rib cage fracture and was ruled out of action for Race 2.
Race 2 Highlights
In a lights to flag race victory Bulega closed to within 55 points of Razgatliolgu in the championship standings. Starting from pole position the Ducati rider claimed the first Sunday double of his Superbike career.
Starting from the middle of the front row Alex Lowes expected to contend for a race victory. The Kawasaki rider suffered a mechanical issue on the opening lap of the 21 lap race but recovered from 19th position at the end of the lap to finish in fourth position to register an all important 13 points. That leaves Lowes just eight points behind Bautista in the fight for third in the standings.
It was a lonely race for Danilo Petrucci with the Barni Spark Racing Team rider giving chase to Bulega. Having finished on the podium in all three races this weekend it showed his improved consistency as he continues to gain experience in his second season of WorldSBK. The winning margin was over two seconds with Garrett Gerloff a similar margin behind Petrucci.
Gerloff’s podium, his first since Catalunya in 2022, is his first for BMW. The American came out on top of a big fight that featured nine riders in the early stages. Gerloff was involved in a race long battle with Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to be the leading rider home on The BMW M 1000 RR.
Late race penalties dropped Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) and Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) to eighth and tenth positions.
Key Points:
Race 2 winner: Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Race fastest lap: Nicolo Bulega, – 1’36.717s
P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“I’m really happy ti win both rwces today. After yesterday’s crash it’s not easy to have a day like this! I knew I had the speed but it wasn’t easy. To win both races is incredible! I want to say thanks to my team and the doctors who helped reduce the pain after yesterday’s huge crash. We’ll keep pushing for more good results!”
P2 | Danilo Petrucci | Barni Spark Racing Team
“I’m really pleased to be back on the podium. I didn’t expect a race like this. I expected to be battling with Nicolo and Alex but I couldn’t keep up with Nicolo in the first 2 or 3 laps. I pushed hard but Nicolo just kept pulling away. I tried to save the tyre, but towards the end, I was missing a bit of grip. I’m really happy with the podium so I want to say thanks to my team because the bike was nearly perfect.”
P3 | Garrett Gerloff | Bonovo Action BMW
“That was a super cool race! I didn’t feel great during the Superpole Race because I was really struggling to exit the corners. It was leaving me too far behind riders and it left me vulnerable to overtakes. In the afternoon everything clicked and I could make things easier for myself. During the first couple of laps the bike just felt amazing. It was awesome to ride. We are finally starting to figure things out because its been a slow process the tear. We kept our heads down, stayed focused, and now it’s all paying off for the team. I’m so happy to be happy to get a podium for this team and BMW.”
WorldSBK Race 2 Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +2.841
3. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +4.300s
4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +6.576s
5. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +7.521s
6. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +11.620s
Championship Standings
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 365 points
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 310 points
3. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 243 points
WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.115s
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +3.677s
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©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of WorldSBK.com
