Razgatlioglu dominates WorldSBK Estoril Race 1 as Bautista crashes out of title fight
Toprak Razgatlioglu won the opening race in the World Superbikes Estoril weekend, extending his lead in the championship over Nicolo Bulega. Meanwhile, Alvaro Bautista crashed, simultaneously crashing out of the championship fight.
Razgatlioglu would lose the lead of the race at the beginning, with Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Locatelli both coming through on the Turkish rider, the pair duelling for the lead as Razgatlioglu sat just behind. Meanwhile, Alvaro Bautista would make an incredible start, finishing the first lap in fifth place after starting from outside the Top 10.
Iker Lecuona would also make strong progress at the start of the race, the Spaniard starting from well outside the Top 10 and making steady progress throughout the race, to eventually finish on the podium.
With dark clouds looming large in the background, the Yamaha riders managed to find pace, coming through to the front of the field, with Jonathan Rea battling with Bautista and later, Nicolo Bulega. The rookie, Bulega, would lose multiple places after being run wide by Rea at Turn 3, the Italian slipping behind to eighth place, as title rival Razgatlioglu began duelling with Petrucci over second place.
Remy Gardner would crash out of the race early on, the Australian rider evidently angry and also in pain, as it would later be revealed that Gardner picked up a bone fracture on his left side. Petrucci, after being overtaken by a few riders, would eventually also crash out of the race – the Italian evidently frustrated whilst walking off the circuit.
As Razgatlioglu overtook Locatelli for the lead of the race, the Ducati’s of Bautista and Bulega started to find more pace, with the Italian making a double overtake on Jonathan Rea and Danilo Petrucci earlier on in the race.
Disaster would strike Alvaro Bautista, the reigning world champion, as the Spaniard’s Ducati came crashing down at Turn 10’s tight left-hander. Bautista crashed after running in second place, with Bulega subsequently inheriting an extra step on the podium.
Andrea Locatelli would also soon come crashing down and out of the race after the Yamaha slipped from underneath Locatelli, the Spaniard rolling onto the grass at Turn 8. Iker Lecuona would gain another place, and with an overtake on Alex Lowes, this crash from Locatelli would promote Lecuona onto the podium, the Honda rider gaining 11 places over the course of the race.
Toprak Razgatlioglu would lead Nicolo Bulega over the line by around five seconds to take a crucial victory, Razgatlioglu’s first victory since his huge crash back in Magny-Cours. The gap between the pair of them is now 44 points, Bulega with all the work to do in the remaining races this season.
Iker Lecuona would claim an extraordinary podium after starting from 14th place on the grid, the Spaniard taking Honda’s first podium in over a year as well.
The WorldSBK returns on Sunday for the Superpole race and Race 2.
WorldSBK Estoril Race 1 – Results
1st Toprak Razgatlioglu, BMW
2nd Nicolo Bulega, Ducati
3rd Iker Lecuona, Honda
4th Alex Lowes, Kawasaki
5th Jonathan Rea, Yamaha
6th Garrett Gerloff, BMW
7th Michael Van Der Mark, BMW
8th Xavi Vierge, Honda
9th Andrea Iannone, Ducati
10th Tito Rabat, Kawasaki
11th Michael Ruben Rinaldi, Ducati
12th Scott Redding, BMW
13th Sam Lowes, Ducati
14th Domi Aegerter, Yamaha
15th Ivo Lopes, Honda
16th Bradley Ray, Yamaha
17th Philipp Oettl, Yamaha
18th Tarran Mackenzie, Honda
19th Alvaro Bautista, Ducati
20th Luca Bernadi, Yamaha
DNF Danilo Petrucci, Ducati
DNF Andrea Locatelli, Yamaha
DNF Axel Bassani, Kawasaki
DNF Remy Gardner, Yamaha
Featured image: RoKit BMW Motorrad Group
