Toprak Razgatlioglu won the World Superbike Superpole Race Sunday morning at Misano Circuit Sic58, in Italy. Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR, the 2024 WorldSuperbike Champion won the 10-lap race by 4.281 seconds.
Alex Lowes was the runner-up on his Kawasaki Racing Team bimota KB998 Rimini, and Andrea Locatelli was third on his Pata Maxus Yamaha YZF R1.
Danilo Petrucci finished his race fourth on his Barni Spark Racing Ducati Panigale V4R.
American Garrett Gerloff went from 14th on the grid to 11th at the finish on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Championship point leader, Nicolo Bulega crashed his Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Panigale V4R on turn 1. Bulega was taken out of the race after Bassani lost the front and slid into him, leaving both riders unable to continue.
For the championship, Razgatlioglu is 14 points behind his principal rival Bulega who has 272 points. Petrucci is third with 168 points.
More from a press release issued by Dorna:
Razgatlioglu claims P1 after Bulega wiped out by Bassani in first-corner fracas. Alex Lowes took P2 to claim Bimota’s first podium since 2000 as Locatelli in P3 made it three different manufacturers on the podium.
The final day at Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” and the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round got off to a jaw-dropping start as MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) crashed out from the first two positions. Seizing the opportunity, the #1 topped the podium, followed by Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team), who notched his first podium since the Tissot Superpole Race at Jerez 2024, and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) earned his first-ever podium at Misano.
BAD BREAK FOR BULEGA: Taken out at the race’s outset, the #11 must now focus on Race 2
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) found themselves in the gravel just moments after lights out as Bulega surged up for the holeshot. Bassani lost control of his bike as he lost the front on the inside, and his KB998 Rimini slid into Bulega, ending the race for both of them, and ending a 50-race streak of at least one Ducati on the podium. The incident was investigated by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards and Bassani was given a double Long Lap Penalty for Race 2 for irresponsible riding at Turn 1. Toprak cut inside of Bassani as his bike slid out from under him to avoid the danger, and cruised home for P1; BMW’s 5th consecutive podium at Misano, the best streak for a manufacturer since Kawasaki and Rea’s 7-race streak from 2014 to 2017. Joining Razgatllioglu on the podium, Alex Lowes and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) chased ‘El Turco’ across the line for Bimota’s first podium in 25 years, and Locatelli’s 22nd career WorldSBK podium.
TRIO OF DUCATIS MISS PODIUM: Petrucci, Bautista, Lowes claim points but miss the podium
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) did well to climb positions as he started in P9, but he was unable to keep up with a strong jump off the line from Alex Lowes and Locatelli, finishing in P4. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) gained positions up from his P11 starting position, battling with Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) for stretches of the race reminiscent of the pair’s duels from seasons past to finish in P5. For a change of pace from their recent rounds’ form, Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) was the slower of the Lowes brothers, finishing in P6. Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) finished in P7 behind Lowes, turning back time as he battled with Bautista and Gardner in a bar-to-bar duel over several laps as the race entered its latter half. Having started in P15, Rea’s P7 marks his best finish since joining Yamaha.
HONDA VS HONDA DUEL: Lecuona and Vierge weren’t afraid to lock horns as they fought for the final point-scoring spot
Remy Gardner was bumped down the running from his P6 start position by riders like Bautista and fellow Yamaha rider Rea. He finished within the points, however, and will look forward to the final race of the weekend with Race 2. Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) and his teammate Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) battled for the point-scoring P9 position throughout the race. By the chequered flag, Lecuona held off his injury-addled teammate for P9, relegating his teammate Vierge to a P10 outside the point scoring positions. Finishing in P17, further behind them, Iannone was in the thick of the battle for the top eight until he was obliged to take a double long lap penalty by FIM WorldSBK stewards for a jump start at lights out.
MACKENZIE AND MONTELLA TUMBLE: The Scotsman and the Italian ended the Superpole Race in the Gravel
Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team) crashed on Turn 13 of Lap six, the first rider to take a spill after the lap one encounter with Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) crashed out on Lap 9 from Turn 13
The top nine from the WorldSbk Superpole Race, full results here!
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +4.281s
3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +6.122s
4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +7.542s
5. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +8.855s
6. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +9.703s
7. Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +10.755s
8. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +11.861s
9. Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) +13.177s
Fastest lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu (BMW) – 1’32.813s
Tune in later today as race action at Misano concludes in Race 2 at 14:00 local time! (UTC +2) Tune in with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now 30% off!
