Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) topped the opening session of the EICMA Estoril Round as he started a potential title-deciding weekend in the perfect fashion. ‘El Turco’ set a 1’36.054s to claim the honours in Free Practice 1 at the Circuito Estoril, with title rival Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 0.226s slower than the #1 as the penultimate round of the season kicked off.

Razgatlioglu’s 1’36.054s was good enough to claim top spot despite being set in the first half of the 45-minute session, although Bulega slowly closed the gap to his Championship rival down from four tenths to just over two tenths. The #11 set a 1’36.280s as he finished in second place during FP1, with Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) taking P3 on the Bimota KB998 Rimini, just over half-a-second down on Razgatlioglu.

Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) showed his potential in the first action at Estoril as he claimed P4, only 0.011s down on the #22 ahead as he set a 1’36.631s. ‘The Maniac’ was sandwiched between the two Bimota riders with Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) enjoying a strong start to the weekend in P5, around half-a-tenth down on his fellow Italian rider in P4. Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) completed the top six with a 1’36.742s.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the lead rider on the Yamaha R1 in P7, finishing directly ahead of teammate Jonathan Rea in eighth with around a tenth separating the two Yamaha riders. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was ninth with a 1’37.036s with ‘Petrux’ nursing a hand injury he sustained in a gym training accident. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), one of Petrucci’s two rivals for P3 in the Championship, completed the top ten with Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC) in 11th; the Spanish rider is making his comeback from injury at Estoril and he, along with Petrucci, will be reassessed after FP1.

Tarran Mackenzie (MGM BONOVO Action) had a difficult start to Free Practice 1 when he crashed at Turn 1 on his Ducati Panigale V4 R, running wide before falling off the bike when he hit the gravel; he was able to walk away from the fall.

The top six from WorldSBK FP1, full results here:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’36.054s

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.226s

3. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.566s

4. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) +0.577s

5. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.620s

6. Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) +0.688s