WSBK Superbike Misano Race 1: Toprak Razgatlioglu escapes to victory, Nicolo Bulega forced to retire

The Turkish BMW driver, Toprak Razgatlioglu, with his masterful performance, dashed the hopes of the Ducati spearhead Nicholas Bulega during the first Superbike race at Misano. Danilo Petrucci climbs onto the podium for the first time at Misano.

De Paul Gozzi / Corsedimoto.com

The first duel between Superbike titans on the Adriatic coast ends in the hands of Toprak RazgatliogluThe BMW driver dashed the hopes of Nicolò Bulega who, by setting a new absolute track record in qualifying, seemed to have the cards in hand to counter the reigning world champion. But Ducati's hopes turned into a mirage: El Turco immediately took revenge after the atrocious mockery he suffered at the finish line in Most, finding himself distanced by his opponent. Bulega's lead in the World Championship now falls to 26 points. Is this verdict final or will Nic manage to turn the situation around on Sunday? A wait worthy of a fairy tale.

The penalty did not weigh heavily
The wait for the first challenge was disrupted by the three-place grid penalty imposed on Nicholas Bulega for slowing down Danilo Petrucci during the Superpole. However, starting from the second row had no impact on the outcome of the race, as after just half a lap the situation completely reversed. Toprak Razgatlioglu, who started from pole position, went wide at Quercia, opening the door to his pursuers.

In the meantime, Nicolò, having regained a position at the start, had already resolved the problem with Axel Bassani. So, after less than a lap, Bulega was following Toprak. It could have been the start of a Ducati rumba, but they would have to deal with Toprak's strategy. Usually, the BMW starts with the hardest front end possible, as the Turk is obsessed with braking and needs maximum stability. Instead, this time he opted for the softer SC1 tire, while the more cautious Bulega had chosen the SC2. Head-to-head confrontation carries a risk that is sometimes decided by these details.

With the standard frame
Toprak quickly recovered the second he lost at Quercia and, in the first third of the race, he regained the lead, taking advantage of a mistake by Bulega at Tramonto. No need for magic braking: the Turk slipped inside on an ideal line, finding the horizon clear. Nicolò did not give up and the gap between the two men was significant. With 4 or 5 laps to go, however, the Italian moved up to the BMW seat, but Toprak immediately regained the advantage. Compared to last year, when he won easily ahead of Bulega, the BMW rider improved his time over the distance by 15 seconds (over 21 laps). The ban on using the prototype chassis is thus lifted: the M1000RR can now fly with the standard chassis.

The gap is getting deeper and deeper
Even at Misano, the two leading riders played a different game. Danilo Petrucci celebrated his first podium on this circuit, becoming the first of the privateers. A great day, if it weren't for the sixteen seconds he conceded. As the races go by, the gap between the two phenomena and the rest of the grid widens. Next year, Toprak will leave the scene, but Bulega will still be there, with the same team and the same bike: can you imagine a rider-bike duo that could worry him?

Bimota becomes ambitious
The KB 998 Rimini came within a whisker of the podium with alex lowes, stopped by Danilo Petrucci.
Axel Bassani promised even better, but it fell immediately, imitated shortly after by Andrea IannoneThe former MotoGP rider has wasted another opportunity. Andrea Locatelli, discreetly, brought the Yamaha back to fifth place, although 17 seconds behind the leader. For now, that's how it is.

In the heat of the challenge
On Sunday, June 15, Superbike will offer a feast for the thousands of fans expected at the Misano World Circuit. At 11 a.m., the Superpole Race (10 laps) will be held to determine the first three rows of the starting grid for Race 2, which will begin at 14 p.m. and will consist of 21 laps. As a reminder, the sprint race is worth 12 points to the winner (and so on up to the ninth-place finisher), and the long races 25 (up to the fifteenth-place finisher). Weather: another beautiful sunny day is forecast: 30°C, ideal conditions to enjoy an exceptional spectacle on the circuit.

Misano Superbike Race 1 Standings:

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Paul Gozzi

Classification credit: WorldSBK.com

Superbike Misano Race-1