WSBK Assen VIDEO: Razgatlioglu and Rea fall out and for Bautista it had to happen one day

While MotoGP delivered a magnificent Portuguese Grand Prix, WSBK said its mass in Assen Cathedral. A second stage of the category calendar after which the tenors will have to go to the confessional because many sins and low blows have taken place in the Netherlands. Alvaro Bautista emerged victorious from this melee although he was sanctioned at one point, but the major event was this clash between Jonathan Rea, now 100 victories with Kawasaki, and World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu who lost precious points…

The cordial relationship marked by mutual respect between Jonathan Rhea et Toprak Razgatlioglu did it end last Sunday in a gravel trap in Assen? The future will tell quite quickly but the two men have a radically different vision of the racing incident which opposed them and caused their abandonment, rejoicing a Alvaro Bautista who didn't ask for so much...

First, there are the images of the facts…

Then the versions of the hanging. Jonathan Rhea said : " I drove next to him on the straight and he braked 15 meters later than usual. He slowed to the curb and then took the turn. He was just going too fast. I took my normal line, Bautista was behind me. In such a situation at Assen, the outside driver usually gives in because other drivers like us are coming at high speed ».

« I have no intention of running for race director. I haven't received a request to go either. It was a racing event ", has followed Sale which left no doubt about who was responsible for the accident: “ Toprak took a wide line, so he made the mistake. And instead of giving me space, knowing that I would be there, he decided to come back to the running line. I was on the normal line and driving at my normal speed, everyone can see it in my data. I was probably even a little slower than usual. I expected to have enough space, but I didn't get it. Fortunately we both remained unharmed. ».

At Yamaha , we heard another version developed by the Turkish World Champion: “ I braked a little hard, I went wide, but I wasn't off the track. Then I returned to the ideal line. Johnny made a mistake by not checking on me, so we touched each other. A racing accident, certainly, but Johnny didn't pay attention to my trajectory. He just looked at his line and accelerated early, but I was to his left and in the lead. Tell Johnny to watch the fall again, from my camera's point of view, not his. I was in front, I couldn't see him. I can't cut the gas and look behind me, you don't do that in a race. I guess he wanted to push me out because I was already far away ».

WSBK Razgatlioglu: It's better if we don't talk to Rea for now, maybe later

« I haven't spoken to him since the accident, he knows exactly what happened ", declared the pilot of 25 years. “ He describes his point of view, I the reality. I watched the footage from my camera ten times to understand if it was my fault or his. Okay, it was a racing accident. But we only fell because he made a mistake. He must be watching me, I wasn't off the track. It's better if we don't talk anymore for now, maybe later. Last year, our fights were always respectful. Everybody makes mistakes. In the end, we were lucky because we crashed on the straight. I was very worried about Bautista, he was right behind us ».

Exactly, Baptist, who was in the front row, what did he say? “ It seemed to me that Toprak had gone a little far. He hit the curbs but was not off the track. Jonathan was inside and behind him. Jonathan rode on the ideal line, but Toprak rode on the same line. Both wanted to be in the same place at the same time. But there was no room for two pilots and they touched each other. They have touched each other several times in the past and nothing ever happened. It was different this time and it had to happen one day. Jonathan and Toprak's motorcycles slid in front of me, I braked harder and harder. Then suddenly a gap opened and I passed through. Otherwise I would have hit the motorcycles. I was very lucky not to fall ».

Bautista also had his share of frustration in this Dutch meeting by being downgraded at the end of the sprint race for having exceeded the track limit during the last chicane on the Dutch track. Bautista then lost a place to Toprak, falling to third position in the final race standings and losing two points overall. The Spanish rider expressed his anger on social networks, assuring that “I never touched the green” and describing the sanction he received as “ridiculous”… The Spaniard on the Ducati, however, now leads the general ranking WSBK with 109 points against 91 Sale and 64 to Razgatlioglu.