This weekend, at Donington Park, a new round of the World Superbike (WSBK) season was marked by the overwhelming domination of Toprak Razgatlioglu on his BMW. This performance was a reminder of Alvaro Bautista's supremacy on his Ducati over the past two seasons. However, since the regulations imposed restrictions on Bautista, the championship has seen new tensions and rivalries emerge, notably between Ducati and BMW.
Toprak Razgatlioglu showed total mastery by winning the Superpole and the weekend races. His dominance sparked mixed reactions, particularly from Ducati andAlvaro Bautista, who expressed their frustration with the new restrictions imposed by the regulation.
On Sunday, the hot topic at Donington was the saddle of Razgatlioglu's BMW. Ducati asked a Clarification to the FIM concerning the conformity of the saddle, suspecting that it was lower than what is provided for by the regulations. This regulation contains gray areas, particularly regarding the height of the saddle in relation to the rear of the motorcycle.
To avoid any sanctions, BMW raised the saddle Razgatlioglu before Sunday's race. After this modification, no sanctions were imposed. However, Toprak did not fail to provoke Ducati with a humorous staging, playing on the nerves of his competitors.
Alvaro Bautista expressed his incomprehension and frustration with the rule changes and the provocations of Razgatlioglu : " I don't know what he meant honestly did he mean that he only wins because the BMW is the best bike and it's not him who makes the difference? I'm sincere in saying that I didn't understand »
Everything is fine now, word of your Championship leader ✌️🤓#UKWorldSBK 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/Ms1iVum0Pn
- WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) July 14, 2024
Toprak Razgatlioglu: “ I remember when Alvaro arrived with the Ducati to win all the races. At Donington I understood what he felt »
Baptist also criticized the mentality of penalizing fast drivers: “ in Superbike those who are fast are penalized. I understand that we must help those who have difficulties but Above all, we must not penalize those who work well, invest and are quick. In my opinion the rules should help those who have difficulties but why should they penalize me like they did at the beginning of the year »
For its part, Razgatlioglu responded ironically to the critics: “ Ducati has been having fun for a while and now it's my turn. I don't understand why some teams start putting pressure. I've won 7 races in a row but there are still many more to come and everything can still change. »
And Toprak concludes: “ I remember when Alvaro arrived with the Ducati to win all the races. At Donington I understood what he felt ».
The sleeve of Donington was rich in tensions and provocations, highlighting the growing rivalries between Ducati et BMW. With the domination of Toprak Razgatlioglu and the frustrations expressed by Alvaro Bautista, the championship WSBK promises to be even more exciting for the races to come. The next meeting in Most promises new battles and perhaps answers to the questions raised this weekend.
