WSBK Superbike Donington Race 1: Toprak Razgatlıoğlu scores a perfect score, first race is uneventful

The Turkish champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu was on another planet during the first Superbike race at Donington Park: his tenth victory on the English circuit this season. Nicolo Bulega gave up trying to follow him. Scary accidents at the back of the pack.

De Paul Gozzi / Corsedimoto.com

Friday's mini-crisis had deceived his opponents, but when it counts, the Superbike master doesn't miss his shot. Toprak Razgatlioglu is on his honeymoon with Donington, where he has won ten races and is keen to highlight this in what is his final appearance there, as MotoGP in Great Britain is now held elsewhere. By fitting the SCX rear tyre, the softest available, El Turco managed to regain the grip he had sought in vain the day before. His opponent Nicolo Bulega opted for the SC0 medium tire, hoping that the other had miscalculated his move. On the contrary, the BMW had everything under control and Race 1 was virtually uneventful. Toprak left alex lowes to express himself for three laps and when the Briton split the Bimota in two by losing control on the impressive Craner descent, he took the reins and waved goodbye to the company.

Bulega increasingly in the sights
With his 67th career victory, Toprak Razgatlioglu is just four points behind his rival on Ducati: we have just entered the second half of the championship and the World Cup is practically starting from scratch. But the momentum is all on the Turk's side, who, with this domination, continues his momentum after his hat-trick at Misano. Ducati is very busy technically to resist the impact, but the two stops for mechanical problems at Assen, where he could have won both races, and Axel Bassani's crash at Misano weigh heavily on Nicolò's tally. Very important points that would have been very useful at this stage of the championship...

Skits are not his strong point.
Is everything okay? Yes and no, because after the arrival, Toprak Razgatliglu performed another of those incomprehensible skits to which he has accustomed us. Two policemen locked him in a cage until his compatriot Bahittin Sofuoglu comes to free him, with the tragicomic twist of the (plastic) cage collapsing, causing Toprak to fall awkwardly. Did you laugh at that? Here, at the first 1988 Superbike, legends such as Marco Lucchinelli, Fred Merkel and Joey Dunlop have reached the podium, which gives food for thought. They were myths: today's drivers, even if they are exceptional like Toprak, seem insignificant in comparison.

Petrucci, a great podium
Despite its starting position, Danilo Petrucci got where he wanted to be. The former MotoGP rider, a magnificent third, rediscovered his brilliance on this circuit reserved for real riders. A great direct confrontation with Andrea Locatelli and two old dragons found, Jonathan Rea and Scott ReddingThe gap to Toprak was significant, more than eleven seconds. "Toprak was really strong here", admitted Nicholas Bulega, suggesting that second place was the maximum he could hope for. If that was out of reach for the future Ducati rider (even in MotoGP?), imagine for the others.

Superbike's Hot Sunday
The program for the seventh round of the World Championship concludes on Sunday, July 13, with two fiery challenges: at 12:1 PM French time, the Superpole Race will take place, over a distance of ten laps. The starting grid is the same as that of Race 2, and the finish determines the top nine positions in the standings for the final race. Race 15 has been postponed to avoid clashing with the MotoGP German GP: here, the start will be given at 23:XNUMX PM French time, with XNUMX laps remaining.

Superbike Race 1 standings at Donington Park:

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Paul Gozzi

Classification credit: WorldSBK.com

Superbike Donington Toprak Razgatlıoğlu