After a first day in Indonesia dedicated to measuring the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit, Toprak Razgatlioğlu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) went into overdrive to crush their opponents on Saturday, and thus delay the world title ofAlvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Ducati.
They said…
Toprak Razgatlioğlu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) – P1: “ Today, I'm very happy because we got off to a good start and also because FP3 in the morning allowed us to achieve a very good time, and after qualifying, an incredible time! For me, the race is the most important, it was very good but not easy for everyone because of the very hot conditions. In the race I made only one mistake, but we didn't crash and we finished the race with victory. In the sixth turn I hit the dirty line and after the seventh turn I closed the throttle because the rear slipped on the exit: there is only one line, so I'm very careful here. I'm not looking at the championship, just five points, it changes (little) I think, but I'm very happy today, because we win again. You know, I'm taking the races one after the other and this weekend I'm going to try to win three times. Thanks to my team, they never stop working to give me the best R1 possible. »
Álvaro bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) – P2: “ I knew it was going to be a tough race due to the weather and track conditions, although I have to admit the track has improved since yesterday. The first goal was to not make mistakes; so, a second place was the best result we could get today, also considering that I can't get the best feeling with the front tire. In all previous rounds I always used a tire that Pirelli did not make available here, so I had to be very careful. This is still an extremely positive result. »
Jonathan Rhea (Kawasaki Racing Team) – P3: “ The goal was the podium, to be honest. In Superpole I had a lap putting everything together and was second, but I didn't expect to have Toprak in my sights for very long. After four or five laps, I thought maybe I could do it. But as soon as the grip decreases, the bike starts to behave differently. All around the T5 to T8 section, on the side of the tire, is where I really struggled. The biggest worry for us before the race was the front tire, but in the parc ferme, at the end of the race, it was no worse than the others. We have to try to improve the grip level tomorrow, especially when the initial grip decreases. The track surface is gripping, so of course it's getting better and better. This means that tire consumption should be better tomorrow, but we still need to take a step forward. »
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) – P4: “ It's a positive day for us, for me and my team. We have worked hard since Friday, so today is a positive day for us. Unfortunately, I lost the opportunity to stay with Johnny for a bit when I made a mistake after eight laps, because ultimately my race pace wasn't that far from his, so we'll try again for tomorrow . On the track you only have one trajectory and you have to be consistent every time and not make mistakes. It is important to have good confidence and not lose track. I want to thank my team because the bike works really well and allows me to push harder. I'm really excited to have been able to do my first front row today: it's important for me, for my future, and for me to believe in myself. Now we're looking forward to tomorrow, I think we can finish the weekend really well. I want to try to follow Toprak and get a good result, but it is also important to stay in the leading group: we will see but we will try to enjoy until the end! »
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) – P5: “ It was a positive race, especially in light of the difficult qualifying session. I struggled to find a rhythm during the first few laps, then my feeling with the bike improved lap after lap. I was able to make a few good overtakes, including one on Locatelli for fourth place. I honestly thought I had what it took to finish the race in fourth place, but on the last three laps I suddenly lost grip and almost crashed. I'm satisfied but at the same time we have to improve to stay in the top group. »
Xavi Verge (Team HRC) – P6: “ Sixth place is a good result but overall it was a tough day. Since yesterday's FP1, the track conditions have been tricky to say the least, with lap times dropping by a few seconds each session, which has made working with the team really difficult, as you never really understand whether the adjustments you are trying are going in the right direction or whether it is simply the tarmac improving. That said, we did a good job, qualifying in one of the best positions of the year and not making any mistakes in a race where it would have been easy to make them. We expected a little more honestly, but it is what it is and now it will be crucial to carefully analyze all the information we have to try to improve tomorrow and get closer to the top 4, which I think, is within our reach. »
Garrett gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) – P7: “ Overall it was a good Race 1, although it wasn't easy. Overtaking here is really tricky, because if you deviate even one meter from the line, it's very easy to fall. Regardless, I enjoyed the battles and the speed wasn't too bad, it's also nice to be back on top of the Independent category. We will try to improve even more tomorrow. »
Results Race 1 WorldSBK Superbike in Mandalika:
Classification credit: Worldsbk.com
