After two intense days on the Barcelona circuit, Toprak Razgatlioglu, the spearhead of BMW, left an indelible mark by recording the second fastest time, hot on the heels of rookie phenomenon Bulega on Ducati. With a breathtaking time of 1'40"199, Toprak not only broke the previous track record held by Bautista but also gave himself a comfortable lead of four tenths over his closest rival, Petrucci. A feat all the more remarkable as it was achieved in track conditions that were far from ideal. The Turkish pilot, beaming, shared his impressions of this day of testing rich in lessons.
Toprak Razgatlioglu began by expressing his satisfaction: “ I managed a really fast lap, just behind first place, but overall I'm very happy. We focused on rear grip before embarking on an 11-lap race simulation where I maintained a consistent pace in 1'41. After finding the ideal setup, I fitted two qualifying tires and my second attempt was successful. The team and I are delighted. We have solved the grip problem encountered and we are ready for the race."
Toprak Razgatlioglu: “ with Bulega, I'm happy to have another competitor of this level to challenge me »
He also revealed the many new components tested by BMW : " for the last run I took the old swingarm but with a different shock absorber and new forks at the front. We tested a lot of things. Between the old and new swingarm the difference is minimal, but I prefer the old one. That said, maybe it's just psychological. I have never won in Barcelona, although it is one of my dreams. Grip has always been a problem here, so we'll have to work on the tires."
Toprak Razgatlioglu also said he was surprised speedweek by the performance of Open up, the sensational rookie and already winner at Phillip Island : " When I started in Superbike, I had little experience. I had ridden a Superstock 600 and 1000, and I was on a Kawasaki, not a Ducati. Bulega is in an enviable position, it's very fast. With another bike it wouldn't be so simple, but on a Ducati it's impressive. Rinaldi has been on this bike for years and he is already very fast. I'm happy to have another competitor of this level to challenge me."
- Results of the 2nd day
- Combined results from both days
Credit rankings: WorldSBK.com
