The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s opening race of the Prosecco DOC Catalunya Round at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya was a dramatic affair as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed his fourth consecutive win in Barcelona to extend his Championship lead in Race 1, while there was a fierce battle for second with several riders at different points. The race was run over a 17-lap distance following a red flag on Lap 4 of the initial race, with Bautista winning the shortened race by 8.8 seconds.
Bautista reigns supreme: Bautista takes Race 1 victory
The race was red flagged on Lap 4 of 20 after an incident on the exit of Turn 11 and the entrance of Turn 12 involving Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team). The Brazilian rider was conscious and taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Granado was declared unfit following the crash with concussion and he was transported to hospital for further assessments. The riders took to the grid for the restarted race based on their positions at the last completed time-keeping point for each rider, meaning Bautista took the front row ahead of teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK).
The new race was restarted over a 17-lap distance with Bautista able to once again stay ahead from the front while his rivals squabbled behind him. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) moved from fifth to third, and then ahead of Rinaldi into second, before the factory Ducati barged his way through at Turn 3. They were still side by side through Turn 10 and into Turn 11. The pair made contact with Rinaldi retiring from the race and Bassani continuing; the incident was investigated by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards. Bassani was given a Long Lap Penalty for his role in the incident which he took instantly on Lap 6, dropping him from second to fifth.
Bassani’s penalty promoted Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) into second and third place and the pair were battling it out for second place as Bautista pulled out a gap over Rea and Razgatlioglu. Razgatlioglu was consistently putting Rea under pressure but, despite the 2021 Champion looking to make a move into Turn 1, he made the move on the final lap at Turn 1 despite being massively out of shape in the braking zone.
Bautista’s victory gave him his 41st win for Ducati out of 82 races run for the Italian manufacturer, giving him a 50%-win rate for Ducati. It’s his fourth consecutive win in Barcelona as he took his 67th podium in WorldSBK. Rea has edged closer to a milestone as he now has 249 WorldSBK podiums to his name while Razgatlioglu now has 91 podiums and Yamaha are edging closer to 400 podiums: they now have 397 to their name.
Fierce fight for fourth: An incredible run continues…
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) converted two incredible starts as the lights went out to take fourth place in Spain, continuing his run of top-five finishes in WorldSBK that extends from the end of the 2022 campaign. He fended off a surging Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) to hold on to fourth place, with Aegerter in fifth and fin ishing as the top Independent rider. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) made a late move on Bassani to take sixth place and demote Bassani to seventh after the Italian had a late-race drop-off in pace.
In the top ten: Fighting for strong positions
Eighth place went to Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) as he dropped off in the closing stages and he fended off Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) in ninth. Gerloff started the original race from ninth but lost out in the first few laps, before battling his way back up to ninth at the end of the race. Rookie Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) rounded out the top ten after a stunning late battle with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) with the Australian in 11th. Heading into Turn 1 on the final lap, Petrucci looked to make a move before Gardner responded around the outside of Turn 2; however, Petrucci was able to finish ahead. Following the race, Petrucci was disqualified from Race 1 for not using his chest protector, promoting everyone behind him up one position.
Completing points: First points of the season for a rookie
German rider Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) took 11th spot, some seven seconds down on Gardner ahead of him, while Oettl fended off Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) in 12th. Ray’s 12th place means he claimed his first WorldSBK points of the campaign and his best WorldSBK result including his previous wildcard appearances. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) took 13th, just a second behind Ray, while Malaysian rider Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team) took 14th. Ivo Miguel Lopes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) scored a point on his WorldSBK debut with 15th place as he stood in for the injured Michael van der Mark, finishing ahead of Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 16th place. Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) finished 17th and a lap down following a crash on Lap 1 of the restarted race. It happened at the same time as Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had a crash in front of him, with Redding retiring from the race.
Housekeeping: To note from WorldSBK Race 1
Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) was the first retirement from the race when the Czech rider had a Turn 4 crash on Lap 2 of the original race start, putting him out of the race and he was unable to re-join the restarted race. Konig was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. He was diagnosed with a left ankle contusion and he will be reassessed ahead of Warm Up on Sunday morning.
Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing) retired from the race after he crashed out at Turn 10 on Lap 10, while Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had his second crash of the day as he lost the front at Turn 7 on Lap 11.
The top six following WorldSBK Race 1
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +8.864s
3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +8.927s
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +13.992s
5. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +14.206s
6. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +15.809s
Fastest lap: Alvaro Bautista, Ducati – 1’41.747s
Bautista claims Superpole Race victory, Rea crashes on final lap in podium fight
The reigning Champion made it two out of two in Barcelona while there was drama behind him as Jonathan Rea crashed out
Rain started to fall in the Tissot Superpole Race in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship and there was drama everywhere at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Prosecco DOC Catalunya Round as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed his second victory this weekend. There was a thrilling battle for the podium places as both Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and teammate Andrea Locatelli battled their way to the rostrum.
Drama throughout: Fighting for the front row in Race 2
Bautista led the field away from pole position and he kept that into Turn 1 while teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi surged up the order to move into second place heading into Turn 1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was able to pass Rinaldi on Lap 4 at Turn 11 to move into second place as he looked to close down, but Bautista extended his lead over Razgatlioglu to win the race ahead of Razgatlioglu.
The rain started to fall in the second half of the race and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) took advantage of this to move into third place after a last-lap fight with Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) to continue his podium streak and secure a front row start for Race 2 alongside teammate Razgatlioglu and Bautista. Initially, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was in the fight for a front row start but a crash when he touched the white line under braking for Turn 1, putting him out of the race.
Fighting back, dropping down: Securing a second row place for Race 2
Lecuona will start Race 2 from fourth place after his last-lap fight with Locatelli, with the pair separated by half-a-second at the end of the 10-lap race. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was third after his teammate crashed at Turn 1 but he dropped down to fifth on the final lap, missing out on fourth place by just 0.097s. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was sixth after starting from second place but he will start Race 2 from the second row.
Completing the third row: In the top nine in the Superpole Race
Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) continued his strong Barcelona form by taking seventh place after joining the podium fight in the final couple of laps and he was only 0.141s behind Aegerter at the end of the race. Rinaldi eventually dropped down to eighth place to give him a third row start for Race 2. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) will complete the third row for Race 2 as he took ninth spot, with just 1.5 seconds separating Razgatlioglu in second and Vierge in ninth. After his crash, Rea will start Race 2 from tenth place.
Housekeeping: To note from the Superpole Race
Remy Gardner (GYRT GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) retired from the race in the closing stages after a technical issue and he was the only other retirement alongside Rea. Loris Baz’s (Bonovo Action BMW) race was disrupted when he had a crash at Turn 5 on the opening lap which dropped him down to last place and he recovered to take 18th.
The top nine following the Tissot Superpole Race
1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +2.110s
3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +2.385s
4. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +2.868s
5. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.965s
6. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +3.257s
7. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +3.398s
8. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +4.102s
9. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) +4.884s
Bautista secures Catalunya hat-trick, Razgatlioglu beats Rinaldi after final lap fight in WorldSBK Race 2
Bautista secured his second consecutive hat-trick in Barcelona while there was a dramatic fight for second place that was decided on the last lap
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action concluded at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the Prosecco DOC Catalunya Round as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a Barcelona hat-trick to extend his Championship lead, while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) pipped Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on the line to deny Ducati a 1-2 finish in Spain.
Hat trick hero: A treble for Bautista on home soil
Bautista lost out initially as the lights went out but recovered heading into Turn 1 to retake the lead although Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) did briefly take the lead on the opening lap, although it did not last long as Bautista recovered the lead of the race before building out a gap over teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi in second place, with Rinaldi able to build a gap over Razgatlioglu in third in the first half of the race. Rinaldi overtook Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) at Turn 1 on Lap 5 to promote himself into second.
It had looked like Rinaldi would finish in second place to lead home a Ducati 1-2, but his final lap was around two seconds slower than Razgatlioglu and the 2021 Champion was able to overtake Rinaldi on the run to the line to take second place and secure Yamaha’s 400th WorldSBK podium, which demoted Rinaldi to third as he ended his Catalunya Round on the podium. As the race progressed, Razgatlioglu was able to pull out a gap over Lowes with the gap over a second by the start of Lap 17, allowing Razgatlioglu to claim his third podium of the weekend.
Bautista has 11 wins in the first 12 races this season, matching Neil Hodgson in 2003 and his own record from 2019 while it was his seventh consecutive win. It was a milestone win for Spain as Bautista claimed their 80th WorldSBK victory while Razgatlioglu moved onto 93 WorldSBK podiums with second place as well as taking Yamaha’s 400th podium. Rinaldi returned to the rostrum for the first time in 70 days as he took his 17th podium.
Just missing out: Finishing in the top six
As the laps ticked down, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who started tenth, closed in on his teammate in the fight for fourth place but Rea was unable to make a move on his teammate. The KRT pair finished in fourth and fifth after Rea battled back from tenth place; he started there as a result of his Tissot Superpole Race crash. While they were fighting ahead, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was behind and losing time to the chasing Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) with Vierge passing him on the brakes into Turn 1 on the final lap to promote Vierge to sixth place. Locatelli was able to take seventh place at the end of the race and, as a sign of how consistent he has been in 2023, seventh place is his worst finish of the year and his worst result since he was eighth in Race 2 in Argentina in 2022.
Completing the top ten: Dramatic battles throughout
Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed eighth spot as he ended his Catalunya Round with a third top-ten finish after he battled with both Team HRC riders. He had looked at passing Vierge in the closing stages before the Spanish rider pulled away but he finished more than two seconds clear of Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) who finished in ninth. American star Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) finished inside the top ten for the third race in Barcelona as he took him top BMW honours.
Taking home points: Finishing in the top 15
Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) was unable to repeat his comeback from Race 1 on Sunday and he finished in 11th place, almost two seconds down on a top-ten place. He had a similar margin behind him with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in 12th. Two rookies finished in the final points-paying positions with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in 13th and Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) in 15th sandwiching Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) in 14th place. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) was 16th with Ivo Miguel Lopes (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) the last classified rider in 17th. The Portuguese rider was just 0.040s away from Baz at the end of the race.
Housekeeping: To note from WorldSBK Race 2
Hafizh Syahrin (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) retired from the race after a Lap 1 crash at Turn 4, with Malaysian rider Syahrin taken to the medical centre for a checkup following the collision. Isaac Vinales (TPR by Vinales Racing) brought his machine into the pitlane and retired from the race in the first half of the 20-lap fight. Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) also brought his bike into the pits and retired after he had a technical issue in Race 2.
The top six following WorldSBK Race 2
1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +8.583s
3. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +8.643s
4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +11.366s
5. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +12.824s
6. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) +15.242s
Fastest Lap: Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) – 1’41.730s
Championship standings
1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 236 points
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 167
3. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 133
4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 100
5. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) 91
6. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 73