Bautista puts one hand on trophy as Toprak trips up in Argentina

2022 FIM Superbike World Championship
Round Ten – San Juan, Argentina

WorldSBK Superpole

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) took pole position ahead of six time world champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and championship leader Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).

In Superpole, all the riders use the SCQ rear solution which allowed the Turkish rider to set the new track record with a time of 1’36.216, more than a second faster than the previous record set in 2021 by Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).

All of the top 10 riders on the grid lapped faster than last year’s track record.

WorldSBK Superpole Results

WorldSBK Race One

Race One in Argentina looks to have been a pivotal point in the race for the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed a commanding victory while title rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) finished in 15th place after the reigning Champion had an opening-lap crash trying to pass Bautista.

With Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) taking the lead down the long back straight, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) tried to respond to lead into the infield section but lost the front of the bike and went crashing into the gravel. Razgatlioglu was able to re-join but was in last place.

The incident also cost Bautista time as he dropped back down to fourth place, behind Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and iker Lecuona (Team HRC).

Bautista picked off Lecuona on Lap 4 to move into the podium places and only took two more laps to move into the lead of the race as he passed both Bassani and Rea on the back straight, after Bassani made a move for the lead on the second lap.

Bautista was able to extend his lead at the front of the field for his 13th win of the season. Bautista was the only rider from the top three in the Championship to use the SCX tyre, with Rea and Razgatlioglu using the SC0.

Behind him, Bassani and Rea continued to fight it out for third place with the pair often inseparable throughout the lap. Rea made a move on Lap 8 to move into second place but Bassani was able to respond the following lap down the back straight while, on Lap 11, the pair went elbow to elbow throughout the final sector of the lap and down into Turn 1 on Lap 12; Bassani just holding on in that battle.

The pair battled hard through sector four on Lap 18 with Rea making a move at Turn 15 and Bassani responding into Turn 16. On the run down to Turn 1, Rea outbraked Bassani into Turn 1 to stay ahead before fending off the Italian rider at the end of the back straight, going on to take second place ahead of Bassani in third.

Rea’s second place was the 237th podium of his career, while Bassani took his fourth podium and put Italy on the verge of a milestone having taken 399 podiums to date.

Lecuona was another who used the SCX tyre to take a strong result as he took fourth place after running in the podium places in the closing stages of the race, although he was unable to close the gap to the fighting Rea and Bassani ahead of him.

Lecuona was ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in fifth place, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took sixth.

There was a three-rider fight for seventh place with Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) scrapping it out.

It was Redding who took seventh place at the end of the race as he fended off the chasing Locatelli and Vierge, with the trio separated by around one second.

On the last lap, Locatelli made a move on Vierge to take eighth place and demoted the Spanish rookie to ninth. Dutch rider Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed tenth place and rounded out the top ten.

WorldSBK Race One Results

WorldSBK Rider Quotes

Alvaro Bautista – P1

“Today I’m happy because I improved a lot the feeling with the bike from yesterday. I want to thank Ducati and all my team, they worked to give me a real good bike for today. Already this morning I felt really strong with the bike, on the pace. Also, in the Superpole, we did incredibly fast laps. I was so confident for the race because I knew I had a really good feeling and a very good pace. The important thing was the first lap, to not stay with a lot of riders and to not enter into a lot of fights and to not make mistakes. But in the first lap, I was leading the race. In the first corner I was really lucky because Toprak crashed in front of me. I don’t know if he touched my front tyre or it was my feeling, but he was really close and I was lucky to not crash with him. After that, I needed a couple of laps to analyse what was happening and unfortunately I just lost some positions, and I could stay with the front group. Then I saw that my pace could be a couple of tenths faster. So, I decided, without taking many risks, try to stay in front and have my reference. I was quite consistent during the race. I’m happy because we choose the SCX tyre and I think it was the best option because it worked really well. More than the victory, I’m happy with the feeling I recovered with the bike.”

Jonathan Rea – P2

“Qualifying was amazing, even though I didn’t get pole position. The lap was top drawer, no mistakes, and we got the best out of the bike. It was just not enough because Toprak did that little bit extra. I was happy to be on the front row and potentially we could have led the race into Turn One but I let Toprak go ahead. After the first lap Alvaro dropped back but then Bassani came through and I was just calm, waiting, as he was doing a good pace at that point of the race. Alvaro came past when I was trying to go through on Bassani, but I couldn’t pass anywhere. Without stuffing Axel, it was impossible to pass. I was stuck and then I had to really grind him down, wait until his tyres were moving a little bit towards the end and then plot my move. It was all I could do to finish second. It feels good to come out top in the battle with Bassani but when I was riding with him I couldn’t really do what I wanted to do. On the penultimate lap I did one of the fastest laps of the race, by myself, and with a clear track in front. I saw on the last lap I had a gap back to Axel and no chance to get to Bautista, so I just brought the bike home.”

Axel Bassani – P3

“It was an incredible race! I tried to stay at the front of the race. When Alvaro overtook me, I tried to stay with him but it wasn’t possible. I stayed with Jonny, but he’s a really good rider and has six World Championships. For me, it was incredible to battle with him. I tried to follow him. Today, it wasn’t possible for me because in the last laps I had a problem with the front tyre. I understood a lot of things because I’m young and Jonny, for me, is the king of WorldSBK. Battling with him is like a dream for me. But now I want to beat him!”

Iker Lecuona – P4

“I’m very happy, this was maybe my best race so far all considered. Again I didn’t expect this kind of speed in qualifying but I felt very good on the bike. I also felt like I was on the limit, but I could manage it OK. Big thanks to the team for their hard work. During the race I again wasn’t really expecting this this speed but for once I made a strong start and was able to remain with the front group. When Toprak crashed there was a bit of mayhem within the group, but I tried to stay calm. Then Alvaro passed me, and he and the other guys ahead were faster than me. But I defended fourth, also managing well the tyres’ drop, something I have not been able to do for many races, so I think it’s a very good result for us, especially at this track, which the team told me was one of the trickiest for us last year. I’m happy and ready to keep working to prepare for tomorrow’s race.”

Michael Ruben Rinaldi – P5

“It has been a difficult Friday for us, so we knew that we had to work hard this weekend. But this morning the feeling was much better than yesterday, so this was good. But we still missed something from the top guys. In the Superpole, my lap time was good, but everybody is so close, so I started in eighth position. The race was pretty consistent, but I had a really bad feeling with the bike. I couldn’t push and when I tried to push, I was slower and making mistakes. So, I just focused to try to avoid mistakes. My pace was ok overall. We finish fifth. For tomorrow, we’ll find something more to fight for the podium.”

Alex Lowes – P6

“The race was stuffed after the Superpole, really. I made a pretty good lap on the first qualifying tyre but I knew I could do a bit better. On the second tyre I had a false neutral on one lap then on the second lap there were yellow flags, so game over. If I had started the race in the mix with the top few riders I would have finished with them. I was riding with people who were slower than me but I couldn’t do anything to pass. Halfway through the race I got some clear track and I was lapping faster than Lecuona and Rinaldi and at a similar pace to Bassani. I rode well enough to challenge for the podium, same as the last races, but because of the qualifying I couldn’t do it.”

Andrea Locatelli – P8

“The race was really difficult in the first part and also we were a little bit unlucky in qualifying, especially on the second run, so we lost the opportunity to start more in front. I lost position in the first part of the race as well, in the first two or three laps, so I was not able to fight for the top six. Maybe with some better luck I could have stayed with Alex [Lowes], but in any case I think we need to analyse where we can improve. We try to push every time and I am braking so hard to recover, because we continue to lose time, especially in Sector 2 on the straight. Unfortunately, we can do nothing now but we try to improve Sector 1 and Sector 3; Sector 4 has more corners so it’s better for us. We need to try make a step to take something for tomorrow. Now we looking forward to Sunday’s races here and I will continue to push.”

Xavi Vierge – P9

“Ninth is not the result we want of course but we need to be happy because yesterday we were struggling quite a lot, despite improving over the course of the day. This morning, we again struggled a little in FP3 but were once again able to react quickly and effectively and profit from what we learned. My feeling with the bike both in qualifying and the race was the best it’s been so far this weekend. Lap times in qualifying were super tight which meant that just a couple of tenths saw us start from row four. During the race, I had to overtake a few riders and in doing so, a gap opened up ahead of me but on the positive side, my rhythm was quite constant and fast. We must be happy and try and make the best of tomorrow’s opportunities. Congrats to Iker for the amazing job he is doing this weekend and for today’s strong race.”

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – P15

“A big mistake for me… but after two years, I think this is normal that one time we have a mistake in a race. I’m very angry for this, because it’s just the first lap but I try to pass directly Bautista because he has big advantage in the straight. The race was over very fast for me, but I try to come back again. One point is better than nothing, but normally I try for much more. Anyway, not a good day but tomorrow I try my best. After the crash I try to adapt my bike, because the handlebar was against the frame and there was a lot of damage, screen broken as well. Also not easy riding, you don’t feel the bike in the corner. We know Bautista is very strong this weekend and also in Australia, but in Indonesia maybe not such a big advantage. Tomorrow I try again fighting for the win, I know not easy with the long straight but we will see. Now we are working for tomorrow, because we need to improve in some areas. Now I am thinking just for the Superpole Race, it will be hard with everyone pushing but I try my best.”

WorldSBK Championship Points

WorldSSP Race One

It was a case of so close yet so far for Raffaele De Rosa as he was denied victory by Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) on the last lap.

Aegerter extended his Championship lead to 63 points as he took a hard-fought victory in Argentina.

Oli Bayliss finished 15th.

WorldSSP Race One Results

WorldSSP Championship Points

Argentinean WSBK Schedule AEDT

2022 WorldSBK Calendar