Sensational Superpole Race Comeback Win for Razgatlıoğlu, P2 in Race 2

Argentina fan-favourite and Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK rider Toprak Razgatlıoğlu delivered an electrifying Superpole Race victory at the tenth round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship at Circuito San Juan Villicum today, followed by another P2 in Race 2.

Of the bumper 78,549 spectator crowd, those chanting “TURCO” were easily the loudest when the Turkish rider entered Parc Ferme after beating Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) in the straight-fight of the 10-lap Superpole Race this morning. In one of the best races of the season, Razgatlıoğlu delivered a crucial overtake at the same corner where he crashed in Race 1 yesterday. The victory marked his 27th for Yamaha in WorldSBK, matching Noriyuki Haga’s record.

Starting Race 2 from pole position again for the third and final time this weekend, the #1 Yamaha WorldSBK rider settled into a calm, strategic pace in the early stages of the 21-lap feature in an effort to conserve tyre life. When Bautista hit the front during Lap 5, Razgatlıoğlu had no choice but to go with him to have a chance to fight for the win. The two made a break from the pack but, even being unbeatable across three of the four circuit sectors, Yamaha’s defending champion missed the win by 3.3 seconds.

On the other side of the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK pit box, Andrea Locatelli completed two further solid races against tough competition at the San Juan venue. From P10 in the Superpole Race, he was forced to restart again from 11th position on the grid for Race 2 but kept a cool head to work away despite the increased track temperatures and finish eighth overall.

Just two rounds remain in the 2022 WorldSBK season: Mandalika on the Indonesian island of Lombok on 11-13 November followed immediately by the season finale at Phillip Island in Australia back-to-back.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – SPRC: P1 / Race 2: P2

“This morning, the Superpole Race for me was unbelievable because I try my best and after yesterday's big mistake, I was feeling good and could take more confidence. For 10 laps you don't need to keep rear tyre, so all laps full gas! I say to my team: ‘I think I can pass Bautista on Turn 9 where I crash yesterday…’ and then I overtake him there in the race! For Race 2, I know not easy race because Alvaro very strong. I keep fighting for the good position, and fighting for the win, but not possible because tyres start to drop in the last six or seven laps. We know Ducati strong in straight, but we are strong in all corners. We lose the advantage but anyway, second position is positive. I am very happy because my team did incredible work this weekend, we improve the bike. The team believe in me always, and after the crash they gave me good motivation for today. Now I look forward to Indonesia and fighting again for the win.”

Andrea Locatelli – SPRC: P10 / Race 2: P8

“This was another strange weekend in the end. The feeling with the bike was not so bad at the start, but we fight with a lot of problems during the last few days. In many sessions, the track temperature was always changing so it was difficult to know what to do to be faster on the bike. We need to look forward and also understand where we need to improve. Anyway, I want to say thanks to the team, because we working hard every weekend. I'm very grateful, and we are looking forward to the last two rounds in Mandalika and Phillip Island. We try to push until the end.”

Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK:

“A really good day at the office compared to yesterday. Toprak gave everything and more after the error in Race 1, with a stunning Superpole Race victory and a massive effort to finish close to Bautista in Race 2. The team did a great job to give Toprak the confidence he needed to recover from yesterday. There wasn't much we could do in the long race when you consider the difficulty to compete in Sector 2, but the strength of Toprak, our package and his never-give-up attitude across the other three sectors meant we were really close which is encouraging for Mandalika. Loka had a solid day again, with two decent finishes, but it wasn't quite what he was looking for. He rode well in Indonesia last year, so we'll go there with a positive attitude and look for further improvements.”