In an impressive display, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) broke the lap record at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve for the second time within a single day, securing his 19th pole position in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. ‘El Turco’ recorded two exceptional laps in Tissot Superpole for the Pirelli Portuguese Round, taking the top spot ahead of Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), both of whom also surpassed last year’s pole time, ensuring a competitive front row.
FIRST RUNS: Razgatlioglu Shatters the Lap Record
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) initially set a solid time of 1’40.031s, placing him in P1, but this was quickly eclipsed by Razgatlioglu, who astonished everyone with a stunning 1’39.133s, beating his own lap record from FP3 by three tenths of a second. His teammate, Michael van der Mark, along with Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) and Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) followed suit, overtaking Gardner in the opening lap, with Van der Mark and Vierge both clocking times in the 1’39 range. Bulega and teammate Alvaro Bautista positioned eighth and eleventh respectively, with non-representative laps.
CONTINUING TO IMPROVE: Razgatlioglu Lowers the Benchmark Again
Consistently dominant, Razgatlioglu achieved his 19th WorldSBK pole by further improving his performance to a striking 1’39.081s, finishing 0.245s ahead of the competition. Bulega managed to elevate his standing with a 1’39.326s, which would have been a record until Razgatlioglu’s latest lap time. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) rounded out the front row, recording a 1’39.483s that surpassed last year’s pole position time.
LOCATELLI SHINES IN P4: ‘Loka’ Leads the Second Row, Sam Lowes P5
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) will start from fourth place after clocking a 1’39.609s, leading the charge for Yamaha and aiming for a top-five finish. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) secured fifth place with a late push, achieving a 1’39.662s, while Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) completed the second row with a time of 1’39.711s, just a few tenths shy of Razgatlioglu’s record.
TEN AT THE TOP: van der Mark, Two More Yamahas, and Bautista
Michael van der Mark started strong but ultimately finished in P7, leading the third row at a venue where he previously won in 2021. Aegerter ended up in P8, while teammate Gardner will launch from behind him in P10. Gardner’s progress was hindered after he had a faster lap time canceled due to yellow flags. Bautista secured a P9 position with a time of 1’39.874s and Gardner followed closely behind.
PENALTY FOR IANNONE; ALEX LOWES IN LAST: Dramatic Superpole Conclusion
Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) managed only a P13 finish with a time of 1’40.366s, but he will begin Race 1 from 16th due to a three-place grid penalty for slow riding during the final phase of FP3. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) struggled to set a valid time after an early crash at Turn 13 and finished without a strong result. Despite setting a time that would have placed him in P6, it was recorded under yellow flags caused by another rider’s crash.
The top six results from WorldSBK Superpole are as follows:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’39.081s
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.245s
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.402s
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +0.528s
5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.581s
6. Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) +0.630s
Race 1 is set to commence at 14:00 local time (UTC+0) – don’t miss it by watching on the WorldSBK VideoPass!
