Razgatlioglu and standard Pirelli tyres: SCX for track record and pole position, SC0 for the Race 1 win
The Turkish rider is super fast on a demanding track for the first day of racing, setting an impressive track record; Aegerter world champ in WorldSSP for the second time
FOCUS ON SUPERPOLE
WorldSBK (asphalt: 50° C / air: 32° C)
After setting the new track record during the FP3 session with a time of 1’32.294, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) also took pole position for Race 1 and the Superpole Race tomorrow with an impressive time of 1’31.371, improving on the previous track record by more than 1 second which he had set last year and lapping just 3 tenths of a second slower than the MotoGP track record. In addition to him, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK), Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) also managed to drop below the previous track record. All 5 of the top riders used SCX at the rear and SC1 at the front, with the exception of Jonathan Rea who used the A0843 (SC1A) option at the front.
WorldSSP (asphalt: 45° C / air: 31° C)
The star of Superpole was Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) who, with the new track lap record at 1’35.947, took pole position for the two WorldSSP races. This means that the Finn will be starting from the first spot on the grid 5 years from his last pole position, achieved in 2017 in Magny-Cours. Behind the MV Agusta, and by a mere 53 thousandths of a second, was Turkish rider Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), with championship leader Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) completing the front row. Fourth place went to Italian Nicolò Bulega on the Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team Ducati. Four different manufacturers in the first four spots on the grid. Both Tuuli and Aegerter used SC0 rear and SC1 front to do their best times.
TYRES IN ACTION IN RACE 1
WorldSBK (asphalt: 60° C / air: 36° C)
Tyre choice for Race 1 was unanimous: everyone opted for the standard SC0 (option B) at the rear and the A0843 SC1 development solution (option B) at the front. The only exception for the front was Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team), who went with an SC1. Pole man Toprak Razgatlioglu dominated the race from start to finish. Finishing second was Spanish Ducati rider Álvaro Bautista and third place went to six time world champion Jonathan Rea. This gives the Turkish rider his 28th WorldSBK win with Yamaha - another personal record.
WorldSSP (asphalt: 56° C / air: 35° C)
For the first race of the weekend, tyre choice was almost unanimous at the rear, with the SC0 (option B) prevailing, whereas at the front choices were much more varied, although the majority of the riders opted for the SC1. There were even some riders using the SCX rear combined with the SC1 front. With Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) out of the contest in the very early stages, Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was able to manage the race without any pressure and his fifth-place finish was enough to crown him World Champion in the category for the second year in a row. The race win, on the other hand, went to pole man Niki Tuuli who managed to stay in the lead almost from start to finish. Behind him were Federico Caricasulo, (Althea Racing), who started from the fifth spot on the grid, and Can Öncü on the third step of the podium.
For more details on the tyres used in the race by the individual riders in the WorldSBK and WorldSSP classes, please see the sheets attached to this press release.
GIORGIO BARBIER, MOTORCYCLE RACING DIRECTOR
“On Friday we noticed particularly accentuated tyre wear, both front and rear, but it was an aspect that we had fully expected. The new asphalt, finished just a few days ago, has an extremely compact and closed grain that provides little grip and, as the riders themselves stated, the track was extremely dirty and of course not rubberised. Therefore, in the three free practice session, putting as much rubber as possible on the ground was fundamental. The situation improved a bit today as the track evolved, although when the riders leave the clean trajectory line, for example to overtake, they risk getting the tyres dirty which increases wear. In spite of this, Razgatlioglu managed to do an impressive new track record and race paces were extremely high, all using standard rear tyres. Congratulations to Dominique Aegerter for having dominated this season, taking his second consecutive WorldSSP championship title.”