Gordon Ritchie | October 1, 2023
Sunday WorldSSP Race Two
After all the celebrations for new world champion Nicolo Bulega (Aruba Racing Ducati) on Saturday the riders got down to business again on Sunday, with the top three putting on one of the best shows of the season so far.
Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was on his best possible form, and he had to be, as Bulega was chasing him down in a rekindling of their season long rivalry. Manzi won by just 0.084 seconds.
Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) was interjecting his Ducati’s sharp teeth between the two big dogs of WorldSSP in this race, and he also led for a time.
Manzi rained on Bulega’s title parade with the race two win in WorldSSP.
He was to make a small error near the end and leave the fight up to the ‘big two.’
Off podium, Marcel Schrötter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was fourth but over three seconds from a rostrum. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Ducati) was fifth and Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Yamaha) sixth.
Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) could not repeat his podium from Saturday and finished seventh, with Raffaele De Rosa (Ducati Orelac Racing VerdNatura), Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Evan Bros WorldSSP) and Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) rounding out the top ten.
With the big fights in the championship wrapped up in Portugal, the final competition for end of season pride and off-season confidence takes place at Jerez, in the final weekend of October.
2023 Portuguese WorldSBK—WorldSSP Race Two
| 1 |
Stefano Manzi |
(Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) |
|
| 2 |
Nicolo Bulega |
(Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) |
+0.084s |
| 3 |
Yari Montella |
(Barni Spark Racing Team) |
+3.278s |
| 4 |
Marcel Schroetter |
(MV Agusta Reparto Corse) |
+6.300s |
| 5 |
Federico Caricasulo |
(Althea Racing Team) |
+7.905s |
Sunday WorldSBK Race Two
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) won another hat-trick of WorldSBK races by snatching the last corner lead away from the determined and ultra effusive Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) after an epic race long battle at the front of another incident filled 20-lap race.
Both top riders in the championship this season took their opportunities to lead in a race with over 30 passes put in out front.
On the final corner, with Razgatlioglu ahead again, he lost out on the pure acceleration battle onto the straight and Bautista went three for three in Portugal.
He was, however, just two points short of an unassailable championship points lead going into the final round at Jerez in late October, so there was a nearly-championship reality at Portimao, but it is not official yet. The gap is 60 points now, and it needed to be 62.
Alvaro Bautista took another step towards his second world title with the race two win.
In third place in Race Two, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) made for more Ducati happiness, with Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) just a second or so behind. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) was fifth and – a fair way back – nearly ten seconds from the win was Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Ducati) in sixth.
Iker Lecuona (HRC Honda) was top Honda rider in seventh place, with Dominique Aegerter (GRT Yamaha) next up, Philipp Öttl (Team GoEleven Ducati) in ninth and the once more luckless Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) fighting his way back to tenth.
Rea lifted up on lap one, braking into T3, as he started running out of track and collided with Xavi Vierge (HRC Honda). He then collided with Scott Redding (ROKit BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). All three were run off or held up and Rea got a long lap penalty.
He thus dropped to 16th, having started tenth after his Superpole Race DNF, and finished tenth at the flag in race Two.
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was unable to start the second race, having bashed his left knee in the Superpole Race soon after his recent surgery.
The fast starting Remy Gardner (GRT Yamaha) was on for another strong finish but he had to retire with a technical issue at half race distance.
2023 Portuguese WorldSBK—WorldSBK Race Two
| 1 |
Alvaro Bautista |
(Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) |
|
| 2 |
Toprak Razgatlioglu |
(Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) |
+0.126s |
| 3 |
Michael Ruben Rinaldi |
(Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) |
+1.764s |
| 4 |
Garrett Gerloff |
(Bonovo Action BMW) |
+2.864s |
| 5 |
Andrea Locatelli |
(Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) |
+6.373s |
Sunday WorldSBK Superpole Race
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) used his bike’s power and his own experience to overtake race-long leader Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) right at the end to win the ten lap Superpole race at Portimao – much to the obvious anger of the tall Turkish rider.
Performing almost gymnastic maneuvers on his R1 to keep Bautista behind him, Razgatlioglu was simply outgunned on the exit of the long final corner, punching his fuel tank in frustration at being passed so quickly before the start finish line.
Razgatlioglu set a new lap record of 1’39.826 on lap two, but he had no answer for Bautista’s final corner and main straight pace – even in the short ten-lap WorldSBK race. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) was third, albeit over four seconds from the race winner.
Bautista took the Superpole Race win.
A dramatically short race for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) saw them crash in almost formation style at the apex of Turn 5 of the opening lap, first Rea then almost right away yet on his own, Lowes did the same after straying onto the trackside paint. Lowes limped away at the run behind Rea to get to his fallen machine. Each rider limped on for a while, Lowes for seven laps, but both eventually no-scored.
A new WorldSBK career best result of fourth for Remy Gardner (GRT Yamaha) saw him miss the rostrum by almost three seconds. He was easily the top Independent rider on show.
Iker Lecuona (HRC Honda) placed fifth, with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) sixth.
Michael van der Mark (ROKit BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was seventh, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) eighth.
The top ten in the short sprint was completed by Xavi Vierge (HRC Honda) and then Philipp Öttl (Team GoEleven Ducati).
In Race Two Bautista just needs seven more points than Razgatlioglu to be crowned champion in successive WorldSBK seasons.
2023 Portuguese WorldSBK—WorldSBK Superpole Race
| 1 |
Alvaro Bautista |
(Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) |
|
| 2 |
Toprak Razgatlioglu |
(Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) |
+0.142s |
| 3 |
Andrea Locatelli |
(Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) |
+4.024s |
| 4 |
Remy Gardner |
(GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) |
+6.984s |
| 5 |
Iker Lecuona |
(Team HRC) |
+7.236s |
Saturday WorldSBK Race One
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ran out the winner of the first WorldSBK race at Portimao but only after race-long pressure from eventual second place rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) and an early tactile battle with final third place competitor, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team).
The battling at the front of the race was as good as we have seen this year, with not only the traditional ‘Big Three’ involved but others making an early mark.
Bautista put one hand on the trophy with the race one win.
After pole man Rea had touched the back of Bautista’s Ducati in Turn Three on lap one, and had to regain track condition, the competition for the win was between Bautista and Razgatlioglu. Despite the obvious Bautista top speed and acceleration advantage out of the long last corner, Razgatlioglu hung on, closing in at times and then dropping back, but never quite getting into the slipstream.
In the end Toprak was just over two seconds back, with Rea 6.7 seconds down on Bautista in third place.
Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was in fourth place finally, although Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was in that spot for a lot of the race, in what was his comeback ride.
Razgatlioglu does his best to conserve his tires in Portugal.
With Lowes a close fifth, Remy Gardner (GRT Yamaha) scooted through from eighth on the grid to finish sixth, displacing the very strong-looking Michael van der Mark (ROKit BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who is still rearranging his full palette of race craft colors after two seasons of re-occurring leg injuries.
Iker Lecuona (HRC Honda) was eighth, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) ninth and Xavi Vierge (HRC Honda) tenth.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had a technical issue and no-scored.
2023 Portuguese WorldSBK Results—WorldSBK Race One
| 1 |
Alvaro Bautista |
(Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) |
|
| 2 |
Toprak Razgatlioglu |
(Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) |
+2.098s |
| 3 |
Jonathan Rea |
(Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) |
+6.790s |
| 4 |
Garrett Gerloff |
(Bonovo Action BMW) |
+12.093s |
| 5 |
Alex Lowes |
(Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) |
+13.148s |
Saturday WorldSSP Race One
Strange to think that a first WorldSSP Championship crown for runaway 2023 leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba Racing Ducati) was also a first ever WorldSSP Rider’s Championship success for any Ducati rider, and the first championship as a manufacturer for Ducati.
They were a major force in the early years of full status WorldSSP racing, but no Ducati rider quite won the championship back then.
Bulega, in a champion’s best style, won the title today by winning the race, with his 2023 perma-shadow Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) two seconds behind him across the line.
After being fastest on day one, the other Ten Kate Yamaha rider, Jorge Navarro, was third in Race One at Portimao, albeit 6.2 seconds back from the win.
Nicolo Bulega took the title in style with the race one WorldSSP win.
There is a lot more racing to go in 2023 – three full races at this point – but the championship has now been decided on the final day of September.
Marcel Schrötter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was fourth in the opener in Portugal, winning a tight battle with Magny Cours double podium rider, Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha).
Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Ducati) was sixth, Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse F3 800 RR) seventh and another Ducati rider, Raffaele De Rosa (Ducati Orelac Racing VerdNatura) eighth.
Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) survived his bounce off a trackside wall at Motorland Aragon last week well enough to finish ninth, with Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Evan Bros WorldSSP) tenth. Tom Edwards (YART Yamaha WorldSSP Team) was 11th in the race after qualifying an excellent sixth in Superpole.
Nicolo Bulega is the latest Ducati World Champion.
On what is normally Oli Bayliss’ bike, John McPhee (D34G Racing Ducati) was 13th.
Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Kawasaki) was crowned WorldSSP Challenge champion, for riders like him and Edwards, that only ride in the (scheduled) European rounds. With one single ‘Challenge’ race left, on Sunday 1 October at Portimao, Booth-Amos is already 34 points ahead of Edwards.
2023 Portuguese WorldSBK Results—WorldSSP Race One
| 1 |
Nicolo Bulega |
(Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) |
|
| 2 |
Stefano Manzi |
(Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) |
+2.637s |
| 3 |
Jorge Navarro |
(Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) |
+6.521s |
| 4 |
Marcel Schroetter |
(MV Agusta Reparto Corse) |
+14.090s |
| 5 |
Valentin Debise |
(GMT94 Yamaha) |
+14.250s |
Friday WorldSBK
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) scooped up the fastest lap time on day one at the 11th round of the WorldSBK season, with Independent Rider Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) second fastest, yet still 0.287 second behind the red rocket of Bautista.
Gerloff relied on his morning time to set his overall best of the day, with only two other riders in the same situation.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) continued to ride free into third place, with the top Kawasaki competitor being Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) in fourth.
Alvaro Bautista was once again on top during Friday’s running.
A strong opening day in Portugal for Remy Gardner (GRT Yamaha) put him fifth overall.
Michael van der Mark (ROKit BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) continued his recovery from his series of leg injuries to enter the first day top six at the same venue he won a race at for BMW in 2021.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Ducati) was seventh and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) eighth.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team), losing most of his time in the final sector, was ninth and privateer Dominique Aegerter (GRT Yamaha) completed the top ten.
In his comeback ride after recent left knee surgery Alex Lowes (KRT) placed 14th from the 25 riders at Portimao.
2023 Portuguese WorldSBK Results—Friday WorldSBK
| 1 |
Alvaro Bautista |
(Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) |
1:40.476s |
| 2 |
Garrett Gerloff |
(Bonovo Action BMW) |
+0.287s |
| 3 |
Michael Ruben Rinaldi |
(Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) |
+0.351s |
| 4 |
Jonathan Rea |
(Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) |
+0.542s |
| 5 |
Remy Gardner |
(GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) |
+0.546s |
Friday WorldSSP
Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) put in a strong afternoon ride in FP2 at Portimao to secure the fastest time of the opening day, although he only headed off Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) by 0.029 seconds.
Virtual champion-elect, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba Racing Ducati) was a very close third, with his only championship rival Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) fifth, after a fall in FP2. Manzi had headed up FP1 in the morning.
Jorge Navarro topped WorldSSP on Friday.
Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) continued his strong late season form in fourth place.
Raffaele De Rosa (Ducati Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was sixth and another Ducati rider, Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Ducati), seventh.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Evan Bros WorldSSP) took his R6 to eighth place, just 0.622 seconds from Navarro’s best time.
Two other manufacturers in WorldSSP were represented in the Friday top ten, with
Marcel Schrötter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) ninth and Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) tenth – the latter recovered enough from his big crash into a trackside barrier at Motorland Aragon to be declared fit to ride.
2023 Portuguese WorldSBK Results—Friday WorldSSP
| 1 |
Jorge Navarro |
(Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) |
1:43.849 |
| 2 |
Yari Montella |
(Barni Spark Racing Team) |
+0.029s |
| 3 |
Nicolo Bulega |
(Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) |
+0.034s |
| 4 |
Valentin Debise |
(GMT94 Yamaha) |
+0.288s |
| 5 |
Stefano Manzi |
(Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) |
+0.341s |
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