Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) broke a MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship record on Sunday at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. Victory in the Tissot Superpole Race gave him his 12th consecutive victory in a row, breaking the existing record of 11. Race 2 welcomed a tenacious fight with just one wing but the #54 fended off the opposition, making it a Sunday to remember.
THE RECORD-BREAKING RACE: pole, fought back, victory
Razgatlioglu started from pole position in the 10-lap Superpole Race but, as in Saturday’s Race 1, dropped back to third, behind Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and early leader Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team). That lasted only a lap though as, at Turn 1 on Lap 2, ‘El Turco’ passed both Lowes and Petrucci to claim the lead and from there, he pulled a gap over his rivals to claim his 12th consecutive victory. As ever with Razgatlioglu, there was a unique celebration as he took inspiration from Turkish Olympian Yusuf Dikec whilst it was all about acing the opposition at cards in Race 2.
ALL-TIME RECORD CLAIMED! @toprak_tr54 makes history with 12 consecutive wins — the first time ever in #WorldSBK! #PortugueseWorldSBK pic.twitter.com/km2PM2O6KK
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) August 11, 2024
RAZGATLIOGLU REFLECTS: “It’s been an incredible weekend!”
Discussing his record-breaking day, Razgatlioglu said: “It’s been an incredible weekend; we broke the record and now have 13 wins in a row. I have 54 wins in total and I’m really happy. In the last race, I was fighting with Nicolo and Alvaro but in general, I’m really happy. It’s very special because every day, we are becoming more like a legend! I feel like we’re a family in WorldSBK and with the BMW, we are at the level to win every weekend. I don’t know when this streak will finish but the feeling is good and I’m just trying to push for the win. It’ll be the first time riding at Magny-Cours with the BMW so let’s see.”
RACE 2: it’s all about win(g)s
Victory in the Superpole Race gave Razgatlioglu P1 on the grid for Sunday evening’s Race 2. He made a brilliant start and whilst he was eventually pushed back to P4, he did make his way back through – albeit not without drama. A collision with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on the start and finish straight saw a wing fly off the BMW M 1000 RR. This led to Ducati duo Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and teammate Nicolo Bulega closing him down and they traded places, before Bautista crashed at Turn 5. Bulega was strong exiting the final corner with the vulnerability of the BMW clear with just one wing but hard braking into Turn 1 kept Toprak ahead to ultimately extend his winning streak to 13.
DIGGING IN: “In the last corner, I was losing almost 0.5s… I needed to give more than 100%”
Whilst you may be able to take a wing, you can’t take a win from Toprak, who discussed the incident: “On the straight, I don’t understand how I hit Alex but the wing broke on the left. After, the bike wasn’t turning, especially in the last sector and in the last corner, I was losing almost 0.5s. The Ducati is very strong there and I was really fighting in the last four or five laps, starting with Alvaro and then Nicolo. In the last lap, I needed to give more than 100% before the final sector so I made a plan and it worked. It’s been an incredible job this weekend and the feeling is unbelievable. I’m not focused on the Championship, only winning. It looks like we’re flying but now, I’m looking at Magny-Cours. It’s one of my favourite circuits but whether or not I’m good there with the BMW, I don’t know.”
THE TEAM SAYS: “A magnificent race to watch”
Immediately after the Superpole Race, amidst all the celebrations, Team Principal Shaun Muir discussed the record, saying: “It’s record breaking! As much as I’m happy for Toprak, that was unbelievable, what a race it was by Mickey. I’m so happy for everybody. It goes without saying. Record breaking! I actually feel a little bit of pressure relived from Toprak now, he could get a bit quicker; didn’t think I’d say that! Unbelievable. What a performance, from the beginning of the year to where we are now. It’s been unavailable. Marc’s just as happy as me. It’s been a great join effort. It’s been a mega from everyone.”
Then, at the close of Race 2, Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Sporting Director, commented on an epic close to the Pirelli Portuguese Round: “It scared me when the wing came off, it could have hit one of the others too! What a battle, what a race; it’s his 54th win and it means a lot to Toprak! A magnificent race to watch and the conditions were so difficult. It caused me a couple of heart attacks when Bautista crashed, he could’ve taken him out but it was great racing and I’m glad to win again! Toprak had the target to win today but a fantastic ride by both Ducatis, with Bulega not being very well this weekend. We’ll enjoy this one.”
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Source: WorldSBK.com