It was an identical podium result to the morning Tissot Superpole Race for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Race 2, as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed his second victory of the day with an impressive three second lead ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at the chequered flag.
100 SPAIN WINS: Bautista shines for Spain
The perfect home round unfolded for Bautista this weekend, as he took victory in Race 2 in Aragon. Starting from pole position, the #1 Ducati rider took the holeshot at lights out, and despite attempts from rivals Razgatlioglu and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) during the opening stages, he managed to hold onto P1. BMW’s Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) battled for fourth position with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) hunting them down.
The fans go WILD for @19Bautista #AragonWorldSBK pic.twitter.com/TdvuPpbgoV
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) September 29, 2024
BULEGA RECOVERS: Ducati rider’s difficult race
Bulega’s rocky weekend continued in Race 2, as he struggled in the early stages of the race, falling to ninth position with 17 laps remaining, despite a front row start. American rider Gerloff picked up his race pace with 10 laps to go, stalking #29 Iannone for a podium spot in third, managing to cleanly overtake the Italian. Nicolo Bulega managed to overcome his difficulties from earlier in the race, as he worked his way through the field, and pass Iannone into fourth position.
CONSISTENT TOPRAK: #54’s strong weekend comeback
Back at the front, Razgatlioglu was being held off from P1 by a Bautista who was determined to take a double win at the Aragon circuit. The double World Champion showed outstanding late race pace, which proved too much for the #54 to compete with, and with vital Championship points to consider, he settled into a comfortable second place crossing the line 3.366s behind #1, with Bulega managing to achieve a respectable third place ahead of Iannone in fourth. It’s the 26th time Bautista has won ahead of Razgatlioglu, as he claimed a Sunday double on home soil.
39 POINT LEAD: Bulega focuses on next round
Garrett Gerloff’s strong Race 2 ride resulted in a fifth-place result, as he led triple Cremona winner Danilo Petrucci and Van Der Mark over the line in 6th and 7th. Spain’s Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and Yamaha rider Locatelli took eight and ninth, whilst Xavi Vierge (Teeam HRC) completed the top 10 finishers at the Aragon track.
@andreaiannone29 moves up to P4️#AragonWorldSBK pic.twitter.com/c8Lqt8hTBk
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) September 29, 2024
The top six from WorldSBK Superpole Race, full results here:
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +3.366s
3. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +10.800s
4. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +12.338s
5. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +13.903s
6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +14.647s
Fastest lap: Álvaro Bautista, Ducati – 1’48.121s
Championship standings:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 414 points
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 375
3. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 333
4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 277
5. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 264
6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 197
Source: WorldSBK.com