DONINGTON PARK CLASSICS: Razgatlioglu storms through for Senna-like first lap in 2021’s Race 1
From one motorsport hero to another, Donington Park has seen them all come and go over the years, but last year’s opening WorldSBK race was the stuff of miracles…
As the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship strolls into the United Kingdom for Round 5 of the season, we’re reliving some of the best classic races from Donington Park. The Prosecco DOC UK Round for this year promises to live up to all of the hype and more as it so often has in the past, whether it be with fairy tale wildcard moments or some of the hardest final lap battles we’ve seen. We’ve already looked back at Neil Hodgson’s first win from 2000 in Race 2, a final corner duel from Race 2 in 2007, Tom Sykes defeating teammate Loris Baz in Race 1 from 2014 and Michael van der Mark completing the double in 2018’s Race 2. However, the final classic we’re looking at is from 2021, when Toprak Razgatlioglu dazzled.
The 2021 season was already shaping up to be one of the most iconic by the time the paddock arrived on British soil, as the previous round at Misano hosted a turning of the tide with a double home win for Michael Ruben Rinaldi and a first win of the season for Toprak Razgatlioglu. Meanwhile, Jonathan Rea could only three third places and Scott Redding missed the podium all together, making Donington Park all the more intriguing as Rea led the standings by just 20 points over Toprak Razgatlioglu.
Tissot Superpole was held in wet conditions meaning the grid had a different complexity to usual, with Rea on pole for the fifth time on the bounce but joined by the two factory BMWs of Michael van der Mark and Tom Sykes. Razgatlioglu could only manage 13th, the front of the fifth row, as the Turkish rider’s struggles in the wet conditions continued. However, no more rain came, and Donington Park’s track surface was now starting to dry up.
It was lights out for Race 1 and with everyone opting for slick tyres, it was about bravery in the opening stages, something Razgatlioglu certainly didn’t lack. Slicing through the field after a mesmerising launch, the Turkish rider was already fifth by Turn 1! He continued to carve through those ahead of him; fourth by Turn 2, third by Turn 5 and up into Turn 8 at Coppice, he was second, with only Jonathan Rea ahead of him.
On Lap 2, Razgatlioglu got through at Turn 8 again before powering off into the distance. Jonathan Rea was left in second and tried to go with Razgatlioglu, but instead suffered numerous moments, lucky to stay upright. In a start that was similar to Ayrton Senna’s F1 start in 1993 at the same circuit, Razgatlioglu made it back-to-back wins at the circuit he clinched his first ever podium at three years previous. Rea was second whilst his Kawasaki teammate Alex Lowes took third. A memorable day for all who saw it at Donington Park.
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