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The Circuito Estoril has hosted the opening action of the Estoril Round weekend and it’s setting up to be a thriller already. Whilst we may have had the ‘titanic trio’ so far in the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, we may be about to see the fabulous four. We’ve gone through the race pace for all of the contenders, to see who is hot, who needs a step, and who is somewhere in the middle.

THE TWO FAVOURITES: Razgatlioglu vs Bautista

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) look to have an edge on the opposition right now, with Razgatlioglu getting down into the low 1’36s at the end of FP2. A fastest time of a 1’36.290s, paired with four other mid-to-low 1’36s make him one of the favourites going into the first of two race days. The reigning World Champion, still chasing a first victory of 2022, was the only rider in the entire field to do multiple laps under the 1’36.6 bracket and is a firm contender with a target on his back heading to Saturday.

For Alvaro Bautista on the other hand, he was able to get down to a 1’36.463 but that was his only lap under what seems to be a crucial 1’36.6 barrier. He set four 1’36 laps in total and through the speed trap, was the fastest rider of anyone inside the top six. Bautista also did a consistent run at the start of the session on the SC0 rear tyre, with many of his laps quicker than what Toprak was able to do on the SC0, meaning tyre choice will be crucial as ever ahead of lights out on Saturday.

A SMALL STEP NEEDED: Rea and Gerloff within striking distance of victory contention

Aiming to bridge the gap to the two ahead, six-time World Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and American star Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team). Rea was on fine form but his laps at the end of the session weren’t able to put him right with Razgatlioglu and Bautista; unable to dip below the 1’36.6 bracket, Rea fastest time was a 1’36.692, a standalone time in the 1’36 bracket as his other laps at the end were all 1’36.9s.

For Garrett Gerloff, the double Estoril podium finisher from 2020 did try a new tyre but didn’t put a very fast lap together, although his laps were all metronomically consistent, with nine 1’37s to finish his day of running – of which all were between 1’37.1 and 1’37.9, with the final three seeing a slight drop. Faster than Razgatlioglu in a straight line, the potential for Gerloff is right there and he will be keen to get himself back on the podium, as he targets a first rostrum of 2022. Whilst his race pace is good, Tissot Superpole will be vital.

CAN THEY CONQUER THE PODIUM BATTLE? Locatelli leads the charge on pace

There are three other riders to watch out for: Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK), Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW). Starting with Locatelli, the Italian did a 14-lap run with all but three laps in the 1’37s. Doing a long race run, Locatelli was very pleased with the hard work done by him and his team and will definitely be one of the riders to watch out for in the podium battle.

For Xavi Vierge, the Spanish rookie was the fastest rider in a straight line and also put in a long run at the end of the day; 13 laps, of which 10 were fast, saw him get down to the 1’37.2s, although most of his laps were in the low 1’38s or high 1’37s. For Baz, his final stint saw four laps in the 1’37.6 bracket or lower, so he too will be one to keep an eye on for a top six challenge. It’s important to not discount Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) too, although neither rider got a clear run at the end of FP2.

EXPECTING MORE: two stand-out riders down field

Two riders who were right in the mix for a podium at the TT Circuit Assen in Race 2 who found themselves further down the field than expected were Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). For Lowes, his pace isn’t too bad with seven 1’37s at the end of the session, although all most seem to be in the mid-to-high 1’37s. A couple more tenths a lap and he will find himself once again battling with Locatelli and also with Vierge.

For Axel Bassani, he didn’t get a clear run at the end of the session but his 1’37s show he has the potential. The Italian is a real race-day rider, always coming on strong during the main encounters, so whilst his Free Practice race pace may leave him a little bit down the order, he should be able to charge through for top seven contention. His fastest lap was a 1’37.601, comparable to the average lap time for Garrett Gerloff, so expect him to pick his way through the field.

For a full chronological analysis of FP2 lap times, click here, and watch the 2022 season unfold with the WorldSBK VideoPass!