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Razgatlioglu tops FP3 from Rea and Bautista as conditions change at Estoril

Saturday, 21 May 2022 08:45 GMT

    • The reigning World Champion topped a second session of the weekend as it was foggy on Saturday morning

    After the sun of Friday, it was a foggy start to Saturday action at the Circuito Estoril for round three of the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. The track conditions weren’t offering the same performance as Friday, and thus not all times were a direct improvement on the first day of running straight away. However, conditions did improve and whilst the threat of rain was around, it didn’t stop Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) from cementing his place at the top, improving his overall best lap time to a 1’36.233.

    The session got underway calmly for the reigning World Champion, as he was down in eighth place, before improving his time to go to the top of the timesheets, setting his best time of the weekend. Up inside the top two for the first time this weekend, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) also improved his time for the weekend as he continues to make progress. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was third, making it three manufacturers in the top three but didn’t improve his overall time. It was the same for his teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi, who was fourth but without improving. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was fifth, also without an improved time.

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    Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) had a good session and was sixth, an improvement as he was outside the top ten on Friday. Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was up in seventh as he made incremental gains in the final ten minutes of the session, with him and Lowes improving their best lap of the weekend. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was next up in eighth with all five manufacturers in the top eight. Best Independent rider honours went to Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in ninth, whilst Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) completed the top ten. Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) suffered a huge highside at Turn 13 and was taken to the medical centre for a check-up; he finished 12th whilst super-sub Xavi Fores (Team Goeleven) was 15th.

    Top six after FP3 in WorldSBK, full results here:

    1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1’36.233

    2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.338s

    3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.782s

    4. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.966s

    5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.969s

    6. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.153s

    Watch the remainder of the round and indeed the season with the WorldSBK VideoPass!