MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s 999^th race got off to a bumpy start with an early red flag restart. Once the race restarted, the defending Champion was off like a shot for his 13^th win of the season. His victory marks his 31^st win with BMW, tying Colin Edwards’ career win tally with Honda. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) stemmed the #1’s point gain with his sixth-consecutive P2, marking his 43^rd WorldSBK podium. In P3, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) earned his 119^th career rostrum finish, now only 10 points behind Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), who sits in front of him in third place in the Riders’ Championship.

CHAOS AT LIGHTS OUT: Seven riders came to grief seconds after lights out

As the pack funnelled into Turn 2 on the opening lap, seven riders took a spill in a chain reaction of crashes that took place, involving: Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven), Petrucci, Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing), Iker Lecuona (Honda HRC), Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), and Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team). Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) was applied a double Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards to start the restarted race. While he was seen back in his box, Vickers did not take part in the restarted race. Gardner and Lecuona were taken to the medical centre following the crash and declared unfit. Lecuona was diagnosed with a left wrist fracture, and Gardner was transported to hospital for further assessment with a back contusion and suspected concussion. 

BEACHHEAD AT BALATON: Razgatlioglu carves out a larger Championship lead with victory

At the second lights out, Razgatlioglu took the holeshot into Turn 1 ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team). Pulling away lap after lap by Lap 6, ‘El Turco’ was already 3.166s ahead of the rest of the grid, steaming ahead for his 70^th career win. After Sam Lowes crashed from second place on Lap 7, Bulega inherited P2 to mitigate ‘El Turco’s point gain. After a clinical overtake on Locatelli on Lap 9 at Turn 9, passing the Yamaha rider under braking, Bautista earned his second consecutive podium after tasting the Prosecco in Race 2 at Donington.

PETRUCCI’S RECOVERY RIDE: From the back of the grid to P5

Locatelli started the race well, but to his misfortune, Bulega and later Bautista shuffled him aside to relegate the #55 to P4. Petrucci was forced to start at the back of the grid for the restarted race. ‘Petrux’ was unable to exit the pit lane in the one-minute window when it opened ahead of the sighting lap, meaning he joined the rest of the field for the Warm Up lap but started from last. Undeterred, Petrucci cut his way up the timesheet, finishing the contest in P5 – his original starting position. After Petrucci overtook him for P5, Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) gave chase but was unable to recover the position. His P6 still comes as a welcome result, landing four manufacturers in the top six.

BATTLE FOR P7: Rea, Montella, Vierge and Gerloff lock horns

Montella, Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC), Gerloff and Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) wrestled for P8 throughout the race, although this became P7 after Sam Lowes' crash, before the #65 had the first of his two crashes with six laps to go, falling at Turn 1 with six laps to go. Rea’s second crash came at Turn 4 on Lap 16. Montella ended up coming out on top of that fight, followed by Vierge in P8 and Gerloff in P9. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) rounded out the top 10, recovering from several lost positions after he ran wide early in the race. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took home P11 and P12, Aegerter finishing just over half a second behind the Dutchman.

IANNONE IN POINTS DESPITE PENALTY: P13 for ‘The Maniac’, Mackenzie scores with new team

Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven) was hampered by his double Long Lap Penalty but rode well to salvage points from the race and finish in P13. Tarran Mackenzie (BONOVO MGM Action) finished in P14 in his first WorldSBK race on Ducati machinery, leading Bahattin Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) in the final point-scoring positions. Michael Rinaldi (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), Tito Rabat (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team), and Zaqhwan Zaidi (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team rounded out the last three finishers in P16, P17 and P18, respectively.

The top six from the WorldSBK Race 1: Full results here!

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) +3.738s

3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) +6.002s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +13.993s

5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +16.174s

6. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +16.590s

Fastest lap: Toprak Razgatlioglu (BMW) – 1’39.732s.

Tune in tomorrow at 11:00 local time (UTC +2) for the 1000^th WorldSBK Race! Watch live or on demand with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now 65% off!