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The EICMA Estoril Round is done and dusted for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed two wins at the Circuito Estoril, with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) winning Race 2. There were some hot topics being spoken about after the racing action concluded…

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “I was surprised as I passed him, he tried to pass me again but if you get a penalty, why are you trying to fight with me?”

An ‘angry’ Razgatlioglu discussed his fight from P5 to P2, saying: “Some riders didn’t respect the Championship fight at the beginning. Congratulations to Iannone. He got a penalty and did a good job. I was surprised as I passed him, he tried to pass me again but if you get a penalty, why are you trying to fight with me? I understand that maybe it’s because he’s riding a Ducati. It wasn’t only him. I saw also Locatelli at Turn 9, he’s in the middle. It’s very strange as it’s not his line. I’m turning to the inside, trying to pass him and it’s why I shook my head. In 2019, I always respected Jonny and Bautista as they were fighting for the Championship. After Nicolo made a gap, I tried to catch him. I caught a little bit, but the rear tyre started to drop as I was pushing too much at the beginning. The engine brake wasn’t working in a stable way, and the rear started locking because the rear tyre dropped. It started chattering. On corner exit, I was spinning a lot. I dropped a lot and said, ‘It was impossible to win, I’ll just focus on second position’. On the first laps, I was trying not to push the rear tyre but the other riders were riding like crazy. I think everyone was thinking about winning the race on the first lap. I don’t think Andrea would race Nicolo in the same way because they’re the same family. Alvaro didn’t do this; he was riding like normal. Iannone got the penalty, and he's riding strange. That’s why I’m angry. If I’m not fighting on the first laps, maybe I could’ve gone with Nicolo. Maybe I’m not struggling with my rear tyres. He was very strong.”

Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven): “It’s crazy to think I’d ever make a jump start on purpose to penalise you”

Responding to Razgatlioglu’s comments on social media, ‘The Maniac’ said: “Dear Toprak, you’re a very talented, smart and strong rider. I have great respect for you and your team. I just want to make one thing clear: I always go out on track to win and give my best, just like you do. It’s crazy to think I’d ever make a jump start on purpose to penalise you. I’d never do that. I’d never start a race to help someone or ruin my own. We both come to the races with the same goal. Good luck, see you at Jerez.”

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati): “I’m just thinking about trying to win races and then we’ll see what we’ll achieve at the end of the season”

Victory in Race 2 meant Bulega took the title fight to Jerez. He said: “When I was coming here, I had some problems with my stomach, maybe a virus. I’m still not 100% with my stomach. I didn’t eat a lot during the weekend, and I’m more tired due to this. In Race 1, I lost a lot of time in the first laps, then when I tried to catch Toprak, I finished the tyre. In the Superpole Race, you don’t need to save tyres, and Toprak was still a bit faster. We made a little step on the bike, and I knew if I could start well, keep my pace and try to be gentle with the front tyre, I could win the race. My plan worked. It’s always very important to win. During the season, we had some bad luck. I’m at peace with myself. I’ll try to win at Jerez; it’s one of my favourite tracks. Last year, I won two races and battled with Toprak. I’m just thinking about trying to win races and then we’ll see what we’ll achieve at the end of the season. I never change my mindset. I’m very happy for the team. They work very hard, at home and not just at the races. It’s good to win the Teams’ Championship. Even if some Ducati riders were in the middle between me and Toprak, Toprak is fast enough to overtake them. Even if he finishes second, he’ll win the title. I don’t think I can be helped by other Ducati riders. I think you can have bad luck once, but I had it three times. I had the issue at Assen twice, that was 25 and 9 points. At Misano, when Bassani hit me, maybe Toprak was winning the race but I lost 9 points again. Now I’m less than that behind. Maybe I wouldn’t be first, but closer, and I could put more pressure on Toprak.”

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati): “Toprak passed Iannone under braking and Iannone took the inside through the corner. I saw that move a thousand times”

Reviewing his weekend, Bautista stated: “Nicolo has his target to win the Championship. I have mine, which is to finish third in the Championship. I don’t know how I can help Nicolo. I’m happy to be on the podium, and I’m happy to finish my second stint with the team winning the Teams’ Championship; I think it’s my fourth. It’s a good way to end with them. This weekend, it was important to not make mistakes and get important points for the Championship. We got the maximum points possible in a normal situation.”

The Spaniard also responded to Razgatlioglu’s comments, saying: “Toprak passed Iannone under braking and Iannone took the inside through the corner. I saw that move a thousand times. I did it, but also riders did it to me. I don’t know if, at that moment, Iannone knew he had the penalty. In any case, it’s racing, even if you have a penalty. It’s not a Ducati family, it’s riders racing for Ducati. I remember Laguna Seca, Toprak hit me, and I had an injury in my shoulder. I missed the Superpole Race and Race 2. I remember Magny-Cours in Race 2 [2019], when he passed me over the limit and hit me. The word ‘respect’ for that time is too hard. Not just me, but also Jonathan; he beat him at Magny-Cours on the last lap.”

Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha): “I had two degrees more angle, not so much brake pressure but maybe on the dirty part of the track, I lost the front”

A mixed Sunday left Rea ‘frustrated’, but the #65 saw the positives from the Estoril weekend: “I’m frustrated because the Superpole Race had a knock-on effect, starting P11 rather than P5. I felt good with the bike. When ‘Loka’ came past, I thought about his Championship because he’s battling for third, then I realised he came past me, but he wasn’t catching Alvaro and I felt I had pace to fight with him. I was trying to line up a pass in the chicane. I crashed. I had two degrees more angle, not so much brake pressure but maybe on the dirty part of the track, I lost the front. In Race 2, I didn’t get a great start, but I made some good passes. About mid-race, I felt a huge tyre drop. There was one point in the race I dropped lap time because I felt something wrong with the engine, something happened, so I spent a lap checking to see whether there was smoke or oil. It was my imagination; there was nothing wrong with the bike. Not the best Sunday but I had a good feeling with the bike, and I was able to fight closer to the front.”

Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team): “It was a bit of yo-yo with Alvaro. I was really fast in some parts with my bike, he was fast in others”

Lowes finished fourth in Race 2 after a Superpole Race crash. He said: “I felt quite strong in the Superpole Race. It was hectic because everyone’s so fast. I felt my pace could be a bit faster. I was struggling to pass, so I tried at Turn 1. I was a bit wide. I was still believing that if I did a clean Turn 1, I could maybe attack Alvaro. We’re riding well and taking a lot from the bike. It was a bit of yo-yo with Alvaro. I was really fast in some parts with my bike, he was fast in others. I was getting closer and then he pulled away, so it was difficult to get a rhythm. I didn’t need to have two crashes on Sunday. In the last 4 or 5 laps, I had a gap I could manage a bit. I think we can do well at Jerez. We’ve done well at every weekend except for maybe Hungary. Everybody’s fast at Jerez. We do so many laps there that it’s like second nature to us. There’s no reason we can’t fight for the podium to finish the year. The hard thing is not to push more where you’re already fast. When you feel good in a corner, you want to try to go faster in a corner but you’re already on the limit. From a mental side, this was the hardest part. We need some more speed. Hopefully, next year it can be a bit better.”

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha): “I enjoyed the racing… quite a positive weekend”

Locatelli reflected on his P4, P4 and P5 weekend, while also praising WorldSSP Champion Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing). He said: “It was a fun day! I enjoyed the racing. I tried to do my best in Race 2, but we struggled with the front tyre. It was quite a positive weekend. It’s not in my control, but for sure, with Yamaha, we work really hard and we’ll try in the winter tests to find something more on the bike and make another step. I didn’t feel any change with the fuel flow. In reality, we didn’t try more or less. We can’t feel this effect. I don’t know what the others can feel but we can’t feel this type of thing. Manzi had an amazing season. He won many races. Congratulations to him and the team; they worked really well. I’m proud to be a small part of the R9 project. The jump from the R9 to the R1 is smaller than the jump from the R6 to the R1.”

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