Rookie rider Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) closed the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with even more pace on Sunday. Not content with bagging his second podium of the season in the Tissot Estoril Round’s Race 1, the #67 sent the round out with a bang, taking two more rostrum results. Now with a tally of four, he sits tied with fellow WorldSBK rookie Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) with four podiums apiece as they pack their bags for the season’s final round at the Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto, Andalucia.
“OLIVEIRA IS A VERY FAST RIDER, BUT I TOOK P3 AT TURN 4 IN THE SUPERPOLE RACE. I’M REALLY HAPPY ABOUT THAT”
Surra hit the ground running on Saturday in the Tissot Superpole session and the opening Race 1, and On Sunday he set off from third place in the Tissot Superpole Race. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) rode with a knife between his teeth at home into the opening corner, emerging in P3 behind Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) and Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) while Surra fell as far as P5 behind an aggressive Jake Dixon (Honda HRC) on Turn 2. The #67 dispelled the factory Honda rider later that lap, but closing the one-second gap to the MotoGP-race-winning #88 would be a taller order for the young Italian. He settled into the race and by Lap 8, the margin was down to around six tenths. With a lap to go, it was just a tenth separating them, and when Oliveira made a mistake on the final lap, Surra found a way past on Turn 4 to cruise to his third rostrum result of the season.
On his Superpole Race, Surra was pleased to have beaten out the #88, but was complimentary about his adversary. He said: “It’s been one of the best weekends of the season! I’m very happy; it was a very solid week for my team and me, and now we’ll go to Jerez. It’s a difficult circuit for my riding style, but I’m happy to keep improving and taking a good result for me and the team. Oliveira is a very fast rider, but I took P3 from him at Turn 4 in the Superpole Race. I’m really happy about that.”
“IN RACE 2 I HAD VERY GOOD GRIP ON THE REAR TYRE, AND I HAD THE POSSIBILITY TO PASS ALVARO BEFORE HE CRASHED”
The final race of the round saw Surra lock horns with a legend of the WorldSBK paddock: two-time WorldSBK Champion Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team). The #19 passed Surra for P3 on the opening lap, before the #67 took back his third-place grid start position on Lap 2 at Turn 6. Surra held the final podium spot until Lap 13, when he ran wide into the heavy-braking Turn 1, and the Spaniard sailed past him. Surra held the gap ahead of him to just three tenths by Lap 16, and a last lap fight for the podium looked to be in the cards, but an unfortunate crash from the #19 at Turn 1 on Lap 17 promoted the Italian up to P3, handing him his first-ever WorldSBK hat-trick
On his final race of the round, and looking ahead to the season finale at Jerez, Surra said: “In Race 2 I had very good grip on the rear tyre, and I had the possibility to pass Alvaro, but then he crashed in Turn 1. I’m full of confidence for Jerez; it will be difficult, but I will fight for the best result for me and my team.”
Tune in for the final races of Surra’s rookie campaign with action kicking off on Friday, October 16th on the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now just €9.99!