Pata Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu came away from 2023’s WorldSBK Championship opening round with a double podium celebration at Phillip Island. Nobody gave Razgatlioglu a real chance against the might of Alvaro Bautista and his even better 2023 version of the V4R Ducati heading into the first round in Australia.
Even Razgatlioglu was a little less than confident pre-race weekend. But as it tuned out the first prize of the new season, Superpole Qualifying, went to Razgatlioglu not Bautista.
Toprak was just over a tenth away from the very best qualifying time ever, but in the races, wet or dry, he could not lay a glove on the three times winner Bautista.
In Race Two, fighting in the chasing pack, he was taken out when Alex Lowes (basically blameless, said Razgatlioglu) fell entering T4 and Razgatlioglu got collected.