Aruba.it Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista claimed a sensational victory in WorldSBK race one having overcome a two second deficit at Circuit Estoril on Saturday.
Bautista claimed the spoils, his 20th in the class, by a mere 0.126s after a dramatic battle with Yamaha’s defending champion Toprak Razgatliolgu. KRT’s Jonathan Rea settling for third in the closing stages after an electric fight as the race fired up.
Cooler than expected conditions greeted the Superbike class ahead of the first 21-lap race in Portugal. Rea lined up on pole after a successful, and record-breaking, morning’s work with race-lap holder Razgatlioglu in second. The KRT rider opting for the development front and harder Pirelli rear compared to the softer option favoured by his rivals.
Razgatlioglu claimed the holeshot as the lights released the action, Bautista maintaining his third place start in the initial corner before Andrea Locatelli came through as the Ducati ran slightly wide. Alex Lowes made a similar move through on the Honda of Iker Lecuona on his way to fifth with Scott Redding running sixth as the opening lap played out. A poor start found Eugene Laverty heading backwards on the Bonovo BMW as he dropped to 12th from his third row start. Tati Mercado crashing out.
Redding was on the move on the lime-green BMW, to fifth, as lap two began and Lowes dropped to seventh. Lecuona splitting the Brits with his HRC teammate Xavi Vierge running behind the trio, in eighth.
Razgatlioglu and Rea were battling hard as lap three concluded. The pair making contact as they circulated a second clear of Locatelli in third with Bautista looking for a way through on the R1, less than a tenth off his wheel.
Bautista made the move stick down the home straight as lap
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