WorldSBK Estoril: Razgatlioglu returns to the top in FP2

Pata Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu claimed the fastest Estoril lap on Friday with a 1’36.290 in WorldSBK’s FP2.

Title challengers Alvaro Bautista and Jonathan Rea joined the defending champion at the top of the times with the Aruba.it Ducati a mere 0.132s ahead the Kawasaki while GRT Yamaha’s Garrett Gerloff rounded out the top three overall thanks to his 1’36.572 FP1 effort.

A strong cross wind and 41℃ track temperatures greeted the WorldSBK paddock for Portugal’s 45-minute afternoon practice. BMW’s Michael van der Mark absent from proceedings due to a fracture to the neck of his right femur after his FP1 fall.

KRT’s Rea set his fastest time of the weekend so far with a 1’36.976 on his first attempt. Razgatliolgu and Bautista battling for second as the next efforts came in with over half a second separating them from the six-time champ in the opening stages as he bettered his own pace on lap three.

Bonovo BMW’s Loris Baz sat fourth in the session ahead of Ducati’s Michael Rinaldi and factory BMW’s Scott Redding with teammate Eugene Laverty, Philipp Oettl, Axel Bassani and Andrea Locatelli completing the FP2 top ten.

Garrett Gerloff began a more subdued second practice from 11th in the session standings leading the Honda duo of Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge with Lucas Mahias and Alex Lowes completing the top 15. Rinaldi launching an assault on the leading times on his way to third, then second with a 1’37.189, four-tenths adrift of Rea’s target and half a second from the American’s overall best.

Bautista returned to second with the second 1’36 lap of the afternoon, 0.155s shy of his Kawasaki rival. Lowes returning to the track after a stint in the box and circulating on 1’38 pace.

The halfway stage saw Gerloff back in the