WorldSBK Indonesia: Razgatlioglu commands race one

Toprak Razgatlioglu claimed his 12th WorldSBK victory of 2022 with a commanding four-second lead in Saturday’s race at Mandalika.

Aruba.it Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista and Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea completed the podium celebrations, despite the Northern Irishman’s third place finish ruling him out of the title challenge for the remainder of the season.

The 900th Superbike race of the championship lined up at Lombok’s Mandalika Circuit with lap record holder Razgatlioglu heading the grid with teammate Andrea Locatelli alongside in third. Rea split the Pata Yamaha duo on the front row with his own teammate Alex Lowes narrowly behind in fourth while championship leader Bautista prepared from fifth.

Lights out for 21 laps in 36℃ heat - with the track rising to just under 60 degrees - and it was Razgatlioglu who took the holeshot from Locatelli with Bautista quickly through to third. Lowes trailing teammate Rea for fifth before he ran wide at the second corner, dropping back to ninth.

Axel Bassani capitalised on the Brit’s misfortune as the Motocorsa progressed to fifth, Rea through on the Aruba Ducati for third moments later with Honda’s Xavi Vierge and BMW’s Michael van der Mark battling for sixth on lap two.

Rea was up to second as the second lap unfolded, Scott Redding dropping to the back of the pack alongside fellow BMW rider Eugene Laverty with Kyle Smith splitting the pair on the Pedercini Kawasaki.

Bautista advanced to third as the race bedded in. Locatelli holding a 1.5s advantage over the battling duo of Bassani and van der Mark, Vierge likewise defending from Lowes as Aruba’s Michael Rinaldi and GRT Yamaha’s Garrett Gerloff rounded out the top ten after five laps on track.

Razgatlioglu set a 1’32.886 race lap record as