WorldSBK Portimao: Razgatlioglu ‘fighting for the win, need more power’

Having scored his first ever WorldSBK triple race winning weekend at Donington Park in July, Pata Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu was on schedule to do it do it all again at Portimao after victory in the morning’s Superpole ten-lapper. It was not to be, but the tall Turkish rider tried all he could to overcome the pace and performance of race two winner Alvaro Bautista and his Ducati.

Bautista was a just too fast to catch in the weekend’s finale, although Razgatlioglu gave it a good go. In the first Sunday race, Razgatlioglu put in one of his best ever rides to keep the red menace away from the top step.

“I think this year, that was my best race,” agreed Razgatlioglu. “We are fighting with Alvaro, so I am enjoying that. Today he’s extremely fast, but I tried to catch him in race two. My plan normally, stay in front, but this race not possible because It’s not easy to pass him. But anyway, this morning was really enjoying it.

“Now I’m looking to Argentina because I know that will be a not easy race for all people. Ducati again will be very strong in the straight. Argentina has a very long straight. But we will see. We will keep fighting again. The championship is not finished, but I’m not thinking about the championship. I’m just looking at it race-by-race.”

Razgatlioglu had a good set-up but in some places he had nothing to offer Bautista.

“I’m very happy with my bike, but the last corner and first corner he’s 0.5, I think, maybe 0.6, faster than me. He touch the gas in the last corner, he’s starting the gap. But in the middle of the lap, I was coming but not possible to pass him the last sector because it’s just a long corner. After, he goes again and inside the lap I’m coming again.”

The main difference was in the main