WSBK Portuguese Round: Title fight ups and downs, BMW back on top

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) extended his championship lead with a Race 1 win at Portimao. Despite struggling in a wet sprint race, his advantage went up as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) recorded his second DNF of the weekend. Victory in Race 2 was consolation for Rea and kept the title fight alive as Razgatlioglu crashed out.

The championship rivals are now separated by 24 points in the standings with two Rounds remaining. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) is still within a mathematical shot as well at a 54-points deficit after collecting the biggest points hall in Portugal.

Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was back on the top step of the podium after a commanding ride in the Superpole Race, giving the new BMW set-up their first victory. Loris Baz (Team GoEleven), still standing in for the injured Chaz Davies, had a fulminant weekend with three podium finishes.

RACE 1

Razgatlioglu took the holeshot and although Rea claimed the position at T2, he retaliated through the hairpin. Redding was hanging in in third and the trio gained distance over the field.

Proceedings immediately became feisty with Razgatlioglu and Rea exchanging punches and positions several times. Going into Lap 4, Redding capitalised on the double slipstream down start/finish and took P1 into the first corner.

No love was lost and no inch was given between the trio. Rea clinched P1, but a high-speed crash at T15 sent him rolling through the gravel. Redding led from Razgatlioglu while a fair distance behind a frantic five-way battle for third was raving between Leon Haslam (Team HRC), Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Baz, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC).

Halfway through the race, Razgatlioglu committed to a late-braking manoeuvre down the inside at T1 and executed it to perfection. Redding hung on to the Yamaha but looked uncomfortable going the pace.

Van der Mark had joined the fight for third, but an unfortunate misjudgement from Locatelli at T5 sent them both into the gravel. Baz and Bautista in third and fourth were gifted some breathing space by the incident and looked set to decide the position between themselves.

Redding had found his rhythm entering the final few laps. The Ducati rider had a few looks down start/finish into T1, but Razgatlioglu reclaimed him on the brakes each time.

The pair went into the final lap separated by three tenths of a second. Razgatlioglu had his head down and kept Redding behind to snatch the win. Bautista was running third but a crash at T15 on the final lap meant Baz inherited the podium spot.

SUPERPOLE RACE

Razgatlioglu maintained P1 at the lights, but Rea clinched the position on the opening lap. Redding beat both Pata Yamahas for second but the race was ended for Rinaldi by a nasty-looking highside at T7.

Rea’s weekend quickly turned into a nightmare though when his front tyre went without a warning at T13. Redding inherited the lead and gradually pulled away from Razgatlioglu.

Van der Mark was on the pace in the damp conditions and picked his way up the order into second. Although Redding had stretched out a gap in front, it took the Dutchman only one lap to reel him back in and overtake.

Baz proved his Saturday pace and stormed through the field, taking Razgatlioglu for third on Lap 3. The championship leader was in serious trouble and successively dropped behind Haslam, Locatelli and Bautista into seventh.

While van der Mark stretched away from Redding, the Ducati rider was increasingly reeled in by Baz and Haslam. T13, however, claimed another victim in Haslam whose front tyre folded just as he committed to a move on Baz.

Van der Mark brought a five-second advantage over the line while Redding managed to hold Baz behind him for second. Razgatlioglu eventually took the chequered flag in sixth.

RACE 2

Redding stole the holeshot ahead of Locatelli and Razgatlioglu. Rea was already up to fourth from 10^th on the grid and punched his way past the Yamahas on the opening lap. He committed to a move on Redding on Lap 2 and made it stick at T8.

The Ducati power brought Redding back in front down start/finish with Razgatlioglu also cutting through. The trio exchanged punches and ran away at the front. Locatelli alone was able to match the pace and just about hung on in P4.

Rea reclaimed the lead and pulled the pin to set hot pace. An impatient Razgatlioglu shadowed him, but Redding ran danger of losing touch. Razgatlioglu momentarily reclaimed P1 down start/finish, but the defending champion retaliated and looked committed to make a break.

He managed to gain marginal breathing space, but Razgatlioglu did not allow the Ulsterman to run away. Lap 10 brought another twist to the championship tale as Razgatlioglu’s mud guard came off,  went under the tyre and brought him down at T15.

One and a half seconds separated Rea and Redding out front. At some distance behind, the battle was on between Locatelli, Baz and Bautista.

Both the Ducati and the Honda overhauled the Yamaha down start/finish. Baz and Bautista were set for another P3 showdown and ruffled each other’s feathers over the next few laps. Bautista attacked time and again on top speed, but Baz always managed to retaliate with superior corner speed.

Rea made no mistake and stormed to victory, registering some consolation at Portimao, well ahead of Redding. Baz aggressively sat Bautista up at T5 on the penultimate lap and as the pair collided, the Spaniard went down. Baz was unchallenged and bagged his third podium of the weekend.