Title defender triumphs in Race 2 after Saturday’s misfortune

September 24, 2023

Title Defender Triumphs In Race 2 After Saturday’s Misfortune Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) bounced back spectacularly from his Race 1 disaster to seize victory in Race 2. The Spaniard, now third in the all-time winners’ list, showed his mettle by notching up his 53rd WorldSBK career win. Behind him, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) tried to keep his championship hopes alive with a determined second-place finish. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who previously won Race 1, secured the final spot on the podium, confirming a strong form in the latter stages of the season.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who started with a strong lead but couldn’t maintain his front position, fought hard to secure fourth place. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) put in a solid performance to clinch fifth place. The Italian rider got off to a promising start, steadily gaining positions, and managed to hold his ground amidst the competition, finishing just a second behind Rea. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) rounded out the top six.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was a prominent figure in WorldSBK Race 2 at Aragon. He made a significant impact by storming into second place early in the race. Unfortunately, his race took an unexpected turn due to a technical issue, which forced him to drop out of contention.

WorldSBK Race 2 Results
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +4.064s
3. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +7.109s
4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +14.007s
5. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +15.270s
6. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +17.104s

WorldSBK Championship standings
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 504 points
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 457 points
3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 328 points

P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“I am so happy to get two victories on Sunday. Since Misano, I haven’t won two races on a Sunday! I’m happy, especially today, because I can reset from yesterday. We started from zero from the feeling I had and in Warm Up, I felt very good. In the Superpole Race, it was amazing with Jonathan, Toprak and myself. We did a great race with three different rear tyres, so the level was really high. I felt good as the pace was so fast and, in the end, I was able to overtake them both on the last lap. I thought I could fight for the victory and I just tried, without thinking about anything else. I’m happy as I did my best.

In the afternoon, the conditions were very critical as it was very hot and it wasn’t easy for the tyres – life or the performance. From the first lap, I felt the rear spinning a lot and I didn’t have good traction. I tried to not push the rear a lot and I forced the front more and after mid-race, I felt a drop on the front and in many corners, I felt like it was closing. Fortunately, I had a good gap and I could manage the distance. In two very different races, we were able to be competitive. It’s not been an easy weekend but it’s been good for the feeling of the bike and we have to keep fighting; we can’t make more mistakes. This weekend, I’ve learnt that even if a track fits well to me and the bike, you can’t be confident 100%. In the races, everything is possible and anything can happen. I think we need more humility and try to stay focussed and not to relax.”

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