Spaniard Alvaro Bautista won FIM Superbike World Championship Race One Saturday afternoon at the Imola circuit, in Italy. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, Bautista won the 19-lap race by 3.672 seconds. It was Bautista’s 13th consecutive full-length race win and his 17th overall race win in 2023.
Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu rode his Pata Yamaha Prometeon YZF-R1 to second place, and Northern Irishman Jonathan Rea was third on his Kawasaki Racing Team Ninja ZX-10RR.
American Garrett Gerloff finished 13th on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Bautista triumphs in intense battle with Razgatlioglu to secure Race 1 victory at Imola
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) showcased his dominance in WorldSBK Race 1 at Imola, clinching his 17th win of the season and inching closer to the record for most victories in a single campaign. The race witnessed a thrilling battle, with Bautista emerging victorious ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), who celebrated his 100th WorldSBK podium and extended his impressive streak of 16 consecutive rostrum finishes. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) secured a solid third place, further adding to his extensive collection of 252 career podiums.
Meanwhile, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) put up a remarkable performance, leading the race initially and eventually finishing in fourth place. The Italian rider displayed excellent pace, battling against fierce competition. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) showcased his tenacity as he fought his way to fifth place while Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) demonstrated resilience and skill, crossing the line in sixth position after a hard-fought race.
With his triumph, Bautista not only solidified his lead in the championship standings with 382 points but also equaled the record for most wins in a season, tying with Doug Polen in 1991 and Jonathan Rea in 2018 and 2019. Bautista’s performance highlights his unwavering determination to etch his name in WorldSBK history.
Read the full report from Race 1 on worldsbk.com
Bautista dominated at Imola, securing his first victory at the circuit. With a strong performance, he solidifies his position at the top of the championship standings with 382 points, extending his lead over his rivals.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“Honestly, I didn’t expect to win. It was only my second time here at Imola. Today, we made a small change to the bike, and I felt much better in the morning. It started to feel like it did at the other tracks. The race was really tough because it was hot and very slippery. In the beginning, I didn’t feel much confidence to push in the opening laps. I saw several riders with more confidence than me. I started to, step by step, push more. We were missing some grip. I thought it was maybe because I don’t have clean air and the front is struggling a bit. I had some laps with clean air. The feeling with the front was improving so I tried to stay in front and, at least, the front was better.”
Razgatlioglu secured second place in Race 1 and reached a milestone with his 100th career podium in WorldSBK.
Jonathan Rea claims third place in Race 1, reducing the gap to Andrea Locatelli to 13 points in their battle for third position in the WorldSBK championship standings.
Andrea Locatelli finished fourth and maintaining his position ahead of Jonathan Rea in the WorldSBK championship standings.
