2024 WorldSuperbike Champion, Toprak Razgatlioglu took pole position during World Superbike Superpole qualifying Saturday at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, in Portugal. Riding his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR, Razgatlioglu recorded a lap time of 1:39.081, which was not only good enough to top the 23-rider field and secure pole position it also eclipsed the All-Time Lap Record Jonathan Rea set, 1:39.610, in 2022.
Rookie, Nicolo Bulega qualified second with a 1:39.326 on his Aruba.It Racing – Ducati Panigale V4R.
Danilo Petrucci did a 1:39.483 on his factory Barni Spark Racing Ducati Panigale V4R to earn the third and final spot on the front row.
Row two starters include Pata Maxus Yamaha’s Andrea Locatelli (1:39.609), ELF Marc VDS Racing Team’s Sam Lowes (1:39.662), and Honda HRC’s Xavi Vierge (1:39.711).
American Garrett Gerloff qualified 16th with a 1:40.661 on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Razgatlioglu eclipses Bulega for Portimao pole as he destroys WorldSBK lap record again. The reigning Champion narrowly missed out on a 1’38s lap time but claimed his second consecutive pole at Portimao ahead of Bulega.
For the second time in one day, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) utterly annihilated the lap record at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve as he claimed his 19th MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship pole position. ‘El Turco’ posted two times that beat his previous record in Tissot Superpole for the Pirelli Portuguese Round as he took P1 ahead of Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), who both beat last year’s pole time to complete the front row.
THE FIRST RUNS: Razgatlioglu obliterates the lap record
Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) set an impressive 1’40.031s to take an early P1 but his time was soon blown out of the water by Razgatlioglu who posted a barely-believable 1’39.133s as he smashed his own lap record from FP3 by three tenths, with his teammate, Michael van der Mark, Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) and Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) all overhauling Gardner on the first lap. Van der Mark and Vierge were in the 1’39s. Meanwhile, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and teammate Alvaro Bautista were eighth and 11th respectively, not setting completely representative laps.
IMPROVING FURTHER: Razgatlioglu lowers the benchmark again
Razgatlioglu remained unbeatable at the top of the field as he claimed his 19th pole in WorldSBK, obliterating the lap record in the process as he improved on his time with a 1’39.081s to finish 0.245s clear of his rivals. Bulega was able to haul himself up the order as he set a 1’39.326s which, until Razgatlioglu’s pole time, would’ve been a lap record, to line up alongside the #1. The front row will be completed by Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) after the #9 put in a 1’39.483s to climb the order – his time was faster than last year’s pole position time.
LOCATELLI SHINES IN P4: ‘Loka’ leads the second row, Sam Lowes P5
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) will go from fourth place after he set a 1’39.609s to lead the Japanese brand’s charge, hoping his second row start can give him the platform to challenge for a top-five finish. He’s joined on row two by Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) who put in a late lap to surge into P5 with a 1’39.662s, with Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) completing the second row. His 1’39.711s was just six tenths away from Razgatlioglu’s time.
IN THE TOP TEN: van der Mark, two more Yamahas and Bautista…
Van der Mark fell down the order as riders found time on their second run, eventually claiming P7 to lead the third row at a track he’s been a winner at in 2021. Aegerter was another who was usurped by several riders, and he’ll have to settle for P8, although he will start two places ahead of teammate Gardner; the Australian rider did lose a faster lap time due to yellow flags. Sandwiched between the two GRT Yamaha riders will be Bautista, who could only manage a 1’39.874s, with Gardner 0.004s down on the #19.
PENALTY FOR IANNONE, ALEX LOWES LAST: dramatic end to Superpole
Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) could only manage 13th with a 1’40.366s, but for Race 1, he will start 16th. ‘The Maniac’ has been given a three-place grid penalty for slow riding in the final 10 minutes of FP3, dropping him to the sixth row for Race 1 – he will start from 13th in Sunday’s Tissot Superpole Race. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) did not set a valid representative time in Superpole. A crash at Turn 13 for the #22 meant he was under pressure heading into the second run and, while he did set a time good enough for P6, it was set when yellow flags were out for a crash for Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) at Turn 11; Montella walked away unhurt and will line up from 12th.
The top six from WorldSBK Superpole, full results here:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’39.081s
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.245s
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.402s
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +0.528s
5. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.581s
6. Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) +0.630s
Race 1 is coming up from 14:00 Local Time (UTC+0) – watch it all using the WorldSBK VideoPass!