Razgatlioglu dominates Indonesian battles but Bautista wins the war

2022 FIM Superbike World Championship
Round 11 – Indonesia

WorldSBK Superpole Race

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claimed a hard-fought victory over Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on Sunday morning at Mandalika.

Razgatlioglu led from pole position into Turn 1 but, unlike in race one on Saturday, was unable to pull a gap in the early stages of the race. Toprak fell behind Rea on Lap 3 when the six-time Champion passed him through Turn 12 to move into the lead. However, Razgatlioglu responded on Lap 7 at Turn 10, after attempting the move on several occasions, to re-gain the lead.

Razgatlioglu then held on to take his second victory of the weekend ahead of Jonathan Rea while Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) ended his podium drought with third place to take his sixth podium.

Locatelli had to fend off a charging Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with the Championship leader in fourth place.

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) took fifth place as he was crowned the Best Independent Rider for the 2022 season.

WorldSBK Superpole Race Results

WorldSBK Race Two

The fight for the Championship title also turned out to be the fight for victory in Indonesia during the final race of the weekend.

Toprak Razgatlioglu and Alvaro Bautista went head-to-head in the final third of the race, which allowed Rea to close back in on the pair in the late stages.

Bautista made a move at Turn 1 on lap 14 to move into the lead as he looked to win the Championship with a victory, before Razgatlioglu responded into Turn 10. Through Turns 14 and 15, Bautista made another stunning move for the lead. He remained there for a short while but Razgatlioglu responded at Turn 10 on Lap 16 to re-take the lead, before extending his lead to over one second for victory with Bautista in second.

Jonathan Rea was in fourth place, behind Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) but made a move on Lap 11 at Turn 12 to move back into the podium places before pulling out a gap over Bassani, coming home to take third place.

Bassani dropped behind Rea and ended up in a battle with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) for fourth place. Locatelli claimed that fourth place after a strong weekend for the Italian, finishing just six-tenths ahead of Bassani in fifth place.

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Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) crossed the line in sixth ahead of Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) with all five manufacturers in the top seven positions in Race 2. Redding was four seconds down on Bassani after he had a run off the track at Turn 16 on Lap 6 but he fought back to take sixth ahead of Vierge.

American star Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took eighth spot, two seconds behind Vierge, ahead of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK); Lowes was just four tenths behind Gerloff at the end of the 21-lap race. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) rounded out the top ten.

WorldSBK Race Two Results

WorldSBK Rider Quotes

Alvaro Bautista

“Here we are. I am very happy. After two difficult years, many people had put their trust in me: Stefano, Serafino, Claudio, Gigi, Paolo. I had a second chance of trying again after 2019. I have tried to be the best possible rider. I have worked hard. And I think I have won against rivals like Toprak and Johnny, who set the bar high with incredible performances during the season. Now it is time to celebrate. It is time to recognise what we have achieved. I want to thank Aruba.it and Ducati, and all my team. Thank you.”

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu

“For me it was an unbelievable weekend. I have three wins, this is a really good event for me and I’m very happy! Thanks to Yamaha and my team, my bike was good in every session and I could manage the races in the way I want. Congratulations to Bautista – very good season, we are fighting every race and we have great respect also off the track. Okay, we lose the championship, but I try my best and get three wins this weekend, we could not do more than this today! I love this circuit, now maybe it is one of my favourites and I am already looking forward to come back next year. We keep fighting next weekend in Phillip Island, it is where I won my first race with Yamaha so I have good memories of this track also.”

Jonathan Rea

“We made a big improvement compared to yesterday and we were a little bit more competitive. Aside from Superpole I felt like all the weekend we were far away, so yesterday I was happy just to be on the podium. Today I felt like we made a huge step with the bike set-up. The guys really worked hard in the pitbox. We went back to a set-up we had on Friday morning and the track had ‘rubbered-in’ much better today. I saw the Superpole race as my chance, as it is run over a short distance. Before they drop our bike can use the potential of the new tyres. I was quite convinced that I could fight to the end but it was just not enough. Toprak just had a little bit more. In Race Two I got a good start and I was able to set a good pace at the beginning. I made a few mistakes and got dropped off the leading group but then I caught them again, until I ran out grip. It was just time to bring the bike home for the podium.”

Andrea Locatelli

“I’m really happy about today, because in the end after yesterday we understand everything a lot better. We prepared very well and I was feeling confident this morning to push hard in the Superpole Race. It was an important result, we were fighting a lot at the front and to get third position for the Race 2 grid. I never thought that it was possible to get a podium here, but I arrived ready and had a lot of confidence with the bike from immediately on the first day. After a lot of months without the podium, I enjoy a lot! We had a good start in Race 2 also, but I made one very small mistake and fell a bit behind the top three guys. Fourth is still positive and I now take a lot of motivation for the final round at Phillip Island next week. I really like the track and I want to end the season in a good way.”

Michael Rinaldi

“This is a day to remember. An incredible milestone for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team, for Alvaro, for Ducati. I am proud to be part of this adventure that started years ago with a success conquered together. First, I want to congratulate Alvaro, who held a fantastic season. But I have to thank Stefano, Claudio, Gigi, Serafino, Paolo, the whole Aruba team, and the team working at Borgo Panigale. They are the ones who work every day to provide our riders with a competitive bike and incredible support. They are part of this victory“.

Alex Lowes

“We made a small change after the Superpole race and didn’t find any benefit. I was really struggling with confidence and turning with the front end of the bike, especially in sector two. I gave everything until the last lap but this weekend we were not on the pace. The good thing is we only have a few days to wait for Phillip Island. Thanks to all the crew – let’s finish the year strong.”

Axel Bassani

“Finally, I won the Independent Riders’ Championship. I’m really happy. Today, we made a lot a really good steps with the bike. Yesterday, I really couldn’t ride like I wanted. But today I felt good with the bike, I could stay with the top three guys. I only want to enjoy the moment. It’s really hot here so it’s difficult to have a normal race. You have to manage yourself physically, to stay focused on the race. I felt on fire. But anyway, we finished the race, we did our job!”

Scott Redding

“The weekend was difficult with the track conditions, so it was obviously hard for us to set the bike up because the track was changing all the time. Today was better for me. In the Superpole Race, I felt comfortable with the bike, and was able to get a good result. And in the main race this afternoon, I felt pretty good too, but I went off track trying to pass someone, and as a result I lost the front group. I had strong pace at the end of the race, I was catching those ahead, and passed two or three guys. The pace is there but I made another mistake. I am angry at myself for that because the pace was good enough for fourth position and I could have battled with them. But we keep pushing, we keep trying and are looking forward to the next race in Phillip Island.”

Xavi Vierge

“Looking at the positives of the weekend, we made a big step with respect to yesterday, with the team working so well on the bike setup to give me a bike with which I felt much stronger and faster right from warm-up. The races were both hard fought and run in very tough conditions and even if the final results don’t clearly reflect the improvement we made, the times do, and our race time was 15 seconds faster than yesterday. This is definitely a step forward; we are getting closer to the top guys for sure. I just want to thank the team for their commitment and again wish a speedy recovery to my teammate. Finally, of course big congratulations to Alvaro who has run an amazing season and ultimately achieved what he fully deserves.”

Michael van der Mark

“Today’s Superpole Race was alright, I just lost a bit of confidence and didn’t feel as comfortable as yesterday. We didn’t change a lot, but I think with the temperature, the bike reacted a bit more than we expected. So P10 in the Superpole Race, unfortunately no points. Then in race two, I had an okay start but got in a bit of trouble in turns two and three, so I lost a lot of time there. I was trying to catch the guys in front of me, but I didn’t have the same confidence as yesterday and unfortunately had contact from another rider when he pushed me off track, so I lost a lot of time. But at least I scored some points today and got to the finish. Overall, the way I was riding yesterday was like my old self, so I am happy with the weekend as it’s a long time since I had that confidence. Now I am looking forward to Australia. It is a bit weird to have it as the last round but it’s a lovely place to go and one of my favourite tracks in the world. It is a special track, no one really knows what to expect but with the confidence I had this weekend we are going to have some good results there.”

Garrett Gerloff

“Overall the pace wasn’t too bad. We were unfortunate in the Superpole Race, while in Race 2 we had some good battles. Anyway, we know we had more than this, so we’re a little bit disappointed and in the last feature race I made a mistake that cost me a lot of positions. That’s a shame, but it’s already time to look forward to the next round, the last one with this team, and I really want to say farewell to them with a great weekend. Let’s go for it!”

Loris Baz

“It’s hard to be happy to be honest, but I am pleased that we are going to Australia in good shape and not injured, as we saw some crashes here. In the Superpole Race, the target is always to be in the top nine. I knew that it was going to be hard, but I just lost too much time on the first lap and was out of the front group. I think I could have had a decent pace because I had the lap times for it, but I was in too much traffic. It wasn’t too bad compared to where we were on Friday. Race two was okay. We tried a new development set-up for next year to collect more data. The start was good, I was with Michael and then overtook him. But then I got an issue with the brakes into one turn for three laps in a row, I went completely straight on and lost almost six seconds there. At that point, I lost focus a bit and it was hard to push. The two guys in front of me pulled away, and I had a big gap behind, so I didn’t want to risk it all, I just tried to collect info for the guys, bring it home and not get injured before the next round. I can’t be happy, but I feel that we improved today, and we were fast in the first laps of race two. So, we keep that in our minds and go to the best track in the world.”

Eugene Laverty

“The Superpole Race was reasonable, I made progress but in race two in the higher temperatures, I struggled with the front tyre and with the brakes. Not to score a point is difficult to accept because I pushed to get at least one point. That would have been worth the effort but to be 16th after so much effort was tough. But we forget this weekend and move on to Australia for one of my favourite tracks, Phillip Island.”

Kohta Nozane

“I’m sorry for the team first of all for the crash in Race 2. The start was great and I was trying to push, unfortunately here the track was very slippery and once you go off the racing line, it’s easy to crash. In the Superpole Race I tried my best but unluckily couldn’t progress more than 20th. Thankfully we have another round immediately and it will be my last WorldSBK race, I want to finish the job with a great result for me and my team, who have always worked really hard to help me in every possible way.”

The the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round will take place from the 18th to the 20th of November at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.

WorldSBK Championship Points

WorldSSP Race Two

The FIM Supersport World Championship’s trip to the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit came to an early end when the red flag was thrown at the start of Lap 14, with double WorldSSP Champion Dominique Aegerter taking victory in the shortened encounter. After falling back through the order in the early stages, the Swiss rider was able to claim victory ahead of Stefano Manzi (Dynavolt Triumph) after 13 laps were completed by the leaders.

Aegerter had dropped down to ninth in the early stages of the shortened race but slowly worked his way up the order, claiming victory when he made a move on Race 1 winner Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) at Turn 10 on Lap 10. Manzi had also worked his way past Tuuli to move into second place to claim his fifth podium of the season.

Manzi had been closing down Aegerter as he looked to deny him victory but the red flags were shown at the start of Lap 14 after a crash for Tuuli on the exit of Turn 1. The Finnish rider was able to walk away but his bike was unable to be recovered and the race was red flagged with results declared.

Tuuli’s crash promoted Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) into third after the Turkish rider led in the closing stages before he dropped down the order.

Aegerter’s win was his 16th of the season and his 26th in WorldSSP, while it was also Yamaha’s 20th win of the season.

Dominique Aegerter

“Conditions was very hot for race two, 66c track temperature and the humidity was so high! After winning the championship yesterday there was less pressure on us, so I wanted to go out there, push hard and fight for the victory. It wasn’t an easy win because the conditions were tough. It’s very difficult to overtake here with the dust on the asphalt and I was pushed so far back at the start, but we tried something different with the set up in the morning which made things easier and let me go full gas to achieve the win. It was a shame not to do the full distance, but still, a 16th win of the season for me and the Ten Kate Racing team. We’ll now enjoy the championship win, have a party with the team and aim to end the season strong in Phillip Island next weekend.”

There was a fierce battle for fourth place as Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura WorldSSP) came home in fourth, three-seconds down on the podium at the end of the race.

Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) had been in the podium stages in the early stages of the race, despite losing ground at the start, before finishing in fifth place and leading home two more Italian riders within three tenths.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) just missed out on a spot in the top five after he finished 0.082s down on Montella, with Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing), who had been leading the race on the opening lap, in seventh spot.

The Australian Round is just a week away and there will be plenty of riders heading to Phillip Island with a confidence boost. Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo Racing by Puccetti) equaled his best result of the season with 11th place. Rookie Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) was 12th on his first visit to Indonesia, while Andy Verdoia (GMT94 Yamaha) took three points with him as he finished in 13th.

Oli Bayliss (BARNI Spark Racing Team) was 14th with Danish rider Simon Jespersen (Kallio Racing) rounding out the points-paying positions with 15th place.

Oli Bayliss – P14

“Another hard day, we unfortunately missed warm up due to a technical problem so we didn’t get to try the things we wanted to. We used the same setup as race 1 with the harder tire and I felt much better. It just wasn’t enough. Now it’s time to get ready for my home race“.

WorldSSP Race Two Results

WorldSSP Championship Points

2022 WorldSBK Calendar