After a dramatic fight and leading for more than 15 laps, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK racer Toprak Razgatlıoğlu was denied victory in the final moments of Race 1, at the third round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship held at Circuito Estoril.

What started as a 16-lap brawl between Yamaha’s defending champion and Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea, ended in a dash for the line as Razgatlıoğlu fought against both Alvaro Bautista’s Ducati and severe rear tyre degradation in the final sector of Lap 21.

After trading places at the front at least eight times, Razgatlıoğlu forced Rea into a mistake on Lap 16. The Turkish ace, who felt more comfortable on his Yamaha R1 WorldSBK today, worked hard to control the race right to the end but the win was cruelly snatched away in the final moment as he battled Bautista to the line. Just 0.126s separated Razgatlıoğlu and the team from their first victory of the 2022 season.

Andrea Locatelli ultimately had a somewhat lonely race, despite another extremely positive fourth place finish. The 25-year-old Italian made a quick getaway to run third in the opening laps, doing an impressive job to keep Bautista at bay for some time, but was unable to match the relentless pace of the podium finishers and managed his race to secure the best possible result.

Both Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK riders enjoyed a strong qualifying, which benefitted them in the 10-lap Superpole Race, with Razgatlıoğlu starting from second on the grid and Locatelli from fifth, directly behind his teammate on the second row. 

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu - Race 1: P2

“I tried everything and I gave 100% in the race – my bike feels amazing, like 2021 but now even better as we see from the laptimes! Start of this year I didn’t feel like the ‘real Toprak’ but today I feel like myself and I enjoyed the race. I am happy for this and also the battle with Johnny and a little bit Bautista, only we need a bit more in the end! Tomorrow I will try more, we are working to keep the rear tyre grip to improve the acceleration. In the long race I need to save the tyre because last five laps I am feeling too much spinning. I enjoyed the braking a lot, because the feeling was very easy to pass Johnny and Alvaro in the first corner – I’m happy for this, but tomorrow I also need a good setup for the rear tyre to fight to the end.”

Andrea Locatelli - Race 1: P4

“I’m not completely happy with the race because the gap is too much compared to what was possible in my mind. I tried to follow Johnny and Toprak, I wanted to stay with these guys but after three laps it was really difficult because I lost the feeling and grip with the rear – I tried to stay also with Bautista to learn something and take a fast rhythm but in the end I had to fight with my rear grip. We need to improve the exit of the corner because it was difficult to ride today. I think we lost a lot of time with the rear spinning, so for tomorrow we will try to work on this part. In the end, it is still a positive day because we finished P4 which is very important for the championship and also important for the races tomorrow. It was not easy, but tomorrow we can try to stay with the top riders.”

Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK:

“An absolutely scintillating performance from Toprak – we’re just all so disappointed that the last few metres weren’t enough to win the race. The disappointment of not winning is tempered a little bit by the fact that Yamaha and the team have improved Toprak’s feel and braking performance here, compared to the first two rounds. He again looks comfortable on the limit and beyond. We’ll do everything we can to find another couple of tenths again tomorrow and go one better. Loka continues to impress, he rode smart, aggressive and fast early laps and when it was clear that he didn’t quite have the pace to go with Bautista he managed the situation well for a fine fourth place. Well done to him and his guys, and like Toprak, let’s see if we can take some small steps for tomorrow.”

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu finished two further races “on the box” in Estoril with third in Race 2, while his heroics in this morning’s Superpole Race earned him a second-place finish in the third round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship.

In a weekend where all three WorldSBK races were decided on the last lap, a touch of bad luck and tiny margins robbed the Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK squad of the team’s first victory of the season.

Razgatlıoğlu and Jonathan Rea engaged in another thrilling battle for victory in the 10-lap Superpole Race this morning, as inclement weather delivered tricky conditions for the WorldSBK field. On the final lap, Razgatlıoğlu was set to win until he lost the front into the Turn 9-10 chicane. With unbelievable flair and skill, the Turkish ace managed to save his Yamaha R1 WorldSBK in spectacular style – even vying to retake the lead from Rea in the final sector to cross the line just 0.174s behind.

Race 2 treated the Portuguese crowds to more of the same non-stop action in the dry, but with an unanticipated early drop in rear tyre grip, Razgatlıoğlu was forced to consolidate third position and bank crucial points for the championship.

Andrea Locatelli made another positive step forward in both races today, as the team’s #55 rider continues to close the gap to the front group. Despite two fifth positions on paper, “Loka” finished both races a little over eight seconds from the win, compared to a deficit of 17 seconds in yesterday’s Race 1 – while enjoying good-spirited fighting with Honda’s Iker Lecuona throughout.

Before the next round of the WorldSBK Championship takes place at the Misano World Circuit in Italy, from 10-12 June, both Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK riders, the team and Yamaha’s engineers will complete a one-day private test here at Estoril on Tuesday.

Toprak Razgatlioğlu – SPRC: P2 / Race 2: P3

“For me it was a very good weekend, because we are very strong and fighting in the front. Race 2, I try to fight for the win again – in the first 10 laps, I do my best to save the tyre for the last laps and so I don’t pass Johnny, just follow to keep the tyre life. But after 10 laps, a very strange feeling with rear tyre - a big drop and I start sliding a lot especially in the last corner. But anyway, we take good points with third position. This weekend, we tried our best – very close to win the Superpole Race but sometimes we also need luck! Especially in the first race yesterday when Alvaro passed me at the end and also the Superpole Race, my small mistake on the final lap – but also not small because almost a crash! I see the chequered flag and try to pass again for first position but it’s not quite possible! I say again, we take good points, I am disappointed not to win but I feel good, and I hope in Misano we are fighting for victory.”

Andrea Locatelli – SPRC: P5 / Race 2: p5

“Superpole Race was not lucky for Bautista but I say okay P2 result, P3 on track is same as yesterday but close to the win, only 0.2s. You know, I need to win and this was close! Second race the bike was feeling good after the team make some set-up changes, I ride easy – not pushing but try to be smooth and keep the tyre. I tried hard braking in the first corner and I go a little bit wide, but I am not going outside the track – I touch the curb but I stay on the race line. I am surprised we crash like this, I do not expect this mistake from Jonathan. This year we improve at this track, every race we improve but okay, in the last laps in Superpole Race it is not possible for more fighting because the tyre drop. But I am feeling the bike is good, we go now to tracks I think we can be strong, and same as last year better not look at championship points – only focus on race wins and try for best position every time.”

Paul Denning – Team Principal, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK:

“Another incredibly exciting day’s racing at the front of the WorldSBK Championship in Estoril today, but somehow we just missed out again on the top spot! It looked like victory was secure in the Superpole Race for Toprak – but in pushing to maintain a safe gap to the flag, he lost the front in a big way at the chicane. His incredible save turned what could have been a disaster into only a disappointment, so it’s not all bad! The second race was a little bit disappointing for Toprak to only finish third, after battling for the win all weekend, but we saw a good improvement and some excellent fighting by Loka, resulting in a strong fifth position only eight seconds from the winner. Now we have to keep working hard, focus on the details and try to give the guys the best chance to compete right to the end. This hard work starts here in Estoril on Tuesday when we will do a full day’s testing, and we hope that this will give us another step forward.”