Czech WorldSBK, Superpole: Razgatlioglu takes third pole in a row

Autodrom Most will host the sixth round of the 2024 Superbike World Championship, the Czech WorldSBK. Toprak Razgatlioglu arrives at the Czech Round with the championship lead, and after two consecutive treble victories, and the Turkish rider was quickest in Superpole to take his third pole position in a row.

Superpool

Toprak Razgatlioglu took a sensational pole position with a new lap record at the Autodrom Most circuit during the Czech WorldSBK.

Razgatlioglu finished almost 0.7 seconds ahead of the field in Superpole, beating the new lap record he set in FP3 on Saturday morning by a similar number of points. Like last weekend’s WorldSBK UK Round, the Turkish rider has been in formidable form in the Czech Republic.

Andrea Iannone, who ambitiously used Razgatlioglu as a marker, was the closest challenger to the #54 on his first visit to the Czech circuit. The Italian qualified second, ahead of Alex Lowes who completed the front row.

Nicolo Bulega had his worst qualifying of the season in fourth place and is joined on the second row by Remy Gardner and Danilo Petrucci, the latter feeling blocked by Alvaro Bautista on the last lap of his first run.

The reigning champion himself again missed out on the first two rows with his seventh qualifying spot, ahead of Garrett Gerloff, Andrea Locatelli and Michael Ruben Rinaldi who completed the top 10. Rinaldi is joined on row four by Scott Redding and Sam Lowes.

FP2

Toprak Razgatlioglu repeated his top time from Friday morning at Most for the Czech WorldSBK on Friday afternoon, but his lead was reduced.

Despite improving his own time by over 0.4 seconds between FP1 and FP2, Razgatlioglu’s lead was reduced from almost 0.3 seconds in FP1 to just 0.103 seconds in FP2. The Turkish rider’s closest rival was now Alvaro Bautista, not Remy Gardner, and the reigning champion was the only rider other than Razgatlioglu to lap in under 1m.31s.

Behind Bautista was Jonathan Rea, who despite missing a time of less than 1:32 completed a nostalgic top three, while Alex Lowes and Nicolo Bulega completed the top five.

Danilo Petrucci was sixth, ahead of Remy Gardner, Michael van der Mark, Andrea Locatelli and Andrea Iannone who completed the top 10.

Technical problems with the #21 Motocorsa Ducati of Michael Ruben Rinaldi prevented the Italian from setting a time.

FP1

Toprak Razgatlioglu was fastest in the WorldSBK FP1 at the Czech round, ahead of Remy Gardner.

The Turkish rider set his best time on his second flying lap of the session and was still the only rider in the 1:31s at the end of FP1.

Razgatlioglu held a lead of more than 0.5s over the field for most of the session, but by the end Gardner had closed to within 0.3s of the 2021 champion. Alvaro Bautista was also within 0.3s, while Danilo Petrucci and Scott Redding in fourth and fifth were the last riders to be within 0.5s at the end.

Jonathan Rea was briefly second fastest but eventually dropped to sixth, ahead of Nicolo Bulega, Iker Lecuona, Alex Lowes and Michael Ruben Rinaldi who completed the top 10.