Spaniard Alvaro Bautista gained FIM Superbike World Championship Race One Saturday afternoon on the Imola circuit, in Italy. Using his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, Bautista gained the 19-lap race by 3.672 seconds. It was Bautista’s thirteenth consecutive full-length race win and his seventeenth general 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 Workforce Ninja ZX-10RR.
American Garrett Gerloff completed thirteenth on his Bonovo Motion BMW M 1000 RR.
Extra, from a press launch issued by Dorna:
Bautista triumphs in intense battle with Razgatlioglu to safe Race 1 victory at Imola
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) showcased his dominance in WorldSBK Race 1 at Imola, clinching his seventeenth win of the season and inching nearer to the report for many victories in a single marketing campaign. The race witnessed an exhilarating battle, with Bautista rising victorious forward of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), who celebrated his one hundredth WorldSBK podium and prolonged his spectacular streak of 16 consecutive rostrum finishes. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Workforce WorldSBK) secured a strong third place, additional including to his intensive assortment of 252 profession podiums.
In the meantime, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) put up a exceptional efficiency, main the race initially and ultimately ending in fourth place. The Italian rider displayed wonderful tempo, battling towards fierce competitors. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) showcased his tenacity as he fought his strategy to fifth place whereas Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Workforce) demonstrated resilience and ability, crossing the road in sixth place after a hard-fought race.
Along with his triumph, Bautista not solely solidified his lead within the championship standings with 382 factors but additionally equaled the report for many wins in a season, tying with Doug Polen in 1991 and Jonathan Rea in 2018 and 2019. Bautista’s efficiency highlights his unwavering willpower to etch his title in WorldSBK historical past.
Learn the total report from Race 1 on worldsbk.com
Bautista dominated at Imola, securing his first victory on the circuit. With a powerful efficiency, he solidifies his place on the high of the championship standings with 382 factors, extending his lead over his rivals.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“Truthfully, I didn’t anticipate to win. It was solely my second time right here at Imola. In the present day, we made a small change to the bike, and I felt a lot better within the morning. It began to really feel prefer it did on the different tracks. The race was actually robust as a result of it was scorching and really slippery. At first, I didn’t really feel a lot confidence to push within the opening laps. I noticed a number of riders with extra confidence than me. I began to, step-by-step, push extra. We had been lacking some grip. I believed it was possibly as a result of I don’t have clear air and the entrance is struggling a bit. I had some laps with clear air. The sensation with the entrance was bettering so I attempted to remain in entrance and, at the very least, the entrance was higher.”
Razgatlioglu secured second place in Race 1 and reached a milestone along with his one hundredth profession podium in WorldSBK.
Jonathan Rea claims third place in Race 1, lowering the hole to Andrea Locatelli to 13 factors of their battle for third place within the WorldSBK championship standings.
Andrea Locatelli completed fourth and sustaining his place forward of Jonathan Rea within the WorldSBK championship standings.
