Bautista a remporté deux victoires sur trois en étant premier dans la course 2, tandis que Razgatlioglu a brisé son canard en remportant la Superpole Tissot.
Bautista s’est assuré sa deuxième victoire sur le circuit de Misano et prend nettement le large au classement du Championnat du Monde.
Les protagonistes du Championnat MOTUL FIM World Superbike ont clôturé le Round Pirelli d’Émilie-Romagne avec la Course 2, laquelle fut remportée par Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) avec plus de sept secondes d’avance sur Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK).
Bautista s’est retrouvé derrière Razgatlioglu dès le premier tour, mais il a vite cherché à prendre l’avantage, d’abord au quatrième tour au virage Curvone, mais son rival a répliqué quelques instants plus tard. Ce n’est qu’au septième passage que Bautista a réussi à dépasser Razgatlioglu dans le même virage pour filer tout droit vers le 22e succès de sa carrière en WorldSBK, à égalité avec Marco Melandri. En terminant deuxième, Razgatlioglu s’offre son 63e podium en WorldSBK. Bautista compte désormais 36 longueurs d’avance au général après seulement quatre Rounds.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) est pour sa part remonté depuis la 10e place sur la grille pour assurer son deuxième podium du week-end comme de la saison. L’Italien a pris le dessus sur Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) au troisième tour de la course. Après avoir été passé par Rinaldi, Rea a perdu du terrain, mais il s’est tout de même tenu hors de portée de ses poursuivants. C’est la première fois de l’année que le Nord-Irlandais ne figure pas parmi les trois premiers à l’arrivée.
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) s’est adjugé son sixième Top 5 de la saison après avoir rivalisé avec Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). Bassani a une fois de plus pris un bon départ pour se battre dans le groupe de tête, mais il a rapidement rétrogradé dans la hiérarchie. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) a hérité de la sixième place en prenant l’ascendant sur Bassani en fin de course. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), qui a écopé d’un Long Lap pour avoir excédé les limites de la piste à plusieurs reprises, a terminé huitième.
Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) a réalisé une course en dents de scie et a terminé en neuvième position avec le statut de meilleur pilote BMW devant Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW), lequel complétait le Top 10 à 11 secondes de son homologue britannique.
Philipp Öttl (Team Goeleven) et Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) se sont battus en fin de course pour la 11e place, mais c’est l’Allemand a eu le dernier mot. Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) a rallié l’arrivée au 13e rang après être parti de la 20e position. Le duo BMW Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) et Illia Mykhalchyk (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) fermaient la marche des pilotes classés dans les points.
À noter
Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) a terminé en 16e position après avoir longtemps figuré dans les points. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) était 17e devant Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) et Oliver König (Orelac Racing VerdNatura).
Le premier abandon est à mettre au crédit de Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) qui a chuté dans le troisième tour, tandis que le wildcard Gabriele Ruiu (Bmax Racing) a abandonné en raison d’un problème technique dans le tour suivant. Alessandro Delbianco (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) a lui aussi rendu les armes sur problème technique tout comme Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team). Après un bon début de course, Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) est tombé dans le virage n°11 au 12e tour. Le rookie a été conduit au centre médical. Un incident entre Vierge et Bassani sera examiné après la course par le panel de Commissaires FIM WorldSBK.
Le Top 6 (Course 2)
1. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +7.194s
3. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) +11.119s
4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +14.901s
5. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +18.774s
6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +20.217s
Tour le plus rapide : Alvaro Bautista, Ducati - 1'34.255 - Tour 8
Championnat du Monde
1. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) 220 points.
2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 184
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 141
4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha avec Brixx WorldSBK) 108
5. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) 99
6. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) 92
P1 - Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista won Race 2 after an early-race battle with Razgatlioglu, before escaping to win by more than seven seconds
He extended his Championship lead to 36 points over Rea, the biggest gap there has been at the top this season so far.
“I’m happy because I can be fast but also, I can think on the bike. I can be calm and attack when I have to attack and do my best to not pass over the limit. I’m quite happy. I battled with Jonathan in the beginning and with Toprak and, in that moment, saw my pace could be a bit faster. I tried to get ahead like I did yesterday. It cost me some laps because the fight with Toprak was so nice. I enjoyed it a lot. In the end, I can increase my gap to Toprak and get the victory. I don’t think about the Championship. Three years ago, I think I was more than 60 points in front and then I lost the Championship by more than 150. In this moment, it’s too soon. I try to just be focused on the work that we are doing, enjoy the bike like I am doing and just get the maximum in all conditions. Sometimes, if I can fight for the win, I will fight. If I can fight for fifth, I will fight. The important thing is just to finish the races, get more information, and have more fun riding the bike.”
P2 - Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
After claiming his first 2022 win in the Tissot Superpole Race, Razgatlioglu finished in second position in Race 2 despite taking the lead on the opening lap.
His second place means he claimed his 63rd WorldSBK podium.
He remains third in the standings 79 points behind Bautista.
“In Race 2, I tried my best again in the very, very hot conditions. Last year, I don’t remember the weather like this. I tried my best again in the race. Alvaro was very fast, and in the straight the Ducati was very fast. Some sectors, I’m quicker. Some sectors, he’s fast. After 10 laps, he went alone. I said ‘okay, second position is enough for me today’.”
P3 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi claimed his second third position of the weekend after starting from 10th on the grid.
He now has a record of 12 WorldSBK podium, including 5 on home soil.
“This afternoon, our strategy was to push really hard from the beginning because if not I would have lost the leading group. Then, after I passed Rea, I put my pace because Bautista and Razgatlioglu were too fast for me today. But I’m really proud of our recovery since Sunday morning.”
P4 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
After having been overtaken by Rinaldi, Rea was unable to follow him and crossed the finish line in fourth.
It’s the first time this season Rea has finished a race outside the podium places.
He maintains second place in the Championship with 184 points.
“I put up a fight at the beginning but when I’ve seen the pace of Bautista and Toprak especially, I knew it would be tough and then Rinaldi came past, it was all I could do. I was running myself into some mistakes. I had lost lots of rear entry traction so I as soon I released the brake I was having a front chatter. So it was almost the case of nursing my bike home considering the points and moving on.”
P5 - Iker Lecuona (Team HRC)
Lecuona took fifth place in Race 2, his sixth top-five finish so far this season.
He stands in fifth place in the Championship standings, only 9 points behind fourth-placed Andrea Locatelli.
"Overall, I'm really happy. We didn't expect this speed during the weekend. Starting from fifth in Race 2 helped me a lot to follow the top guys. I struggled with my rear tyre for the first laps. I didn't feel comfortable. But in the end, I managed to be faster and I could create a gap to the guys behind me."
P6 - Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Locatelli completed Race 2 top six after losing out at the start of the race.
He finished all three races at Misano in sixth place, and has only recorded one finish outside the top six all season
"It was a difficult weekend for me. But it's been better than last year so it's a good point for us. We need to continue to work on the bike to try to close the gap to the leader. It was also our first race in hot conditions this season so for sure, we learned some things about where we need to improve the bike and where I need to improve myself."
To note:
Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round official spectator attendance over three days: 65,825.
Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) took seventh place despite losing out after making a superb start. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who have been given a Long Lap Penalty for track limits infringements in the race, finished in eighth.
Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) rounded out the top ten as the best BMW rider.
After a strong start to the race, Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) had a crash at Turn 11 on Lap 12 which ended his race. After being taken to the medical centre, Vierge was diagnosed with fractures to the base of his third metacarpal bone on his right hand and to his capitate and hamate bones on his right wrist.
The Prosecco DOC UK Round will take place from the 15th to 17th of June at Donington Park.
Infront Moto Racing