Razgatliolgu gets closer to the title, but Bulega holds on

We were all waiting to see what was going to happen at Portugal 2024 with Razgatlioglu, Bulega and their fight for the title. An error by one or the other would have had important consequences, but neither of them has failed in more complicated track conditions if we refer to Friday and Saturday. Now, only the final round remains and the title is still at stake, but the truth is that barring disaster, Toprak has everything more or less on track. Still, in racing anything can happen.

SBK Portugal 2024 race 1: Nobody can beat Toprak

The Turk took pole position on Saturday morning, a place that guaranteed him a safer area in the funnel that is the first corner of Estoril. Even so, he saw Danilo Petrucci overtake him, but Toprak waited for the moment to return to the front even though he even lost two other positions to Locatelli and Rea.

Meanwhile, behind, Bulega made a mistake that conditioned his race by going long, relegating him to eighth position. And while up front Razgatlioglu was in no hurry, behind Bulega the opposite was true, starting a spectacular comeback.

Finally, while Bautista, Petrucci and Gardner dropped out of the race due to a fall, with no consequences for the first two but with a broken wrist for the Australian, Bulega was able to climb to second position behind an unstoppable Toprak Razagatlioglu, who He achieved the first victory for BMW on the Portuguese track with nine seconds ahead of the Italian Ducati. The podium was completed by Iker Lecuona, who managed to give Honda its first podium of the season.

Alex Lowes, Jonathan Rea and Garrett Gerloff, who appears to be returning to the positions he was a regular in during his early WSBK years, took fourth to sixth position. In the case of Gerloff, the important thing is that he once again surpassed Van der Mark, who was seventh, while Vierge, Iannone and Rabat completed the top 10 in this first race.

Superpole Race Portugal 2024: 3 thousandths gives victory to Bulega

Both Toprak and Nicoló knew that the first race on Sunday was important not so much for the points, that too, but for the blow it could deal emotionally to the rival. So the two came out with those intentions, but Bulega was left behind, while Razgatlioglu had to battle again with Petrucci, Locatelli and Rea.

While Toprak put order in front, Bulega ended up arriving at the Turkish wheel to fight for the victory of the race, making history. And the duel ended up going to Bulega by only 3 thousandths, which is to date the smallest distance between two drivers in the WSBK.

The podium was completed by Álvaro Bautista who was getting rid of Locatelli (fourth), Petrucci (fifth) and taking advantage of Rea’s fall. Sixth place went to Alex Lowes, with Xavi Vierge seventh, Iker Lecuona eighth and Andrea Iannone ninth completing the last place with the right to points.

SBK Portugal 2024 race 2: Razatlioglu takes out the hammer and caresses the title

With what was seen in the Superpole Race, everyone was waiting for a new battle between the two contenders. But on this occasion Toprak gave no options and although both Bautista and Bulega tried, they could do nothing to make the advantage that the Turk was accumulating disappear.

In this “comfortable” way, Toprak achieved a new victory with Bautista third and without wanting to subtract points from his teammate so that he arrives at the Jerez event with the best possible options. So, this weekend Jerez will crown the new Superbike World Champion and although in racing anything is possible, right now with the 47 points advantage that Toprak has over Niccolo and the season he has had, it is enough for the Turk is calm in search of his second title.

Returning to the race, Jonathan Rea finished fourth although far from the leading trio with Michael Van Der Mark fifth, Vierge sixth, Petrucci seventh, Iannone eighth, Rinaldi ninth and Bassani tenth. With seventh position, Petrucci also managed to win the independent drivers’ championship.

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