Toprak Razgatlioglu capped off his second World Superbike Championship title in style, dominating the second race in Jerez this Sunday, which ended prematurely due to a red flag.
Taking advantage of his pole position, Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Ducati) led the start, with Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW) in second and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) in third. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki) followed in fourth.
Just like the other two races of the weekend, the top two riders quickly built a gap from the rest of the pack. With 18 laps to go, Razgatlioglu took the lead for the first time.
Diving in into Turn 1🌊@toprak_tr54 is up in front now!🔥#SpanishWorldSBK 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/55LGMiEpTw
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) October 20, 2024
One lap later, Michael van der Mark put the other factory BMW on the podium places by overtaking Locatelli. Soon after, Locatelli made a mistake, losing further positions to Andrea Iannone (GoEleven/Ducati) and Lowes.
Van der Mark couldn’t keep up with the leading pair and found himself under pressure from Iannone. The Italian made a move with 10 laps to go, attempting an overtake at turn 13, which resulted in a slight contact. Although Iannone avoided crashing, he lost several positions.
THAT WAS CLOSE💥💨@mickeyvdmark and @andreaiannone29 both wouldn't back down in Turn 13👀#SpanishWorldSBK 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/r2vbkVHClP
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) October 20, 2024
At the front, Razgatlioglu was managing the gap to Bulega, with van der Mark securely in third, though Iannone had recovered to fourth.
With four laps remaining, Philipp Öttl (GMT94 Yamaha) experienced a blown engine, which brought out the red flag, ending the race early. As a result, Razgatlioglu was declared the winner ahead of Bulega and van der Mark. Iannone and Lowes completed the top five.
Smoke puff from Philipp Oettl's bike on Lap 17💥#SpanishWorldSBK 🇪🇸 pic.twitter.com/UszPpneMZ7
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) October 20, 2024
Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) ended his first season with Yamaha with a ninth-place finish, while Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati) concluded his season with a crash-induced retirement.
