“Win or crash” for Nicolo Bulega in Aragon WorldSBK Superpole Race

Victory for Nicolo Bulega in the Aragon WorldSBK Superpole Race was his first since Race 2 at Most in May, and he achieved it with a final corner pass on Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Bulega and Razgatlioglu battled throughout the race, Razgatlioglu often able to pass at turn 15, Bulega generally able to respond at turn 16, between 16 and 17, or at turn one.

Neither was able to break each other, just as in Race 1, but a “win or crash” attitude from Bulega helped him reverse Saturday’s result on the final lap.

“It was a very good race, I had a lot of fun battling with Toprak [Razgatlioglu], it was a very nice race,” Nicolo Bulega told the WorldSBK world feed broadcast after the Superpole Race.

“At the end, my only chance was the last corner. 

“I tried it because I was a bit better in the middle of the corner, so I tried. 

“It was my only chance and I decided that today is win or crash, so I tried and it worked.”

Razgatlioglu: “I don’t have any chance”

For Toprak Razgatlioglu, it was a race he knew would be difficult to win with a third of it remaining, as he explained.

“Not an easy race for me, I think for us,” Razgatlioglu said in his post-race parc ferme interview.

“We fight a lot with Nicolo [Bulega] and I’m really enjoying in the race, but in the last three laps I understood that I don’t have any chance in the last corner because his bike is turning and grips a lot. This is like a Ducati corner. 

“But I try to do my best on the last lap, I tried to turn more close to the inside, but anyway he’s passed me in the full dust area – I’m also surprised how was the grip of the bike and turning. 

“Congratulations to Nicolo, he’s pushing so hard in the race. 

“We will see now in Race 2, another race, and I will try to do my best again.”

Bautista: Podium return “nice” after Race 1 crash

Alvaro Bautista climbed onto the World Superbike podium for the first time since the Balaton Superpole Race on Sunday morning in Aragon.

The Spanish rider battled with Sam Lowes in the opening stages, and on several occasions was almost within range to battle with the front two – but he just couldn’t get there.

He explained that he began feeling better with the bike from Warm UP.

“It’s so nice to come back to the podium, especially after yesterday’s crash,” he said after the race in parc ferme.

“Today I feel a bit better with the bike, already in the Warm Up I felt better than yesterday in the race. 

“But in the first few laps I always struggle a lot with the weight of the bike. After, lap-by-lap I start to ride as I want. 

“Today, I almost crashed in the last corner, I touched the kerb and I almost crashed.

“Finishing on the podium was nice, I enjoyed a lot the battle between Toprak [Razgatlioglu] and Nicolo [Bulega].”