2022 World Superbike Estoril, Portugal - Free Practice Results (3)

Toprak Razgatlioglu continued his dominance at Estoril by topping World Superbike FP3 from Jonathan Rea. 

As was the case in FP2, Rea showed immediate pace as he went a second clear of anyone. 

That margin remained stable over the next few laps before Scott Redding reduced the Kawasaki rider’s lead to nine tenths. 

Rea’s 1m 37s flat was then bettered by the six-time world champion as he set an impressive time of 1:36.760s. 

Alvaro Bautista, winner of three races so far this season, reduced Rea’s lead to just under four tenths, while Razgatlioglu remained off the pace in seventh. 

Rea, who was clearly enjoying the cooler conditions of FP3, went quicker than his day-one effort after setting a time of 1:36.571s. Rea wasn’t alone in improving on his personal best lap as team-mate Alex Lowes did the same to go fourth quickest. 

After a brief return to pit lane, Razgatlioglu found incredible pace as he went quickest by just under a tenth from Rea.

Able to set mid 1m 36s at will, Razgatlioglu improved again in what was quickly becoming a repeat of Friday’s running. 

A 1:36.465s was then turned into a time of 1:36.233s by Razgatlioglu, which was a new fastest lap of the weekend to that point.  

Unable to replicate his stunning pace on day-one, Garrett Gerloff suffered a big fall at the final corner. The American was pushing the limits of his R1 before a big highside which left the former MotoAmerica rider winded. 

The top five remained unchanged through to the checkered flag, while a late effort from Iker Lecuona saw the Honda rider move into P8.

Update: Joining Michael Van Der Mark on the sidelines for the rest of this weekend is Philipp Oettl, after the Ducati rider suffered a right collarbone fracture during a late FP2 crash. MotoE rider and Pramac Ducati rider coach Xavi Fores replaces the German rookie.

Estoril WorldSBK Records

Fastest Lap - Jonathan Rea GBR Kawasaki Racing Team 1:35.876s (2021)

Race Lap Record - Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Pata Yamaha 1:36.594s (2020) 

2021 Winners 

Race One - Scott Redding GBR Aruba.it Ducati 

Superpole Race - Jonathan Rea GBR Kawasaki Racing Team 

Race Two - Jonathan Rea GBR Kawasaki Racing Team 

Razgatlioglu in dominant form at WorldSBK Estoril

Following a relatively pedestrian FP1 by his standards, Rea made an immediate impression in FP2 as he went under the 1m 37s barrier. 

Rea then improved again as he set a time of 1:36.715s which was just under two tenths away from Gerloff’s top time in FP1. 

Unable to close the gap below seven tenths from Rea, Razgatlioglu made an early return to pit lane in order to make changes to his R1. 

Rea was unchallenged until Aruba.it Ducati rider Bautista went +0.155s down on the Kawasaki man with 15 minutes gone.

While it was Razgatlioglu who had the most consistent pace in FP1, Gerloff was proving to be just as good during FP2.

The American, who moved up from 11th to third shortly before the mid-session point, set several laps in the low 1m 37s. 

After improving his time at the beginning of stint #3, Rea was then replaced at the top by Razgatlioglu as the Turkish rider set the second best lap of the weekend to that point. 

That all changed on Razgatlioglu’s next lap as the reigning world champion went four tenths clear of Rea. 

Clearly at a track he enjoys, Razgatlioglu seemed to regain the feeling he had in FP1 as the Yamaha rider made a real statement of intent. 

Bautista managed to split Razgatlioglu and Rea after setting the fastest time in sector four. 

Bautista and Rea then scrapped over second place as they exchanged times on another four occasions, however, neither rider could get within a tenth of Razgatlioglu who was doing just that relative to his personal best time. 

In what looked like being a clean session regarding crashes, Oettl then suffered a big crash at the final corner to end FP2.

After taking part in a private test earlier this week, Bonovo Action BMW rider Laverty has been passed fit to begin the weekend. Roberto Tamburini has not on the other hand and will be replaced at Motoxracing Yamaha by Endurance World Championship rider Marvin Fritz.

After Team Pedercini Kawasaki’s decision to split from Loris Cresson, Isaac Vinales is the team’s third rider in three rounds as he returns to WorldSBK this weekend. 

Estoril WorldSBK Weekend Schedule

Saturday 

11:10-11:25 - WorldSBK Superpole

14:00 WorldSBK Race 1 

Sunday 

09:00-09:15 WorldSBK Warm-up

11:00 WorldSBK Superpole Race 

14:00 WorldSBK Race 2