San Juan WorldSBK Superpole Results: Razgatlioglu obliterates lap record

Results from Superpole, round ten of the 2022 WorldSBK Championship at San Juan, Argentina.
Toprak Razgatlioglu, Yamaha World Superbike San Juan
Toprak Razgatlioglu, Yamaha World Superbike San Juan

Toprak Razgatlioglu claims a stunning pole at San Juan after getting the better of title rivals Jonathan Rea and Alvaro Bautista

First out of pit lane as he looked to secure a good starting position for race one, Bautista set the time to beat with a 1:37.459s. However, fellow Ducati rider Axel Bassani immediately bettered the championship leader to move onto provisional pole. 

On course to obliterate the all-time lap record which he set in FP3, Razgatlioglu did just that as he laid down a stunning time of 1:36.687s, which was the first-ever sub 1m 37s lap around San Juan.

Razgatlioglu’s opening lap was over four tenths quicker than Rea, while seven tenths clear of Bautista before the series leader squeezed an extra tenth of a second out of his tyres on time attack #2. 

Traditionally a struggle compared to the races, Superpole was again proving to be tough for Bautista as Alex Lowes and Loris Baz also jumped ahead of the Ducati man. 

Baz, who was following Razgatlioglu on his best effort, matched Rea with an identical time although the Kawasaki rider remained ahead of the Frenchman due to setting the time first. 

2022 World Superbike San Juan, Argentina - Superpole Results
PosRiderNatTeamTime
1Toprak RazgatliogluTURPATA Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK1:36.216s
2Jonathan ReaGBRKawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK+0.233s
3Alvaro BautistaSPAAruba.It Racing Ducati+0.455s
4Iker LecuonaSPATeam HRC WorldSBK+0.737s
5Scott ReddingGBRBMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team+0.758s
6Loris BazFRABonovo Action BMW+0.811s
7Axel BassaniITAMotocorsa Ducati+0.815s
8Michael RinaldiITAAruba.It Racing Ducati+0.850s
9Alex LowesGBRKawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK+0.906s
10Xavi ViergeSPATeam HRC WorldSBK+0.943s
11Andrea LocatelliITAPATA Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK+1.131s
12Garrett GerloffUSAGRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team+1.183s
13Lucas MahiasFRAPuccetti Kawasaki+1.418s
14Michael Van Der MarkSPABMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team+1.554s
15Xavi ForesSPABarni Spark Ducati Team+1.692s
16Kohta NozaneJPNGRT Yamaha+1.892s
17Philipp OettlGERGoEleven Ducati+1.933s
18Eugene LavertyIRLBonovo Action BMW+1.937s
19Leandro MercadoARGMIE Honda Racing+1.968s
20Oliver KonigCZEOrelac Racing Kawasaki+2.467s
21Maximilian ScheibGERMIE Honda Racing+3.009s
22Marco SolorzaARGPedercini Kawasaki+4.534s

Losing pace in sector four throughout much of the weekend, Bautista instead held onto his narrow advantage through sectors two and three in order to go fastest overall.

But Bautista’s time at the top was short-lived as Rea went quicker by two tenths after setting a time of 1:36.449s.

Jonathan Rea, Argentinian WorldSBK, 22 October
Jonathan Rea, Argentinian WorldSBK, 22 October

Baz suffered a fast crash at turn two as Razgatlioglu began his final time attack. And what a lap it turned out to be as Razgatlioglu beat Rea’s time by another two tenths, making him the fastest rider ever around San Juan on Superbike machinery.

San Juan WorldSBK Records:

Lap record: Scott Redding GBR Aruba.it Ducati 1:37.345s

2021 San Juan Winners

Race 1: Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Pata Yamaha

Superpole Race: Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Pata Yamaha 

Race 2: Scott Redding GBR Aruba.it Ducati

Marco Solorza is replacing Leon Haslam at Pedercini Kawasaki this weekend, while Maximilian Scheib is stepping in for Hafizh Syahrin who was ruled out due to injury and illness. 

Xavi Fores is also returning to WorldSBK as he replaces Luca Bernardi at Barni Spark Racing Ducati, after the Italian was demoted to WorldSSP with CM Ducati.

Prior to FP1 getting underway it was confirmed that Leandro Mercado won’t be continuing with MIE Honda in 2023. 

San Juan Weekend schedule (UK time) 

Friday 

Free Practice 1: 14:30-15:15

Free Practice 2: 19:00-19:45

Saturday

Free Practice 3: 14:00-14:30

Superpole: 16:10-16:25

Race 1: 19:00

Sunday 

Warm-up: 14:00-14:10

Superpole Race: 16:00

Race 2: 19:00

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