Donington Park World Superbike - Superpole Race Results
| 2023 World Superbike, Donington Park - Superpole Race Results | ||||
| POS | RIDER | NAT | TEAM | TIME |
| 1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | TUR | Pata Yamaha Prometeon | 10 laps |
| 2 | Alvaro Bautista | ESP | Aruba.it - Ducati | +0.315s |
| 3 | Jonathan Rea | GBR | Kawasaki Racing Team | +0.537s |
| 4 | Andrea Locatelli | ITA | Pata Yamaha Prometeon | +4.247s |
| 5 | Danilo Petrucci | ITA | Barni Spark Racing Team | +5.018s |
| 6 | Alex Lowes | GBR | Kawasaki Racing Team | +5.33s |
| 7 | Garrett Gerloff | USA | Bonovo Action BMW | +5.629s |
| 8 | Axel Bassani | ITA | Motocorsa Ducati | +6.884s |
| 9 | Scott Redding | GBR | ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team | +9.047s |
| 10 | Philipp Oettl | GER | GoEleven Ducati | +11.167s |
| 11 | Dominique Aegerter | SUI | GYTR GRT Yamaha Team | +12.125s |
| 12 | Bradley Ray | GBR | Yamaha Motoxracing Team | +13.346s |
| 13 | Iker Lecuona | ESP | Team HRC | +13.712s |
| 14 | Xavi Vierge | ESP | Team HRC | +14.295s |
| 15 | Remy Gardner | AUS | GYTR GRT Yamaha Team | +17.793s |
| 16 | Lorenzo Baldassarri | ITA | GMT94 Yamaha | +20.959s |
| 17 | Michael Rinaldi | ITA | Aruba.it - Ducati | +22.256s |
| 18 | Tom Sykes | GBR | ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team | +25.381s |
| 19 | Hafizh Syahrin | MAS | PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team | +28.53s |
| 20 | Tito Rabat | ESP | Kawasaki Puccetti | +28.954s |
| 21 | Isaac Vinales | ESP | Pedercini Racing | +29.146s |
| 22 | Oliver Konig | CZE | Orelac Racing MOVISIO | +35.084s |
| 23 | Loris Baz | FRA | Bonovo Action BMW | +35.269s |
| 24 | Eric Granado | BRA | PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team | +36.476s |
Toprak Razgatlioglu breaks Alvaro Bautista’s 11-race win streak and inflicts the first on-track defeat of the Ducati rider this season, during the Donington Park Superpole race.
Just as in Race 1 the big three of Jonathan Rea, Razgatlioglu and Bautista dominated at the front, Rea converting pole into the holeshot after a brief battle with Bautista before leading the trio away from Alex Lowes in fourth.
Nose-to-tail throughout the 10 laps, Rea kept Razgatlioglu at bay until the Turkish rider launched an out-braking move into the Melbourne Hairpin on the penultimate lap, with Bautista lurking menacingly just behind.
Rea wasn’t backing down but his hopes of retaliation ended when Bautista pounced for second into the Foggy Esses, the move also giving Razgatlioglu vital breathing room to secure his second victory of the year.
"Finally, I win again!" said Razgatlioglu. "And especially at Donington Park, which is so special for me after I won three times last year. I had a plan to wait until the last lap. It worked. Now I'm focussed on Race 2. Thanks to all the fans, I hope they enjoyed it."
Bautista, whose only other defeat this year was in the form of a DNF in Mandalika, said: "[The win streak is over but] I'm happy anyway because the pace was incredibly fast, faster than Superpole!"
Home hero Rea was visibly disappointed with repeating Saturday's third place after leading for so long: "I'm pissed off but it's the closest I've been to a win this year, thanks for the support all around the track and we'll try again in Race 2."
Bautista's team-mate Michael Rinaldi had another opening lap to forget, running wide and through the gravel.
Serial Donington Park winner and BMW stand-in Tom Sykes fell but rejoined to finish.
The cool conditions meant none of the frontrunners gambled on fitting the soft SCX.
The top nine places in the Superpole race decide the first three rows on this afternoon’s grid.
Race 2 starts at 16:00.
Donington Park has been resurfaced since the 2022 event, where Toprak Razgatlioglu took all three wins and eventual champion Alvaro Bautista suffered a rare retirement and managed just one podium.
Donington Park 2022:
Race 1 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Yamaha
Superpole Race winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Yamaha
Race 2 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Yamaha
