World Superbikes Race 1 Australia Report

A dominant performance and win by Nicolò Bulega was as expected from the get go. Bulega was levels above the rest of the field after topping every session this weekend so far which meant Race 1 in Phillip Island today was no different. The Aruba.it Racing Ducati rider came into the pits after eight laps and retook the lead after the pit stop phase ended on Lap 11. 

ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team’s Toprak Razgatlıoğlu fought to recover P2 in the first race after dropping to fourth. Álvaro Bautista finished third on the podium. Team Pata Go Eleven’s Andrea Iannone had a fast start to the race but looked to have temporary technical issues which sent him wide on a few occasions. He recovered to finish P6. Bimota’s return to the championship was a promising one with Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani both finishing inside the top ten. Remy Gardener was forced to retire later in the race after an early crash on Lap 4. 

Bulega on his race: “I’m really happy because my feeling was good from the first session of Monday’s test. Every time I get on the bike, I know what I can do and what I have to do. I’m just enjoying riding because it’s an amazing feeling lap by lap. I’m really proud of what we’re doing here this week.

“I wasn’t relaxed before the race because I knew that some aggressive riders were starting close to me especially on the first lap after braking. So I tried to stay calm and focused. I started well and I finished well. If I can keep this feeling, I can stay positive about the rest of the weekend. I want to continue in this position.”

Razgatlıoğlu on his race: “I feel very good because, finally, I have started to smile again/ I didn’t expect this result but we did a very good job today. My team improved the bike every session. At the start of the race, I wasn’t really strong. As the race progressed I felt better grip and the bike turned better. Maybe this was because the fuel was lower. But in general, we did a very good job in Race 1.”

Final Classification:

Retired