WorldSBK Many-Cours SPole Results | Razgatlioglu bounces back with sprint win

Toprak Razgatlioglu recovered precious points in the fight for the 2022 WorldSBK Championship with a commanding Superpole Race victory at Magny-Cours.

After seeing his hopes of a win evaporate with an off while leading early on in race one - leading to a superb fight back up the order to 11th -  Razgatlioglu was in determined mood during the ten lap sprint to prevail in a fight against series leader Alvaro Bautista.

Despite getting a poor start from second on the grid to run fourth initially, Razgatlioglu picked his way past Scott Redding before a evoking memories of last year’s titanic tussle for honours by taking on Jonathan Rea, eventually completing his pass at Lycee on lap four.

Setting sights on Bautista ahead, Razgatlioglu quickly latched onto the back of the Ducati, nosing ahead for the first time at Chateau d’Eau, at the half-way point, only for his rival to use his bike’s speed advantage to blast past on the run to Adelaide.

Nevertheless, after Razgatlioglu surged back through under braking at Adelaide, Bautista’s hopes of glory would come undone at the same corner a lap later when he tagged the back of the Yamaha at the apex, losing momentum to be overtaken by Rea.

Releasing Razgatlioglu into a comfortable lead, he consolidated it to the end for his seventh win of the year.

Bautista and Rea engaged in a thrilling scrap during the lattermost laps, the tussle only being decided on the penultimate corner when the Kawasaki rider’s dive for the position sent him wide and allowed the championship leader to come back through before the line.

Alex Lowes won out in his battle with Scott Redding to clinch fourth, ahead of race one podium winner Axel Bassani, Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Garrett Gerloff, with Loris Baz picking up the final point in ninth.

2022 WorldSBK Championship | Magny-Cours, France | Superpole Race RESULTS