Nicolo Bulega Beats Toprak Razgatlioglu in Closest-Ever WorldSBK Finish
Nicolo Bulega toppled Toprak Razgatlioglu by just three thousandths in the Estoril Superpole race
Although Toprak Razgatlioglu would go on to get his own back in the weekend's final race as he cemented his WorldSBK dominance once again, the Superpole race produced one of the most nail-biting finishes we’ve ever seen.
Leading out of the final corner, Razgatlioglu’s nightmares of previous years at Estoril when he was out-dragged by Alvaro Bautista, came to reality again as Bulega marginally beat him to the flag in a photo finish.
One of the reasons Razgatlioglu has had an answer for everything Ducati has thrown his way in 2024, is the improved top speed with the BMW M 1000 RR compared to the Yamaha R1 he raced before.
But the Estoril superpole race brought back those haunting memories for the Turkish star as Bulega got a better run out of the final corner before moving his Panigale V4 R to the inside of Razgatlioglu.
Speaking after his race two success, Razgatlioglu said this about the fight with Bulega and Ducati: “I’m very happy because I had a bit of bad luck in the Tissot Superpole Race this morning.
“I lost that race at the finish line but we worked very well this weekend and we won Race 2. I needed this for the championship.
“Now we’ll see how things go in Jerez! I know Ducati is very strong there but I’ll just try my best. Overall, I’m very happy with this weekend.”
Bulega was second best to Razgatlioglu in race two of the weekend, but thanks to his superpole win and podium finishes in all three races, the title fight has been extended to the final round in Jerez this weekend.
Bulega added: “I enjoyed the Superpole Race a lot. It was a very good race, and I overtook Toprak at the last corner. In Race 2 I had fun with some overtakes. During the race Toprak was very fast and it was difficult to beat him.
“I’m happy with today because the championship fight will go to the final race. We’re still in the title fight but realistically it’s difficult to win.
“Toprak has had an amazing season and, for me, it’s already been a dream to be fighting for the championship in my first season. I’m really happy and we’ve gained a lot of experience for next season.”
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After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.
