Toprak Razgatlioglu led teammate Andrea Locatelli to Superpole victory on Sunday as Pata Yamaha celebrated another double WorldSBK podium at Mandalika.
The 2021 champion enjoyed his first win of the 2023 season following a frenetic and shorter than normal sprint. Kawasaki’s Alex Lowes completed the podium celebrations while championship leader Alvaro Bautista crashed out.
Mandalika’s sprint action lined up after a morning fall for Bautista. The Aruba.it Ducati rider bouncing straight back from a turn 14 crash to top the warm-up standings ahead of the ten lap dash, teammate Michael Rinaldi and Honda’s Iker Lecuona suffering their own offs as the day fired up but cleared to compete across the final races.
Saturday’s penalty dispatched, Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea returned to his fifth place gird spot for the Superpole race. Razgatlioglu ahead on pole with Locatelli and Bautista alongside on the front row. Overnight rain shifting the track conditions with the Ducati rider opting for the harder Pirelli option compared to his paddock-bemusing soft choice for race one.
Razgatlioglu took charge as the lights released the pack, Bautista through on Locatelli for second with Motocorsa’s Axel Bassani dispatching Rea for fourth. Drama ensued as Lowes skittled out at the opening corner following contact with Barni Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci, Bonovo BMW’s Loris Baz an unsuspecting casualty with Rokit’s Scott Redding sent to the back of the pack in the aftermath.
The Yamaha rider held court as lap two settled in. Jonathan Rea following his teammate into the turn one gravel one lap later with red flags immediately brought out ahead of an eight lap restart.
Take two saw the grid returned to its earlier formation. Rea suffering an initial technical issue as the warm-up lap launched before the frantic action fired up.
Bautista claimed the holeshot but it was Razgatlioglu who ultimately took charge once again. Rinaldi through to the wheels of his teammate for third with Rea recovering to challenge from fourth. The six-time champion made the move stick as the lap concluded, defending hard down the home straight with Locatelli capturing the number 21 shortly after.
Baz’s dramatic Sunday continued as the Frenchman suffered an early retirement, in visible pain, after being allowed to restart but suffering further contact from Lowes’ ZX-10RR as he powered through to sixth at turn ten.
Rinaldi continued to fade as the race unfolded. The Italian was running seventh on lap three as Locatelli advanced to second. Bautista the next rider down following contact with Rea in the battle for fourth, while Lowes found himself up to third after capitalising on the aftermath with five to go.
The podium hunt continued as the penultimate lap prepared. Razgatlioglu easily in control with a second in hand to the pursuing R1 while the Kawasaki struggled to find a way through on Locatelli.
Lowes ultimately settled for third, an impressive recovery from the gravel trap just forty minutes prior and his best result at the Lombok circuit, with Rea 1.7s back at the flag. Bassani headed Honda’s Xavi Vierge for fifth and sixth with Rinaldi, BMW’s Michael van der Mark and teammate Redding holding the all-important top nine positions ahead of the afternoon contest.
