After a very disappointing start to the weekend at Aragon in race 1, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it) bounced back in the Superpole race and Race 2 to keep his championship lead healthy. Bautista increase his points lead to 504 points ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK). While Razgatlioglu continues to podium earning good points on the weekend wins are what secure championships and his 47 point deficit to Bautista can be attributed to just that.
Bautista had the following words regarding his day 1 mishap. “I am extremely happy. I want to say it again: I learned a lot from yesterday’s mistake and these are things that help you grow. Even today the feeling with the bike was excellent and it allowed me to push hard in the Superpole Race, putting me in a position to have a great last lap. In Race 2 I stayed focused all the time, first during the nice duel on the first lap, then managing the lead. See you in Portimao”.
Bautista’s teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi secured two podiums this weekend to round off a very successful weekend for Aruba.it Racing. However the race left Rinaldi feeling like he missed out on an opportunity. He stated, “Maybe I could have attacked Toprak too…if I hadn’t had to slow down not to take risks when Locatelli had that technical problem. But it doesn’t matter because this is still a good result. Maybe I missed something in the Superpole Race but the balance of the weekend is really good. I want to continue having fun like this in the next two rounds”.
Toprak Razgatlioglu Discusses His Feelings on the Championship Race
“In general I am really happy,” he said after the race. “Friday for me was difficult, but together with my team we made a big improvement and this weekend I had three podiums in Aragon – this is fantastic for me! I was not sure if it was possible. Last race, my teammate Locatelli was very strong – his riding was very good and calm!”
“I saw Alvaro was very strong and impossible to follow, so I just follow my teammate to try to save the tire and wait for the last laps to start to fight. Then I saw Rinaldi coming and I know I need to pass for P2 – when I saw the smoke from Loka, immediately I pass him to be safe in this position. Loka made a big improvement, it’s bad luck for him to not finish the race – maybe we were fighting in the last laps and on the podium together! Now I am focused on Portimão and the last two rounds, I will try to do my best for Yamaha!”
Full Aragon Race Results
Current Championship Standings