Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu stole the show in Jerez on Saturday morning by denying Alex Lowes WorldSBK Superpole with a late charge.
Superpole fired up without Lucas Mahias as the Puccetti Kawasaki rider was withdrawn from competition for the rest of the weekend due to injury. Lowes hitting the top as the first flying laps registered, a 1’38.730 - the fastest seen at the track this weekend so far - bettering his KRT teammate by just 0.005s with Andrea Locatelli sitting third, six-tenths adrift after five minute on track.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi was the third rider to break through the 1’39 barrier as the qualifying session counted down. The Aruba.it Ducati rider setting a 1’38.973 to claim third from teammate Scott Redding with Locatelli dropped to fifth ahead of another promising performance from the Hondas of Leon Haslam and Alvaro Bautista.
Lowes advanced the pace with two minutes to go thanks to a stellar 1’38.539, despite riding with a hand injury, Redding initially looking to threaten before settling for third but it was Razgatlioglu who would spoil the Englishman’s morning. The Pata Yamaha stealing pole in the dying seconds with a 1’38.512.
Jonathan Rea completed the front row behind the duelling pair, with Redding heading row two from Rinaldi and Locatelli. Loris Baz securing seventh on his WorldSBK return with Go Eleven as he stands in for the injured, and soon to be retiring, Chaz Davies.
