#PRTWorldSBK Portimao, Sunday roundup: WorldSBK, WorldSSP, WorldSSP300
WorldSBK
In a gripping WorldSBK Race 2 at Portimao, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) etched his name in the record books once again. The reigning champion clinched his 56th victory on a Ducati, surpassing the legendary Carl Fogarty’s win tally with the Italian manufacturer.
However, this historic achievement didn’t come easy, as Bautista engaged in a breathtaking duel with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), where the first position changed hands throughout the race. Bautista briefly took the lead on several occasions, only for Razgatlioglu to respond with remarkable moves of his own. In the end, it was Bautista who managed to secure the victory in a dramatic drag race to the finish line, edging out Razgatlioglu by a mere 0.126 seconds. Bautista’s triumph marked another milestone for Ducati, but it fell just short of securing him a second riders’ title.
Meanwhile, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) mounted a spirited charge from the second row to claim the final spot on the podium. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) continued his impressive form with a solid fourth-place finish, followed closely by Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in fifth and sixth.
WorldSSP
Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) emerged victorious in Race 2 of the FIM Supersport World Championship, narrowly defeating newly-crowned champion Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) by a mere 0.084 seconds. The battle between Championship two two lived up to the hype as they fought fiercely for the win on the final lap.
The battle for supremacy began with Bulega securing the holeshot, but his lead was short-lived as Manzi overtook him at Turn 5 on Lap 3, surging into the lead. The race took another dramatic turn when Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) raced past Bulega at Turn 1 on Lap 5, relegating the Champion to third. Montella displayed remarkable pace, but a slip on Lap 16 allowed Bulega to seize an opportunity and challenge Manzi for victory. The final lap saw a breathtaking exchange of positions between the two. Although Bulega briefly took the lead at Turn 1, Manzi countered with a spectacular move through Turn 9 to regain control and claim the race win, triumphing by the slimmest of margins.
Manzi’s perfectly timed moves on the last lap claimed his 5th WorldSSP victory and halted Bulega’s impressive winning streak of five consecutive races. Manzi’s win means he secured his second place in the Championship standings.
Meanwhile, Yari Montella secured a well-deserved third place. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) secured a commendable fourth place, firmly establishing his position as the third-ranked rider in the World Championship standings. Following closely in fifth was Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team), while Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) displayed remarkable resilience, bouncing back from a Race 1 crash to secure a solid sixth-place finish.
WorldSSP300
Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) made history by becoming the first-ever two-time WorldSSP300 Champion, securing the title with an 11th-place finish.
The race featured an intense battle between title contender Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing GBR) and Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse). Gennai emerged victorious after a dramatic last lap where Perez Gonzalez briefly led but was penalized for irresponsible riding, dropping him to second place.
Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) finished third, leading a tightly contested group that included Daniel Mogeda (ProGP Racing) in fourth and Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) in fifth. Indonesia’s Galang Hendra Pratama (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) claimed the sixth position, with these riders separated by just four tenths of a second at the end of the 13-lap race.
Source: WorldSBK.com