Razgatlioglu strikes first in Jerez as he tops WorldSBK FP1

Free Practice 1 at the Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto for the Motul Spanish Round got underway with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) on top of the timesheets for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship by three tenths ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) after a late lap from the Italian.

Razgatlioglu went of the times around halfway into the 45-minute session but improved that with a late lap in the session to finish with a time of 1'40.074s, topping the times in all four sectors, initially clear of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) before a late lap from Rinaldi, who had been looking to improve in sectors three and four, posted a time just 0.086s behind Razgatlioglu as he demoted Rea into third place.

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was fourth place but did the fewest laps of anyone with six timed laps with Lowes nursing an injury sustained in Catalunya. He had topped the timesheets in the early stages of FP1 but with a lack of running in the second half of the session fell down to fourth, four tenths behind Razgatlioglu. Leon Haslam (Team HRC) claimed fifth place after a strong start for the Honda rider at the venue the team tested at recently, while Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was sixth after a Turn 1 crash in the first 15 minutes of the session; the Italian rookie able to re-join the session.

It was a strong start for Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in seventh place ahead of Catalunya Race 1 winner Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) in eighth place. American star Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) put in a late lap to move up to ninth in the standings, just 0.001s clear of Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), fresh from his first podium last time out.

Loris Baz (Team GoEleven) was 11^th in his first WorldSBK session in almost a year as he replaces the injured Chaz Davies as he put in one of the highest lap totals of the session with 20 timed laps, while Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was 20^th on his return as he replaces the recovering Tom Sykes.

The top six following FP1, full results here :

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 1'40.074s

2. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) +0.086s

3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.337s

4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.439s

5. Leon Haslam (Team HRC) +0.675s

6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.692s

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