Toprak Razgatlioglu clinched his first-ever WorldSBK victory at Aragon on Saturday afternoon’s Race 1.
The two title contenders battled intensely throughout, but Razgatlioglu crossed the line 0.030s ahead of Nicolo Bulega.
Bulega lost ground from the get-go from pole position as Razgatlioglu took the holeshot into Turn 1 with a successful block pass.
Bimota’s Alex Lowes promoted himself to second, but his brother Sam and Danilo Petrucci forged their way through after Lap 1.
Bulega re-took the lead down the back straight into the final corners, highlighting Ducati’s immense speed, but his BMW rival was never going to give up.
On Lap 2, both riders swapped positions again, but on Lap 3 Razgatlioglu showed aggression to keep the lead around Turn 1.
In the first few laps, it was noticeable that the championship leader was able to keep the Ducati rider at bay, though the gap between the two was just two tenths.
Bulega slotted his way back through at Turn 1 on Lap 5, but the Turkish rider pounced at Turn 15 before the back straight that same lap.
The leading pair were engaged in a fierce duel, but Sam Lowes of Marc VDS was right there, ready to pounce with the win still within reach.
The race remained too close to call, as Bulega reclaimed the lead at Turn 1 on Lap 7. But the BMW rider responded with a calculated move, retaking the position at Turn 15.
It was tight behind the title rivals, just 1.4s covering four riders, a rare scenario this season, and one that opened the door for a potential surprise new race winner.
The following laps saw little action, but the gaps from third to seventh gradually extended to 2.5s, while Bulega began to close in from behind.
The end of the second and complete third sector favoured the Italian, but Razgatlioglu had the slight edge throughout over parts of the lap.
Bulega’s teammate, Alvaro Bautista, suffered a crash at Turn 15 on Lap 13 while running in fifth place. It could prove to be a pivotal moment in his quest to secure third in the championship.
The Ducati rider posted the fastest lap with four laps to go, piling the pressure on Razgatlioglu, but he still had to find the right opportunity to make a move.
He closed in on the back of the Turkish rider in the final sector on the last lap, but Razgatlioglu had the edge to halt Ducati’s dominance on this track in recent years.
Razgatlioglu sealed a record-equalling 13th consecutive victory in the series, matching his own record and setting himself up to make history in Sunday’s Superpole race.
Sam Lowes secured third for Marc VDS and finished only a second behind to ensure a double Ducati delight.
Petrucci claimed fourth for Barni Spark Racing, ahead of Bimota’s Alex Lowes and GoEleven’s Andrea Iannone.
Andrea Locatelli inevitably took seventh for Yamaha, followed by Axel Bassani, who secured eighth after starting down in 23rd.
Xavi Vierge finished ninth for Honda as Michael van der Mark ensured both BMW riders finished in the top 10.
Dominique Aegerter finished in 11th place, defeating Yari Montella and the British duo of Jonathan Rea and Ryan Vickers.
Garrett Gerloff closed out the final point to take 15th place for Kawasaki.
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