Razgatlioglu Sets the Early Standard at Moist Most

BMW rider dominates dramatic opening day of Czech practice punctuated by multiple red flags and crashes

Toprak Razgatlioglu stamped his authority early at the Motul Czech Round in Most, delivering a commanding performance on day one for the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team. Tackling a still-improving track surface in Free Practice 2, the Turkish rider shot to the top of the combined timesheets with a blistering long-run pace that included six laps quicker than anyone else managed throughout the day. Navigating changeable conditions and multiple red flag stoppages, he backed up his one-lap speed with an impressive 21-lap race simulation, sending a clear message to his rivals ahead of the weekend’s action.

Sam Lowes continued his fine form with the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Ducati to end the day second fastest, just ahead of his brother Alex Lowes, who combined strong pace with positive news of an extended contract through 2026 with the bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team. Despite launching hard into the gravel with a vicious highside in the morning session that left him with a battered knee and ankle, championship leader Nicolo Bulega bounced back to claim fourth fastest overall, a gritty effort that placed him just ahead of Aruba.it Racing – Ducati teammate Alvaro Bautista in fifth. Sixth belonged to seasoned campaigner Danilo Petrucci, the Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati rider showing his usual race-winning potential in difficult conditions.

Axel Bassani made a late charge on his bimota Kawasaki, jumping up to seventh in the final stages of FP2, while Michael van der Mark ensured both factory BMWs finished inside the top ten with a solid eighth on the timesheets. Andrea Locatelli, who also suffered a crash in the opening practice session, recovered well to place ninth overall aboard his Pata Maxus Yamaha, with Honda’s Xavi Vierge rounding out the top ten. Among those who hit the deck in a bruising start to the weekend were Jonathan Rea, Remy Gardner, and the aforementioned Locatelli and Bulega, all of whom were cleared to continue after FP1. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for Andrea Iannone, whose highside saw him ruled out of the round altogether with two broken toes, sidelining the Team Pata GoEleven Ducati rider from further participation at Most.

P1 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
“This was my best Friday of the season. I’m really happy. The bike isn’t bad at all and we’ve found a good setup and adapted to the tricky weather conditions. I did a time attack and also a race simulation and I was consistently lapping in the 1’31s, which is a strong pace. The race is always different because you have to manage the rear tyre and make sure you have grip for the last laps. We worked with a race mindset today and it looks like we’re strong. The forecast says rain is likely tomorrow, but we’re ready. I want to win. I need to win.”

P2 – Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team)
“Honestly, I really struggled here last year. It’s nice to come back to this track and feel fast again. My pace was pretty good overall. During my long run, I had to make a quick pit stop to adjust something, but we went back out on the same tyres and we still managed strong laps. I feel like I’m in the mix and there’s still room to improve, especially in Sector 2, where I wasn’t riding very well. We were lucky with the weather and got a lot of dry laps compared to others. It was a positive first day, and I think we can take a step forward tomorrow and stay in the fight.”

P3 – Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team)
“Our strategy went out the window a bit today due to all the red flags. In the damp, I managed to find a decent rhythm and the bike felt good. In FP2, we worked on improving the bike’s turning. We kept the same tyres throughout the session to understand our pace better. Overall, it was a positive day. I had a lot of fun riding the bike. We’re very strong in Sectors 2 and 3, but I’m losing out in the last sector though. I’ll study the data tonight to see what we can improve but if we can fix that, I think we’re in a good position to fight for our best result of the year.”

P4 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“It was really important for me to ride again today after the big crash this morning. After a crash like that you need to get back on the bike to rebuild your confidence. It was a huge crash, and I’m feeling the pain everywhere, especially my foot, but I’m lucky it wasn’t worse. In FP2, I didn’t push too much, but the feeling with the bike wasn’t too bad. Of course, we can still improve. It wasn’t easy to ride with the pain because there are so many changes of direction here but I gave 100% every lap. I was still thinking about the crash during FP2, which didn’t help with the lap time. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll be able to put that behind me and focus fully on improving.”

Czech WorldSBK Friday Practice