Rinaldi snatches Race 1 victory at WorldSBK Aragon

In a dramatic turn of events at Aragon, Michael Ruben Rinaldi emerged as the triumphant force, offering a timely assist to his teammate Alvaro Bautista, whose World Superbike Championship lead took a hit due to a race-altering crash.

Rinaldi's victory reshapes the championship picture, narrowing Bautista's advantage to 37 points after the weekend's opening race.

Bautista, the home crowd favourite, arrived at Aragon with a comfortable 57-point lead in the championship standings. All eyes were on him to extend his dominance. However, the Spanish rider's aspirations took a nosedive on lap six when he lost control of his Ducati Panigale V4 R while leading, sending him tumbling into the gravel trap.

With Bautista out of contention, it was Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu who seized the opportunity to engage in a thrilling battle for the lead. Rinaldi, initially lagging behind the frontrunners, masterfully conserved his tires, steadily closing the gap to the leaders as the race progressed.

STRATEGIC PATIENCE

Rinaldi's strategic patience paid off as he moved past Razgatlioglu for second place with six laps remaining. He then set his sights on Rea, engaging in a gripping battle for the lead. While Rea put up a valiant defence, Rinaldi ultimately broke through and secured the top spot on lap 15, maintaining his lead until the chequered flag.

This victory holds immense significance for Rinaldi, marking his first win of the season and reviving memories of his maiden WorldSBK triumph at Aragon in 2020, aboard the Go Eleven Ducati. It also comes at a pivotal moment as he continues his quest for a WorldSBK ride in the 2024 season.

Rinaldi crossed the finish line with a 1.2-second advantage over Razgatlioglu, who managed to overtake Rea in the closing laps, narrowing Bautista's lead by 20 points. Bautista's day took a disastrous turn, as he remounted after his first crash but could only salvage 16th place before crashing again on the final lap, this time ending his race.

Beyond the podium, Andrea Locatelli secured a solid fourth-place finish, while Danilo Petrucci delivered a remarkable performance by surging from 25th on the grid to fifth place. Philipp Oettl also impressed with a strong sixth-place finish.

The GRT Yamaha rider Remy Gardner claimed seventh place, followed by top BMW rider Garrett Gerloff in eighth. Axel Bassani settled for ninth place, and Iker Lecuona rounded out the top ten despite receiving two long-lap penalties.

The 2023 World Superbike race at Aragon, Spain, has set the stage for an intense battle in the championship, with Bautista's lead significantly reduced by Rinaldi's outstanding performance. The motorsport world eagerly anticipates the next chapter in this thrilling season.

2023 WORLD SUPERBIKE ARAGON, SPAIN - RACE 1 RESULTS:

1 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (ITA) - Aruba.It Ducati
2 Toprak Razgatlioglu (TUR) - Pata Yamaha Prometeon (+1.253s)
3 Jonathan Rea (GBR) - Kawasaki (+2.837s)
4 Andrea Locatelli (ITA) - Pata Yamaha Prometeon (+5.902s)
5 Danilo Petrucci (ITA) - Barni Spark (+7.553s)
6 Philipp Oettl (GER) - GoEleven Ducati (+14.427s)
7 Remy Gardner (AUS) - GYTR GRT Yamaha (+17.014s)
8 Garrett Gerloff (USA) - Bonovo Action BMW (+17.259s)
9 Axel Bassani (ITA) - Motocorsa Ducati (+18.469s)
10 Iker Lecuona (SPA) - HRC (+19.424s)
11 Scott Redding (GBR) - ROKIT BMW Motorrad (+21.653s)
12 Xavi Vierge (SPA) - HRC (+21.960s)
13 Michael Van Der Mark (NED) - ROKIT BMW Motorrad (+23.690s)
14 Loris Baz (FRA) - Bonovo Action BMW (+23.971s)
15 Dominique Aegerter (SWI) - GYTR GRT Yamaha (+24.523s)
16 Florian Marino (FRA) - Kawasaki (+28.279s)
17 Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA) - GMT94 Yamaha (+37.369s)
18 Bradley Ray (GBR) - Motoxracing Yamaha (+38.489s)
19 Hafizh Syahrin (MAL) - PETRONAS MIE HONDA (+46.123s)
20 Isaac Vinales (SPA) - TPR by Vinales (+46.478s)
21 Gabriele Ruiu (ITA) - Bmax BMW (+1'06.672s)
22 Oliver Konig (CZE) - Orelac Kawasaki (+1'08.463s)

Alvaro Bautista (SPA) - Aruba.It Ducati (DNF)
Eric Granado (BRA) - PETRONAS MIE HONDA (DNF)
Tito Rabat (SPA) - Puccetti Kawasaki (DNF)