SBK, Toprak returns to BMW and goes up against Bulega and Ducati in testing at Portimao

In the tests at Jerez, Toprak Razgatlioglu might have been absent, but in Portimao it should be a different story. After skipping the two-day event in Andalusia to recover from the injury to the index finger of his right hand fractured in training, the World Champion is heading to Portugal to make his return on the M 1000 RR #1 in the two-day test scheduled for Tuesday, January 28 and Wednesday, January 29.

Barring any surprises, the Algarve track will therefore be the place where the first real confrontation with the full line-up of the premier class of production-derived bikes will be staged. In fact, along with the Turk, all the participants from the test in Spain will take to the track with the addition of Iker Lecuona, who is expected to return to his Honda CBR1000RR after fully recovering from a training injury.

If the rain doesn't play tricks, we will therefore see the official Ducati V4Rs of Alvaro Bautista and his teammate Nicolò Bulega, dominator of the first day of testing in Jerez, back in action starting tomorrow. They will be joined by the independent Panigale bikes of the two Barni Spark Racing team riders, Danilo Petrucci and rookie Yari Montella; Andrea Iannone's Go Eleven-liveried Rossa; and the blue one of the MGM Bonovo Racing team, entrusted to Scott Redding. Then there will be no shortage of Ducatis either from Marc VDS and Motocorsa, on track with Sam Lowes and rookie Ryan Vickers, respectively.

BMW, on the other hand, should take to the track with Razgatlioglu and his teammate Michael van der Mark, joined by the M 1000 RRs of test riders Markus Reiterberger and Sylvain Guintoli. While Yamaha will be at the start with the official R1s of Jonathan Rea and Andrea Locatelli, those of GRT's two riders, Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner, and those of Tito Rabat and rookie Bahattin Sofuoglu, fielded by the Motoxracing team.

Space also for the official Kawasaki of Garrett Gerloff and the Bimota KB998s of Axel Bassani and Alex Lowes, looking to confirm their form on the Algarve circuit after having performed well in Jerez. They will also be important days for Honda, called to check upon this season the progress made in the last races of last year.