SBK, Toprak ahead of Ducati: Pirelli's new tyre the ace in the hole?

The Phillip Island Round left a decidedly bitter taste in the mouth of Toprak Razgatlioglu and BMW, who picked up only 20 points in the first weekend of the year.

The overwhelming supremacy of Nicolò Bulega and the Ducati did not go down well with the Turkish ace who, after having called the championship a Ducati Cup, will do everything possible to take his revenge already starting this weekend in Portimao. A track that is definitely more up Toprak's street than Australia, where the 28-year-old has scored just one career victory. That's against the six he has scored on the Algarve track.

The Turk's reaction could already be seen in the recent tests held in Portugal on Friday, March 14 and Saturday, March 15, when he totally dominated proceedings, complete with a new unofficial circuit record. A change of pace that portends a reversal of the scenario seen in Australia, with the reigning Champion ready to shed the shoes of the pursuer and return to those of the hare. If might be only in the first exits of the weekend however, as Razgatlioglu will start with a small advantage over the rest of the company.

Actually, the promotion to the new SC0 range of Pirelli's rear tyre in D0640 specification, starting with the Portimao round, will be an unknown factor for almost all of the lineup, but not for Toprak. Unlike the Ducati riders, who had tried the development rear soft last October in Jerez, during the first winter test in view of 2025, the BMW rider decided to use this very tyre in the recent two-day test in Portugal. Thus acquiring data and references, which may come in handy to tackle the weekend with a very different attitude from the one with which he took to the track in the first Round of the season.