After making refinements to the set-ups of their Yamaha R1 machines in preparation for the first points-paying race of the weekend, both riders were determined to be able to fight for the podium.
However, with less than a second covering the top 12 riders in an incredibly tight Superpole session this morning, the Pata Yamaha riders found themselves starting uncharacteristically from the third and fourth rows of the grid, with Van der Mark in eight and Razgatlıoğlu in 11th.
Van der Mark made an impressive jump to fifth position within the first few corners of the opening lap, carving his way through the competition. He was able to stick to the tail of the leading group of riders and at one point make a brief appearance into the podium positions. The Dutchman maintained his own pace in fourth for the second half of the race and was caught only by Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s Ducati at the long back straight on the penultimate lap.
Despite finishing behind his teammate in sixth place, the abrasive nature of the Spanish circuit was more challenging for Razgatlıoğlu. The young Turkish rider gained five positions through a series of early overtakes, but struggled with grip over the race distance.
As per WorldSBK’s unique three-race weekend format, the two Pata Yamaha riders will have a chance to improve their grid position for the second full-length race in the morning during a thrilling 10-lap Tissot Superpole Race, where the top nine positions determine the first three rows and offer crucial additional points towards the overall championship. The sprint race takes place at 11:00 local time (GMT+1) followed by Race 2 at 14:00.
For full Race 1 results, click here.
