Update: Mandalika WorldSBK race one postponed until Sunday
The opening WorldSBK race in Indonesia has been postponed until Sunday due to extreme rain prior to the scheduled start.
Update: Mandalika WorldSBK race one has been postponed until Sunday due to extreme rain, meaning both race one and two will take place tomorrow, while the Superpole race has been cancelled.
RACE DIRECTION INFO:
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) November 20, 2021
Today’s #WorldSBK race 1 has been postponed.
It will replace tomorrow’s Tissot Superpole race at 11:00 LT, Race 2 will remain at 15:00 LT.
| #IDNWorldsbkhttps://t.co/KNRHAcOtRN
Race one is set to be Toprak Razgatlioglu’s first chance at winning the 2021 WorldSBK title as he leads Jonathan Rea by 30 points.
While the six-time world champion needs somewhat of a miracle to claim a seventh consecutive championship, the Kawasaki rider is also not safe in regards to his current second place as Scott Redding is a further 36 points behind Rea.
The top three in the championship have once again looked like the three clear favourites to secure podium finishes after locking out the front row in qualifying.
A time of 1:32.877s from Razgatlioglu put him three tenths clear of both Rea and Redding as he was the only rider to set a sub 1m 33s lap - the only rider to do so this weekend.
Further back was Garrett Gerloff in fourth who was close to seven tenths down, once again highlighting the dominance Razgatlioglu has shown in what could be a history-making weekend for the Turkish rider.
Turkey has so far never had a premier class champion, but with Razgatlioglu looking unfazed and under no pressure thus far, odds are very much in his favour to do so.
Razgatlioglu’s chances have been helped even further as the awful conditions in Mandalika have resulted in the Superpole race being cancelled, meaning an extra 12 points are now not available .
The grid for race two will be based off of today's qualifying result, now what happens during race one.
Before qualifying took place Alex Lowes was declared unfit after suffering an AC joint injury following a highside crash in FP3.
WorldSBK FP3 took place without Team HRC rider Leon Haslam after it was confirmed that the British rider would take no further part in his final weekend as a world championship rider due to a shoulder injury.
