The multi-rider crash you may have missed at the Portuguese WorldSBK

Sunday’s WorldSBK race at Portimao featured an array of crashes, but one went relatively unnoticed.

The incident, involving Bahattin Sofuoglu and Somkiat Chantra in the Superpole Race, was not shown on the world feed broadcast during the race, but was included in the highlights afterwards. The clip of the incident was also shared on X in the below post.

On the broadcast, the only footage shown of Sofuoglu’s crash was of him getting up and looking confused, but the full clip shows that he tried to pass Chantra on the inside at turn 13, but ran wide. 

As he did so, Chantra cut back to the inside and made an almost motocross-style line to square up the corner and beat Sofuoglu to the exit. 

Their lines met, as did their bikes, and Sofuoglu’s front wheel was taken from under him.

Although the two were fighting at the back of the field, the incident meant that Sofuoglu didn’t finish either of Sunday’s races, having finished 20th in Race 1.

“Today’s two crashes were definitely not what we wanted, as they prevented us from achieving two positive results,” said Bahattin Sofuoglu.

“In the first, I was hit by a rider who had missed a corner, and I was lucky not to get hurt.

“It was a positive weekend overall, with only bad luck preventing us from getting the results we deserved. Now we’re turning the page and thinking about the next round in Assen, in three weeks.”

Chantra crashed out in the Superpole Race himself at turn five, but came through to 15th in Race 2 for his first point of his maiden World Superbike season.

“In the Superpole Race it was quite difficult for me because the wind was very strong and I made a mistake while trying to stay with the group immediately ahead of me, which led to contact with another rider,” said Chantra, who added that the contact with Sofuoglu was “completely unintentional and I’m sorry for that.”

He continued: “In Race 2, after serving the long lap penalty at the beginning, I dropped quite far back and had to try to recover step by step. 

“I was able to catch Tommy [Bridewell] in the very last corners, just a fraction too late to try to pass him, and then Vierge passed me, but I was able to lap faster in the final laps and understand more about the bike, and that was important. 

“Overall, I’m quite happy because I scored my first point in WorldSBK, a small positive for both me and the team. We are working together, trying to improve and build on what we learned this weekend. 

“I know there is still a lot to do, but we will keep pushing and building our progress, and try to do better in the next race.”