Razgatlioglu completes Donington WSBK treble

Toprak Razgatlioglu won the World Superbike Championship in 2021

Toprak Razgatlioglu has extended his lead at the top of the World Superbike Championship standings after competing a hat-trick of wins at Donington Park.

Razgatlioglu, the 2021 champion, led from lights to flag to take the second feature race ahead of Nicolo Bulega and an impressive Alex Lowes.

The 27-year-old BMW rider won the first feature race on Saturday and the sprint race earlier on Sunday.

Razgatlioglu's championship lead over Ducati rider Bulega now stands at 41 points while reigning champion Alvaro Bautista, who finished in fifth, is 55 points off the Turkish rider.

A strong effort by Lowes gave the British support plenty to cheer for, while there was success for home rider Scott Redding - fourth on his BMW - with Yamaha's Jonathan Rea crossing the line in eighth place.

After an early battle with the Ducati title rivals Bautista and Bulega, Razgatlioglu has now won seven races in a row to take control of the championship.

"I feel incredible. I had a target before we came here to get the three wins," Razgatlioglu told Europsport.

"We did it, and it's a team effort."

First Yamaha podium for Rea

There was a breakthrough on Sunday for six-time champion Rea, 37, as he finished third in the Superpole sprint race to collect his first podium for Yamaha.

It has been a difficult season for the Northern Ireland rider, who has struggled to replicate the form that took him to six consecutive championships with Kawasaki from 2015 until 2020.

However, things were looking more positive at Donington Park, a circuit Rea has won at six times in the past, as he finished fifth in the first feature race to equal his best finish of the season, and followed that with a third in the Superpole race.

"It's amazing," Rea told Eurosport after the chequered flag.

"The podium was a little bit ahead of where we had targeted, especially in such a short race, but I nailed my start. It was amazing."

By finishing eighth in the second feature race it marked Rea's best weekend of the season with three top-10 finishes.

It also means he has scored points in his last five races as he makes progress with his new team.

World Superbike Championship standings

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (BMW) TUR 241 points

2. Nicolo Bulega (Ducati) ITA 200

3. Alvaro Bautista (Ducati) SPA 186

4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki) GB 165

5. Andrea Locatelli (Yamaha) ITA 116

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11. Jonathan Rea (Yamaha) GB 57

13. Scott Redding (BMW) GB 42

15. Sam Lowes (Ducati) GB 36