Donington Park World Superbike - Friday Practice (2) Results

Friday Free Practice results for round six of the 2023 World Superbike championship at Donington Park in Great Britain.

30 Jun 2023

Toprak Razgatlioglu, British WorldSBK, Donington Park, 30 June

2023 World Superbike, Donington Park - Free Practice 2
POS	RIDER	NAT	TEAM	TIME
1	Toprak Razgatlioglu	TUR	Pata Yamaha Prometeon	1:27.639s
2	Axel Bassani	ITA	Motocorsa Ducati	+0.142s
3	Andrea Locatelli	ITA	Pata Yamaha Prometeon	+13.100s
4	Hafizh Syahrin	MAS	PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team	+14.781s
5	Lorenzo Baldassarri	ITA	GMT94 Yamaha	+15.995s
6	Eric Granado	BRA	PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team	+16.234s
7	Dominique Aegerter	SUI	GYTR GRT Yamaha Team	+16.298s
	Danilo Petrucci	ITA	Barni Spark Racing Team	No Time
	Philipp Oettl	GER	GoEleven Ducati	No Time
	Loris Baz	FRA	Bonovo Action BMW	No Time
	Garrett Gerloff	USA	Bonovo Action BMW	No Time
	Remy Gardner	AUS	GYTR GRT Yamaha Team	No Time
	Scott Redding	GBR	ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team	No Time
	Alvaro Bautista	ESP	Aruba.it - Ducati	No Time
	Iker Lecuona	ESP	Team HRC	No Time
	Xavi Vierge	ESP	Team HRC	No Time
	Tito Rabat	ESP	Kawasaki Puccetti	No Time
	Alex Lowes	GBR	Kawasaki Racing Team	No Time
	Oliver Konig	CZE	Orelac Racing MOVISIO	No Time
	Bradley Ray	GBR	Yamaha Motoxracing Team	No Time
	Michael Rinaldi	ITA	Aruba.it - Ducati	No Time
	Jonathan Rea	GBR	Kawasaki Racing Team	No Time
	Isaac Vinales	ESP	Pedercini Racing	No Time
	Tom Sykes	GBR	ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team	No Time

Donington Park: Official World Superbike Lap Records:
Best Lap:
Jonathan Rea GBR Kawasaki 1m 26.080s (2022)
Best Race Lap:
Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Yamaha 1m 26.767s (2022)

Worsening weather at Donington Park meant Jonathan Rea's 1m 27.627s morning time remained unbeaten in this afternoon's Free Practice 2, when only Toprak Razgatlioglu and Axel Bassani improved on their FP1 best and just seven riders recorded a lap time.

In a repeat of FP1, white and red flags were waved from the start of the afternoon session.

However, this time the rain spots soon intensified, sending all riders back to the pits, most without setting a flying lap, while Razgatlioglu had got to within a mere 0.012s of Rea's earlier best.

The continuing rain eventually soaked the track, prompting some riders to return on wet tyres in the closing stages.

Razgatlioglu's team-mate Andrea Locatelli was quickest on wets followed by Hafizh Syahrin, Lorenzo Baldassarri, Eric Granado and Dominique Aegerter.

The others elected to play safe and remain in the pits.

The short Free Practice 3 takes place on Saturday morning followed by the Superpole qualifying session and Race 1.

2023 World Superbike, Donington Park - Free Practice 1
	RIDER	NAT	TEAM	TIME
1	Jonathan Rea	GBR	Kawasaki Racing Team	1:27.627s
2	Toprak Razgatlioglu	TUR	Pata Yamaha Prometeon	+0.052s
3	Philipp Oettl	GER	GoEleven Ducati	+0.130s
4	Alex Lowes	GBR	Kawasaki Racing Team	+0.230s
5	Bradley Ray	GBR	Yamaha Motoxracing Team	+0.430s
6	Tom Sykes	GBR	ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team	+0.481s
7	Alvaro Bautista	ESP	Aruba.it - Ducati	+0.516s
8	Michael Rinaldi	ITA	Aruba.it - Ducati	+0.925s
9	Andrea Locatelli	ITA	Pata Yamaha Prometeon	+0.944s
10	Iker Lecuona	ESP	Team HRC	+1.006s
11	Garrett Gerloff	USA	Bonovo Action BMW	+1.010s
12	Scott Redding	GBR	ROKiT BMW Motorrad Team	+1.113s
13	Danilo Petrucci	ITA	Barni Spark Racing Team	+1.149s
14	Axel Bassani	ITA	Motocorsa Ducati	+1.169s
15	Loris Baz	FRA	Bonovo Action BMW	+1.300s
16	Remy Gardner	AUS	GYTR GRT Yamaha Team	+1.522s
17	Xavi Vierge	ESP	Team HRC	+2.044s
18	Dominique Aegerter	SUI	GYTR GRT Yamaha Team	+2.414s
19	Isaac Vinales	ESP	Pedercini Racing	+2.497s
20	Lorenzo Baldassarri	ITA	GMT94 Yamaha	+2.662s
21	Tito Rabat	ESP	Kawasaki Puccetti	+3.059s
22	Hafizh Syahrin	MAS	PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda	+3.221s
23	Eric Granado	BRA	PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda	+3.539s
24	Oliver Konig	CZE	Orelac Racing MOVISIO	+3.549s

Donington Park: Official World Superbike Lap Records:
Best Lap:
Jonathan Rea GBR Kawasaki 1m 26.080s (2022)
Best Race Lap:
Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Yamaha 1m 26.767s (2022)

Jonathan Rea leads Toprak Razgatlioglu as raindrops torment riders during opening practice for the 2023 Donington Park World Superbike round.

Rain flags were hoisted from the start of the 45-minute session, but didn't prevent slick tyres being used.

Fresh was his newly announced KRT contract extension, Alex Lowes set the early pace before last year's triple winner Razgatlioglu took over at the top for Yamaha.

Worsening rain then sent most riders back to the pits during the middle stages.

But conditions improved just as quickly, with Rea recovering from some early technical issues to post a 1m 27.627s in the final five minutes, putting him a fraction clear of Razgatlioglu.

Philipp Oettl split the Kawasakis of Rea and Lowes with third and top Ducati. BSB champion Bradley Ray began his home weekend in style with fifth, just ahead of countryman, former world champion, BMW stand-in and Donington specialist Tom Sykes.

Reigning world champion and runaway 2023 title leader Alvaro Bautista was seventh for Ducati, just ahead of team-mate Michael Rinaldi.

Andrea Locatelli (Yamaha) and Iker Lecuona (Honda) completed the top ten.

Remy Gardner, riding with a special James Hunt-style helmet design, was the first faller of the weekend, in the opening ten minutes at the final turn.

FP2 takes place at 15:00 local time.

Donington Park has been resurfaced since the 2022 event, where Toprak Razgatlioglu took all three wins and eventual champion Alvaro Bautista suffered a rare retirement and managed just one podium.

Donington Park 2022:
Race 1 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Yamaha
Superpole Race winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Yamaha
Race 2 winner: Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Yamaha

Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.