WorldSBK Test Catalunya-Barcelona, Spain - Friday Results (Midday)
Starting day-two the way he ended Friday’s opening day of WorldSBK testing in Catalunya, it was Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista who was once again the early pace setter.
However, the Spaniard was not top for long as Team HRC rider Iker Lecuona showed what appears to be much improved performance from Honda to go fastest.
At the conclusion of the first hour, Lecuona set a time of 1:41.708s, which was just +0.023s quicker than Toprak Razgatlioglu in second.
Taking advantage of the grip that was put down after eight hours of continuous action, Lecuona’s lap time was also half second quicker than he went at any time on day-one.
But in typical Bautista fashion, whether it be 11 days ago at the two-day Misano test or here in Catalunya, the former MotoGP rider responded by clinching top spot come the end hour #2.
While Bautista and Lecuona continued to battle hard for top spot, it was neither Spaniard who managed to claim the fastest time as riders headed for a lunch break.
That instead went the way of defending champion Razgatlioglu.
World Superbike Test Catalunya-Barcelona, Spain - Friday Results (Midday) | ||||
Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time |
1 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | TUR | PATA Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK | 1:40.571s |
2 | Alvaro Bautista | SPA | Aruba.It Racing Ducati | +0.381s |
3 | Iker Lecuona | SPA | Team HRC WorldSBK | +0.462s |
4 | Jonathan Rea | GBR | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK | +0.597s |
5 | Garrett Gerloff | USA | GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team | +0.749s |
6 | Michael Rinaldi | ITA | Aruba.It Racing Ducati | +1.039s |
7 | Scott Redding | GBR | BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | +1.065s |
8 | Xavi Vierge | SPA | Team HRC WorldSBK | +1.153s |
9 | Philipp Oettl | GER | GoEleven Ducati | +1.164s |
10 | Lucas Mahias | FRA | Puccetti Kawasaki | +1.173s |
11 | Andrea Locatelli | ITA | PATA Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK | +1.375s |
12 | Alex Lowes | GBR | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK | +1.428s |
13 | Kohta Nozane | JPN | GRT Yamaha | +1.938s |
14 | Ilya Mikhalchik | UKR | BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | +2.192s |
15 | Eugene Laverty | IRL | Bonovo Action BMW | +2.734s |
16 | Loris Baz | FRA | Bonovo Action BMW | +3.190s |
17 | Luca Bernardi | SM | Barni Spark Ducati Team | +3.252s |
18 | Oliver Konig | CZE | Orelac Racing Kawasaki | +4.284s |
19 | Loris Cresson | BEL | Pedercini Kawasaki | +4.829s |
20 | Hafizh Syahrin | MAL | MIE Honda Racing | +4.968s |
The Pata Yamaha rider set the fastest lap of the test thus far with a time of 1:40.571s - close to four tenths clear of Bautista.
With Yamaha, Ducati, Kawasaki and Honda all showing themselves towards the top of the times, the only manufacturer missing was BMW.
Off the pace on day-one, and by quite some margin it must be said, things took a similar course of action as Scott Redding was over two seconds down for most of the morning.
The ex-British Superbike champion did manage to climb as high as fifth, before that became seventh following significant improvements from Garrett Gerloff and Michael Rinaldi.