Ducati 1-2-3 as Aragon WorldSBK round gets underway on Friday

2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship
Round Ten – Aragon
Friday Practice

After some difficulties encountered in FP1 due to strong winds, in the afternoon Bautista and Rinaldi found a much better feeling with their Aruba.It Ducati Panigale V4R machines to end the first day at Aragon 1-2 ahead of Barni Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci on the Ducati Panigale V4R of the Barni Racing Team.

Alvaro Bautista – P1

“A good Friday even if this morning I had a lot of difficulties both because of the strong wind and the lack of grip on the rear. In the afternoon, however, the conditions improved a lot and with them the feeling with the bike. We worked a lot on different solutions of tires and even though we improved our lap time significantly with the SCX rear tyre, we still haven’t decided which tyre we will run Race 1 with”.

Michael Rinaldi – P2

“Definitely a positive day. This morning we worked on the race pace while in the afternoon we tried different tyre solutions with very satisfying results. The race pace is still a bit to fix because Alvaro went really fast. In any case, we are not far off. It will be important to work well on the electronics to reduce tyre wear, which is very high on this circuit. We will still try to play the race”.

Danilo Petrucci – P3

“I had really good feeling with the bike right away. We’ve had a good base on which to work for a few races now, and this allows me to be quick right from the get-go. I’m happy with the feeling I have with both the bike and track. My only concern is the tyre consumption as they really wear fast. Completing many laps with consistent times is complicated, but I think we can be competitive in the race.”

Fastest in Free Practice 1, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was the first rider of the day to get into the 1’49s bracket, with a 1’49.970 within the opening ten minutes of the session, once again showing that he’s one of the main riders and a force to be reckoned with as Aragon’s most successful rider. However, the six-time World Champion couldn’t improve throughout the rest of the session and took fourth at the chequered flag.

Jonathan Rea – P4

“We took a base from what we had in the test here a few weeks ago so we started with the bike in the ballpark. I have been able to do laps consistently and we also did a longer run in the afternoon. I feel quite solid but there is still some room for improvement. We have to understand the changes to make for tomorrow. I have to believe I can compete and I feel like today I maximised everything. I was there, in the ballpark. If you look at the lap-by-lap results we gave away too much time in sector four, and this is time we cannot improve. We need to find improvements in our strong areas and other areas of the track. The track surface is getting better and better because this morning it was so ‘green’ and dirty. The afternoon was more normal. If it does not rain overnight then we should have good track conditions again.”

With Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) out injured, test rider Florian Marino replaced him this weekend and was solid, throughout, taking 16th at the end of the day.

It was a more than solid day at the office and something of a return to form for Honda; Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was second in P2 and on a mission, before setting a consistent race pace in the mid-to-low 1’50s. Although both riders relied on their morning times, it was a positive day, particularly for Lecuona, who was back to something of some recognisable form, despite a late crash lap pushing on for a strong lap at the end of FP2 at Turn 14. Lecuona was on the newer chassis, which featured less bracing to help the bike turn in the corners better, whilst team-mate Xavi Vierge stuck with the older specification, not seeing much difference. Vierge moved into the top ten in FP2 but was sixth in FP1, before finishing eighth overall, with Lecuona P5 on combined times.

Iker Lecuona – P5

“Overall, I’m quite happy with the first day here. We already knew that our pace at this track was competitive, something we noted during the recent test. Not over the flying lap, where I expect some challenges tomorrow, but in terms of race pace, so I feel confident there. This morning I could push hard, lapped on my own and felt comfortable all session long. This afternoon the track temperature increased by around ten degrees and the feeling changed a bit, especially at the front. I cannot say I’m a fan of the new front spec, I felt a little on the limit and took a couple of risks before ultimately crashing. Just a small crash, and I’m totally fine, so overall I’m very happy, as I’ve said. We are top five, and it’s been a while since we started a racing weekend this well. We’ll try and fight at the front as far as we can, but we shouldn’t forget that today is only Friday. This morning was cold and windy, and the track was a bit dirty, with many riders already improving their pace this afternoon. The track will continue to improve run by run. So we need to work well in FP3 and qualifying and then perhaps we’ll have a chance to stay in the front group or close to it during the first race. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.”

Xavi Vierge – P8

“It’s been a solid first day, the best start to a Friday we’ve had in a long time, so that’s positive. The test we completed here some weeks ago has definitely helped, but it’s also this kind of layout that suits our bike particularly well. So we’re happy and pace is already quite good, but we need to keep working to make another little step. I feel we are going in the right direction and, with Iker also going very fast, we will have more data to analyse that will help us for tomorrow. The goal is to fight at the front, and what better place to try and do that than at home.”

In sixth place, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) once again led the charge for BMW, whilst Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was ninth and the second Yamaha at the end of the day when the chequered flag dropped.

Dominique Aegerter – P9

“It’s nice to ride in Aragon, a different track than what we’re used to. Our opening day was strong, even though we’re aware we’ve still got a lot of work to do. The gap to the guys in front is a bit high, but we’ll work very hard to find good settings. I think we can use a bit more grip and turning to be stronger, I’m confident we’ll be able to, so we’re hoping for more sun tomorrow and a nice qualifying.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was seventh in FP1 and inside the top six throughout the second session in the afternoon. Typically, Aragon is a difficult track for Toprak and Yamaha, so whilst on the face of it, it’s more of a weekend of damage limitation, Razgatlioglu aims to ruffle Bautista’s feathers this weekend. Team-mate Andrea Locatelli was a solid force inside the top ten with P9 in FP1.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – P7

“We are not starting well today – we tried to search for a good set-up in FP1 and FP2, I am not really happy because we are not improving – but I hope tomorrow will be better! I know this weekend is not easy for me, the feeling is not the best but I hope tomorrow we can find a good set-up and be fighting for the podium. Now, it doesn’t look easy but I always keep fighting in the race. I am speaking with my team, they are also not happy so tomorrow we will try for a big step for more grip and better turning. We will see – we are not really strong at this track at this moment but I hope we can improve.”

Andrea Locatelli – P10

“It was a difficult first day here in Aragon – my feeling physically was very good and I am trying to push always, and the feeling with the bike was not so bad – we just have some small problem to work on. I felt we lost a lot of time in the corners of the first and second sectors, so we need just to look at this to see what we can do for tomorrow because we need to improve a little bit. It’s important to start in front to be able to fight in the race. Honestly, it’s a difficult Friday but we never stop working. We need to look forward, prepare and try to be ready for the race. I want to be positive because I think we have the potential to be in front always, so if we can find a good solution and a better feeling on the bike for better grip and turning, then for sure we can fight.”

In the factory BMW squad, there wasn’t much to shout about with Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) suffering from an injury sustained at home, whilst fellow factory BMW rider Michael van der Mark crashed in FP2 at Turn 12. Thankfully, the Dutchman returned to the circuit with ten minutes to go to try and set a faster lap time, whilst Redding returned not long after, following a brief stint in the pitlane with front suspension work being carried out. As day two hit the history books, Redding was 15th and van der Mark 14th, leaping ahead in the closing stages of FP2.

At a circuit where Ducati are so powerful, German rider Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) missed out on a top ten place by just 0.050s, taking 11th at the end of FP2. He was ahead of Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW), with both of Michael Galinski’s BMWs ahead of the factory effort.

Remy Gardner – P12

“Not the easiest day, but we managed to make a good improvement from Free Practice 1 to Free Practice 2. I felt much better and we showed strong progress. Hopefully we can find one more step tomorrow, especially in stopping the bike a bit better and turning under acceleration, I’m confident I can build a solid Saturday.”

Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) took P17, ahead of Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), with Bassani having a nightmare first day at Aragon, a track he’s never featured strongly at.

WorldSBK Friday Combined Practice Times

World Superbike Championship Points

WorldSSP

Nicolo Bulega’s (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) potential Championship winning Tissot Aragon Round got off the perfect start as he topped both Friday sessions to lead the FIM Supersport World Championship field on Friday. The Ducati star was almost two-tenths clear of his rivals after two Free Practice sessions at MotorLand Aragon, while title rival Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was third and around three-tenths back from Bulega.

Tom Edwards (Yart – Yamaha WorldSSP Team) and compatriot Luke Power (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) both went down at Turn 2, albeit in different sessions: Edwards had his accident in FP1 while Power crashed in FP2.

WorldSSP Friday Combined Practice Times

World Supersport Championship Points

WorldSSP300

Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse)’s late FP2 effort moved him to the top of the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship time-sheets on Friday, while title contenders were placed throughout the combined classification for the Tissot Aragon Round.

Championship leader Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) was third overall while Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) was down in 20th place at MotorLand Aragon.

WorldSSP300 Friday Combined Practice Times

World Supersport 300 Championship Points

WorldSBK Aragon Schedule
(AEST)

2023 FIM Superbike World Championship Calendar
Date	Circuit	WSBK	WSSP600	WSSP300
24-26 Feb	Phillip Island	X	X
3-5 Mar	Mandalika	X	X
21-23 Apr	Assen	X	X	X
5-7 May	Catalunya	X	X	X
2-4 Jun	Misano	X	X	X
30 Jun-02 Jul	Donington Park	X	X
14-16 Jul	Imola	X	X	X
28-30 Jul	Autodrom Most	X	X	X
8-10 Sep	Magny-Cours	X	X	X
22-24 Sep	Aragón	X	X	X
29-Sep-01 Oct	Algarve	X	X	X