Locatelli tops opening session as final pre-season testing gets underway at PI

WorldSBK 2023

Phillip Island Pre-season Test Day

Absolutely superb conditions welcomed the World Superbike to Phillip Island this morning as the final pre-season testing gets underway just before noon.

The ambient temperature has just passed 20 degrees and is rising to a forecast peak of 29 degrees.

The track temperature on the Phillip Island runway is already well over 40 degrees and will likely be much hotter in the afternoon unless some light winds pick up to dispel the tarmac discomfort.

Right at the end of the first two-hour session held on Monday, Andrea Locatelli knocked Alvaro Bautista out of the lead. 1m31,008 surpasses Bautista’s 1m31,148, but it’s notable that the Ducati man scored a 1m31 low sequence and completed the most laps of any racer, 46 laps, a work load. Good job for the morning.

Jonathan Rea is third at 1m31,260 ahead of Michael Rinaldi and Toprak Razgatlioglu.

The early signs are good for Remy Gardner with 1m31,697 putting him at P6 for the morning. Remy may be playing at home, so to speak, but many of his opponents have more laps than Remy here at Phillip Island.

While the Honda riders only ranked P12 and P14, they topped the speed charts. Vierge’s speed is 321.4 km/h and Lecuona’s is 318.6 km/h.

The riders will have an extra two-hour session starting at 3:40pm this afternoon. On Tuesday, WorldSBK drivers have two sessions again, the first two-hour session starting at 09:10 before the final move at 13:40pm on Tuesday.

WorldSBK Time Trial
second FP1

WorldSBK Test FP1 Maximum Speed