WSBK test - Phillip Island

[wull]

SCHEDULE: all the key times from the two-day Official Test at Phillip Island!

Two days of testing will take place ahead of the Australian Round at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship gets underway next week with the Grand Ridge Brewery Australian Round at the stunning Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit but, before Free Practice 1 on Friday, there will be two Official Test days for the WorldSBK and WorldSSP field.

The Test starts on Monday, 20th February at 09:10 Local Time (GMT+11) with the WorldSSP field getting a 1h50m Free Practice 1 session. The WorldSBK field take to the track two hours later for a two-hour Free Practice 1 session, before a 30-minute break. In the afternoon, WorldSSP action starts at 13:40 and WorldSBK at 15:40; both Free Practice 2 sessions with the same lengths as the morning.

Tuesday’s running starts at the same time but with the WorldSBK field on track for FP1 at 09:10, followed by WorldSSP at 11:20. In the afternoon, the WorldSBK machines once again head out first at 13:40 for FP2 followed by WorldSSP at 15:50. All session lengths remain the same as Monday.



Monday, 20th February (all times Local Time (GMT+11))
09:10-11:00 – WorldSSP Free Practice 1
11:10-13:10 – WorldSBK Free Practice 1
13:40-15:30 – WorldSSP Free Practice 2
15:40-17:49 – WorldSBK Free Practice 2


Tuesday, 21st February
09:10-11:10 – WorldSBK Free Practice 1
11:20-13:10 – WorldSSP Free Practice 1
13:40-15:40 – WorldSBK Free Practice 2
15:50-17:40 – WorldSSP Free Practice 2

[Skub]

Short Winter for those boys.

[wull]

I know, I can’t wait, winters seem so short now.

[westers151]

I didn't realise WSB started next weekend; that's Saturday and Sunday's viewing sorted.

[wull]

Razgatlioglu pips Rinaldi to Day 1 honours at Phillip Island, ‘titanic trio’ crash on dramatic test day













2021 Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu was the fastest rider on the opening day of the Official Test despite a crash in FP1, while Rea and Bautista also crashed

It was a dramatic day of testing for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit on Day 1 of the Official Test as Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) topped the times by 0.099s despite an FP1 crash, while all three of the ‘titanic trio’ from 2022 crashed on the opening day.

The day was disrupted by five red flags, but teams and riders were still able to get meaningful running in on the penultimate day of testing ahead of the 2023 season getting underway at the same venue.


Despite being a Test day, there was drama everywhere you looked in Australia as five red flags, with several of these due to geese near the track, disrupted running while there was also drama for the ‘titanic trio’.

Both Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) went down at Turn 4 in FP2 at around the same time, while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) had an FP1 crash at Turn 10 with just a few minutes remaining.


Despite his FP1 crash, 2021 Champion Razgatlioglu was able to bounce back in FP2 to top the timesheets in the two-hour session with a 1’30.674s and that time was also good enough to top the times in the combined classification on Day 1.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was second and 0.099s slower than Razgatlioglu but he was able to finish ahead of teammate Bautista with the reigning Champion in third place and 0.134s down on Razgatlioglu. Six-time Champion Rea took fourth spot after setting a 1’30.889s with Rea the first rider to lap in the 1’30s bracket.

Several riders with Independent teams shone brightly in Australia on Day 1 of the test, with four finishing inside the top ten behind Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) in fifth place.

Locatelli had topped FP1 with a 1’31.008s and was unable to beat that in FP2 with his time good enough for fifth place. German rider Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) took sixth spot and was the top Independent rider on his Ducati, lapping 0.921s slower than Razgatlioglu, while home hero Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was seventh and only 0.005s behind Oettl.


New BMW recruit Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was the fastest BMW rider on Day 1 after he posted a 1’31.671s with the American improving his time by a second between FP1 and FP2, while rookie Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was ninth after posting a best time of 1’31.728s. Factory BMW rider Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) rounded out the top ten after lapping around a tenth slower than Aegerter.


Team HRC’s Iker Lecuona was the highest-placed Honda rider on Day 1 with 11th spot on his first visit to Phillip Island in WorldSBK after he missed the 2022 season-ending round through injury. His time, a 1’31.904s, was more than a tenth quicker than rookie Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in 12th spot with the Italian almost 1.5s down on Razgatlioglu’s pace setting time.

Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) took 13th spot with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) rounding out the top 15.


Frenchman Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) took 16th spot on his M 1000 RR machine, 1.619s down on Razgatlioglu’s time but only 0.015s away from a spot in the top ten. 2013 Champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 17th with Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) 18th and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) 19th.

Rookie Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) took 20th on his first visit to Phillip Island on the Yamaha YZF R1 machine while MIE Racing Honda Team duo Hafizh Syahrin and Eric Granado were 21st and 22nd respectively. Granado had a crash at Turn 12 with around 40 minutes left in the session but was declared fit following a check-up at the medical centre.


1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 1’30.674s
2. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.099s
3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0-134s
4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.215s
5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.334s
6. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) +0.921s

[weeksy]

I'd like to see someone else mixing it with the front 3.... Whether Rinaldi can find the full race pace regularly i don't know.

11th for Honda and 13th for Redding... that's a bit disappointing isn't it.

[wull]

Hopefully they can move on a little. The new M1000RR was meant to be an improvement with more flex etc, but I remember awhile back reading a statement where Scott kind of slated BMW saying they’re maybe more concerned with road sales versus winning a championship, I’d have to look it out.

Gerloff doing not too badly on the beemer, leading beemer I think just under a second back, good showing from Remy Gardner in 7th just under a second back as well.

Is it simply a case of the top 3 being that damn good? I think there will be flashes of brilliance from the others, certain circuits but I’d wager that the usual 3 will be at the top more times than not.

[wull]

Bautista leads Locatelli on Day 2 at Phillip Island, WorldSBK Independents shine again in Australia













The morning of the second day of testing once again provided a mixed up order, while a late red flag disrupted running
The second morning of the Official Test for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was disrupted by a red flag as reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped the times by less than a tenth ahead of his rivals.

The Ducati rider’s best time on the morning od Day 2 was six tenths quicker than his best Day 1 time with riders immediately on the pace when the session got underway.
Bautista posted a best time of a 1’30.272s, beating his best from Day 1 by six tenths, while it was also faster than Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) fastest time of Day 1 by three tenths of a second.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) took second place after setting a 1’30.344s; only 0.072s down on Bautista. Italian rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was third, 0.229s down on his teammate, as he continued to shine.



Six-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took fourth spot, 0.444s down on Bautista, on his ZX-10RRR as he worked on tyre life and making the bike more manageable particularly in sector three.

Razgatlioglu, still looking at improving rear grip, was fifth while German Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) took sixth spot as the top Independent rider.

Oettl had been inside the top four during the majority of the two-hour Free Practice 1 session but dropped to sixth place.
Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was seventh despite a late technical problem at Turn 7 after lapping a 1’30.930s, with Lecuona the last rider in the 1’30s bracket.

Home hero Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was eighth ahead of four more Independent riders. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) took ninth spot, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was the fastest BMW rider in tenth and Gardner’s teammate, Dominique Aegerter, was 11th.


Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) had a crash at Turn 8 with around 18 minutes left in the session which brought out the red flags, while Czech rider Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) had a crash at Turn 2 in the early stages of the session which limited his running; Konig completed only five laps in the two-hour FP1 session. Konig’s crash came when he lost the front of his bike while shifting down as the bike pushed on.

The top six from FP1, full results here:

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’30.272s
2. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) + 0.072s
3. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.229s
4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.444s
5. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.485s
6. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) +0.566s

[wull]

It’s looking good for this weekend coming

[Skub]

Booked on the planner,ready and waiting.

edit...fuck me,Wull,posted at 5.43am?

Does the world even exist for another 4 hours?

[wull]

Booked on the planner,ready and waiting.

edit...fuck me,Wull,posted at 5.43am?

Does the world even exist for another 4 hours?

Up for work

Getting my priorities straight, take a morning dump whilst keeping the forum race section fully informed

[Skub]

Up for work

Getting my priorities straight, take a morning dump whilst keeping the forum race section fully informed

TMI

[Skub]

Lowes doesn't sound very upbeat.

Alex Lowes statements after Phillip Island Test: “I feel like we are struggling a bit. The updates we had in the winter don’t seem to be working as well here. We made some positive steps in the last session today, but we have some work to do. What we found in Europe, in cooler test conditions, has not been the same here. I did not do a time attack but the position on the timesheets is still a lot lower than I would want it to be. I just used race tyres but we still have work to do. We raced here at the end of last year and right now I don’t feel as comfortable as I did then. I was faster in the morning than the afternoon, when it was a bit gripper, and I have been wary to not make too many mistakes. We saw a lot of crashes in WorldSBK and WorldSSP. So I just wanted to keep my powder dry in some ways, but I have not been ‘sandbagging’ and then feel like I am going to win the race. That said I was 15th in testing in 2020 and then went on to win a race, so that might be a good sign!”

[wull]

He’s sandbagging

[weeksy]

He’s sandbagging

For 7 years?

[wull]

He’s sandbagging

For 7 years?

No, I’m meaning at Phillip Island.

[Skub]

Thursday's debrief.

https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2023/O ... 5&jb=22005

[weeksy]

Honda are in a massive wilderness in both GPs and WSB really... i mean a proper pile of shite. I'm amazed people are not walking round carrying swords to fall on.

[wull]

“I don’t think I’m the favourite” as he straddles the rocket, of course he’s the favourite. He’s performing extremely well at circuits where you’d expect Toprak and JR to have the edge, yet they don’t, and the difference when Toprak is fastest is negligible especially when you think about how well Alvaro manages his rear tyre.

[Skub]

“I don’t think I’m the favourite” as he straddles the rocket, of course he’s the favourite. He’s performing extremely well at circuits where you’d expect Toprak and JR to have the edge, yet they don’t, and the difference when Toprak is fastest is negligible especially when you think about how well Alvaro manages his rear tyre.

Alvaro sandbags like a pro.