WSBK - Catalunya test

[wull]

https://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/2023/C ... 0continues


The five factory teams will be joined by a host of Independent outfits during the two-day test on Thursday and Friday
The break between the Indonesian and Dutch Rounds in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship calendar is providing teams and riders an opportunity to complete some in-season testing, with the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosting two days of action on Thursday, 30th and Friday, 31st March. The majority of the grid will be present at the test, including all five factory teams, giving them the chance to work on their package ahead of racing resuming at the TT Circuit Assen in April.


A BUSY TEST: the five factories on track together
The Catalunya test will mark the first time the five manufacturers have been on track together since the Indonesian Round as all five teams search for forward steps and more progress. Championship leaders Ducati will have Aruba.it Racing – Ducati duo Alvaro Bautista and Michael Ruben Rinaldi together in Barcelona, joined by Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK’s Toprak Razgatlioglu and Andrea Locatelli as they look to take a step forward with the Yamaha YZF R1 machine.

BMW will have their first test between rounds with riders Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and teammate Michael van der Mark.
Two manufacturers who already tested in the gap will be back out on track. Both the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK and Team HRC squads tested recently at MotorLand Aragon and they will return to track action in Spain for two more days of testing in Barcelona. KRT’s Jonathan Rea recently spoke in-depth about the 2023 campaign, which you can read here, and he will be on track with teammate Alex Lowes. Both Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona, who took pole position in the 2022 Catalunya Round, will be at the test after they recently tested different chassis bracing and exhaust at Aragon.


INDEPENDENTS ON TRACK: new parts for Petrucci?
Plenty of Independent riders will take to the track too, with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) hoping he will be able to test a new fuel tank to aid his comfort on the bike as he goes in search of a maiden WorldSBK podium. Bradley Ray’s (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) preparations for his maiden campaign continue with the two-day test in Barcelona. From BMW’s Independent team, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) will be the sole rider on track for the Bonovo BMW team as teammate Loris Baz continues his recovery, while Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team) and Hafizh Syahrin will be the Independent Honda riders on track.


AN IMPORTANT TEST: looking to continue strong starts to 2023
Lying fourth in the Championship standings after two rounds, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) will look to continue his fine start to the season and the test will be an important part of this at the circuit he took his first WorldSBK podium at. GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK duo Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter, who showed strong pace in their first two WorldSBK rounds, will look to continue their strong form heading to Assen while Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) will also be on track during the test as he looks to make a step forward.


DUCATIS ON TRACK: four WorldSSP riders at the test
The two-day test gives four riders from WorldSSP to complete some testing ahead of the Dutch Round, with all four running the Ducati Panigale V2 machine. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) will make his return from injury at the test after he suffered a broken collarbone in Australia. Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) will be on track as he goes in search of a good feeling at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on his bike, while Orelac Racing VerdNatura duo Raffaele De Rosa and Federico Fuligni will be on track during the test.


REFERENCES: lap records and top speed
WorldSBK outright lap record: 1’40.408s – Tom Sykes, BMW, Superpole, 2021
WorldSBK fastest race lap: 1’41.135 – Alvaro Bautista, Ducati, Superpole Race, 2022
WorldSBK Top Speed record: 331.3km/h – Alvaro Bautista, Honda, 2021
WorldSSP outright lap record: 1’43.983s – Dominique Aegerter, Yamaha, Superpole, 2022
WorldSSP fastest race lap: 1’45.157s – Dominique Aegerter, Yamaha, Race 1, 2022
WorldSSP Top Speed record: 285.7km/h – Oli Bayliss, Ducati & Leonardo Taccini, Yamaha, 2022

[wull]

Bautista fastest on first morning of Catalunya test, Razgatlioglu crashes











The reigning Champion was just a tenth away from the outright lap record on the first morning in Spain, while Toprak Razgatlioglu crashed at Turn 2


Testing for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship got underway at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Thursday morning with reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on top of the timesheets after four hours of running. The Spaniard posted a lap time just a tenth slower than the outright lap record to secure his place in top spot, while it was a dramatic morning for Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) after he finished in fourth place despite a Turn 2 crash.


Bautista was one of the first riders to hit the track when the green flags waved at 10:00am Local Time (GMT+1) and he was quick straight out of the blocks. He posted a 1’40.500s to record the fastest time of the morning, a time that was just one tenth away from Tom Sykes’ (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) outright lap record from the Tissot Superpole session in 2021 when he was with BMW. 2022 polesitter Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was second after he posted a 1’41.276s and he was around a tenth ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in third place.


2021 Champion Razgatlioglu was fourth fastest after he set a 1’41.619s, more than a second down on Bautista’s time, but he had a crash at Turn 2 which disrupted his running in the morning before he returned to the track around 45 minutes later. Razgatlioglu’s teammate, Andrea Locatelli, moved into fifth place right before the mid-point of the day as he posted a 1’41.879s to demote Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) to sixth.

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was the fastest BMW rider on the first morning of the test as he posted a 1’31.935s, almost 1.5 seconds down on Bautista’s time but within eight tenths of second-place Lecuona.

Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took eighth despite technical problems at Turns 9-10 in the morning, with the two-time WorldSSP Champion helped back to the pits by Rinaldi. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) took ninth spot in the morning with Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) rounding out the top ten.


In WorldSSP, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) took top spot after posing a 1’44.846s in the morning, finishing 1.3 seconds ahead of Raffaele De Rose (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in second spot. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), making his return from injury sustained in Australia, completed the top three in WorldSSP.

[Skub]

That 4th pic of Toprak walking by the Ducati garage,speaks volumes.

[wull]

Bautista fastest as Lecuona splits the Ducatis on Day 1 of the Catalunya test, Razgatlioglu has morning crash












Reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista topped the times with a lap time just shy of the lap record, while Iker Lecuona took second spot on a strong day for him and Honda
The first of two days of testing for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field got underway at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and it was reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who led the way on Day 1. He was two tenths clear of 2022 polesitter Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) at the end of the day’s running although Bautista’s lap time was set in the morning while Lecuona’s best time came in the final stages of the day’s action.


Bautista’s best time of the day came on his 20th lap in the morning when he posted a 1’40.500s to top the timesheets. The time came in the morning and was only a tenth slower than the outright lap record set in 2021 by Tom Sykes when at BMW. It was a strong day for the Bologna-based manufacturer with Bautista’s teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, in third place and around four tenths down on Bautista. Ducati had new parts on rear suspension to try with the aim of improving stability and grip, while there was also development on the front of the bike to achieve faster corner entry.

In terms on Independent teams for Ducati, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) were on track. Petrucci was the fastest of the two as he took 11th spot after posting a 1’42.355s with the Italian rider testing a new fuel tank to improve his position on the bike. Bassani took 12th spot as he worked on solving some issues with electronics that came up during the first two rounds of the season.


Both Team HRC riders featured inside the top five at the end of day one with Iker Lecuona in second and Xavi Vierge in fifth place. The pair were separated by around six tenths at the end of the day’s running on the CBR1000RR-R with Lecuona posting a 1’40.721s for second spot. Honda were mostly comparing the new items tested recently at MotorLand Aragon to ensure they were working at more circuits, with this including chassis bracing and an exhaust. They also continued to test some electronic setting as well as smaller items, while also looking at setup and trying to understand the machine.


For PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team, Hafizh Syahrin was the lead rider out of him and Eric Granado with the pair towards the back of the field with Syahrin 16th and Granado 17th. The team had some testing material from Nissin to test, including brake discs and cylinders, while they wanted to get some more mileage with the swingarm. The team also hoped to work on some data related to riding style which came up during the first two rounds of 2023.


Three BMW riders were on track at the Catalunya test with Independent rider Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) leading the way for the German manufacturer. The American posted a 1’41.150s late in the session to move into fourth eighth place, while the two factory riders, Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and teammate Scott Redding, were tenth and 11th respectively at the end of Day 1.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) had a disrupted day of running following a crash at Turn 2 in the morning, but he was able to take fifth spot in the classification. The 2021 Champion posted a 1’41.433s to finish in sixth while teammate Andrea Locatelli took eighth spot. Razgatlioglu’s test began yesterday as he joined a track day for the afternoon to test some electronic settings, as well as looking to improve rear grip and position which would help increase traction and drive.

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) led the charge for the Independent Yamaha teams with seventh place on Day 1, his first time at the circuit with WorldSBK machinery. Teammate Dominique Aegerter, testing some settings and electronic parts as well as potentially testing some rider position items, was just behind in ninth place. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), preparing for his maiden WorldSBK campaign, was in 14th spot as he got to learn the track on WorldSBK machinery.


Both Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and teammate Alex Lowes opted to not run on Day 1 of 2 at the test, leaving just one Kawasaki rider on track. Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) was the last runner in WorldSBK on Day 1 as he set a 1’44.182s, with the Czech rider hoping to reset after a difficult first two rounds.

Four WorldSSP riders took to the track on Day 1, with all four running the Ducati Panigale V2 machine. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was the fastest rider on Day 1 as he searched for a good feeling on his bike, posting a 1’44.846s, to finish ahead of Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) as he returns from injury. Orelac Racing VerdNatura duo Raffaele De Rosa and Federico Fuligni rounded out the WorldSSP field.

[wull]

Bautista closes in on all-time lap record pace in Barcelona despite crash, Lecuona second before Turn 14 fall











Bautista and Lecuona were the fastest two riders on the second morning of action in Barcelona but both had crashes which disrupted their running

It was a dramatic second morning of action in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped the times and edged closer to the all-time lap record despite a crash, while a red flag was brought out following a crash for Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) at Turn 14. The pair were separated by less than a tenth as the second morning concluded with Lecuona matching Bautista’s pace from Day 1 before his crash.

Bautista set a best time of 1’40.459s, around half-a-tenth slower than the all-time lap record set by Tom Sykes in 2021 in the Tissot Superpole session, but his morning was disrupted by a Turn 11 crash. He returned to the box and was back out on track on his second bike shortly afterwards.

Lecuona took second spot after lapping less than a tenth slower than Bautista. His morning ended when he crashed at Turn 14, the final corner of the circuit, which brought out the red flags. He was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took third spot as he posted a 1’41.353s.

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) impressed despite carrying an injury on his right index finger as he took fourth spot after posting a 1’41.432s on his Yamaha YZF R1 machine. He was only 0.011s ahead of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in fifth place as he takes part in the Catalunya test for the second day only. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) took sixth spot on his CBR1000RR-R machine after setting a 1’41.646s as he looked to continue his strong form from Day 1.


Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was seventh as he continued his strong test with the Italian just over a second away from Bautista’s fastest lap and he was more than two tenths ahead of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in eighth.

Lowes’ morning was interrupted by a small crash at Turn 5, with the British rider bringing his bike back to the pits. ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team pairing Michael van der Mark and Scott Redding were once again inseparable as they finished ninth and tenth respectively as they continued to look for steps forward.

Elsewhere, there were also crashes for Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) at Turn 5 and Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) at Turns 6/7 on his first timed lap.


In WorldSSP, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) once again led the way and finished more than a second clear of Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in second place. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) was third as he continues his recovery from the injury he sustained in Australia.

[weeksy]

I'd love to see the Honda do well. They've really lost their way in all classes

[wull]

Bautista, Lecuona top the times despite early morning crashes, three manufacturers in the top three












The field were closely packed after the Barcelona test concluded with Ducati, Honda and Kawasaki all in the top three and separated by just two tenths


It was a dramatic day of testing action in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with several crashes and exhilarating pace on display during the two-day test. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) topped the times by less than a tenth of a second ahead of Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) despite the pair crashing in the morning of Day 2. Both riders closed in on the all-time lap record but the pair were just shy of it while three different manufacturers were in the top three at the end of the as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took third spot.


DUCATI REMAIN ON TOP: Bautista almost on lap-record pace, Rinaldi fourth
The factory Ducati team opted to run for just half-a-day on Friday but were still able to conclude the second day on top with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) as the Spaniard edged closer to the all-time lap record. Bautista posted a 1’40.459s to top the time, faster than he went yesterday and only half-a-tenth down on the lap record set by Tom Sykes in 2021.

Teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi, like Bautista, only ran for half-a-day on Day 2 and took fourth spot after lapping in 1’40.818s. Bautista tried Pirelli’s new front tyres that were available at this test, as he looks to continue his strong start to the campaign although he did crash at Turn 11 in the morning, while Rinaldi also tested Pirelli’s new tyres but at the rear as well as comparing two bikes with different settings.


Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was the fastest of the two Independent Ducati riders on track as he finished in 14th place despite two Turn 5 crashes on Day 2. Petrucci was testing a new seat on Day 2 as he goes in search of a more comfortable position on his Panigale V4 R. He posted a best time of 1’42.224s to finish ahead of Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) who was directly behind Bassani in the standings.


HONDAS QUICK AGAIN: Lecuona second despite crash
After showing strong pace on Day 1, the two factory Honda riders were quick again on Day 2. Lecuona was second after setting a 1’40.521s despite a crash at Turn 14 in the morning which ended his day’s running before lunchtime. He was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash and did not return to track action on Day 2. Vierge was 11th with a 1’41.505s on his CBR1000RR-R. Lecuona had planned to continue trying the upgrades the Japanese manufacturer had at MotorLand Aragon, as well as some tyre testing, while Vierge was focused on overall improvements rather than looking to the Catalunya Round. He also aimed to try new Pirelli tyres.


For the two Independent Honda riders, it was Eric Granado (PETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Team) who came out on top ahead of teammate Hafizh Syahrin. Malaysian rider Syahrin was testing some new small components on Day 1 to help find some speed, while Granado worked with Pirelli’s harder tyres on Day 1 to understand the bike/electronics. Granado finished in 17th place with his teammate directly behind.


SINGLE DAY TEST FOR KAWASAKI: both KRTs in the top five
The Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK duo of Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes opted to only test on the second day of the two-day test in Barcelona and the pair finished third and fifth respectively on the second day. Lowes posted a best time of 1’40.853s on his way to fifth place as he worked on some new items from Showa on the fork, making it softer to improve front tyre life. Rea did not have any new items to test but did have some new electronic strategies to try as well as some geometry settings, with Rea ensuring he took third place after setting a 1’40.659s


Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) was the sole Independent Kawasaki rider on track and he took 19th spot with the Czech rider aiming to make use of some softer tyres as well as hoping to use a new engine on Day 2. Konig was using his old bike with lots of mileage on already and was hoping a new engine would help him on Day 2.


AEGERTER LEADS YAMAHA CHARGE: top six for the Swiss rookie

The factory Yamahas finished the day with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) in seventh place with a 1’41.196s and teammate Andrea Locatelli in 13th place, three tenths behind the 2021 Champion. Locatelli’s focus was on improving his pace at the end of long runs, as well as continuing to work on the electronic settings on his Yamaha YZF R1 machine, while Razgatlioglu continued to work on new components and electronics, something he praised on Day 1.


Yamaha’s charge in the timing sheets was led by Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) with the Swiss rookie taking sixth place on his first visit to the circuit on WorldSBK machinery. Aegerter worked on some rider ergonomic items, such as handlebars, footrests and the seats as well some electronics.

Teammate Remy Gardner, carrying a slight injury on his right hand, was working on both the round here next month as well as looking at the 2023 campaign as a whole and finished in ninth place Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) made it five Yamahas on track and he took 16th spot after an early crash disrupted his running on Day 2.


VAN DER MARK PUTS BMW EIGHTH: plenty of upgrades on the M 1000 RR

Dutch rider Michael van der Mark (ROKIT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) enjoyed a good Day 2 of testing as he finished in eighth place, with BMW bringing plenty of upgrades to the test. Van der Mark’s best time was a 1’41.221s, finishing seven tenths down on Bautista’s time, as he tried some rider ergonomic items including two additions to the fuel tank.

Teammate Scott Redding was 12th as he finished just outside the top ten, missing out by small margins. BMW also brought two new swingarms to the test, including a carbon one, as well as some chassis changes. American star Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) took tenth spot to ensure two out of the three BMWs on track finished inside the top ten.


BULEGA ON TOP: Italian leads the way in WorldSSP
As was the case on Day 1, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was the fastest rider on Day 2 out of the four WorldSSP riders on track.

Bulega’s best lap time was a 1’44.638s to top the timesheets ahead of Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) as he stepped up his recovery from the broken collarbone he sustained in Australia. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was third as he led teammate Federico Fuligni at the end of Day 2; the pair were often on track together through the afternoon. De Rosa brought out the red flags with a late crash at Turn 14.

[wull]