Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) took second place of Day 2 at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto after another strong outing in Yamaha blue. In his third test for the team, the six-time Champion was close to his 2019 lap record as he gears up for the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship with Yamaha after his shock switch to blue. Although he was unable to top the times, his pace being close to the record will give everyone at Yamaha confidence heading into next week’s Portimao test.

Rea set a 1’38.345s to secure second spot, only behind rookie Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who was unstoppable on Thursday at Jerez. The Italian was four tenths under the existing lap record set by Rea back in 2019, but the Ulsterman was not far off that either. His time was just a tenth away from the 1’38.247s he set back in the Tissot Superpole session in 2019, with Rea setting his time on his 21^st lap of the day today. He completed 78 in total on Day 2 and was left feeling positive at the end of the day.

“My feelings with the R1 are really good,” he began when reviewing the test. “Right from the first time I rode the bike back in November last year, I felt comfortable. I could feel the strengths of the bike and some of the areas we needed to work on. This test was more a case of picking up where we left it last November, trying a lot of test items. I think we struggled to make so much progress on Day 1 because we were trying so many items on some key areas, but last night, when the guys sat down, they were able to go through all the data and really understood the way forward. This morning, I felt great straight away. We’ve done a lot of positive laps, we’ve learnt a lot, and we’re happy with the progress and the findings we have to move onto Portugal.”

Yamaha have had lots of items for Rea, and teammate Andrea Locatelli, to try throughout off-season testing including a couple of swingarm variations at Jerez. Although Rea didn’t go into detail about the swingarms he had available to him, he did speak about a direction that he liked as he goes in search of a good base setup for the season-opening round in Australia, which takes place in just under a month.

On the upgrades that Yamaha are bringing, Rea said: “There’s a clear direction that I like, which is good. Yamaha have been working really hard behind closed doors to move the package forwards and I feel really grateful to be part of that. Sometimes it’s hard being a rider because you have to do a lot of laps out there, but you have to be at a very exact rhythm and get really clear and concise feedback. These are hard parts we’ll probably start the year with and become our base setup, so feedback’s important. Today, I tried my best to give really accurate information because Portimao will be a track we re-confirm some items, re-test some items but we have to be very clear about the package we’ll go to Australia with.”

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After stealing the spotlight on Day 1 at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, it was more of the same for rookie Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on Thursday. He once again topped the times in Spain against the majority of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship but this time he did it by going under the official lap record by a huge four tenths as he became the first, and only, rider to lap in the 1’37s during the test.

After setting a rapid 1’38.292s on Day 1 using the SCQ tyre, Bulega improved that further early into Thursday’s running. In a four-lap stint just before midday local time (GMT+1), the 2023 WorldSSP Champion posted a 1’37.809s to surge into top spot with the first 1’37s of the test. In the same stint, two laps later, he set a 1’38.495s. Bulega’s time remained unbeatable throughout the day as he topped the times for the second consecutive day.

With the lap record set in 2019 by Jonathan Rea, then at Kawasaki, a 1’38.247s, Bulega was more than four tenths clear of this. Talking about his incredible lap and the test as a whole, Bulega said: “It was a solid test. We tried something that I liked. The time attack was very good and the pace was good all day with the race tyres. I’m happy with the work we’ve done during the first test of the year, and we’ll work hard for the next one. The lap time makes me very proud and very happy. The first test was incredible, and I already have a very nice feeling. The lap was obviously not easy to do. When I saw a 1’37.8s on my dash, I was smiling!”

Despite showing strong one-lap pace, and finding improvements with his race pace as he adjusts to the Panigale V4 R, Bulega refused to change his goals as he heads into his maiden season. He comes into the campaign full of confidence after a stunning WorldSSP campaign in 2023, while he was also quick at the Jerez test at the end of last season. He spoke more about what he expects from the season and also whether his rivals should be worried given his speed so far.

“It’s just a test! It doesn’t change anything. I’m still a rookie, I just want to enjoy my first season in WorldSBK,” began Bulega before expanding on what he’ll work on at the Portimao test next week, and talking about his rival. “I think there’s nothing special at Portimao, just to continue on this way and always getting better with my bike. I feel quite ready. Yesterday not too much, but today with the race tyre, I improved a lot and I think we can do well. I hope my rivals are worried! At the moment, I’m not sure, but I hope so!”

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Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) continues to impress as he gears up for his rookie MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign. ‘The Maniac’ was on his Independent Panigale V4 R for the second time and he secured a spot in the top five on Day 2 with eyes turning towards Iannone’s garage following impressive performances at Jerez in both the end-of-season test and the first test of 2024, including taking fifth at Jerez.

Iannone was quick on Day 1 as well as he finished inside the top ten and he backed that up on Day 2 with fifth place. He posted a 1’38.744s to claim P5 with 61 laps to his name, finishing just over nine tenths down on Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) after he set lap record place. Iannone was around half-a-second down on the actual lap record, with only Bulega beating it and most riders a few tenths or more away from it.

Discussing his test, Iannone said: “It wasn’t so bad. It’s our goal and focus to improve day by day. Today, we changed something on the bike, and we went a different way compared to yesterday. In the end, I’m quite happy. I need more kilometres, need to have more experience with the bike, the team and the tyres, but I think we finished the first test of the year in a good way. We’re not so far away. I think I did my best lap with the SCX tyre, so we are more or less the best rider! We struggled a little bit with the SCQ. I tried one Q tyre today, but we weren’t ready, the bike changed a lot, and I didn’t have experience. We’ll try it one more time at Portimao to change the setup a little bit and so the team understands what I want with this tyre. I used the race tyre well, but not the SCQ.”

Despite having a positive overall day, including a good outright lap time and the #29 referencing his race pace, there was some disruption. A small crash in the first half of the day disrupted his running slightly and Iannone explained what caused his spill, with the Italian able to return to the track after the crash and continue working on his return to action.

Discussing his race pace, where, in an 11-lap stint, he was only slower than the 1’39s on the first and last laps, as well as the crash, Iannone said: “I think my race pace was quite good. I don’t know about everybody else. We tried more or less a half race distance today and we, apart from the first laps, were always in the 1’39s. I think it’s good, but I think it’s a little bit early to understand everything and to say that we’re okay. At Turn 2, when I exited from the box and pit lane, I lost the front at 2km/h!”.

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Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was once again the rider to beat at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto as he lapped considerably quicker than the lap record pace. The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship rookie was unstoppable on Thursday, as he was on Wednesday, as the only rider to lap in the 1’37s bracket across both days to claim top spot for the second consecutive day after he lapped around four tenths under the existing lap record and secure P1 by more than half-a-second.

LAP RECORD PACE: a 1’37.8s for Bulega, Bautista in 16^th

Bulega recorded a 1’37.809s in the first few hours of the session, a time which would remain unbeaten throughout the day. For comparison, the pole lap record set in 2019 is a 1’38.247s, with Bulega more than four tenths quicker than this as the rookie’s potential was shown once again. Teammate Alvaro Bautista had been quick in the opening stages of the test but dropped down the order to finish in 16^th, lapping in 1’39.583s, and completing 80 laps, losing places in the final hour of the test as other riders found late gains.

Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven), like fellow rookie Bulega, impressed again. He claimed fifth on his Independent V4 R, 0.935s down on Bulega, although his day was interrupted by a crash in the opening sector of the lap in the afternoon. Despite this, he completed 61 laps. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) ensured Ducati had four bikes in the top ten as he took P9 with a 1’38.907s. ‘Petrux’, who was again trying a new, lower, seat, completed 73 laps. There were two other Independent Ducatis on track. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) was seventh as he continued adapting from Moto2™ to WorldSBK with 91 laps to his name and a best time of 1’38.852s after finding gains towards the end of the day, while Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) was 15^th on his sole day of testing. He racked up 89 laps with a best time of 1’39.504s.

REA SECOND, GARDNER QUICK AGAIN: a good test for Yamaha

Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was 0.536s down on Bulega’s best time at the end of Day 2. The #65’s 1’38.345s was only a tenth away from his own lap record from 2019 but wasn’t enough to claim P1 for Yamaha as he continued working on his new bike. Teammate Andrea Locatelli ensured both factory Yamahas were in the top ten as he added 73 laps to his total, with a best time of 1’38.943s. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) continued to show his speed as he took eighth, just a tenth behind Iannone, in P5 as he posted a best time of 1’38.871s, with Gardner  re-confirming items tested on Day 1 with some back-to-back comparisons. Elsewhere, Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) was 12^th after his first test days on the Yamaha YZF-R1, finding a second between his best time on Day 1. With another 58 laps recorded and a 1’39.039s as his best time, the German was one of the most-improved riders, looking at lap times, between days as his mileage on his new bike increased.

REDDING IN THE TOP THREE, RAZGATLIOGLU P4: showing BMW’s potential…

Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) put in a stunning late 1’38.572s to claim third place and demote Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to fourth. Redding completed 77 laps as he surged up the order in the final minutes of the day, while Razgatlioglu added another 78 to the collection for BMW. Razgatlioglu’s teammate, Michael van der Mark, was 13^th with 76 laps to his name, posting a best time of 1’39.224s. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) secured P6 with a late lap to move up the order. The American’s best time was a 1’38.832s and he added 74 laps to his total. In terms of the BMW test team, Sylvain Guintoli and Bradley Smith added 56 and 48 laps respectively, with the latter having a technical issue in the early stages of the day.

LOWES THE LEAD KAWASAKI RIDER: P11 for the Brit as Bassani takes P14

After a disrupted day on Wednesday while unwell, completing only 31 laps, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) took part in the full day on Thursday. He was one of the busiest riders on track as he completed 82 laps and posted a best of 1’38.989s. The #22 wanted to spend today focusing on race pace and used tyre performance, particularly towards the end of a race distance. Teammate Axel Bassani was three places and half-a-second behind Lowes, although his time of 1’39.413s was around six tenths quicker than he set on Day 1. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 18^th on his factory ZX-10RR, completing 76 laps with a best time of 1’40.100s.

ANOTHER DIFFICULT DAY FOR HONDA? Vierge P16, Lecuona P19…

Day 1 was challenging for Honda with both Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and teammate Xavi Vierge both outside the top ten, and that continued on Day 2. Vierge was the lead Honda rider with a 1’39.915s and 73 laps completed while Lecuona posted a 1’40.237s in is 49 laps. Lecuona, who changed the bike a lot on Day 1 as it wasn’t working as expected, completed the fewest number of laps of the full-time WorldSBK riders at the test.

MANZI ON TOP: Italian leads the WorldSSP field, four manufacturers in the top four

2023 WorldSSP runner-up Stefano Manzi (Pata Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) took top spot in the World Supersport field with a 1’41.338s, completing 64 laps. He was three tenths clear of Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in second as he continues his comeback from arm surgery, while Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took P3. With Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in fourth, four different manufacturers were inside the top four at the end of Day 2.

The top ten from Day 2 at Jerez:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’37.809, 69 laps

2. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 1’38.345s, 78 laps

3. Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) 1’38.572s, 77 laps

4. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’38.638s, 78 laps

5. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) 1’38.744s, 61 laps

6. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) 1’38.832s, 74 laps

7. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 1’38,852s, 91 laps

8. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’38.871s, 76 laps

9. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’38.907s, 73 laps

10. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 1’38.943s, 73 laps

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The start of the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is edging closer and that means teams, riders and manufacturers will be refining their packages – particularly in terms of the new rules coming into effect for 2024. These include new weight regulations, where ballast might have to be added to a rider’s machine and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), as one of the lightest riders on the grid, has spoken about how this will impact him. At the Jerez test, Ducati Corse’s Technical Coordinator, Marco Zambenedetti, explained how both Bautista and Ducati are attempting to adapt to the new rules.

At the post-round Jerez test in 2023, Bautista spoke about how adding 7 kilograms to the bike made it different for him to ride as he first tried adjusting to the new rules. During the current test in southern Spain, Zambenedetti revealed that around 6kgs have been added to Bautista’s bike for the weight rules. Zambenedetti also explained that the double Champion had his training to try to gain more mass, while also talking about how Ducati were adapting to the rules.

Discussing how much weight has been added, and where on the bike, Zambenedetti said: “It’s quite easy, we’ve added 6kg more or less. Alvaro changed his training system, tried to get a bit more mass. The point is it’s 6kg. About where is a lot more complex. We are testing something that moves. First, we’d like to give him back the best feeling. The bike isn’t last year’s bike, we must forget about this, but try to give him a ballas configuration that isn’t so bad. We are working on this. We haven’t defined it at this moment. On the other side, we’re also working on engine configuration with fuel consumption and biofuel which is another big, important area to work.”

Speaking at the end of Day 1, Bautista said there were two directions the team were going in terms of the ballast added and he had a preference about which one to go in. This was put to Zambenedetti on Thursday at Jerez, who went on to explain that there isn’t yet a ‘clear idea’ about the direction to go and this might be decided when the WorldSBK paddock hits Australian in just under a month for the season opener. He also explained how, on Thursday, they were only working on one of the directions previously mentioned.

He added: “We have a lot of ideas and theories, but we are here just to test this. At this moment, we haven’t got a clear idea which is the best. Before Australia, or in Australia, we will close this experiment and we’ll start to work on a particular configuration. Today, we’re not testing both directions. We are improving a bit one direction, but we need to make a double check also in Portimao. It’s important that we have a reference at different tracks.”

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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returned to action for the first time in 2024 at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, where the majority of the grid is testing. Reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) is on track for the first time since sustaining a neck injury at the same venue in the end-of-season test, an injury which impacted his running as a wildcard during the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang and something he admits “started to feel better in the last two weeks”.

HAS BAUTISTA RECOVERED FROM INJURY? “I was very worried but, lap after lap, I felt better”

With the Jerez test the first of 2024, Bautista hasn’t been since on a bike since the Malaysian GP in November. He spoke at Ducati’s recent launch event and stated that he was feeling much better, with the next step to ride his Panigale V4 R and see how he feels on track. On day one, he completed 68 laps, a figure that was exceeded by some riders but also not matched by a lot and set a best time of 1’39.847s to finish in tenth. Teammate Nicolo Bulega was the pace setter, 1.5s quicker than the two-time Champion although the #11 did utilise the SCQ tyre for his lap time.

Reflecting on his day and providing an injury update, Bautista said: “It’s not been the best day for me. I struggled a lot during this winter. I had a lot of pain in my injury after the Sepang race. I was really bad. I cannot have good training and I was working hard with my physiotherapist to recover. It wasn’t easy because November and December, I was almost with pain all day. I didn’t feet improvement. I started to feel better in the last two weeks, and I started to work more on myself. Riding the bike in the morning, the strength in my arm was really good, but the problem was in my neck and back. I felt a lot of pain. I was really worried but, fortunately, lap after lap, it felt better so I got more relaxed, and I could do a lot of laps but not with my best performance. I was thinking more about the pain than riding the bike.

THE CHAMPION DOESN’T GIVE CLUES: “I don’t know how much weight we’ve added…”

Once it was certain that he was physically better and ready for the new season, attention soon turned to the upcoming campaign. One big talking point has been the announcement of new rules, with a new weight regulation coming into force that’ll impact riders up and down the grid. The #1 explained that, while he was aware of the impact it would have on his bike, he did not know how much would be added or where, but that there were two options.

Expanding on how he’s adapting to the new regulations, Bautista said: “We did the job because, after the test last year, we decided to have two different bikes regarding the weight distribution. Today, I could compare both bikes and it was very clear which direction we’ll take for the future. I’m happy about that and I’m happy for the feeling I have with the bike. “I don’t know how much weight I’ve added. The engineers know how much and know where to add it. I don’t have these kinds of details. I just tell them if it’s better or worse. I don’t know! You’ll have to ask Giulio Nava or Marco Zambenedetti. It’s much worse to ride because, with more weight, you have more inertia, so it’s more difficult to turn in the corners and stop the bike. It’s more physical and all the areas are worse.”

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Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was one of the headline-grabbers on day one at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, despite feeling unwell as he headed to Spain. Completing only 31 laps, by far the lowest number of the full-time riders on the grid, the #22 was still able to take second place and put in impressive lap times on his ZX-10RR and even confessed that he was “surprised” at how fast he went on the SC0 race tyre during his limited running.

STRONG DAY DESPITE ILLNESS: surprise at the pace, more work to be done

Lowes’ best lap time was a 1’39.474s which he set on his 24^th lap out of the 31 he completed in total. With the Brit under the weather heading into the test, he opted for limited running on Wednesday to try and be in better shape for Thursday. Before Nicolo Bulega’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) late improvement, Lowes had been just a few tenths off the pace although the Ducati rider’s big gain late in the day meant everyone finished more than a second off his pace.

Reviewing his day and explaining the ups and downs of Wednesday at Jerez, Lowes said: “It was good, honestly. I couldn’t do many laps because I’ve been feeling properly sick. I didn’t think I was going to be able to ride this morning. I wanted to ride a bit today to hopefully feel better tonight and do a full day tomorrow. The pace was really good. I was surprised, especially with the SC0 tyre, at how fast I could be. After a couple of months off, you always wonder how you’re going to feel and I had such a good feeling in November, so I was really happy to start where I left off, feeling good on the bike and confident. Our biggest problem is used tyres and long run pace. I hope I can make a good step tonight physically to be able to work on that tomorrow. I enjoyed today and being back and nice to get the year started.”

NEW ITEMS TESTED: different forks and working to pick the bike up off the corner

With his 31 laps comparing unfavourably to the rest of the grid, Lowes will be hoping to feel better on Thursday, to get more mileage under his belt and work on the items that are at the test for both him and the team. The two-time race winner also expanded on where he wants to find improvements for the upcoming campaign, with a particular focus on long-run and late-race pace.

“I tried to dial myself in. I tried different forks which had a different feeling, especially on the trail braking”, Lowes said when discussing what he tested on Wednesday. “We need to try over more laps. The electronics stuff, we’re always working so hard to make small improvements on the bike and electronics can help with the lap time or the opposite if it’s not quite right. It’s a bit of a minefield. We’re not really working on corner entry but picking up the gas and driving off the corner, the balance between the bike spinning or wheelieing, and this stuff. What we’re trying to achieve is the most efficiency out of acceleration and also make the bike easier to use for the longer races. It’s really hard to make that compromise.”

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Rookie Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ensured all eyes were on him on Day 1 at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto as he put in a lap that almost put him on record pace. The 2023 WorldSSP Champion was more than a second clear of his nearest rivals after utilising the SCQ tyre to full advantage although Bulega was quick to point out that he was aiming for improvements on the second day of testing for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field.

STARTING 2024 IN THE RIGHT WAY: “we are starting to understand each other in a good way”

Bulega recorded a lap time of 1’39.193s to initially go fastest around three hours into the day, before improving on that by almost a second during the final hour. On both occasions, he used the SCQ tyre, with the best time, a 1’38.292s, just half-a-tenth away from the all-time lap record set in 2019. His nearest rival was Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) who was 1.182s back on the #11, while teammate Alvaro Bautista finished in tenth place and 1.555s down on Bulega. However, the Italian did have a small technical issue towards the end of the day which he explained when his running concluded.

Explaining that problem and reflecting on a superb day for himself, Bulega said: “Not too many problems, we just had to put some more fuel in. I had a good feeling, almost like I wanted so this was important. I had fun with my bike and my team. We are starting to understand each other in a good direction. I think we are working in a good way, and I just need more laps on the bike. We were working on my position on the bike because this is completely different and bigger, so I need to adapt my body to the bike. We tried something different with the handlebar. Not incredible things, just to have a good base.”

LOOKING TO MAKE A STEP: “I have to work with used tyres”

However, despite his incredible pace using the SCQ tyre, Bulega outlined where he hoped he could find some improvements on the second day of testing to ensure he can fight at the front throughout races and not just be quick over one lap. While his one-lap pace has been superb for everyone to see so far, the 24-year-old explained that he wanted to find some more speed on used tyres on Thursday while continuing the work he and the team put in on Wednesday.

Expanding on his plan for the rest of the test, Bulega added: “Tomorrow will be about continuing the work we did today and trying to improve a bit more. Maybe we can improve with used tyres. I am fast especially with new tyres, but I have to work with used tyres. If I can be fast with used tyres, like I am with new, I can be competitive.”

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As Day 1 at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto provided the first look of Toprak Razgatlioglu at the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team alongside his rivals, all eyes were on the 2021 Champion to see how he would fare on the M 1000 RR. He was quick out of the blocks to post representative lap times in the 1’39s bracket to top the times during the early running, before ending the day in third place on what was a positive day for BMW in testing for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship.

TWO BMWS IN THE TOP FOUR: a strong start for the factory BMW outfit as they ‘show potential’

Razgatlioglu and teammate van der Mark finished in P3 and P4 respectively at the end of the first day’s running, completing more than 70 laps each, with the #54 pipping van der Mark by just 0.010s. Razgatlioglu started his day with the SC0 tyre and was immediately in the 1’39s bracket, while a run on the SCQ tyre didn’t provide the expected benefits. Despite not improving by much on the Superpole tyre, the Turkish star was left feeling happy after a first test session in the dry after a disrupted programme in December last year.

Expanding on the opening day at Jerez, Razgatlioglu said: “I’m very happy to have good weather, finally! In my first tests, it was a little bit late, and we didn’t have a fully dry session. Now we have a fully dry track and, we showed our potential. This morning, in the first five laps, I did a 1’39.8s with the SC0 tyre. This is very good. I immediately saw 1’39s and thought it was good because people said BMW’s not ready to be a Championship bike, but if the bike didn’t have potential, we wouldn’t have done a 1’39s. It looks like the bike has potential. We need time and to improve the bike because I’m still learning it. I’m riding the bike for a full day; I’m learning a lot and so are the team. My style is probably a bit different, so my team are learning my style. In general, I’m happy. It’s been a positive test. Bulega did a good lap time with the SCQ tyre, but I don’t understand why the other riders didn’t do this. Maybe it’s the same problem with grip.”

TIME TO FIND: “I hope we improve the bike and try the SCQ again to make a good lap time…”

The one-time Champion spent four seasons with Yamaha before switching to BMW for the 2024 season and, with more kilometres on the M 1000 RR secured, explained how the bike differs from the YZF-R1 he raced from 2020 to 2023. He also expressed his hope to gain more time on the SCQ tyre in Thursday’s running after not being able to find a huge amount of time on Wednesday, while also explaining that there’s a lot of new parts for him to test on Day 2.

Razgatlioglu added: “After riding for a different brand, the bike feels completely different. The electronics are different. I’ve almost adapted; not 100% but almost. Today, we tried some new parts and tomorrow there are many new parts. I hope we improve the bike; this is all I’m focused on. On the last run, I tried the SCQ tyre just to understand it because I’ve not tried it with this bike. I need to understand the balance because, always when you put the Q tyre on, the bike is always changing. The bike completely changed today. I was just one tenth faster than with the race tyre. Tomorrow, we also have the SCQ tyre. I hope we improve the bike and try it again to make a good lap time.”

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Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) might be a rookie but eyes will already be turning to him after yet another impressive testing performance in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. As the majority of the paddock headed to the south of Spain and the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, it was the reigning WorldSSP Champion who stole the headlines. He lapped more than a second clear and was close to the outright lap record after utilising the SCQ tyre to full effect in the final hour of the day, while teammate Alvaro Bautista was down in tenth.

MIXED FEELINGS: Bulega storms to top spot as Bautista scrapes into the top ten

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) stormed to the top of the times on day one as he posted a 1’38.292s using Pirelli’s SCQ tyre, with his fastest time coming in the final hour of the day, shortly before he had a small technical issue. Bulega, who completed 71 laps, finished 1.5s clear of teammate Alvaro Bautista down in tenth, with the reigning Champion on track for the first time following the injuries he sustained in testing here in November. The #1 was also looking at how best to minimise the impact of the ballast he’ll need to use with the new weight rules that come into effect for 2024. In terms of Independent Ducatis, Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) was seventh with 67 laps to his name as he continued understanding the Panigale V4 R, while Danilo Petrucci (BARNI Spark Racing Team) was ninth with a 1’39.773s. The #9 was trying a lower seat to help improve the centre of gravity and find performance benefits from this with Petrucci completing 66 laps. The final Independent Ducati rider was Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) in 15^th place as he continues his adjustment from Moto2™ to WorldSBK. His best was a 1’40.133s as he completed 82 laps.

ALEX LOWES LEADS KRT CHARGE: second despite only recording a handful of laps

Despite feeling unwell and only completing 31 laps, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was able to take second place. His 1’39.474s was enough to finish as the lead Kawasaki rider as he tried new components, and will at Portimao next week, including front and rear suspension items, electronics, seat positions and fuel tank. Teammate Axel Bassani finished in 14^th place after setting a 1’40.059s as he continued adjusting to the ZX-10RR and its inline-4 engine configuration, with the #47 completing 77 laps. The sole Independent Kawasaki rider, Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was three places and five tenths behind Bassani, with the Spaniard using a factory bike leased from KRT in the hope that more data will help take forward steps more quickly.

A STRONG DAY FOR BMW: Razgatlioglu and van der Mark both make the top four…

It was a busy but impressive day for BMW with 10 bikes and six riders to get data from, with the test team in attendance alongside the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team and Bonovo Action BMW squad. Toprak Razgatlioglu claimed third with a 1’39.521s, lapping quicker today than he did in either Race 1 or Race 2 with Yamaha during the round here in October, as he went in search of a good setup on his M 1000 RR, while also looking for improvements with the electronic setup. Teammate Michael van der Mark was fourth, only 0.010s down on the #54. For the test team, Bradley Smith and Sylvain Guintoli rounded out the field but added a combined 111 laps to the German manufacturer’s total for the day. Both Razgatlioglu and van der Mark completed more than 70 laps as they finished in the top four.

Next door at the Bonovo Action BMW squad, Garrett Gerloff took eighth as he tested new parts while also hoping to look at Razgatlioglu’s strategy under braking and for the engine brake. The American completed 73 laps and posted a best time of 1’39.763s for P8, while teammate Scott Redding was in 13^th. The Brit, who also had new parts, set a best time of 1’40.042s and completed 56 laps.

GARDNER ON TOP AT YAMAHA AGAIN: evenly matched with Rea on day one

Yamaha enjoyed a solid day on day one with two riders inside the top ten. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was the lead Yamaha rider in fifth place after the Australian set a 1’39.679s and completed 83 laps, making him one of the busiest riders on track. He was just 0.003s clear of six-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) in sixth, with the Northern Irishman completing 72 laps on his way to a best time of 1’39.682s. Rea’s teammate, Andrea Locatelli, narrowly missed out on a spot in the top ten as he worked with new crew chief Tom O’Kane for the first time, and adding 72 laps to Yamaha’s total as he set a 1’39.917s. Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) was 12^th on his first outing on the Yamaha YZF-R1 following his switch from Team GoEleven, just a tenth behind Locatelli. Elsewhere at Yamaha, GRT Yamaha’s Dominique Aegerter didn’t complete any laps on day one. A suspected viral infection ruled him out of action, and he will be re-assessed tomorrow.

LOTS TO BUILD ON: both Honda riders outside the top ten…

Honda featured just two riders at the test, with Team HRC’s Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge flying the flag for the Japanese manufacturer. Lecuona completed 52 laps on his way to 16^th place as he set a 1’40.379s while Vierge was two places and almost four tenths back from his teammate. The pair were continuing to adjust to the new CBR1000RR-R machine as they look to refine it.

FOUR MANUFACTURERS IN THE TOP FOUR: nothing to keep the lead WorldSSP riders apart…

In WorldSSP, several riders were testing at Jerez alongside the WorldSBK stars. The World Supersport field was led by Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) as the German posted a 1’42.015s to claim P1 ahead of Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) with just a tenth separating the two. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was third as he took to the track on his ZX-6R featuring upgrades, while the Turk was also building up fitness following surgery on his arm over the winter. He was only 0.015s behind Manzi, while Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) completed the top four.

The top ten from day one:

1 Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’38.292s, 71 laps

2. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’39.474s, 31 laps

3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’39.521s, 74 laps

4. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’39.531s, 72 laps

5. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’39.679s, 83 laps

6. Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) 1’39.682s, 72 laps

7. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) 1’39.664s, 67 laps

8. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) 1’39.763s, 73 laps

9. Danilo Petrucci (BARNI Spark Racing Team) 1’39.773s, 66 laps

10. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’39.847s, 68 laps

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Source: WorldSBK.com