2020 WorldSBK Round One – Phillip Island Tissot Superpole Race
Jonathan Rea scored the holeshot as the 10-lap Tissot Superpole race got underway at midday on Sunday but the KRT man was being chased hard by Toprak Razgatlioglu, Tom Sykes, Michael van der Mark and Loris Baz.
A disastrous start for Leon Haslam with the Honda man running on to the grass early on lap one after being punted by Chaz Davies, Haslam rejoined at the back of the field. Caricasulo then went down at turn ten. A lap later Bautista went down at Siberia.
WorldSBK Tissot Superpole race
It was on like Donkey Kong throughout lap two with Baz, van der Mark and Lowes clashing fairings and Scott Redding took advantage of their tussle to move up to fourth place and then slipped past Sykes down the chute next time around to move up to third place.
WorldSBK Tissot Superpole race
Jonathan Rea ran very wide at turn four, Razgatlioglu was untidy on entry also which allowed Redding to slip through and as Rea recovered back on to the racing line he found Redding in the way and the two clashed quite heavily but both remained upright.
WorldSBK Tissot Superpole race
Alex Lowes then moved past Loris Baz to move up to fourth place.Van der Mark and Tom Sykes continually clashed into each other as they tussled for position.
WorldSBK Tissot Superpole race
Razgatlioglu got the better of Redding into turn one as they started lap six, the Ducati man back through before turn four as they chased race leader Jonathan Rea.
WorldSBK Tissot Superpole race
Razgatlioglu took the race lead at turn four on the penultimate lap but Rea got him with a brave move at Hayshed. Redding thought about going around the outside of Razgatlioglu at Lukey Heights but thought better of it.
WorldSBK Tissot Superpole race
Rea smoking Pirelli through turn three on the final lap, he touches again with the Turk at turn four and it was the Pata Yamaha man that emerged with the lead. Redding was close by in third, Lowes there in fourth.
WorldSBK Tissot Superpole race
The Turk leads through turn 10 but gets a little loose through 11 which opened the door for Rea to dive up the inside as they tipped into turn 12… The drag to the line…. Rea gets it by a gnat’s whisker over Razgatlioglu and Redding to close out what was a thrilling battle.
It was somewhat of an emotional victory for Jonathan Rea. The Northern Irishman sadly lost his much loved and very supportive grandmother overnight. Condolences to the Rea family for their loss.
Jonathan Rea
2020 WorldSBK Round One – Phillip Island Tissot Superpole Race Results
Despite showing consistent improvement through testing, free practice and qualifying, including a personal best lap time of 1:34.398, over a second faster than his previous time, and placing as high as 14th in one of the sessions, Oli Bayliss will not line up in today’s World SuperSport race.
Team owner – Ben Henry
“Oli has done a terrific job all week, both on track, and how he’s handled the pressure, the media attention and the extra commitments that come with a ride in this paddock, but the guys found an issue with the bike heading into qualifying, that despite all efforts both from our team, and many others in the WSBK paddock, in particular the GMT Yamaha guys, we just can’t solve in the time frame we have. Long story short is that we’ve lost compression in one cylinder, and despite some incredible offers of support, we aren’t able to give him a bike capable of being competitive and allowing him to continue to learn and improve, especially while our focus for 2020 is the Australian championship. He’s had a great run, a great experience and we’ll leave this opportunity there, and thank everyone for their incredible support.”
Oli Bayliss – TBG Image
Oli Bayliss
“I’m obviously disappointed to not race in World SuperSport today. We had a really great package and I was feeling more and more confident every time I went out. It’s been a pretty incredible week, on track with the best 600 riders in the world, and already, the experience has helped my riding. I improved my fastest lap time in pretty much every session, and everyone I met in the paddock was really supportive. I want to thank Mum and Dad, Marty and Nathan, Ben, Motorcycling Australia, our team sponsors and everyone that helped make this possible, and also the GMT Yamaha team, they came and offered a lot of support and advice to us all week, and it really made our week so much better. I’ll put all my attention towards my ASBK Supersport race at 4:45pm and see if I can take another race win… And you never know, if an opportunity comes up to ride World SuperSport again, and we could make it work, I’d be in for sure!”
Jonathan Rea had a difficult start to the defence of his WorldSBK crown, crashing out of race one today at Phillip Island in Australia. Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
2020 WorldSBK Round One – Phillip Island Superbike Race One
With Chris Plumridge
During pre-season testing Jonathan Rea looked to have the race pace covered here this weekend. The KRT man was fast during testing early in the week, but once the race weekend got underway on Friday the reigning world champion had looked to perhaps be keeping his powder somewhat dry…
Tom Sykes (BMW) had taken a record breaking Superpole ahead of Scott Redding (Ducati), who had topped all the previous sessions, while Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) had finished P3 to make it an all UK front row.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) has also shown good pace all week and headed the second row alongside Leon Haslam (Honda) on the all-new Fireblade. That made for five different manufacturers filling the top five positions on the grid.
Michael van der Mark (Yamaha) rounded out that second row ahead of Loris Baz (Yamaha), Alex Lowes (Kawasaki) and Sandro Cortese (Kawasaki) while Xavi Fores (Kawasaki) rounded out the top ten qualifiers.
Tom Sykes looked very relaxed on the grid. The BMW pole-sitter choosing the Pirelli ‘B’ SC2 option front and rear, the only one in the top 15 to do so… Redding was on ‘A’ SC1 at both ends while Rea had a mix of the two, a ‘B’ front and ‘A’ rear, a combination also favoured by Toprak Razgatlioglu.
We are away!
World Superbike 2020 gets underway! Image by Rob Mott
Jonathan Rea led the field through turn one and Southern Loop. Sykes went up the inside of Rea at Turn Four but then ran wide on exit, allowing Rea to sweep back under him to move back up to P1.
Rea and Sykes clash!
Sykes then had a look up the inside of Rea on change of direction at Hayshed, the two touched and Rea was sent wide and off on to the grass before Lukey Heights, the defending champion rejoining the race at the back of the field.
Tom Sykes the race leader from Scott Redding and Michael van der Mark. The recovering Rea though the fastest man on track, a 1m30.501 on his first flying lap through clear air behind the field. Rea was eight-seconds behind the race leaders…
Sykes lifted the front of the S 1000 RR on to the main straight and continued to hold sway over Redding. The Pata Yamaha pairing of Michael van der Mark and Toprak Razgatlioglu were right behind in third and fourth while Leon Haslam was giving the all-new Fireblade a great debut in a strong fifth position ahead of Alex Lowes, Loris Baz and Garrett Gerloff.
Redding made a thrust towards turn one but pulled out of the move and Sykes remained in the lead with 16 laps to run.
Meanwhile Jonathan Rea was slicing and dicing his way through the field, even making contact with Caricasulo on his way forward. His closing speed on the others making it look as though he was in a different race…
Jonathan Rea goes down
It all came to an end for Rea though after getting a little off-line at Hayshed, the front suspension pattering over bumps before unceremoniously dumping the Northern Irishman on his bum and sliding across the track and into the kitty litter.
Alex Lowes sneaked past Leon Haslam to take fifth place on lap eight. That pair had lost touch a little with the leading quartet and were now being chased hard by American Garrett Gerloff who was using all of his Pirelli rear, smoking his way across Lukey Heights.
Alvaro Bautista has done plenty of laps this week chasing set-up but despite not putting in any stunning laps during testing, practice or qualifying, it seemed the Spaniard had a reasonable race package. Bautista was up to eighth as the race approached half-way distance but he had Loris Baz and Xavi Fores in close company. Fores though crashed out of the race a lap later.
Sykes leads race one
Leon Haslam put in his new best lap of the race just before that half-way marker and was in sixth place behind Lowes. That entire top six were still covered only by a single second.
Bautista then moved up to seventh place after getting the better of Gerloff, but the Spaniard was five-seconds behind the leading pack.
Scott Redding had looked happy to follow Sykes but the BMW rider had slowed a little on the last lap, his ‘B’ option rear toasted… Redding went through to the lead as Van der Mark went to P2 and Razgatlioglu then pushed Sykes further back to P4.
Redding through to the lead
Two laps later Alex Lowes pushed Sykes wide at turn four which sent the BMW man to the back of that six-rider pack. That tussle had allowed the top three, Redding, van der Mark and Razgatlioglu to break away a little for the first time, only three-tenths covering that trio, fourth placed Lowes a further full-second behind.
Sykes was now struggling to maintain enough pace to stay in touch with that leading group. His tyres done, he was the only rider in the field running SC2 rubber at both ends.
Redding heads the pack out of Siberia
Redding then ran wide into turn four which allowed Razgatlioglu and van der Mark through as we reached two-thirds race distance. Alex Lowes and Leon Haslam had now joined that trio to turn it back into a five-way battle up front.
Haslam then up the inside of Lowes to take fourth place on lap 16. The Pata Yamaha duo were still keeping Redding at bay up front.
Further back Alvaro Bautista had managed to reel in Tom Sykes to take sixth place and was now less than four-seconds behind the leaders.
Lowes took fourth place back from Haslam with less than five laps to run. Only half-a-second covered that top five in what was turning out to be a brilliant race.
Alex Lowes up the inside of Redding into turn one but the Ducati man came back at him on entry to Southern Loop. Lowes made the move stick though a few turns later to move up to P3, just as Michael van der Mark moved past his Pata Yamaha team-mate to take the lead for the first time.
Lowes started to challenge Razgatlioglu for second place with three laps to run. Nothing covered the leading four, but fifth placed Haslam was now out of grip and out of podium contention.
Lowes through to the lead
Lowes took the lead into turn one, but was then sandwiched by the two Pata Yamaha men as they tipped into Southern Loop, pushing the KRT man back to P3 again. Redding was still right there in P4 and most definitely had his hand in the game…
Absolutely nothing separated the top four as they got the last lap board. Razgatlioglu the leader at turn four, van der Mark second, Redding passes Lowes but then that pair swap positions once again…
The Turk leads around the Hayshed, holds on to it over Lukey and into MG… Toprak wound it up through turns 11 and 12 as Lowes challenged van der Mark between those two fast bends… The leading four all head onto the main straight swapping lines and tactics… Razgatlioglu holds on though and does it!
Toprak Razgatlioglu the race winner from Alex Lowes while Scott Redding stole that final podium position on the line from Michael van der Mark.
Leon Haslam was nearly caught by his Honda team-mate on the final lap, the pair crossing the line fifth and sixth in a highly creditable debut for the all-new Fireblade.
New Fireblade smashes WSBK speed record
The Honda duo both broke the previous top speed record at Phillip Island for a World Superbike. The previous benchmark was set by Max Biaggi in 2012 when there was no engine RPM restrictions in WorldSBK, and no limit on the amount of engines a rider could use in a season. Biaggi is rumoured to have gone through 35 engines that season in the Aprilia RSV4. Restrictions on the number of engines allowed to be used were then introduced to counter this situation and last year only seven engines were allowed to be used by each rider over the course of the season. In today’s race Bautista raised the speed marker to 327.3 km/h. Ducati’s Chaz Davies also broke the previous record, hitting 326.3 km/h in that race while Haslam was third fastest on 325.3 km/h.
Top speeds are recorded near the 200 metre board heading towards turn one. There are two timing loops set 30 metres apart, the time taken to cross that 30 metres is what is used to calculate the official speed trap figures.
Toprak Razgatlioglu – P1
“I am really happy today, last lap too much sliding because tyre was destroyed, tomorrow we work to save the tyre.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
Alex Lowes – P2
“My first race on the green machine, slow start to the week but just been building up confidence throughout and getting closer and closer. Really enjoyed that and look forward to tomorrow.”
Scott Redding – P3
“Didn’t know what to expect really from my first race… I had the pace to lead, but it is then easy for the others to follow, so I thought just go back into the pack and try to fight to the end. To be on the podium in my first WorldSBK race I am very happy.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu
2020 WorldSBK Round One – Phillip Island Superbike Race One Result
2020 WorldSBK Round One – Phillip Island WorldSSP Superpole
With Chris Plumridge
Andrea Locatelli (Bardahl Yamaha) has smashed the qualifying lap record at Phillip Island in Superpole for the Yamaha Finance Round of the 2020 Motul FIM Supersport World Championship.
Andrea Locatelli
Locatelli claimed his first-ever pole position in World Supersport, in a session where the previous benchmark was beaten four times.
MV Agusta’s Randy Krummenacher will start alongside him, while Kawasaki’s Lucas Mahias completes the front row.
Air temperatures were around 19-degrees and a 25-degree track temperature greeted riders as they swarmed the track when the Tissot Superpole session got underway just before 1300 this afternoon at Phillip Island.
Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) was the fastest of the first group to put in a lap with a 1:33.787 ahead of Danny Webb (WRP Wepol Yamaha) and Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing Yamaha), before Phillipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), and then Krummenacher going faster still, the latter with a 1:32.893. That only lasted 30 seconds or so, with Locatelli claiming provisional pole back with a 1:32.440 and breaking the all time fastest at Phillip Island (Sam Lowes in 2013, 1:32.545).
Can Oncu (Turkish Racing Kawasaki) was also quick, in third having posted a 1:33.507.
Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Yamaha) was campaigning in plain black replacement leathers today as a result of his huge crash on Jules Cluzel’s (GMT94 Yamaha) oil yesterday, sore but riding strongly.
With fifteen minutes to go, all but Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta), Soomer, Oli Bayliss (Cube Racing Yamaha) and Loris Cresson (OXXO Yamaha) were out on track with the others looking sideways at each other to see who would exit on qualifying tyres first.
Randy Krummenacher
Perolari was back out on track with the quick boots on, moving up into fourth with a 1:33.423. Teammate Cluzel was on a good lap before his foot came off the peg through the Hayshed, dropping half a second in the process, enough for fourth with a 1:33.413.
By this time the quick guys were out on track and were looking to shake things up. Krummenacher was only a tenth of a second off around the back of the circuit on his first fast lap out, but got shaky coming out of Turn 10 to mess up his lap and stay second, 1:32.440. Team-mate De Rosa put in a 1:32.946 to knock Oettl off the front row, while Locatelli lowered his mark even further, a 1:32.340 put him three tenths up on Krummenacher who was still sitting in the pit.
Andrea Locatelli
Finding clear track was becoming a struggle, with five minutes to go all except Oettl (fourth fastest) were on track. De Rosa was baulked by traffic and could not improve on his third place. Krummenacher was looking good through the final timing split, squeezing every inch of track as he ran the MV right to the grass to set a 1:32.323 for pole, before running straight onto the grass at Turn 1, perhaps not quite looking where he was going after that effort! Mahias also improved, 1:32.617 to take him to third behind Krummenacher and Locatelli.
As the chequered flag came out Locatelli was roaring past the Hayshed, eight hundredths off in the first sector but improved through his next sectors to claim pole back over Krummenacher by a tenth and a half. Locatelli finished the session on pole (1:32.176) ahead of Krummenacher (1:32.323) and Mahias (1:32.617). Aussie Wild Card Bayliss will start 20th after setting a 1:35.108.
We go racing for World Supersport tomorrow at 1315 from Phillip Island, as the Yamaha Finance Round signals the start of the 2020 Motul FIM World Superbike Championship.
2020 WorldSBK Round One – Phillip Island WorldSSP Superpole Results
2020 WorldSBK Round One – Phillip Island Tissot Superpole
With Chris Plumridge
BMW’s Tom Sykes has put in the fastest ever for lap on a World Superbike around Phillip Island to take pole ahead of this afternoon’s opening 22-lap encounter.
The Yorkshireman clocking a 1m29.230 in Superpole for the Yamaha Finance Round for the 2020 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship.
Sykes secured top spot ahead of Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Ducati) in his first WSBK Superpole appearance, with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) lining up in third to make it an all UK front row.
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki) was the fastest out of the blocks in the 25-minute session with a 1:30.212 on the soft tyre, with most of the field running the usual race tyre instead of the qualifying tyre.
Rea was on a quick lap four-tenths up halfway around but then lost some time in the final sector to only eclipse Lowes by two-tenths (1:30.025).
Redding had the third fastest time with 1:30.319, van der Mark (PATA Yamaha) sitting in fourth.
After the initial round of ‘banker’ laps in the first ten minutes many riders went back into the pits, with Lowes, Redding, Federico Caracusulo (GRT Yamaha) and Alvaro Bautista (Honda) amongst those still circulating.
Scott Redding had a flying lap ruined through Lukey Heights by Alvaro Bautista before a red flag. Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) had dumped almost his entire belly pan off his Kawasaki on the front straight, sending shattered carbon fibre across the track like confetti.
After the clean-up crew had done their thing, pit-lane opened once again. We were poised ready to start talking about Redding who was looking quick in the first two sectors when Alvaro Bautista went flying through the gravel trap at the Hayshed and out of contention. Bautista came into the corner too hot, got onto the grass and pitched himself into the dirt and his bike into orbit. His best time until that point was a 1:30.963, ending the session a distant 15th.
Eugene Laverty (BMW) put in a 1:30.369 as one of the first on the qualifying tyre, said to be good for one lap and one lap only. He was sixth.
Team-mate Tom Sykes fared rather better, three-tenths up at the second split, then going to the top of the time-sheets with a new fastest ever lap round the Island, 1m29.230.
Redding got caught up in out-lap traffic once again, still struggling to find a clear shot at a flyer.
Lowes in third was getting huge speed out of the Kawasaki, clocking 322km/h through the speed trap.
Jonathan Rea and Scott Redding were line astern across the line and both briefly laid claim to second spot behind Sykes- Rea was first with a 1:29.598 before Redding finally got the tow he wanted to clock a 1:29.569. By the time the clock reached zero the BMW team was already celebrating, with Sykes claiming the first pole position on offer for 2020.
Sykes took pole
That also marked the 50th pole for Tom Sykes, the most pole positions ever recorded in World Superbike.
Race 1 of Yamaha Finance Round of the 2020 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship will take place at Phillip Island this afternoon at 1500.
2020 WorldSBK Round One – Phillip Island Tissot Superpole Results
It was so difficult being at home in Northern Ireland and watching the fires from afar. We have a beautiful mountain property in Wandiligong that came under threat with the fire burning in Abbeyard near Bright in the Alpine region in North East Victoria. My wife Tatia’s parents were staying there when police told them they should vacate. We felt helpless and scared, so I decided that I would race in Australia with a special helmet design and sell it after to donate the money to a worthwhile cause. The WorldSBK organisation got involved with BlazeAid and with this platform we can auction the helmet. When I spoke to Aldo, who has designed my helmets for the last few years we came up with this cool concept. I love it, and hope that you do!” Thanks to Arai & the WorldABK paddock, here’s my ONE OFF special edition Aussie helmet. I’ll be wearing it this weekend then it’s all yours ! Happy bidding guys. https://www.charitystars.com/product/jonathan-rea-s-special-helmet-worn-in-the-australian-superbike-grand-prix
It was so difficult being at home in Northern Ireland and watching the fires from afar. We have a beautiful mountain property in Wandiligong that came under threat with the fire burning in Abbeyard near Bright in the Alpine region in North East Victoria. My wife Tatia’s parents were staying there when police told them they should vacate. We felt helpless and scared, so I decided that I would race in Australia with a special helmet design and sell it after to donate the money to a worthwhile cause. The WorldSBK organisation got involved with BlazeAid and with this platform we can auction the helmet. When I spoke to Aldo, who has designed my helmets for the last few years we came up with this cool concept. I love it, and hope that you do!” Thanks to Arai & the WorldABK paddock, here’s my ONE OFF special edition Aussie helmet. I’ll be wearing it this weekend then it’s all yours ! Happy bidding guys. https://www.charitystars.com/product/jonathan-rea-s-special-helmet-worn-in-the-australian-superbike-grand-prix Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook
2020 WorldSupersport Round One – Phillip Island WorldSSP Free Practice Three
With Chris Plumridge
Andrea Locatelli (Bardahl Yamaha) has set the fastest lap ever for a World Supersport rider around Phillip Island, his 1:32.540 placing him top of the standings in Free Practice 3 for the 2020 Yamaha Finance Round of the FIM Supersport World Championship. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) was second quickest .184 seconds off, while yesterday’s fastest Randy Krummenacher (MV Agusta) was third three tenths off Locatelli.
Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) was barred from taking part in the first five minutes of this session, his punishment for depositing oil on the track during yesterday afternoon’s FP2 that caused a lengthy delay for a cleanup. Kallio Racing’s Isaac Vinales started the session with some drama, tangling with the back of Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Yamaha) under brakes into Turn 4 and went down only two minutes into the session. Odendaal did not appear to sustain any damage and continued, while Vinales would take no further part in proceedings.
As the times started coming in it was Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) fastest early, with a 1:33.723, but Locatelli banged in a 1:33.500 and enjoyed being the fastest for all of ten seconds until his time was knocked off by Krummenacher with a 1:33.206.
Locatelli responded with a 1:33.370, while Krummenacher went faster still, 1:32.889 and looking ominous for the rest of the field. Oli Bayliss, fresh from taking his first-ever ASBK Supersport victory this morning was sitting in 15th, 1:35.139. With 10 minutes to go Cluzel joined the fray, taking his time to get up to speed and lapping nearly a second off the pace.
The other two MV Agustas were also putting in a good performance, Raffaele De Rosa in fourth (1:33.579) behind Locatelli and Hannes Soomer (1:33.568); Federico Fuglini down in eighth (1:34.068). Lucas Mahias was on a fast lap to improve from seventh but was baulked by Jamie van Sikkerlus (MPM Routz Yamaha) coming onto the front straight and had to do it all again.
With three minutes to go Cluzel went quickest with a 1:32.764, now up to speed and challenging the fast guys despite the reduced running. Galang Hendra Pratama (bLU cRU Yamaha) went down at Turn 2, and that was him done for this session.
Locatelli was back on the pace and looking to hunt down Cluzel at the front, 1:32.580 to get the job done. Krummenacher was looking to go faster still but was baulked by traffic, he remained third and went straight in for another crack. His next lap was three tenths off and not good enough to improve, but all eyes were on Turn 8 as Cluzel went down at the exit of the hayshed- lucky to walk away without being collected by the following riders.
The chequered flag was out and Locatelli was on top, ahead of the fallen Cluzel and Krummenacher. Perolari in fourth ahead of De Rosa and Soomer, with Bayliss in 14th with a 1:34.398.
World Supersport continues today from Phillip Island as part of the Yamaha Finance Round of the 2020 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship. Tissot Superpole will start at 1255 this afternoon.
2020 WorldSBK Round One – Phillip Island Free Practice Three
With Chris Plumridge
Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Ducati) has once again topped the time sheets in Free Practice 3 for the Yamaha Finance Round of the 2020 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship. His lap of 1m29.896 under Alvaro Bautista’s lap record pace of 1m30.573 last year, and only four-tenths off the all-time best lap set by Jonathan Rea in Superpole here last year.
Overcast and cool conditions greeted WorldSBK riders on Saturday but there was thankfully no rain on the radar despite some very dark patches of cloud looming on the horizon… Sure enough, with four short minutes until pit lane opened, the message comes through: rain in Sector 1. Aah, Phillip Island!
With the weather now threatening a number of riders looked to get out there and get some track time before the weather hit – in addition to the time lost to the weather yesterday and the fact that this practice was only 20 minutes lent the session extra importance. Jonathan Rea took the Kawasaki out for one lap and then brought it straight back in, clearly unhappy with the changes made to the bike overnight.
Alex Lowes (KRT) was straight into the 1:31’s, his 1:31.648 put him fastest of the first round of laps. Yesterday’s fastest Scott Redding (Aruba.IT Ducati) was picking up where he left off, 1:32.124, while Lowes then put the first serious time in, 1:30.484.
Leon Haslam (HRC) lost the front end under brakes at Turn 4, he and the bike went tumbling into the gravel and out of the session- he was two thousandths up on Lowes at the first split and was pushing hard.
Already a quarter of the way through the allotted 20 minutes and it was only Loris Baz (Ten Kate Yamaha) and Leon Camier (Barni Racing Ducati) yet to post a time. Rea was back out on the track with his problem apparently rectified, his 1:30.550 good enough for second behind teammate Lowes. Plenty of the riders were pushing hard, Michael van der Mark sideways into the pitlane for a quick stop and then straight back out again.
Jonathan Rea then straight to the top with a 1:30.286, and Loris Baz was out of the pits and straight on it- his first flying lap was 1:30.569 and good for second behind Rea. Not wanting to be left out, Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA Yamaha) was sideways into MG on the brakes and slotting into third fastest, 1:30.518.
Toprak’s team-mate Michael van der Mark was in line for the perfect tow behind Rea for a 1:30.025 to catapult himself to the top of the timesheets and oh-so-close to breaking the minute-30 barrier. Jonathan Rea then decided to reverse the positions but would not improve- meanwhile Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha) was off in the gravel at Turn 4 and resuming.
With four laps to go Alvaro Bautista (HRC) was still yet to set a meaningful time from his six laps, his best of 1:31.232 still not good enough to crack the top 10. Questions have been arising around Bautista’s ability to adapt from the V4 of the Ducati to the in-line 4 of the Honda. Only time will tell, but we haven’t seen Bautista bother the leaders too much just yet.
As the clock wound down Redding did it again – coming from sixth to set a 1:29.896 and topping the session after the chequered flag for the second time in a row. Van der Mark was then bumped back to second fastest, with Rea, Baz, Lowes and Razgatlioglu filling out the top six. The two BMWs in Sykes and Laverty were seventh and ninth, split by Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing).
World Superbike continues today from Phillip Island as part of the Yamaha Finance Round of the 2020 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship. The Tissot Superpole session starts at 1215 followed by Race 1 at 1500 AEDT.
2020 WorldSBK Round One – Phillip Island Free Practice Three Results
Bringing you the Best Motorcycle News from Around the Web!
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
