FIM Superbike World Championship
Motorland Aragon
Alcaniz, Spain
March 31, 2017
Free Practice One Results (All on Pirelli tires):
1. Jonathan Rea, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), 1:50.062
2. Marco Melandri, Italy (Duc Panigale R), 1:50.161
3. Tom Sykes, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), 1:50.305
4. Chaz Davies, UK (Duc Panigale R), 1:50.383
5. Alex Lowes, UK (Yam YZF-R1), 1:50.769
6. Xavi Fores, Spain (Duc Panigale R), 1:50.894
7. Eugene Laverty, Ireland (Apr RSV4 RF), 1:51.054
8. Michael van der Mark, Netherlands (Yam YZF-R1), 1:51.385
9. Leandro Mercado, Argentina (Apr RSV4 RF), 1:51.549
10. Stefan Bradl, Germany (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), 1:51.686
11. Roman Ramos, Spain (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:51.766
12. Randy Krummenacher, Switzerland (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:52.126
13. Jordi Torres, Spain (BMW S1000RR), 1:52.127, crash
14. Nicky Hayden, USA (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), 1:52.136
15. Alex De Angelis, San Marino (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:52.183
16. Markus Reiterberger, Germany (BMW S1000RR), 1:52.227
17. Leon Camier, UK (MV Agusta F4 RC), 1:52.283
18. Ricardo Russo, Italy (Yam YZF-R1), 1:52.827
19. Julian Simon, Spain (Apr RSV4 RF), 1:53.875
20. Ayrton Badovini, Italy (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:53.940
21. Ondrej Jezek, Czech Republic (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:54.376
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea First And Sykes Third On Motorland Opening Day
Practice for the third round of the FIM Superbike World Championship kicked off at Motorland Aragon this morning and ended up this afternoon with Kawasaki Racing Team riders Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes in first and third places respectively.
Ninja ZX-10RR riders Rea and Sykes have both automatically qualified for Superpole 2; the results of which will determine where they will start on the grid for race one, which gets underway on Saturday at 13.00 local time.
With four wins from four starts in 2017 Rea was in confident form as he approached the second free practice session, having led the first. A late fall of rain, in two short-lived showers, meant not every rider was able to improve their previous best times in the vital final few minutes of FP2, but Rea and Sykes both managed to jump up as the session drew to a close.
The official KRT riders will seek even greater levels of machine performance, over both a single lap and full race distance, in the 25-minute long FP3 session on Saturday. Each feels that despite their already strong showings there is more to come from their respective technical packages.
Both Tom and Jonathan have won races for Kawasaki at Motorland in the recent past and now aim to add to their totals – on Saturday in race one and then on Sunday in race two – over 18 laps in each case.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “Today we did set-up and tyre checks this morning and then a long run and a fast lap this afternoon. That’s how it worked out. We got up to speed quite fast, honestly, and pretty much reached the limit of what we needed for the bike set-up. During the long run we went with the base setting we had in Phillip Island and Thailand, but during that run I realised it is may be not the very best for this particular track. We had a completely different front setting at the test here in November; one I was more comfortable with. It is just some chassis balance items. I don’t think we can see the full picture of everybody’s potential just from today and I think the race can spring a few surprises. But I am not thinking about the others; I am just trying to make things as good for me as possible.”
Tom Sykes, stated: “Tomorrow we will make two or three relatively small changes but at this level anything small can become a big gain on track. We finished strongly in FP1 with used tyres, which was a good confidence boost. In FP2 the initial lap time was fantastic and felt really good with the bike. I could see the rain was coming so we decided to come into the pits and make a couple of changes to the bike to give us information for Saturday. The good thing is that we have this information now, so tomorrow should be clearer and more straightforward. The rain at the end was not ideal but I stayed out on track and got some more information. In the last four minutes the rain became too heavy but we were lucky not to miss too much of the session. We have some good information for tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team back in action at Aragon: Melandri is 2nd, Davies 4th after Friday’s free-practice sessions
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team took it back to the track at Aragon (Spain), home of the first European round of the 2017 WorldSBK Championship, with Marco Melandri and Chaz Davies. At the end of the first two free-practice sessions, the Italian and the Welshman sit in second and fourth position in the time sheets, respectively 0.099 and 0.321 seconds slower than the best provisional lap (1:50.062).
Seventh in the morning, Melandri progressively climbed the rankings while also evaluating different tyre options. The Italian took one second off his best times in FP2, finishing with a 1:50.161. Davies, forced to stay in the pits for most of FP1 due to a technical problem, immediately showed good chemistry on a track where he has won the last three races consecutively, climbing up to fourth at the end of FP2. Both riders thus gained direct access to Superpole 2.
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team will resume action tomorrow at 08:45 (CET) for the third and final free-practice session ahead of Superpole and Race 1 (scheduled for 13:00).
Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #33) – 1:50.161 (2nd)
“Track conditions changed throughout the day. In the morning, the wind hindered our performance a bit, but the team has done a great job and the competitiveness of our package improved progressively. In the afternoon, we made a step forward both in terms of lap times and feeling on the bike. I haven’t done a race simulation but I think we know exactly what we need in order to improve our pace, especially in the second half of the races, compared with the first two rounds. Tomorrow the wind could be stronger, but I’m happy with where we’re at right now. I hope to ride a strong race and step on the podium, hopefully in a different fashion compared with Thailand.”
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 1:50.383 (4th)
“Unfortunately we suffered a technical problem in FP1, which resulted in basically one hour less of track time for us. Thankfully my mechanics are very prepared and were capable of substituting the engine in very little time, but we basically had to play catch-up. In the afternoon I simply tried to find my rhythm and start working on the setup, but we couldn’t do a long run to better understand tyre wear. Honestly, I still don’t feel at 100 percent. We climbed back and ended up not far from the top, but we still need to improve, especially in changes of direction and mid-corner handling. We’ll try to make the most of FP3 to be ready come race time.”
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team:
Bradl and Hayden get things started at MotorLand Aragón
Spanish Round
MotorLand Aragón, Spain
The Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team has completed the opening day of WorldSBK action at the MotorLand Aragón circuit, with team standard bearers Stefan Bradl and Nicky Hayden eleventh and twelfth, respectively, in the combined times of the first two free practice sessions at the Spanish venue. Both riders will therefore be out on track for Superpole 1 tomorrow to battle for the two remaining slots for the second qualifying session.
The day started positively for Bradl, who was ninth at the end of the first free practice session, just ahead of his team mate and 0.6secs off the quickest time of the morning.
The afternoon’s track conditions proved to be less favourable for most riders, with some late drops of rain turning into a heavy shower by the end of the session. Despite being unable to improve his FP1 lap-time, Bradl was a mere 0.003secs from a top-10 finish, which would have guaranteed the German direct access to Superpole 2. Nicky Hayden kept working on the setup of his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 machine but could finish no higher than twelfth.
The third-round Superpole 1 session will get underway tomorrow at 10:30 local time (GMT +2).
Stefan Bradl 6
11th / 1’51.177
We started off well this morning: we were closer to the front guys and I had a good feeling with the bike, which is the kind of progress I was expecting. Unfortunately, in the afternoon we were unable to improve further, which is obviously the disappointing side for today. The weather did not help, but also the choice of concentrating on the softer tyre option didn’t pay off. And then finishing 0.003secs away from the top-10 was frustrating as well! But it is what it is: we have an idea for direction for tomorrow, especially with the tyre choice, but overall I can say we’ve made a step forward. We’ll have to go through Superpole 1 and hopefully we’ll make it to the second session for the first time this year.
Nicky Hayden 69
12th / 1’51.507
It has not been an easy day for us. We came here with some ideas on how to improve and we actually have made a big step with engine braking, which is now much more consistent. I definitely felt more comfortable with that. We also tried to use last year’s gearing and electronics of the old bike we found in testing last November as a reference with our current machine, but they didn’t really work with this package and that kind of threw us off a bit. I’m not happy with my pace and the lack of improvement in the afternoon was a bummer, but we’ll see what happens tomorrow!
Pieter Breddels
Stefan had a great last lap in FP1 this morning with the fresh SC1 tyre on and his 1min 51.1secs lap was competitive and a good base from which to improve further. Plus, he felt comfortable with the bike. In the afternoon we tried the SC0 but the feeling was not quite there: the cooler conditions and the wind didn’t help, but also when we decided to go back to the morning tyre choice it started raining. It is a bit of a shame, but we still have some things to try tomorrow morning before Superpole 1. Nicky had a more difficult time in finding the right feeling with the bike at this track and could not improve during FP2 either. We tried some radical changes to the setup, including shortening the wheelbase, but that didn’t really work. We will come up with a plan for tomorrow after looking through the data.
More, from a press release issued by Althea Racing BMW:
Althea BMW on track at Aragón for WorldSBK round 3
Alcaniz (Spain), Friday 31 March 2017
The third round of the 2017 Superbike World Championship got underway today at Motorland Aragón in Spain, and for the Althea BMW Racing team, on track in SBK with Jordi Torres and Markus Reiterberger, and in STK1000, with Marco Faccani, it proved to be a positive first day.
SBK: In the first of the weekend’s practice session, held this morning in dry and sunny conditions, local rider Torres got off to a good start. Fast from the outset, Jordi recorded a series of interesting lap times, the best of which was a 1’50.798, which put him in fourth place at the end of the session. His team-mate Reiterberger struggled a little more in the opening session, closing in twelfth place with a fastest time of 1’51.753.
The afternoon session was conditioned by some light rain. As a result, the two Althea BMW riders were unable to improve on the times set in the morning, therefore ending day one seventh (Torres) and thirteenth (Reiterberger).
STK1000: Faccani, on track with the BMW S 1000 RR for the first time today, made good progress throughout the day, using the sessions to improve his feeling with the bike while also working to adapt it to the Spanish track. The Althea BMW man set a best of 1’55.242 in the morning, positioning eighth, before improving by almost two seconds in the afternoon session, closing the day in sixth place thanks to a time of 1’53.552.
Jordi Torres:
“It hasn’t gone badly. We did well during the morning and towards the end of the session, I was able to set a very fast time. This afternoon, however, we tested the two different tyre solutions but this really changed the bike and I lost my way a little. I also had a small crash but nothing serious luckily. I went back out on the tyre I’d used this morning but then it started to rain and so I couldn’t improve on my lap time.”
Markus Reiterberger:
“First practice went well and I spent most of the session inside the top ten. I feel I have a good understanding of the bike after our work today. I’ve been working on my riding style and am happy with the setting but this afternoon we suffered from a lack of rear grip and so I lost a couple of positions towards the end. If we can find a solution that gives us more grip, I think we can improve and do well tomorrow.”
Marco Faccani:
“As a first approach, with the bike, the track and my rivals, I think it’s gone well. I was able to make constant improvement throughout the day and the bike is behaving well. We still have some work to do on the electronics and a few other things but in general I’m very pleased. Tomorrow we’ll aim to do well in qualifying so that we’re in the best possible position for the race. I think, come Sunday, we can fight for the positions that count.”
More, from a press release issued by Pata Yamaha:
Pata Yamaha Make Confident Start in Aragon
Free practice
The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team were back on track today for round three of the 2017 FIM Motul Superbike World Championship at the Motorland Aragon circuit in Spain. Enjoying their first championship practice sessions on European soil of the 2017 season, riders Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark were straight down to business, taking fifth and eighth respectively in the combined times.
British rider Lowes wasted no time in getting onto a comfortable pace in the morning session and was clearly enjoying his revised for ’17 WorldSBK spec YZF-R1 on the Aragon circuit. He was comfortably able to match the pace of the fastest riders, finishing the first hour of practice just 0.071 seconds from the top. The afternoon saw track temperatures rise considerably, which combined with a different setting direction provided a more challenging practice. A sudden change in weather in the final minutes with rain beginning to fall ensured no further dropping of the lap times the final result placing Lowes fifth in the combined times to complete the day.
Teammate van der Mark echoed Lowes’ confidence in the morning session, making consistent progress and delivering a comfortable pace from the off. The young Dutchman was able to wrap up his first European practice session as an official Yamaha rider with a promising pace, slotting into sixth with a 1’50.956s lap, 0.386 from the top. The afternoon saw him facing the same challenge as his teammate with rising temperatures taking their toll. A long run and various set up changes were tested before the weather turned, leaving him at the end of the session happy to sit in eighth overall on combined times and ready to look for another step tomorrow morning.
Alex Lowes – 5th, 1’50.641
“Honestly I’m quite happy with the bike today. In the afternoon session we went backwards a little bit and that setting didn’t feel so good, but that’s no problem as we know we can go the other way now for tomorrow in the next practice. I enjoyed riding these sessions; I enjoyed the bike on the track apart from the end of the second session that was a bit dodgy with the weather. I’m looking forward to tomorrow; I think I can do a good qualifying and a good race. I’m really loving my R1 now so let’s see what happens! I need to improve my position on the bike a little so we’ll work on that in the morning practice and confirm it in Superpole to be ready for the race.”
Michael van der Mark – 8th, 1’50.956
“I think this morning we started really strongly and did good lap times – we tried quite a few things in the first session that felt really good. I feel I made some good lap times at the end and I felt good with the bike. We ended the morning in sixth, and that is the closest I think we’ve been to the front this season in practice, so that is really positive. For the afternoon we struggled a little more as the temperature of the track went up. I made a kind of 10-lap race simulation to see how it felt. We need to try to find a couple of tenths per lap when the temperature is higher so that’s one of our challenges. For tomorrow we have to try a few more settings to improve under braking but overall I’m happy and we were consistent. We need to go a bit faster but it?s a positive start to the weekend.”
Paul Denning
Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team Principal
“The Friday free practice sessions are so critical as we enter the European part of the 2017 championship, especially as FP3 is so early in the Saturday morning and is immediately followed by qualifying and the first race. In the cooler conditions of FP1 this morning both riders gave very strong performances, with Alex in particular showing very strong pace and finishing the session only seven hundredths from P1. With significantly increased track temperature this afternoon the riders weren’t able to get the same level of performance with similar settings, but over the course of the session we recovered and were able to get a lot closer to the fastest competitors. FP3, despite the early start, will be important tomorrow morning to try a couple of changes with the race in mind, all dependent on the changeable weather and what the Aragon circuit gives us for Saturday.”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
MotorLand Aragon Day One
Rea ends FP2 as Friday’s fastest
World Champion leads FP2 and FP1, ahead of Melandri and Sykes at MotorLand Aragon
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) put in a 1’50.062 lap late in FP2 at MotorLand Aragon on Friday afternoon to complete the day as the quickest man on track, with Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) also in the top three on the timesheet.
Rea earlier carried out a 19-lap run at the beginning of the session, gathering plenty of information ahead of Saturday’s Race 1, the fifth race of the season. The year has started with four consecutive wins for the defending World Champion already.
A good lap by Melandri towards the end of FP2, as he went round just 0.099s behind Rea, saw him finish the session second, with Sykes in third (+0.243).
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) recovered from a difficult FP1 to finish fourth best in FP2, with Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) completing the top five.
Spaniards Xavi Fores (BARNI Racing Team) and Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) were sixth and seventh fastest respectively, ahead of Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team), Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) and Leandro Mercado (IODARacing) in the top ten.
Stefan Bradl (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) and Nicky Hayden (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) were both inside the top 12 but will have to try their luck in Tissot Superpole 1 on Saturday.
Just under 15 minutes before the end of the session the safety stewards around the track raised their white flags to advise the riders that spots of rain were beginning to fall, but a number of FP2 participants were still able to improve their lap times in the final minutes.
Rea was also the fastest rider in FP1 on Friday morning at the Pirelli Aragón Round, his 1’50.570 putting him ahead of his rivals at the head of the timesheet in front of Lowes and Fores.
Davies was hindered by a technical issue in FP1, only riding for a short time and ending up at the foot of the timesheet with a 1’53.896 best lap, +3.326s off the pace, with smoke pouring from his Ducati Panigale R at one stage.
On Saturday morning the riders will return to the track for FP3 at 8.45am local time (GMT +2) at the #AragonWorldSBK round, with Tissot Superpole 1 at 10.30am, Tissot Superpole 2 at 10.55am and Race 1 at 1pm.