More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
#TeruelWorldSBK – Day 1
Rinaldi Vs Rea: Independent star holds Champion at bay in FP2
Michael Ruben Rinaldi sets the pace on Friday as WorldSBK action continues at MotorLand Aragon
MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action continued with the Pirelli Teruel Round as Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) continued to show impressive pace at MotorLand Aragon with the Italian rider topping both Free Practice sessions on Friday running as he edged out the reigning Champion by just 0.001s.
Rinaldi posted a time of 1’49.840s in Free Practice 1, a good enough time to top the combined timesheets, ahead of five-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) by the smallest of margins as just 0.001s separated the duo after the two 50-minute sessions. Rea’s teammate, Alex Lowes, finished the session in third place as he made it two Kawasaki machines in the top three.
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished the day in fourth place as BMW started to bounce back from a challenging Aragon Round at the same circuit while his BMW teammate, Eugene Laverty finished the day in 12th place as he also looks to rebound following a difficult weekend last time out.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) was another looking to make a step forward following the Aragon Round and finished the day in fifth place while Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK Official Team) was in eighth place; Razgatlioglu lapping around eight tenths off Rinaldi’s pace.
Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) was sixth fastest after Friday’s action with the British rider chasing his eighth win at MotorLand Aragon while teammate Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) also finished inside the top ten with the ninth fastest time overall. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC), looking to take Honda onto the podium in back-to-back weekends, finished the day in seventh place while teammate Leon Haslam was in tenth; capping a strong day for the Honda outfit.
Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) finished the day in 11th place despite a crash in Free Practice 2 at Turn 8; the Frenchman coming off his bike entering the corner. Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) had a strong performance last time out at MotorLand Aragon and continued that today with 13th in Free Practice, ahead of Maximilian Scheib (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura), Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) and teammate Federico Caricasulo.
Marco Melandri (Barni Racing Team) finished the day in 17th place ahead of Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance); Frenchman Barrier crashing at Turn 10 in Free Practice 1 but able to get out on track for the second session. Roman Ramos (OUTDO Kawasaki TPR) was classified in 19th place with Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Honda Team) and WorldSBK debutant Matteo Ferrari (Motocorsa Racing) rounding out the field.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Pata Yamaha Make Step Forward in Friday Practice Sessions at Aragón
The Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team with Rizla made some positive steps forward during the two free practice sessions in the Teruel Round of the FIM Superbike World Championship at MotorLand Aragón today.
Much of the excitement happened during FP1, with quick single-lap pace recorded across the board. Toprak Razgatlıoğlu made a sizeable jump in performance to set the fifth fastest time of 1’50.659, while Michael van der Mark continued his competitive run with a best lap of 1’50.765, earning him eighth on combined times.
Conditions were different to the Free Practice sessions held last week at the same venue, particularly without cooler winds helping to keep the track temperatures down.
The 50-minute afternoon session saw higher temperatures again and provided a good reference for the two Pata Yamaha riders to test improvements to their race set-ups in anticipation for the two 16-lap races over the weekend.
The Saturday schedule is a carbon copy of last week’s Aragon WorldSBK round, with one final FP3 at 09:00 local time (GMT+2), followed by Tissot Superpole at 11:00 and Race 1 at 14:00.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P5 – 1’50.659
“We are working to find more rear grip and now it is one step ahead of last weekend. I am feeling better so far. This morning I had a good feeling on the bike and we tried a different set-up to help the grip. This afternoon was not as good with the hotter temperatures, so I hope we will find an improvement on the morning set-up for these conditions. I am feeling OK but we need to make another step forward – the race is the important part and we will see what is possible.”
Michael van der Mark: P8 – 1’50.765
“It’s good to be back here this weekend, the conditions are a lot warmer than last time out, so we are still searching a little bit with the set-up of the bike, but the base is there right away. Everyone did a lot of laps last week, and today we focused a little bit on the rear tyre life and worked on the whole package to improve our race rhythm. This will come into play especially towards the second half of the race, where we have to improve. We did not do a “time attack” but I think we did some good quality, important work today.”
Paul Denning, Team Principal
“Same circuit as last weekend, but significantly different conditions with a 180-degree change in wind direction and higher temperatures. Michael’s Friday was more or less what we had aimed at, with step-by-step progression from last week to make the bike stronger towards the end of the race. The long run he did in FP2 will be really useful to help the team prepare for tomorrow. Toprak was quick in FP1, with a fifth best lap time but this afternoon in the hotter temperatures was a little bit of a struggle. He certainly wasn’t pushing for an outright lap time but we need to find a bit more performance, particularly in his R1’s turning ability, to provide confidence for him in these conditions.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
P2 And P3 For KRT
KRT official WorldSBK riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes (KRT) finished the opening day practice sessions at the Teruel Round of the championship second and third fastest respectively, with Jonathan just one one-thousandth of a second off the best lap time.
In what were generally hotter temperatures than the team experienced at this track last weekend during the Aragon round, both KRT riders started with a lot more data to work with today. This allowed them to make strong progress towards the head of the early qualifying rankings at the 5.077km long Spanish circuit.
Most of the faster times on Friday were set in the cooler conditions of FP1 this morning but a possibly more useful session was FP2. As the temperatures increased it moved the general track conditions closer to those the riders are expected to face during the two full distance races on Saturday and Sunday.
Rea, who won two races out of three last weekend, is now looking to refine his set-up with his technical staff to allow him to challenge for more wins as he looks to protect and ideally enhance his current ten point championship lead.
Lowes was on instantly fast form at circuit he has tested his Ninja ZX-10RR around even before last weekend’s first Motorland race weekend. He now looks to complete his pre-race set-up and tyre choices to approach the first 18-lap race at the Teruel round, to be held at 14.00 on Saturday 5 September.
Free practice three and then Superpole qualifying are the next two challenges Alex and Jonathan will face before the opening race tomorrow. On Sunday 6 September a 10-lap Tissot-Superpole ‘sprint’ and a final full distance race two will complete an intense recent period of track action for all inside the WorldSBK paddock.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “We had a completely calm day on schedule. In FP1 we decided to do some tests with the screen, to have a little bit different shape and try to see if we could improve our aerodynamics and pick up some KMPH. It was very difficult to tell from the data but we had a positive feeling. In FP2 we stuck to the plan to do a long run on the soft tyre, having a race simulation to get some info for tomorrow. I did a full 18 laps. I felt very good physically and the tyre consumption was OK. We worked to our schedule and we were second fastest, so it has been a positive day. I need to make a big effort in Superpole tomorrow because track position is everything here. With my pace being quite strong it means that if I am starting from the front row I may be able to dictate the pace a little bit better.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “We made a change to the bike set-up today and I felt good on the bike. This weekend it looks like the temperatures are going to be hotter than last time and the target is to have three really consistent strong races and get the best results I can. We do not know yet what we can achieve but we will focus on doing the best we can. We are using the settings we used at the test – also last Friday and Saturday – and it feels good; like I am quite competitive. If the temperature is higher this weekend then the races will be quite different from last time and that will be a challenge – and quite exciting, I think. It will not be the same pace or way of racing compared to last Saturday and Sunday.”
Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 13th today, making him the third fastest of the 11 independent riders in Spain this weekend. Maximilian Scheib (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) was 14th and Roman Ramos (Outdo Kawasaki TPR) 19th.
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
#TeruelWorldSBK FP. Chaz Davies and Scott Redding seventh and ninth respectively after first day of free practice at the Motorland circuit of Aragon (Spain)
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team is back on track at the Aragon Motorland circuit for the fifth round of the 2020 WorldSBK season. Chaz Davies and Scott Redding worked intensively on the set up of their respective Ducati Panigale V4 R making progress through the two sessions despite their position in the combined standings see them respectively in seventh and ninth position.
Both Chaz and Scott, in fact, were among the few riders to have improved in the afternoon the lap time set in FP1 despite a much higher temperature of the circuit, taking confidence in view of Race-1 tomorrow in which the weather conditions should be similar to those experienced in the FP2.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7)
“I am quite satisfied with what we did today. It was an interesting day also because the weather conditions were different from those of a week ago with the temperature of the circuit much higher. That’s why we used these two sessions to understand the behaviour of the tires and fix some details on the bike. Tomorrow’s first goal is to get a good result in the Superpole so that we can start in the best possible way both in Race-1 and in the Superpole Race”.
Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing- Ducati #45)
“We struggled a bit today. It’s true: we improved in the afternoon but the others have also made progress. So it is difficult to assess how effective our improvements have been. However, I am confident also because we are in a better position compared to the free practice a week ago before the great result we got on Saturday’s Race-1. It will be fundamental to qualify in the first row. This would allow us to fight for victory from the very first laps and keep our chances for the championship unchanged”.
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team returns to Friday Free Practice in the top 4 at Motorland Aragón, Spain.
04.09.20
Motorland Aragón
The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team today returned to the Motorland Aragón circuit in Spain just 5 days after Round 4 #AragonWorldSBK. Round 5’s Free Practice was a positive improvement from last weeks results with Tom Sykes getting himself into the top 4 in FP1 (1’50.537). Team-mate Eugene Laverty equally took some good steps forward on the BMW S 1000 RR in FP1 placing himself in P12 with a (1’51.113), just +0.113 from Leon Haslam in tenth position.
The afternoon’s FP2 session saw a considerable rise in track temperature which meant the likelihood of times improving were very slim. Tom Sykes went through his FP2 putting good long race simulations in. Despite not improving on his time in FP1 he would end the session in P9 (1’51.037), Overall P4 on combined session. #50 Eugene Laverty similarly did not improve on his FP1 time however, after making fork height and head angle changes to his BMW S 1000 RR made a good step forward in set-up from FP2 going into tomorrow Superpole and Race 1.
Shaun Muir, Team Principal:
“FP1 and FP2 was a good to start the weekend. Tom and Eugene both got solid runs in, we tried the SC0 and SCX tyres as well, so that was good to get runs on both compounds. We are confident we made a good step forward from last week, we had no issues whatsoever and both guys got some good race runs in, so we are feeling positive heading into tomorrow. If we can continue the pace we had today and take that into Superpole, I can see us being in a stronger situation than we were last week. We have put the difficulties of last week behind us now, and are fully focused on getting the results this weekend.”
Tom Sykes:
“I think we made some steps forwards today. I honestly feel that the BMW S 1000 RR is working very well in the corners, corner entry, and mid turn so we have so many positives to work with, its just the straight line performance that makes our life difficult. We saw this morning when I was out riding alone that I could do what I wanted with the bike, the consistency and lap times were there but we already had some signs that we were on the limit with the braking system, which shows the input I’m giving to the bike. I want to get where we all deserved to be, even this afternoon in the hot conditions the lap times were not too bad, but I was really on the limit with the front and rear so that’s where we need to improve for tomorrow.”
Eugene Laverty:
“I’m happy with the progress we made today because we changed the bike radically for this morning. We found some benefits but the negative was clear as we expected. Sometimes you have to make a compromise, that’s been the aim for FP2 to make a compromise but keep the gain we achieved this morning in the long corners. I think its been a good testing day but we are clearly not in the position we want to be in. The key for tomorrow is to get into those front two rows, but right now we don’t have the pace for that. That’s always been my aim but if we can get a good qualifying position for tomorrow, in the hot conditions It will be interesting to see where we end up.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
TWO SESSIONS, ONE LEADER: MICHAEL RUBEN RINALDI!
A perfect Friday, for Team Go Eleven, in the hot day at Motorland Aragon! Michael Rinaldi and his Ducati V4-R set times unattainable for all rivals, both in the morning and in the afternoon. First overall in the combined and first time in both sessions, for both Michael and Go Eleven it is a “First time ever”!
The FP 1 starts with an asphalt temperature similar to last weekend’s races. Michael enters with a really similar to race 2 set-up, and after some excellent laps he returns to the pits to try something different on the rear. Immediately he finds better sensations, he is constantly the fastest in the first and last sector, and ends his Run in third position. In the last ten minutes of the session it is time-attack, Michael completes two perfect laps, without mistakes, and gets ahead of the five-time World Champion Jonathan Rea by just one thousandth!
Free Practices 1:
P 1 M. Rinaldi 1.49.840
P 2 J. Rea +0.001
P 3 A. Lowes +0.507
In FP 2, with more similar conditions to those that will face in the races, Team Go Eleven starts with a very specific goal: the race simulation. The first 10 minutes are used to try a small change from the morning; Michael finds well and then the long distance test begins. In the first laps he immediately set two great laps, necessary to take the first place with a margin of three tenths over Rea; then he continues managing the tyre drop lap by lap, always maintaining a pace between the high 50 and 51.7. For some laps he also found Jonathan, also in race simulation, and seeing them together could be the starter of tomorrow’s race.
Free Practice 2
P 1 M. Rinaldi 1.50.377
P 2 J. Rea +0.274
P 3 C. Davies +0.347
As an Independent team, completing two sessions in first position is something unique; the bike looks magical in Michael’s hands, let’s enjoy the moment and see what happens over the weekend!
Michael Rinaldi (Rider):
“I’m very happy with how the day went because we improved the feeling compared to last weekend, managing to go a little faster. We still need a little bit to be more consistent in the race pace, but in the afternoon we did the race simulation and I’m satisfied. The work has been good, now we try to take another step forward and I can’t wait for tomorrow!”
More, from a press release issued by Barni Racing:
#TeruelWorldSBK: Melandri (P17) struggles in free practice at Aragon
Aragon (SPA), 4 September 2020. A few days after the Prosecco Doc Aragon Round, the Barni Racing Team and Marco Melandri are back on track for the fifth round of the World Superbike Championship. For the first time in history two races in a row are taking place in the same circuit, the Motortland of Aragon, located in Spain, in the province of Teruel. The province gives the name to the fifth round of the WorldSBK. At the end of the first two free practice sessions, Marco Melandri – riding the Ducati Panigale V4 R – finished seventeenth in the combined timetable, stopping the time in 1’51.632. However, the day of the #33 has gone in a crescendo.
In the first free practice session, the rider from Ravenna recorded his best time of the day, reaching the fifteenth position in FP1, half a second from the Top 10.
In the afternoon session, with slightly higher temperatures, the track was slower and only a few riders were able to improve. Among them was not Melandri who focused on a preparatory work for tomorrow afternoon’s race. With temperatures more similar to those the riders should find in the race, (30°C of the air and over 40°C on the asphalt) Marco set the fourteenth fastest time of the FP2 (1’51.675) and he got even closer to the Top 10 of the session with a gap of two tenths of a second.
The Superbike will be back on track tomorrow morning, at 9:00 am, for the third free practice session before the Superpole (11:00 am) and Race 1 (2:00 pm).
Marco Melandri
P17 (1’51.632 )
“We have made some progress, but I still can’t ride in the way I would like to. We are continuing to change a lot on the bike, my feelings change, but unfortunately not the results. Hopefully tomorrow we will be able to take advantage of the soft tyre trying to start a little bit further and try to make a comeback race.”
Marco Barnabo, Team Principal:
“This afternoon, with the hottest track, we took a few more steps forward and were a bit closer to the group ahead. We still do not have a setup that can allow Marco to express himself as he knows and we are not able to be further ahead in the standings because in the meantime also the others are improving session by session. Anyway, the results of the FP2 are encouraging for tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team:
Teruel Day 1: the GRT team at work to adapt to high temperatures
In the most bizarre season in recent WorldSBK history, today saw the teams return to the track on the same track they raced just a week ago, for the first day of free practice of the Teruel round.
The FP1s that kicked off the second weekend in Spain proved a little more complicated than expected for the GRT team duo, with Gerloff 16th, and Caricasulo even 18th due to an engine problem. The second session then signaled a big improvement by the two rookies, who finished 10th and 12th, respectively. Especially in the case of the Italian, however, the setup is not yet perfect, and will require further changes tomorrow to aim for a good placing in the Tissot Superpole and in race 1.
Gerloff expected a better performance in the first round, but he is very satisfied with the work done in the afternoon: “I thought I would be faster in the first session, especially after the good sensations of last week, but we didn’t even expect to be among the first,
because we decided to use only one set of tires for the whole session . However, we found
some useful information for FP2, and we did a good job that allowed me to feel good on the bike in the heat of the afternoon. Despite the much higher temperatures than in the last round, I managed to get to just one tenth of my best time in last weekend’s race. We also tried several solutions, some good and others less, but all useful to understand in which direction to go tomorrow. I’m happy to have been the second best Yamaha in FP2 and to know what to improve over the rest of the weekend. ”
Caricasulo, on the other hand, did not have a simple Friday, but he has clear ideas about the objectives to be achieved in order to aim high tomorrow: “It was not an easy day because we lost FP1 due to an engine problem, and we had to change it. In FP2, on the other hand, we immediately tried a long run but we weren’t very effective. We are now doing a shift analysis to understand where our problems have been, which we will work on to improve tomorrow. ”
For Technical Coordinator Damiano Evangelisti, the main obstacle of this weekend will be to adapt to the temperatures, which are higher than last weekend: “It is true that the track is the same as seven days ago, but we hadn’t come to terms with the different weather conditions: the heat is back, and there is no more wind, and already this afternoon we climbed to almost 50 ° temperature on the asphalt. It seems that these will be the conditions for the rest of the weekend as well, so we will also find the same situation in the two races tomorrow and Sunday as this afternoon. We need to review the plans we had made a bit after last Sunday’s good performances, because the change of the track when you go above 40 ° is enormous. It is true that everyone’s times tend to go up in this heat, but we have lost a bit too much performance compared to last week, while other pilots held closer. Unfortunately, this has distanced us a little from the group where we aim to be, and we have to fill this gap. Garrett is a little closer, also when it comes to setting up the bike, and, having continually tried new solutions, he has never even ridden with the ideal setup, which we will try in the morning. For Federico it was a slightly different day: he has always suffered from hot races, and we will have to work harder to fine-tune his bike, but it is also true that we have more information than in the past. We remain confident that tomorrow we will get close to the performances that allowed us to make a qualitative leap in the last race. We therefore remain calm and aim to improve. ”
The changes made this evening can be verified tomorrow, starting from FP3, which will open the dance at 9 am. Subsequently, the first important placements of the weekend will be up for grabs, in the Tissot Superpole and in race 1, at 11 and 14, respectively.
