Alex Lowes was the quickest rider during World Superbike Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, in Australia. Riding his Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) Ninja ZX-10RR on the recently resurfaced 2.7-mile (4.4 km) track, the Brit recorded a 1:29.042, which eclipsed the All-Time Lap Record of 1:29.197 set earlier in the day by Andrea Locatelli.
Rookie sensation Nicolo Bulega was the best of the rest with a lap time of 1:29.101 on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, while veteran Danilo Petrucci posted the third-quickest time in the session, a 1:29.237 on his Barni Spark Racing Ducati.
American Garrett Gerloff struggled again in FP2 and ended up 19th with a best time of 1:31.231 on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Lowes leads the charge as Bulega impresses, while WorldSBK triumvirate face challenges
Alex Lowes showed an impressive pace, setting a new lap record, and topping the timesheets on Friday.
Rookie Nicolo Bulega demonstrated immediate competitiveness in the Championship by securing second place overall, impressing with his performance.
Multiple-time Champions Alvaro Bautista and Jonathan Rea had a difficult Friday.
Friday’s WorldSBK action at Phillip Island saw Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) dominate proceedings, setting a new lap record and finishing atop the timesheets. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) secured second place overall, while Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), in third, showcased strong potential with a new lap record in FP1.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) led the Independent contenders, securing fourth place overall, followed closely by Rookie Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) in sixth. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) had a quiet start finishing tenth overall and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) took seventh place.
However, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), the Reigning Champion, finished 12th overall, while perennial contender Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) ended up in 16th place in the combined results.
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P1 | Alex Lowes | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK
“Today was good, we had some difficult conditions today, not many laps. Obviously, the format for the weekend has changed since the test. So, we’re in a little bit of a different mentality. We’re trying to look for an out and out performance. We must look after the tyres for 10/11 laps rather than 22 laps. This means we can play a bit more with the power of the bike, maybe have a bit more aggressive setting on the on the way the bike turns to use a little bit more the tyres. In the afternoon, honestly, we use the tyres from this morning to start with, didn’t feel too bad and then we used the SC2 front tyre which I quite like took the test when it was hotter and also by using it today it means we can focus on the SC1 tyre which gives me some more turning and helps me around the bike a little bit for the especially for 10 laps. I didn’t expect to be as fast as I was. Maybe with the SCT tyre for one lap, you can use the grip and then it was dropping a bit, and I was struggling to turn the back, so I’m sure there’s plenty of areas we can improve, but in general I’m positive, feeling good. Quite a lot of pretty good laps. My pace is staying OK we know that this year it was like there’s so many fast guys in such a in such a tight space. But if I can do a good qualifying, then I think I can be in the mix tomorrow and start the year 2024.”
Huertas’ Ducati debut pole & lap record triumph at Phillip Island
Despite a late crash, Adrian Huertas secured his first-ever pole position in WorldSSP, setting a new lap record at Phillip Island in the process.
In the electrifying Superpole session at Phillip Island, Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) showcased his prowess, clinching pole position with a breathtaking lap record despite a late crash, setting the tone for an exhilarating race. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) closely followed in second place, demonstrating impressive speed alongside Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) who secured third. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) positioned himself in fourth, while Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) rounded off the top six with impressive performances.
Despite facing challenges, Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) secured spots on the third row, emphasizing their resilience. Meanwhile, Jorge Navarro (WRP-RT Motorsport by SKM-Triumph) overcame a crash to secure ninth, with Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team) completing the top 10, ensuring a fiercely competitive grid for Race 1.
