Editorial Note: Danilo Petrucci is also at Misano testing his new Ducati Panigale V4 R on MotoAmerica-spec Dunlop tires.

Bautista ends day one at Misano on top for Ducati in WorldSBK test, only rider in 1’33s bracket

The Spanish rider was the only rider to lap in the 1’33s during the opening day for the Misano test

Day one of the two-day test at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” came to a close with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at the top of the timesheets for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field. The Spanish rider, on the Ducati Panigale V4 R, lapped in the 1’33s bracket making it the fastest he had ever lapped around the Italian venue.

Bautista’s first test at Misano since returning to Ducati ended up with him on top of the timesheets with a 1’33.983s lap time; more than a second faster from his Tissot Superpole time in 2019 when he last raced for Ducati at this venue. Ducati had some new components to test on the chassis of their Panigale V4 R, a swingarm first tested in Portimao and some electronic settings. Teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi, winner of two races in 2021 at Misano, was third fastest and around half-a-second behind Bautista.

Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was the fastest Independent rider on track, and second overall, despite a crash early on in the afternoon session at Turn 8. The American, whose GRT Yamaha squad were focussing on electronic settings on the YZF-R1 machine throughout the day, posted a best lap time of 1’34.376s. Gerloff’s teammate, Kohta Nozane, was ninth fastest on the opening day of the test with a 1’35.455s.

It was a good first test day of 2022 for Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) as the Frenchman posted the fourth fastest lap time, a 1’34.917s on the BMW M 1000 RR. The satellite BMW squad had some new components from BMW to try out through the test and teammate Laverty, with Bonovo Action expanding to two bikes for 2022, was eighth fastest and three tenths away from his teammate.

Rookie Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) had another strong day of testing ahead of his maiden campaign as he claimed fifth place on the opening day at Misano. Oettl, who “surprised” team boss Denis Sacchetti in a Portimao test, and Team GoEleven focussed on ergonomics of the bike during the test as well as testing a new fork and exhaust. Oettl’s best time was a 1’34.951s.

Another Independent rider showed strong pace on day one as Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed sixth place on his ZX-10RR. Mahias continued developing Öhlins suspension on his bike after the team switched suppliers for 2022 as well as a new clutch, with the Frenchman posting a best time of 1’35.062s. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) focussed on the braking of his Panigale V4 R machine and finished seventh in the standings at Misano after posting a 1’35.188s.

Scott Redding was the sole BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team rider on track due to Michael van der Mark’s injury and the British rider rounded out the top ten on his M 1000 RR machine as he got to use a reconfigured fuel tank and subframe, as well as a final fix to the 2022 engine. The new BMW recruited posted a best time of 1’35.592s as he continues to adjust from a V4 engine to an inline four machine.

French rider Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) ran back-to-back chassis tests between his old and new chassis during day one of the test at Misano, with a best lap time of 1’35.812s as he gears up for a second campaign with the family run team. He was ahead of Luca Bernardi (Barni Spark Racing Team) as the Sammarinese rider continued his adjustment to WorldSBK, posting a best time of 1’35.824s.

In WorldSSP, Turkish star Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) topped the timesheets as he tested brake discs and bumps on his Kawasaki ZX-6R machine as well as updated suspension. Öncü did have a crash in the morning session at the penultimate corner but his time of a 1’37.832s was three tenths faster than the race lap record set in 2018 by Sandro Cortese, who set a 1’38.193s. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was second in the standings as he also went under Cortese’s race lap record time, posting a 1’37.972s.

Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was third in the WorldSSP standings with a best lap of 1’39.214s, around 1.4s slower than teammate Öncü with Montella gearing up for his rookie campaign. Oli Bayliss (Barni Spark Racing Team) was fourth as he returned from a fractured ankle sustained at the Portimao test as he posted a 1’40.398s while Maximilian Kofler’s (CM Racing) best time was 1’40.465s.

WorldSBK times from day one at Misano

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’33.983s, 70 laps

2. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’34.376s, 67 laps

3. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’34.461s, 56 laps

4. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) 1’34.917s, 51 laps

5. Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) 1’34.951s, 62 laps

6. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) 1’35.062s, 38 laps

7. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) 1’35.188s, 63 laps

8. Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) 1’35.259s, 55 laps

9. Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’35.455s, 59 laps

10. Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’35.592s, 44 laps

11. Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) 1’35.812s, 66 laps

12. Luca Bernardi (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’35.824s, 52 laps