Defending World Champion Alvaro Bautista topped World Superbike Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at MotorLand Aragon, in Spain. Riding his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R, the Spaniard lapped the 3.1-mile (5.0 km) track in 1:49.649 to lead the field of 25 riders.
American Garrett Gerloff, riding his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR, finished sixth in FP2 with a time of 1:50.454 and was the top BMW rider on Friday.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Ducati’s dominance shines at MotorLand Aragon
In a day marked by Ducati’s supremacy at Aragon, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) led the charge by securing the top spot in combined practice times during WorldSBK FP2. His teammate, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, closely followed, setting the stage for a potential Ducati powerhouse in this weekend’s races with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) grabbing third place.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who set the pace in FP1, remained competitive but finished fourth overall. Honda showed glimpses of a comeback as Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) claimed second place in FP2, taking fifth in the combined standings. BMW’s Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) displayed strength once more with sixth place in the combined standings. Meanwhile Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) concluded the day in seventh place.
Bautista lived up to his pre-round favorite status, topping the combined practice times with a strong performance in FP2, showcasing Ducati’s dominance at the Aragon circuit.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“I think it has been a very positive Friday, even if the conditions were a bit difficult, especially this morning because it was too windy and I struggled a bit. This morning, we tried the new front from Pirelli. The first feeling was not too bad. It’s good tyre, good performance. Maybe I need more time to understand the tyre because right now with the SC1, I have more feeling and I know more the limits, so at the moment I think SC1 is for me the best solution.
In the afternoon, we came back to the SC1 and SCX to start the practice. Conditions were a bit better than this morning, but in any case I felt the grip was very low. It’s difficult to make lot of fast laps because after two or three laps the drop of the tyre is quite big and we’re struggling to maintain the same pace but then remain more or less consistent. I’m happy because the feeling with the bike was not too bad. I’m happy with the work we did, with the feeling too. Let’s see if tomorrow the conditions improve, especially with the wind.”
Bulega leads the way in Friday Practice
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) continued to assert his dominance as he topped the combined practice sessions at the Tissot Aragon Round. Bulega commanded both FP1 and FP2, finishing Friday’s sessions almost two tenths ahead of his closest rival, Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing). His rapid pace at the Aragon circuit, including a near record lap time, demonstrated his determination to secure the championship title.
Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), Bulega’s primary title contender, was third in the combined results, approximately three tenths behind Bulega. Despite the competition’s fierce nature, Bulega’s consistent performance sets the stage for a potential championship win, with Manzi closely trailing. The battle for WorldSSP supremacy is heating up, promising an exciting weekend ahead.
P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team
“I had a good feeling with the bike today. We’ve changed some things on the bike from the test, and I’m happy to be leading. I tried to focus on my race pace, tried to be fast, the same as I usually do on Fridays. Last year, it was the first WorldSSP race for the team and me here in Aragon, and I achieved my first podium with my V2. So, this year, I’d like to win here. I’m not thinking about the Championship. Manzi is really fast and close to me. It’s very difficult to win the title here. It can happen, but honestly, I just want to stay focused on these two races, and we will think about the title in Portimao.”
Gennai tops charts as WorldSSP300 leaders battle for supremacy at Aragon
The Tissot Aragon Round kicked off with nail-biting WorldSSP300 action as Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) surged to the forefront, posting the quickest lap of the day with a blistering 2’07.028s in FP2, a remarkable turnaround from his FP1 performance. Just behind him, Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing), a double-podium finisher at Aragon last year, maintained a blistering pace, trailing Gennai by a mere 0.038 seconds, showcasing his determination to shine at Aragon. Championship leader Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) proved he’s in the title race by securing the third position overall with a 2’07.216s lap in FP2.
P1 | Mirko Gennai | Team BrCorse
“Today, in FP1, I had a problem with the tire, but in FP2, I pushed in all the laps, despite the traffic on track. In the last lap, I tried to get away and was able to do the fastest lap of the day. So I’m happy with that. This weekend and the next one are the most important of the year because the Championship winner will be decided. I will try to battle for the win. I have 30 points less than Jeffrey Buis, but I think I can still fight.”
