Bautista leads Friday running in Indonesia ahead of his first match point in Race 1
The Spanish rider finished ahead of reigning Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu in Friday’s combined classification
Friday highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
The Championship leader was fastest on Friday at Mandalika, setting a best time of 1’33.626s.
He was 0.462s faster than 2nd-placed Razgatlioglu and was the only rider in the 1’33s.
Bautista will be able to clinch the title in Race 1 if he outscores Razgatlioglu by 17 points and Rea by one point as he needs to have a 99-point margin to both Rea and Razgatlioglu (only full length race wins are used in the event of a tie, which currently stands at 12 for Bautista and five for Razgatlioglu with four remaining).
“Today, basically, we tried to understand the track to have some reference with a Ducati and also, in FP1, our goal today was just to put rubber on the track. In the afternoon, the track improved a little bit. I was a bit inconsistent during practice because, when I didn’t see very clearly when I could be safe in the corner, I just rolled off and didn’t take any risks. It’s better to have more Ducatis in front because it means that maybe it’s a track that fits not so bad for our bike but, at the same time, it depends a lot. Tomorrow we will see improvement from the track and then we see the performance of each rider. This kind of weekend is difficult to understand from the first day because everything is changing a lot. You have to be focused and try to get the maximum every time you go out to the track. My feeling with the bike has been positive.”
P2 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Razgatlioglu was second with a best lap clocked in 1’34.088s in FP2.
He was one of the busiest riders on track over the two sessions, completing 38 laps with only Bautista and Baz recording more.
“This morning, we started with a dirty track and in the afternoon, it felt much better. I’m feeling good and ready to race. We tried some different setups for the race and I’m very happy with the long run and the race simulation. I’m looking now to tomorrow because it will be an important day for me. Now, there is just one clean line but it’s not completely clean. In the races, it won’t be easy to pass because outside the line is very dirty. I hope it doesn’t start to rain because, otherwise, I think tomorrow will start like today.”
P3 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi posted his best time in 1’34.590s, finishing third in the combined standings.
He was 0.964s behind his teammate.
“Friday has been pretty good because, last year, here I struggled a lot. The track is different, and the asphalt is new, so it was difficult this morning to get a rhythm. This afternoon was much better, so everyone pushed for lap times. We tried the tyre because it looks like the SCX is damaging too much after a few laps. So, we go for the hardest compound, and I really like it. My lap was quite good. I think that at the moment we don’t have the pace to be on the podium, we need to improve a little bit. I think it will important to be in front and follow the slipstream of the top guys for a podium or a top four.”
P4 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea was fourth with a personal best time of 1’34.595s, 0.969s slower than Bautista.
“It was a difficult day honestly. I’ve felt that this morning it was very difficult the track. It was more a case of just understanding the layout, warming up. And then in FP2 the line was very narrow. I didn’t feel great with my bike. We guessed a bit balance change in the bike to try to generate some grip on the tyre. It’s just not really my base setup. I wasn’t feeling good. I think it’s more a case of back to basics tomorrow. Trying to get a bike that is more natural turning and then start to work step by step. We need to pay attention to the weather because the forecast and being in this microclimate here, we can have rain or we can have sun. The track temperature today was very high. We just don’t know what we’ll face tomorrow.”
P5 – Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team)
Gerloff was the fastest Independent rider in the top six finishing in fifth.
“Today was difficult. This morning the track was so dirty. It’s awesome that the track put the new asphalt and everything, the commitment they have to racing and to have the best possible asphalt and circuit is really good. Really difficult this morning, especially for me. We just stayed on one set of tyres, just trying to get laps in and basically not waste any stickers with the track conditions not the best. FP2 went a lot better, as long as you stay on that line, you’re fine, but if you go off line a little bit you have a big time.”
P6 – Xavi Fores (BARNI Spark Racing Team)
Fores was sixth overall, as he completed his best time in 1’34.871s.
“This morning was a little bit crazy because the track was so dirty, and it was like riding on ice. I took my time to learn the layout and I was taking care of the bike because I was a little bit lost, especially in the first laps of FP1. This afternoon, in FP2, I’ve felt more comfortable with the bike. We changed some things compared to this morning. I put some new tyres on and the pace was ok. I was inside the top eight and top five during all the session. I’ve felt comfortable, and especially I didn’t feel like I was pushing too much to do a lap. This is something that makes me happy. This morning I was a bit frustrated because the level is so high and coming in this time of the season, it’s not easy to be on the level. But anyway, I’m feeling confident and comfortable with the bike.”
To note:
Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) finished in eighth as the best Honda rider. FP2 was red flagged after a huge highside for Iker Lecuona (Team HRC). He was diagnosed with a low back contusion and has been transported to RSUD NTB Mataram Hospital for further assessments. Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team) also had a crash in FP2 which brought out the red flags, but after being evaluated at the medical centre was declared fit.
WorldSBK action resumes on Saturday from 08:30 (Local Time) with the FP3 session, followed by Tissot Superpole at 10:40 and Race 1 at 13:30.
WorldSBK Combined Results after FP2
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’33.626s
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.462s
3. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.964s
4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.969s
5. Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +1.217s
6. Xavi Fores (BARNI Spark Racing Team) +1.245s
Bulega spearheads Ducati 1-2-3 in Friday Practice
For his first appearance in Mandalika, the Italian rookie topped Friday’s timesheets while Championship leader Aegerter was 9th
Friday highlights – WorldSSP
P1 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
On his first outing on the Mandalika circuit, Bulega led Friday’s practices with a best time of 1’38.004s set in FP2.
He was 0.223s fastest than second-placed Raffaele De Rosa.
“New track for me… this morning, I understood the track and I felt much better from the first lap. This morning, the track conditions were not so good, there was zero grip. It was like riding in the wet with slick tyres. But this afternoon, the track was much better. I have a very good feeling with my bike again, like during the first part of the season, because in the last three or four rounds, I was a bit slower. But now, my good feeling came back and I’m happy. For the moment, I really like this circuit, I think it’s very good for our bike and for my riding style, so I hope to continue like this and be faster all the weekend and I’ll try to bring good results.”
Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura WorldSSP) was second despite a crash in FP2. He set a best time of 1’43.685s. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) finished the day in third place in the combined results, 0.245s behind Bulega. This means that the top three was filled with Ducati riders.
Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was fifth, followed by Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Stefano Manzi (Dynavolt Triumph).
Championship leader Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Team) was ninth on the combined schedule with a best time of 1’38.912s. Championship challenger Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) was eighth. The pair separated by just one tenth at the end of Friday’s action.
To note:
FP2 was red flagged with just over 20 minutes left after a crash for Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) at Turn 8. The rookie was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash where he was declared fit.
Aegerter has the chance to wrap up his second title in Race 1 if he outscores title rival Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) by three points or loses less than 22 to him across both Race 1 and Race 2.
WorldSSP action resumes on Saturday with the Tissot Superpole at 09:55 and Race 1 at 12:00.
WorldSSP Combined Results after FP2
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’38.004s
2. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura WorldSSP) +0.223s
3. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) +0.245s
4. Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.291s
5. Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.341s
6. Stefano Manzi (Dynavolt Triumph) +0.564s
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Rea Fourth After Early Mandalika Action
The Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit played host to two Free Practice sessions at the start of the FIM Superbike World Championship round on Friday 11 November. KRT riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes finished up fourth and 11th fastest overall.
The recently resurfaced Mandalika track surface was in dirty and dusty condition at the beginning of FP1. The new asphalt is very smooth but the lack of recent track action to help clean the surface meant that FP1 was a particular challenge to all.
In very hot but dry conditions the grip available on the emerging narrow racing line improved to a degree in time for Free Practice Two, allowing Rea to move up to fourth place overall.
Rea had not been riding with his usual level of confidence at times, simply due to the track conditions, but in finishing with the fourth best time he demonstrated his pace and experience once more.
Lowes was concentrating hard on machine set-up in both sessions and set the 11th best lap time, despite not managing to go for one final fast lap at the end of FP2. He also worked on the SC0 tyre option he expects to use in the races, if the weather at Mandalika remains dry for the races.
Saturday 12 November will host FP3, Tissot-Superpole Qualifying and then Race One, which features 21 laps of the 4.310km circuit.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “This morning the track was so dirty. And even in the afternoon I felt OK on the racing line, in most areas, but some areas are critical. Off the racing line was a nightmare. The set-up we arrived with, considering the grip level that we would face in FP1, was quite far from our base set-up, from a balance and position point of view. I just didn’t feel comfortable all day, even in the afternoon when the grip level came up. When you are not comfortable and nervous, when the racing line is so, so narrow, it is like walking a tightrope just looking at the rope. You need to be confident, looking forward. We can see quite clearly what I am lacking and we can see where to start on Saturday.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “Free Practice Two wasn’t too bad. I worked on the SC0 tyre because it looks like, in the current conditions, the SCX won’t last for us. I didn’t get a faster lap time in at the end just to see our outright speed but we did plenty of laps during the second session and have some good ideas about how to improve for tomorrow. It’s tricky out there, with a small clean line, so little mistakes can be costly. The track surface and grip are going to keep evolving. I’m pretty happy with the day’s work and excited for the first raceday tomorrow.”
Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was just one place behind Lowes on Friday, in 12th on the timesheets.
Oliver König (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) qualified 22nd, with Kyle Smith (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) 20th in his first ever full WorldSBK sessions.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Top Five on Scorching Opening Day in Mandalika for GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team returned to action today at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit, Indonesia, with Garrett Gerloff going fifth fastest on combined times, while Kohta Nozane was 17th.
In the opening FIM Superbike World Championship session, both riders were building confidence on the recently resurfaced Indonesian track, gaining grip throughout the 45-minute session, with Gerloff and Nozane finishing 16th (1’39.147) and 21st (1’40.704) respectively.
The heat climbed throughout the day, and by the time the #31 and #3 riders got going again for FP2, the track temperature had risen well above 60 degrees C. Gerloff improve his pace drastically in the afternoon, putting himself fifth fastest (1’34.843) on his last run.
On the other side of the garage, Nozane kept improving his lap times, also setting his fastest flier in the latter stages of the session to go 17th on a 1’37.088.
Both will be back in action tomorrow, firstly with FP3 at 08:30 local time (GMT +8), then with the Tissot Superpole at 10:40 and Race 1 at 13:30.
Garrett Gerloff: P5 – 1’34.843
“It’s awesome that there’s new asphalt on the track, but today we had to make sure we stayed on the racing line to avoid crashing. In FP2, things went a lot better but it was still tough to ride. Making a pass will be hard in the race, as you need to go on the dirty part of the track and once you’re there it’s so easy to fall. Tyre choice is really difficult, even the hardest compound is getting torn apart, and I think after Race 1 it will be more clear as to who made the right or the wrong choice.”
Kohta Nozane: P17 – 1’37.088
“Not the easiest day for us, we need improvements. Anyway, I’m sure about the possibility of being faster tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it. We know the areas where we’re struggling the most, so we’ll work on that to build a good Superpole session and Race 1. The track was very slippery and it was difficult to find grip, but hopefully things will improve tomorrow.”
More, from another press release issued by Yamaha:
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK Beat the Heat in Tropical Indonesian Free Practice
Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK rider Toprak Razgatlıoğlu topped Free Practice 1 and finished second in the overall standings, with teammate Andrea Locatelli in P7 on the opening day of the penultimate round of the 2022 FIM Superbike World Championship in Indonesia today.
With a brand new surface at Mandalika International Street Circuit, the riders had a tough day on track to assess tyre life and race set-up during just two 45-minute sessions. A lack of grip and work to scrub or “clean” the optimum race line on the new asphalt meant early lap times were a far cry from the lap record set during WorldSBK’s first visit to the island of Lombok last November.
But, as always, Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK got to work to complete as many laps as possible to give both riders the best chance of success during the weekend. Free Practice 2 was the hottest session of the day with track temperatures of more than 61 degrees Celsius – making it hard work for both rider and machine alike – while a series of red flags also interrupted the flow of many of the field’s “race simulations” during this afternoon’s representative conditions.
Indonesia’s special condensed race schedule will continue tomorrow with Free Practice 3 starting at the earlier time of 8:30 (UTC+8) followed by Superpole qualifying from 10:40-10:55 and lights out for Race 1 at 13:30.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P2 – 1’34.088
“This morning, we started with a dirty track but in the afternoon feeling much better. The feeling with the bike is very good and I am ready to race. We tried some different setups for the race and also did some good work – I’m very happy with the race simulation. I’m looking now to tomorrow because it will be an important day for me. Now, there is just one clean line but not completely clean. But in the race, not easy to pass because outside the line very dirty. I hope it doesn’t start to rain tonight because like this I think tomorrow will start like today. Not easy for all riders, also for the tyre life is difficult to manage now, but we will see. Now my plan is good qualifying and a good race, I hope to fight for the win. My goal this weekend is three wins, but the weather is always changing so we try our best.”
Andrea Locatelli: P7 – 1’34.941
“The feeling on the bike was not so bad this morning and also in the afternoon. The track condition for sure has not helped us to take a good rhythm. I think the track will improve more tomorrow, we worked a lot today to understand what we need to improve for the races. In general, I’m not super happy but I think we are ready to fight this weekend to try to get good results. We try to get the best possible position, this is the objective, and we hope to close the gap to the front as much as possible in FP3, Superpole and Race 1 tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Super Friday for Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team: Bautista dominates free practice with Rinaldi third. Bulega tops the timesheets in Supersport
The Pirelli Indonesian Round started in the right way for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team. Friday’s free practice, in fact, finished with Alvaro Bautista and Michael Rinaldi in first and third position respectively.
After using FP1 mainly to get to grips with the new asphalt at the Mandalika circuit, Alvaro Bautista’s feeling with the Ducati Panigale V4R grew lap by lap in the second session, allowing him to close in on the lead with a 462 thousandths of a second advantage over Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha).
Michael Rinaldi also had a very positive day, working well with his team despite the fact that track conditions, especially in FP1, were not the best. The Italian rider ended free practice in third place, nine tenths down on his team-mate.
P1 (1’33.626) Alvaro Bautista
“It was a very strange day. In FP1 we literally tried to put rubber on the track because with the new asphalt the grip was non-existent. In the afternoon things improved even though I have to say that the conditions are still not optimal: we only have a tight line with grip because the circuit is not yet perfectly rubberized. In any case we have collected a lot of data to try and improve further tomorrow.”
P3 (1’34.590) Michael Rinaldi
“All in all I can consider this Friday quite positive. In fact we finished in third place on a track where I encountered several difficulties last year. I did a good lap, that’s true, but we still need to improve on the pace. In FP2 we managed to make an important step compared to the morning, but we will certainly need another one tomorrow to be able to fight for the podium”.
WorldSSP
Extremely positive feelings for Nicolò Bulega and the Ducati Panigale V2 of the Aruba.it Racing WSSP team.
P1 (1’38.004) Nicolò Bulega
“I didn’t know the track and that’s why I struggled a bit in FP1 also because of the almost total lack of grip. In the afternoon the track improved a lot and I finally got my feeling back from the first part of the season. I’m back to riding the way I like to ride and that gives me a lot of confidence. I hope to have a good weekend.
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC:
Iker Lecuona ruled out of the Indonesian WorldSBK round
Iker Lecuona has been declared unfit to compete in the remainder of the Indonesian WorldSBK round after a violent highside during the second practice at the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia saw him hit the ground hard at turn 4.
With the track offering more grip than it had in FP1, times immediately begun to tumble in FP2, Iker up into third when the unfortunate incident occurred. Lecuona was taken to the circuit medical center for an initial medical assessment and was later airlifted to the RSUD Provinsi NTB Hospital in Mataram for further tests. Following CT and MRI scans, doctors have diagnosed a stable fracture of the T12 vertebra (with no neurological damage) as well as a fracture to the left side of the sacrum. With no need for stabilization surgery, Lecuona has already been discharged from the hospital and will now rest and begin conservative treatment.
Earlier in the day, Team HRC had in fact enjoyed one of its strongest first outings of the season. Despite high temperatures and the fact that the track offered very little grip after recent resurfacing, Lecuona and Xavi Vierge were able to soon build confidence with what is a new track for them both. Quickly improving on their times on what was a dirty and slippery track, Lecuona had finished the first practice session in second place, followed by team-mate Vierge in fifth.
Vierge spent session two making a few small setup changes that clearly worked and allowed him to pick up the pace and lap almost three seconds quicker than he had during FP1. Setting an impressive best of 1’35.022 in the final minutes, Xavi projected himself into eighth position overall by the end of day one.
Xavi Vierge 97
P8
“A positive day, albeit a rather challenging one due to the track conditions and the fact it’s a brand-new track for us. I simply love the layout but with the tarmac resurfaced just recently, the grip is terrible right now. As the day progressed, a line formed and there was more grip there, but the outer line is still so dirty. It was so easy to crash at the slightest “mistake” and it was hard to go fast without making mistakes. Having said that, we made good progress throughout the day while also collating useful information so that we can try to make a step tomorrow and get closer to the top guys. I wish Iker all the best and hope he will soon be fit and ready to return.”
More, from a press release issued by Team GoEleven:
NEW (and SLIPPERY) ASPHALT, GOOD STEP IN FP2, BUT THE RIGHT FEELING IS STILL MISSING!
Friday saw the riders hit to the track for the first time on the new asphalt of the Mandalika circuit; as often happens when the tarmac is recently redone, in the first sessions the track shows slippery, and with very slow and insignificant times. As the laps went by, conditions improved, with riders and teams able to work ahead of the races, even if the day wasn’t really smooth.
In FP 1 the WorldSBK riders took to the track in rather difficult conditions, almost at the limit of the “wet” times, trying more than anything else to regain the feeling with the track, understand lines and trajectories for those who, like Philipp, had their debut with the Superbike, and just leaving tyre on the asphalt. Team Go Eleven has opted to use only one set of tyres, due to the limited usefulness of the laptimes. Oettl completed 10 chrono laps, getting his best on the last chance before returning to the pits. A good 38.8 that earned him a momentary Top Ten position, before some opponents took advantage of a new softer tyre. In any case, the times were more than 4 seconds from the record, far too far to understand anything of the values on the field.
Free Practice 1:
P 1 T. Razgatlioglu 1.36.938
P 2 I. Lecuona + 0.189
P 3 A. Bautista + 0.571
…
P 13 P. Oettl + 1.911
In FP 2 the asphalt immediately showed itself to be in better conditions, so much so that several riders entered with fresh tyres; in the first laps Philipp is at ease, improving the time of the morning and entering third position. Just when he was starting the long run to evaluate the durability of the rear SCX, and the front, also very stressed in Mandalika, two red flags caused by some crashes interrupt the session. In fact, new unused tyre; so the technicians decide to try a new solution by extending bike length, with the aim of reducing the nervousness of the bike. Upon returning to the track Philipp immediately drops to 35, scoring a formidable second sector, but in the following laps he makes several mistakes due to a clear difficulty in stopping the bike. As a result, he just can’t take out the most from the new tyre, which surely could have given him a few tenths less. Today the Italian team was unable to carry out a real long run, and the choice of compounds will also be evaluated tomorrow. However, it remains a good thirteenth position, not far from the Top Ten.
Free Practice 2:
P 1 A. Bautista 1.33.626
P 2 T. Razgatlioglu + 0.462
P 3 M. Rinaldi + 0.964
…
P 13 P. Oettl + 1.984
For tomorrow it will be essential to work with the aim of finding greater consistency in the laps, so that the bike is not too difficult for the race distance, which here will be very physical due to the high heat; today at 1.30pm, Race 1 time, the asphalt was over 60 degrees, with air temperatures around 40!
Saturday Schedule (local time / Italian Time)
FP 3: 08.30 – 09.00 / 01.30 – 02.00
Superpole: 10.40 – 10.55 / 03.40 – 03.55
Race 1: 13.30 / 06.40
Philipp Oettl (Rider):
“Today it was a difficult day from the beginning due to the track conditions; first time on this track with the new tarmac, it was really slippery. The first session it was good, we didn’t use the new tyre, so the lap time was quite ok. The second session it was a little bit confusing because the practice had been stopped two times by red flag, when I had the new tyre. It didn’t allow me to understand the bike well, and the change on the bike length we did in the second outing, I didn’t realize it completely. Now we have a bit of time to analyse the datas, so we can understand where we are good and where we need to improve. I am quite optimistic for tomorrow, if we work in the correct way we can fight for a good result. The positive thing is that my left arm is completely ok, so I shouldn’t have the same problems of last weekend!”
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