On day one of the WorldSBK test at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto, Andalucía, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) set the pace with an impressive lap time of 1’38.292s, leaving competitors over a second behind by electing to gain some mileage on the Pirelli SCQ tyre. However, teammate Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) faced challenges, finishing tenth as he strategized for the new 2024 weight rules.
In the Kawasaki camp, despite health issues, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) secured the second position with a fastest lap of 1’39.474s, while teammate Axel Bassani finished 14th, familiarising himself with the ZX-10RR setup. Independent rider Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) aimed for progress with a factory bike from KRT.
BMW had a noteworthy day, with Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claiming third place with a time of 1’39.521s, and Michael van der Mark securing fourth. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and teammate Scott Redding made significant contributions to BMW’s testing program, securing the eighth and 13th positions, respectively.
Yamaha showcased strength, with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) leading in fifth place with a time of 1’39.679s, closely trailed by newcomer Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) in sixth. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) just missed the top ten, securing 11th place, while Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) claimed 12th.
Team HRC’s Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge focused on adapting to the new CBR1000RR-R machine, with Lecuona finishing 16th.
Notable performances from Independents included Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) in seventh, Danilo Petrucci (BARNI Spark Racing Team) in ninth, and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) in 15th.
Jerez Test Day 1 Results:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’38.292s, 71 laps
2. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’39.474s, 31 laps
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’39.521s, 74 laps
4. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’39.531s, 72 laps
5. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’39.679s, 83 laps
6. Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) 1’39.682s, 72 laps
7. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) 1’39.664s, 67 laps
8. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) 1’39.763s, 73 laps
9. Danilo Petrucci (BARNI Spark Racing Team) 1’39.773s, 66 laps
10. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’39.847s, 68 laps
On the second day of testing at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto, Andalucía, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) continued his dominance, setting an exceptional lap record pace, leaving his competitors trailing by more than half a second. In contrast, teammate Alvaro Bautista encountered difficulties, finishing in 16th, lapping in 1’39.583s. Ducati showcased strength with Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) securing fifth place while Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) also delivered a solid performance, finishing seventh. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) claiming ninth while Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) was 15th on his sole day of testing.
Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) showcased Yamaha’s prowess, securing second place with a 1’38.345s, while teammate Andrea Locatelli completed the top ten. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) secured eighth place, while Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) took 12th.
In a surprising turn, Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) surged late to claim third place with a 1’38.572s, pushing Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) to fourth. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) also performed well, securing sixth place. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished 13th with a best time of 1’39.224s.
Leading the Kawasaki camp, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) finished in 11th place, focusing on race pace, with Axel Bassani improving to 14th. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 18th.
Honda had a challenging day, with Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) leading the team in 16th, and teammate Iker Lecuona finishing 19th.
Jerez Test Day 2 Results:
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’37.809, 69 laps
2. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 1’38.345s, 78 laps
3. Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) 1’38.572s, 77 laps
4. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’38.638s, 78 laps
5. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) 1’38.744s, 61 laps
6. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) 1’38.832s, 74 laps
7. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 1’38,852s, 91 laps
8. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’38.871s, 76 laps
9. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’38.907s, 73 laps
10. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 1’38.943s, 73 laps
The WorldSBK Paddock is set to move to Portimao, continuing its testing program on January 29th and 30th.
