Bulega and Ducati steal the spotlight on Day 1 of the Official Test; Rea sidelined by injury while Razgatlioglu bounces back.
Phillip Island, Australia
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) dominated Day 1 at Phillip Island with an impressive performance. The Ducati crew was hard to beat, filling four of the top five spots, with Andrea Iannone (Pata GoEleven) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) also posting strong times.
Even after a crash in the morning session, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) bounced back to secure third place, setting a best time of 1’29.334s.
Rookie Ryan Vickers (Motocorsa Racing) stood out among the newcomers, finishing eighth with a time of 1’29.982s.
Sadly, Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was ruled unfit for the season opener after a crash in FP1 left him with multiple fractures to his left foot. At the time of the incident, he was in P15 with a lap time of 1’30.885s.
Among the bimota riders, Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) was the quickest, finishing P6 with a lap of 1’29.883s.
P1 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“I only had one day and two sessions, but I left with a really positive feeling. I know everyone will keep improving, so we need to step up our game too. Today was about sticking to our routine—riding my standard bike and getting in plenty of laps, since winter testing was limited by the weather. I prefer to focus on finding where I can improve my performance, not just tweaking the bike. Now that I feel my performance is solid, it’s time to fine-tune the bike and build on this momentum. Plus, we have the Flag-to-Flag race this weekend, which is really exciting.”
P2 – Andrea Iannone (Team Pata Go Eleven)
“Today was a bit of a struggle with some issues on the bike and a bit of chaos in the garage. But we managed to sort things out, and my pace was decent. I have big plans for tomorrow, especially with trying out new strategies on tyre management—I used last year’s set today, so I’m curious to see how a change might help. It was a tough day, but it’s all part of the process, and we’re focused on making improvements.”
P3 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
“My crash was really odd. The data showed I was only at 39% throttle when I lost traction and high-sided, which even left my electronics guy scratching his head. We still don’t have a clear answer. Thankfully, I escaped without any broken bones, though I’m feeling the pain, especially in my hand. I went back out in the afternoon to get a better feel for the bike and work on the setup. By the end of the day, I managed to find a good pace and a setup that works better. I’m hopeful for tomorrow as we fine-tune things further. Even though I need a bit more speed, I’m feeling much more confident heading into the race weekend. This is racing—ups and downs are all part of the game.”
Combined Results after FP2
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’28.765s, 71 laps
2. Andrea Iannone (Team Pata GoEleven) +0.498s, 53 laps
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.569s, 34 laps
4. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.947s, 54 laps
5. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.063s, 80 laps
6. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +1.118s, 59 laps
Bendsneyder takes charge on a turbulent Day 1 of WorldSSP testing at Phillip Island.
Phillip Island, Australia
Bo Bendsneyder of MV Agusta Reparto Corse set the pace in FP1 with a strong 1’32.127s lap, carving out a clear seven-tenths lead over the rest of the field.
Making a comeback to WorldSSP after three years in WorldSBK, Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) powered through on a 1’32.827s lap to put Ducati on the front foot, finishing second.
Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) managed to find some pace improvements in FP2, climbing into third overall with a best lap of 1’33.007s.
Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) also showed steady progress during FP2 on the Ducati Panigale V2, finishing fourth.
Making an immediate impact, 2023 Moto3™ World Champion Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) set the third-fastest time in FP1 and rounded out the day in fifth.
Unfortunately, not all sessions were smooth. Glenn van Straalen (D34G WorldSSP Racing Team) and Yuki Okamoto (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) both encountered trouble at Turn 12—van Straalen suffered a concussion and was ruled unfit, while Okamoto sustained a coccygeal fracture and dislocation. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) also had a rough session, being declared unfit after a right wrist fracture and facial trauma.
P1 – Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse)
“It was a great day overall—almost a perfect one to be on top. We did face a few hiccups with several red flags cutting our session short, so we couldn’t get as many laps in as we hoped. Still, the feeling from those early laps was fantastic. I know every rider is going to step it up tomorrow, and we have a few tweaks to make on our end as well. We’re planning a race simulation that includes 10 laps with a tyre change, which is a first for me in a race setup. We might even try a time attack to see what we can do. There’s plenty of work ahead, but starting off strong like this, I’m determined to keep fighting for a podium in every race. That’s the goal.”
Combined Results after FP2
1. Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 1’32.127s, 38 laps
2. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.700s, 54 laps
3. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) +0.880s, 39 laps
4. Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) +1.004s, 38 laps
5. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +1.049s, 43 laps
6. Filippo Farioli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +1.104s, 31 laps
Official WorldSBK Press Release
