Sykes tops shortened opening session at Phillip Island

WSBK Phillip Island Test


Ahead of the Australian opening round of the 2020 World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island, 34-year old Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK) has topped a shortened opening session at Phillip Island, after Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda) left oil on track through turns three and four, forcing a halt of the proceedings.

WSBK TBG ASBK Round Phillip Island TBG

WSBK TBG ASBK Round Phillip Island TBG

Tom Sykes led the morning session

Tom Sykes was the only rider to drop into the 1:30s, boasting a 1:30.938, with Pata Yamaha’s Michael Van Der Mark nearest on 1:31.252 with teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu only 0.023s further off the leading pace.

Defending world champion Jonathan Rea was fourth overall for the morning, 0.557s off the leader, with the Kawasaki Racing Team rider 0.446s faster than new teammate Alex Lowes, who was seventh and clocked in the 1:32s.

WSBK TBG ASBK Round Phillip Island TBG

WSBK TBG ASBK Round Phillip Island TBG

Ten Kate Racing – Phillip Island WorldSBK Test

Ten Kate Racing Yamaha’s Loris Baz was fifth fastest, while Scott Redding was fastest Ducati on the Aruba.it Racing V4 R. Teammate Chaz Davies was eighth, with 1:32.117.

Completing the top ten was Leon Haslam (Team HRC) and Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing).

Alvaro Bautista, riding the Team HRC Honda CBR1000RR-R was 11th as he comes to terms with the new Honda machinery at Phillip Island, where he dominated in 2019 on board a Ducati.

WSBK TBG ASBK Round Phillip Island TBG

WSBK TBG ASBK Round Phillip Island TBG

Eugene Laverty joins Sykes with BMW Motorrad WorldSBK

Second BMW Motorrad WorldSBK rider Eugene Laverty was 12th with a 1:32.893, almost two-seconds off leading pace, with Sandro Cortese (Outdo Kawasaki TPR) in 13th.

Federico Caricasulo made the move up to the premiere class in WorldSBK in 2020 after finishing second overall in WSSP in 2019, joining the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team for the new season, along with American Garrett Gerloff who was 17th posting a 1:34.184.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Leon Camiere were 15th and 16th, both on Ducati Panigale V4 R machinery, with Team GoEleven and Barni Racing Team respectively.

WSBK TBG ASBK Round Phillip Island TBG

WSBK TBG ASBK Round Phillip Island TBG

Team GoEleven – Phillip Island WorldSBK Test

Maximilian Scheib was 18th on the Orelac Racing Vednatura Kawasaki, while Takumi Takahashi was 19th on the MIE Racing Althea Honda.

Despite overcast conditions and rain north of Phillip Island, competitors remain hopefully for dry conditions for afternoon sessions, as activities recommence on track.

Phillip Island WorldSBK Testing – Monday FP1

Pos. Rider Nat. Team Gap
1 T. SYKES GBR Motorrad WorldSBK Team 1’30.938
2 M. VAN DER MARK NED PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK 0.314
3 T. RAZGATLIOGLU  TUR PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK 0.337
4 J. REA GBR Kawasaki Racing Team 0.557
5 L. BAZ FRA Ten Kate Racing Yamaha 0.671
6 S. REDDING GBR ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati 0.85
7 A. LOWES GBR Kawasaki Racing Team 1.111
8 C. DAVIES GBR ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati 1.179
9 L. HASLAM GBR Team HRC Honda 1.29
10 X. FORES ESP Kawasaki Puccetti Racing 1.476
11 A. BAUTISTA ESP Team HRC 1.731
12 E. LAVERTY IRL  BMW Motorrad WorldSBK 1.955
13 S. CORTESE GER OUTDO Kawasaki TPR 2.406
14 F. CARICASULO ITA GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team 2.594
15 M. RINALDI ITA Team GOELEVEN 2.736
16 L. CAMIER GBR Barni Racing Team 3.159
17  G. GERLOFF USA GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team 3.246
18 M. SCHEIB CHI ORELAC Racing VERDNATURA 4.64
19 T. TAKAHASHI JPN MIE Racing 5.408

World Supersport

Andrea Locatelli, who joined the BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team for the 2020 World Supersport season, led the morning World Supersport Free Practice 1 results, ahead of the MV Agusta Reparto Corse duo of Randy Krummenacher and Raffaele De Rosa, with the pair +0.276 and +0.309s off the leader’s pace.

Isaac Vinales (Kallio Racing) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) completed the top five , with Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) sixth.

WSBK TBG ASBK Round Phillip Island TBG

WSBK TBG ASBK Round Phillip Island TBG

Oli Bayliss

Top Honda was Hikari Okubo on the Dynavolt Honda, while Australian Oli Bayliss was 19th on board the Cube Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.

Phillip Island WorldSSP Testing – Monday FP1

Pos. Rider Nat. Team Gap
1 A. LOCATELLI ITA BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team  1’33.362
2 R. KRUMMENACHER SUI MV Agusta Reparto Corse 0.276
3 R. DE ROSA ITA MV Agusta Reparto Corse 0.309
4 I. VIÑALES ESP Kallio Racing 0.52
5 L. MAHIAS FRA Kawasaki Puccetti Racing  0.534
6 J. CLUZEL FRA GMT94 Yamaha 0.559
7 S. ODENDAAL RSA EAB Ten Kate Racing 1.173
8 P. OETTL GER Kawasaki Puccetti Racing 1.181
9 H. SOOMER EST Kallio Racing 1.626
10 C. PEROLARI FRA GMT94 Yamaha 1.715
11 M. GONZALEZ ESP Kawasaki ParkinGO Team 1.862
12 H. OKUBO JPN Dynavolt Honda 1.926
13 P. SEBESTYEN HUN OXXO Yamaha Team Toth 2.35
14 F. FULIGNI ITA MV Agusta Reparto Corse 2.384
15 C. ÖNCÜ TUR Turkish Racing Team 2.64
16 C. BERGMAN SWE Wójcik Racing Team 2.644
17 D. WEBB GBR WRP Wepol Racing 2.874
18 J. VAN SIKKELERUS NED MPM Routz Racing Team 3.057
19 O. BAYLISS AUS CUBE Racing 3.358
20  P. HOBELSBERGER GER Dynavolt Honda 3.79
21 L. CRESSON BEL OXXO Yamaha Team Toth 4.008
22 A. VERDOÏA FRA bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing 4.021

Source: MCNews.com.au

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