The 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship has seen plenty of shocks and surprises throughout the opening four races and two Superpole sessions of the year but now, it’s the weather’s turn to spice things up. Rain surrounds the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya but Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was on top in Warm Up to start Sunday well.
Bolting in a top time right at the end of the session and continuing to show his competitivity from Race 1, rider of the moment Toprak Razgatlioglu had a three-tenth advantage in Warm Up during the tricky conditions, just pipping Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), who was top for most of the 10-minute session. Working together in the damp conditions, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and teammate Alvaro Bautista were third and fourth in Warm Up. The two Ducatis, who had a clear pace advantage until Toprak took victory in Race 1, will face a new challenge in cooler and changeable conditions later. After a fourth consecutive 0-point race, Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was in P5 and will hope to surge through the field to improve his starting place for Race 2 during the Tissot Superpole Race.
Always good on a damp or wet track, Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was in P6, whilst top Kawasaki honours went the way of Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) clinched eighth place in conditions which traditionally haven’t favoured him, with Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) and Brad Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) in P10, making it five out of six Yamahas inside the top ten, with Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) missing out in P11. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was best Honda in P12, whilst Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was P15 and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) in 17th.
Top six after WorldSBK Warm Up, full results here:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’56.739s
2. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.379s
3. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.514s
4. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.710s
5. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +0.724s
6. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.753s
EVERY SECOND LIVE: watch all the action from the Catalunya Round with the WorldSBK VideoPass!
Source: WorldSBK.com