Meanwhile, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) displayed commendable pace, securing third position despite encountering technical issues and a crash earlier in the day.
Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) showcased impressive performance, securing fourth place despite encountering an issue at Turn 5. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) continued to build confidence, securing fifth place and finishing just 0.6s behind Bulega’s best time, indicating strong contention at the upcoming Round. Teammate Andrea Locatelli demonstrated resilience, overcoming knee pain from his Australia Race 2 highside to finish within the top six.
The day was not without drama as Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) led for Kawasaki despite two crashes, ultimately finishing in 9th place. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) suffered a late crash at Turn 10, disrupting his momentum, and finishing in 16th position by the day’s end. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) led the charge for Honda, demonstrating improvement after a challenging Day 1 for the manufacturer.
P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“We didn’t do anything special, just some different setups. We tried something different, but then in the end, we came back, especially after the small crash I had at Turn 1. We regained our feeling, so ultimately, it was a good test.
I’m happy because my pace was also good. I did a great lap, but not in perfect conditions. Also, when I tried again with the second soft tyre, I made a mistake, and I was one tenth faster than my fastest time, but for just a test, it was good.”
WorldSBK Combined Results
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.172s
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.027s
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.429s
4. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +0.490s
5. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +0.600s
6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +0.676s
The 2024 season continues with the Pirelli Catalunya Round, running from the 22nd to the 24th of March at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
