The first day of testing at the Circuito de Navarra came to a close for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock with American star Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) edging out fellow Yamaha rider Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) at the top of the timesheets with just half a tenth separating the pair.

Razgatlioglu had led the times in the first part of the opening day of testing but found himself behind Gerloff at the end of the day, with light rain falling just as the final hour of testing started. It meant Gerloff topped the times with a 1’37.329s, less than a tenth ahead of Razgatlioglu. Gerloff completed 74 laps during the official eight hours of running, with Razgatlioglu completing 97; both riders aiming to learn the track on the YZF R1 machines.

Just behind the two Yamaha riders were the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK pair of Alex Lowes and Jonathan Rea as the two teammates completed 130 laps between them despite only taking part for half a day on Monday. Like Gerloff and Razgatlioglu, the main aim for Lowes and Rea was to learn the circuit ahead of the Navarra Round in August including looking to find the best starting point in terms of base setup. Lowes posted a best time of 1’37.521s, a tenth ahead of Rea, although his bike came to a halt in the latter stages of running.

Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was fifth after posting a 1’37.976s on his M 1000 RR as BMW focused on the chassis, swingarm and triple clamps of their machine as they looked to take another step forward with their new bike. It was an eventful day for teammate Michael van der Mark, who posted a best time of 1’38.567s, six tenths away from Sykes, and also suffered a crash at Turn 3 although he was okay following the crash. Independent BMW rider Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) was also on track, providing some extra feedback for the German manufacturer, as he finished in tenth place.

Another manufacturer looking to take a step forward is Team HRC with riders Leon Haslam and Alvaro Bautista, with Honda potentially only testing for one day at Navarra. The team were testing different electronic and other mechanical items on the CBR1000 RR-R, as well as looking to get information for the technicians for the base setup of the bike. Haslam finished the day in sixth place with a 1’38.328s and 80 laps completed while Bautista was ninth after completing 71 laps.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) had been running as high as second in the early stages of the test but finished the day in seventh place with 85 laps under his belt while Kohta Nozane’s (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) day came to an early end after he crashed out at Turn 13, with the Japanese rookie taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Nozane had put in a best time of a 1’40.921s prior to the crash and completed 25 laps.

There were two riders from the FIM Supersport World Championship on track too as Ten Kate Racing Yamaha duo Dominque Aegerter and Ten Kate Racing Yamaha prepared for the upcoming Navarra Round, as well as testing some new components on the YZF R6. It was Aegerter’s first time at the track while Pratama brought experience from the Spanish championship, although Swiss rider Aegerter finished ahead of Pratama by over a second, posting a best time of 1’41.569s compared to Pratama’s 1’42.942s; the duo completing 169 laps for Ten Kate Racing Yamaha.

The WorldSBK standings following day one of testing at Navarra:

1. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’37.329s, 74 laps
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) 1’37.373s, 97 laps
3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’37.521s, 63 laps
4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’37.642s, 67 laps
5. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’37.967s, 85 laps
6. Leon Haslam (Team HRC) 1’38.328s, 80 laps
7. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) 1’38.419s, 85 laps
8. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’38.567s, 78 laps
9. Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) 1’38.574s, 71 laps
10. Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) 1’38.824s, 52 laps
11. Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) 1’40.921s, 25 laps

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