Nothing could separate Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) and Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) on the opening day of testing at MotorLand Aragon in the FIM Supersport World Championship. Cold temperatures impacted the day’s running but both riders took full advantage of warmer conditions in the afternoon FP3 session to post their best lap times, with just a tenth between the two.

INSEPARABLE AT THE TOP OF THE FIELD

Both Bulega and Aegerter took times leading throughout the third 45-minute session but it was the Italian rookie who headed the field with a best lap time of 1’42.238s on his Ducati Panigale V2 machine, with reigning Champion Aegerter only 0.096s slower than Bulega on his Yamaha YZF R6 as both looked to start the season in the perfect fashion. Turkish star Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) put in a late lap to go third fastest at the end of day one, with less than two tenths separating the three manufacturers of Ducati, Yamaha and Kawasaki.

ALL FIVE MANUFACTURERS IN THE TOP TEN…

Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was inside the top three until the end of the season when he was pipped by Oncu, but still ensured four of 2022’s five manufacturers were represented in the top four as he posted a best time of 1’54.524s. Using the old fairing on his F3 800 RR, with the new one being tested on Day 2, he finished just ahead of rookie Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) in fifth, with the Italian just over a tenth away from Tuuli’s time.

French rider Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) was sixth fastest, less than a tenth away from Baldassarri as he goes in search of his first elusive world title, while Dynavolt Triumph duo Stefano Manzi and Hannes Soomer finished in eighth and ninth place respectively. Mazni, who has missed testing so far with an injury sustained at the VR46 Ranch, posted a best time of 1’54.963s with Soomer just 0.025s behind. Soomer did have a crash at Turn 6 in Free Practice 2, but he was able to get back out on track for FP3. Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was ninth as he prepares for his rookie WorldSBK campaign with Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura WorldSSP) rounding out the top ten on his Panigale V2, 0.025s away from Montella.

TO NOTE

Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) was 11^th despite coming to a stop at Turn 1 during FP3, with his best time set in FP2. He posted a 1’55.271s and he was the fastest rider to not improve between FP2 and FP3. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) was 12th fastest, 0.032s behind van Straalen. Tom Booth-Amos (Prodina Racing WorldSSP) was 17^th as he adjusts to WorldSSP after two seasons in WorldSSP300 as he lapped 1.979s slower than Bulega but finished as the highest-placed WorldSSP300 graduate on Day 1.

The top 10 following WorldSSP action at Aragon, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’53.818

2. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.096s

3. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.176s

4. Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.706s

5. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.872s

6. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.918s

7. Stefano Manzi (Dynavolt Triumph) +1.145s

8. Hannes Soomer (Dynavolt Triumph) +1.170s

9. Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +1.308s

10. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura WorldSSP) +1.333s

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