The final day of the Supported Test at MotorLand Aragon came to a conclusion for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship teams and riders with six-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) topping the timesheets as the only rider to lap in the 1’48s bracket. On a day of competitive pace, four manufacturers were represented in the top five and all five were inside the top ten.

THE COMPETITION IS FIERCE: Four manufacturers in the top five

Rea’s best time from Day 2’s second session had looked like it was going to be enough to top the day, but he was able to improve again to a 1’48.714s to secure top spot on the second and final day of testing ahead of the Pirelli Aragon Round. He was three tenths clear of reigning Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) in second place, whose late lap time of a 1’49.068s moved him into second place. Razgatlioglu yesterday was continuing to test more about the electronics on his Yamaha YZF R1 while Rea had a couple of items to test, although no big new components.

Razgatlioglu overhauled Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to demote the Spanish rider into third place as Bautista looked to work on his Panigale V4 R machine with the Aragon Round in mind. Bautista’s best time was a 1’49.094s and he finished two tenths clear of American rider Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) as Gerloff completed the top four as he tested new components previously tested by the Pata Yamaha squad, using the full 2022 bike for the first time. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) was the highest-placed BMW rider in fifth place, with four of 2022’s five manufacturers in the top five, as he posted a 1’49.383s in FP5; Baz the highest-placed rider who did not improve in the final session.

SEVEN RIDERS WITHIN THREE TENTHS: A closely-matched field…

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was in sixth place with a time of 1’49.831s, 1.117s down on Rea’s pacesetting time but the Italian rider, heading into his second WorldSBK campaign, led a pack of seven riders within three tenths of each other. Locatelli’s compatriot, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), was seventh but just 0.032s behind Locatelli as he tried the new swingarm on his Ducati Panigale V4 R machine.

Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was the fastest Honda rider out on track but there was nothing to separate him from teammate Xavi Vierge on the timesheets. Lecuona’s day was interrupted by a crash at Turn 2 in the second session of the day but he, like Vierge, was to focus on the upcoming Aragon Round; their first time racing at the venue in WorldSBK. Rookie Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) rounded out the top ten with a best time of 1’50.086s as he continued to show strong pace ahead of his rookie campaign.

Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was just 0.018s outside the top ten as the British rider finished in 11^th place. Redding’s day was interrupted by a crash at Turn 5 but he did get to try Pirelli’s new SCQ tyre on Day 2 of the test. Redding was just 0.008s clear of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) as Lowes looked to complete more laps on his ZX-10RR without changing too much on the bike due to the colder conditions than the ones expected at the Aragon Round.

HOPING TO MOVE UP THE GRID: Rounding out the top 15

Irishman Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW) claimed 13^th place on his M 1000 RR machine despite a crash at Turn 9 in the second session, with the Irishman able to re-join the session. He was ahead of fellow BMW rider Ilya Mikhalchik (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who continues to stand in for the injured Michael van der Mark and will replace him for the Aragon Round. Mikhalchik’s best time was a 1’50.498s, just 0.052s away from Laverty. Rookie Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team), who received a late call-up for the 2022 campaign, rounded out the top 15 as he posted a best time of 1’50.656s, 1.942s away from Rea’s pacesetting time.

The top 10 following Day 2 of WorldSBK action at Aragon, full results here:

1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’48.714s

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.354s

3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.380s

4. Garrett Gerloff (GYRT GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.521s

5. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.669s

6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +1.117s

7. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.149s

8. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +1.257s

9. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) +1.296s

10. Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven) +1.372s

You can view the full results from Day 1 and Day 2 here!

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