LIVE UPDATES: minute-by-minute coverage of the Jerez test as Bulega smashes lap record pace!
As almost the whole paddock descends on Jerez for two days of testing, we bring you the latest updates from southern Spain...
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock, barring a few exceptions, has headed to the Circuito de Jerez - Angel Nieto for two days of crucial testing with the 2024 season getting underway in just under a month. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) tests for the first time alongside his rivals, with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) and Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon) also on track. It's a chance to see how the #54 fares against rivals, while it's also a chance to see how the rest of the grid stacks up before the Australian Round. For a full preview of the test, click HERE and you can follow it on live timing here.
19:10 - here's the Day 2 report from Jerez as Bulega goes four tenths quicker than the lap record, Rea is P2 and Bautista outside the top 15...
18:00 - the chequered flag falls on the test, with Bulega topping the second day and the entire test. Rea is second, while there's a late surge up the order from Scott Redding to finish P3 and as the lead BMW rider...
17:45 - just 15 minutes remain in the test, with the order remaining unchanged. Bulega's 1'37.809s remains untouched at the top of the times
16:27 - in WorldSSP, it's still Manzi leading the way by four tenths ahead of Oncu with three manufacturers inside the top three as Huertas sits third
15:46 - we were able to catch up with Ducati Corse's Technical Coordinator, Marco Zambenedetti, earlier and he explained how Ducati and Bautista are adapting to the new rules. Read more right here!
15:15 - still a lot of riders are in the box, and there's been no change at the top of the timesheets. Top five is still Bulega, Rea, Razgatlioglu, Iannone and Petrucci
No words needed #WorldSBK pic.twitter.com/iszWqLjrHs
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) January 25, 2024
14:32 - a lot of riders are in the box right now so let's have a recap. Bulega's 1'37.809s remains unbeaten as it stands, with Rea and Razgatlioglu completing the top three. Alex Lowes is the fastest Kawasaki rider in 13th (he was second yesterday and today wanted to focus on long runs), while Vierge is the fastest Honda in 15th.
14:07 - Iannone's pace has been strong and he currently sits P4, but 'The Maniac' has just had a crash in the first sector. He's okay following the spill
13:55 - in terms of lap count, Sam Lowes has been the busiest with 56 laps to his name. On the other end of the scale, Tito Rabat has 19 and Iker Lecuona just 21
13:22 - no change at the top of the times, with Bulega's incredible lap keeping him half-a-second clear of Rea. The top five is Bulega, Rea, Razgatlioglu, Iannone and Petrucci - the #9 has moved into the top five with a 1'38.907s
Onboard with @PataYamahaWSBK's #LokaNotOnX at Jerez. His second lap after the lunch break, so not one of his fastest, but it’s a lovely view of the circuit. Oh, and for those enduring the Northern European winter, we apologise for enjoying the sunshine pic.twitter.com/dBRndtvX7b
— Yamaha Racing (@yamaharacingcom) January 25, 2024
12:42 - just over five hours to go, and Bulega's 1'37s still leads the way. In the top five, all riders are on new bikes for 2024 (Bulega to Ducati, Rea to Yamaha, Razgatlioglu to BMW, Iannone to Ducati and Oettl to Yamaha).
12:22 - to provide an update on the WorldSSP field, Stefano Manzi currently leads the way ahead of Can Oncu and Adrian Huertas. Just over half-a-second separates the top three
12:06 - the gap to Bulega's closed with Rea and Razgatlioglu moving into P2 and P3 respectively, with Rea 0.536s slower than the #54 0.829s down on the Italian
12:01 - a shoutout to Philipp Oettl too, who's moved into P2 with a 1'39.039s. It's almost a full second quicker than he went yesterday
11:50 - Bulega's done the first 1'37s of the test! A 1'37.809s has hauled him into P1, and this is a huge four tenths quicker than the lap record at Jerez!
#JerezTest Day-2
— Aruba.it Racing - Ducati (@ArubaRacing) January 25, 2024
Yes ok. Q tyre. @nbulega @ducaticorse @WorldSBK pic.twitter.com/OB4eeqyRbA
11:47 - there's nothing to separate the twins on the grid right now. Sam is just ahead of Alex, with just... 0.022s between them
11:38 - Razgatlioglu is now top of the WorldSBK timesheets, edging closer to the 1'38s bracket. He's 0.053s quicker than rival Rea
11:35 - Locatelli's time at the top lasted around half an hour, as Bulega goes quickest with a 1'39.138s... before Rea re-takes P1 shortly after by 0.051s!
11:28 - Garrett Gerloff is now the lead BMW rider in fifth, setting a 1'39.680s. Meanwhile, Iannone moved up to third and 0.216s off the pace
11:17 - Locatelli still leads the way ahead of teammate Rea, with Bautista P3. Bulega is into fourth, 0.471s slower than 'Loka', while fellow rookie Andrea Iannone has slotted into fifth. Michael Ruben Rinaldi, only testing today for Motocorsa, is 17th as it stands after 12 laps
It’s GO time!
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) January 25, 2024
Day is UNDERWAY Make sure to follow it https://t.co/POv6UspNDr#WorldSBK pic.twitter.com/AOeDWGBRbW
10:58 - a new face goes fastest. Rea's teammate, Andrea Locatelli, sets a 1'39.255s to go almost two tenths clear
10:49 - the 'Titanic Trio' are covering the top three places! Rea leads Bautista - who's improved his time from yesterday already - with Razgatlioglu in third. 0.353s separate the group
10:40 - Razgatlioglu sets the first representative lap time of the day, with a 1'39.8s before improving to a 1'39.784s. Although Rea's just gone three tenths quicker to overhaul his rival
10:30 - the green flag wages an the second day of testing gets underway. A flurry of WorldSSP riders head out on track first, with Razgatlioglu the first WorldSBK rider
Rise and shine!
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) January 25, 2024
Day is about to begin! #WorldSBK pic.twitter.com/5OF0r49iFm
10:25 - good morning! Day 2 at Jerez is just around the corner. A reminder that you can catch up on interviews from key stories from yesterday, including pacesetter Nicolo Bulega, teammate Alvaro Bautista (P10), Alex Lowes (P2) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (P3). Track action for the second day gets underway in around five minutes, but, before then, catch up on the action from yesterday below.
Day 1 updates below:
18:30 - here's the day one report, with Bulega's brilliant lap time putting him more than a second clear
18:00 - the chequered flag falls and that's it for day one. Bulega's stunning lap time means he stays on top despite late technical problems, while Alex Lowes was second. There was a late battle for third between teammates Razgatlioglu and van der Mark, with the #54 coming out on top by just 0.010s. Full report and reactions to follow...
17:20 - Bulega's just put in a huge lap to set a 1'38.292s using the SCQ. This is only half a tenth away from the all-time pole record set by Rea in 2019...
17:00 - there's just an hour to go on the first day of testing at Jerez. Bulega's SCQ tyre time from earlier on is still good enough for P1, almost three tenths clear of Alex Lowes - who's only completed 26 laps. It's been a strong day for Razgatlioglu and BMW, with the Turk in third, while Gardner and Rea round out the top five
16:35 - in terms of lap count, Oettl has been the busiest rider on track with 77 laps to his name. Still no change at the top of the timesheets, with Bulega leading Alex Lowes. Petrucci has moved into the top ten, though, as he works with a lower seat on his Panigale V4 R
16:03 - Alex Lowes has moved up to P2, around three tenths away from Bulega's quickest time
15:32 - Bulega's lap time was done on an SCQ tyre
Fastest rider on track right now
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) January 24, 2024
With an impressive 1’39.193s, our #WorldSSP Champion @nbulega is still on top of the timesheets #WorldSBK pic.twitter.com/D4M9smhORZ
15:30 - with around 2.5 hours left in the day, a quick recap. Bulega still leads the way with his 1'39.193s remaining uncatchable at this point. Razgatlioglu is second in his first BMW test alongside his rivals, while Gardner is third. Alex Lowes is the highest-placed Kawasaki rider in sixth, while Iker Lecuona is the top Honda at this point in 15th. In WorldSSP, MV Agusta's Marcel Schroetter leads the way with a 1'42.015s, closely followed by Manzi and Oncu
15:09 - it's been on track before today, but here's a first look up close with the new CBR1000RR-R machine...
14:25 - we've heard from Yamaha that Aegerter won't ride today
Medical Update: @DomiAegerter77 will not ride today as he is unwell with a suspected viral infection.
— Yamaha Racing (@yamaharacingcom) January 24, 2024
We will re-assess his condition in the morning after resting overnight and decide if he will participate in the second day of testing at Jerez.#WorldSBK pic.twitter.com/InhL32HJJi
13:57 - a lot of the field are in the box right now, so it's time for a quick recap. Bulega remains on top with a 1'39.193s, four tenths clear of Razgatlioglu. Gardner is the fastest Yamaha rider, just ahead of Rea, while Iannone continues to impress in fifth. Four manufacturers (Ducati, BMW, Yamaha and Kawasaki) are in the top six and separated by half-a-second
13:25 - a new name at the top... as rookie Bulega goes four tenths fastest! He's set a 1'39.193s to demote Razgatlioglu to P2
13:19 - it's impossible to do a like-for-like comparison, but Razgatlioglu's 1'39.627s is quicker than any lap he did in Race 1 or Race 2 last year at Jerez when with Yamaha
13:00 - back in WorldSSP, Adrian Huertas crahsed his Panigale V2 machine at Turn 12. He's okay and back in the box
12:37 - it's very close at the top! Razgatlioglu returns to P1 with a 1'39.627s, and now just 0.057s separates him, Gardner, Rea and Iannone in the top four. Lowes in fifth is just 0.098s back...
12:28 - although Alex Lowes has just slotted into third, 0.046s down on Gardner. The #22 is only doing half a day today after being unwell in the build-up to this test. Locatelli had to stop due to a technical issue at Turn 2, while everyone but Dominique Aegerter has been out on track so far
12:25 - Rea's improve his lap time to a 1'39.662s, only 0.003s behind Gardner. Two tenths cover the top four WorldSBK riders, with Bulega in third and Razgatlioglu fourth
@jonathanrea looks ready to hit the track #WorldSBK pic.twitter.com/se0BHaMF6F
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) January 24, 2024
12:10 - in WorldSSP, Ten Kate Racing Yamaha's Stefano Manzi leads the way with a 1'42.144s, ahead of Adrian Huertas and Can Oncu who is back on track following surgery on his arm over the winter
12:00 - although it's changed again as Gardner - who was strong in the 2023 round here and fastest in the test after - moves to the top with a 1'39.679s. It's still some way off his time from the November test though, when he set a 1'38.448s
11:57 - a change in the order as Bonovo Action BMW's Garrett Gerloff moves int P2. He's just 0.048s behind stablemate Razgatlioglu, on what's been a strong start to testing for the German manufacturer
11:52 - Smith's had a small crash at the Turn 3 left hander, but he's okay following his spill. His best time so far is a 1'41.790s
11:45 - Razgatlioglu - still adjusting to his M 1000 RR and looking to use today to work on setup - leads the way ahead of Rea, with only 0.074s between them. Bautista's added to his lap tally now and moved into the top ten
11:24 - Both Aruba.it Racing - Ducati riders have been out on track. Rookie Nicolo Bulega's slotted into fourth, 0.420s down on Razgatlioglu, while Alvaro Bautista has completed just a few laps and hasn't yet set a representative lap time. Meanwhile, Team HRC's Iker Lecuona has slotted into eighth, just behind Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven)
11:10 - a flurry of Yamaha riders have set quick times now. Pata Yamaha's Jonathan Rea has moved into second, only 0.074s behind the rider he replaced at Yamah. GRT Yamaha's Remy Gardner is third, with Rea's teammate, Andrea Locatelli in fourth. Four tenths separate the top four...
11:03 - just to give some context to the lap times: last year's pole position was a 1'38.635s, set by double Champion Alvaro Bautista. The pole lap record is a 1'38.247s set by Rea in 2019. And, finally, the race lap record is a 1'39.004s, from the 2019 Tissot Superpole Race by Rea
It’s showtime!
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) January 24, 2024
Check our LIVE BLOG for all the latest news from @circuitodejerez https://t.co/POv6UspNDr#WorldSBK pic.twitter.com/xY9FiZo8Xg
10:55 - scrap that last message as Razgatlioglu becomes the first rider into the 1'39s with a 1'39.873s
10:51 - some times starting to come in, with 2021 Champion Razgatlioglu fastest in the opening minutes. He's posted a 1'40.432s, more than half-a-second clear of teammate van der Mark. Bradley Smith, with the BMW test team, is the third-fastest WorldSBK rider as it stands...
10:36 - Razgatlioglu's left the box on the M 1000 RR, as has teammate van der Mark. A lot of eyes will be on the factory BMW garage...
Oh, hi @toprak_tr54
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) January 24, 2024
Make sure to follow the #WorldSBK action https://t.co/POv6UspNDr pic.twitter.com/GSpIHygRbE
10:30 - WorldSBK riders join the action, with Philipp Oettl the first on track as he tests the Yamaha R1 with GMT94 Yamaha for the first time
10:25 - while the WorldSBK field joins the test at 10:30am Local Time (GMT+1), a few WorldSSP riders have hit the track with Federico Caricasulo - riding an MV Agusta in 2024 - leading the early stages