Catalunya WorldSBK FP2 Results: Advantage Ducati as Bautista finishes fastest
Alvaro Bautista ends day-one of the Catalan WorldSBK round fastest after narrowly getting the better of Jonathan Rea in FP2.
After missing out on nearly all of FP1 due to mechanical issues, Michael Van Der Mark enjoyed a much smoother start to FP2.
Setting a hot pace to begin FP2, Bautista was the early pacesetter from fellow Ducati rider Axel Bassani, who was following the championship leader closely.
But as was the case in FP1, it was Michael Ruben Rinaldi who began showing stronger pace than Bautista in order to go quickest.
Struggling down in 13th, Toprak Razgatlioglu made a slow start compared to his rivals Bautista and Rea.
Bautista then responded to Rinaldi’s challenge as he set a time of 1:42.025s which was two tenths quicker than the Italian.
In the midst of a very difficult 2022 campaign aboard his R1, Christophe Ponsson suffered a crash at turn five with just under half the session complete.
After returning to pit lane following his opening stint, Razgatlioglu soon found pace as he moved up from 13th to third.
| 2022 World Superbike Barcelona, Spain - Free Practice Results (1) | ||||
| Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time |
| 1 | Alvaro Bautista | SPA | Aruba.It Racing Ducati | 1:42.018s |
| 2 | Jonathan Rea | GBR | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK | +0.040s |
| 3 | Andrea Locatelli | ITA | PATA Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK | +0.067s |
| 4 | Michael Rinaldi | ITA | Aruba.It Racing Ducati | +0.103s |
| 5 | Xavi Vierge | SPA | Team HRC WorldSBK | +0.203s |
| 6 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | TUR | PATA Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK | +0.300s |
| 7 | Axel Bassani | ITA | Motocorsa Ducati | +0.459s |
| 8 | Scott Redding | GBR | BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | +0.630s |
| 9 | Lucas Mahias | FRA | Puccetti Kawasaki | +0.719s |
| 10 | Philipp Oettl | GER | GoEleven Ducati | +0.805s |
| 11 | Eugene Laverty | IRL | Bonovo Action BMW | +0.810s |
| 12 | Iker Lecuona | SPA | Team HRC WorldSBK | +0.826s |
| 13 | Garrett Gerloff | USA | GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team | +0.886s |
| 14 | Alex Lowes | GBR | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK | +0.919s |
| 15 | Loris Baz | FRA | Bonovo Action BMW | +1.030s |
| 16 | Luca Bernardi | SM | Barni Spark Ducati Team | +1.212s |
| 17 | Roberto Tamburini | ITA | Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSBK Team | +1.577s |
| 18 | Kohta Nozane | JPN | GRT Yamaha | +1.581s |
| 19 | Michael Van Der Mark | SPA | BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | +1.595s |
| 20 | Oscar Gutierrez | SPA | Pedercini Kawasaki | +1.906s |
| 21 | Christophe Ponsson | FRA | Gil Motor Sport Yamaha | +2.161s |
| 22 | Leandro Mercado | ARG | MIE Honda Racing | +2.263s |
| 23 | Oliver Konig | CZE | Orelac Racing Kawasaki | +2.275s |
| 24 | Hafizh Syahrin | MAL | MIE Honda Racing | No Time Set |
Superbike Catalunya Records
Lap Record - Tom Sykes GBR BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team 1:40.408s
2021 Race Winners
Race 1 - Scott Redding GBR Aruba.it Ducati
Superpole Race - Jonathan Rea GBR Kawasaki Racing Team
Race 2 - Michael Ruben Rinaldi ITA Aruba.it Ducati
Like Team HRC team-mate Iker Lecuona this morning - Lecuona ended FP1 fastest - Xavi Vierge started to make a move up the leaderboard with a third of the session remaining.
On course to take over at the top, Vierge then lost time on both Bautista and Rinaldi in sector four which resulted in the former Moto2 rider going third.
A second Yamaha found its way into the gravel when Kohta Nozane crashed at turn ten.
Late improvements from Rea saw the Kawasaki rider go second +0.033s down on Bautista.
2022 Superbike Catalunya Weekend Schedule
Friday
Free Practice 1 - 09:30-10:15
Free Practice 2 - 14:00-14:45
Saturday
Free Practice 3 - 08:00-08:30
Superpole - 10:10-10:25
Race One 13:00
Sunday
Warm-up - 08:00-08:15
Superpole Race - 10:00
Race Two - 13:00
