WSBK Superbike, Balaton Park FP2: Sam Lowes counterattacks, Nicolo Bulega sinks

Sam Lowes plays a trick on El Turco.
Don't let today's ranking fool you. Sam Lowes did a great job attacking hard, but Toprak Razgatlioglu put in a string of fast laps: this flat circuit, with its constant succession of slow corners, already makes him feel at home. On his last attempt, the BMW driver went wide in a chicane, forcing him to abandon his attempt to fight back. A rather satisfactory result for the world championship leader: the prospect of increasing his lead, currently just four points over Nicholas Bulega, is very real.

Andrea Iannone is targeting a factory seat for the 2026 Superbike season.
Amidst the transfer rumors, there is little talk ofAndrea Iannone. After two years of purgatory at Ducati, Go Eleven's satellite team, he is reportedly aiming for a place (and a salary...) in a factory team. Currently, one Honda remains available (the other will be for Jake dixon), a Yamaha and a BMW: Danilo Petrucci seems certain of his place, even if the race director Sven Blusch continues to affirm: " There is no agreement with anyone, we are in no hurry to finalize it." Meanwhile, Andrea Iannone bounces back with an excellent time, behind Toprak and in front Iker Lecuona, also the victim of a fall without seriousness.

Bautista also ahead of Bulega
On this Black Friday, Nicolò also paid a high price for his teammate Alvaro Bautista, another veteran looking for a home for next year. The Spaniard finished sixth, exactly one second behind Sam Lowes This unusual result shows how far this day has deviated from the usual rhythm. It will be interesting to see if the surprises continue until Sunday, or if everything returns to normal in the race. The weekend is also marked by uncertain weather, which does not rule out the possibility of thunderstorms, especially on Sunday.