BMW and Toprak Razgatlioglu return in force in a WorldSBK Superbike test in Portimão ravaged by bad weather. Nicolò Bulega crashes. In two weeks, a change of tone in Australia?
By Paul Gozzi / Corsedimoto.com
In Australia, Ducati routed the Superbikes, but during the tests in Portimão, BMW seems to have put things back on track. After two days of rain that considerably reduced the available time, Toprak Razgatlioglu improved the circuit record, a performance that is not very surprising given that the Algarve roller coaster is one of the most magical circuits for both rider and bike. Here, last August, the Turk had achieved a peremptory hat-trick. But the other M1000RR of Michael van der Mark (fourth time) was also very efficient, a demonstration of efficiency which suggests that on the European circuits, the German battleship can compete with the Ducatis, who ruled the roost at Phillip Island by placing six bikes ahead of everyone. Is the Ducati Cup season mentioned by Toprak already over?
BMW also goes well with the standard chassis
Toprak Razgatlioglu is angry with Dorna for not allowing BMW to continue using the prototype chassis that was approved last year thanks to super concessions. The Superbike promoter has the power to intervene in the regulations for reasons of "best interest," that is, to ensure balance of performance. This is how he pushed the International Motorcycling Federation to amend the unclearly worded rule, which the Germans had interpreted in their favor. Hence the Turkish rider's resentment.
As we know, test references count for a lot, especially due to the vagaries of the weather. But the 1'39″592 achieved by Toprak, a tenth better than the absolute record set by Jonathan Rhea during his Kawasaki career, suggest that the standard setup isn't that bad. There's also the fact that we're talking about times set on SCQ qualifying tires. The two chassis setups differ in terms of stiffness.
Will Superbike music change?
As we said, these two days were difficult. The rain allowed us to ride for half a day on the first day and another half a day on the second. Nicholas Bulega, the Martian from the Australian island, fell in the morning, a disadvantage that slowed things down a little. In the afternoon, he was one of the few to venture into the wet. Then, with the soft tire, he closed to within four tenths of his raging rival. In two weeks, in Portimao, when the world championship resumes, the music will be different, but that was to be expected: Toprak is still Toprak, and angry as he is, it will be even worse...
Petrucci efficient, Yamaha with the super engine
Danilo Petrucci was very fast both days, the best possible viaticum when it really counts. On Saturday, the Barni Ducati rider was faster thanÁlvaro Bautista, which only lasted half a day: Ducati must have a long list of technical innovations to present in the coming months, to reduce track time in this way. The Bimota raised the bar, with the superlative ofAlex Lowes on the timed lap: third time, not far from the first Ducati.
At Yamaha, Remy gardner showed itself to be very strong, an interesting performance because in this circumstance, an R1 engine evolved according to the super concessions was brought. Regulatory aids can make the difference, but you have to know how to put them into practice. Honda HRC knows this well and has had this advantage for two years, but so far they have not managed to get anything out of the hole.
Still at Yamaha, Augusto Fernandez took his first steps by replacing Jonathan Rhea, injured, during the second round. The 27-year-old Spaniard, a former Moto2 world champion and KTM MotoGP rider for two years, is getting to grips with Superbikes by replacing the injured Jonathan Rea, who suffered a fracture during testing at Phillip Island. Augusto Fernandez, currently a Yamaha MotoGP tester, was the natural replacement and found himself catapulted into a world he had never known. For him, production-derived bikes are an unknown planet, as are Pirelli tires. The only advantage is having contact with a track he knows well, Portimao. AF37 is working with the same team of technicians that Jonathan Rea usually uses. Yamaha, which races with a super dealership, has entrusted him with the testing of an even more advanced engine. On the first day, he was 1,8″ behind Toprak, but he is about a second behind the pack of top Superbike riders. The count also includes a slip-up at Turn 15, towards the end of Saturday.
The process of adapting to Superbike is not a given, even though he won a world championship in GP and rode the RC16 in the premier class for two years. I don't really understand the reason for the accident but I think it's part of my journey," philosophized the Spaniard, bruised but healthy. The biggest drawback of the crash was having to stop the work we had planned for the first day a little earlier than expected. But we'll see about recovery. Everything here is new for me, especially the Pirelli tires, which are very different from the ones we use in MotoGP." The morning of the second day, Augusto FernandeHe took his time: 1'41"921 was his best time at 14 p.m. The MotoGP test rider will make his debut at the Portuguese round here in two weeks. It won't be an easy test.
Results for Saturday, March 15:
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Paul Gozzi
Superbike Test Portimão Superbike Test Portimão
