Superbike Jerez FP1: Nicolo Bulega at full speed... believe until the end!

Nicholas Bulega was the fastest in the first tests of the Superbike World Championship in Jerez, Spain.

De Paul Gozzi / Corsedimoto.com

It's only over when it's over: that's the rule in all sports, and even more so in Superbike where there are many variables at play. The world hopefuls of Nicolò Bulega are hanging by a thread, but in the meantime he has made a flying start in practice for the final in Jerez.

Jerez, its circuit
Nicholas Bulega has good memories of Andalusia: his first podium in the motorcycle world championship and, before that, his exploits in CEV. Not to mention his two victories in his first participation in the premier class of derivatives of the series. The Ducati rider started to attack from the first laps: the only thing he can do is to put as much pressure as possible on Toprak Razgatlioglu, who has the world championship largely in hand.

The usual two, then the void
After only six laps on Friday morning, Nicholas Bulega achieved a ghostly time of 1'38.587, just twelve thousandths of a second off the race record he himself set a year ago.
Toprak Razgatlioglu came closer in the second run, then came within just 88 thousandths of a second in the third. A duel that promises to be full of sparks by Sunday afternoon. This year, Superbike is a two-way dance, all the others are light years away. Among them, Andrea Iannone seems in the best shape: fourth at the end of the session, narrowly overtaken by Xavi Verge on Honda.

Where are they in the world championship?
With three races remaining (maximum 62 points to win), Toprak Razgatlioglu leads the ranking with 39 points ahead of Nicholas Bulega. So it's not enough for the Ducati rider to win; he has to hope that the Turk encounters some difficulties. Last year, here in Jerez, his current pursuer had scored only three points more than his usual rival: Bulega had won Race 1 and the Superpole Race, while in the last race, it was the BMW ace, already crowned world champion, who won. Toprak would end the suspense by winning Race 1.

Many absentees, Spinelli falls
Several drivers will be absent from this final round. Danilo Petrucci, who has just undergone surgery on his right hand after his accident at the gym, will miss the second consecutive event. The Umbrian rider was unable to say goodbye to Barni Ducati, but above all, he must postpone his first contact with the BMW that he will ride next year. Petrucci is replaced by Nicholas Spinelli, protagonist of a spectacular fall at turn 1: the driver is fine. Still absent due to injury, the Swiss Dominique Aegerter is replaced at GRT Yamaha by the new Italian champion Alessandro Delbianco.
Aegerter will also leave the team.

 

Read the original article on Corsedimoto.com
Paul Gozzi

Classification credit: WorldSBK.com

Superbike Jerez FP1 Superbike Jerez FP1

Superbike Estoril Course-2 Bulega