WSBK Aragon Superbike FP2: Ducati triple, Petrucci closes the gap

Ducati takes control on the Spanish Friday: Bautista and Rinaldi in the lead, but Petrucci is getting closer to the top. The former MotoGP rider is now dreaming.

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It was predictable that the Superbike in Aragon would be a hunting ground for the Ducati. The one-kilometer straight seems tailor-made, especially preceded by a slow chicane which brings out the acceleration of the Italian V4 R. The morning, Jonathan Rhea had taken the lead, taking advantage of the avalanche of data accumulated in the climbs and descents by the Kawasaki, as well as its talent: nine victories here. But the time has come to put data and ideas in order, and this is where Ducati's vehement offensive comes into play. In the last session, Michael Rinaldithen Álvaro Bautista, unleashed, set the record straight. In this Bolognese festival, Danilo Petrucci, third time, also showed ardor. The former MotoGP rider, super incisive since the morning, is only 176 thousandths behind the Spaniard. There, he can really dream.

Fast Honda, Lecuona down
The morning, Iker Lecuona had projected the CBR1000RR into second position, by exploiting its speed capabilities: on the straight, the Fireblade flies fast. But in the afternoon, with a warmer track, the Honda was very unstable, until, in the slow chicane before the straight, Iker threw it into the gravel. However, with the introduction of the prototype chassis, thanks to the super concessions for the benefit of serious Superbike sufferers, progress could be seen, at least on this HRC test track. With the Honda sister, Xavi Virgo, is eighth.

Toprak does not shine
Last year, he made life difficult for Bautista, even taking the lead in the race and the Superpole. But today, Toprak Razgatlioglu had a gray Friday, seventh after the two practice sessions. More surprising than the position is the gap with Bautista, a clear second. However, the Turk is the most forward Yamaha rider, suggesting the R1 is particularly suffering at this circuit this year. Or maybe it's just a late preparation issue, since the tuning fork team didn't try out until three weeks ago. We'll find out on Saturday, but the feeling is that Bautista and the Ducati could provide the final push towards a second consecutive Superbike title.

Scott Redding, what are you doing?
The British driver suffered severe chest pain during FP1 due to an injury sustained at home between the French round and this new stage at Motorland Aragon. About Scott Redding, the three falls in two days that he suffered during the Magny Cours events left some after-effects. In particular, the contact in race 1 with his distinguished companion Garrett Gerloff has been the subject of much discussion. Some Bonovo BMW staff members called out the person responsible for the contact which cost them both their removal. “It wasn’t nice, the people in the stands look at the images and therefore have a distorted view of the facts”, has explained Scott Redding. “It was just a misunderstanding between two drivers who were following different trajectories, that's all. I can't fault Gerloff, he understood the situation and we clarified things immediately. » The two men will be teammates next year, since Scott Redding will be a driver for the Bonovo team.

Ranking : WordSBK.com

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Paolo Gozzi