WSBK Phillip Island J1: the first day confuses the cards!

De Corsedimoto.com

INTRODUCTION

The 2020 Superbike World Championship finally begins at Phillip Island. It starts with the first free practice session at 00:30 (French time), the second session is scheduled for 05:00. WorldSBK promises to be very fierce, with Jonathan Rhea almost absolute master during the winter tests and therefore favored on the starting line. Last year, however, the Ducati Panigale V4 R, then driven by Alvaro Bautista, had triumphed on the Australian track. This year, the Émilienne team is deploying the Scott Redding–Chaz Davies couple to try to assert themselves against Kawasaki domination.

But all five manufacturers showed podium-worthy potential, with several independent teams shining during pre-season testing. Just think of Puccetti, Barni and Ten Kate. But to thirst for podiums, there is also the Japanese giant HRC which focuses on Leon Haslam et Alvaro Bautista. The new Honda CBR1000RR-R has what it takes to do well, but on a technical level, there is still work to be done to better transmit the engine's power. Eyes are also on the Yamaha of Turkish talent Toprak Razgatlioglu who will join the veteran Michael Van der Mark. But the random variable this Superbike season could be BMW's new pairing, Sykes–Laverty, which will try to take advantage of the developments of the new S1000 RR engine.

WET TRACK FOR FP1?

08:09. Phillip Island woke up under a leaden sky (see photo below). The track is wet. Today's forecast calls for cloudy skies, but no more rain is expected. The first session (50 minutes) takes place at 10:30 a.m. local (00:30 a.m. in France), and it is not possible to imagine when it will be possible to shoot. Nice problem for almost all drivers, who have racing simulations on their program. Remember that compared to the tests, there will also be an additional rear tire.

 

 

 

GO ELEVEN UNVEILS ITS DELIVERY

08:25. Meanwhile, Go Eleven Ducati revealed the livery of the V4 R entrusted to Michael Rinaldi. The Rimini driver was very strong in the tests at the start of the week: eighth time overall, which bodes well.

 

 

 

RAIN FOR FP1

10:15 A few minutes before the start of the 33rd edition of the Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island, it is raining heavily. The first 2020 session (50 minutes) will take place on a wet track. An additional difficulty for drivers and teams who spent two days on dry ground at the start of the week, and have no references. Conditions change frequently from half hour to half hour. Here is the situation below…

 

 

 

ÁLVARO BAUTISTA STARTS

10h32. The session started punctually at 10:30 a.m. local time. The only one to have entered the track is Alvaro Bautista, who, with Honda, already raced in these conditions at Jerez last January, also suffering a fall. The others are standing in the pits, obviously hoping that the track will dry out a little, because now it is no longer raining and a strong wind is blowing.

 

 

REA ON ANOTHER PLANET

10:56. After 20 minutes of testing, Jonathan Rhea remains in control and in just four laps (on a very wet track) has dug a gulf with his opponents. The champion has almost two seconds ahead of Loris Baz, immediately incisive in the wet. Scott Redding prepares to enter.

 

 

 

 

SECOND SESSION ON DRY
14:49. Ten minutes before the Phillip Island track opens for the second and final Superbike session of the day (50 minutes). The sky has cleared and the track is now perfectly dry. This will be the last opportunity to check the longevity of the tires, before the busy program on Saturday: third free practice session in the morning, but only 20 minutes, then the Superpole and finally race 1, which will open the 2020 world championship at 15 p.m. (5 a.m. in France). We would like to remind you that Pirelli has introduced a new rear tire, the Y1093, which is identified as option C in the official allocation. At the start of the week, the best times were obtained with the W1049 (option A). Y1093 has a similar compound, but has a harder casing.

 

 

 

THE WEATHER IN FP2
14:57. The air temperature is 19°C, 27°C on the asphalt. The sky is almost clear, but there is a strong wind which, on the main straight, gives the drivers the impression of coming perpendicularly from the right side.

 

 

 

HASLAM ATTACK HARD
15:08. The first attack is that of Leon Haslam which pushes the Honda under the wall by 1'31", 1'30"936 to be precise. Jonathan Rea started the session with used tires, the two official Yamahas kept a very low pace in 1'31”. The BMW of Tom Sykes again on 1'31″205, a time similar to the one he had during the tests at the start of the week. Michael Rinaldi had a technical problem on its entry lap, the Ducati Go Eleven stopped at turn 6.

 

 

 

RED FLAG, FP2 HANGING

 

 

15:12. The session was stopped due to debris on the track. It doesn't seem serious, and it doesn't seem like it's going to take long to sort out. Meanwhile, the drivers are back in the pits. Here is the situation below at 39'49” from the checkered flag:

 

 

 

REOPENED TRACK
15:16. As expected, the interruption was short and the track was reopened. The first to jump into the water are Michael van der Mark et Scott Redding.

REA MOVES TO THIRD POSITION
15:38. With just over fifteen minutes to go, most of the drivers are making the final adjustments. haslam is still in the lead, followed by Razgatlioglu et Sale. The Turkish driver performs a good series of fast laps. Michael Rinaldi is also back on track: the Ducati Go Eleven resolved the technical problem at the start of the session.

 

 

 

ÁLVARO BAUTISTA COMES CLOSER
15:48 Eight minutes from the end, Álvaro Bautista wakes up and the Honda occupies fifth place in a very tight ranking: eleven drivers (and five manufacturers) are within half a second. It's the Spaniard's fastest lap, including the test from earlier this week. Álvaro only completed two fast laps before returning to the pits.

SCOTT REDDING FIRST ALSO ON DRY
Scott Redding went wild at the end of the session, setting a great series of very fast laps. With 1'30″436, the Ducati rider finished first in the session in the dry, after having excelled in the morning in the rain. A great Friday for Ducati's expectations of success. Redding dominated the Yamahas Razgatlioglu et van der mark. Only sixth, Jonathan Rea is also preceded by haslam with the best Honda and Baz, with the satellite Yamaha. Alvaro Bautista rose to eighth position, preceded by Tom Sykes. This session has further confused the waters: forecasts are really difficult!

 

 

 

 

SUPERSPORT FP2

 

 

 

16h09. Friday, the MV Agusta ends the Supersport tests in the lead, best christening the marriage with the world champion Randy Krummenacher. The Swiss driver, author of an excellent 1'32"984, managed to break the hegemony ofAndrea Locatelli, who with his Yamaha Evan Bros was the fastest in FP1 this morning as well as in all the practice sessions at the start of the week. The Varese brand also shone with Raffaele De Rosa, author of the third time trial. The session was interrupted for half an hour to clean the track soiled with oil spilled by the Yamaha of Jules cluzel, in the video below. The problem almost cost the South African dearly Steven Odendaal, who flew away on the viscous tracks: at the Phillip Island medical center, however, they only speak of heavy bruising and the Yamaha rider Ten Kate has already been declared “Fit” and will be able to resume his activity.

 

 

 

TERRIBLE BOYS

Australia also presents the launch of two boys into orbit. The first is the Turk Can Öncü, author of the fourth fastest time with the Kawasaki Puccetti. Surprising result, given that the new student of the Reggio team had not ridden very hard during the tests. Good first session also for Manuel González, 18-year-old Madrid champion from the WSSP300, the entry class of the series' derivatives. Both are making their debut in the category.

FLAG TO FLAG

In Australia, the Superport will run for the first time with slick tires, instead of the sculpted tread like on the road. But the novelty has not brought substantial changes, since this time again the race will have to be contested with a compulsory passage to the box, after a maximum of ten of the sixteen planned laps. It is about overcoming the structural problems which, on this track, in the cadet category, have unfortunately become the norm.

Red flags were waved at the start of the session to evacuate unwanted visitors.

 

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