WSBK Superbike Indonesia FP2: Rinaldi doubles the lead, Ducati does the double and Bautista crashes

This morning, during FP1 in Mandalika which marked the start of the second meeting of the season for the WSBK in Indonesia, the main thing was first of all to stay on your wheels on a track that is described as green among those in the know. A delicate game which the official Ducati rider Rinaldi acquitted himself perfectly since he both fell and achieved the best performance... Loris Baz, Baldassarri and Lecuona also experienced the horrors of the fall and the three cities, it is the Spaniard in the Honda who seemed the most upset by his antics. Otherwise, behind the Ducati Panigale V4R which has never yet materialized on this track, we found Razgatlioglu, triple winner here last November, Bautista who took no risks and Rea who therefore keeps in touch with the big names on his Kawasaki. Virgo closed the top 5 to rookie Remy Gardner. 

What will this FP2 have in store for us? 33° in the air, 53° on the track, a light wind and no risk of rain are the conditions offered to the drivers for this 45-minute session at Mandalika. We take note that lecuona will be there after his morning accident. In his box, the pilot Honda at the head of bad days. He still seems tested.

Surprise, Baptist fell after only three minutes, and placed third behind Rinaldi et Sale.

Rinaldi completes the first quarter of an hour in the lead. He is ahead Sale and his teammate Baptist who has not returned to the track since his fall. Locatelli et agitated close the top 5 for Yamaha. But Razgatlioglu ensures to maintain its supremacy among the R1s and places itself third, a little more than four tenths from the reference 1'33.180.

Bassani, Gardner, Lowes et Redding are in the top 10.

Halfway through the session, Baptist takes back the collar and shows that he did not suffer from his accident by taking the lead in 1'33.131. Gardner positions himself fourth behind Sale and the two official Ducatis and just in front Razgatlioglu, Locatelli like his teammate Aegerter... Not bad for Yamaha while at Honda, it's not joy: lecuona et Virgin and 17th and 18th. This time, the two CBR triple R's are behind the M1000RR.

We are entering the last quarter of an hour. And this is the moment that chooses Virgin to restore color to Honda...

For its part, Remy gardner shows he can be strong like a Turk…

The last five minutes are announced. Redding climbs eighth in front Virgin. Aegerter is on the border of the top 10. lecuona returns to his box visibly disappointed. And for good reason, he fell again…

His teammate Virgin lack of getting into it too…

Under the checkered flag, Rinaldi pays tribute to his teammate World Champion Bautista in 1'32'468, only 29 thousandths better... Razgatlioglu follows the two Ducatis by a little more than a tenth and is ahead Sale rejected by more than seven tenths. A hole ! Van Der Mark surprises by placing his BMW in fifth row in front Gardner, Lowes, Locatelli, Bassani et Redding which make up the top 10.

Virgin is eleventh in pain for Honda ahead Aegerter and Baz who is ahead of his teammate Gerloff. Petrucci is 15th and Lessonat 17th. Hostilities in Indonesia will resume tomorrow, Saturday…

WSBK Superbike Indonesia FP2: times

Classification credit: WorldSBK.com