The Yamaha rider was quick to respond to the best time set by his opponent from Kawasaki this morning, setting the absolute best time of the day. One thing is certain: The duel is well and truly underway between the two men this weekend!
After a first test gallop in the morning just to get their bearings on the Montmeló circuit, the Superbike category riders returned to service this afternoon to try to progress on the first time benchmarks recorded earlier in the day .
While they are only separated by seven points in the championship, a very ridiculous gap after seven rounds contested this season, Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Jonathan Rea in fact resumed their duel during FP1, with an initial advantage given to the second city.
But the gap between the two men was slim, like that in the general classification. This second free practice session therefore took on a critical importance: The fact of finishing the first day of competition in the lead generally grants a psychological advantage to the driver who was the fastest, so the two adversaries took advantage of it. are given their all on the track to try to win the bet.
Summary of the results of the 2020 edition:
| WSBK Superbike Catalonia | September 2020 | September 2021 |
| FP1 | 1'42.140 Toprak Razgatlıoğlu | 1'42.419 Jonathan Rea |
| FP2 | 1'55.669 Jonathan Rea | 1'42.369 Toprak Razgatlıoğlu |
| FP3 | 1'55.975 Jonathan Rea | |
| Super poles | 1'41.619 Jonathan Rea | |
| Race 1 | Rea, Redding, Davies | |
| Warm up | 1'42.325 Michael van der Mark | |
| Superpole race | Van der Mark, Rea, Baz | |
| Race 2 | Davies, Van der Mark, Gerloff | |
| All time lap record | 1'41.619 Jonathan Rea |
Thus, after a temporary takeover by successively Andrea Locatelli (who a little later was the victim of an inconsequential fall in turn 14) then Michael Ruben Rinaldi, Razgatlıoğlu made the charge to take control of the session and achieve the absolute best time of the day, with a slight improvement (five hundredths of a second) compared to the reference signed by Rea in the morning.
Same turn as Locatelli! @ 19Bautista crashes at Turn 14! #RiderOK#CatalanWorldSBK pic.twitter.com/xLEITIPiRC
- WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) September 17, 2021
Fall for Rea
We then have to go down to fourth place to find Rea, who undoubtedly once again encountered grip problems as the temperature increased throughout the day. The Northern Irishman even made a mistake at the very end of the session, shooting straight into turn 10. An accident of no consequence, the defending champion having been left with a trip through the gravel trap.
Behind him, Tom Sykes confirms that he is in the running this weekend with fifth place (the BMW driver had set the third time this morning), just ahead of Scott Redding, who has made good progress between the two. first sessions of the day, he who could not do better than 13th during FP1.
Traditions are traditions!
Stoprak fastest of FP2 with 1:42.369⏱@toprak_tr54 @PataYamahaBRIXX #CatalanWorldSBK pic.twitter.com/RSzrCf9zqU
- WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) September 17, 2021
Alex Lowes took seventh place ahead of Leon Haslam and Álvaro Bautista, while Garrett Gerloff completed the top 10. On the French side, Lucas Mahias is best placed with the 14th fastest time of the session, Christophe Ponsson not having been able to do better for its part than 19th position.
