WSBK Superbike Most FP3: BMW duo in the lead!

What did we really see yesterday for the first day of the 8th round of the Superbike World Championship which takes place at the Most Autodrome, northwest of Prague in the Czech Republic?

An FP1 started on a drying track and finished on slicks, during which few drivers gave their all, except perhaps in the last minute for a few including Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Toprak Razgatlioğlu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), then an FP2 dominated by the official Kawasakis until the final rush where they proved powerless against the Yamaha offensive, Toprak Razgatlioğlu et Remy gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in the lead, a quartet of Ducatis made up of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), then another pair of Yamahas driven by Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) and Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), all in just half a second!

Should we already see a clear hierarchy and/or the first effects of the higher maximum engine speed of 250 rpm for the Yamaha? We don't think so, and if the Yamahas do indeed appear to be in good shape, let's not forget that the best time achieved on Friday in perfect conditions, 1'32.367, is still more than a second away from the absolute circuit record held by Jonathan Rhea in 1'30.947, certainly on a circuit completely resurfaced last year...

So let's see what this 3-minute FP30 will show us, which will take place with temperatures of 20° in the air and 24° on the ground under a sky that is still fairly cloudy, but with a very dry track.

Like yesterday, Toprak Razgatlioğlu is still in relaxed mode, a few seconds before the opening of the slope…

 

 

It had worked out quite well on Friday and, like yesterday, the Yamahas were immediately at ease, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) preceding Garrett gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) at the start of the session in a short 1'32.

Andrea Locatelli remained on a 1'32.100 after a few minutes, while his famous teammate came behind him a third of the way through the session, thus forming a provisional Yamaha duo.

 

 

Behind these three men, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), Remy gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Jonathan Rhea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), Alvaro Bautista, Danilo Petrucci, Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) complete the first part of the table.

Midway through the session, Garrett gerloff places its BMW in second position, only 12/1000 behind the R1 d'Andrea Locatelli, and it is also Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) which confirmed its good performance from the day before by achieving 1'32.065 to the applause of its team.

 

 

Never mind, the American recorded 1'31.810 on the handlebars of his BMW, ahead of Andrea Locatelli, Philipp Öttl (Team GoEleven) and Loris Baz.

Have the BMWs found Most’s recipe? This is the question we ask ourselves when Scott Redding comes to join the fight at the front, in a session which ends with two M1000 RRs in front, and that of Loris Baz in 6th position!

 

Results of FP3 Superbike in Most: 

Classification credit: WorldSBK.com