Alvaro Bautista tops opening session at Phillip Island

Ducati Panigale V4 R makes strong debut

WorldSBK 2019 Phillip Island Test
Day 1 – AM Report

Alvaro Bautista and Jonathan Rea traded places at the top of the timesheets many times during this morning’s two-hour practice session at Phillip Island but Alex Lowes eventually split the pair late in the session.

When the session wound up shortly after 1300 this afternoon, it was the Ducati man topping the charts ahead of Lowes while Rea made it three different manufacturers occupying those top three spots on the timesheets.

WSBK TBG WSBKPI PI Alvaro Bautista TBG — Alvaro Bautista – TBG Image

Tom Sykes was the leading BMW rider in seventh place just ahead of the man that replaced him at Kawasaki, Leon Haslam.

Overnight Dorna released updated RPM limits for the 2019 WorldSBK season that will be in place for the start of the season. If a single type of machine looks to have much of an advantage these limits will be reduced further during the season. The new BMW will start season 2019 with a 14,900 rpm limit while the Kawasaki will be pegged to 14,600 rpm.

The new Ducati Panigale V4 R will start with a 16,350 rpm limit, but with both Bautista and Davies clocking by far the fastest speeds in today’s morning session, one would expect that the Ducati rev limit to be reduced in due course…

Leon Camier was 11th quickest on the Moriwaki Althea Honda.

Chaz Davies suffered some mechanical gremlins this morning with the Panigale V4 R rolling to a stop at Siberia. Limiting the number of laps the Welshman could do at pace this morning.

WSBK TBG WSBKPI PI Chaz Davies TBG — Chaz Davies – TBG Image

Wildcard entrant Troy Herfoss spent the majority of the session in the pits and will be looking to move forward in this afternoon’s second two-hour bout which finishes shortly before 6pm AEDT.

Earlier in the morning World Supersport riders had also hit the track and it was a Yamaha 1-2 for the 600cc machines headed by Caricasulo. Wildcard entrant Tom Toparis was a highly creditable ninth in that opening session.

WSBK Phillip Island Official Test Mon FP WSSP Toparis GB F — Tom Toparis – GeeBee Image

WorldSBK – Free Practice 1 Times

Alvaro Bautista – Ducati 1m30.743 – 314.9 km/h
Alex Lowes – Yamaha 1m31.146 +0.403 – 308.6 km/h
Jonathan Rea – Kawasaki 1m31.189 +0.446 – 308.6 km/h
Marco Melandri – Yamaha 1m31.445 +0.702 – 314 km/h
Michael VanderMark – Yam 1m31.458 +0.715 – 304.2 km/h
Sandro Cortese – Yamaha 1m31.639 +0.896 – 304.2 km/h
Tom Sykes – BMW 1m31.740 +0.997 – 303.4 km/h
Leon Haslam – Kawasaki 1m31.886 +1.143 – 308.6 km/h
Markus Reiterberger – BMW 1m31.992 +1.249 – 300.0 km/h
Toprak Razgatlioglu – Kaw 1m32.425 +1.682 – 302.5 km/h
Leon Camier – Honda 1m32.459 +1.716 – 307.7 km/h
Jordi Torres – Kawasaki 1m32.679 +1.936 – 300.0 km/h
Leandro Mercado – Kaw 1m32.789 +2.046 – 300.8 km/h
Ryuichi Kiyonari – Honda 1m33.171 +2.428 – 306.8 km/h
Chaz Davies – Ducati 1m33.204 +2.461 – 313 km/h
Eugene Laverty – Ducati 1m33.353 +2.610 – 305.1 km/h
Michael Rinaldi – Ducati 1m33.843 +3.100 – 307.7 km/h
A Delbianco – Hon 1m33.965 +3.222 – 292.7 km/h
Troy Herfoss – Honda 1m34.961 +4.218 – 295.1 km/h

WorldSSP – Free Practice 1 Times

F Caricasulo (ITA) Yamaha 1’33.882 – 272.7 km/h
R Krummenacher (SUI) Yam 1’34.226 +0.346 – 266.7 km/h
R De Rosa (ITA) MV Agusta 1’34.293 +0.411 – 270.0 km/h
J Cluzel (FRA) Yamaha 1’34.539 +0.657 – 266.0 km/h
H Okubo (JPN) Kawasaki 1’34.584 +0.702 – 272.0 km/h
L Mahias (FRA) Kawasaki 1’34.807 +0.925 – 270.0 km/h
I Vinales (ESP) Yamaha 1’35.369 +1.457 – 268 km/h
C Perolari (FRA) Yamaha 1’35.695 +1.814 – 264.7 km/h
T Toparis (AUS) Yamaha 1’35.725 +1.843 – 262.1 km/h
A Badovini (ITA) Kawasaki 1’35.974 +2.002 – 256.5 km/h
H Soomer (EST) Honda 1’36.305 +2.423 – 260.9 km/h
F Fuligni (ITA) MV Agusta 1’36.313 +2.431 – 264.7 km/h
L Cresson (BEL) Yamaha 1’36.313 +2.431 – 272 km/h
P Sebestyen (HUN) Honda 1’36.331 +2.449 – 265.4 km/h
H Barbera (ESP) Yamaha 1’36.636 +2.754 – 265.4 km/h

WorldSBK Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

Event Schedule, 22 – 24 February 2019

Thursday 21 February 2019
Time		Duration	Category	Schedule
9:00	10:00	1:00	World SSP	Riders Briefing
10:00				FIM Track Safety Inspection
10:00	11:30	1:30	All Riders	Riders Track Familiarization
12:00	13:00	1:00		Safety Car Test		Track closed
13:50	14:20	0:30	Aus SS 300	Free Practice 1
14:25	14:55	0:30	Aus SS	Free Practice 1
15:00	15:30	0:30	Australian Sup	Free Practice 1
15:40	15:50	0:10	Parade Laps	Black Dog Ride
14:30	15:30	1:00	WorldSBK	Riders Briefing
16:00	17:00	1:00	WorldSBK	Official Photo		Start/Finish Straight
16:00	17:00	1:00	WorldSSP	Technical/Sporting Checks		Pit Garages
17:00	18:00	1:00	WorldSSP	Official Photo		Start/Finish Straight
17:00	18:00	1:00	WorldSBK	Technical/Sporting Checks		Pit Garages
18:00			All 1st Time Riders	Riders Briefing
TBC			All Classes	Tyre Stickers Distribution		Technical Bay
Friday 22 February 2019
Time		Duration	Category	Schedule
8:30	8:40	0:10	Timekeeping	Racing Track System Test
9:10	9:25	0:15	Aus SS	Free Practice 2
9:30	9:45	0:15	Aus SBK	Free Practice 2
9:50				FIM Medical Inspection
10:00				FIM Track Inspection
10:30	11:20	0:50	WorldSBK	Free Practice 1
11:30	12:15	0:45	WorldSSP	Free Practice 1
12:25	12:55	0:30		Pit Walk 1
13:15	13:30	0:15	Aus SS 300	Free Practice 2
13:35	13:50	0:15	Aus SBK	Qualifying
13:55	14:10	0:15	Aus SS	Qualifying
14:15	14:30	0:15	Aus SS300	Qualifying
15:00	15:50	0:50	WorldSBK	Free Practice 2
16:00	16:45	0:45	WorldSSP	Free Practice 2
Saturday 23 February 2019
Time		Duration	Category	Schedule
8:15	8:25	0:10	Timekeeping	Racing Track System Test
8:45	9:15	0:30	Australian SSP	Race 1	10 Laps
9:20				FIM Medical Inspection
9:30				FIM Track Inspection
10:00	10:20	0:20	WorldSBK	Free Practice 3
10:35	10:55	0:20	WorldSSP	Free Practice 3
11:05	11:25	0:20	Aus SS 300	Race 1	8 Laps –
11:30	12:00	0:30	Aus SBK	Race 1	12 Laps
12:15	12:40	0:25	WorldSBK	Tissot Superpole
12:55	13:20	0:25	WorldSSP	Tissot Superpole
13:40	14:10	0:30		Pit Walk 2 & Safety Car Laps
15:00			WorldSBK	RACE 1	22 Laps	Pit Opens: 14:40
16:15	16:45	0:30	Aus SBK	Race 2	12 Laps
16:50	17:10	0:20	Aus SS 300	Race 2	8 Laps
17:15	17:45	0:30	Aus SSP	Race 2	10 Laps
Sunday 24 February 2019
Time		Duration	Category	Schedule
7:45	7:55	0:10	Timekeeping	Racing Track System Test
8:15	8:45	0:30	Aus SSP	Race 3	10 Laps
8:50				FIM Medical Inspection
9:00				FIM Track Inspection
09:30	09:45	0:15	WorldSBK	Warm Up
09:55	10:10	0:15	WorldSSP	Warm Up
10:30	11:00	0:30	Aus SBK	Race 3	12 Laps
11:05	11:35	0:30		Pit Walk 3 & Safety Car Laps
12:00			WorldSBK	S-pole Race	10 Laps	Pit Opens: 11:45
13:15			WorldSSP	Race	18 Laps	Pit Opens: 13:00
15:00			WorldSBK	Race 2	22 Laps	Pit Opens: 14:40
16:15	16:35	0:20	Aus SS 300	Race 3	8 laps

1 Lap 4,445 km

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