Tuesday morning wrap from WSBK Phillip Island Test

Alvaro Bautista tops again

Marco Melandri makes progress

WorldSBK 2019 Phillip Island Test
Day 2 – AM Report

Cape Barren Geese put a temporary halt to proceedings with an hour remaining in the sessions, as so often happens when these big 4-kilogram birds start waddling around the track. The red flag then had to come out a few more times to clear the birds in the final hour of the morning session, frustrating riders and teams no end.

One thing riders did not have to contend with this morning was the blustery wind that plagued them on Monday afternoon. As a result we had four riders under the previous race lap record, and on four different brands of machinery. The outright qualifying record has not yet been broached though, the 1m29.573 set by Jonathan Rea here two years ago not yet threatened.

Again it was Alvaro Bautista on the Ducati Panigale V4 R setting the pace, a 1m30.303 to the Spaniard, but the big improver this morning was Marco Melandri on the satellite GRT Yamaha. The hugely experienced Italian picked up seven-tenths to finish the morning session with a best of 1m30.760, besting Jonathan Rea by a thousandth-of-a-second.

Fourth quickest was Tom Sykes on the new BMW S 1000 RR. The German machine obviously to the Briton’s liking as he adapts to a new motorcycle after many years on the dominant ZX-10RR machines with KRT. BMW have neven been known to be short of horsepower, but curiously both Sykes and his team-mate Reiterberger are amongst the slowest bikes in the field through the speed trap. One would imagine that lack of top end speed would stem from poor drive off turn 12, and thus a deficit of rear grip from their current set-up with the new bike.

Michael Van der Mark and Leon Haslam were also under the 1m31s barrier.

Alex Lowes did not make much progress this morning, presumably working on new developments after his great showing yesterday. The Pata Yamaha man eighth ahead of BMW’s Markus Reiterberger while Althea Moriwaki Honda recruit Leon Camier rounded out the top ten.

Wildcard entrant Troy Herfoss made some progress after major problems yesterday fail to make any impact. A busy session in the garage overnight from the Penrite Honda squad has obviously started to allow them to find the right direction with their times now starting to drop, but are yet to match what Herfoss did here a few months ago on his lesser spec’ ASBK Superbike.

In World Supersport this morning it was a Yamaha 1-2-3 headed by Randy Krummenacher.  Tom Toparis lost some time this morning after a big slide off at the hayshed that went long enough to burn through his leathers and give him a very warm bum! Toparis might actually sit out, well stand out, from the final session this afternoon as the team suspect that his machine may have bent the frame in the tumble.

WorldSBK – Tuesday AM – Times / Speeds

1. Alvaro Bautista – Ducati 1m30.303 – 316.7 km/h
2. Marco Melandri – Yamaha 1m30.760 – 306.8 km/h
3. Jonathan Rea – Kawasaki 1m30.761 – 310.3 km/h
4. Tom Sykes – BMW 1m30.777 – 302.5 km/h
5. Michael Van der Mark – Yamaha 1m30.911 – 312.1 km/h
6. Leon Haslam – Kawasaki 1m30.947 – 309.5 km/h
7. Sandro Cortese – Yamaha 1m31.077 – 308.6 km/h
8. Alex Lowes – Yamaha 1m31.272 – 310.3 km/h
9. Markus Reiterberger – BMW 1m31.376 – 301.7 km/h
10. Leon Camier – Honda 1m31.443 – 309.5 km/h
11. Toprak Razgatlioglu – Kawasaki 1m31.445 – 306.8 km/h
12. Chaz Davies- Ducati 1m31.796 – 314.0 km/h
13. Jordi Torres – Kawasaki 1m31.808 – 300.0 km/h
14. Ryuichi Kiyonari – Honda 1m31.860 – 306.8 km/h
15. Leandro Mercado – Kawasaki 1m31.942 – 303.4 km/h
16. Eugene Laverty – Ducati 1m31.986 – 303.4 km/h
17. Michael Rinaldi – Ducati 1m32.428 – 314 km/h
18. Alessandreo Delbianco – Honda 1m32.979 – 294.3 km/h
19. Troy Herfoss – Honda 1m33.130 – 300.8 km/h

World Supersport – Tuesday AM – Times

1. Krummenacher – Yamaha 1m33.111
2. Caricasulo – Yamaha 1m33.417
3. Cluzel – Yamaha 1m33.791
4. Mahias – Kawasaki 1m33.872
5. De Rosa – MV Agusta 1m33.935
6. Gradinger – Yamaha 1m34.184
7. Barbera – Yamaha 1m34.282
8. Soomer – Honda 1m34.340
9. Perolari – Yamaha 1m34.361
10. Okubo – Kawasaki 1m34.374
11. Vinales – Yamaha 1m34.491
12. Sebestyen – Honda 1m34.784
13. Fuligni – MV Agusta 1m34.864
14. Van Sikkelerus – Honda 1m34.872
15. Cresson – Yamaha 1m34.918
16. Danilo – Honda 1m35.008
17. Toparis – Yamaha 1m35.165
18. Herrera – Yamaha 1m35.282
19. Badovini – Kawasaki 1m35.437
20. Ruiu – Honda 1m35.506
21. Hartog – Kawasaki 1m35.783
22. Calero – Kawasaki 1m35.855
23. Coppola – Honda 1m35.909
24. Van Straalen – Kawasaki 1m36.765

WorldSBK RPM Limits

Dorna has 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 during this Phillip Island test, one would expect that the Ducati rev limit to be reduced in due course…

WorldSBK  Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit

Event Schedule, 22 – 24 February 2019