WSBK Phillip Island Test
Ahead of the Australian opening round of the 2020 World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island, 34-year old Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK) has topped a shortened opening session at Phillip Island, after Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Althea Honda) left oil on track through turns three and four, forcing a halt of the proceedings.
Tom Sykes was the only rider to drop into the 1:30s, boasting a 1:30.938, with Pata Yamaha’s Michael Van Der Mark nearest on 1:31.252 with teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu only 0.023s further off the leading pace.
Defending world champion Jonathan Rea was fourth overall for the morning, 0.557s off the leader, with the Kawasaki Racing Team rider 0.446s faster than new teammate Alex Lowes, who was seventh and clocked in the 1:32s.
Ten Kate Racing Yamaha’s Loris Baz was fifth fastest, while Scott Redding was fastest Ducati on the Aruba.it Racing V4 R. Teammate Chaz Davies was eighth, with 1:32.117.
Completing the top ten was Leon Haslam (Team HRC) and Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing).
Alvaro Bautista, riding the Team HRC Honda CBR1000RR-R was 11th as he comes to terms with the new Honda machinery at Phillip Island, where he dominated in 2019 on board a Ducati.
Second BMW Motorrad WorldSBK rider Eugene Laverty was 12th with a 1:32.893, almost two-seconds off leading pace, with Sandro Cortese (Outdo Kawasaki TPR) in 13th.
Federico Caricasulo made the move up to the premiere class in WorldSBK in 2020 after finishing second overall in WSSP in 2019, joining the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team for the new season, along with American Garrett Gerloff who was 17th posting a 1:34.184.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Leon Camiere were 15th and 16th, both on Ducati Panigale V4 R machinery, with Team GoEleven and Barni Racing Team respectively.
Maximilian Scheib was 18th on the Orelac Racing Vednatura Kawasaki, while Takumi Takahashi was 19th on the MIE Racing Althea Honda.
Despite overcast conditions and rain north of Phillip Island, competitors remain hopefully for dry conditions for afternoon sessions, as activities recommence on track.
Phillip Island WorldSBK Testing – Monday FP1
| Pos. | Rider | Nat. | Team | Gap |
| 1 | T. SYKES | GBR | Motorrad WorldSBK Team | 1’30.938 |
| 2 | M. VAN DER MARK | NED | PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK | 0.314 |
| 3 | T. RAZGATLIOGLU | TUR | PATA YAMAHA WorldSBK | 0.337 |
| 4 | J. REA | GBR | Kawasaki Racing Team | 0.557 |
| 5 | L. BAZ | FRA | Ten Kate Racing Yamaha | 0.671 |
| 6 | S. REDDING | GBR | ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati | 0.85 |
| 7 | A. LOWES | GBR | Kawasaki Racing Team | 1.111 |
| 8 | C. DAVIES | GBR | ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati | 1.179 |
| 9 | L. HASLAM | GBR | Team HRC Honda | 1.29 |
| 10 | X. FORES | ESP | Kawasaki Puccetti Racing | 1.476 |
| 11 | A. BAUTISTA | ESP | Team HRC | 1.731 |
| 12 | E. LAVERTY | IRL | BMW Motorrad WorldSBK | 1.955 |
| 13 | S. CORTESE | GER | OUTDO Kawasaki TPR | 2.406 |
| 14 | F. CARICASULO | ITA | GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team | 2.594 |
| 15 | M. RINALDI | ITA | Team GOELEVEN | 2.736 |
| 16 | L. CAMIER | GBR | Barni Racing Team | 3.159 |
| 17 | G. GERLOFF | USA | GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team | 3.246 |
| 18 | M. SCHEIB | CHI | ORELAC Racing VERDNATURA | 4.64 |
| 19 | T. TAKAHASHI | JPN | MIE Racing | 5.408 |
World Supersport
Andrea Locatelli, who joined the BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team for the 2020 World Supersport season, led the morning World Supersport Free Practice 1 results, ahead of the MV Agusta Reparto Corse duo of Randy Krummenacher and Raffaele De Rosa, with the pair +0.276 and +0.309s off the leader’s pace.
Isaac Vinales (Kallio Racing) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) completed the top five , with Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) sixth.
Top Honda was Hikari Okubo on the Dynavolt Honda, while Australian Oli Bayliss was 19th on board the Cube Racing Yamaha YZF-R6.
Phillip Island WorldSSP Testing – Monday FP1
| Pos. | Rider | Nat. | Team | Gap |
| 1 | A. LOCATELLI | ITA | BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team | 1’33.362 |
| 2 | R. KRUMMENACHER | SUI | MV Agusta Reparto Corse | 0.276 |
| 3 | R. DE ROSA | ITA | MV Agusta Reparto Corse | 0.309 |
| 4 | I. VIÑALES | ESP | Kallio Racing | 0.52 |
| 5 | L. MAHIAS | FRA | Kawasaki Puccetti Racing | 0.534 |
| 6 | J. CLUZEL | FRA | GMT94 Yamaha | 0.559 |
| 7 | S. ODENDAAL | RSA | EAB Ten Kate Racing | 1.173 |
| 8 | P. OETTL | GER | Kawasaki Puccetti Racing | 1.181 |
| 9 | H. SOOMER | EST | Kallio Racing | 1.626 |
| 10 | C. PEROLARI | FRA | GMT94 Yamaha | 1.715 |
| 11 | M. GONZALEZ | ESP | Kawasaki ParkinGO Team | 1.862 |
| 12 | H. OKUBO | JPN | Dynavolt Honda | 1.926 |
| 13 | P. SEBESTYEN | HUN | OXXO Yamaha Team Toth | 2.35 |
| 14 | F. FULIGNI | ITA | MV Agusta Reparto Corse | 2.384 |
| 15 | C. ÖNCÜ | TUR | Turkish Racing Team | 2.64 |
| 16 | C. BERGMAN | SWE | Wójcik Racing Team | 2.644 |
| 17 | D. WEBB | GBR | WRP Wepol Racing | 2.874 |
| 18 | J. VAN SIKKELERUS | NED | MPM Routz Racing Team | 3.057 |
| 19 | O. BAYLISS | AUS | CUBE Racing | 3.358 |
| 20 | P. HOBELSBERGER | GER | Dynavolt Honda | 3.79 |
| 21 | L. CRESSON | BEL | OXXO Yamaha Team Toth | 4.008 |
| 22 | A. VERDOÏA | FRA | bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing | 4.021 |
