The summer break is over and WorldSBK returned to action at Magny-Cours with Nicolo Bulega immediately reasserting his authority.
The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider, who has won all but one of the 24 races this season, topped Free Practice at the French Round. It was not an entirely trouble-free day for the championship leading Ducati squad though with Bulega suffering an early technical problem while his teammate, Iker Lecuona, crashed at Turn 12 shortly after the start of the afternoon session. Despite those setbacks, Bulega ended the day ahead of Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) with Lecuona completing the top three.
Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the leading Yamaha rider after setting a strong lap late in the morning session. With track temperatures climbing to 45°C during the afternoon it was more difficult to improve times in the afternoon as riders focused on race simulations. Vierge finished the day ahead of Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) on the combined times and was the only non-Ducati rider inside the top seven.
The afternoon conditions provided an ideal opportunity for teams to focus on race pace with Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) producing consistent pace during his long run. The British rider, who claimed a hat-trick of podium finishes at last year’s French Round, ended the day tenth fastest but completed 41 laps.
There were also several incidents on track with Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) suffering two crashes at Turn 2. The Turkish rider has been ruled out of the remainder of the weekend after sustaining a concussion. Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) also crashed at Turn 3, while Andrea Locatelli’s running was restricted by technical issues affecting the Pata Maxus Yamaha team.
P1 – Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
“The feeling was not the best today and I want to improve in some areas because I feel that I can go faster. It’s a bit difficult now with the feeling on the bike and it is probably too physical a bike to ride on this track. I would like to be more precise and ride a bit more naturally. In FP1, it was just a small electronic problem and then they fixed it after a few minutes. Now everything’s fine. I hope to find a better setup for tomorrow morning and try to push like I always do in FP3, and try to prepare for the race.”
Combined Results after FP2
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’35.556s
2. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.284s
3. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.433s
4. Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) +0.479s
5. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.485s
6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +0.589s
**************************************
Support Modern Classic Motorcycle News and become a YouTube Member for just £5 per month. Members help keep the channel independent and receive extra value, including digital issues of M.C.M. News Magazine join here:
Out Now on Kindle
Watch, like and subscribe to our Youtube channel
Get These Awesome Perks With Our YouTube Membership!: Join Our YouTube Membership and Save – Get two digital issues of Modern Classic Motorcycle News per month for price of one join here:
👍 Like | 💬 Comment | 🔔 Subscribe for more modern classic motorcycle content
**************************************
Win with BOTB.com
For more info checkout our dedicated WorldSBK (World Superbike) News page superbike-news.co.uk/category/world-superbikes/
Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com
©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of WorldSBK.com
* Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission (at no cost to you) if you click on the link and make a purchase. Any money made goes straight back into the website and magazine. Your support is appreciated!