Rinaldi tops opening day of WorldSBK Test at Portimao
Very little separated WorldSBK riders at the top of the leaderboard after the opening day of a two-day WorldSBK Test at Portimao on Tuesday. On top at the end of the day after a late charge though was not one of the usual three suspects as Michael RInaldi started his 2023 campaign on a high note with a 1m39.639 just outside Jonathan Rea’s Superpole record of 1m39.610 set last year.
Six-time Champion Rea was second on Day 1 after posting a 1’39.700s, ahead of his main rivals from 2022, as he goes in search of an unprecedented seventh World Championship. It was a dramatic day for Rea’s team-mate, Alex Lowes, as he brought out the red flags after a crash at Turn 10 in the morning. Despite this, Lowes was able to post the seventh fastest time with a 1’40.264s as they continue to work on perfecting their 2023 package.
Reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista was third, the Spaniard lapping only 0.068s slower than Rinaldi as the new Panigale V4 R continued to impress in its early days.
2021 Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was fourth fastest after posting a 1’39.851s, with a big focus on the rear of his Yamaha YZF R1 machine as was the case at Jerez last week. Team-mate Andrea Locatelli was fourth fastest after a strong day, lapping only 0.136s slower than his teammate after setting a 1’39.987s on his Yamaha R1 machine.
As seen so often throughout 2022, the Team HRC duo of Xavi Vierge and Iker Lecuona were almost inseparable on Day 1 at Portimao, claiming sixth and eighth respectively. Vierge’s best time was a 1’40.053s, with Lecuona half a second behind. Vierge’s day was disrupted in the morning when he had a crash at Turn 13 which briefly brought out the red flags. The CBR1000RR-R machine feature the same updates as spotted at Jerez while there were several Japanese engineers once again present for the test.
Independent riders rounded out the next three positions as they once again shone in testing, with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in ninth, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) in 10th and his teammate, Loris Baz, in 11th; Gerloff the highest-placed BMW rider with Gerloff just over a second off Razgatlioglu’s time and Baz only 0.039s behind his teammate.
Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the top factory BMW rider in 12th place, posting a best time of 1’40.749s, while team-mate Michael van der Mark was 14th place. The BMW factory team were continuing to adapt to their switch to Brembo brakes as well as the new fairing and aero packing on the bike, plus a new gearbox.
Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) broke up the group of BMW riders with 13th place, while rookie Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), continuing to adjust to WorldSBK ahead of his debut campaign, rounded out the top 15 as he posted a 1’41.321s
Rookie Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 16th on his first visit to Portimao on WorldSBK machinery, lapping in 1’41.342s on his R1 machine.
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 17th as he re-adjusts to WorldSBK and the ZX-10RR with Sykes aiming to understand where he and the team are in relation to the rest of the field.
Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) had his first outing on the 2023 Panigale V4 R and lapped Portimao in1’41.982s for 18th place, while rookie Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was 19th after his first run on WorldSBK machinery.
Team and rider rookie duo Lorenzo Baldassarri and GMT94 Yamaha rounded out the WorldSBK field with 20th place.
Portimao WorldSBK Test Day One Times
- Rinaldi 1m39.639
- Rea 1m39.700
- Bautista 1m39.707
- Razgatlioglu 1m39.851
- Locatelli 1m39.987
- Vierge 1m40.053
- Lowes 1m40.264
- Lecuona 1m40.581
- Gardner 1m40.667
- Gerloff 1m40.698
- Baz 1m40.737
- Redding 1m40.749
- Oettl 1m40.846
- Van der Mark 1m40.875
- Petrucci 1m41.321
- Aegerter 1m41.432
- Sykes 1m41.578
- Bassani 1m41.982
- Ray 1m42.400
- Baldassarri 1m42.450
- Marino 1m42.624
- Granado 1m43.950
- Syahrin 1m44.242
WorldSSP
Honda’s return to WorldSSP broke new ground at Portimao as the MIE – MS Honda Racing Team made their first on-track action with riders Tarran Mackenzie and Adam Norrodin, although neither rider had a lap time recorded despite being on track. In terms of riders who did run transponders, it was an Italian and Ducati 1-2-3 at the top of the standings.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba Racing WorldSSP Team) topped the times after posting a 1’43.282s, almost half-a-second clear of compatriot Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) in second. Raffaele De Rose (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) was third, 0.012s slower than Caricasulo, while Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) took fourth spot; Debise is preparing for his first full WorldSSP campaign.
Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was fifth on his first outing for the team, ahead of Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) who was also making his debut for his new team.
Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), still testing four bikes ahead of the 2023 campaign, was seventh with Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing) eighth; Bayliss making his debut for his new squad.
Jorge Navarro’s (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) first outing for his new team ended with him in ninth, with Maximilian Kofler (D34G Racing) and Federico Fuligni (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) rounding out the WorldSSP field.
Portimao WorldSSP Test Day One Times
- Bulega 1m43.282
- Caricasulo 1m43.773
- De Rosa 1m43.785
- Debise 1m43.879
- Manzi 1m44.062
- Montella 1m44.125
- Oncu 1m44.246
- Bayliss 1m45.150
- Navarro 1m46.096
- Kofler 1m46.491
- Fuligni 1m46.565