It was Toprak on top after the two-day WorldSBK test at a resurfaced Phillip Island racetrack.
The deep confusion and uncertainty that surrounded the entire pre-season Phillip Island WorldSBK and WorldSSP tests should have added a certain frisson to the occasion when the much delayed WorldSBK spec tyres finally turned up, but it was the on-track action that eclipsed everything.
All the action that could be had on one intense Tuesday in Victoria, at least, given how many red flags were thrown for falls and just as often Cape Barren geese wandering about the place.
There was only one WorldSBK day – if a madly busy one of testing – after their tyres turned up too late to take part in the supposed two day test.
The WorldSSP rubber was already on site, so they did a full day of testing on Day 1 on Monday.
The WorldSBK material finally turned up, spread across three containers. One arrived at 7pm on Monday night, and the others very early on Tuesday morning.
Hence, the tests happened, if not in the planned format.
The races at PI may not be run in their planned durations or formats either, as the recently resurfaced PI circuit’s grip levels exacerbated the tyres’ propensity to blister at the edges of full performance.
So, watch this space, there could be news incoming by Friday at least of whether the races are kept as they are, cut in half with mandatory tyre change pitstops, or just shortened races.
In the mad single test day, with some WorldSBK riders doing 90 laps, the fastest was Toprak Razgatlioglu on his Rokit BMW Motorrad machine, setting a 1m28.511s lap to edge out the precious new talents of rookie rider Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Ducati) by just 0.074sec and multi-season factory Yamaha rider Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) by 0.324sec.
Returning paddock maverick, Andrea Iannone (Go Eleven Ducati) was fourth overall, Alex Lowes (KRT) fifth. Four different bikes inside the top five.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Motocorsa Ducati) was sixth overall and the now almost fully recovered double world champion, Alvaro Bautista (aruba.it Ducati) seventh.
Scott Redding placed eighth, with the top 10 rounded out by Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha) and new KRT rider, Axel Bassani.
The midfield pace was so tight that from Iannone in fourth place down to tenth placed Michael van der Mark (Rokit BMW) only 0.715 seconds covered all 10 riders. Even the injured Iker Lecuona (HRC Honda) in 19th place was still within two seconds of Razgatlioglu’s fastest time.
Lecuona will be checked again before the first round, after suffering a collarbone dislocation.
Full times can be found at this link.
WORDS GORDON RITCHIE PHOTOS GOLD&GOOSE
