Dark clouds gathered overhead at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya ahead of Sunday’s action which got underway with Warm Up in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship for the Prosecco DOC Catalunya Round. Reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) started Sunday as he ended Saturday as he topped Warm Up by almost three tenths ahead of his nearest rivals.

Bautista posted a 1’41.367s to top the 15-minute Warm Up session and he was 0.287s clear of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) in second place. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took third spot on Sunday morning as he bounced back from his collision with Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in Race 1. Rinaldi spent some time in Warm Up leading the session.

Rookie Dominique Aegeter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) continued his strong Barcelona form with fourth place, 0.459s down on Bautista’s time, while he was around a tenth clear of six-time Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). Rea had around a three-tenths advantage over Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) in sixth place with the Spanish rider putting four different manufacturers in the top six.

Seventh place went to Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) after he set a 1’42.262s to lap only 0.020s slower than Vierge ahead of him, with Locatelli in a Honda sandwich. Behind him by around a tenth of a second was 2022 Catalunya polesitter Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) while two British riders rounded out the top ten. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was ninth as he looked to bounce back from two crashes on Saturday while Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was tenth as he hopes to respond to his Race 1 crash.

The top six following WorldSBK Warm Up, full results here:

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’41.367s

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.287s

3. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.355s

4. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.459s

5. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.560s

6. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) +0.875s

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