The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is underway on Sunday as the field shook off the rust and got the final day of the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round rolling. The 10-minute session saw Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) start the day as he finished Saturday in P1. The day’s pair of races to come will bring with them big implications on the title picture, as while Bulega’s lead stands tall, the order behind him remains up in the air.
Bulega’s emphatic 1’32.098s time saw him remain at the head of the pack to start his home round’s final day. Chasing him back into the garage was his teammate Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati), seven tenths slower than the #11, but fast enough for P2. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) looked strong on Sunday morning, earning P3, four hundredths behind the #7, and looking to get back on the podium for the first time since the season opener.
Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) sent himself to P4 in the day’s opening session, his time of 1’33.092 clocked in just shy of a second slower than the #11, pace he will look to build on to battle for P3. Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) is a fresh face in the top five, riding his Ducati Panigale V4R with skill to a time just four hundredths slower than the Englishman ahead of him. Rookie Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) earned P6 in the Warm Up, landing a 1’33.211s time in the final day of his first-ever home round in WorldSBK. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) has some work to do on Sunday before the Tissot Superpole Race, as he finished P7 after earning a home podium on Saturday.
Less than a tenth behind the #5, Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) earned P8 on the back of his KB998 ‘Rimini’ as he looks to keep up with his pacey Italian teammate. Rounding out the top ten, Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) and Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) were separated by just three thousandths of a second as the Spaniard clocked in a 1’33.503s to lead the #31.
The top six from the WorldSBK Warm Up session: Full results here!
- Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) 1’32.098s
- Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) +0.747s
- Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.784s
- Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.944s
- Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) +1.040s
- Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) +1.113s
Stay tuned for the doubleheader of WorldSBK Race action to come! Watch all the mayhem Live and OnDemand with the WorldSBK VideoPass! Now 50% off!