Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) started the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship’s Czech Round by securing P1 in Free Practice 1 at the Autodrom Most. The #11 set a 1’31.130s to claim first place ahead of Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team), despite the #14 losing time after a technical issue with his Panigale V4R. Bulega’s teammate, Iker Lecuona, claimed P3 in the red-flagged 45-minute session.

After the red flag, Lecuona looked to challenge his teammate’s pace, but Bulega remained in P1 and set his best time, a 1’31.130s, with his final lap to secure top spot in the first session of the weekend with Lecuona in second. However, in the final 10 minutes, Sam Lowes put in a 1’31.388s to usurp the #7 into second place and lap just 0.258s behind Bulega. The Brit lost valuable track time when he had a technical issue with his machine in the first 10 minutes, but he returned to the track after the red flag. Lecuona’s 1’31.443s meant he claimed P3, three tenths behind his teammate and less than a tenth behind the #14.

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) continued to show his speed with P4 in FP1 with a 1’31.560s, around a tenth behind Lecuona, while Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) was just behind the #5 in fifth. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) claimed top honours for Bimota with P6, although ‘El Bocia’ had been running in the top three throughout the first half of the session.

Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) finished as the lead Yamaha rider in P7, although it was a dramatic end to FP1 for the Turkish rider. The #54 set a 1’31.994s on his penultimate lap of FP1, but his session ended in the gravel on his next lap when he crashed at Turn 6. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was just 0.006s behind Sofuoglu, while Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) completed the top nine with a 1’32.010s. He crashed in the opening stages of FP1 at Turn 1, but the #31 was able to bring his bike back to the pits and returned to track action with 20 minutes remaining. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) completed the top ten with a 1’32.032s.

Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) finished FP1 in 11^th place after losing around 25 minutes of running and completing only five laps. The #22 had a crash at Turn 20 which brought out the red flags, with the British rider unable to get back out on track after the crash. His best time was a 1’32.057s. Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) was another who crashed in FP1, losing the front at Turn 2. Like Gerloff, the #95 took his bike back to the pits and was back in action after the red flag. He finished in 18^th place.

The top six from WorldSBK FP1, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) 1’31.130s
2. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.258s
3. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) +0.313s
4. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.430s
5. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +0.589s
6. Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.597s

Watch FP2 LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED at 15:00 Local Time (UTC+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 30% off!