Iker Lecuona was quickest during FIM Superbike World Championship Free Practice 2 (FP2) Friday afternoon at Balaton Park Circuit, in Hungary. Riding his Pirelli-shod Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4R on the 2.53-mile (4.08 km) track, the Spaniard recorded a 1:38.860 to lead the field of 22 riders.
His teammate, Nicolo Bulega was the best of the rest with a 1:38.963. Sam Lowes was third-fastest with a 1:39.001 on his ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R.
American Garrett Gerloff finished the opening session in 14th with a 1:39.991 on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
Danilo Petrucci was 15th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR with a time of 1:40.164.
More from a press release issued by WorldSBK:
A tenth in it: Lecuona completes Friday clean sweep ahead of Bulega at Balaton Park. The #7 topped both Free Practice sessions in Hungary as he laid down a gauntlet on the opening day of action at Balaton Park.
Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) made it two from two on Friday in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as he topped both Free Practice 1 and Free Practice 2 at the Balaton Park Circuit. There was just a tenth between Lecuona and teammate Nicolo Bulega at the Motul Hungarian Round, while Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) claimed third place.
LECUONA ON TOP: Little to separate the top three, Surra impresses with P5
After topping Free Practice 1 this morning, Lecuona backed that up with top spot in Free Practice 2 with his last flying lap. The #7 set a 1’38.860s to demote teammate Bulega into second place after the Championship leader set a 1’38.963s. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) just missed out on a time in the 1’38s as he posted a 1’39.001s to secure P3, with the #14 also putting in some impressively consistent laps across a 17-lap run. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) was fourth as he worked on some ergonomics on his Panigale V4R, just four tenths off top spot, while rookie Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) was a surprise name as he claimed fifth. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) and teammate Alvaro Bautista rounded out the top seven, with just 0.044s separating the two Barni Ducati riders on the timesheets. Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) and Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) were 11th and 12th.
IN THE TOP TEN: Both Bimotas in the mix for a strong result?
Both Bimota riders were in the top ten on Friday, with Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) ahead of teammate Axel Bassani. The #22 finished in eight place with a 1’38.584s, losing a lot of ground in the second half of the lap, while Bassani was two places back, with two tenths between the two Bimota competitors.
NEW FAIRING AT BMW: Oliveira in the top ten, Petrucci crashes
BMW introduced a slightly revised fairing for this weekend, featuring fins on the lower part of the fairing, while they also worked on the electronic settings. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed ninth place as he ran the new item, setting a 1’39.684s to claim a spot in the top ten. Danilo Petrucci (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was 15thafter he had a strange crash at Turn 3 in the final third of FP2. He also lost around 10 minutes of running in FP1 due to an airbox issue.
LOCATELLI ON TOP IN BLUE: The #55 finishes as the highest-placed Yamaha rider
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) was the fastest Yamaha rider on Day 1 at Balaton Park, although he was in 13th place after posting a 1’39.974s. Teammate Xavi Vierge was 16th, around three tenths behind his teammate, although he was a tenth clear of rookie Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in 17th. The #62 headed teammate Remy Gardner by one tenth, with no one between them. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was 19th and Mattia Rato (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was 21st.
GERLOFF IN 14TH: Aiming for more on Saturday
American star Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) was sixth in FP1 after bolting on some fresh tyres at the end of the 45-minute session, but the #31 finished in 14th overall as everyone – including the Texan – found time in FP2. He set a 1’39.991s to finish 1.131s off the pace.
TRICKY START TO HONDA: Chantra returns, Kunii gets first taste of WorldSBK
Somkiat Chantra (Honda HRC) led Honda’s charge on Friday at Balaton Park ahead of teammate Yuki Kunii. The #35 set a 1’40.914s on his way to 20th as he made his return to action after being forced to miss the races at Assen after his heavy FP3 crash. Kunii is making his WorldSBK debut in Hungary, a track he knows from Moto2 last year, as he brought up the WorldSBK field. He posted a 1’42.121s as he finished in 22nd place.
The top six from Friday’s WorldSBK running, full results here:
1. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’38.860s
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.103s
3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.141s
4. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) +0.437s
5. Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing) +0.522s
6. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.621s
Don’t miss Saturday’s action from Balaton Park from 09:40 Local Time (UTC+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 30% off!
