Sam Lowes led FIM Superbike World Championship Free Practice Two (FP2) Friday afternoon at Portimao, in Portugal. Riding his ELF Marc VDS Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R on spec Pirelli tires, the Brit covered the 2.85-mile (4.59 km) track in 1:39.941 to lead the field of 22 riders.
Nicolò Bulega was second-best with a 1:40.188 on his Aruba.It Racing – Ducati Panigale V4R.
Yari Montella was third with a 1:40.351 on his Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati Panigale V4R.
Danilo Petrucci was 12th on his ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team M1000RR with a lap time of 1:40.962.
American Garrett Gerloff was 14th with a time of 1:41.029 on his Kawasaki ZX-10RR.
More from a press release issued by WorldSBK:
FRIDAY REPORT: Sam Lowes beats Bulega to top spot as WorldSBK tackles the Portimao rollercoaster. The two Ducati riders were separated by 0.247s at the end of Friday’s action as Friday concluded in Portugal.
Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) topped both Free Practice sessions at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve as Round 2 for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship kicked off. Taking on the famous rollercoaster, the British rider was the only rider in the 1’39s to claim top spot ahead of Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at the Pirelli Portuguese Round.
SAM LOWES ON TOP: The #14 beats Bulega to P1
British rider Sam Lowes heads into Portimao still nursing a wrist injury, although he was given the all-clear after Thursday’s medical check. He and his team worked on some ergonomics of his Panigale V4R machine in FP1 and was fastest in the morning although he was seen shaking out his left hand after setting his fastest time. In FP2, the #14 went even faster to claim P1 on the combined timesheets, ahead of Australia hat-trick hero Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). The #11 set a 1’40.188s to claim P2, unable to join Sam Lowes in the 1’39s bracket. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) continued his impressive form from Australia as he claimed P3 with Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in P5. The #7 had a disrupted day, with a tech problem in FP1 costing him some running time and a crash in FP2 at Turn 5 doing the same. However, he set a 1’40.458s to finish half-a-second down on Sam Lowes’ time. Alvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) was another who fell victim to the right-hand hairpin at Turn 5 but he improved his time at the end of the session to take P6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Team GoEleven) was ninth with Tarran Mackenzie (MGM Optical Express Racing) in 14th. Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) is preparing for his first weekend as a full-time rider and had two big moments coming over the crest after Turn 8, although he did fall at Turn 5 in FP2. He finished the day in 15th, two places ahead of Alberto Surra (Motocorsa Racing).
STRONG START FOR BIMOTA: Alex Lowes top four, Bassani P7
Bimota were strong at Phillip Island and that looks to have continued at Portimao, with both Axel Bassani (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) and teammate Alex Lowes in the top seven of the combined times. The #22 finished the day in P4 thanks to his FP1 team, with the Brit one of just a few riders not to improve their time in the afternoon session. 1’40.442s was his fastest time and his FP2 was disrupted by a Turn 5 fall. Bassani was seventh overall after finding time in FP2, 1’40.564s his best time.
OLIVEIRA LEADS BMW: Aiming for a good result on home soil
Home hero Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and teammate Danilo Petrucci spent the first part of FP2 running on track close together as they looked to continue adapting to the M 1000 RR machine. Oliveira was the faster of the two as he looks to replicate his 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix success, finishing in eighth place after posting a 1’40.685s, while Petrucci had a three-tenths gap to his teammate. However, that time difference meant ‘Petrux’ finished the day in 13th place.
STRONG START FOR GERLOFF: The Texan doesn’t find time in FP2
Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Team) heads into the Portuguese Round in great form and spirits, after getting married in the gap between Phillip Island and Portimao. That continued on Friday in Portugal although he was outside the top ten on the combined timesheets, after not improving his time in FP2. His best time of the day came in the morning as he posted a 1’40.951s.
VIERGE ON TOP IN BLUE: Continuing to lead Yamaha’s charge
Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) has so often been the fastest Yamaha rider this season and that continued on Friday at Portimao, securing a top-ten place; the sole Yamaha rider to do so. He was directly ahead of Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in 11th, while Vierge’s teammate, Andrea Locatelli, was 16th. Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 19th while Bahattin Sofuoglu (Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) and teammate Mattia Rato rounded out the WorldSBK field; the Turkish rider had a Turn 5 fall in FP2.
TWO CRASHES AT HONDA: Rea, Chantra both fall in FP2
Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) was the fastest of the two Honda riders on track at Portimao, although his day was disrupted by a Free Practice 2 crash at Turns 10-11 at the change of direction. Nevertheless, the six-time Champion finished in 18th place with a 1’41.578s. Teammate Somkiat Chantra also had a crash in FP2, having a high-speed fall at Turn 15 but the Thai rider was able to walk away from his crash. He finished in 20th, four tenths behind his teammate.
The top six from Portimao’s Friday action, full results here:
1. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) 1’39.941s
2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.247s
3. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.410s
4. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) +0.501s
5. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.517s
6. Álvaro Bautista (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.535s
Follow Saturday’s WorldSBK action from 09:40 Local Time (UTC+0) on Saturday using the WorldSBK VideoPass!
