Jonathan Rea unleashes devastating pace to top final pre-season WorldSBK test
It was also Rea who led most of the session with aꦡ lap time that was close to six tenths slower than his FP5 effort.
A 1:49.500s put the Kawasaki rider half🌌 a tenth clear of Bautista, while Garrett Gerloff was a fur🅠ther two tenths back in third.
- Rea snatches top spot from Razgatlioglu in penultimate Ar🎶agon WorldSBK ses♊sion
- Alvaro Bautista strꦑikes back with top time in FP4 at Aragon WorldSBK test
- Rea, Razgatl⛦ioglu under Ara🀅gon race lap record as battle intensifies
With 15 minutes remaining Gerloff looked set to go fastest after posting a purp✨le sector three, but the American remained third after losing time in S4. Still, the GRT Yamaha rider improved to go within a tenth of Rea.
Moments later and Rea’s top time was beaten but this time by Bautista. The Aruba.it Ducati rider set a time of 1൲:49.437s.
It was at that moment that Rea came back out of pꦚit lane and responded with a stunning time of 1:48.714s - seven tenths quicker than Bautista - also the best lap of the test.
With just over five minutes to go, reigning world champion Razgatlioglu went second,✅ however, Rea still led by close to five tenths.
Bautista then managed to split the top two riders from 2021 with a time of 1:49.093s - +0.380s down on his former 2019 rival.&n🅺bsp;
A strong day for Loris Baz continued as he once again ran comfortably inside the t💎op six.
The top three saw a late change as Razgatlioglu got back ahead of Bautista, while Gerloff, Andre🌟a Locatelli and Baz rounded out the top six.
World Superbike Test Aragon, Spain - Free Practice Results (Final) | ||||
Pos | Rider | Nat | Team | Time |
1 | Jonathan Rea | GBR | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK | 1:48.714s |
2 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | TUR | PATA Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK | +0.354s |
3 | Alvaro Bautista | SPA | Aruba.It Racing Ducati | +0.380s |
4 | Garrett Gerloff | USA | GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team | +0.521s |
5 | Andrea Locatelli | ITA | PATA Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK | +1.117s |
6 | Loris Baz | FRA | Bonovo Action BMW | +1.229s |
7 | Iker Lecuona | SPA | Team HRC WorldSBK | +1.257s |
8 | Xavi Vierge | SPA | Team HRC WorldSBK | +1.296s |
9 | Philipp Oettl | GER | GoEleven Ducati | +1.372s |
10 | Scott Redding | GBR | BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | +1.390s |
11 | Alex Lowes | GBR | Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK | +1.398s |
12 | Ilya Mikhalchik | UKR | BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team | +1.784s |
13 | Eugene Laverty | IRL | Bonovo Action BMW | +1.924s |
14 | Roberto Tamburini | ITA | Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSBK Team | +1.942s |
15 | Kohta Nozane | JPN | GRT Yamaha | +1.969s |
16 | Michael Rinaldi | ITA | Aruba.It Racing Ducati | +2.092s |
17 | Axel Bassani | ITA | Motocorsa Ducati | +2.142s |
18 | Lucas Mahias | FRA | Puccetti Kawasaki | +2.324s |
19 | Luca Bernardi | SM | Barni Spark Ducati Team | +3.063s |
20 | Gabriele Ruiu | ITA | Bmax Racing | +3.289s |
21 | Christophe Ponsson | FRA | Gil Motor Sport Yamaha | +3.429s |
22 | Hafizh Syahrin | MAL | MIE Honda Racing | +3.598s |
23 | Oliver Konig | CZE | Orelac Racing Kawasaki | +4.015s |
24 | Loris Cresson | BEL | Pedercini Kawasaki | +4.820s |
Unab💙le to match his team-mate's impressive pace throu𒆙ghout pre-season testing, Michael Rinaldi was down in P16 come the end of FP6.

For the second test in 🦋succession Leandro Mercardo lost major track-time - issues with hi🐻s CBR1000RR-R was the problem in Catalunya - in Aragon, the Argentine rider was 17th in FP4 before a crash at turn two resulted in the MIE Honda Racing rider not taking to the track again.
Free Practice 5
For the second straight day six-time Wor☂ld🀅SBK champion Rea bettered the official race lap record in Aragon.
Rea managed to d༺o so by snatching top spot away from main rival after Razgatlioglu led most of the FP5.
After toppin💧g FP4, Bautista was no match for Rea and Razgatlioglu following the pair’s intense duel for top 🐠spot.
Both💟 riders exchanged top spot on several occasions before a time of 1:49.268s saw the Pata Yamaha man move four tenths clear𒆙.
Rea managed to reduce that margin on his very next lap, however, the gap remained over three tenths.&n🌠bsp;
Then came a surprise…
Baz shot up the leaderboard to go second quickest after it appeared BMW were once again struggling. The former MotoGP rider went +0.115s off R🎀azgatlioglu’s time.
An impressive turn of pace from the former Kawasaki and♏ Yamaha rider, who was also the quickest BMW rider on day-one.&nbs🌜p;
With ten minutes remaining Gerloff jumped ahead of Rea for third, while GoEleven Ducati rider Philipp Oettl was displaced 𝔉by Iker Lecuona as the top rookie in ninth, after the German took that honour in FP4.
But as the seconds wound down, Rea set the first sub 1m 49s la♑p of🙈 the two-day test to go top - a lap time that was enough to put three tenths between him and Razgatlioglu.
Rea’s effort also mea𝄹ns he’s gone under the existing race lap record - sﷺet by himself - for the second consecutive day.
Free Practice 4
Bautista started off the final day of WorldSBK te𒆙sting in Aragon fastest from day-one pacesetꦓter Rea.
Bautista, who was more than six tenths down on expected 2022 title rivals Rea and Razgatlioglu during day-one, posted a solid time of 1:50.097s t🍌o go quickest in FP4.
Rea managed to pit Gerlo🌃ff to second, with the latter continuing to impress ahead of what’s a big 2022 season.

An eight-time winner🥂 around the MotorLand Aragon Circuit, Rea set a time quicker than the official race lap record on Monday, as did reigning world champion Razgatlioglu.
The Pata Yamaha rider started day-two with a sixth place finish - eight tenths down on t♒he Aruba.it Ducati rider. 𒅌;
While Ducati, Kawasaki and Yamaℱha continue to☂ look strong, Honda, who were very impressive in Catalunya, sat out the session with both its factory riders Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge.
Replaced once again by Ukrainian rider Il▨ya Michalchik, Michael Van Der Mark has officially been ruled out of this weekend’s season-open🌟er.
Van Der Mark, who suffered a recent mouꦓntain bike accident, said: "It has been a difficult decision but unfortunately I will not try to ride at MotorL🍷and Aragón.
"At this moment we have to be smart and stay calm because this is the only way forward in my 🔴recovery.
"I really miss working with the team and riding my BMW M 1000 RR but righ🌃t now my goal is to be fit again as soon as possible."