The ab🎶sence of Toprak Razgatlioglu from the Jerez Worlꦗd Superbike test means his title rival Nicolo Bulega won’t gain too much optimism.

Ducati rider Bulega topped the timesheet on Day 1 of the preseason WSBK test on🌳 Wednesday, as the only rider with a lap inside the 1:38s.

But he knows that champion Razgatlioglu’s absence, duไe to a finger injury sus⛎tained in training, means the timesheet doesn’t tell a full story.

“We cꦫannot see the real level,” Bulega admitted. “I was fast but Toprak was not here!

“Last year he 🤡was the fastest guy so we have to🔴 check his lap times and his feeling with the bike.

“Last yea🙈r, in the race week, ꦚwhen he was here, I was quite good.

“I am loo𒀰king forward to seeing him on track again, then we’ll see…”

Bulega was the championship runner-up behind ♒Razgatlioglu last year, in his rookie WSBK campaign.

He intends to push Rౠa⛄zgatlioglu even further in 2025.

“It’s good to be back with a great feeling,” Bule⛦ga said after the first day of testing.

“It was difficult because of the wind. I was more focused on the wind than on what I was doing with the bike, so it was str💙ange.

“But I am happy to start the new ye💖ar with the same go🤪od feeling.

“We tried something different with the ꦍset-up, and also for my body position to be more comfortable on the bike.

“Some parts I liked, some parts [I 🐠did not]. We need a mixture for the next day.

“If we can put🦩 it all together, we 𝔉have a good package.

“I will try to do a longer run [on Thursday].”

Bulega tested two Ducatis on Wednesday, l🧸at♔er switching back to his original.

“🍰We just tried something different in both bikes. It was faster for the mechanics,” he explained.