Barcelona WorldSBK Test Day 2 Times: Rea And Redding Battle It Out For Top Spot

Submitted by David Emmett on

Jonathan Rea has ended the Barcelona WorldSBK test at the top of the timesheets, after a battle of wills with Ducati's Scott Redding. The pair chased each other to impressive heights during the morning session, throwing new tires at fast times until Redding decided that focusing on used tires was a more productive use of his time than continuing to chase Rea's fast time. "It was fun, it was spicing up the day, but I said, OK, one of us is going to end up with a big crash, because we keep going faster and faster and faster!" Redding commented afterwards.

Tom Sykes ended the day as third fastest on the BMW S1000RR, half a second behind the Kawasaki of Rea and a third of a second slower than the Ducati of Redding. Sykes was just under a couple of tenths quicker than Alex Lowes on the second Kawasaki, while Toprak Razgatlioglu was the fastest of the Yamaha riders. Eugene Laverty finished sixth, half a second off the pace of his BMW teammate, and two tenths ahead of the second Yamaha of Michael van der Mark, while Loris Baz was eighth quickest.

After missing the entire morning session, with the reason given that they had to attend a full online technical debrief with Japanese HRC engineers unable to travel to Europe, Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam only took to the track in the afternoon. Haslam was the fastest of the two Honda riders, while Bautista was unable to improve his time from Wednesday.

Thursday times from both sessions:

Pos No Rider Bike Session Time Diff Prev
WorldSBK
1 1 Jonathan Rea Kawasaki ZX-10RR AM 1:40.450    
2 45 Scott Redding Ducati Panigale V4 R AM 1:40.606 0.156 0.156
3 66 Tom Sykes BMW S1000 RR AM 1:40.956 0.506 0.350
4 22 Alex Lowes Kawasaki ZX-10RR AM 1:41.137 0.687 0.181
5 54 Toprak Razgatlioglu Yamaha YZF R1 AM 1:41.218 0.768 0.081
6 50 Eugene Laverty BMW S1000 RR AM 1:41.494 1.044 0.276
7 60 Michael van der Mark Yamaha YZF R1 AM 1:41.679 1.229 0.185
8 76 Loris Baz Yamaha YZF R1 PM 1:41.881 1.431 0.202
9 7 Chaz Davies Ducati Panigale V4 R PM 1:41.903 1.453 0.022
10 36 Leandro Mercado Ducati Panigale V4 R PM 1:42.024 1.574 0.121
11 31 Garrett Gerloff Yamaha YZF R1 PM 1:42.121 1.671 0.097
12 91 Leon Haslam Honda CBR1000RR PM 1:42.126 1.676 0.005
13 11 Sandro Cortese Kawasaki ZX-10RR PM 1:42.187 1.737 0.061
14 64 Federico Caricasulo Yamaha YZF R1 PM 1:42.333 1.883 0.146
15 77 Maximilan Scheib Kawasaki ZX-10RR AM 1:42.436 1.986 0.103
16 19 Alvaro Bautista Honda CBR1000RR PM 1:43.261 2.811 0.825
17 20 Sylvain Barrier Ducati Panigale V4 R PM 1:44.323 3.873 1.062
               
WorldSSP
1 16 Jules Cluzel Yamaha YZF R6 AM 1:45.252    
2 94 Corentin Perolari Yamaha YZF R6 AM 1:45.780 0.528 0.528
3 4 Steven Odendaal Yamaha YZF R6 AM 1:45.867 0.615 0.087
               
Marc VDS
1 222 Sam Lowes Yamaha YZF R1 AM 1:44.705    
2 37 Augusto Fernandez Yamaha YZF R1 AM 1:45.671 0.966 0.966

Combined times from both days:

Pos No Rider Bike Day Time Diff Prev
WorldSBK
1 1 Jonathan Rea Kawasaki ZX-10RR Thur 1:40.450    
2 45 Scott Redding Ducati Panigale V4 R Thur 1:40.606 0.156 0.156
3 66 Tom Sykes BMW S1000 RR Thur 1:40.956 0.506 0.350
4 22 Alex Lowes Kawasaki ZX-10RR Thur 1:41.137 0.687 0.181
5 54 Toprak Razgatlioglu Yamaha YZF R1 Thur 1:41.218 0.768 0.081
6 50 Eugene Laverty BMW S1000 RR Thur 1:41.494 1.044 0.276
7 60 Michael van der Mark Yamaha YZF R1 Thur 1:41.679 1.229 0.185
8 76 Loris Baz Yamaha YZF R1 Thur 1:41.881 1.431 0.202
9 7 Chaz Davies Ducati Panigale V4 R Thur 1:41.903 1.453 0.022
10 36 Leandro Mercado Ducati Panigale V4 R Thur 1:42.024 1.574 0.121
11 31 Garrett Gerloff Yamaha YZF R1 Thur 1:42.121 1.671 0.097
12 91 Leon Haslam Honda CBR1000RR Thur 1:42.126 1.676 0.005
13 11 Sandro Cortese Kawasaki ZX-10RR Thur 1:42.187 1.737 0.061
14 19 Alvaro Bautista Honda CBR1000RR Wed 1:42.320 1.870 0.133
15 64 Federico Caricasulo Yamaha YZF R1 Thur 1:42.333 1.883 0.013
16 77 Maximilan Scheib Kawasaki ZX-10RR Thur 1:42.436 1.986 0.103
17 20 Sylvain Barrier Ducati Panigale V4 R Thur 1:44.323 3.873 1.887
               
WorldSSP
1 16 Jules Cluzel Yamaha YZF R6 Thur 1:45.252    
2 94 Corentin Perolari Yamaha YZF R6 Thur 1:45.780 0.528 0.528
3 4 Steven Odendaal Yamaha YZF R6 Thur 1:45.867 0.615 0.087
               
Marc VDS
1 222 Sam Lowes Yamaha YZF R1 Thur 1:44.705    
2 37 Augusto Fernandez Yamaha YZF R1 Wed 1:45.662 0.957 0.957
Round Number: 
0
2020
Moto2
World Superbikes
World Supersport
Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain
Tweet Button: 

↑Back to top

Comments

Motoshrink replied on
Site Supporter

1) Rea is NOT alone ahead of the pace. Redding is really there, and the V4 Duc is brilliant and sorted.

2) The BMW is here. Watch riders clamor to get on one. Sykes is going to have a second blossom.

3) Yamaha, just like in GP's, has a swarm of riders. And the bike has come forward while retaining its reliability. Toprak is early in his trajectory both as a big bike rider and on the Yamaha.

4) Unlike the above, the Honda (not V4 but oversquare compact powerhouse) has left us with "wait and see" questions. It is a baby, and I think the answer will slower coming in a short season but affirming.

5) Alex Lowes, he is thereabouts and potential for more?

Of course we don't know the programs being run, not everyone's powder went at fast times in a Q like fashion. Yadda yadda yadda. But we have P.I. too.

Redding can take the title. We have ourselves a championship again. Ok then, shall we go ahead and do the same in GP's next year? A few more ponies in the Yamaha mill please, much preferable to FabQ needing Marc crashes/injury from that satan spawn bike.

Agent55 replied on

... were a V4! I certainly hope BMW can finally "get there" and offer a well-rounded, fast package to the grid. I'm not 100% convinced Sykes' cut-and-thrust manhandling of the bike is the way forward however. 

I suspect the Yamaha will (as nearly all past Yamahas have) still suffer a bit from lack of top speed that will hamper its versatility on various tracks, and when tire wear forces a riding style-change during a race.