WORLDSBK – FREE PRACTICE 2

Nicolo Bulega has been the rider to beat so far at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, dominating the official two-day test earlier this week. Bulega was the only rider able to lap inside the 1’28-second bracket at the start of the week, and he has carried that form into Round 1, wasting no time on his Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Panigale V4R around the 4.445 km circuit.

Bulega has impressed throughout winter testing, maintaining his momentum and composure to establish himself as an early championship contender in 2025.

In Free Practice 1 this morning, Bulega was once again the only rider capable of running in the 1’28s, nearly four-tenths faster than Andrea Iannone, who finished second with a fastest lap of 1’29.289.

Rounding out the top three was Alvaro Bautista, making it a Ducati 1-2-3, while Danilo Petrucci placed fourth onboard his Barni Spark Racing Team V4R. Reigning world champion Toprak Razgatlioglu trailed in sixth after a lowside crash at Miller Corner.

FREE PRACTICE 2

Heading into Free Practice 2, the top two positions remained unchanged, with Bulega and Iannone leading the way. However, Razgatlioglu stepped up his pace to slot himself into third, though he was still just shy of a second behind Bulega.

Bulega set an impressive pace that no other rider could match, once again topping the session with a fastest lap of 1’28.790—around one-tenth slower than his best time during the official test.

Iannone maintained his consistency, finishing second once again, a position he jokingly referred to after the official test. Despite his strong performance, the Italian was still unable to break into the 1’28-second bracket.

Razgatlioglu had a cleaner session compared to the morning and found himself back in his usual top-three standing, though he still needs to find around eight-tenths of a second to match Bulega’s pace.

Rookie Ryan Vickers has made an impressive debut, especially considering this is his first time riding at Phillip Island. He placed 13th at the conclusion of Free Practice 2, with Garrett Gerloff and Xavi Vierge rounding out the top 15.

Australian Remy Gardner narrowly missed out on matching his best time from the official test but showed improvement between FP1 and FP2, finishing the day in 16th place with a 1’30.299.

WHAT’S NEXT?

World Superbikes will return to the track tomorrow for their final Free Practice session, followed by the first Superpole session of the year at 1:00 PM.

Written by: Tayla Relph