Bradl got off to a good start this morning by setting the ninth fastest time of Free Practice 1. The 27-year-old German rider worked hard with his crew on finding the best set-up for his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 and was able to improve his performance on every outing. In the final minutes of FP2, Stefan moved back into the top-10 after breaking the 1’44secs barrier to log a final 1’43.957secs lap-time, which was enough for him to clinch a well deserved tenth place.
Takumi Takahashi had a lot of work to do in his first-ever day in World Superbike: not only the Japanese rider had to find his way around the challenging 4.592 Km Algarve track, but he also had to get to grips with the WorldSBK-spec version of the Fireblade and the Pirelli tyres, which he never used before. The Japanese made a significant improvement in the afternoon and he is now looking forward to more track-time tomorrow, starting from FP3 at 9:05 local time (GMT +1) and then moving on to Superpole 1 (11:00) and Race 1 (15:00).
Stefan Bradl 6
It’s been a good day! It’s nice to be in the top-10 and therefore in Superpole 2. I’m happy with how the day went, because we consistently improved the bike in both sessions and in between as well. We are working in the right direction and to be lapping in the 1’43s is not too bad. Now we need to build up on what has been a positive day, have a good qualifying session and see how the rest of the weekend goes.
Takumi Takahashi 72
Portimão is a great track but definitely not an easy one to learn! I still have to find the right line around it and it’s not easy when you’re not on the same bike you’re used to and especially with different tyres. So I’m planning to keep lapping as much as I can and once I get the right feeling with it, we will start playing more around the bike set-up. Tomorrow is race day already so the aim is to be as ready as I can for it.
Ronald ten Kate
We had quite a positive and productive day with Stefan. Right from the first outing we were around our target for the weekend in terms of positioning and we also managed to qualify straight into Superpole 2 which is good news. It’s been a good effort by the whole team so thanks to them. I think there’s still room for improvement and the gap from second place is not too big. The guys will now have a look at the data to come up with a plan for tomorrow and hopefully we’ll be back in the positions we should be in. Takumi-san had a lot of work to do, but we already knew that. Learning the track is the biggest task for him, but let’s not forget the bike is different to the one he’s used to riding and the same applies to the tyres, too. He’s been chipping away at every session and the goal is to keep improving with no pressure.
Portuguese RoundAutodromo Internacional do Algarve, Portugal
WorldSBK 2017, Round 10
- Air Temp: 22°C
- Humidity: 47%
- Ground Temp: 38°C
| # | Rider | Num | Nationality Nat. | Team | Constructor Constr. | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonathan Rea | 65 | GBR | Kawasaki Racing Team | Kawasaki | 1’42.621 |
| 2 | Marco Melandri | 33 | ITA | Aruba.it Racing | Ducati | +0.586 |
| 3 | Chaz Davies | 7 | GBR | Aruba.it Racing | Ducati | +0.689 |
| 4 | Leon Camier | 2 | GBR | MV Agusta Reparto Corse | MV Agusta | +0.794 |
| 5 | Tom Sykes | 66 | GBR | Kawasaki Racing Team | Kawasaki | +0.895 |
| 6 | Eugene Laverty | 50 | GBR | Milwaukee Aprilia | Aprilia | +0.901 |
| 7 | Alex Lowes | 22 | GBR | Pata Yamaha | Yamaha | +1.056 |
| 8 | Lorenzo Savadori | 32 | ITA | Milwaukee Aprilia | Aprilia | +1.146 |
| 9 | Michael van der Mark | 60 | NDL | Pata Yamaha | Yamaha | +1.233 |
| 10 | Stefan Bradl | 6 | GER | Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team | Honda | +1.336 |
| 11 | Jordi Torres | 81 | SPA | Althea BMW Racing Team | BMW | +1.549 |
| 12 | Raffaele De Rosa | 35 | ITA | Althea BMW Racing Team | BMW | +1.841 |
| 13 | Leandro Mercado | 36 | ARG | IodaRacing Team | Aprilia | +1.971 |
| 14 | Xavi Fores | 12 | SPA | BARNI Racing Team | Ducati | +1.987 |
| 15 | Riccardo Russo | 84 | ITA | Guandalini Racing | Yamaha | +2.011 |
| 16 | Román Ramos | 40 | SPA | Team Go Eleven | Kawasaki | +2.663 |
| 17 | Ayrton Badovini | 86 | ITA | Grillini Racing Team | Kawasaki | +2.897 |
| 18 | Takumi Takahashi | 72 | JPN | Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team | Honda | +3.386 |
| 19 | Anthony West | 13 | AUS | Team Pedercini | Honda | +3.551 |
| 20 | Ondrej Jezek | 37 | CZE | Grillini Racing Team | Kawasaki | +3.737 |
| 21 | Alessandro Andreozzi | 121 | ITA | Guandalini Racing | Yamaha | +3.778 |
