WSBK: Champion Jonathan Rea fourth fastest as Alvaro Bautista ups ante at Phillip Island

Alvaro Bautista shaved almost half a second off his Monday lap time to finish the two-day World Superbike test at Phillip Island on top of the pile.
Kawasaki's Jonathan Rea during day two of the Phillip Island World Superbike test in Australia.Kawasaki's Jonathan Rea during day two of the Phillip Island World Superbike test in Australia.
Kawasaki's Jonathan Rea during day two of the Phillip Island World Superbike test in Australia.

The Spanish rider has set the pace in Australia on his Aruba.it Ducati V4 ahead of this weekend’s opening round of the World Championship, which gets under way with free practice on Friday.

Bautista clocked his best lap in 1m 30.303s to lead the way from Tom Sykes, who was right in the mix for the BMW Motorrad team in second place, 0.236s adrift

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Reigning champion Jonathan Rea was fourth quickest on his Kawasaki, four tenths down on Bautista and one place behind new team-mate Leon Haslam, with just 0.054s between them.

Alvaro Bautista topped the times on both days of the Phillip Island test on the Aruba.it Ducati V4 RAlvaro Bautista topped the times on both days of the Phillip Island test on the Aruba.it Ducati V4 R
Alvaro Bautista topped the times on both days of the Phillip Island test on the Aruba.it Ducati V4 R

Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha) and Toprak Razgatliogu (Turkish Puccetti Racing Kawasaki) were next as half-a-second covered the top six on the combined times on the final day of the test.

Bautista’s team-mate, Chaz Davies, continued to struggle with the new Ducati as he languished in 14th position, 1.4 seconds off the top time, while Eugene Laverty was 16th on the Go Eleven Ducati.

Phillip Island Day Two Test Times:

1 A Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati) 1m 30.326s

2 T Sykes (BMW Motorrad) 1m 30.539s +0.213s

3 L Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team) 1m 30.668s +0.342

4 J Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) 1m 30.772s +0.396s

5 M Melandri (GRT Yamaha) 1m 30.760s +0.457s

6 T Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Kawasaki) 1m 30.840s +0.514s

7 M van der Mark (Pata Yamaha) 1m 30.911s +0.608s

8 S Cortese (GRT Yamaha) 1m 31.077s +0.774

9 A Lowes (Pata Yamaha) 1m 31.146s +0.843s

10 J Torres (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) 1m 31.224s +0.898s