Portuguese World Superbike Friday Practice: Petrucci Shines
The 2024 World Superbike Championship kicked off with Friday practice at the Portuguese Round at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. The FP2 results saw Danilo Petrucci from Barni Spark Racing on top, setting a blistering time of 1:40.681. He was closely followed by Alvaro Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu in second and third place, respectively.
The session was not without its challenges, as early incidents saw Andrea Locatelli and Garrett Gerloff facing issues within the first 10 minutes. Remy Gardner also encountered problems with his bike halfway through FP2. Despite these setbacks, Petrucci maintained his position at the front for most of the session until Razgatlioglu took over in the final 15 minutes.
Razgatlioglu’s lead was short-lived as he faced technical difficulties towards the end of the session, allowing Petrucci to reclaim the top spot, followed by Bautista. Michael Ruben Rinaldi also made a late push, finishing in 10th place after a series of fast laps.
In FP1, Razgatlioglu had set the pace, with Gerloff and Bautista following closely behind. The session saw a few incidents, including a technical problem for Nicolo Bulega early on and a crash by Andrea Iannone later in the session. Michael van der Mark also had a crash towards the end of FP1, ending his session prematurely.
One notable wildcard entry for the weekend was former Petronas MIE Honda rider Hafizh Syahrin, who is racing full-time in the Asia Road Racing Championship this year. Unfortunately, Syahrin faced bike issues during FP1, bringing his session to an early end.
Overall, the Friday practice sessions provided a glimpse of the competitive action to come in the World Superbike Championship. With riders facing technical challenges and pushing the limits on track, the stage is set for an exciting weekend of racing at the Portuguese Round. Stay tuned for more updates as the championship unfolds.