Andrea Locatelli once again showed strong form by finishing second, behind fellow Italian Nicolò Bulega, who dominated the wet Warm-Up session on the final day of the World Superbike Championship at Assen.
Championship leader Nicolò Bulega demonstrated his versatility in all weather conditions by leading Sunday morning’s warm-up session at the Dutch Assen circuit. With the track significantly wet due to heavy overnight rain, some riders, including Toprak Razgatlioglu and his ROKiT BMW Motorrad teammate Michael van der Mark, chose not to participate in the session. However, most competitors ventured onto the track to prepare for the Tissot Superpole Race scheduled for later in the day.
Ducati motorcycles dominated the short session, occupying five of the top six positions. Bulega, riding for Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, maintained the impressive pace he had shown throughout the weekend in both dry and wet conditions, recording the fastest lap with a time of 1’45.102s. Andrea Locatelli, on the Pata Maxus Yamaha, was the second fastest, finishing half a second behind Bulega with a time of 1’45.601s. Just a tenth of a second behind the Italian, Scott Redding of MGM BONOVO Racing completed the session’s podium, looking to maintain the good form he showed at the season opener in Australia.
Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) finished fourth, maintaining the impressive pace that earned him his first WorldSBK pole position in yesterday’s qualifying. The Barni Spark Racing Team duo completed the top six, with rookie Yari Montella edging his experienced teammate Danilo Petrucci by just over three-tenths of a second, securing fifth and sixth places respectively.
World Superbike action will resume for the Tissot Superpole race.
