The absence of Toprak Razgatlioglu from the Jerez World Superbike test means his title rival Nicolo🍌 Bulega won’t gain too much optimism.

Ducati ri🀅der Bulega toppedꦍ the timesheet on Day 1 of the preseason WSBK test on Wednesday, as the only rider with a lap inside the 1:38s.

But 🧸he knows that champion Razgatlioglu’s absence, due to a finger injury sustained in training, means the timesheet doesn’t tell a full story.

“We cannot 🔴see the real level,” Bulega admitted. “I was fast but Toprak was not here!

“La🍎st year he was the fastest guy so we have to cᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚheck his lap times and his feeling with the bike.

“Last y🙈ear, in the race week, when he was here, I was q🌱uite good.

“I am looking forward to seeing him on track again, then🃏 we’ll see…”

Bulega was the championship �🧸�runner-up behind Razgatlioglu last year, in his rookie WSBK campaign.

He intends ♑to push Razgatlioglu even furthe𝄹r in 2025.

“It’s good to be back with a grওeat feeling,” Bulega💟 said after the first day of testing.

“It was difficult because of the wind. I෴ was more focused on the wind than on what I was doing with the bike, so it was 𓃲strange.

“But I am happy to start the new year with the same good✨ feeling🐎.

“We tried something different with the set-up, and also for my body position to⭕ be more comfortable on the bike.

“Some parts I like꧂d, some parts [I did not]. We need a mixture for the next day.

“If we can put it ꦐall together, we have a go🉐od package.

“I will try to do a longer run [on Thursday].”

Bulega tested two Ducatis on Wedn🐭esday, l𒉰ater switching back to his original.

“We just tried something different in both bikes. It was fas♔ter for the mechanics,” he explained.