Catalunya World Superbike FP3 Results: Alvaro Bautista destroys the competition

Results from Free Practice 3, round four of the 2023 World Superbike Championship in Catalunya, Spain.
Alvaro Bautista, Ducati WorldSBK Catalunya 2023
Alvaro Bautista, Ducati WorldSBK Catalunya 2023

Alvaro Bautista has re-enforced his status as favourite heading into the opening Catalun🍌ya World Superbike ra𒐪ce following a dominant showing in FP3. 

With teammate Bautista returning to pit lane after an installation lap, Michael Ruben Rinaldi took full advantage to set the pace at the beginning ofꦺ FP3. 

That was before Garrett Gerlo𒉰ff, Toprak Razgatlioglu and Axel Bassani all jum💫ped ahead of the Italian.

Gerloff broke into the 1m 41𒉰s barrier for t🎀he first time this weekend, while Razgatlioglu joined him in setting a sub 1m 42s time. 

But Rinaldi, who was the 🌌main challenger to Bautista on day-one, responde🌠d with a time of 1:41.588s to go fastest. 

Try🐭ing to overtake Andrea Locatelli into turn one, Danilo Petrucci had a scary moment on the front-end of his Ducati as it snaked and shaked its way into the corner before the Itali🔴an released the brake to avoid crashing. 

After struggling during FP2, Rea and Kawasaki found themselves in trouble once again as the six-time world champion was only seven𝐆th - +0.561s down on Rinaldi.

Keen to set a time attack ahead of qualify💛ing, Xavi🃏 Vierge moved up from 20th to P3 after coming close to unseeding Rinaldi at the head of the leaderboard. 

Then came a s🌺tunning lap time from Bautista as the reigning world champion broke i♛nto the mid 1m 40s bracket.

ꦜBautista’s time was close to a second clear of Locatelli in second, while Bassani’s FP3 ended wi✱th a crash at turn five.

2023 World Superbike Catalunya, Spain - Free Practice (3) Results
PosRiderNatTeamTime
1Alvaro BautistaSPAAruba.It Racing Ducati1:40.573s
2Andrea LocatelliITAPata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK+0.967s
3Michael Ruben RinaldiITAAruba.It Racing Ducati+1.015s
4Garrett GerloffUSABonovo Action BMW+1.049s
5Xavi ViergeSPATeam HRC WorldSBK+1.104s
6Axel BassaniITAMotocorsa Ducati+1.125s
7Jonathan ReaGBRKawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK+1.283s
8Toprak RazgatliogluTURPata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK+1.309s
9Remy GardnerAUSGYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team+1.518s
10Scott ReddingGBRROKIT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team+1.541s
11Iker LecuonaSPATeam HRC WorldSBK+1,607s
12Danilo PetrucciITABarni Spark Racing Team+1.641s
13Dominique AegerterSWIGYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team+1.804s
14Bradley RayGBRMotoxracing Yamaha WorldSBK Team+1.838s
15Alex LowesGBRKawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK+1.996s
16Philipp OettlGERGoEleven Ducati+2.276s
17Hafizh SyahrinMALPETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Racing+2.489s
18Lorenzo BaldassarriITAGMT94 Yamaha+2.831s
19Oliver KonigCZEOrelac Racing Kawasaki+2.959s
20Loris BazFRABonovo Action BMW+2.973s
21Ivo LopesPORROKIT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team+3.046s
22Eric GranadoBRAPETRONAS MIE Racing HONDA Racing+3.069s
23Tom SykesGBRPuccetti Kawasaki+3.240s
24Isaac VinalesSPATPR by Vinales Racing+3.441s
25Gabriele RuiuITABmax Racing+4.935s

Catalunya World Superbike records

Lap record - Alvaro Bautista SPA Aruba.it Ducati 1:41.135s

2022 Race Winners

Race 1 - Alvaro Bautista SPA Aruba.it Ducati

Superpole Race - Alvaro Bautista SPA Aruba.it Ducati 

Race 2 - Alvaro Bautista SPA Aruba.it Ducati

One of his best circuits on the calendar, Gerloff remained the fastest BMW ri🃏der come the end of FP3, something that’s usually been said about Scott ꦆRedding in 2023.

A technical issue at the be✨ginning of FP3 saw Alex Lowes reduced to 🐟just a handful of laps at the end of the 30-minute session. 

Weekend schedule (UK time) 

Friday

Free Practice 1 - 09:30-10:15

Free Practice 2 - 14:00-14:45

Saturday 

Free Practice 3 - 08:00-08:30

Superpole - 10:10-10:25

Race 1 - 13:00

Sunday 

Warm-up - 08:00-08:15

Superpole Race -10:00

Race 2 - 13:00

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