One other Ducati 1-2 in remaining WorldSBK bout at Phillip Island

2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship

Spherical One – Phillip Island

World Superbike Race Two

Photos by RbMotoLens

---

A monitor temperature approaching 40-degrees and an ambient of 21-degrees have been the situations confronting riders as they lined up on the grid for the ultimate race of the season opening weekend at Phillip Island. The gap 22-laps, 97.79 kilometres, and virtually the whole grid have been on the usual SC1 entrance and SC1-A (A1126) rear, the only real exception being Lorenzo Baldassarri working an SC2 on the entrance.

It was a Ducati 1-2 by Southern Loop for the primary time as Rinaldi chased Bautista whereas Andrea Locatelli and Toprak Razgatlioglu gave chase.  Fifth was Axel Bassani forward of Iker Lecuona, Jonathan Rea in seventh and Alex Lowes in eighth.

Remy Gardner was thirteenth early on however his possibilities for this race have been already annulled because of a protracted lap penalty that he should function punishment for colliding with team-mate Dominique Aegerter within the Superpole race.

Andrea Locatelli moved as much as third place, Axel Bassani fourth and Jonathan Rea then pushed Razgatlioglu again to sixth on lap three. Locatelli then sneaked method from that group, leaving them to tussle over fourth.

Jonathan Rea took that fourth spot from Bassiani with 18 laps to run, Razgatlioglu then adopted him by to additional relegate Bassani to sixth. Lowes and Lecuona have been additionally with that group.

Additional again there was one other battle unfolding for ninth place with Aegerter sneaking previous Petrucci, that pair had Oettl and Van der Mark in shut firm.

Alex Lowes then made some progress, shifting previous Bassani and Razgatlioglu to assert fifth place proper behind his KRT team-mate.

It was a Ducati present up entrance. Bautista main Rinaldi by 1.4-seconds with 14 laps to run.  Andrea Locatelli was an extra two-seconds again in third place however with two-seconds over fourth positioned Jonathan Rea.

Lowes obtained the higher of Rea and the team-mates traded locations a few instances with 13 laps to run. That battle over fourth was intense. Proper behind the KRT duo Razgatlioglu, Oettl, Bassani and Lecuona have been bashing fairings to stay proper with the Kawasaki pair.

The main trio have been properly unfold out by half-race distance. Bautista main Rinaldi by 2.6-seconds, Locatelli an extra four-seconds behind in third place. That podium order regarded fairly settled until one thing untoward ought to occur to the triumvirate.

Fourth place although was nonetheless very a lot a topic up for dialogue although as whereas Lowes, Rea, Razgatlioglu, Bassani, Oettl and Lecuona have been treading on every others toes, Danilo Petrucci and Dominique Aegerter have been coming alongside to hitch the social gathering!

Lowes and Razgatlioglu then lowered the social gathering quantity by two as they went down collectively at flip 4. Lowes misplaced the entrance on entry and skittled Razgatlioglu.

With 5 laps to run Bautista led Rinaldi by five-seconds, Locatelli was an extra five-seconds again in third. The battle over fourth place was being waged four-seconds behind Locatelli and at this juncture Axel Bassani was holding sway after an enormous balls transfer up the within of Jonathan Rea on the entry to show one.

With two laps to go Bassani nonetheless led that second group and together with Peter Oettl had began to interrupt away. A bit of additional again Lecuona had obtained the higher of Rea to push the KRT man again seventh.

On the flag we had one other Ducati 1-2, Bautista crossing the stripe six-seconds over Rinaldi.  Locatelli an extra three-seconds again in third.

Axel Bassani received that tussle for fourth with a robust finish to the race, Oettl fifth.  That pair breaking away from their pursuers within the remaining phases.  Lecuona sixth, and Aegerter obtained Rea on the ultimate lap to push the Northern Irishman again to eighth.

Danilo Petrucci ninth forward of Xavi Vierge whereas Remy Gardner simply missed out on a high ten regardless of that lengthy lap penalty. Maintain the press…  After the race Xavi Vierge was deemed to have overtaken at flip 4 beneath yellow flags so was dropped a place, selling Gardner to tenth.

Bautista takes a 28-point lead within the championship to Mandalika subsequent weekend. Speak about a flying begin…   However in the event you assume situations might be blended at Phillip Island, you haven’t been to Indonesia….

---

World Superbike Race Two Outcomes

World Superbike Championship Factors

---

Phillip Island WorldSBK/ASBK Race Schedule