Yari MontellaĀ topped the times in both sessions with the fastest time of 1ā31.881s set in the afternoon session, just 0.062s ahead ofĀ Federico Caricasulo.
They were the only riders to lap in the 1ā31s bracket at the newly-resurfaced Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)Ā demonstrated his speed despite a crash during the session, securing fourth place, whileĀ Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team)Ā andĀ Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing)Ā claimed fifth and sixth positions respectively, showcasing their competitive edge in the field.
Meanwhile, former WorldSSP ChampionĀ Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha)Ā returned with a strong performance, securing seventh place, andĀ Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse)Ā maintained his momentum from the previous season, finishing eighth.Ā Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph)Ā impressed with his transition to the Street Triple RS 765, securing ninth place, whileĀ Jorge NavarroĀ rounded up the top ten, marking a promising start for theĀ WRP-RT Motorsport teamĀ in WorldSSP. The test day witnessed intense competition and notable performances setting the stage for an exciting season ahead.
Piotr Biesiekirski (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team)Ā brought out the red flags when he crashed at Turn 2 with just over an hour to go in FP2, with the Polish rider taken to the medical centre. At the end of the session, he was transported to hospital by helicopter; he is conscious but suffered a head injury and concussion. Ā
āIt was great! We enjoyed the new tarmac a lot. We worked a lot on race pace and tried to do a time attack. Iām happy because it was unexpected; I found a good feeling and good pace with the bike. There was a lot of grip; from last yearās race pace, I think I went 2s quicker than last year and itās good tarmac for sure.Ā Now, we need to rest because today we did a lot of laps.Ā I saw a lot of riders faster in this test: Caricasulo, Huertas, Manzi, Schroetter, Oncu, a lot! Letās see but I hope to stay where I am and enjoy the weekend and the start of the season. I like this circuit; we were fast last year but in Race 1, I broke my collarbone. I hope this year is better than 2023 and weāll try to do our best!ā
1.ā ā Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1ā31.881s
2.ā ā Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +0.062s
3.ā ā Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.302s
4.ā ā Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.409s
5.ā ā Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) +0.444s
6.ā ā Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.453s
