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Bulega Tops WorldSBK Testing in Spain N icolo Bulega (Aruba.it Rac- ing – Ducati) moved himself to the top of the timesheets in testing at Barcelona-Catalunya, just a week before the WorldSBK circus rolls back into town to compete in the second round of the championship. His final day Friday best of 1:40.172 was under the lap record in a test that started off with a green track surface on the first morning before delivering grippier conditions in the after - noon. On day two, the track was wet after overnight rain, so all the regular teams waited to get going again. Bulega, as laid-back in his demeanor as it is possible to be, said of his latest exploits, "I tried for the 1:39, but in the afternoon, after lunch, the track condition was worse with more humidity; I think it was more difficult. I don't feel pressure; it gives me a lot of motivation and makes me proud." Tire wear was the main issue for many on this slippery track, which traditionally brings about a severe drop in grip at the end of the longer races. All riders had some new fronts (C516) and new rears (C900) to try, with the latter said to offer greater edge grip compared to the 800 tire it will probably replace. Each rider also had at least one Q tire in their testing al - location, with Pirelli providing a certain number of tires for all as this was a Supported Test—not one organized by the teams themselves. Several top riders fell at one stage or another over the two days, but when the Q tires were used each day (teams could buy more than their free one from the onsite Pirelli setup), the times fell dramatically. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKit BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) gave setting the fastest time a good go on the final day and got to within 0.027 of a second of Bulega's best. The top two were so fast that third-placed rider Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Ducati) was 0.429 of a second off at the end. Returnee racer and yet WorldSBK rookie Andrea Ian - none (Team GoEleven Ducati) was fourth quickest, re-proving his credentials despite his four years away from competition. After a Phillip Island disas- ter in his first Yamaha R1 race weekend, six-time champion Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) placed himself fifth, having ban- ished the gremlins that caused all his Aussie woes simply with set-up changes, according to Yamaha. He was visibly pleased in his debriefs with the media WIND IN THE P52 Another test, another P1 for Bulega in Catalunya. PHOTOS: GOLD& GOOSE