Australian Free Practice 2

Nicolo Bulega cemented his status as the man to beat at Phillip Island, topping the Free Practice 2 session to complete a perfect sweep of the opening day. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider utilized the afternoon session to focus on race simulations, yet still managed to set the benchmark with a 1:29.101.

While his morning time remained the fastest of the day, his ability to consistently lap in the low 1:29s during a long run sent a clear message to the rest of the paddock. Alex Lowes was the primary challenger in the afternoon, finishing the session in second place on the new Bimota KB998.

Despite a minor lowside at Turn 4 in the closing minutes of the session, the British rider showed impressive speed, finishing just 0.253 seconds behind Bulega. His teammate Axel Bassani backed up the Bimota project's potential by claiming the third-fastest time of the session, further proving that the manufacturer is a genuine threat in its debut weekend.