The time has finally come and, after significant preparation, Kawasaki Puccetti Racing and its rider Tito Rabat are finally on track at Phillip Island, Australia, for the first round of the 2024 Superbike World Championship.
Today’s schedule involved two free practice sessions but this morning brought rain, just as the first session was able to start, which meant that the riders only took to the track a few minutes before the end of the season, once the track had dried. Of the few laps he completed, Rabat’s best time was a 1’32”404.
Rain also hindered progress during the afternoon’s session, with riders waiting for a long while for the track to dry. Rabat initially improved on his best lap by a few tenths, before doing more in the final stages and setting a 1’31”341 to round out the day in twenty-first place.
Tomorrow will see the Spaniard return to the track for Superpole and, later in the day, the first race of the season, which will run over a distance of 20 laps with a mandatory tyre chance to be completed between lap nine and eleven.
Phillip Island – Australia
Superbike World Championship
Combined free practice results: 1) Lowes (Kawasaki) – 2) Bulega (Ducati) – 3) Locatelli (Yamaha) – 4) Petrucci (Ducati) ………21) Rabat (Kawasaki)
Tito Rabat
“Rain caused us to lose precious time and prevented us from completing our entire schedule of work. The team and I are working hard to adapt the bike to this track, which offers a lot of grip but wears the tyres quickly. Tomorrow we’ll try to complete a strong Superpole because I don’t really know what to expect in the race, also with the tyre chance. We’ll do our best as always and see what where we end up.”
