After two Free Practice sessions at the unique 4.075km-long Balaton Park circuit,  BbKRT riders Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani placed eighth and tenth fastest, respectively, on the timing sheets.

This is the second year of both the WorldSBK BbKRT project (running the exciting bimota KB998 Rimini machine) and the Balaton Park Circuit itself. Last year’s experience of the Balaton layout and a strong development programme for the WorldSBK bimota since the beginning meant that both Axel and Alex found positives on their first day back in Hungary.

Lowes was fifth in the morning’s FP1 session, while Axel was 11th, but with all the riders’ fastest times being set in the afternoon FP2 session, they would end up eighth and tenth in the final Friday combined times.

Lowes got the chance to do a long run - a form of race simulation - in FP2 and understood which area of his set-up could be improved for the first race of the Balaton weekend.

Now the BbKRT squad faces a short FP3 practice session, Superpole Qualifying, and then a 21-lap Race One on Saturday, 2 May. Sunday, 3 May, hosts morning warm-up, a ten-lap Superpole Race, and a final 21-lap Race Two.

Alex Lowes stated: “That was good fun, but this track has a kind of specific layout. There are lots of hard braking areas and changes of direction. In FP2 in the afternoon, I rode with my brother Sam for a bit, so I enjoyed the session. We are missing a little bit compared to the top guys, but I did do a long run, and that should improve the bike for tomorrow. I think I am not riding well in a couple of corners, so I will focus on that. Let’s see what tomorrow brings, but I enjoyed it today.”

Axel Bassani stated: “It has been quite a positive Friday in Hungary. We got a lot of work done and tried some different things. Every time we went out, the feeling with the bike improved a little bit. For sure, it is not easy here as the top seven machines are all Ducatis. But we are there immediately on the first day back at Balaton, and we will continue to push; to give our maximum, like always.”