For Dominique Aegerter, the start to round eight of this year’s Superbike World Championship weekend was very encouraging despite initially less nice conditions.
After overnight rain showers created mixed conditions at the 4.2 kilometres long track at the Autodrom Most in the northwest of the Czech Republic at the time of free practice one on Friday morning though, as the 45-minute session progressed, the tarmac dried out more and more, allowing to get an initial feeling for the track’s conditions with slick tyres with 15 minutes before the end of the session, before lap times became significantly faster in the closing stages.
Dominique Aegerter finished FP1 in fourth place but then, summer weather had returned to northern Bohemia till the start of the second practice session. In perfect conditions, the 32-year-old Swiss motorcycle racing pro held his own in the top ten from the beginning to the end. Finishing Friday in eight place, a first step towards the goal for this weekend is done. A harmless fall in the last minute could not dampen Aegerter's spirits.
On Saturday morning, free practice three is all about fine-tuning before Aegerter aims to secure a good grid position in Superpole for the first main race of the weekend which starts at 02:00pm. In German-speaking countries, ServusTV and Eurosport2 are live on the air, as is the stream on worldsbk.com.
#77 Dominique AEGERTER (GYTR GTR Yamaha WorldSBK Team, Yamaha YZF R1)
FP1: P4 - 1´35.351 / FP2: P8 - 1´32.886
"It was a bit of a shame that the first session started in wet conditions this morning. Fortunately, the track dried out towards the end, so we were able to start our set-up work in the dry for the last 15 minutes. Then in the afternoon, conditions were perfect. That allowed us to go out with both tyre options. Apart from that, it was an intense session because we also worked a lot on the electronics and in the process, we found some good settings. In the end, I think we moved a little closer to the top again, which is where we should be."
"So, it was a good day for us and also for Yamaha, because all the Yamaha riders are very fast. That gives me confidence and I am looking forward to tomorrow. I hope the weather stays stable and as good as this afternoon because it is more fun and safer in the dry, plus it is nicer for the fans to watch. I am sorry that the day ended with a small crash in FP2. It gives my crew a bit more work. But we are all pushing and working hard to get better results than in previous races. So, we will continue like this, and I will give my all from my side to get a good starting position for the first race and the Superpole race."
#CZEWorldSBK - WSBK Combined Practice Times (FP1/FP2):
1 Toprak RAZGATLIOGLU / TUR / Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK / Yamaha YZF R1 / 1´32.367 (FP2)
2 Remy GARDNER / AUS / GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team / Yamaha YZF R1 / 1´32.379 +0.012 (FP2)
3 Danilo PETRUCCI / ITA / Barni Spark Racing Team / Ducati Panigale V4R / 1´32.471 +0.104 (FP2)
8 #77 Dominique AEGERTER / SWI / GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team / Yamaha YZF R1 / 1´32.886 +0.519 (FP2)
#CZEWorldSBK - WSBK Time Schedule for Saturday July 29th (CEST):
09:00 - 9:30 FP3
11:10 - 11:25 Superpole
14:00 Race 1 (22 Laps - 92.664 km)