Phillip Island Test 4: Nicolò Bulega is otherworldly; Ducati here is from another planet

Nicolò Bulega keeps getting faster and pulling further away. With the factory Ducati he dominated the fourth and final pre-season test session at Phillip Island as well, clocking a spectacular 1'28"630 right at the end. Behind him, there’s a void.

The performance is particularly reliable because we should remember that for the final two days of pre-season testing, Pirelli only provided race solutions, very hard: at the rear we’re talking about the standard SC1 and the 922, already widely used last year, both here at Phillip Island and on different tracks. For the opening World Championship weekend, a further evolution will also be available, but in the meantime Ducati heads into the event riding a wave of enthusiasm: the new Panigale V4 R is already getting top marks.

The competitiveness of the new project is underscored by the performances of the satellite riders. Sam Lowes wrapped up with the second-fastest time, showing he can increasingly play the role of dark horse in the World Championship, in what will be his third stint with Marc VDS. But the big surprise of these two days was without a doubt Lorenzo Baldassarri, who set the third fastest overall with a 1'29"328. Go Eleven Ducati, having closed the Andrea Iannone chapter, may have drawn the joker. Okay, we’re simply talking about pre-season tests; the races will be another story. But with very little Superbike experience behind him and for the first time in the World Championship mix, flirting with the 1'29" at Phillip Island is a fantastic calling card.

On this second and final day, Yari Montella moved up as well, fourth fastest with the Barni Ducati. The wingman did much better than Alvaro Bautista, who had a slide and was relegated to 11th in this final session: the six kilos of ballast on this track full of fast sweepers and high-speed direction changes really make themselves felt. Behind a Ducati that here looks set for a dominant weekend, Bimota is confirming itself, particularly with a rock-solid Axel Bassani. The change of crew chief has brought a smile back to the Veneto rider’s face; the Uri Pallares treatment (formerly Jonathan Rea’s point man at Yamaha) is bearing fruit. To complete the picture, the Kawasaki engine could use a few more horses....

These tests are a wake-up call for all the other manufacturers. BMW, without Toprak Razgatlioglu, will have to claw back the thick second that separates Miguel Oliveira from the top between now and Saturday. Worse for Danilo Petrucci, who ended up 1'25 off: the path looks uphill, although it must be said Phillip Island was never a hunting ground even in the Turk’s days. The new Kawasaki Ninja remains in limbo, also due to a harmless slide by Garrett Gerloff. The speed is there: thanks to the new aerodynamics, the Texan was ahead of everyone on the straight, clocking 328 km/h.

Honda has also lost Jake Dixon, so this Australian round has gone up in smoke. The one really, unexpectedly behind is Yamaha. Newcomer Xavi Vierge pushed hard, but got stuck in ninth, 1.1 seconds off the Ducati. Andrea Locatelli, meanwhile, is inexplicably off the radar, sunk in the pack along with Remy Gardner and rookie Stefano Manzi, who also went down twice in two days. How can you make up a gap like this by next Saturday?