After making his debut at the end of last season, Nicolo Bulega built on his opening performance by sending a warning to his WorldSBK rivals.

It must be said that Bulega’s stunning time of 1:38.292s was set on the SCQ tyre, wheꦜreas many of the big names did not fit the qualifying tyre.

• Danilo Petrucci: ‘Alvaro Baut🀅ista the favourite, four or five kilos 🌳won’t change the cards’ 

• Nicolo Bulega: 2024𝕴 ‘will be a🔯 very important year for me’

Still, Bulega’s tiღme was only half a second off the lap record, which was se♏t by Jonathan Rea in 2019.

Speaking after the opening da🌺y of testing at Jerez, Bulega said: “Not too many problems, we just had to put some more fuel in. I had a good feeling, almost like I wanted so this was important.

“I had fun with 🌺my bike and my team. We are s⛄tarting to understand each other in a good direction.

“I think we are working in a good way, and I just need more laps oꦐn the bike. We were working on my position on the bike because this is complꦏetely different and bigger, so I need to adapt my body to the bike.

“We tri𝔉ed something different with the handlebar. Not incredible 🦋things, just to have a good base.”

In terms of what he wants to improve on duri🐲ng today’s final day of action before another two day test at Portimao next week, Bulega felt that his used tyre performance needed work.

“Maybe we can improve with used♈ tyres,” added the Italian when speaking to WorldSBK.com. “I am f💖ast, especially with new tyres, but I have to work with used tyres.

“If I can be fast with used tyres, like I am with new ones, I can be c🍸ompetitive.”