Australian son-of-a-gun Oli Bayliss has produced a late flurry of fast laps during an impressive shakedown for this Sunday's opening round of the 2020 Supersport World Championship at Phillip Island.
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Sixteen-year-old Bayliss, the son of World Superbike legend Troy Bayliss, completed day one of a two-day test 16th on the timesheets from an international field of 23 on Monday.
He will hope to improve as he continues to familiarise himself with his World Supersport-spec Yamaha YZF-R6.
"The day ended better than it started. Not so happy this morning. So we worked in the break and I had a whole new bike set-up for the afternoon session and it came together from there," Bayliss said of his second session best lap of 1minute 35.918 seconds.
"And that time was on an old tyre and we had a few other issues we are working on.
"Tomorrow, I am aiming to break into the top 10. I'd be happy with that for the test," he said of his bike, that was only prepared to world-spec in the last two weeks.
Bayliss has secured the international wildcard in just his fourth year of road racing.
As well as the world championship action at Phillip Island, he'll be on domestic duty as the 2020 Australian national season kicks into life.
His dad Troy, a six-time World Superbike winner at Phillip Island, is by his side, as is mum Kim who has her fingers on the pulse from the pit garage.
Italian Andrea Locatelli (Yamaha) was Monday's fastest World Supersport rider ahead of reigning champion and 2019 Phillip Island winner Randy Krummenacher (MV Agusta) and Frenchman Jules Cluzel (Yamaha).
There will be two more test sessions on Tuesday before the paddock reconvenes on Friday for the start of official proceedings ahead of Sunday afternoon's opening round 18-lap race.
Australian Associated Press
