Portimao WSBK: Rea quickest in Friday practice
Kawasaki rider Jonathan Rea topped Friday practice for the World Superbike championship's Portimao round ahead of Alvaro Bautista, as the series returned to action after the summer break.
Jonathan Rea, Kawasaki Racing Team
Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Reigning world champion and current points leader Rea set the benchmark pace in FP1 at a 1m41.931s aboard his works ZX-10RR, which was never bettered in the second 50-minute session in the afternoon.
Puccetti Kawasaki’s Toprak Razgatlioglu set the initial pace in the first session with a 1m42.218s, though was quickly beaten by Rea with his 1m41.931s.
Still recovering from a shoulder injury sustained in a crash at Laguna Seca, Ducati rider Bautista spent FP1 pacing himself to ensure he remains physically fit to contest this weekend’s Superpole and three races.
Nevertheless, the erstwhile points leader proved Rea’s nearest challenger with a 1m42.009s set in the latter stages of FP1.
Yamaha’s Alex Lowes completed the top three in the morning with a 1m42.051s, with Razgatlioglu and Michael van der Mark (Yamaha) taking fourth and fifth spots.
The scorching temperatures of the afternoon session meant improvements on the combined times were minimal, with Rea’s FP1 time remaining the reference.
Bautista took charge in FP2, deposing Rea during the opening salvo with a 1m42.426s, which he improved to a 1m42.334s.
Rea slotted into second in FP2 ahead of GRT’s Sandro Cortese – though the German was only ninth-fastest on the combined times.
Lowes was sixth in FP2, but his FP1 time keeps him third on the combined times, ahead of Razgatlioglu, van der Mark and Leon Haslam (Kawasaki).
Tom Sykes ended up 12th overall after the BMW rider crashed at Turn 14 in the morning.
Sykes was one of few riders to set their best time in the afternoon, as was Ducati’s Chaz Davies, who was 10th overall behind Markus Reiterberger (BMW) and Loris Baz (Ten Kate Yamaha).
Althea Honda’s Alessandro Delbianco and Jordi Torres (Pedercini) were the only other fallers across the day.
FP1 results (top 10):
Cla | # | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 |
Jonathan Rea
|
Kawasaki | 1'41.931 | |
2 | 19 |
Alvaro Bautista
|
Ducati | 1'42.009 | 0.078 |
3 | 22 |
Alex Lowes
|
Yamaha | 1'42.051 | 0.120 |
4 | 54 |
Toprak Razgatlioglu
|
Kawasaki | 1'42.114 | 0.183 |
5 | 60 |
Michael van der Mark
|
Yamaha | 1'42.277 | 0.346 |
6 | 91 |
Leon Haslam
|
Kawasaki | 1'42.288 | 0.357 |
7 | 28 |
Markus Reiterberger
|
BMW | 1'42.506 | 0.575 |
8 | 76 |
Loris Baz
|
Yamaha | 1'42.575 | 0.644 |
9 | 11 |
Sandro Cortese
|
Yamaha | 1'42.585 | 0.654 |
10 | 21 |
Michael Ruben Rinaldi
|
Ducati | 1'42.760 | 0.829 |
View full results |
FP2 results (top 10):
Cla | # | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 19 |
Alvaro Bautista
|
Ducati | 1'42.334 | |
2 | 1 |
Jonathan Rea
|
Kawasaki | 1'42.510 | 0.176 |
3 | 11 |
Sandro Cortese
|
Yamaha | 1'42.586 | 0.252 |
4 | 54 |
Toprak Razgatlioglu
|
Kawasaki | 1'42.638 | 0.304 |
5 | 7 |
Chaz Davies
|
Ducati | 1'42.649 | 0.315 |
6 | 22 |
Alex Lowes
|
Yamaha | 1'42.776 | 0.442 |
7 | 66 |
Tom Sykes
|
BMW | 1'42.788 | 0.454 |
8 | 76 |
Loris Baz
|
Yamaha | 1'42.933 | 0.599 |
9 | 28 |
Markus Reiterberger
|
BMW | 1'42.949 | 0.615 |
10 | 21 |
Michael Ruben Rinaldi
|
Ducati | 1'43.139 | 0.805 |
View full results |
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