Gordon Ritchie | March 31, 2017
Rea tops Friday WorldSBK at Aragon
The first European-based round of the 2017 WorldSBK Championship got underway in sunshine and ended in very light rain at the Motorland Circuit in northern Spain, with the combined times of FP1 and FP2 being led by Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team).
He was also fastest in the morning and that time kept him fourth best in the afternoon until near the end. Eventually he ignored the spots of rain to set a day’s best of 1’50.062 – under the lap record but not at the track best yet.
With many top riders about to start their push for a best lap, after finding a set-up to take on the first race on Saturday, a slight but track-wide fall of rain brought out the white warning flags at a tricky time for most.
Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was second fastest, another who improved despite the late spots of rain.
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was leading before the warning flags, and looked set to stay there, until Melandri and Rea’s late charge. He finished third fastest.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who lost time with a blown engine in the morning session, kept going once the light rain had passed, despite having already qualified third quickest, and easily made it through to Superpole 2 on Saturday by going fourth overall.
Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) was the first rider to still rely on his morning time to go fifth, with Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Ducati), Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) and Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) sixth to eighth overall.
Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) improved in FP2 to go ninth with returnee rider from injury, Leandro Mercado (IodaRacing Team Aprilia) tenth.
Stefan Bradl (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) and his fellow Honda rider Nicky Hayden (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) placed 11th and 12th respectively.
PJ again fastest in WorldSSP
Patrick Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) had his morning lap-time to thank for being fastest in the combined WorldSSP Free Practice session rankings at Motorland Aragon, after the rain that affected the end of the WorldSBK session intensified before the WorldSSP riders took to the circuit for a second time. Only 13 riders appeared for the second session, and none came close to improving their first session times.
Second overall was Kyle Smith (GEMAR Balloons – Team Lorini Honda), third Hikari Okubo (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) and South African Sheridan Morais (Kallio Race System Yamaha) rode to fourth.
Christian Gamarino (BARDHAL EVAN BROS. Honda Racing) took his private Honda to fifth, one place ahead of returning all time WorldSSP legend Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who had suffered a thumb injury in pre-season training. He completed 18 laps with no major drawbacks.
Tough Finnish rider Niki Tuuli (Kallio Race System Yamaha) was seventh and Gino Rea (Team GO ELEVEN Kawasaki) eighth. The first of the part-time ESS riders, Alessandro Zaccone (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), was ninth. Robin Mulhauser (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) secured tenth place and the final automatic entry into Superpole 2.
Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) was 12th, Aiden Wagner (GEMAR Balloons – Team Lorini Honda) 15th. Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing Triumph) was the top British triple rider in 16th position. Kyle Ryde (Kawasaki Puccetti racing) went 20th.