Jonathan Rea leads day one as WSBK gets underway at Aragon
Round 2 of the eni World Superbike Championship got underway in near perfect conditions at MotorLand Aragon with Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) having the honour of topping the first European day of the season.
Reigning World Champion Tom Sykes improved his morning session time, but the Kawasaki Racing Team rider was edged out by Rea, who ensured that his last lap of the day at the Spanish track would keep him at the top of the standings.
Sykes was therefore 2nd ahead of Aragon wizard Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team) who moved up to 3rd. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team), Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) and Aprilia’s Marco Melandri completed the top 6.
Championship leader Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) was 7th with winner of the first race of the year Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) improving in the last five minutes to elevate himself to 8th. His new teammate Alex Lowes continued to adapt to the Spanish track eventually finishing in 11th.
In the EVO category Niccolò Canepa (Althea Racing Ducati) held on to tenth position despite a late crash. Local rider David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) ended the day as the 3rd placed EVO rider in 14th just behind the returning Leon Camier (BMW Motorrad Italia).
The other Spaniard in the field Toni Elias had a difficult day, the Red Devils Aprilia only managing 12th position.
Bimota on the other hand had an encouraging start to their return to superbike competition with Ayrton Badovini and Christian Iddon finishing in 17th and 21st.
There is one more free practice session tomorrow morning which gives the riders currently placed 21st and below the chance to make the grid deciding Tissot-Superpole.
Times: 1. Rea (Honda) 1’58.180 average 162.789 kph; 2. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1’58.417; 3. Davies (Ducati) 1’58.575; 4. Baz (Kawasaki) 1’58.579; 5. Giugliano (Ducati) 1’58.717; 6. Melandri (Aprilia) 1’58.763; 7. Guintoli (Aprilia) 1’58.855; 8. Laverty (Suzuki) 1’58.971; 9. Haslam (Honda) 1’59.103; 10. Canepa (Ducati) 1’59.861; 11. Lowes (Suzuki) 2’00.309; 12. Elias (Aprilia) 2’00.480; 13. Corti (MV Agusta) 2’00.749; 14. Camier (BMW) 2’00.966; 15. Salom (Kawasaki) 2’01.032; 16. Guarnoni (Kawasaki) 2’01.076; 17. Badovini (Bimota) 2’01.463; 18. Foret (Kawasaki) 2’01.511; 19. Morais (Kawasaki) 2’01.801; 20. Toth (BMW) 2’02.672; 21. Iddon (Bimota) 2’02.709; 22. Fabrizio (Kawasaki) 2’02.716; 23. Scassa (Kawasaki) 2’03.138; 24. Andreozzi (Kawasaki) 2’03.217; 25. Yates (EBR) 2’04.075; 26. Sebestyen (BMW) 2’05.570; 27. May (EBR) 2’05.593.
World Supersport
Frenchman Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta RC – Yakhnich Motorsport) is heading the field after the opening two World Supersport free practice sessions at MotorLand Aragon.
With conditions perfect, the current leader of the championship posted a lap time of 2.02.461 to edge out the fastest rider from this morning Kev Coghlan (DMC Panavto-Yamaha) who also improved, just missing the top spot by 0.019s.
“I feel great” said Jules Cluzel after the session “because we got a much faster and easier start of the weekend than in Phillip Island, the team have done a really good job during the break. We definitely improved in some areas of the bike and we are aware now of what still needs to be sorted out. We are competitive already, but there is still big room for improvement. Today it was only free practice, but it’s still a big boost of confidence for the remaining days.”
Michael van der Mark (PATA Honda World Supersport team), Florian Marino (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres), and the second PATA Honda of Lorenzo Zanetti was fifth.
Kenan Sofuoglu recovered from a session one technical problem to end the day in 6th overall, the multiple champion hoping to have better luck this weekend that on his recent visits to the MotorLand Aragon venue.
Jack Kennedy (CIA Insurance Honda), who suffered an injury at Phillip Island rode to 10th position, just ahead of his team mate and debut podium finisher in Australia, Raffaele De Rosa, who ended the session 11th.
The Supersport riders have one final free practice session tomorrow before they take to the track for their 45 minute grid deciding qualifying session which is scheduled to take place at 1555 local time.
Times: 1. Cluzel (MV Agusta) 2’02.461 average 157.098 kph; 2. Coghlan (Yamaha) 2’02.480; 3. Vd Mark (Honda) 2’02.684; 4. Marino (Kawasaki) 2’03.055; 5. Zanetti (Honda) 2’03.160; 6. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 2’03.173; 7. Jacobsen (Kawasaki) 2’03.362; 8. Wilairot (Honda) 2’03.875; 9. Russo (Honda) 2’03.907; 10. Kennedy (Honda) 2’04.042; 11. De Rosa (Honda) 2’04.226; 12. Menghi (Yamaha) 2’04.382; 13. Tamburini (Kawasaki) 2’04.519; 14. Bussolotti (Honda) 2’04.638; 15. Leonov (MV Agusta) 2’04.695; etc.
