Kawasaki Racing Team’s Joanthan Rea ended the two-day Phillip Island World Superbike test top of the time sheets from Ducati’s Marco Melandri.
Reigning world champion Rea didn’t turn too many laps during yesterday’s running because of the weather, but was still pleased with how his ZX-10RR was working.
The Northern Irishman made use of the better conditions today and completed 76 laps across both sessions, setting his fastest lap of a 1m30.545s this morning.
Second placed Melandri was in a positive mood coming into today’s test and will undoubtedly still be thrilled after finishing just three hundredths of a second down on Rea’s best. The Italian, who had several small set-up changes to work on, was also three tenths clear of team-mate Chaz Davies in third.
Tom Sykes made a small improvement over Monday’s running, but ends the test still half a second down on his team-mate in fourth. Barni Racing Ducati’s Xavi Fores completed the top five on a 1m31.226s and heads into this weekend’s opening round looking threatening.
MV Agusta’s Leon Camier steadily worked away at his testing programme and looks to be making big strides on the F4 after completing today’s sessions sixth overall and just seven tenths from top spot.
Milwaukee Aprilia’s Lorenzo Savadori brushed off a crash at the hairpin of Turn 4 during the second session to go seventh fastest ahead of Yamaha’s Alex Lowes, Althea BMW’s Jordi Torres and WorldSBK rookie Randy Krummenacher on the Puccetti Racing Kawasaki.
Savadori’s team-mate Eugene Laverty struggled in yesterday’s sessions with an RSV4 RF that didn’t respond well in the corners, and seemingly still struggled to get on top of things again down in 12th.
Yamaha’s Michael van der Mark, Honda’s Nicky Hayden and the second BMW of Markus Reiterberger, who also slid off in the second session, completed the top 15.
In the Supersport class, MV Agusta’s new signing PJ Jacobsen led the way on a 1m33.688s from Team Factory Vamag’s Roberto Rolfo, who suffered a dislocated left shoulder in a crash during the morning session.
CIA Landlords Insurance Honda’s Jules Cluzel rounded out the top three from the GRT Yamaha duo of Lucas Mahias and Federico Caricasulo. Britain’s Luke Stapleford was an impressive sixth quickest on his Profile Racing Triumph.
Reigning world champion Kenan Sofuoglu took part in the test and was seventh on his Puccetti Kawasaki. However, the pain in the Turkish rider’s injured hand proved too severe and he will fly home for surgery. He hopes to return for the Aragon round next month.
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