SBK, Portimao Test: Rea sets the best time

Having returned from the efforts of the tenth round of the season, twelve riders remained in Portimao for the Pirelli test day.

The session, which started at 9:00, was interrupted by red flags, displayed due to a technical problem with Jordi Torres' bike at turn 9, in the first half hour.

The Althea BMW Racing Team has fielded Michel Fabrizio as test rider, while Davide Giugliano has returned to the Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team.

After dominating the whole weekend, taking pole and a double in the race, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) also set the best time, with an advantage of +0.398s over the rest of the group.

The Kawasaki Racing Team was present only with the champion in attendance, following the injury that Tom Sykes suffered in FP3 on Saturday, who worked on the chassis, starting work on the 10 ZX-2018RR.

Second time for Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who, returning from a complicated weekend, worked on the electronics, set-up and Pirelli tyres.
His teammate Marco Melandri completed the top three, +3s behind Rea.

Superstock 1000 rider Toprak Razgatlioglu lapped aboard the Ninja of the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team, making a huge impression, so much so that he received compliments from Rea, signing the fourth best time with 1.43.429.

Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) finished in fifth position (1.43.257), working on the grip problem, on the race pace with used tyres, on the electronics and on some 2018 parts, like his teammate Savadori, who finished eighth.

Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK riders Michael van der Mark and Alex Lowes finished the day in sixth and seventh place respectively, focusing on some components they hadn't had time to test during the race weekend.

Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) after the crash at turn nine, despite a little pain, managed to make the most of the day and try the different tires brought by Pirelli, finishing ninth in 1'43.602.