Superbike, Lausitzring: Difficult day for Jonathan Rea

Superbike, Pirelli German Round. The news from this first day of testing at the EuroSpeedWay Lausitzring is that championship leader and reigning champion Jonathan Rea was unable to gain direct access to Tissot-Superpole 2 and will have to go through the first heat by virtue of the eleventh time at the end of the combined two free practice sessions.

It is the first time that the Kawasaki rider has remained outside the top ten, missing by just 69 thousandths from the tenth, Honda's Dutchman Michael van der Mark, with a 1'37.996 on a dry track.

“I really didn't expect this result, but that's what happened. We paid the price for not coming here with our bike when the other teams had carried out the tests" – he said Jonathan Rhea – “Between the two sessions we made great progress, but it wasn't enough. Now the gap is one and a half seconds and with this result I am in Superpole 1, in eleventh position. All I can say is that my pace is better than my position and rain is forecast tomorrow, which is very strange because today is beautiful weather