Image: Andrew Gosling.

New Suzuki signing Eugene Laverty has set the pace on day one of the two-day Superbike World Championship test at Phillip Island as final preparations continue prior to the 2014 season kick-off at the seaside circuit this weekend.

After proving fastest this morning, Laverty remained on top of the timesheets in this afternoon’s second two-hour session, but was unable to better his morning time of 1m30.513.

“Today’s probably the best conditions I’ve ever rode Phillip Island,” Laverty said. “Usually you have a strong head wind, strong tail wind, or its too hot and slippery. Today was optimum temperature, very little wind so that’s why the lap times were so quick today.”

Ducati’s Davide Guigliano made up two positions in the afternoon to slot in behind Laverty with a 1m30.718, followed by the two Kawasakis of world champion Tom Sykes’s 1m30.737 and Loris Baz’s 1m30.757.

Sykes was the biggest workhorse over the two sessions, logging a combined total of 67 laps around the 4.45km circuit.

World Superbike rookie Alex Lowes (Suzuki) was superb on his first outing at Phillip Island, stopping the clock at 1m31.000, followed by Aprilia’s Marco Melandri, Leon Haslam (Honda), Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia), Jonathan Rea (Honda) and Chaz Davies (Ducati).

Haslam, Guintoli and lap record holder Laverty will be the only riders on this weekend’s round one grid to have won WSBK races at Phillip Island.

Meanwhile, Niccolo Canepa (Ducati) maintained his position as the fastest EVO rider, in 11th overall on day one.

Among those to crash in the afternoon session were Italian Michael Fabrizio (Kawasaki) and Frenchman Sylvain Barrier (BMW), both transported to Melbourne for x-rays and assessment.

In World Supersport testing, Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) was the standout, well ahead of Michael van der Mark (Honda) and Russian Vladamir Leonov (MV Agusta).

Australia’s Bryan Staring (pictured), in his first hitout with new team Rivamoto, was 16th overall on a Honda, with his fellow Aussies Billy McConnell (Triumph) and Ryan Taylor (Yamaha) 19th and 22nd in the 25-bike pack.

Irishman Jack Kennedy (Honda) was fourth overall, but crashed at turn two and was transported to Melbourne for scans on a suspected broken right ankle.

Both the WSBK and WSS riders will have two further session tomorrow, with superbikes the first on track at 9:00am.

2014 Superbike World Championship
Test – Phillip Island, VIC

Superbike day one results:
1. Eugene Laverty 1m30.513
2. Davide Giugliano 1m30.718
3. Tom Sykes 1m30.737
4. Loris Baz 1m30.757
5. Alex Lowes 1m31.000
6. Marco Melandri 1m31.146
7. Leon Haslam 1m31.172
8. Sylvain Guintoli 1m31.321
9. Jonathan Rea 1m31.404
10. Chaz Davies 1m31.419
11. Niccolo Canepa 1m31.897 (EVO)
12. Toni Elias 1m32.301
13. David Salom 1m32.636 (EVO)
14. Claudio Corti 1m32.858
15. Sylvain Barrier 1m32.997 (EVO)
16. Jeremy Guarnoni 1m33.509 (EVO)
17. Fabien Foret 1m33.676 (EVO)
18. Sheridan Morais 1m33.954 (EVO)
19. Luca Scassa 1m33.960 (EVO)
20. Alessandro Andreozzi 1m34.140 (EVO)
21. Michel Fabrizio 1m34.314 (EVO)
22. Imre Toth 1m36.258
23. Geoff May 1m38.152
24. Aaron Yates 1m39.656
25. Peter Sebestyen 1m42.242 (EVO)

Supersport day one results:
1. Kenan Sofuoglu 1m33.521
2. Michael van der Mark 1m33.918
3. Vladimir Leonov 1m34.360
4. Jack Kennedy 1m34.393
5. Fabio Menghi 1m34.402
6. Riccardo Russo 1m34.550
7. Kev Coghlan 1m34.619
8. PJ Jacobsen 1m34.723
9. Lorenzo Zanetti 1m34.860
10. Florian Marino 1m34.944
11. Ratthapark Wilairot 1m35.102
12. Raffaele de Rosa 1m35.114
13. Roberto Tamburini 1m35.137
14. Nacho Calero 1m35.370
15. Jules Cluzel 1m35.544
16. Bryan Staring 1m35.651
17. Christian Gamarino 1m37.750
18. Kevin Wahr 1m35.900
19. Billy McConnell 1m35.917
20. Marco Bussolotti 1m36.084
21. Tony Covena 1m36.896
22. Ryan Taylor 1m37.358
23. Graeme Gowland 1m37.366
24. Roberto Rolfo 1m37.870
25. Alexey Ivanov 1m38.232
26. Fraser Rogers 1m39.020