Source: Phillip Island Circuit.

Pata Honda’s Jonathan Rea has set the fastest time in opening practice for round one of the 2014 Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island this weekend.

But it was a session which saw only 14 of the 25 riders take to the 4.45km grand prix circuit, which was declared wet after early morning rain. Just nine of those riders posted timed laps.

Among those to remain dry in their pit garages included world champion Tom Sykes (Kawasaki), world number two Eugene Laverty (Suzuki), Marco Melandri (Aprilia) and Alex Lowes (Suzuki) – the four fastest riders in pre-season testing earlier this week.

On a still drying track, Rea was fastest with a 1m37.003 lap, followed by last year’s Phillip Island race winner Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia) and Australia’s Glenn Allerton, who is replacing injured Frenchman Sylvain Barrier on a BMW this weekend.

Allerton became the first rider in the new-look EVO sub-category to lead a session within the class, aboard the BMW Motorrad Italia S 1000 RR.

Other riders to tip-toe around the track were factory Ducati riders Davide Guigliano and Chaz Davies, and Honda’s Leon Haslam.

The second 45-minute World Superbike practice session will be held at 3:30pm this afternoon when dry weather is predicted.

In World Supersport just four riders completed lap times, headed by South Australian Billy McConnell with a 1m51.460, from Triumph teammate Graeme Gowland and Roberto Rolfo. Wildcard Ryan Taylor rounded out the four on his Yamaha.

2014 eni FIM Superbike World Championship
Round one – Phillip Island, VIC

Superbike FP1 results:
1. Jonathan Rea 1m37.033s
2. Sylvain Guintoli 1m38.005
3. Glenn Allerton 1m38.189 (EVO)
4. Imre Toth 1m40.449
5. Alessandro Andreozzi 1m40.553 (EVO)
6. Eugene Laverty 1m42.118
7. Toni Elias 1m47.166
8. Sheridan Morais 1m47.547 (EVO)
9. Peter Sebestyen 1m53.601 (EVO)

Supersport FP1 results:
1. Billy McConnell 1m51.460
2. Graeme Gowland 1m57.871
3. Roberto Rolfo 1m59.542
4. Ryan Taylor 2m01.271

Click here for detailed results