Rea leads as red flags interrupt opening day at Imola
British Honda pilot on top as session ends prematurely.
Source: World Superbike Championship
Pata Honda’s Jonathan Rea has rounded out the opening day of World Superbike Championship track action at Imola on top of the timesheets.
Red flags would again prove telling, with a number of bizarre interruptions in the afternoon session leaving riders seeking more from their setups.
A fire in an adjacent park to the Italian circuit brought the free practice two to a halt. Once proceedings resumed, most riders favoured a switch to fresh rubber to chase a final time for the day.
With 12 minutes remaining the session was stopped again, with a broken drain cover through the first sector of the lap proving problematic. Long delays led to the cancellation of any further track activity for the day.
Rea would assume bragging rights on day one, with Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes banking a competitive lap just 0.040 seconds in arrears.
Factory Aprilia teammates Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli kept in close quarters in third and fourth, less than two-tenths away from Rea’s best effort.
Free practice one pacesetter, Ducati’s Davide Giugliano held onto a top five placing, with teammate Chaz Davies a small margin behind.
A host of riders, including Leon Haslam, had their run on new tyres interrupted in the final stages of the session. The British rider was seventh ahead of the first Suzuki of Eugene Laverty.
Loris Baz put his factory ZX-10R in ninth outright, with Leon Camier again leading the way in the EVO category for BMW Motorrad Team Italia in 10th.
The front and rear of the 28-rider field was separated by 8.078 seconds, with US rider Aaron Yates the tailender aboard the Team Hero EBR 1190 RX.
Mahi Team India Kawasaki rider Kenan Sofuoglu overcame a slow start to his first day to ultimately set the pace in the World Supersport category.
DMC-Panavto Yamaha’s Kev Coghlan was another solid improver, second by 0.346 seconds, with home favourite Lorenzo Zanetti third aboard the first Pata Honda World Supersport entry.
Teammate Michael van der Mark was a narrow fourth ahead of Jules Cluzel aboard the Yakhnich Motorsport MV Agusta.
Roberto Tamburini in sixth was the final rider within the one-second mark of the leader, with the 23-rider field separated by 6.540 seconds at the close of competition.
The typical protagonists led the way in Superstock 1000 free practice, with Italian rider Lorenzo Savadori spurred on to the top time aboard his Pedercini Kawasaki ahead of Barni Racing Team riders Ondrej Jezek and Leandro Mercado, second and third respectively.
San Carlo Team Italia rider Marco Faccani set a blistering lap in Superstock 600 free practice, 2.104 seconds clear of the competition.
Fellow Kawasaki rider Luca Salvadori was second, continuing a strong run for local riders, with Wayne Tessels completing the top three aboard the lone Suzuki GSX-R600 in the class.
Adrian Nestorovic continues to fly the Australian flag competitively, rounding out day one in 10th for MVR Yamaha.
2014 World Superbike Championship
Round four – Imola, Italy
Superbike free practice results:
1. Jonathan REA 1m48.147
2. Tom SYKES 1m48.187
3. Marco MELANDRI 1m48.261
4. Sylvain GUINTOLI 1m48.323
5. Davide GIUGLIANO 1m48.574
6. Chaz DAVIES 1m48.592
7. Leon HASLAM 1m48.999
8. Eugene LAVERTY 1m49.259
9. Loris BAZ 1m49.600
10. Leon CAMIER 1m49.610
Supersport free practice results:
1. Kenan SOFUOGLU 1m51.744
2. Kev COGHLAN 1m52.090
3. Lorenzo ZANETTI 1m52.147
4. Michael van der MARK 1m52.168
5. Julez CLUZEL 1m52.292
6. Roberto TAMBURINI 1m52.741
7. Jack KENNEDY 1m52.768
8. Florian MARINO 1m52.805
9. Marco BUSSOLOTTI 1m52.855
10. PJ JACOBSEN 1m52.868
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