Source: Supplied.

As the World Superbike riders undertook their first two practice sessions at the Pirelli French Round on Friday it was Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jonathan Rea who led the way.

Rea was fastest with a 1m37.489s lap, whilst Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) and Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) were also in the top three.

Rea’s quickest time of the day put him 0.439s ahead of Friday’s second fastest participant Van der Mark. Melandri was marginally slower than Yamaha’s Dutch rider, going round the French track 0.477s off Rea’s time.

The pace of Rea on the first day saw him start the weekend in good shape as he aims to wrap up a third-consecutive WorldSBK title.

Also within half a second of Rea was fourth-placed Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), whilst Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) went round 0.527s off P1 pace in fifth.

Spaniard Xavi Fores (BARNI Racing Team) was sixth best, just ahead of Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) on the combined timesheets. Camier was unable to improve in the afternoon having lapped second fastest in FP1.

Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team), Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) completed the top 10. Sykes was returning to competitive action after missing both races at the last round in Portugal due to a finger injury sustained in practice at Portimao.

In World Supersport, French rider Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) conclude the opening sessions leading the combined time-sheets courtesy of a best time from FP1.

Mahias’ best effort of 1m41.502s on Friday morning was the quickest of the day in the WorldSSP class Magny-Cours, with his title rival Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) just behind him second, followed by Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) in third.

Of the Australians on Friday, WorldSBK guest Anthony West (Kawasaki Pucetti Racing) was 17th, while in WorldSSP Lachlan Epis (Response RE Racing Kawasaki) was 30th. In STK1000 Mike Jones (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) was P16 and Glenn Scott (Agro On-Benjan Kawasaki) 24th.