Honda Jonathan Rea has admitted he is going into tomorrow's World Superbike double-header at Motorland Aragon blind after not getting in a race-distance simulation during practice sessions in Spain.

The Irishman only made his circuit debut on Friday and then lost half an hour of time yesterday in first qualifying so will make a best-guess on tyre choice for the two races which look like they will be held in slightly cooler conditions.

"I’m quite happy really, because we’ve not been here before and to get sixth place at a new circuit, plus the technical problem we had in Q1 yesterday, when we lost half an hour of track time, is pretty good. Superpole 3 was my target and to be one place in from the outside of the track going into turn one is a pretty good gate," said Rea.

"The bike’s working OK but, because of the lack of set-up data from last year, the gearbox is not perfect for this track. It’s getting more comfortable to ride now and the set-up is good and the guys are working really well. We have a bike that we can take from track to track without changing too much now, and that’s allowed me to learn the track here without chasing a set-up.

"Yes, we’ve put laps on tyres, but I haven’t done a long run yet, so we’re going into the race a little bit blind. It’s supposed to be cooler but I think our preferred race tyre should cope with that so I think we can sleep easy tonight. I’ve achieved today’s goal and I’m ready for two long, hot races tomorrow."