Pata Honda’s Lorenzo Zanetti topped the timesheets in the opening World Supersport free practice session at Imola with a 1’52.284. The Italian flourished on home soil and was never outside the top three throughout the 45 minute outing.
The top of the timesheets kept alternating between Zanetti, Kawasaki Intermoto’s Florian Marino and Mahi Racing’s Kenan Sofuoglu, with Pata Honda’s Michael Van Der Mark never out of the mix.
But Zanetti left it till the chequered flag to clock the fastest time of the morning followed by Marino, Van Der Mark and Sofuoglu. DMC Pavato-Yamaha’s Kev Coghlan rounded off the top five after his best time of 1’52.725.
Zanetti was fastest with a 1’53.302 in the opening minutes, with Coghlan six tenths off the pace of the Italian – who appeared to be relishing returning to his home track with 33 minutes left. But the Scot could not up his game and dropped back to fifth.
The Italian kept improving his race pace and was the first rider to lap inside the 1’52 bracket after a 1’52.803, but after a slow start triple champ Sofuoglu went two tenths of a second faster and put down a 1’52.684 to top the timing screens after only a handful of laps.
But two minutes later Zanetti wasn’t giving up the charge and the Roman went two tenths quicker than the Turkish rider to re-gain his place at the top of the timesheets after a 1’52.477 rotation. Frenchman Marino left it nearly 35 minutes till he made his impact in the top three and soared from the mid-pack to second with a 1’52.660, but a lap later went two tenths quicker knocking Zanetti from the top spot.
But Zanetti didn’t just have Marino on his case – he had his team-mate Van Der Mark matching his pace, with the Dutchman lapping consistently in the 1’52’s to place him third fastest. This must have given Zanetti the push he needed – as when the chequered flag appeared the Italian set the fastest lap of the morning, a 1’52.284 to place him on provisional pole.
CIA Insurance Honda’s Jack Kennedy's last lap dash was wasted as he couldn’t improve on a 1’53.678 time and stayed ninth on the timesheets with Yakhnich’s Vladimir Leonov completing the top ten. Fraser Rogers on his Com Plus backed Honda ended the morning 22nd with a 1’57.311.
