Chaz Davies continued Ducati’s fine weekend at Motorland Aragon by setting the fastest time during World Superbike third free practice.
Welshman Davies held off championship leader Jonathan Rea by just 0.080s as the pace warmed up – the top ten covered by just one second.
The 28-year-old has been fast in the previous two practice sessions and it was much of the same in the third, with his 1’50.934 uncatchable though Rea’s 1’51.014 ran him very close.
Ducati’s Panigale has been impressive in Spain and Xavi Fores was able to place himself third on a track he knows very well with a 1’51.293.
The Spaniard's pace so far this weekend has shown his first-session speed was no fluke and he now will be considered for a shot at a podium place during Sunday’s races.
Leon Haslam will be pleasantly surprised with the RSV4’s performance after he expressed concern earlier in the week and his 1’51.305 was enough to secure fourth place, just scraping ahead of Tom Sykes, who posted a 1’51.379.
Red Devils Aprilia wouldn’t have been expecting the best of results – at a track they appear to be unsuited to – but Jordi Torres finished sixth with a 1’51.391.
There will now be some optimism ahead of Superpole that Haslam and Torres could perform a damage limitation exercise.
Nico Terol continued his good form on the Althea Ducati as his 1’51.391 was good enough to place him seventh, ahead of Michael Van Der Mark, David Salom and Tati Mercado – who completed a slightly different looking top ten and secured their places in Superpole two in the process.
World champion Sylvain Guintoli just missed out on the top ten but his 1’51.991 was good enough for 11th, just in front of a disappointing Alex Lowes.
Lowes had little joy during the third session following two good performances on Friday, but he’ll hope to turn around his 1’52.087 ahead of Superpole.
The Crescent Suzuki team had a poor third session as Lowes’ team-mate Randy De Puniet’s woes on the GSX-R continued, the Frenchman’s 1’53.178 only good enough for 16th. De Puniet also crashed at turn two during the session.
Guintoli, Lowes and De Puniet now make up an interesting field for Superpole one this afternoon, along with Ayrton Badovini, Matteo Baiocco, Roman Ramos, Niccolo Canepa, Christophe Ponsson, Santiago Barragan and Leon Camier.
