Reigning WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea has topped the opening free practice session at Motorland Aragon this morning, fending off a late charge from Alex Lowes but it was disaster for title rival Chaz Davies who only got in one flying lap in the hour-long session.
Davies spent almost the whole session in his garage as the Bologna mechanics tried to get to the bottom of his problem, taking the Panigale’s engine out. The Welshman man did return to the track with a few minutes left but was forced back in with what looked like an oil leak.
Rea, meanwhile, went about his usual business, setting a 1’50.570 with only 15 minutes gone. He was more than a second ahead until works Kawasaki team-mate Tom Sykes started a second run and got the gap down and then Lowes jumped into second place with a 1’51.118 on the half hour.
Lowes and Sykes then scrapped it out for second place but it was the Derbyshire rider who prevailed, setting a 1’50.641.
Barni Ducati’s Xavi Fores, quiet for most of the session, came to life with a few minutes left and banged in a 1’50.728 to steal third place from Sykes, whose best of 1’50.944 was enough to secure fifth place.
Althea BMW’s Jordi Torres snuck into second with 14 minutes left but ended up in fourth place with a 1.50.798 and a tenth faster than Sykes. Michael Van Der Mark made some improvements halfway through the session and his 1’50.956 left him and a little under four tenths off the pace.
Marco Melandri ended in seventh place with Tati Mercado having his first run out on the Ioda Aprilia in ninth. Stefan Bradl was the first of the Hondas in ninth place with team-mate Nicky Hayden, who is not at all happy with his Fireblade in tenth.
Eugene Laverty finished one behind his former MotoGP colleague in 11th with Markus Reiterberger, Alex De Angelis, Ricardo Russo and Randy Krummenacher completing the top 15.
It was another difficult first practice for Leon Camier who did a total of 12 laps but only two flying as his MV once again suffered with oil leak problems as it did in Australia and Thailand.
