With three 40-minute Friday practice sessions for the WorldSBK class in 2018, all riders and teams get the chance to make more set-up and setting changes than they could with two longer sessions.
It allowed Jonathan Rea to go from 11th in the first session at Chang to the fastest rider of all in FP3. With Sykes second fastest, Rea was asked if this was a return to a more normal state of affairs in WorldSBK when compared to a weird opening WorldSBK weekend in Australia?
“Definitely not,” said Rea, “and I did not think PI was that weird, to be honest. We will see, but I think we need quite a few races to see the layout of the championship. I think last year we had a big advantage here in Thailand and I felt really good. But then we have been so penalised with the power of our bike – I feel like I am riding a Supersport bike, with the acceleration being quite weak compared to what I have been used to.
"I think rather than everyone else stepping up, I think we have just taken a step back, a little bit. At the beginning today I tried to ride how I rode last year – same inputs, braking points, throttle – and it was completely wrong. We had to make big strides between FP1 and FP2.
"We did it but it is going to be close, I think. I think each circuit we go to can penalise some bikes more than others. I don’t think there will be a consistent package at each race. I think it is going to be a championship where you will see inconsistencies. I do not think there will be one manufacturer or bike dominating through the year.”
Rea did a long run that was useful to him, but did not supply all the answers he was looking for. “We got information to be better equipped for Saturday’s race and make some changes. Whilst I started out doing low 1’34.1s I ended in 1’34.2s and 3s. So the range in lap time was not so bad, but the tyre drop was severe.”
After fighting the effects of a broken right ring finger that required a surgical procedure shortly before PI, and then going down with a virus as well, Rea was glad to be back to full fitness at Chang.
“I am 100% better than I was in Phillip Island,” Said the three-time World Champion. “Looking back then, my wife took a picture of me sleeping half-an-hour before the race in Australia, because I had no energy. I feel better here because of that I am in a better frame of mind to attack the weekend, to give better feedback to the guys also. We made good steps today from session to session today.”