Ten Kate Honda's Jonathan Rea has topped the unofficial timesheets in today's first Portimao World Superbike session in Portugal. According to paddock gossip, Rea could only do one lap at that pace, his next quickest was a second slower, and the next half a second slower again, which points to using a qualifying tyre. Apparently, Fabrizio was the most consistently fast, lapping in the 1'43 bracket for several runs.
Although new Kawasaki signing Chris Vermeulen is in Portugal, he is not riding in this test session.
Unofficial lap times:
Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1’42.156
Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) 1’42.362
Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) 1’42.795
Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) 1’43.098
Leon Haslam (Suzuki) 1’43.300
Max Biaggi (Aprilia) 1’43.400
James Toseland (Yamaha) 1’43.700
Max Neukirchner (Honda) 1’43.810
Leon Camier (Aprilia) 1’43.900
Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki) 1’43.902
Carlos Checa (Ducati) 1’43.951
Javier Fores (Ducati) 1’44.413
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 1’45.500
Regis Laconi (Ducati) 1’46.458