The first free practice of the final round of the World Superbike season at Portimao, saw Jonathan Rea top the timesheets with a best lap of 1’43.
945, pipping the newly crowned Superbike champion Carlos Checa for the spotCheca, still hasn’t decided where he’s heading in 2012 after receiving a big offer from BMW (who could decide to move Leon Haslam to the BMW Italia team if the Spaniard should accept) was just 0.
036s adrift.
An impressive Ayrton Badovini was third followed by Tom Sykes and Sylvain Guintoli, who suffered technical problems on his Ducati 1198 as did team mate Jakub Smrz who finished the session in ninth.
Leon Camier in what may be the last weekend with th Aprilia Alitalia team took sixth, while soon-to-be ex Yamaha rider Eugene Laverty grabbed the seventh spot.
Max Biaggi returning from his injury at Nurburgring took a solid eighth and was a little less then nine tenths of a second off pace.
Kawasaki’s Joan Lascorz closed out the top ten in what may be his last weekend with the Green team.
World Superstock champion Davide Giugliano (Ducati Althea) in his first debut in World Superbikes was 11th finishing ahead of Superbike veterans like Troy Corser, Michel Fabrizio and Leon Haslam.
Marco Melandri who will be dropping the Yamaha livery colours to done those of BMW next Tuesday was only 17th.
Karl Muggeridge who is subbing for Ruben Xaus in Castrol Honda was 19th while Yoshimura Suzuki wild card Josh Waters took 21st followed by Roberto Rolfo’s substitute rider Santiago Barragan was 22nd and last.
WSBK Portimao FP1 results:01- Jonathan Rea – Castrol Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – 1’43.
94502- Carlos Checa – Althea Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 0.
03603- Ayrton Badovini – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 0.
37804- Tom Sykes – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 0.
40605- Sylvain Guintoli – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 0.
43306- Leon Camier – Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 0.
46707- Eugene Laverty – Yamaha World Superbike Team – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 0.
50108- Max Biaggi – Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 0.
88709- Jakub Smrz – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 0.
90410- Joan Lascorz – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 0.
93711- Davide Giugliano – Althea Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 1.
06612- Troy Corser – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000RR – + 1.
14913- Michel Fabrizio – Team Suzuki Alstare – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 1.
19414- Leon Haslam – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000RR – + 1.
20515- Maxime Berger – Supersonic Racing Team – Ducati 1198 – + 1.
28916- Mark Aitchison – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 1.
30817- Marco Melandri – Yamaha World Superbike Team – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 1.
33418- Noriyuki Haga – Pata Racing Team Aprilia – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 1.
38619- Karl Muggeridge – Castrol Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 2.
24420- Javier Fores – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 2.
51621- Josh Waters – Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 2.
66222- Santiago Barragan – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 3.
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