Today’s first free practice at Portimao saw James Toseland hit the the top of the charts with a best lap of 1’44.
351 in the final 10 minutes of the session and looking like Yamaha Sterilgarda has solved the electronics problems that hampered the team during the Australian round.
Less than one tenth off was points leader Leon Haslam followed by Max Neukirchner who made a big jump forward, while Max Biaggi who lead the beginning of the practice finished in fourth.
Aprilia is not using the much discussed drive cam motor.
Jakub Smrz was fifth fastest on his private Ducati leaving the Ducati factory riders Michel Fabrizio in eighth and Noriyuki Haga in a lowly 11th place.
Sylvain Gunitoli was sixth fastest, while Jonathan Rea finished in 7th despite a crash.
Carlos Checa who won race 2 at Phillip Island didn’t break the top ten and finished in 12th.
Still recovering Chris Vermeulen who got the okay to race this weekend, didn’t post any official times while replacement riders Makoto Tamada was 20th in his Reitwagen BMW debut, and Sheridan Morais on the Echo CRS Honda was 23rd.
FP1 Results after the jump.
1 52 Toseland J.
(GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1′44.
3512 91 Haslam L.
(GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′44.
4113 76 Neukirchner M.
(GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1′44.
5194 3 Biaggi M.
(ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F.
1′44.
5495 96 Smrz J.
(CZE) Ducati 1098R 1′44.
5746 50 Guintoli S.
(FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′44.
6247 65 Rea J.
(GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1′44.
6818 84 Fabrizio M.
(ITA) Ducati 1098R 1′44.
8479 35 Crutchlow C.
(GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1′44.
95510 2 Camier L.
(GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F.
1′45.
00211 41 Haga N.
(JPN) Ducati 1098R 1′45.
01712 7 Checa C.
(ESP) Ducati 1098R 1′45.
07113 11 Corser T.
(AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1′45.
08614 67 Byrne S.
(GBR) Ducati 1098R 1′45.
12815 66 Sykes T.
(GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1′45.
20116 111 Xaus R.
(ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1′45.
44817 88 Pitt A.
(AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1′46.
00518 57 Lanzi L.
(ITA) Ducati 1098R 1′46.
12819 99 Scassa L.
(ITA) Ducati 1098R 1′46.
69520 49 Tamada M.
(JPN) BMW S1000 RR 1′46.
71421 95 Hayden R.
(USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1′47.
06222 15 Baiocco M.
(ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1′47.
90723 32 Morais S.
(RSA) Honda CBR1000RR 1′48.
74324 31 Iannuzzo V.
(ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1′48.
996