WorldSBK Testing In Portugal Is Officially Done

WorldSBK riders have just finished their second pre-season test around the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve Portugal and will be heading to Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in February. The riders kept the timing screens lit up all day as organizers worked on the new regulations for this year.

And it is none other than the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award Nominee, 30-year-old Jonathan Rea.

Northern Irish rider Jonathan Rea, 30, dominated the second WorldSBK pre-season test in Portugal. Meanwhile, Jake Gagne and Toprak Razglatioglu suffered from crashes although they managed to walk away unscathed.

(Image: Roadracing World)

However, it is Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jonathan Rea who emerged on top with a time of 1.41.485, 0.138 ahead of the others and his longest stint since the start of the day. Similarly, team member Tom Sykes spent a few hours that morning on the tracks as well, even managing to finish fifth overall with a time of 1.42.312.

WorldSSP riders Andrew Irwin of the CIA Landlord Insurance Honda Team and Mike Di Meglio of the GMT94 Yamaha Team were the first to take to the tarmac, shortly followed by 2007 STK1000 Champion Michael Ruben Rinaldi of the Aruba.it Racing-Junior Team. Among these were Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team’s Jake Gagne, Jordi Torres of the MV Agusta Reparto Corse Team, Barni Racing Team’s Xavi Fores, and Lori Baz of the Gulf Althea BMW Racing Team.

American Gagne reportedly suffered his first crash this year as he crashed his Honda at midday yesterday but was fortunately able to walk away from the scrape.

In the Aruba.it Racing- Ducati garage, Chaz Davies and Marco Melandri have continued to work on the setting of their Panigale R’s due to the 2018 regulations, following on from the work in Jerez. They prioritized their set-up instead of the testing the Pirelli’s or the lap times.

Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) and Toprak Razglatioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) both impressed on day two in Portugal, with the Dutchman sitting in the top three positions, and the Turkish debutant also sat towards the top of the timing screens. However, Razgatlioglu was one of the riders who crashed on Monday, losing control of his ZX10RR in the early afternoon. Meanwhile, Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team-mate Alex Lowes shot up to the top of the timing screens in the closing half an hour, finishing in second with a lap time of 1.41.633.

Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) continued the positive feelings with the Honda from the opening day of testing, stunning at the end of the day with a lap time of 1.41.623, putting in over 50 laps. Team-mate Jake Gagne had a quieter day, and his team has decided to finish the test by noon.