IN
THE
WIND
P26
REA FROM BAUTISTA AS WORLDSBK
RE-IGNITES AT JEREZ
J
onathan Rea (KRT)
was again top of a test-
ing timesheet but this time
around, in the shape of new
WorldSBK rider Alvaro Bau-
tista (Aruba.it Racing Ducati)
and the official new Panigale
V4R, Rea had some relatively
close company.
Bautista set over 60 laps
on his first day as a WorldSBK
rider, impressing all with his
pace on his first ride on Pirelli
tires, ending up just 0.322 of
a second behind Rea.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Rac-
ing Ducati) was third fastest
on day one, just ahead of the
top Yamaha runner, Alex Low-
es (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK).
Leon Haslam (KRT), in his
second test on the official
Kawasaki machine, scored
fifth place.
A new WorldSBK team,
GRT Yamaha, saw their
experienced 2019 recruit Marco
Melandri go sixth quickest in his
first day of action on a Yamaha
after being ousted from Ducati
recently.
Melandri was ahead of regular
rider Michael van der Mark (Pata
Yamaha WorldSBK).
WorldSSP Champion Sandro
Cortese (GRT Yamaha) was the
last of the eight WorldSBK rid-
ers on show, 2.3 seconds from
Rea. CN
2018 JEREZ WORLDSBK TEST DAY ONE RESULTS
1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1.39.657
2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1.39.979 +0.322
3. Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1.40.202 +0.545
4. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) 1.40.296 +0.639
5. Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1.40.390 +0.733
6. Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha Team) 1.40.663 +1.006
7. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) 1.41.572 +1.915
8. Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha Team) 1.41.972 +2.315
9. Raffaele De Rosa, (MV Agusta WorldSSP), 1:43.303
10. Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki, WorldSSP) 1:43.303
11. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki, WorldSSP) 1:45.624
12. Ayrton Badovini (Kawasaki, WorldSSP) 1:47.820
Jonathan Rea
topped day
one at Jerez
WorldSBK testing,
but Bautista's
coming.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
GOLD
&
GOOSE
