VOL. 55 ISSUE 4 JANUARY 30, 2018 P41
REA RIDES HIGH IN FINAL EURO TESTS
S
trong winds made life difficult for all as the two-
day WorldSBK tests wrapped up at Portimao,
but even without resorting to qualifying tires, Jona-
than Rea (Kawasaki) scored big again, setting the
fastest lap of day two with a 1:41.485, which was
just marginally slower than his day one best time.
Very much using a qualifier tire, Leon Camier
(Red Bull Honda WorldSBK) finished his day
second fastest of the tests overall, thanks to a
1:41.623 on a machine which was still running the
2017 base Cosworth electronics package.
Alex Lowes (Yamaha) punched his way up the
rankings on the final day, with a 1:41.633 for third
on the day.
Michael van der Mark (Yamaha) was fourth fast-
est today on his Yamaha, but one place back from
that in the overall two-day ranking. Tom Sykes (Ka-
wasaki) used his first-day time to remain inside the
top four after a second day in which he could not
put in a top time on the correct tire combination.
Following Jonathan Rea for a few fast laps,
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing)
was a strong fifth on the second day before a big
crash—without injury—stopped his progress and
wrecked his bike.
On a day of several red flags, with Jake Gagne
(Red Bull Honda) forced out early after a fall
(finally cleared by medics to fly home tomorrow)
the windy and occasionally dusty track conditions
held back progress for some—especially in their
attempts to do long runs.
Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) and Chaz
Davies (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) finished their
tests in the bottom half of the top ten, but each
improved their best times despite the changed
conditions on day two.
Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) and
Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) finished
their second days of action in ninth and tenth
places on the day two times.
Gordon Ritchie
New rules, new year,
same guy at the front:
Jonathan Rea topped
the times on both
days in Portugal.
