Rea pulls clear of Sykes, Davies

Full WorldSBK FP4 results from Imola

Jonathan Rea has laid down an early marker to beat ahead of Superpole qualifying at Imola by pulling out four-tenths of a second on nearest challenger and Kawasaki teammate Tom Sykes.

Jonathan Rea, World Superbike [Credit: Gold and Goose]
Jonathan Rea, World Superbike [Credit: Gold and Goose]
© Gold and Goose

Full WorldSBK FP4 results from Imola

Jonathan Rea has laid down an early marker to beat ahead of Superpole qualifying at Imola by pulling out four-tenths of a second on nearest challenger and Kawasaki teammate Tom Sykes.

Having matched his equal-top time early in the final free practice session, after ending Friday with an identical best lap with Chaz Davies, the defending World Superbike champion produced a late flyer of 1m 46.354s to go under the existing race lap record.

Rea held on to top spot as Sykes moved up to second on the timesheet but couldn’t get within four-tenths of his Kawasaki teammate, while Davies was shuffled down to third place for Aruba.it Racing Ducati with the pressure on the Ducati rider having claimed the past four consecutive race wins at Imola.

Barni Ducati’s Xavi Fores held on to fourth place, over a second off of Rea, as Puccetti Kawasaki’s wildcard Leon Haslam notched up a late lap to take fifth place in FP4. Jordi Torres was another to enjoy final lap gains to take sixth place for MV Agusta ahead of Aruba.it Racing Ducati junior rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi claimed seventh.

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Home hero Lorenzo Savadori continued to lead the Milwaukee Aprilia challenge in eighth place as the Pata Yamaha pair of Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark rounded out the top ten.

Savadori’s teammate Eugene Laverty, who is battling back from a pelvis injury this weekend, ended the short session in 14th narrowly ahead of factory Ducati rider Marco Melandri who could only manage 15th place.

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