Rinaldi tops drying FP1 as World Superbikes return to Brno

Full WorldSBK FP1 results from Brno

Michael Ruben Rinaldi has clinched top spot with his final lap in a drying FP1 session as the World Superbike championship made its return to Brno after a six-year absence.

Rinaldi tops drying FP1 as World Superbikes return to Brno

Full WorldSBK FP1 results from Brno

Michael Ruben Rinaldi has clinched top spot with his final lap in a drying FP1 session as the World Superbike championship made its return to Brno after a six-year absence.

The Aruba.it Racing Ducati junior rider was the last of the runners to complete his final lap and with track conditions at its best, after heavy early morning rain soaked the Czech Republic circuit, the Italian rider heads up the times with a 2m 08.905s – around 10 seconds off the predicted top lap times in the dry.

Rinaldi pinched top spot from Althea BMW’s Loris Baz, who has the most recent experience at Brno from his time in MotoGP, with Barni Ducati’s Xavi Fores slotting into third place just ahead of the returning Yonny Hernandez for Pedercini Kawasaki who missed the Donington Park round due to visa issues.

In a shaken-up FP1, PJ Jacobsen claimed fifth place for TripleM Honda ahead of MV Agusta’s Jordi Torres with World Superbike championship leader Jonathan Rea in seventh having led the early stages of the session.

Remote video URL

Pata Yamaha’s Alex Lowes held on to eighth place ahead of Aruba.it Racing Ducati’s Marco Melandri as factory Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes rounded out the top ten.

Double race winner at Donington Park Michael van der Mark slipped down to 16th place on the times for Pata Yamaha in a relatively uneventful session due to the conditions.

Read More