Rea ominous ahead of Melandri in warm-up
Full WorldSBK warm-up results from Portimao
Jonathan Rea has produced impressive pace in warm-up to send out a further warning for race two following his domination in the Portimao opener.
Full WorldSBK warm-up results from Portimao
Jonathan Rea has produced impressive pace in warm-up to send out a further warning for race two following his domination in the Portimao opener.
The Kawasaki rider notched up a 1m 41.845s on his second timed lap of Sunday’s warm-up session which remained unbeaten to the chequered flag with race one runner-up Marco Melandri going closest three-tenths off for Aruba.it Racing Ducati.
Rea’s consistency lapping in the low 1m 42s bracket in warm-up, as he also did during Friday practice ahead of the opening race, puts him as strong favourite to double up at the Portuguese round despite starting from the back of the third row on the reverse race two grid.
With Melandri taking second, Rea’s Kawasaki team-mate Tom Sykes bolted up to third place with his final lap of warm-up to push factory Ducati’s Chaz Davies down to fourth.
Hoping to shake off his frustrating race one, when he was taken out by Xavi Fores at the third corner, Eugene Laverty produced strong pace to take fifth for Milwaukee Aprilia ahead of race one rostrum finisher Pata Yamaha’s Michael van der Mark.
Lorenzo Savadori, who challenged for the podium in race one before crashing out, ended warm-up in seventh for Milwaukee Aprilia as Fores (Barni Ducati), Loris Baz (Althea BMW) and Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda) rounded out the top 10.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi completed just four laps in warm-up after picking up a technical issue with his Aruba.it Racing Ducati on his out lap to end the session down in 15th.
