Last Testing Hurrah Sees Rea On Top at Phillip Island

If Dorna and the FIM wanted to slow down the ultimate lap times of the three-time World Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), thanks to the new 14,100rpm rev limit imposed on all the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR machines on the grid at the start of the 2018 season, it has not worked so far.

Rea did an almost identical time to the corresponding tests in 2017, despite having 1,100rpm less to play with on the long straight this year.

Despite falling again early in the final day, at low speed at the MG hairpin, Rea was under the previous best lap time of these tests, set by Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on Monday. Rea left PI with a best of test 1’30.598 lap time, 0.128 second up on Melandri.

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) overcame some discomfort from his recently injured ankle to post third best time, and be even more satisfied with his overall race pace.

Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia), 0.476 seconds from Rea, was fourth fastest, with the first independent rider Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) just two thousandths of a second behind, in fifth place.

Just over half a second from the leading rider, Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) was the fastest R1 runner in sixth. His team-mate Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) was seventh but over 0.2 seconds back from VDM.

Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team), Loris Baz (GULF ALTHEA BMW Racing Team) and Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) completed the top ten riders at this two day test.

In a tough period for Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with his bike losing out compared to its 2017 version in a few areas of the track, the Welsh rider finished a lowly 11^th. 

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the second best independent rider, in 12^th place, and the lone MV Agusta runner, Jordi Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 13^th after his big first day crash.

Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) was 14^th, just one place up on new boy Jake Gagne (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team).

Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda) was top wildcard rider from Australia, in 16^th place and just 1.699 seconds from the best today.

Another rookie rider in the class, PJ Jacobsen (TripleM Honda World Superbike Team) placed 20^th.

The first round of the championship takes place at PI between 23^rd and 25^th February.