The third and final Friday practice session for the WorldSBK riders at Misano remained wet enough to prevent anybody taking to the track to realistically try and improve their FP2 times, and only two riders set any laps at all.
This phoney war in FP3 saw Italian rider Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) impressively fastest of all on his RSV-4, with a 1’34.562 lap that was already under the existing lap record place on race tyres.
Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) made it an excellent Aprilia day, as the SMR duo finished first and second, with championship leader Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) third.
Misano was a strong Althea BMW track for a time last season, and on Friday after two sessions Loris Baz (GULF ALTHEA BMW Racing Team) finished up fourth.
Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) went fifth fastest and Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) sixth.
Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was seventh, placing six different makes of machinery inside the top seven spots.
The Ducati riders huddled together in the timesheets, with Melandri followed by Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). Last automatic qualifier into Saturday’s Superpole was Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), in tenth place.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba Racing IT Ducati Junior Team) and Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) completed the top 12 places on the opening day.
By Gordon Ritchie
