Gordon Ritchie | May 25, 2018
2018 British WorldSBK and WorldSSP Friday Results—After three WorldSBK free practice sessions Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) held off Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) from the top spot late in the third session, in tricky track conditions.
2018 British WorldSBK and WorldSSP Friday Results
Patchy conditions didn’t stop Rea in WorldSBK on Friday at Donington Park.
Third fastest was Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia), with Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) fourth and first Yamaha rider home. Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) was a fine fifth, 0.647 seconds behind Rea. He was the second Aprilia rider inside the top five places.
Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) overcame a crash to end up sixth.
Local knowledge paid off early for Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) who was seventh on his privateer bike in only his second ride of the season back in WorldSBK.
The Gulf Althea BMW of Loris Baz added to the wide variety of machines up front in eighth place.
Local wildcard Bradley Ray (Buildbase Suzuki) was an excellent ninth place. The top Ducati belonged to Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in 10th place.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was one of several riders who fell or ran off track in tricky conditions for the third and final Friday qualifying sessions in FP3, finishing up 16th fastest after he limped away. He will now have to qualify out of Superpole 1 on Saturday to be allowed to start in Superpole 2.
His crash early in the lap was replicated by Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) at turn one, while Rea also ran on at the first corner, but did not fall.
2018 British WorldSBK Friday Results
WorldSSP: Caricasulo Leads GRT Yamaha 1-2
Federico Caricasulo is hunting for that first win of the year after finishing second a few times in 2018.
Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) was the fastest WorldSSP rider at Donington Park. He headed his own team-mate Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) by 0.019 seconds. Wet conditions in the morning the gradually drying conditions in the afternoon saw Jules Cluzel (NRT Yamaha) fourth fastest, as the lap times made a dramatic improvement. Cluzel’s fellow championship challengers Sandro Cortese (Kallio Racing Yamaha) and Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros WorldSSP Yamaha), were fourth and fifth quickest on day one, on yet another strong day for Yamaha.
A double-strength MV Agusta qualifying effort saw Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag) and Ayrton Badovini (MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag) sixth and seventh.
A strong local showing for CIA Landlord Insurance rider Andrew Irwin put him eighth.
Top Kawasaki qualifier Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished the day in ninth. Profile Triumph Racing’s Luke Stapleford was 10th.
Anthony West (EAB antwest Racing Kawasaki) was 15th.
2018 British WorldSSP Friday Results
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