Rennie Scaysbrook | July 6, 2018
2018 Misano WorldSBK Friday Results—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 phony 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 pace on race tires.
2018 Misano WorldSBK Friday Results
Savadori showed impressive pace on Aprilia’s home territory to go fastest.
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.
2018 Misano WorldSBK Friday Results
2018 Misano WorldSSP Friday Results—Local rider Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) led the field on Friday at his home Misano race, after his FP1 time survived all day when rain fell with 35 minutes of the FP2 session left to run.
2018 Misano WorldSSP Friday Results
Federico Caricasulo topped the first practice session, the local rider setting a time that could not be bettered in race two.
With raindrops reported in all sectors, the entire field came in and sat out the time remaining, with lightning strikes also apparent around the 2.6 miles long Misano facility.
Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) proved to be second fastest rider on day one, and one of the few riders to improve his best time in the dry beginning of FP2. Mahias was 0.259 seconds behind the best lap of his team-mate Caricasulo.
Jules Cluzel (NRT Yamaha) was third fastest today, with two more top contenders, Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag) and Sandro Cortese (Kallio Racing Yamaha) fourth and fifth. Cortese was one of those to improve his best time in FP2.
Kyle Smith (CIA Insurance Honda) was the best CBR rider on Friday, in sixth place overall. Top Kawasaki runner was Anthony West (EAB antwest Racing Kawasaki), seventh fastest.
Top wildcard in a meeting with several one-off locals in the entry list was Stefano Valtulini (Pleo Racing Team Kawasaki), eighth.
The top ten, making up the automatic qualifiers for Superpole 2 on Saturday, was completed by Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) and another wildcard, Marco Bussolotti (Team Rosso Corsa Yamaha).
2018 Misano WorldSSP Friday Results (FP2)
