WorldSBK Race Lap Record: 1:46.393, Chaz Davies, 2016

WorldSBK Pole/Circuit Best Lap Record: 1:45.598, Chaz Davies, 2017

Motul FIM Superbike World Championship

Imola Circuit, Italy

May 10, 2019

Free Practice Two Results (all on Pirelli tires):

1. Jonathan Rea, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), 1:46.374

2. Chaz Davies, UK (Duc Panigale V4 R), 1:46.529

3. Tom Sykes, UK (BMW S1000RR), 1:46.766

4. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (Duc Panigale V4 R), 1:47.086

5. Toprak Razgatlioglu, Turkey (Kaw ZX-10RR), 1:47.124

6. Michael Van Der Mark, Netherlands (Yam YZF-R1), 1:47.214

7. Leon Haslam, UK (Kaw ZX-10RR), 1:47.419

8. Alex Lowes, UK (Yam YZF-R1), 1:47.537

9. Lorenzo Zanetti, Italy (Duc Panigale V4 R), 1:47.587

10. Michael Rinaldi, Italy (Duc Panigale V4 R), 1:47.638

11. Jordi Torres, Spain (Kaw ZX-10RR), 1:47.870

12. Markus Reiterberger, Germany (BMW S1000RR), 1:48.113

13. Marco Melandri, Italy (Yam YZF-R1), 1:48.151

14. Leon Camier, UK (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), 1:48.528

15. Sandro Cortese, Germany (Yam YZF-R1), 1:49.056, crash

16. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Japan (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), 1:49.099

17. Hector Barbera, Spain (Kaw ZX-10RR), 1:49.274

18. Alessandro Delbianco, Italy (Hon CBR1000RR SP2), 1:50.063

19. Eugene Laverty, Ireland (Duc Panigale V4 R), no lap time recorded

More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:

More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:

Determined Rea Leads On Day One

Official KRT rider Jonathan Rea put his name at the top of the Friday free practice times at Imola after two intense periods of practice in preparation for the first race on Saturday. Leon Haslam placed himself seventh on the day one timesheets at the fifth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship.

Having led the opening morning session at Imola Jonathan Rea rode on used tyres late in the afternoon period of WorldSBK action to retake the leading position he had enjoyed for most of FP2. The next closest rider was 0.155 seconds behind Rea at the end of Friday’s track action.

Rea and his team had ultimate race performance in mind as they worked on evaluating tyre options for the first 19-lap contest of the weekend, which is due to take place at 14.00hrs on Saturday.

Haslam was fourth fastest in the morning session but went to seventh overall after evaluating a tyre that did not suit his machine set-up quite as well in FP2. He now knows which direction to head in with his pre-race options on Saturday morning, and will use FP3 to make his final race set-up.

On Saturday the KRT riders will face their final free practice session in the morning, then Tissot Superpole qualifying and finally Race One. Sunday will then feature a ten-lap Tissot Superpole Race and a final 19-lap race to complete the full WorldSBK programme at Imola.

Jonathan Rea, stated: “We tried to focus on understanding the different combinations of front and rear Pirelli tyres we have this weekend. We have some good information for tomorrow, especially looking through our split times. We still have a margin to improve in some splits where we are missing something, although we are not too far off. We will try not to compromise too much by looking for more in the other areas. At the end, I felt comfortable on the bike on used tyres and I tried hard, especially when I saw that my name was not on the top! It shows that it is there, the bike is there, and we will put everything together tomorrow. I feel comfortable with the bike making this rhythm.”

Leon Haslam, stated: “This morning I felt quite comfortable. This afternoon we did not have a good session because we tried a different tyre option that was not as good at the end. The lap times were not so great as a result but my feeling this morning was quite positive, so we will keep pushing overnight to be ready for tomorrow. The track is good, from what I remember of it, and there are a few areas I need to work on with my riding style. Generally, I love this circuit because it is fun to ride. Hopefully it will be good racing too.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) tried a new set-up on his bike at Imola in the afternoon and placed fifth on the Friday timesheets as a result. Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) is still working on finding the optimal front end set-up to face Saturday’s first race at Imola. Hector Barbera (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) is a first-time Imola rider, and was 17th today.

More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:

Solid Start in Imola for Van Der Mark as Sickness Strikes Lowes

Free practice

The Pata Yamaha WorldSBK and GRT Yamaha Supported WorldSBK riders made a solid rather than stellar start on the opening day of proceedings at Round 5 of the FIM Superbike World Championship in Imola. It was Michael van der Mark who led the way for Yamaha, ending the day sixth on combined times and declaring it one of his best days in Imola to date. Alex Lowes was eighth fastest on the opening day, despite still suffering the effects of a stomach bug picked up earlier in the week. Marco Melandri didn’t quite get the start he wanted to his home race weekend and will be looking to improve on 12th place ahead of qualifying tomorrow. After a positive start this morning, a lowside crash brought FP2 to a premature conclusion for Sandro Cortese, who ended the opening day 14th on the timesheet.

Van der Mark was quick to find a set-up on his R1 to suit the demands of the 4.936 km Imola track this morning in FP1, which he finished with the sixth best lap time. The Pata Yamaha rider and his crew continued to refine the set-up of his R1 throughout this afternoon’s second free practice session, with improvements allowing van der Mark to better his previous best lap time to again finish sixth. The 26-year-old was happy with the progress made on the first day in Imola, a track that has proved unkind to van der Mark in the past, as he looks to continue his good form following a double podium in Assen.

A stomach bug picked up earlier in the week took its toll on Lowes today, with the 28-year-old Briton forced to limit the number of laps during both free practice sessions due to his physical condition. Despite feeling sick on the bike and weakness due to dehydration, the Pata Yamaha rider managed to work with his crew to find a good feeling with his R1 around the technically demanding Imola circuit, ending the day just three tenths behind his teammate. Lowes will now focus on his recovery, as he looks to return at full strength for qualifying and the first race tomorrow.

Melandri continued to struggle with the set-up issues that have plagued him during the last three rounds here in Imola today. The problems meant the veteran Italian lacked the confidence needed for a fast lap time and he was disappointed to end the day 12th in front of his home crowd. Melandri remains adamant, however, that he and his crew will find a solution to the issues, allowing him to rediscover the form that saw him finish the opening race of the season on the podium.

Cortese fell foul of one of Imola’s less endearing characteristics today, after crashing during the early stages of FP2 this afternoon. With no service road surrounding the 4.936km track there is no way to return a fallen bike and rider to the paddock, leaving any rider unfortunate enough to crash sitting on the side-lines until the end of the session. Despite the premature end to his opening day in Imola, Cortese remains upbeat and is looking forward to Race 1 tomorrow.

Qualifying, which for 2019 is a single 25-minute Superpole session, will take place 11.00 tomorrow, with lights out for Race 1 at 14.00.

Michael van der Mark

Pata Yamaha WorldSBK – P6 – 1’47.214

“A solid start today. Imola is always a difficult track at which to find a good set-up, especially coming from Assen, which is very different in character. This morning I felt quite strong from the start and we managed to improve the bike further during the session. This afternoon we initially went a little bit in the wrong direction, but we stayed calm, wound back the changes slightly and, at the end, I felt really strong on the bike again. We had an issue with getting the bike stopped but, again, we managed to find some improvements in this area. My time would have been better but for hitting traffic on my fastest lap, but I’m really happy with the bike now and I think we can still improve further tomorrow. Overall, it’s been one of my best days in Imola so far.”

Alex Lowes

Pata Yamaha WorldSBK – P8 – 1’47.537

“I’ve been struggling with a bit of a stomach bug since Wednesday, so I didn’t have too much energy today. On the bike I felt a little bit sick, so it was a case today of trying to learn as much as we can in the minimum number of laps. We actually got a lot more done that I thought possible; we’ve got a good direction and the bike feels good. Now I’m looking forward to having a bit more time to rest and recover and, hopefully, coming back a bit stronger tomorrow for the first race.”

Marco Melandri

GRT Yamaha Supported WorldSBK – P12 – 1’47.973

“I struggled a lot today with the same issues as before. There wasn’t one area in which I was feeling bad or feeling good, I just feel it’s everywhere, so I’m missing confidence. The guys are working so hard to find a solution to suit me and we will find a way, step-by-step, but it’s not so easy. We don’t need a big improvement; even a small improvement would allow me to build confidence, ride a bit more how I know and reduce the gap to the front but, at the moment, we haven’t found what we need. Here I was expecting much better, so I’m obviously disappointed, but we will keep working.”

Sandro Cortese

GRT Yamaha Supported WorldSBK – P14 – 1’48.457

“This morning wasn’t too bad and I was P12 while learning the track aboard the R1. This afternoon we wanted to try a long run on the hard front tyre but I think this was maybe a mistake on the opening day with my limited experience of this track. But we did it and I crashed, which wouldn’t have been an issue at any other track but with no service road here in Imola it’s impossible to get the bike back to the pit box before the end of the session, so that was the end of my first day. So, at the end, it was a bit of a tough day but it’s race day tomorrow and, in the race, anything can happen, so I’m staying positive.”

More, from a press release issued by Moriwaki Althea Honda Racing:

Leon Camier and Ryuichi Kiyonari begin their preparation for the Italian round at Imola

Moriwaki Althea Honda’s Leon Camier and Ryuichi Kiyonari took advantage of the mild temperatures and sunny conditions which blessed the opening day of the Italian WorldSBK round, the riders and technicians alike working hard to adapt the setup of the bikes to the technical and challenging Imola racetrack.

By the end of the day, Leon had set the fifteenth fastest lap time in 1’48.528, improving on his morning’s performance by roughly eight tenths of a second.

Ryuichi also improved on his lap times over the two sessions, by almost a second, closing day one in sixteenth position with a fastest time of 1’49.099.

The two Moriwaki Althea Honda Team riders will be back on track tomorrow morning for the third and final practice at 9am, before the Superpole at 11am and Race1 at 2pm local time.

Leon Camier

15TH (COMBINED) 1’48.528

“To be honest we are not that far away from the group in front. I think there are still a couple of little things we can do to improve the bike’s setup. I just hope the others don’t make another big step so that we can get closer tomorrow. We made some small improvements already this afternoon and were able to lower our lap times a little bit. We know that the weather forecast is looking a little uncertain for the next couple of days, Sunday especially, but I look forward to riding the bike in the rain, and we’ll see how it goes.”

Ryuichi Kiyonari

16TH (COMBINED) 1’49.099

“Before today, I had only ridden at Imola on one other occasion, around ten years ago, and to be honest today was more difficult than I expected. The track is very technical and demanding. It took both sessions to get used to it again, but finally things got better and at the end of FP2 I was much more comfortable. We tried some different tyre compounds and worked hard on the bike setup. Hopefully tomorrow we will be able to take another step forward.”

More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:

Positive start to the Imola weekend for the Aruba Racing.it – Ducati team: Chaz Davies and Álvaro Bautista second and fourth respectively after the first two free practice sessions

The fifth round of the Superbike World Championship at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola got off to a positive start for both riders of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team.

Right from this morning’s first free practice session, Davies showed he had a good feeling with the Imola circuit, where the Welsh rider has already won four times and today he was able to set second quickest time behind the Kawasaki of Rea. In the afternoon session, Chaz then knocked another four tenths of a second off his time to remain in second place in the provisional timesheets behind his northern Irish rival.

It was a good first outing on the Imola track for his team-mate Álvaro Bautista, championship leader with 11 wins out of 11. Third in FP1, the Spanish rider shaved a further two-tenths off his best time in the afternoon to end the day in fourth place.

Tomorrow the third and final free practice session will be held at 09:00 CET, followed two hours later at 11:00 by Superpole qualifying for the starting-grid line-up for Race 1, which gets underway at 14:00.

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) – 2nd (1’46.529)

“It’s been a while since I’ve ended Friday in the top 3 so that was pretty good and we made a big step forward. Honestly the momentum has been going the right way in the last couple of races and Imola is a good time to try and turn over the page a bit. Having said that, I’m not 100% happy with the feeling with my Panigale V4 R so I hope I can turn things around for tomorrow because I feel I’ve got some good margin to improve the lap time. If we can make the right changes, I don’t see why we can’t fight for the win tomorrow.”

Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #19) – 4th (1’47.086)

“Today was a positive day because it’s the first time I have ever raced at Imola. Right away I found a good feeling with the track, while unlike the other races, I still have to improve the feeling with my bike, especially in corner turn-in, but in the afternoon we made some changes and the feeling was better. Today we always worked in view of the race and we did more than the total laps with quite a good pace. Probably we still have to improve the stability of the bike because on this track the bike is almost always leaning and you don’t have any breathing space.”

More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team:

Sykes finds early Free Practise pace at Imola for the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team

10.05.19

Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari

The Pirelli Italian Round saw a welcome return to action this morning following on from the Motul Dutch Round just a few weeks ago. Sunny skies greeted the riders at Imola and Tom Sykes was able to take early advantage of this by firmly placing himself into the top 5. Meanwhile, Markus Reiterberger just missed out on a top 10 finish in FP1 as he ended the session in P11.

In the afternoon’s FP2 session both the pace and the weather hotted up, Tom Sykes started strongly and kept his lap times close to the top of the sheet setting mid 1’47.00 laps, he would then go on to post a 1’46.766 with minutes to go on the clock putting him in P3 on combined times. Markus Reiterberger however struggled with his BMW S 1000 RR during FP2 as he missed out on the top 10 positions, he ended the session with a fastest of 1’48.113 landing him in P13 on combined times at the end of day 1 in Imola.

Shaun Muir – Team Principal

“A good day for Tom, he’s been comfortably in the top 5 all day and tried a few different parts and set ups with the bike which puts him in a good position for tomorrow. He’s also followed on from his good FP1 and FP2 in Assen so hopefully he can consolidate and get onto the front row in tomorrow’s superpole and have a good race.

Markus got a good base setting in FP1 but couldn’t make a step forward during FP2, he had a small electrical issue which lost him some track time and effectively is realistically around the P12 position if not P10. We hope to make another step forward tomorrow and hopefully get into the top 3 rows for superpole.”

Tom Sykes (GBR)

“We’ve again worked really consistently here in the Free Practises just trying various parameters with the chassis and also the tyres as we have more of a selection here. I have to say I’m really enjoying riding my BMW S 1000 RR at the moment, this track is always fantastic and the Italian fans are incredible so to be third fastest today makes me happy.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow as I feel we can still improve, the target is certainly for front row and try and utilise the chassis of the S 1000 RR during the race.”

Markus Reiterberger (GER)

“Honestly, I am a bit disappointed not to be within the top ten especially after the weekend in Assen. I’ve come here with according expectations but today I struggled with pretty much the movement in the chassis which prevented me from holding my line, this is why I did not find into my rhythm.

We will keep working hard to analyse this and make another step forward. We actually improved some details in the second practice but we’re still missing the feeling towards the front. That’s our target for the next days: work hard and keep progressing.”