Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) claimed the top spot in Free Practice 3 for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as the British rider mastered tricky conditions at the Circuito Estoril. The #65 was 0.232s quicker than Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) as the pair consistently swapped fastest times for top spot in the final practice session for the Estoril Round.
Overnight rain left the track damp but with no more falling when the 20-minute session, the times tumbled rapidly as the track dried out. Rea opted to do just one run – a strategy he used in a wet Tissot Superpole session at Assen to claim pole earlier in the year – totalling seven laps as he set a 1’53.126s. Like Rea, Petrucci also only completed one stint as he claimed second place with a 1’53.358s, finishing exactly 0.010s clear of Championship leader Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). The #54 set a 1’53.368s to claim P3 as he also completed just one long run in the 20-minute session.
Razgatlioglu’s teammate, Michael van der Mark, was fourth-fastest on a good start to BMW’s morning although the Dutchman was around a second off Razgatlioglu’s time. Reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fifth fastest, almost matching van der Mark’s effort, with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) completing the top six; two Yamahas in the top six was a contrast to FP2 yesterday, when Rea was the only representative in the top ten.
Spanish rider Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) was seventh after he set a 1’54.832s to finish four tenths down on ‘Loka’ in front, while it’s been a good start to the weekend for Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing). The #21 has been close to the top ten all weekend across the various conditions and that continued in FP3 with P8. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was animated in his box in the opening stages of the session but he set the ninth fastest time – a 1’55.553s – with six laps to his name. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) rounded out the top ten.
The top six from WorldSBK FP3, full results here:
1 Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) 1’53.126s
2. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.232s
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.242s
4. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +1.260s
5. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +1.284s
6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +1.328s
