Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes bounced back from a digestive infection to set the fastest time in this morning’s opening WorldSBK practice session at Assen, going under the current lap record by two-tenths of a second to head team-mate Jonathan Rea while Ducati’s Chaz Davies finished third.
Rea had been in charge for most of the session and was the first man under the 1’36s mark with a 1’35.891 but Sykes’ final run ended with a 1’35.676 to claim bragging rights. Aruba Ducati’s Davies put in a 1’35.977 with eight minutes left to run and the trio were a full second ahead of the pack until hometown hero Michael Van Der Mark found a lap for fourth, setting a 1’36.183 to halve the gap.
The Pata Yamaha man took some time to get down to business at Circuit Van Drenthe was consistently in the 1’36s towards session end. His pace compares well for a first practice but, as usual, it is Rea who had found his feet earliest with three 1’35s laps and nine 1’36s. Sykes, meanwhile, has two in the 1’35s and nine in the 1’36s while Davies has eight 1’36s laps.
Spain’s Xavi Fores marched into the top five a couple of times only to slip back as the session went on but a 1’36.437 on his final lap saw him back there, displacing Nicky Hayden’s Red Bull Honda. The American had been struggling with change of direction on the Fireblade, which isn’t using the new engine tested at Aragon, but found a 1’36.512 with a couple of minutes left - enough for sixth place.
Alex de Angelis, who had thousands of Assen laps under his belt, shot into fourth with a 1’36.804 with nine minutes left and is easily the quickest of the satellite Kawasakis but then slid back to seventh, unable to get close to the time again. Eugene Laverty also put in a last-ditch lap for a top-ten place, setting a 1’36.830 for eighth on the Milwaukee Aprilia.
Jordi Torres did 26 laps over the hour-long session, which culminated with the Althea BMW man clinching ninth while Marco Melandri’s last flying effort was enough to squeeze into the top ten. He could be the last automatic qualifier for Superpole two as heavy rain is forecast at the track this afternoon for free practice two.
Alex Lowes had been sitting pretty in fifth place with five minutes left to run but a crash at turn 12 saw him slid back to 11th place - he looked to be uninjured. Leon Camier and the MV Agusta squad had their best Friday morning this year as they managed to turn in 19 laps with no oil leaks, finishing 1.309s off in 12th.
Lorenzo Savadri, on the second Milwaukee RSV4, was beset by engine problems and got in a handful of flying laps. The Italian was in and out of the pits with what looked like an oil leak, and a best of 1’36.997 was enough for 13th before he had to take to the grass as the chequered flag was readied. Stefan Bradl suffered a crash at turn 11 and ended in 14th.
Top speeds
1 33 M. MELANDRI Ducati Panigale R 290,0
2 1 J. REA Kawasaki ZX-10RR 289,6
3 22 A. LOWES Yamaha YZF R1 288,4
4 66 T. SYKES Kawasaki ZX-10RR 288,0
5 50 E. LAVERTY Aprilia RSV4 RF 287,3
6 36 L. MERCADO Aprilia RSV4 RF 286,9
7 81 J. TORRES BMW S 1000 RR 285,8
8 7 C. DAVIES Ducati Panigale R 285,0
9 6 S. BRADL Honda CBR1000RR 283,9
10 15 A. DE ANGELIS Kawasaki ZX-10RR 282,7
