WorldSBK Champion-elect Jonathan Rea bounced back from an early crash in this morning’s Superpole two to dominate the session and take pole position for this afternoon’s first race by 1.2s from Tati Mercado with Tom Sykes in third.
Rea went out all guns blazing, trying to keep the heat in his rear Pirelli wet on a very cold and wet track but the tactics bit him as he lost the rear at turn three, getting trapped under his ZX-10RR as it slid into the gravel.
The Isle of Man resident immediately returned to the pits for mechanics to check the bike over before coming back out to set a 1’57.433 to top the timesheet and then sealed it with a 1’56.555 which no-one else could get near.
Mercado, who came through Superpole one with a 1’58.946, built up gradually and nudged Sykes into third place with a 1’57.758 which also pushed Barni Ducati’s Xavi Fores on to the second row of the grid.
Alex Lowes, who is still suffering with broken rib after his Portimao crash, will start from the middle of row two with Red Bull Honda’s Davide Giugliano in sixth place. The Italian, like Mercado, benefitted from laps in Superpole one and should be able take advantage from a second-row start.
Chaz Davies is at the head of row three and he has old mate Leon Camier right beside him with Eugene Laverty in ninth. The Milwaukee Aprilia went down twice in the session while team-mate Lorenzo Savadori was also pinged into the kitty litter courtesy of a huge highside, finishing in 11th
Michael Van Der Mark completed the top ten with Marco Melandri, who joined the crash list early on. Conditions were so tricky that even wet weather maestro Anthony West crashed in Superpole one he he will start in 14th, one behind Riccardo Russo.
It was disaster for the Althea BMWs. Jordi Torres and Raffaele De Rosa finished dead last in Superpole one, six seconds off the pace and struggling with electronic settings on the S1000RR.
