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Phillip Island WSBK test: Fores tops rain-lashed first day

Barni Ducati star Xavi Fores put in a last-ditch dash to top the timesheets on day one of WorldSBK testing at Phillip Island as more than half of today was a washout due to the unique weather which affects the Australian venue.

Rain hammered down this morning which put paid to any useful dry-weather work and reigning champion Jonathan Rea didn’t venture out even for a sighting lap on wets but after lunch, the track dried and the works Kawasaki man began business as usual, topping the table with a 1’31.823 after swapping times with Fores from halfway through the session

In the dying minutes before a reg-flag ended the second session early, Fores went 0.411s faster on a 1’31.412 to claim bragging rights on the first day. Aruba Ducati’s Marco Melandri was third but another four-tenths behind Rea.

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Michael Van Der Mark hopped into fourth place towards the session end, sticking in a 1’32.440 on the Pata Yamaha, one place ahead of MV Agusta’s Leon Camier who ended the day with a 1’32.591. Rea’s team-mate Tom Sykes was also late to the party, grabbing sixth on a 1’32.663.

Alex De Angelis had been sitting pretty in the top three but the Pedercini Kawasaki rider slid down the order to seventh, one place ahead of title challenger Chaz Davies. Lorenzo Savadori put the Milwaukee Aprilia in  ninth place after topping the first wet session with Alex Lowes completing the top ten.

Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl were next along on the new Red Bull Hondas with Jordi Torres, Eugene Laverty and Markus Reiterberger completing the top 15. Josh Brookes, on his privateer R1, was 16th and 2.8s off the pace.

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