Reigning WorldSBK king Jonathan Rea cleared off in this morning’s wet warm-up at Imola, lapping 1.3s faster than second place man and team-mate Leon Haslam with, stand back, Alessandro Del Bianco in third.
Rea was fastest in all sectors across the parkland track but Haslam impressed as it is the first time he has ridden this bike with these electronics in these conditions.
Series leader Alvaro Bautista was down in eighth and 2.753s off the pace despite having a part-wet test here a couple of weeks ago. Sprint race pole position man Chaz Davies was further down in 11th and 3.338s in arrears.
Michael van der Mark ended in fourth ahead of the gastroenteritis-riddled Alex Lowes who last night was praying for rain today. Ryuichi Kiyonaro was sixth, Michael Rinaldi seventh, Tom Sykes ninth and Marco Melandri completed the top ten 3.1s off the pace.
