Reigning WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea was again top of a testing timesheet but this time around, in the shape of new WorldSBK rider Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) and the official new Panigale V4R, Rea had some relatively close company.

Bautista set more than 60 laps on his first day as a factory Ducati Superbike rider, impressing all with his pace on his first ride on Pirelli tyres, ending up just 0.322 seconds behind the Kawasaki man albeit using a Pirelli qualifier.

Chaz Davies, on the second works Panigale, was third fasteston day one, just ahead of the top Pata Yamaha runner, Alex Lowes.

Leon Haslam (KRT), in his second test on the official Kawasaki machine, scored fifth place despite a crash.

A new WorldSBK team, GRT Yamaha, saw their experienced 2019 signing Marco Melandri go sixth quickest in his first day of action on a Yamaha after being ousted from Ducati recently.

The little Italian was ahead of regular rider Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK).

WorldSSP Champion Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha) was the last of the eight WorldSBK riders on show, 2.3 seconds from Rea.

Jerez WorldSBK times day one - conditions dry

1. Jonathan Rea (GB), Kawasaki, 1’39.657
2. Alvaro Bautista (I), Ducati, 1’39.979
3. Chaz Davies, (GB), Ducati, 1’40.202
4. Alex Lowes (GB), Yamaha, 1’40.296
5. Leon Haslam, (GB), Kawasaki, 1’40.390
6 Marco Melandri, (I) Yamaha 1’40.663
7. Michael van der Mark, (NL) Yamaha, 1’41.572
8. Sandro Cortese, (NL) Yamaha, 1’41.972
9. Raffaele De Rosa, (I) MV Agusta WorldSSP, 1’43.303
10. Hikari Okubo (J) Kawasaki, WorldSSP 1’43.303
11. Lucas Mahias (F) Kawasaki, WorldSSP 1’45.624
12. Ayrton Badovini (I) Kawasaki, WorldSSP, 1’47.820.