Rea slides to top of timesheets in damp WorldSBK Catalunya FP2

2020 WorldSBK Catalunya - Free Practice Results (2)

Jonathan Rea sneaked the fastest time in second free practice for the inaugural WorldSBK Catalunya round at a damp and slippery Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

The first damp session of the 2020 WorldSBK season, though rain held off enough to deter riders from venturing on circuit, the damp surface meant lap times were some 13secs down on the morning’s FP1.

The defending WorldSBK champion moved to the front in the final minutes, a particularly rapid Sector 4 time enough to repel several riders who were quicker than him through Sectors 1 and 2. 

Michael van der Mark was second quickest on the factory Yamaha, while Aragon front runner Michael Ruben Rinaldi started his weekend well as top Ducati in third. Alvaro Bautista made it four manufacturers inside the top four on the Honda.

Scott Redding popped up the order late to go fourth quickest around a circuit he knows well from his GP days, while Garrett Gerloff proved his top three in the dry FP1 was not fluke as he again showed good pace in sixth aboard the satellite GRT Junior Yamaha.

Tom Sykes was the best of the two BMWs in seventh, ahead of Samuele Cavalieri, the young Italian making only his second WorldSBK appearance as the replacement for retired-again Marco Melandri at Barni Ducati.

Eugene Laverty and FP1 pace setter Toprak Razgatlioglu rounded out the top ten, with WorldSBK debutant Jonas Folger in 15th.

The tricky conditions caught out three riders with Takumi Takahashi falling at the start of the session and Loris Baz coming down at the end, both walking away.

However, there was disappointment for Max Scheib after a fall at Turn 5 resulted in a dislocated shoulder that will rule him and the Orelac Kawasaki out of action this weekend. It follows on from an accident for Leandro Mercado in FP1 that has forced Motocorsa Racing to withdraw too.