The first day of action at the Prosecco DOC UK Round has come to a close for the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid, with an electric pace in the warm conditions. The fifth round of the season comes from Donington Park, the birthplace of WorldSBK back in 1988, and come the end of the first day, it was home-hero Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) who stormed to top spot, lapping under the race lap record to lead the way at the end of the day.

REA ON FIRE: will he be caught by the reigning World Champion come the races?

Going strong at home, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was in fine form. He led most of FP1 before being pipped to second, whilst he came out the blocks firing straight away in FP2 in the afternoon. Instantly going more than half a second quicker than his morning time, Rea laid down the benchmark for the chasing pack, before finishing top overall, half a second clear of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK). Teammate Alex Lowes was right on the pace too, with the British rider running second for most of the session and staying out on one tyre, not focusing on the single lap pace but instead looking at longer runs. It was a similar story in FP2, with long runs being the call of the day, before he eventually finished fourth. A strong day for KRT.

Having topped FP1 by over a tenth of a second, Toprak Razgatlioglu was once again in mighty form at what he declared as his “favourite circuit”. The reigning World Champion, who took a career-first podium at Donington Park in 2018 and two wins in 2021, was just over two tenths shy of Rea’s fastest time for most of the session before Rea’s fast lap at the end of the session left Toprak second by more than half a second. On the contrary, it wasn’t a strong first day at the office for Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK). The Italian didn’t have a fun time in 2021 and he was only 15^th in FP1, before finishing eighth come the close of business on day one and finding pace.

BMW AHEAD OF DUCATI: Redding third with new swingarm, Bautista fifth

With a new swingarm at his disposal, it was a much brighter day for home-hero Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). The Englishman was sixth in the first session of the day and was up inside the top three for almost the entirety of FP2. The swingarm, which has a different stiffness compared to the previous one, seemed to be doing the job for Redding, who finished the day in third. Teammate Illia Mykhalchyk, who is still deputising for the injured Michael van der Mark, finished his day in 20^th, not having the new swingarm on his M1000RR.

It was a slightly quieter day at Donington Park for Ducati, with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) finishing the opening session behind teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi. However, with track temperatures coming up in the afternoon, Bautista was able to cement himself as top Ducati but was still only fifth overall, more than seven tenths adrift of Jonathan Rea. In the closing stages of FP2, Rinaldi, having been third ion FP1 and coming to Donington Park off the back of a double podium at Misano, finished sixth at the end of the day but did suffer a crash at Turn 12, but was able to remount and return to pitlane before getting back out for a practice start.

SURPRISES AND SHOCKS: Independents shine, Honda outside the top ten

In terms of Independent riders, it was Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) who claimed honours with the new swingarm also in his BMW M1000RR. Setting 22 laps, Baz was just over three tenths clear of Garrett Gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), with the American improving from 14^th at the end of FP1 to finish ninth on combined times. Completing the top ten was Leon Haslam (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) at a circuit where he’s famously gone strongly at. He was just ahead of Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), just 0.012 behind the Englishman, making it four Kawasakis inside the top 11.

The first Honda was Iker Lecuona (Team HRC), down in 12^th place after his first competitive day of action at the Donington Park circuit. Having competed in a track day at the track in between Misano and this round, Lecuona gathered vital data and will hope to put a strong attack in during FP3 and Tissot Superpole in order to get himself up the order. Teammate Xavi Vierge returns from injury after his big Race 2 Misano crash and at a circuit he’s never visited, spent plenty of time getting laps under his belt before finishing 18^th on the combined times, with work to do at Team HRC.

THE REST: completing the order

Besides that, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) was 13^th despite a run-off earlier in the session and there was also a Donington debut for Philipp Oettl (Team Goeleven), with the German rookie finishing in 14^th place but he will have to drop three places on the grid for slow riding in FP2, notably getting the ire of Razgatlioglu. He was one place ahead of wildcard Tarran Mackenzie, with the British rider putting in a great effort on the opening day. Fellow wildcard Peter Hickman (FHO Racing) took 16^th place ahead of fellow BMW rider Eugene Laverty (Bonovo Action BMW), Laverty not using the swingarm that teammate Baz and factory rider Redding have.

Roberto Tamburini (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was 19^th, whilst Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) took 21^st. Kohta Nozane (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 22^nd, ahead of the returning Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha), Hafizh Syahrin (MIE Racing Honda Team), Luca Bernardi (BARNI Spark Racing Team) and Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), likewise back from injury.

Top six after day one at Donington Park in WorldSBK, full results here:

1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’27.016s

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +0.551s

3. Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.582s

4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.668s

5. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.714s

6. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.719s

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