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Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) claimed first place as some of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field headed to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve for the first of two days of testing. The #22 was more than half-a-second clear of second-placed Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati), whose day was disrupted by a crash at Turn 14 in the morning which brought out the red flags.

ALEX LOWES FASTEST: The #22 half-a-second clear at the top

Top spot belonged to Alex Lowes, who set his lap time just before the rain started to fall on Day 1 at Portimao. He set a 1’40.622s and was the only rider to lap in the 1’40s bracket on the opening day of the two-day test as he worked on the base setup of the KB998 Rimini machine. Teammate Axel Bassani finished in eighth after he set a 1’41.554s, just under a second behind the #22, although it was a day interrupted by rain. Bassani’s focus was on the upcoming round at the same venue.

BULEGA CRASHES: P2 for the #11, Lecuona in the top five

Not only did rain disrupt running, but there was a red flag caused by a Bulega crash. The #11 fell at Turn 14 in the first few hours of the running, with Xavi Vierge (Pata Maxus Yamaha) unable to avoid his bike; both riders were okay. Bulega still set the second-fastest time of the day with a 1’41.154s. He was closely followed by Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) who trailed Bulega by just 0.001s. Bulega’s teammate, Iker Lecuona, continues to adapt to the Panigale V4R and he finished the day in fifth, just two tenths behind Bulega. Tommy Bridewell (Superbike Advocates) took part in the test as he and the team prepare for their first round of the season at Portimao, with the #46 finishing in 14^th place. In WorldSSP, only Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) was on track, and he set a 1’45.179s.

OLIVEIRA IN THE TOP FOUR: Strong showing for the Portuguese star

After a rollercoaster Australian Round, Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) will be aiming for more on home soil in Round 2. His preparations started with P4 on Day 1 after setting a 1’41.335s, exactly two tenths behind Sam Lowes. Teammate Danilo Petrucci was three places back from the #88 as he took P7, while there were three BMW machines in the top seven. Test rider Michael van der Mark was also in action for the German manufacturer, with the Dutchman finishing one place ahead of ‘Petrux’, with 0.072s between them.

REA FINISHES AS TOP HONDA: The #65 on track with the CBR1000RR-R SP

Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) took the place of Jake Dixon for the Portimao test as the #96 continues his recovery from a wrist fracture sustained in Australia. The six-time Champion finished in ninth on a disrupted day, setting a 1’41.732s to finish as the lead Honda rider. Rea was joined by Somkiat Chantra, who made his return to action following a training injury sustained at Sepang in private testing. The #35 set a 1’42.546s as he claimed 13^th place.

GARDNER LEADS YAMAHA CONTINGENT: The Aussie sneaks into the top ten

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was the fastest of the four Yamahas on track at Portimao. The #87 claimed a top ten place with a 1’42.092s as he finished exactly two tenths ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha) in 11^th, while Vierge was directly behind his teammate; just 0.142s separated the two. Stefano Manzi (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) continues to adapt to the Yamaha R1 machine and he finished in 15^th place with a 1’42.667s, meaning six tenths covered the Yamaha contingent on Day 1.

The top six from Day 1 at Portimao, full results here:

1. Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team) 1’40.622s, 34 laps

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) +0.532s, 25 laps

3. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.533s, 25 laps

4. Miguel Oliveira (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.733s, 42 laps

5. Iker Lecuona (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) +0.760s, 46 laps

6. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad Test Team) +0.800s, 63 laps

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