WSB Aragon: Melandri takes charge in opening Free Practice

Factory Yamaha man Marco Melandri topped the time sheets in the opening Free Practice session at Aragon today. The 28 year old Italian was the first man to dip under the two minute bracket to set a best time of 1.59.822.

Despite being a WSB rookie, Melandri has more experience than any of his rivals at Aragon having raced the circuit in MotoGP last season, albeit with a slightly revised final corner. Aragon is also Yamaha’s dedicated test track and both Melandri and Laverty benefited from a two day test at the Spanish circuit last month. 

Runaway championship leader Carlos Checa finished the opening session in second place and like Melandri was the only other rider to lap in the 1m 59’s.

BMW Motorrad Italia rider Ayrton Badovini continued to show his credentials as a top WSB rider with the third fastest time. The young Italian is clearly full of confidence having secured his best ever WSB result of fourth last weekend at Misano.

Leon Camier bounced back from a disastrous weekend in Misano with the fourth fastest time with factory Kawasaki rider Tom Sykes in fifth.

Max Biaggi had to run almost the full hour long session with one bike after crashing out at turn 14 on his first flying lap of the session. The reigning world champion is currently riding with a broken bone in his foot after his qualifying crash at Misano but still managed to finish in seventh place 0.858s off the best lap of Melandri.

First qualifying gets underway at 15.30 local time.

Aragon – SUPERBIKE – Free Practice

1.  Marco Melandri1’59.822 Yamaha YZF R1 (Yamaha World Superbike Team)
2.  Carlos Checa1’59.917 Ducati 1098R (Althea Racing)
3.  Ayrton Badovini2’00.295 BMW S1000 RR (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team)
4.  Leon Camier2’00.334 Aprilia RSV4 Factory (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team)
5.  Tom Sykes2’00.344 Kawasaki ZX-10R (Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike)
6.  Michel Fabrizio2’00.680 Suzuki GSX-R1000 (Team Suzuki Alstare)
7.  Max Biaggi2’00.852 Aprilia RSV4 Factory (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team)
8.  Jakub Smrz2’00.885 Ducati 1098R (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing)
9.  Maxime Berger2’00.973 Ducati 1098R (Supersonic Racing Team)
10.  Eugene Laverty2’01.016 Yamaha YZF R1 (Yamaha World Superbike Team)
11.  Noriyuki Haga2’01.063 Aprilia RSV4 Factory (PATA Racing Team Aprilia)
12.  Joan Lascorz2’01.198 Kawasaki ZX-10R (Kawasaki Racing Team)
13.  Sylvain Guintoli2’01.247 Ducati 1098R (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing)
14.  Leon Haslam2’01.264 BMW S1000 RR (BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
15.  Mark Aitchison2’01.335 Kawasaki ZX-10R (Team Pedercini)
16.  Troy Corser2’01.419 BMW S1000 RR (BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
17.  Chris Vermeulen2’01.426 Kawasaki ZX-10R (Kawasaki Racing Team)
18.  Ruben Xaus2’01.564 Honda CBR1000RR (Castrol Honda)
19.  Lorenzo Lanzi2’02.533 BMW S1000 RR (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team)
20.  Roberto Rolfo2’02.597 Kawasaki ZX-10R (Team Pedercini)