Jerez WorldSBK & MotoGP Test Thursday Times: Dovizioso Beats Crutchlow, Melandri Edges Lowes

Andrea Dovizioso finished as fastest on Thursday at Jerez, the factory Ducati rider using the morning to break Jorge Lorenzo's pole record from 2015 - though as this is a private test, this is only an unofficial time, and so Lorenzo's record will stand until the race here in May - going over a quarter of a second faster than Lorenzo did on the Yamaha two years ago. Cal Crutchlow was second fastest, also under the pole record, having spent a full and busy day jumping between three different bikes and racking up a grand total of 90 laps, more than any other rider on the grid. 

Jorge Lorenzo ended as third fastest, just outside his 2015 lap record, a little ahead of Andrea Iannone on the Suzuki. Pol Espargaro ended the day in fifth, the KTM showing well at Jerez, while Alex Rins was sixth on the second Suzuki. Tito Rabat was quick on the Avintia Ducati, the only rider to do a full race simulation, and less than three quarters of a second slower than Dovizioso.

Marco Melandri was the quickest of the WorldSBK riders, the Aruba.it Ducati man a tenth faster than Alex Lowes on the Pata Yamaha. Leon Camier impressed once again on the Red Bull Honda, fractionally slower than Lowes, and running consistently in the low 1'40s. Chaz Davies was absent, after suffering a knee injury in a big crash at Turn 1 at the end of Wednesday. The Kawasaki riders were also absent, taking a day off before returning to the track on Friday.

The track will be a good deal emptier on Friday, the last day of the test. The Factory Ducati MotoGP team are leaving, as are the Honda MotoGP teams and Avintia Ducati. The WorldSBK teams will be staying on, as will Pramac Ducati and all of the MotoGP manufacturers who are not subject to testing restrictions: Suzuki, KTM, and Aprilia.

Combined times from Thursday:

Times for each class: