Barcelona WorldSBK Test Day 1 Times: Redding Leads Rea, As Baz Is Fastest Yamaha

Testing is underway again for the WorldSBK series, with the main protagonists assembled at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo, near Barcelona. Scott Redding ended the day as fastest, the Aruba.it Ducati rider getting up to speed quickly again, finishing nearly two tenths faster than reigning champion Jonathan Rea on the Kawasaki.

Loris Baz was the quickest of the Yamahas, a quarter of a second behind Redding, and three tenths faster than Alex Lowes on the second Kawasaki. Alvaro Bautista was the fastest Honda rider, a fraction behind Lowes, while Tom Sykes was a little over a tenth off the time of Bautista on the BMW.

Of the WorldSSP Yamahas present, Jules Cluzel was quickest, four tenths faster than Steven Odendaal, while Corentin Perolari was further four tenths behind the South African.

Also present at the test were the Marc VDS Estrella Galicia 0,0 Moto2 team of Sam Lowes and Augusto Fernandez, riding track-prepped Yamaha R1s, in full Estrella Galicia regalia. Sam Lowes was 3.4 seconds slower on a production R1 than Loris Baz on the WorldSBK-spec race machine.

Combined times from the morning and afternoon sessions: