Fresh from the winter break, the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship riders were back into action early this morning for day one of testing around Circuito de Jerez Ángel Nieto.

Opening track activity was 2018 WorldSSP300 Champion Ana Carrasco, who was the first taking to the track around 9:30. Blessed with the good weather, the Spanish rider made a few laps aboard the Kawasaki Ninja 400 of her new Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300 team but, as she was just attending a promotional activity, she will not take part to the rest of the test.

Eager to make his WorldSBK debut, 21-year-old Alessandro Delbianco was the first SBK® rider to hit the track followed by Kawasaki Racing WorldSBK new recruit Leon Haslam. The Briton put in just a few laps with his Kawasaki ZX-10RR to get acquainted with the new track asphalt as the circuit has been resurfaced over the winter break. His team mate reigning World Champion Jonathan Rea sat out on the opening hours of track activity.

Coming out in the mid-morning Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) was able to set the fastest lap time, but then it was Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) to take the lead putting in a fastest lap in 1’43.339 just a few minutes before a red flag stopped action on track.

The GRT Yamaha WorldSBK rider is followed by the Yamaha of Alex Lowes who sits in 2nd position, 0.879 s off Melandri’s lap time.

Completing 21 laps, Turk Razgatlioglu is now third, ahead of Melandri’s team mate Sandro Cortese, who sits is 4th.

The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati duo Chaz Davies and Alvaro Baustista put in respectively 9 and 16 laps during the morning, and they currently sit with their Ducati Panigale V4 R in fifth and sixth position.

Among the WorldSSP rider Federico Caricasulo (GMT94 Yamaha) currently leads in 1’45.165 ahead of Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and MV Agusta Reparto Corse rider Raffaele De Rosa, who sits in third position in 1’45.628.