With blue skies but dramatically cooler conditions this morning, Thursday at Jerez got off to a slow start with bikes not going out on track until just after 11:00am local time (GMT+1). Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team’s Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark were the first WorldSBK riders out of pit lane on their YZF R1’s, working hard on their bikes' set-up for the day as weather conditions stayed optimal for winter testing.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) completed a race simulation, which began at midday with 20 laps of the Circuito de Jerez. After a busy day making the most of the dry conditions, the Northern Irishman topped the WorldSBK timesheets for the day with a time of 1.38, 721. By obliterating the pole and race record at Jerez, Rea sets the bar high ahead of the new season.

Not long after midday, Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) came off of his ZX-10RR in a low-side crash at Aspar Corner. The Yorkshireman was okay but the same couldn’t be said for his Ninja. His bike was brought back to the pits without a front end and it was back to the drawing board as the team evaluated the cause of the crash. He clocked a time of 1.39.461, ending the day on 87 laps.

Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) did a number of laps with a large sensor on the rear wheel of his Ducati, to test swingarm flex and was able to end the day 0.973s off Rea’s time, as the Italian put in an impressive 72 laps of the Andalucían circuit. Teammate Chaz Davies recorded 68 laps at a sunny Circuito de Jerez, lapping at a time of 1.39.116, and second behind Rea.

Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) continued to put in long stints aboard his MV Agusta 1000 F4 at Jerez, registering 79 laps at the legendary circuit. Recording his best lap time of 1.40.693, the Brit was able to get some mileage under his belt before the winter testing ban comes into effect in December.

The final day of the Jerez test commences Friday morning at 10:00am local time (GMT+1), where WorldSBK teams will make their final changes before preseason preparation ramps up in January ahead of the new season.

Full list of times can be found below:

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team): 1.38.721

Chaz Davies (Aruba It.Racing- Ducati): 1.39.116

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team): 1.39.461

Marco Melandri (Aruba It.Racing- Ducati): 1.39.694

Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse): 1.40.693

Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official Team): 1.41.007

Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Team): 1.41.328