WSB: Rea masters Misano ahead of Cortese, Bautista off the front row!

Rea takes his first back-to-back poles since 2017 on a day where Alvaro Bautista wasn’t able to shine!

Despite morning rain, the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” dried out for a frantic Tissot Superpole session for the 2019 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. With multiple changes in the closing stages at the Italian venue, it was a grid that features surprises throughout, as Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) clinched pole ahead of Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) and Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).

Following on from his strong start on Friday, Jonathan Rea rocketed to another pole position, with a lap time of 1’34.596 slotting him in nicely at the head of the grid. The Northern Irishman claims his first back-to-back pole positions since Portimao and Magny-Cours in 2017, making it a ninth circuit that he has now taken pole position at. Sandro Cortese put his Yamaha in second place, featuring as top Yamaha and top Independent for his second front row in 2019 – the first time a German rider has started on the front row at Misano. Tom Sykes continues his front row form at Misano, finishing in third and in the mix for his first podium of the season.

Row two sees big names, as Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was able to put in a strong lap time, missing out on the front row by just 0.050s. The British rider will seek to make up for his Jerez misfortune at Misano this weekend. However, it was championship leader Alvaro Bautista (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) who was only able to slot in in fifth position. The Spaniard, who hasn’t topped a session all weekend so far, has his work cut-out in Race 1. Leon Haslam claimed sixth place, 0.619s off his teammate’s pole time.

The third row of the grid welcomes Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) into seventh, after two previously successful test days at the Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” in Italy. The home-hero is top Italian on the grid, and heads teammate wildcard rider Michele Pirro and ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati’s Chaz Davies, who completed row three. The top ten was completed by Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing), taking his second-best grid slot after Saturday Tissot Superpole of the season.

Outside of the top ten, Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) could only manage 13^th place, whilst wildcard Samuele Cavalieri (Motocorsa Racing) was a respectable 15^th. Top Honda rider was Alessandro Delbianco (Althea Mie Racing Team), taking 18^th place at his home round.

1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’34.596
2. Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) +0.355
3. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.380
4. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.430
5. Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.548
6. Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.619