Rea outpaces the MotoGP riders on day two at Jerez
World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea outpaced the contingent of MotoGP riders present for the second day of this week's private test session at Jerez.
While on the opening day the Kawasaki rider sent a warning by finishing just a tenth away from the best time (set by Hector Barbera), on the second day he lowered the MotoGP pole position time at Jerez.
The rain forecast at the Spanish track on Thursday did not materialise, and while the temperatures started off low, the sun warmed up the asphalt enough to allow riders to set good times later in the day.
The 1:39.614 set by Barbera as the reference time on the opening day was beaten by six riders, including the Valencian rider himself, but only two riders managed to get beneath the 1m39s mark.
Alvaro Bautista, in his fourth day with the Aspar Ducati, stopped the clock at 1m38.946s, a little over two tenths slower than the track record, set by Jorge Lorenzo, a 1m38.735s.
But while Bautista's time was the best of the MotoGP bikes present, Rea grabbed the spotlight by posting a 1m38.721s, the fastest ever lap by a road-derived bike at Jerez, beating all the MotoGP bikes present.
That was underneath the pole time from the previous Spanish GP (Valentino Rossi, 1m39.736s), but it is still far from the 1m37.910s that Lorenzo managed in 2015, the final year with Bridgestone tyres.
The surprises did not stop there as Ducati World Superbike rider Chaz Davies finished third on a 1m39.116s, ahead of Loris Baz, second quickest of the MotoGP riders, and Tom Sykes on the second Kawasaki ZX-10R.
Barbera, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), Marco Melandri (Ducati WSBK), Danilo Petrucci (Pramac Ducati) and Karel Abraham (Aspar Ducati) completed the top 10.
Jack Miller was best of the Honda riders, ninth among the MotoGP riders, ahead of Mika Kallio on the KTM and Takuya Tsuda, the sole representative for Suzuki after Andrea Iannone ended his test early.
Testing times (Thursday - combined MotoGP and WSBK)
| Pos | Piloto | Bike | Champ | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jonathan Rea |  Kawasaki | WSBK | 1:38.721 | -- |
| 2 |  Alvaro Bautista | Ducati | MotoGP | 1:38.946 | 0.225 |
| 3 | Chaz Davies | Ducati | WSBK | 1:39.116 | 0.395 |
| 4 |  Loris Baz | Ducati | MotoGP | 1:39.184 | 0.463 |
| 5 | Tom Sykes | Kawasaki | WSBK | 1:39.461 | 0.740 |
| 6 | Hector Barbera | Ducati | MotoGP | 1:39.542 | 0.821 |
| 7 | Aleix Espargaro | Aprilia | MotoGP | 1:39.675 | 0.954 |
| 8 |  Marco Melandri | Ducati | WSBK | 1:39.694 | 0.973 |
| 9 | Danilo Petrucci | Ducati | MotoGP | 1:39.766 | 1.045 |
| 10 |  Karel Abraham | Ducati | MotoGP | 1:39.776 | 1.055 |
| 11 | Michele Pirro | Ducati | MotoGP | 1:39.887 | 1.166 |
| 12 | Scott Redding | Ducati | MotoGP | 1:39.985 | 1.264 |
| 13 | Alex Lowes | Yamaha | WSBK | 1:40.142 | 1.421 |
| 14 |  Jack Miller | Honda | MotoGP | 1:40.307 | 1.586 |
| 15 |  Mika Kallio | KTM | MotoGP | 1:40.505 | 1.784 |
| 16 | Leon Camier | MV Agusta | WSBK | 1:40.693 | 1.972 |
| 17 |  Takuya Tsuda | Suzuki | MotoGP | 1:40.942 | 2.221 |
| 18 | Hiroshi Aoyama | Honda | MotoGP | 1:41.003 | 2.282 |
| 19 |  Michael van der Mark | Yamaha | WSBK | 1:41.328 | 2.607 |
| 20 | Bradley Smith | KTM | MotoGP | 1:41.621 | 2.900 |
| 21 | Sam Lowes | Aprilia | MotoGP | 1:42.312 | 3.591 |
Previous article
Iannone withdraws from Jerez MotoGP test after first day
Next article
Motorsport.com's Top 10 MotoGP riders of 2016
About this article
| Series | MotoGP |
| Drivers | Jonathan Rea |
| Author | José Manuel González Tamajón |
Repsol Honda Team - Pol Espargaró Q&A
Repsol Honda Team - Marc Marquez Q&A
Why Alex Marquez doesn't care about 'shutting up' MotoGP critics
Alex Marquez's form was one of MotoGP 2020's biggest surprises and, by firmly stepping out of his six-time world champion brother Marc's shadow, he proved a few people wrong. Not that he cares about this, as he tells Lewis Duncan
How Yamaha's new MotoGP era can unchain Vinales
After the electrifying start to his Yamaha MotoGP career in 2017, Maverick Vinales has struggled for consistency. Many anticipate that the arrival of Fabio Quartararo could spell disaster, but the departure of Valentino Rossi could be just the impetus he needs.
Does KTM really need 'super engine' for MotoGP title challenge?
Fears from rival MotoGP manufacturers that KTM would build a 'super engine' for 2021 have ultimately come to nothing with the revealation that the RC16 hasn't been radically changed over the winter. But does it really need that to win the title?
How Ducati's latest Aussie union can return it to MotoGP glory
Australians on Ducatis is an iconic partnership, the marque's last one yielding its sole MotoGP crown to date. But its latest Aussie union with the often underestimated Jack Miller can end this drought.
The "balls out" battle between MotoGP's true greats
Senna vs Prost is regularly cited as motorsport's greatest rivalry. But it can easily be argued Rainey vs Schwantz can stake that claim. That rivalry was in full swing during the 1991 500cc season, remembered fondly by both stars 30 years on...
The "warrior" MotoGP rookie KTM was right to back
The 2020 MotoGP campaign featured a standout pair of rookies, but one flew under the radar as he adjusted to a shock step-up armed with very little racing experience. However as his veteran team boss explains, the faith shown in him was not misplaced
Why Suzuki's Brivio replacement must come from within
With its charismatic leader Davide Brivio leaving for Formula 1, the Suzuki MotoGP squad he turned into a world championship-winning force in 2020 has a major recruitment headache that it needs to resolve carefully.
Why Alpine's latest signing could be its best hope of F1 glory
The return of Fernando Alonso to the renamed Alpine team is a sure sign of the team's ambition. But its latest appointment from MotoGP could be an even bigger coup as it seeks to end a barren run stretching back to Alonso's 2006 world title
