WorldSBK Misano FP | Rinaldi steps up to take Friday lead at Misano

Michael Ruben Rinaldi set the benchmark on the opening day of track action for Round 3 of the 2021 WorldSBK Championship at Misan, heading off Alex Lowes and Toprak Razgatlioglu.

The Italian, who has been promoted to the Ducati factory team for this season, has endured a tricky start to life as a works racer, but after showing flashes of promise last time out in Estoril, Rinaldi got his weekend underway in fine fettle.

Quickest in FP2, Rinaldi almost made it a clean sweep having led much of FP1 as well, only to be pipped by Toprak Razgatliogluin the closing stages. However, his 1m 34.334s lap was enough to ward off his rivals in the afternoon, a pack led by Kawasaki rider Alex Lowes after a strong outing in FP2 on the new ZX-10RR.

Razgatlioglu - who missed last year’s Misano races through injury - held onto third position despite a technical issue on his Yamaha in the closing stages, ahead of championship leader Jonathan Rea and Garrett Gerloff, the American again impressing on the Yamaha.

Playing catch up in the standings after his costly fall in Estoril, Scott Redding’s Misano weekend didn’t get underway as well as Ducati team-mate Rinaldi after a problem in FP1 not only lost him mileage but also 20mins of FP2, the result of a penalty for not stopping immediately when signalled to do so.

Alvaro Bautista enjoyed his and Honda’s best start to a weekend this season with seventh quickest - despite yet another tumble - while Tom Sykes was the best placed of the BMW contingent in eighth. 

The biggest surprise of the day was Axel Bassani, the Italian rookie fifth best in FP1 before ending the day ninth overall on the privateer Motocorsa Racing Ducati. Leon Haslam completed the top ten.

Elsewhere, Chaz Davies was only 12th fastest, ahead of Tito Rabat, the two Ducati riders suffering falls at Turn 4 within seconds of each other. 

2021 WorldSBK Misano | Friday Practice Results [FP1-FP2]