Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) has been one of few thorns in the top Yamaha riders’ sides in the past couple of seasons, but today he led them all home, if only after a dry then wet pair of free practice sessions at Motorland Aragon.

All the best times for the riders, with one exception, were set in the morning FP1 period, with De Rosa 0.136 seconds up on potential champion, Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) and relatively new challenger to the established order, Thomas Gradinger (Kallio Racing Yamaha).

Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) placed fourth, while the constantly improving Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was top Kawasaki runner in fifth place. He did not venture out in the wet afternoon period, however.

Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) went sixth, ahead of Isaac Vinales (Kallio Racing Yamaha) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing). Bizarrely, Rob Hartog (Team Hartog Against Cancer Kawasaki) went tenth fastest in FP1 but was then declared unfit. He had suffered an undetected broken scaphoid in his wrist after his big Australian crash, which was finally detected under X-Ray at Motorland.

Returning WorldSSP race winner Kyle Smith (Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) came into his new team at this round, and was 22nd overall, before the rains ruined the second session in the afternoon.

By Gordon Ritchie

Photos GnG