For the fourth round in a row, the tale on Friday was the same: a first Free Practice session outside the Superpole 2 positions, followed by a slight improvement in FP2, and then a blistering run to the top-4 in the day’s closing laps. Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) seems to take time to warm up to the tracks he visits – but when he finds his groove, there are few better than him.

Savadori ended Friday in fourth position after Free Practice, improving his rhythm in FP3 to place himself again in the top-4, as he has done every Friday since Imola. The Italian has now qualified directly for Superpole 2 in every round this season bar one – Thailand – and will be aiming for a crucial front row start on Saturday morning.

If the last rounds are anything to go by, however, there is still a big question mark hanging over the Aprilia’s box: can Savadori replicate this pace all the way through the weekend. The Italian himself isn’t completely sure if he can find a similar race pace: “It’s difficult to say at the moment. We need to make more sessions to understand it well, but in general we need to work more for the race pace. For one lap, the bike isn’t simple, it’s physical, but it’s more important to make a good bike for 25 laps”.

Nonetheless, Savadori was clearly pleased with the day’s development: “It’s amazing to return to ride here, Laguna Seca is very nice. A positive day, but we need to work more for the rhythm, because to make it in 25 laps is not simple. But the team, Milwaukee and Aprilia will work hard through the night for this”.

“I’d like to go a little bit better than race 2 in Brno, I hope to make another little step in front”, he adds.

How will Savadori fare throughout the weekend? Find out thanks to the WorldSBK VideoPass, with all the racing available Live and OnDemand!