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The Cremona Circuit in Italy is preparing for its first MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship round later this year and, to prepare, is hosting a two-day test for around half of the WorldSBK field as well as a few riders from WorldSSP. You can read a preview of the test HERE as well as follow live timing right HERE as teams, riders and manufacturers get their first taste of the recently renovated venue. All times stated are in Local Time (UTC+2).

18:28 - A bit of a lap count overview. Gardner and Rabat did 112 laps today across the eight hours. In total, Rabat did 233 at Cremona once you include the 121 from Thursday...

18:10 - The chequered flag falls on testing. Gardner ends up in P1, just ahead of Locatelli with Rinaldi two tenths away from the #87 in P3.

17:25 - More movement as Scott Redding takes P4 withn a 1'29.304s.

17:09 - Locatelli's now moved up the order, slotting into second behind Gardner. He's set a 1'28.995s, before improving to a 1'28.919s; he's 0.059s slower than Gardner.

16:45 - Another big move in the standings as American star Garrett Gerloff moves into third. He's set a 1'29.325s, around half a second down on Gardner.

16:30 - A mixed few minutes for Gardner. After going top of the timesheets, the Australian had an off-track excursion but returned to his box.

16:18 - Two quick moves! Rinaldi moves into P1 with a 1'29.063s before Gardner beats that with a 1'28.860s.

16:05 - Rinaldi, after being strong yesterday, has gone back inside the top three. He's just posted a 1'29.567s, 0.024s slower than Rabat. Sam Lowes still leads the way in today's combined classification.

15:58 - Rea has now gone out for the first time this afternoon. Rabat still leads the way.

15:44 - Remy Gardner has moved into second with a 1'29.795s, ahead of Andrea Locatelli as the two Yamaha riders move up the order. Jonathan Rea hasn't tested this afternoon.

15:27 - It's gone quiet on track... because rain's started to fall at Cremona again.

15:06 - It looks like both Sam Lowes and Andrea Iannone will take no further part in this afternoon's testing. 

14:45 - Tito Rabat has gone P1 in the afternoon with a 1'29.543s, but he's still slower than Lowes from this morning.

14:37 - A six-minute stoppage, but we're back underway now. Rabat heads out on track alongside Gardner, Bin Pawi and Toba.

14:31 - There's a red flag out at Cremona. It's after a crash at Turn 4 for Huertas.

14:27 - It's still a relatively quiet track as it stands. Gerloff is fastest so far in the afternoon session, around a second down on Lowes' best time from this morning.

14:12 - Redding and Rabat are the first WorldSBK riders to head out, followed by Ivan Goi on the QJMOTOR in WorldSSP.

14:07 - The green flag waves for the final session at Cremona. However, no one has gone out on track yet.

13:00 - The flag falls on Friday morning, with Lowes topping the times with a 1'29.137s. Some late improvements meant Bulega and Bautista finished second and third, with Rinaldi and Rabat completing the top five. The #53 was the busiest rider this morning, with 74 laps to his name. In WorldSSP, it's advantage Huertas ahead of Oncu and Bin Pawi. We'll see you at 14:00 for more test action from Italy.

12:48 - Although that didn't last long, with Bulega moving into second ahead of teammate Bautista. 

12:47 - And now the #1 has gone second, demoting former teammate Rinaldi into third. He's 0.318s behind Lowes.

12:45 - A final flurry to come before lunch? Bautista's moved into third now with a 1'29.610s, making it a Ducati 1-2-3.

12:40 - Redding's morning is done following a mechanical issue this morning. He's hoping to go back out this afternoon, though.

12:35 - For reference, Lowes' best time was set on the SCQ tyre. He's now up to 63 laps for the morning.

12:30 - Some news from Cremona. Tarran Mackenzie had a crash at Turn 2, but he was able to ride his bike back to the pits.

12:21 - ...and he's just gone even faster! The Marc VDS Ducati rider's just set a 1'29.137s, the gap now up to 0.442s. Will he break into the 1'28s soon?

12:19 - The Rinaldi vs Lowes battle continues, with the #14 re-taking spot ahead of Rinaldi. He's just set a 1'29.430s to move 0.149s clear.

12:00 - One hour to go in the morning, and Rinaldi still leads Rabat with Lowes in third. Then it's the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati duo in fourth and fifth.

11:44 - Rabat's been one of the busiest riders throughout the test and he's racked up another 51 laps today. The #53 has also moved into second place,0.084s behind Rinaldi.

11:24 - Rinaldi retakes first place as he sets a 1'29.579s, almost two tenths clear of Lowes in second. It's been a battle between these two so far at Cremona, will anyone else join the party?

11:17 - Sam Lowes returns to P1! He's just gone 0.020s faster than Rinaldi with a 1'29.796s.

11:00 - We're halfway through the morning session and it's been a busy one, so it's time for a quick recap. Rinaldi leads the way after posting the fastest lap of the test, with a 1'29.816s. Lowes is second ahead of Bulega, who crashed around 15 minutes ago. Rea had a technical issue at the start of the day which briefly brought out the red flags. Reigning Champion Bautista is fifth, while Huertas leads the WorldSSP field.

10:43 - Nicolo Bulega has mixed fortunes. He heads into the top three with a time of 1'29.923s, then promptly crashes. 

10:35 - Tito Rabat continues his impressive testing form, breaking into the top five with a time of 1'30.562s. He has also been the busiest rider so far this morning, clocking up 32 laps so far!

10:30 - The reigning World Champion jumps into the top ten! Alvaro Bautista cracks the 1'30s barrier with a time of 1'30.681s.

10:19 - A new name on top! Rinaldi's usurped Lowes by just 0.020s. The #21's time is a 1'29.916s.

10:14 - Rinaldi's moved back into second place with a 1'30.077s, just over two tenths back from Lowes. Meanwhile, Tarran Mackenzie's just posted a 1'30.843s to move inside the top ten.

10:05 - Honda's Vierge has been back on track and moved into second place, 0.515s behind Lowes.

09:56 - We're back to green at Cremona!

09:54 - Another red flag on track. A good chance to take stock... Lowes is on top still as the only rider in the 1'29s. Redding is second with Rinaldi in third, and Bulega and Lecuona rounding out the top five. Huertas leads the WorldSSP field ahead of Oncu.

09:44 – Scrap that! Lowes has just posted a 1’29.836s, which means he’s gone faster than his time from yesterday when the #14 set a 1’29.976s

09:36 - We've had a flurry of laps times come in. Yesterday's pacesetter, Sam Lowes, leads Michael Ruben Rinaldi by 0.211s. Nicolo Bulega - his first time on the Panigale V4 R here - is immediately into the top three. Lowes' time is a 1'30.507s - so similar to yesterday's best time but a little bit slower.

09:22 - The red flag was brought out after a technical problem for Rea's Yamaha bike.

09:19 - The green flag is back out.

09:13 - Live timing is saying there's a red flag on track. We'll bring you the info when we have it.

09:12 - Around 12 minutes into the session, and a few riders have gone out. Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter, as well as Tito Rabat, have ventured out.

09:00 - Green flag, day two begins! We remember that today we are waiting for more riders, those from Aruba.it Racing - Ducati, GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team and Pata Prometeon Yamaha. And precisely, Jonathan Rea is the first to take to the track...

08:58 - Good morning! Welcome to the minute by minute of Day 2 from Cremona. If you missed yesterday's action, you can read the minute by minute below or the report HERE. You can also read the thoughts of Lecuona, third yesterday, and Rinaldi, second. And finally, you can also watch a FREE video to experience a complete tour of Cremona.

Day 1:

18:00 – The chequered flag falls, ending the first day of testing in Cremona. Sam Lowes was the fastest rider ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi, whose best time came on the SC0 tyre rather than the SCX.

17:25 – The green flag flies again.

17:22 - Red flag in the session.

17:17 – The green flag comes out again and we are back on track for the final 40 minutes of action here in Cremona.

16:59 – There is just over an hour left until the first day of testing in Cremona ends. A technical problem for Adrian Huertas in turns 7-8 has caused the red flag.

15:59 - Michael Ruben Rinaldi takes first! The Italian clocks a 1'40.788s to take the lead in this afternoon's session.

15:48 - Tito Rabat tops the timetables so far this afternoon, with a time of 1'43.503s. Naturally, with the wet weather conditions, Rabat's time was considerably slower but we were still able to get a rough idea of wet weather pace - he used the wet tyres.

15:00 - Tito Rabat is the first to face the wet Cremona track.

14:33 - It has stopped raining in Cremona, however, no rider has left yet.

14:00 - And we're back! Green flag to begin the afternoon session of this Cremona test. However, no rider has left the pit, as it is pouring rain.

13:00 - The chequered flag falls to end the morning session of the Cremona test! Sam Lowes heads the times, closely followed by Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Iker Lecuona. Adrian Huertas finishes as the faster WorldSSP Rider. The action on the track will resume at 2:00 p.m. local time. 

12:46 - Sam Lowes takes the lead! The Marc VDS Ducati rider is the first to get under 1'30s, with a time of 1'29.976s.

12:23 - Xavi Vierge had a very positive morning. The Team HRC rider is fourth with a time of 1'30.751s.

12:08 - With just under an hour left in the morning session, the top five remain the same: Rinaldi, Lowes, Lecuona, Rabat and Gerloff. Huertas continues to lead in WorldSSP, with Oncu second.

11:33 - The table has changed a little! Rinaldi continues to lead ahead of Lowes, while Lecuona has placed third and left Rabat fourth. Gerloff is the best BMW, in fifth position.

11:05 - We have passed the halfway point of the first session of the day. Rinaldi remains the fastest with a 1'30.131s, followed by Sam Lowes, second, and Rabat, third.

10:45 – More news from the circuit. Raffaele De Rosa was scheduled to ride the QJMOTOR in this test, but the Italian became a father last night (congratulations to him and his family), so Puccetti Racing has called up an old acquaintance: Ivan Goi. He won the 125cc Austrian GP in 1996, with Valentino Rossi third, and is Italian Superbike champion. He has also previously raced in WorldSSP and WorldSBK.

10:30 - Rinaldi is the first rider to drop to the 1'30s, still in the lead three times beating his best time.

10:07 - Our journalist on the track confirms that the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati will only test tomorrow.

10:03 - After the first hour in Cremona, Rinaldi is still at the top of the times. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) is the fastest in WorldSSP, with a time of 1'34.582s.

09:54 - Lowes takes second, with a time of 1'31.862s. He is the second rider to drop below 1'31s this morning.

09:49 - Rabat moves into third with a time of 1'32.590s.

09:40 - Iker Lecouna (Team HRC) goes out on track for the first time after his injury.

09:35 - Rinaldi leads the time sheets with a 1'31.099s.

09:26 – Riders continue to take to the track. On this occasion, Xavi Vierge (Team HRC), Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing) and Sam Lowes (ELF MarcVDS Racing Team).

09:21 - Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) takes to the track. Together with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing-Ducati), he rode a Panigale V4 S on the track last week.

09:15 - Information from our journalist at the circuit: neither the Pata Prometeon Yamaha, with Jonathan Rea and Andrea Locatelli, nor the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team, with Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter, will take to the track today. They will test on Friday.