SBK, FP3: Rea fastest, Melandri 6th

This season's 'new feature' played out this afternoon in Australia. We're talking about the third timed practice, a final chance to enter Superpole2. The additional session hasn't really done much to change the result, given that only one rider was able to improve enough to enter the top ten, with Friday's best time remaining that of Lorenzo Savadori in FP2.

Taking a closer look at this final session, the fastest rider was world champ Jonathan Rea, who completed a marathon 20 laps and was the only guy to duck under 1’31 with a 1’30”972; the Northern Irish rider made the biggest improvement in terms of lap time, moving up into fifth place in the combined standings thanks to this time

Behind him in FP3 was Xavi Fores (+0.253) and the Ducati, followed by Leon Camier who looks at ease on the Honda. Fourth for Tom Sykes, nevertheless very close to the second-placed rider. Almost half a second behind the Brit was fifth-placed Michael Van Der Mark; Yamaha's other rider, Alex Lowes was just able to get into Superpole2, following his big crash in FP2, closing eighth in the final session (+0.544) which translates into tenth overall.

In sixth and seventh place the Ducati Aruba pairing, with Melandri ahead of Davies, both just over half a second from the front and followed by the aforementioned Lowes, by Laverty  and by Jordi Torres. The Spaniard will face Superpole 1 after finishing 13th overall, as will Loris Baz (21st in this session) who pays dearly for his FP2 crash.

Much further back compared to the previous session was Lorenzo Savadori, 12th, but he nevertheless remains the quickest of the day. he finished session three ahead of the Kawasakis of Razgatlioglu and Mercado, both of whom will take part in Superpole 1.