The tests for the WSBK 2020 campaign started back in November, although Honda is running Haslam | and Ducati Exile Alvaro Bautista had taken place in private outings in Aragon, Portimao and Jerez without the rest of the field.
Despite the wet track conditions, the drivers drove to the Jerez circuit when the session was lit green at 11 a.m. local time.
The reigning British superbike champion and new works to be signed by Ducati Scott Redding Set the early pace aboard his Panigale V4 with a 2m04.580s – although this has been steadily improving as track conditions improved slightly over the remainder of the morning and early afternoon.
Haslam’s top time for the session came around 3pm local time when he led the Honda in 1: 52.149 minutes after replacing Ten Kate Yamahas Loris Baz at the top of the leaderboard.
Heavy rain in the late afternoon meant that very few ventured out on the track and Haslams 1: 52.149 minutes remained unchallenged.
Yamaha works rider Michael van der Mark was 0.031 seconds behind Haslam on the timesheets, and Yamaha stable mate Garrett Gerloff completed the top three for GRT.
The American star Gerloff and his GRT team-mate Federico Caricasulo, who is advancing from World Supersport this year, were comfortably the fastest WSBK rookie, four tenths behind ninth place.
Redding slipped to fourth place after another brief run at the top of the standings, while Baz completed the top 5 as Ten Kate prepared for his first full season in the WSBK since 2018, having completed just eight rounds last year would have.
Tom Sykes was the best BMW runner in sixth place with a time of 1: 53.097 minutes, while Alex Lowes was the only Kawasaki factory rider to set a time in seventh place on Wednesday.
World champion Rea decided against a mileage, but completed a few laps on Tuesday after a filming session with KRT – which will miss the upcoming Portimao test.
Rea is also not expected to be seen on Thursday, but is expected to have a private run ahead of the Phillip Island test ahead of the season opener.
New Yamaha boy Toprak Razgatlioglu caused a red flag with a fall at Turn 1 during a downpour and finished day eight while Bautista was tenth after doing 15 laps on his Honda.
Chaz Davies was another crasher on Wednesday. The Ducati rider also got out at Turn 1. Uninjured, he finished the 21st day ahead of Leon Camier’s Barni replacement Sandro Cortese.
HRC MotoGP test rider Stefan Bradl is also present in Jerez, setting miles on the RC213V ahead of the Sepang test in Sepang next month. There were no times available for Bradl.