Alex Lowes went fastest in the second practice session on Friday at the W🔯orld Superbike round.

He sat out the opening morning sꦬession due to the wet conditions before burs🐎ting to the top of the timesheets in the dry in the afternoon.

With no Toprak Razgatlioglu this weekend due to injury, and Alvaro Bautista also nursing a kn♓ock, the door is ajar for somebo♎dy else to claim race victories this weekend in Italy.

Kawasaki rider Lowes pointed out his key area to improve for Saturday: “Corner entry on the slower corners. The corners are quite long, you’re in first and second gear a lo🐻t.

“A lot of engine bra🌜king. After a few laps, the rear was slidin✅g a lot.

“This is an area wh🌌ere🐎 we can get a better feeling.”

He summed up Friday: “It was a🌳 positive day. We missed the first session in damp conditions.

“In the dry in the afternoon, I was able to find the feeling qui❀te fast. I tried a couple of the tyres from Pirelli.

“Overall, it was quite positive.

“Hopefully FP3 is dry to check our preferr🥃ed tyre.

“But they ꦓare quite similar - they have slightly different character, one has more grip on the edge, one is a bit better when you lift the bike up.

“We need to decide which ✃will give us the advantage, 23 laps around any track is a long race.”

L🎃owes added: “I fe♛el like my race pace should be okay. We don’t know.

“Everyboౠdy will improve a lot, and we don’t know this track.

“I’m always able to g🐻et down to the lap ꩲtimes quite fast.

“I’ve got a good te🔜am, the guys understand whatꦏ I need from the bike.

“So I expect to be strong. How strong? W👍e’ll see.”

He also praised⛎ the Cremona circuit for its major improvements since WSBK riders tested for the first time earlier this year.

🌺“Congratulations to the guys from the track, they’ve done a fantastic job,” he s🐻aid.

“It’s like a completely different circuit. The𓆉y’ve improved the run-off, the new grandstands are around, the kerbs are great.

“It was a nice surprise.”