The defending champion set a time of 1'50.902 to finish behind Sam Lowes of Yakhnich Motorsport.
This is the seventh race of the season with both the Mahi Racing riders Kenan Sofuoglu and Fabien Foret tied at second spot with 81 points.
Sofuoglu, who is seeking a victory at Imola to close in on the top spot in overall standing, was satisfied with his performance and felt that he was in a position to challenge for the chequered flag in Italy tomorrow.
Foret would start the race on 11th spot after setting a time of 1'52.203.