Davide Giugliano shines on WSBK’s maiden nocturnal sessions
After numerous changes, the final Tissot-Superpole participants of 2014 were decided in the final minutes of this evening’s FP3 under floodlights in the Qatari desert.
After missing the second session because of a technical problem Davide Giugliano (Ducati Superbike Team) wasted no time in improving, moving firstly to 8th, then 6th before unleashing the fastest time of the day to head into tomorrow’s Superpole as the quickest rider.
Behind the Italian, Jonthan Rea (Pata Honda World Superbike) finished 2nd, maintaining his strong opening day at the Losail International circuit with Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) 3rd overall ahead of his compatriot Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team), who elevated himself to 4th on combined times.
Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) and team mate Alex Lowes, who crashed during the session were 5th and 6th respectively ahead of Chaz Davies (Ducati Superbike Team), an improving Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike Team), and Toni Elias (Red Devils Roma Aprilia) who complete the top ten seeded riders into Superpole 2.
Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing Team) will have to run in Superpole 1 after only finishing 11th as will Niccolò Canepa (Althea Racing Ducati) who finished 12th to once again claim the honour of being the best classified EVO rider.
There was delight in the Team Hero EBR camp as Geoff May made it through into Superpole for the first time in 20th, a great reward for the team’s efforts during their first venture into World Superbike competition.
Times: 1. Giugliano (Ducati) 1’57.876 average 164.308 kph; 2. Rea (Honda) 1’58.013; 3. Guintoli (Aprilia) 1’58.166; 4. Baz (Kawasaki) 1’58.296; 5. Laverty (Suzuki) 1’58.449; 6. Lowes (Suzuki) 1’58.539; 7. Davies (Ducati) 1’58.583; 8. Sykes (Kawasaki) 1’58.818; 9. Haslam (Honda) 1’58.989; 10. Elias (Aprilia) 1’59.025; 11. Melandri (Aprilia) 1’59.162; 12. Canepa (Ducati) 1’59.284; 13. Barrier (BMW) 1’59.390; 14. Morais (Kawasaki) 1’59.686; 15. Salom (Kawasaki) 1’59.975; 16. Andreozzi (Kawasaki) 2’00.294; 17. Cudlin (Kawasaki) 2’00.436; 18. Guarnoni (Kawasaki) 2’01.223; 19. Staring (Kawasaki) 2’01.447; 20. May (EBR) 2’01.801; 21. Corti (MV Agusta) 2’02.097; 22. Yates (EBR) 2’02.289; 23. Rizmayer (BMW) 2’03.168; 24. Toth (BMW) 2’04.172.
World Supersport
The World Supersport championship riders had their first taste of riding under floodlights in the opening two Free Practice sessions of their season finale at the Losail International circuit this evening with the 2014 World Champion Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Supersport Team) emerging on top in a session that saw the first 11 riders covered by less than a second.
Improving by almost a second on his FP1 time that saw him comfortably ahead of the rest of the field, the newly crowned Supersport champion clung on to the overall number one spot ahead of the revelation of the French round at Magny-Cours Lucas Mahias who repaid the faith placed on him by the DMC-Panavto Yamaha squad.
Roberto Tamburini (San Carlo Puccetti Kawasaki) was 3rd ahead of Thai rider Ratthapark Wilairot (Core PTR Honda), Lorenzo Zanetti (Pata Honda World Supersport Team) and former champion Kenan Sofuoglu (San Carlo Puccetti Kawasaki) who completed the top six
Florian Marino (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) crashed unhurt with five minutes to go of the second session to go causing a short delay as the track was cleared, he eventually finished 9th.
Newly crowned FIM Europe Superstock 600cc Champion Marco Faccani was an impressive 14th on his debut with the San Carlo Puccetti Kawasaki team despite a crash upon the restart to FP2.
Local Qatari rider Naser Al Malki was given the opportunity of his career to date after visa problems prevented Martin Cardenas from riding the CIA Insurance Honda. The WSS debutant rode to a credible 20th position overall and is well placed to challenge for a point scoring finish on Sunday.
American PJ Jacobsen (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) had a day to forget, suffering a technical problem early on that left him languishing in 20th position.
Times: 1. vd Mark (Honda) 2’02.206 average 158.486 kph; 2. Mahias (Yamaha) 2’02.634; 3. Tamburini (Kawasaki) 2’02.670; 4. Wilairot (Honda) 2’02.787; 5. Zanetti (Honda) 2’02.919; 6. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) 2’02.923; 7. Cluzel (MV Agusta) 2’03.060; 8. Roccoli (MV Agusta) 2’03.085; 9. Marino (Kawasaki) 2’03.183; 10. Kennedy (Honda) 2’03.371; 11. De Rosa (Honda) 2’03.668; 12. Rolfo (Kawasaki) 2’03.682; 13. Coghlan (Yamaha) 2’03.736; 14. Faccani (Kawasaki) 2’03.749; 15. Debise (Honda) 2’04.226; etc.
