2015 Sepang World Superbike Superpole Results: Longer Laps, Fewer Chances

Superpole at the longest track of the year, with laps of over two minutes round the 5.543KM circuit, would not allow riders and teams as much time to relax. With no time to waste, and a lap too long for two good laps on the qualifying tyre, riders would get two laps on a race tyre and maybe only one on the qualifier. Ayrton Badovini missed the session after he got a concussion when he crashed with Matteo Baiocco in FP3. He will likely declared unfit for the races tomorrow.

Superpole one was opened with Alex Lowes on a race tyre setting a 2'05.296 with Michael van der Mark second quickest after everyone completed their first lap. Lowes on his second lap improved slightly as everyone headed in to get their stickier one-lap tyre. Riders started heading out with four and a half minutes left, enough time for some of them to get two laps out of the qualifying tyre, but with the usual jostling for clear track or hunting for a tow, very few riders were in a position for more than one flying lap.

Leon Camier set the benchmark on the qualifier with a 2'05.051, but Matteo Baiocco was two thirds of a second quicker, with a 2'04.380 in spite of dodging Leandro Mercado's skidding bike as it crossed the track on its side without its rider. Alex Lowes was the other rider to progress to the second session. Michael van der Mark and Leon Camier missed out on promotion, van der Mark qualifying twelfth if Badovini doesn't race, while Camier will head the fifth row.

The second Superpole session had eleven riders, missing Badovini, competing for the front four rows. Jordi Torres on race rubber set a 2'03.890, the quickest lap of the weekend, nearly matched by Tom Sykes only a twentieth of a second slower. Jonathan Rea. Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli headed straight back into the pits, not bothering with a second lap on race rubber after filling out the top five.

As the quicker tyres were fitted, Chaz Davies was the first rider out before Sylvain Guintoli and Leon Haslam. Guintoli was the first rider to beat Torres's time and Jonathan Rea was on track to beat him, but made two errors, saving slides, and was only fifth quickest as he crossed the line.

Tom Sykes however, came out and quietly set a 2'03.240 and stole pole position, his 28th, as his teammate Rea was pushed down to an eventual seventh place, keeping Sykes's slim hopes of the title win alive. 

Jordi Torres got his best start of the year, setting the second quickest lap of the weekend on his only lap with qualifying tyres.

Sylvain Guintoli took third place, his first visit to Parc Fermé this year, with Max Biaggi, Alex Lowes and Chaz Davies making up the second row.

Qualifying Results:

Superpole One:

Superpole Two: