Submitted by Jared Earle on
World Superbike Superpole at Portimao opened with Toprak Razgatlioglu being the quickest rider, but with riders having the option of what should be called the Tom Sykes tyre, he would have his work cut out for him if he intended to get a front row start.
Loris Baz was the first to set a fast lap, but when Razgatlioglu set his first lap, he went to the top with a 1'41.353. Scott Redding set the second-quickest lap before losing a wing hitting the bump into turn five and crashing out, but the Marshalls were quick enough to help him back up and he gave his mechanics some extra work.
At the halfway mark, most riders pitted in for the standard issue mid-session break, but Scott Redding made the most of a mostly empty track to check out his new left-side plastics. At the seven minute mark, the sticky tyres were fitted and the qualifying proper started.
Leon Haslam snuck out while Alvaro Bautista got his Honda repaired after an off. Haslam was the first to set a lap with the Q tyre, and he put himself in a fourth place that would not last. Alex Lowes set a 1'41.074 to go quickest, and Tom Sykes set red sectors throughout his lap only to miss out in the last sector. Jonathan Rea took the top place with a 1'40.676, with Toprak Razgatlioglu just a quarter of a second off pole.
With the flag out, Scott Redding was on quick sector times, but as he fluffed his first lap on the quick tyre, his second attempt dropped off the pace halfway around.
Jonathan Rea sat in his 24th career pole position, fourth at Portimao, for this afternoon's race, ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu's first ever Superpole front row and Alex Lowes on the second Kawasaki.
Tom Sykes headed the second row, ahead of Michael van der Mark and Loris Baz. Michael Ruben Rinaldi was the quickest Ducati, ahead of Scott Redding and Eugene Laverty.
Results:
Pos | No. | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap | Speed |
1 | 1 | J. REA | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | 1'40.676 | 307,8 | |
2 | 54 | T. RAZGATLIOGLU | Yamaha YZF R1 | 1'40.954 | 0.278 | 313,2 |
3 | 22 | A. LOWES | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | 1'41.074 | 0.398 | 310,5 |
4 | 66 | T. SYKES | BMW S1000 RR | 1'41.240 | 0.564 | 309,6 |
5 | 60 | M. VAN DER MARK | Yamaha YZF R1 | 1'41.335 | 0.659 | 306,1 |
6 | 76 | L. BAZ | Yamaha YZF R1 | 1'41.354 | 0.678 | 307,8 |
7 | 21 | M. RINALDI | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1'41.424 | 0.748 | 306,1 |
8 | 45 | S. REDDING | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1'41.436 | 0.760 | 312,3 |
9 | 50 | E. LAVERTY | BMW S1000 RR | 1'41.504 | 0.828 | 307,8 |
10 | 91 | L. HASLAM | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 1'41.607 | 0.931 | 306,1 |
11 | 31 | G. GERLOFF | Yamaha YZF R1 | 1'41.807 | 1.131 | 308,7 |
12 | 19 | A. BAUTISTA | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 1'42.123 | 1.447 | 308,7 |
13 | 7 | C. DAVIES | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1'42.227 | 1.551 | 315,9 |
14 | 11 | S. CORTESE | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | 1'42.345 | 1.669 | 298,5 |
15 | 12 | X. FORES | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | 1'42.421 | 1.745 | 310,5 |
16 | 64 | F. CARICASULO | Yamaha YZF R1 | 1'42.491 | 1.815 | 304,4 |
17 | 77 | M. SCHEIB | Kawasaki ZX-10RR | 1'42.654 | 1.978 | 301,8 |
18 | 36 | L. MERCADO | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1'42.718 | 2.042 | 307,8 |
19 | 33 | M. MELANDRI | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1'42.873 | 2.197 | 304,4 |
20 | 20 | S. BARRIER | Ducati Panigale V4 R | 1'42.894 | 2.218 | 301,8 |
21 | 13 | T. TAKAHASHI | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 1'44.025 | 3.349 | 300,2 |
22 | 23 | C. PONSSON | Aprilia RSV4 1000 | 1'44.027 | 3.351 | 305,2 |
23 | 63 | L. GABELLINI | Honda CBR1000RR-R | 1'44.779 | 4.103 | 288,2 |
Comments
"Rental Car Dashboard"
Not sure I'd ever heard that line before this session, but it certainly made me laugh! Thank's for that Steve.