Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Foret Starts As He Means To Finish

By Glenn Le Santo

Fabien Foret is a man on a mission: He wants to win the World Supersport Championship. He leads the title by 17 points from closest rival Katsuaki
Fujiwara. He’s got the best possible start to the final World Supersport meeting of 2002 by taking provisional pole in Friday’s qualifying.

With only 16 points available for a third place finish, the flying Frenchman actually only has to score points if his rival Fujiwara comes home in first or second, any lower than that and Foret could technically just pull into the pits and drink his victory champagne.

Will he do that? Will Foret just ride for a finish? Of course not and anyone who expects him to simply doesn’t know the fiery Frenchman’s character! He only races to win, any less and he’s just not happy. On Sunday he’ll be pushing his Ten Kate Honda just as hard as he can for a win, no holds barred.

“I’m happy to go to provisional pole today,” said Foret. “But it’s the race that matters and I’ll be giving 100% all the way.”

Fujiwara, riding for Alstare Suzuki, kept the pressure on Foret by finishing the session second fastest, just in front of Chris Vermeulen with reigning Champion Andrew Pitt fourth.

We’ve been told there are no Honda team orders for Sunday, with all the Honda riders being told simply to ride as normal and try to pack out the top few places and spoil Fujiwara and Suzuki’s party.


Friday’s World Supersport qualifying times:

1. Fabien Foret, Honda CBR600, 1:53.376
2. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:53.500
3. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR600, 1:53.652
4. Andrew Pitt, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:53.729
5. Stéphane Chambon, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:54.105
6. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 748R, 1:54.154
7. Alessio Corradi, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:54.171
8. Paolo Casoli, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:54.243
9. Iain MacPherson, Honda CBR600, 1:54.657
10. Robert Ulm, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:54.866
11. Jörg Teuchert, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:54.889
12. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Ducati 748R, 1:54.907
13. Antonio Carlacci, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:55.143
14. James Whitham, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:55.289
15. Stefano Cruciani, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:55.503
16. Karl Muggeridge, Honda CBR600, 1:55.737
17. Paul Young, Honda CBR600, 1:55.835
18. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 748R, 1:55.899
19. Christian Kellner, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:55.962
20. Christophe Cogan, Honda CBR600, 1:55.986
21. James Ellison, Kawasaki ZX-6R, 1:56.296
22. Matthieu Lagrive, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:56.744
23. Robert Frost, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:57.164
24. Michael Laverty, Honda CBR600, 1:57.232
25. Claudio Cipriani, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:57.284
26. Juri Proietto, Honda CBR600, 1:57.748
27. Laurent Brian, Honda CBR600, 1:58.074
28. Lorenzo Segoni, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:58.129