eni FIM Superbike World Championship
Imola, Italy
May 9, 2015
Superpole One Results (top two advance to Superpole Two, all using Pirelli tires):
1. Michael VD MARK, Netherlands (Honda CBR1000RR SP), 1:47.778
2. Leon CAMIER, UK (MV Agusta F4), 1:48.029
3. Michel FABRIZIO, Italy (Ducati Panigale R), 1:48.148
4. Matteo BAIOCCO, Italy (Ducati Panigale R), 1:48.174
5. Sylvain GUINTOLI, France (Honda CBR1000RR SP), 1:48.567
6. Roman RAMOS, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:49.685
7. Randy DE PUNIET, France (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:50.378
8. Santigao BARRAGÁN, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:51.398
9. Christophe PONSSON, France (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:51.786
10. Niccolo CANEPA, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-10R), no time recorded
Superpole Two Results (all using Pirelli tires):
1. Davide GIUGLIANO, Italy (Ducati Panigale R), 1:46.382
2. Tom SYKES, UK (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:46.466
3. Jonathan REA, UK (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:46.503
4. Chaz DAVIES, UK (Ducati Panigale R), 1:46.672
5. Leon HASLAM, UK (Aprilia RSV4 RF), 1:46.854
6. Jordi TORRES, Spain (Aprilia RSV4 RF), 1:47.394
7. Leandro MERCADO, Argentina (Ducati Panigale R), 1:47.628
8. Ayrton BADOVINI, Italy (BMW S1000RR), 1:48.147
9. Michael VD MARK, Netherlands (Honda CBR1000RR SP), 1:48.225
10. David SALOM, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:48.524
11. Alex LOWES, UK (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:48.730
12. Leon CAMIER, UK (MV Agusta F4), no time recorded in Superpole Two
Combined Qualifying Results:
1. Davide GIUGLIANO, Italy (Ducati Panigale R), 1:46.382
2. Tom SYKES, UK (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:46.466
3. Jonathan REA, UK (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:46.503
4. Chaz DAVIES, UK (Ducati Panigale R), 1:46.672
5. Leon HASLAM, UK (Aprilia RSV4 RF), 1:46.854
6. Jordi TORRES, Spain (Aprilia RSV4 RF), 1:47.394
7. Leandro MERCADO, Argentina (Ducati Panigale R), 1:47.628
8. Ayrton BADOVINI, Italy (BMW S1000RR), 1:48.147
9. Michael VD MARK, Netherlands (Honda CBR1000RR SP), 1:48.225
10. David SALOM, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:48.524
11. Alex LOWES, UK (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:48.730
12. Leon CAMIER, UK (MV Agusta F4), no time recorded in Superpole Two
13. Michel FABRIZIO, Italy (Ducati Panigale R), 1:48.148
14. Matteo BAIOCCO, Italy (Ducati Panigale R), 1:48.174
15. Sylvain GUINTOLI, France (Honda CBR1000RR SP), 1:48.567
16. Roman RAMOS, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:49.685
17. Randy DE PUNIET, France (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:50.378
18. Santigao BARRAGÁN, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:51.398
19. Christophe PONSSON, France (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:51.786
20. Niccolo CANEPA, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-10R), no time recorded in Superpole One
21. Imre TOTH, Hungary (BMW S1000RR), 1:52.580
22. Gabor RIZMAYER, Hungary (BMW S1000RR), 1:53.813
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
Giugliano grabs emotional Tissot-Superpole at Imola
Sykes and Rea complete the front row ahead of Davies and Haslam.
Today’s Tissot-Superpole qualifying sessions at the 4.9km Imola circuit was scintillating, with Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team) securing the 4th Pole Position of his WorldSBK career, the 166th for Ducati in the series, thanks to a 1.46.382s lap time and despite a near crash at “Variante Bassa” while changing direction. For Giugliano today’s result marked an emotional return to the series following his injury at the official pre-season test in Australia last February.
The Kawasaki Racing Team duo of Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea will join the Italian rider on the front row of the grid tomorrow in what are shaping up to be two very unpredictable races as the top-5 on the grid are separated by a mere 0.472s.
Row two will comprise Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team), Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils), despite a small crash in the session and the second Aprilia RSV4 RF machine of Jordi Torres.
Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing Ducati) heads the third row with his so far best ever qualifying performance in the series, he will be joined by Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) and Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Superbike Team), while David Salom (Team Pedercini), Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) and Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) will start from row 4.
Camier was unable to take part in the final Pole Position shootout after suffering a technical problem in the closing minutes of the opening Superpole session.
Michel Fabrizio, his Althea Racing team mate Matteo Baiocco, reigning World Champion Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) complete the top 15 riders on the grid ahead of tomorrow’s two 19-lap races.
Davide Giugliano #34 – Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK
Tissot-Superpole – 1st
Twitter: @davidegiugliano
Instagram: @davidegiugliano34
Facebook Page: Davide-Giugliano
“I knew that I could put in a fast lap – that’s one of my strengths. We can only be pleased with this result and I think it’s a nice reward not only for myself but also for the team, the sponsors and all my fans. Tomorrow will be more difficult; I believe that we’re in a good place as far as set-up is concerned, and we’ve already chosen the tyres, but I’m not physically fit and think I’ll struggle a bit in the races. Anyway, that said, never say never, maybe adrenalin will help me! For now I’ll celebrate the Superpole with my team.”
Tom Sykes #66 – Kawasaki Racing Team
Tissot-Superpole – 2nd
Twitter: @TheRealTomSykes
Facebook page: Tom-Sykes-66
“I was relatively happy with my Superpole lap but it was a shame to miss out on the pole position. Pole does not give me 25 points, however. For me our main target was the front row and it was really nice to see Davide Giugliano come back from such a potentially serious injury to take Superpole. Marcel, my crew chief, has been cracking the whip again this weekend trying to get information for us to use on raceday. It has been so unusual for us to drop our pace after 12 laps or so in the previous two events. That is something we are not used to so it is something we have worked on this weekend.”
Jonathan Rea #65 – Kawasaki Racing Team
Tissot-Superpole – 3rd
Twitter: @jonathanrea
Instagram: @jonathan_rea
Facebook: JonathanReaOfficial
“My best Superpole lap was good but not perfect. To qualify on the outside of row one is a little bit of a handicap as you almost start on a corner. The Ninja ZX-10R has been giving me some good starts recently, so I hope I can make a clean getaway and settle into my pace. Hopefully I can stay in the 1’47s in the races, but there are some other strong guys in there as well. It will be a tough 19-laps in each race and the temperatures are high. I think in the afternoon, when the temperature is hotter, our bike works a bit better.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Both KRT WSB Riders On The Imola Front Row
Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea scored front row qualifying positions after Superpole 2 at the classic Imola circuit, with Sykes second and Rea third on the grid.
Regular qualifying for the top few riders was close all through the weekend but in Superpole that competitiveness notched up another level as Sykes was only 0.084 seconds from pole and Rea only 0.121 seconds behind the fastest lap.
Sykes’ Superpole lap of 1’46.466 was only half a second from the track best despite a host of technical regulation changes brought in for the 2015 season, designed to reduce top end performance.
Superpole was won at Imola by local rider Davide Giugliano, taking part in his first WSB race weekend since fracturing two vertebrae in a testing crash in Australia in mid-February.
Imola has been experiencing a warm and dry period, allowing Sykes and Rea to make their preparations for Sunday’s two 19-lap races with a relatively consistent track surface to work on.
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R has a positive recent race record at this undulating 4.936km circuit and both Sykes and Rea are now well placed to take advantage of their strong starting positions.
The first race will get underway at 10.30 on Sunday and race two is scheduled to begin at 13.10.
Tom Sykes: “I was relatively happy with my Superpole lap but it was a shame to miss out on the pole position. Pole does not give me 25 points, however. For me our main target was the front row and it was really nice to see Davide Giugliano come back from such a potentially serious injury to take Superpole. Marcel, my crew chief, has been cracking the whip again this weekend trying to get information for us to use on raceday. It has been so unusual for us to drop our pace after 12 laps or so in the previous two events. That is something we are not used to so it is something we have worked on this weekend.”
Jonathan Rea: “My best Superpole lap was good but not perfect. I made a little mistake in the first sectors and that carried on through for a few corners. I was happy with my lap in general, especially the second half, which I felt was really good and strong. To qualify on the outside of row one is a little bit of a handicap as you almost start on a corner. The Ninja ZX-10R has been giving me some good starts recently, so I hope I can make a clean getaway and settle into my pace. Hopefully I can stay in the 1’47s in the races because in the sessions today that is where I have been able to put my bike, but there are some other strong guys in there as well. It will be a tough 19-laps in each race and the temperatures are high. I think in the afternoon, when the temperature is hotter, our bike works a bit better.”
David Salom (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) was tenth in Superpole 2 and is therefore tenth on the grid for Sunday’s races, while Roman Ramos (Go Eleven Kawasaki) was 16th in Superpole.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
HASLAM CRASHES IN THE IMOLA SUPERPOLE, RESTARTS AND TAKES A HEROIC FIFTH PLACE ON THE STARTING GRID
GREAT PROGRESS FOR JORDI TORRES FOR HIS DÉBUT ON THE ITALIAN CIRCUIT AND SIXTH PLACE IN QUALIFYING
Imola, 9 May 2015 – The Superpole held today at Imola had the Team Aprilia Racing – Red Devils garage on the edge of their seats. Easily qualifying for the final session, Leon Haslam and Jordi Torres took all their determination to the track, in the end bringing home two spots on the second row of the grid.
But the biggest result for both of them goes beyond the times they put on the sheets. Haslam, improving consistently, started with a race tyre when the lights turned green. As always the goal was to gain confidence with the bike and track before putting on the special soft tyre in search of the best possible time. Unfortunately the plans that Leon and the team had made were changed by a crash on the Variante Alta, fortunately without any harm to the rider. It was the Brit’s RSV4 RF that paid the price, with the mechanics managing to get it back on the track in record time, but with an abnormal slant on the right semi-handlebar.
Despite the problem, Leon was still able to put in a flying lap that will place him on the fifth spot on the starting grid for the races tomorrow.
Leon Haslam: “My general feeling is really good, although I’m still struggling in the chicanes. That’s why I crashed, fortunately without doing any damage. We have been working well, in spite of the fact that it has been quite a demanding weekend for us. Thanks to the team I was able to put in a good time anyway on the qualifier tyre, even if the semi-handlebar was a bit bent and kept me from being at 100%. On a particularly difficult track for us we were still able to achieve the best possible result and we’ll be trying hard tomorrow as well.”
The nice surprise of the day was Jordi Torres’ improvement, on his absolute maiden ride on this circuit which puts even the most expert riders in difficulty. The Spaniard took full advantage of the Pirelli soft tyre on his flying lap, placing behind his team mate on the second row straight away. This is a respectable result for a rider who has already demonstrated his skill setting a good race pace.
Jordi Torres: “Looking at the times from yesterday and today I’d say we took a big step forward. The track is complicated with a lot of asphalt changes and the chicanes that break up the pace. For me it isn’t so much the single lap that’s difficult, but just avoiding making any mistakes. Here if you miss your braking spot by a metre it costs you a lot of time. I owe Leon a lot of thanks. Riding ahead of me on the track he showed me how to take on every turn and chicane. I’m pleased with my Superpole placing. I think tomorrow there will be a pack of very fast riders, whereas I’ll be able to do battle with the followers who more or less have my pace. Staying behind Leon would be a great result for me, but I think he still has just a bit more than I do.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Back after a four-round absence and it’s pole position for Giugliano and the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team!
Imola (Italy), Saturday 9 May 2015 – A ‘red hot’ Superpole for Davide Giugliano and the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team at Imola today: Giugliano, returning after having missed the first four championship rounds due to injury, laps fastest of all to score pole position for tomorrow’s races! Chaz Davies qualifies fourth.
In this morning’s final timed practice session, Davide was once again able to improve on his fastest time, by an impressive four tenths, to set a best of 1’47.116 and conclude the combined practices in first position as a result. Chaz, who spent the session making some refinements to the set-up of his Panigale R, retained fourth place thanks to his best time set yesterday (1’47.686), meaning that both factory riders therefore qualified comfortably for the afternoon’s second Superpole.
Superpole 2: after making an initial lap on race rubber, the two riders headed straight back out on track with the qualifying solution. Davide completed two flying laps but the first, despite a small mistake in the final section, was to prove decisive. Stopping the clock at 1’46.382, the Roman rider’s time was to remain the fastest of the entire session! Giugliano thus earned pole position for tomorrow’s races, a truly impressive feat coming on the back of three months of inactivity, due to the bad accident he suffered in Phillip Island. Chaz, completing two fast laps, recorded a best of 1’46.672 that positioned him fourth at the session’s end. The Welshman will therefore line up on the second row of tomorrow’s grid.
Quotes after the day’s sessions:
Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team #34) – 1st (1’46.382)
“I knew that I could put in a fast lap – that’s one of my strengths. We can only be pleased with this result and I think it’s a nice reward not only for myself but also for the team, the sponsors and all my fans. Tomorrow will be more difficult; I believe that we’re in a good place as far as set-up is concerned, and we’ve already chosen the tyres, but I’m not physically fit and think I’ll struggle a bit in the races. Anyway, that said, never say never, maybe adrenalin will help me! For now I’ll celebrate the Superpole with my team, and tomorrow we’ll have to see…”
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team #7) – 4th (1’46.672)
“I don’t really feel that we made a lot of progress today, although things were a little better in Superpole. We’ve made several changes but they’ve probably taken us in the wrong direction. The bike is still not working as I’d really like, and I’m still looking for that solution that helps me with the turning. Superpole itself wasn’t too bad, and we’ll try to go a little more in that direction for tomorrow’s races.”
Claudio Domenicali – Ducati CEO –
“Today was a great day for Davide, returning after a four-round absence. To see him so psyched up and so motivated, with all his talent, is fantastic. I’m really pleased with this result, even though tomorrow will probably be a lot tougher for him. In any case we have two strong and determined riders in the top four, given that Chaz too is fast.”
More, from a press release issued by Voltcom Crescent Suzuki:
Challenging Superpole for Voltcom Crescent Suzuki at Imola
Voltcom Crescent Suzuki’s Alex Lowes secured a fourth row start for Sunday’s Italian races at the Imola Circuit after a demanding Superpole saw him place 11th this afternoon.
The early progress shown with his Yoshimura-powered Superbike as the weekend began had buoyed the British rider, however, the complexity of the new system combined with the legendary technical track and the rising Italian temperatures created obstacles as the second day of action developed. Qualifying directly into Superpole 2 after the morning’s final timed free practice session, Lowes’ best lap of 1’48.730 on the qualifying rubber this afternoon sees him line up in the middle of the fourth row for tomorrow’s contests.
Randy de Puniet continued his development with the Suzuki GSX-R1000 by improving on his weekend’s best as his familiarity with the Imola circuit progressed after his 16-year absence. The Frenchman, still battling with underlying engine brake issues, set a 1’50.378 in the opening Superpole session, placing him 17th on Sunday’s grid.
The jubilant crowd watched as returning ‘Roman’ Davide Giugliano secured pole position for Ducati’s home race – after his pre-season accident had seen him sit out of the opening four weekends – with the Kawasaki pairing of Tom Sykes and Jonathan Rea rounding out the front row.
Tomorrow’s main event will see Lowes and de Puniet take to the grid at 10:30hrs local time (09:30BST) and 13:10hrs (12:10BST) respectively for the two 19 lap races around the iconic Imola Circuit.
Alex Lowes:
“We came in to the weekend thinking we had broken the back of the development work, but disappointingly it seems that it has not translated to the Imola Circuit. We have suffered with big inconsistencies in the engine braking strategy and as a result the bike was tough to ride today, as Imola is a really technical track with lots of critical braking areas. It is frustrating as I know we have the potential to challenge but we will continue to work hard, step-by-step and come out fighting as always on Sunday.”
Randy de Puniet:
“Another difficult day for me as we are struggling to find the solution I need with the GSX-R’s new electronics. The team are working hard to resolve the problem and we will continue to focus on this overnight, push hard and see what we can achieve in the races tomorrow. Imola is also a new track for me and this doesn’t help, but we need some steps tomorrow to be more confident.”
Paul Denning – Team Manager:
“There is no hiding from the facts and today’s qualifying result, combined with the continued struggle to find the right solutions with the Marelli ECU and new hardware, is of course very disappointing. The base yesterday was better than today, but the team have now hopefully uncovered a problem which has been masking the required setting changes. There is also a greater sense of frustration, as the development work completed since Assen appeared to be very successful. The lack of performance at this track means that we have to revisit every area of that work and effectively start again. However, there is no chance of us ‘giving up’ and we will keep working to achieve our goals.”