FIM Supersport World Championship
Losail International Circuit
Doha, Qatar
November 3, 2017
Superpole Results (all on Pirelli tires):
From Superpole Session Two:
1. Lucas MAHIAS, France (Yamaha YZF-R6), 2:00.738, New Circuit Best Lap Record
2. Jules CLUZEL, France (Honda CBR600RR), 2:01.284
3. Niki TUULI, Finland (Yamaha YZF-R6), 2:01.392
4. Kenan SOFUOGLU, Turkey (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 2:01.522
5. PJ JACOBSEN, USA (MV Agusta F3 675), 2:01.526
6. Sheridan MORAIS, South Africa (Yamaha YZF-R6), 2:01.708
7. Federico CARICASULO, Italy (Yamaha YZF-R6), 2:01.780
8. Luke STAPLEFORD, UK (Triumph Daytona 675R), 2:01.950
9. Kyle SMITH, UK (Honda CBR600RR), 2:01.954, crash
10. Michael CANDUCCI, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 2:02.004
11. Christian GAMARINO, Italy (Honda CBR600RR), 2:02.006
12. Anthony WEST, Australia (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 2:02.081
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
WorldSSP: Mahias steals first pole of the season in Losail showdown
Champion elect grabs pole position ahead of compatriot Cluzel
Saturday’s final WorldSSP race of the 2017 season at Qatar will see championship contender Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) get away from pole thanks to a superb Tissot Superpole 2 performance. His compatriot Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) and Finnish rider Niki Tuuli (Kallio Racing) also qualified on the front row, under the floodlights at the Losail International Circuit.
A new lap record of 2’00.738 for the championship leader gives him pole as he bids to secure the World title in style on Saturday. Cluzel qualified 0.546s behind his fellow Frenchman, whilst Tuuli was delighted to grab third on the grid, with a lap which was 0.654s off P1.
Defending World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) remarkably qualified in fourth place as he continued his comeback, after suffering fractures to his pelvis at the French round of the championship just over a month ago. Sofuoglu is riding through the pain barrier during this final weekend of the season and is receiving medical checkups after each session as he bids to prevent Mahias from taking his crown. Mahias goes into the final race of the season with a 20-point advantage at the top of the standings.
PJ Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and Sheridan Morais (Kallio Racing) should be amongst the front runners in the race, getting away just behind Sofuoglu on row two.
Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team), Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing) and Kyle Smith (GEMAR Team Lorini) are all on row three despite a crash in SP2 for Smith.
Michael Canducci (Puccetti Racing Junior Team FMI), Christian Gamarino (BARDAHL EVAN BROS. Honda Racing) and Anthony West (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) all qualified on row four.
Two of WorldSSP’s best known riders had come through the earlier Tissot Superpole 1 with Jacobsen leading that session courtesy of a 2’01.757 lap, with South African Morais following the American through to SP2 0.038s behind him.
P1 – Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team)
“It was a very good qualifying but it’s strange, as I don’t feel very stressed especially as I am working hard to feel relaxed. Our lap time was very good, I’m very happy because its my first pole position in the final race. Thank you to my team for a perfect bike today.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Second Row For Kenan, West On Fourth Row
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider Kenan Sofuoglu made a remarkable comeback to competitive action at Losail, finishing fourth fastest in SP2 qualifying at the Losail International Circuit despite suffering multiple pelvic fractures only a few weeks ago. Anthony West (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) qualified 12th in SP2.
A spirited and brave return to the track by five time World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu culminated in a strong second row starting position for Saturday’s 15-lap WorldSSP race in Qatar. Lucas Mahias, the championship leader by 20 points from Kenan, set the fastest Superpole lap and starts the race from pole position.
Sofuoglu, having only been declared fit to ride following additional medical checks after the first practice session in Losail, has been strong in every session from the beginning at Losail. He is now all out to try and win the race on Saturday to keep a hold on his number one plate for next season.
Set-up challenges have held Anthony West back from displaying his best form so far, as he continues to learn the secrets of his machine during what is only his second WorldSSP race for the team.
An experienced competitor at Qatar on other types of machinery Anthony is confident that now he understands what has been holding back his lap times until now. He will use warm-up to evaluate another tyre option and then start the final race of the season under the Losail floodlights.
Kenan Sofuoglu, stated: “I feel good and I am getting more and more confident. Every session I find more feeling with the bike and better lines. Qualification went well, although we did not get on the front row. This was the main goal. I think coming from my bed to be in fourth position is not bad. Except for Lucas’ one fast lap everybody is pretty close, about two to three tenths from each other, so that gap is definitely not a problem for the race. I will try my best tomorrow to win the race. I have come here to try and win and not to ride for fourth, fifth, or sixth position. I think we have to find something also on the bike because we have had a lot of sliding on the front. We will try to find a way but generally we are happy to be here. There was a big question mark over whether I would be racing in Qatar or not, so I am happy to be here at Losail.”
Anthony West, stated: “I think now I have found too much grip from the rear and that means we are pushing the front. I am using a different front tyre, one that I have never used before. I am finally pushing it to the limit but now I realise that it does not have the same grip as the rear. In the turns it feels like the front is just constantly sliding all the way through and that means the bike is not finishing the turn. My corner speed is good but I cannot open the throttle on the exit. I am beginning to realise that I am waiting for the front to grip. It has taken me yesterday and today’s sessions to realise this. I think that is because I am just not that experienced with this bike, and the front tyre is new to me. We will try the tyre I raced with in Jerez to see if that works better. For the race it should be OK, it is just to do that one fast lap I was trying to push.”
Michael Canducci (3570 Puccetti Racing FMI Kawasaki) finished tenth in Superpole 2. Gino Rea (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) just missed out on an SP2 place by one position after Superpole 1, while his team-mate Kazuki Watanabe (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) was 17th today.
Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) qualified 19th, Lachlan Epis (Response RE Racing Kawasaki) 24th and Nacho Calero (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) 26th.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Marvellous Mahias Secures Maiden WorldSSP Pole of 2017 in Qatar
GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team’s Lucas Mahias followed up his dominant performance on Thursday under the lights in Qatar by smashing the lap record in SP2 on Friday on his way to recording his first pole position of the season. The Championship leader set a 2:00.738 on his penultimate lap to ensure he will start Saturday’s crucial race from the head of the front row, knowing he just needs to finish in tenth or higher to be crowned the 2017 FIM Supersport World Champion. Teammate Federico Caricasulo enjoyed another good day as he showed superb consistency, qualifying in seventh for Saturday’s race and confident he can fight for the victory.
Mahias dominated proceedings on Thursday in Qatar as he topped the combined timesheets by 0.412s. He followed this up by working on his race pace in FP3 before putting in his best qualifying performance of the season in SP2. In the heat and humidity of the desert, the 28-year-old French rider showed no signs of wilting under the pressure during qualifying, even after his first run was affected by a slight issue that meant he had to return to the pits. His team worked superbly to get him back out for the rest of the 15-minute session and, incredibly, on just his first real flying lap he set a 2:00.738 to smash the existing lap record from 2015 by 0.251s, in the process laying down a marker to his rivals for Saturday’s race by finishing 0.546s ahead of the rest of the field. His feat was made even more impressive by the fact that the technical regulations in the class have changed significantly since 2015 to restrict performance, demonstrating just how much Mahias gelled with his Yamaha R6 around the Losail International Circuit. Mahias was delighted to secure his first pole position of the season and heads into the championship-deciding race knowing the title will be his, no matter what anyone else does, if he secures 6 points or more.
His teammate Caricasulo had also shown great pace during Thursday’s practice as he finished in fourth on the overall timesheets. The 21-year-old Italian, like Mahias, used FP3 to focus on finding the ideal race setup with his Yamaha R6 and entered SP2 with the same mindset. Not trying to set a hot lap at the beginning, he focused instead on consistency and making sure he was in the best possible shape for the final race of the season on Saturday. At the end of the 15-minute session he headed out on his own and set a 2:01.734 to secure seventh on the grid for the race, confident in the knowledge that when the lights go out on Saturday he will have the pace to battle for the victory.
To round off an impressive day for Yamaha, Kallio Racing’s Niki Tuuli made it a double front-row start for the manufacturer after qualifying in third, while his teammate Sheridan Morais will line up in sixth on the grid for Sunday’s Race, meaning there were four Yamaha’s in the top seven in SP2.
The GRT Yamaha Official Yamaha Team are focused and determined to achieve the best possible results on Saturday, with the championship battle going right to the wire in Saturday’s 15-lap race which is scheduled to start at 19:30 pm local time in Qatar.
Lucas Mahias
GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team – 1st – 2:00.738
“I am very happy! It is the last race of the season and I finally got a watch! Qualification was quite strange for me because I just relaxed, didn’t really push, focused on being as smooth as I could, and the lap time was really good. On my quickest lap, I benefited from being behind Niki Tuuli for the last section of the track, which can really help in Qatar. I am so happy to secure my first pole position of the season and I am feeling very good on my Yamaha R6. My race pace is very good and pole is the perfect place to start the race tomorrow but, for sure, we will come up with a strategy. I don’t need to push to win the race as the important thing is the championship and that is my main focus. I will try and remain calm and bring home the title for my team, Yamaha and my fans!”
Federico Caricasulo
GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team – 7th – 2:01.780
“I am confident for the race. I spent the whole of SP2 without getting a tow, so my lap time is actually quite good. Sure, it could have been better but my focus has been on race pace all weekend. I feel very good with my R6 and I feel like we have prepared superbly for tomorrow. Starting from seventh is not ideal but I think I can battle at the front for the race win and I will try my best as always!”
Filippo Conti
GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team Manager
“Lucas’ lap in SP2 was simply incredible! With everything that is going on this weekend, to go out and smash the lap record was sensational. It was made even better by the fact he had a slight issue on his first run in the session, so he came back to the box and his team managed to fix the problem, meaning he only just got back out in time to set his pole lap. It was very important for himself and the team to start from pole tomorrow, not only for the mental reasons but because it means he can get a clean start. Federico, once again, showed brilliant race pace today but just missed out on really hot lap. We are sure that he can have a very good race tomorrow and the whole team is focused on bringing home the best results possible here in Qatar!”