FIM Supersport World Championship
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
Victoria, Australia
February 25, 2017
Superpole Results (All on Pirelli tires):
1. PJ Jacobsen, USA (MV Agusta F3 675), 1:33.128
2. Jules Cluzel, France (Hon CBR600RR), 1:33.230
3. Federico Caricasulo, Italy (Yam YZF-R6), 1:33.250, crash
4. Kyle Ryde, UK (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:33.483
5. Lucas Mahias, France (Yam YZF-R6), 1:33.669
6. Alex Baldolini, Italy (MV Agusta F3 675), 1:33.729
7. Gino Rea, UK (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:33.760
8. Roberto Rolfo, Italy (MV Agusta F3 675), 1:34.019
9. Kyle Smith, UK (Hon CBR600RR), 1:34.123
10. Hikari Okubo, Japan (Hon CBR600RR), 1:34.128, crash
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WSBK Press Office:
WorldSSP: Jacobsen the pole man at Phillip Island
Tissot-Superpole 2 sees American on top, joined on row one by Cluzel and Caricasulo
At the Yamaha Finance Australian Round at Phillip Island on Saturday it was PJ Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) who took WorldSSP pole with a 1’33.128 best time.
In the brilliant Australian sunshine on the Bass Straight, Jules Cluzel (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) and Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) got closest to Jacobsen to qualify in second and third respectively, both riders just over a tenth behind the American.
A crash for Caricasulo late in the session meant he was unable to challenge for pole in the final minutes.
Just off the front row is Kyle Ryde (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) who will line up fourth on the grid ahead of Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) and Alex Baldolini (Race Department ATK#25) on the second row.
The third row features Gino Rea (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven), Roberto Rolfo (Team Factory Vamag) and Kyle Smith (GEMAR Team Lorini). Meanwhile, Hikari Okubo (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda), Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing) and Michael Canducci (Puccetti Racing Junior Team FMI) are on row four.
Okubo crashed mid way through Tissot Superpole 2 and ended up 10th on the grid. Kawasaki ZX-6R equipped pair Ryde and Canducci were the two riders to graduate from Tissot Superpole 1.
Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) crashed at the end of Tissot Superpole 1 at turn 2, leaving him in 13th on the grid.
Defending WorldSSP World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) is absent this weekend having sustained a hand injury during pre-season, so there is an opportunity for his rivals to take advantage in Sunday’s first race of the season which starts at 1.30pm local time.
Pole Position
PJ Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse)
“I feel really good and I’m really happy to get my first Tissot-Superpole, especially riding for a new team; they’ve been great through the test and through this weekend, so it’s great to get the pole for them. I’m excited for the challenge in-front of me.”
More, from a press release issued by MV Agusta:
TOP 5 FOR LEON CAMIER IN AUSTRALIAN THRILLING RACE1. PJ JACOBSEN GOT THE POLE IN WORLDSSP
Day two of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island ends with a great result for Team MV Agusta Reparto Corse, with Leon Camier closing in 5th position the first race of WorldSBK in 2017, less than 2s from the first WorldSBK podium for MV Agusta, and Patrick Jacobsen getting the pole position in WorldSSP class.
WorldSBK FP3, SP1-SP2, Race1
In sunny weather condition and clear skies, Leon Camier has left behind the technical problems affecting his bike earlier this weekend and put on a great race with his MV Agusta F4 RC. Started ninth on the grid – after winning the Tissot-Superpole1 session – Camier tried immediately to bridge the gap with the top riders, fighting for the podium in the last race passes.
In the final stage of the race the British rider decided to carefully manage the tire wear, avoiding unnecessary risks and finishing in 5th place (11 points in overall standings) the first race of the season. Tomorrow at 15.00 local time Leon and his team will be back on the grid for Race 2 and, according to the new regulation, Camier will start from the 2nd place on the grid.
WorldSSP FP3, SP2
Patrick Jacobsen got the first WorldSSP pole position of 2017 with a best time of 1’33.128. PJ and his MV Agusta F3 675 dominated every session of the week so far, from the first free practice sessions up to the most intense phases of Tissot-Superpole, demonstrating the absolute feeling with the Schiranna supersport machine and the excellent work of the technical crew.
Leon Camier #2 WorldSBK Rider – I am really, really happy, I think we made a very good race especially considering the lack of track time for the weekend. We predicted quite well the race with the electronics and the chassis setup. I have a few ideas about what I want for the bike for tomorrow so hopefully we can make some good changes for the warmup and then see what happen for the race.
Patrick Jacobsen #99 WorldSSP Rider – Today was a great day, I am very happy with the MV Agusta Reparto Corse team and the guys are working really hard on my bike, doing a great job. But doing good on Sunday is what really counts and tomorrow I will do my best to get the podium and the points.
More, from a press release issued by CIA Landlord Insurance Honda:
CIA Landlord Insurance Honda rider Jules Cluzel will start the season opening, 18 lap World Supersport race at Philip Island from second position on the grid, just over a tenth of a second behind pole sitter Jacobsen.
In glorious Australian sunshine Cluzel was able to secure the front row start posting a time of 1’33.2 and the Frenchman is looking forward to a battle for the podium in tomorrow’s race.
Jules said: “I am really happy, I enjoyed the last part of qualifying. I followed Jacobsen and that has helped me a lot; too much I think because I am not normally a rider that follows people. I did it because I wanted to see where I was losing time and at the end I saw that I was quite good, quite comfortable. In the last turn I lost everything that I had gained over the whole lap but then I saw my time and realised we were fast! I have to understand how to ride the bike better and quicker alone because we have really strong potential. The target tomorrow is to improve at the last turn because that is the key to winning the race.”
Hikari Okubo started his first Superpole 2 full of confidence that he could battle for a top five place on the grid when he fell on his second flying lap at turn eleven. He was taken to the circuit medical centre where x-rays confirmed a broken collarbone, ruling him out of any further participation in the event this weekend.
A time of 1’34.591 secured Robin Mulhauser a place on the sixth row of the grid for his debut outing with CIA Landlord Insurance Honda and his progress suggests he is on target to achieve his aim of a strong points finish in the race tomorrow.
CIA Landlord Insurance Honda Team Manager Simon Buckmaster said: “Fantastic job by Jules today and a great job by the team. He was fastest for a time and PJ just pipped him to pole on the second lap they did together. It was good they went round together so Jules could see where he was weak and where he was strong and also see ways that he needed to adapt to get the best from himself and also from our bike. He’s looking strong for the race tomorrow. We’ll try to improve, try some things in Warm Up and look to challenge for the win tomorrow in the race.
Robin is improving again in lap time. He’s a little disappointed with 17th but to be honest, he struggled to get the best out of the tyre on the first lap. He’s aware of that but he’s in a very strong positon to challenge for a points finish and as close to the top ten as he can in his first race with CIA Landlord Insurance Honda.
It is such a shame for Hikari, he’s been riding so well all weekend. He was top six in SP2 and then on his first run he crashed and unfortunately he’s broken his collarbone. He is going to hospital tonight for an operation tomorrow morning with a view to being fit to ride in the next round in Thailand. He was doing such a great job and he was so unlucky for this to happen. We wish him a speedy recovery.”
Round One of the 2017 World Supersport Championship takes place tomorrow at 1:30pm local time.
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Ryde Rises To Fourth After Strong Superpole Saturday
Kyle Ryde (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) put himself fourth on the starting grid for tomorrow’s FIM Supersport World Championship race at Phillip Island after making great strides in Superpole qualifying.
With Kenan Sofuoglu now back at home after missing the first round through injury Ryde had been flying solo in his pit garage during his first race weekend for the championship-winning Kawasaki Puccetti squad.
Despite struggling in the recent tests and first day of race qualification yesterday Ryde relied heavily on the advice of his team and the 19-year-old went fastest in WorldSSP Superpole 1. Having thus qualified for Superpole 2 he went out to improve his performance even further and earn a fourth place starting position, with a time only 0.355 from pole.
Ryde will now start his first race from the leading place on the second row of the grid, in a race that has been shortened to 15 laps from the scheduled 18.
Kyle Ryde, stated: “That improvement was down to the team; trusting in what they want to do with the bike. This morning the set-up was not how I liked it but I had Jonathan Rea, the Superbike champion, telling me to just ride it and ride it. And then I had Andrew Pitt, who was a Supersport champion, telling me just to ride it and ride it. That is what I did this morning and it felt a little bit better. I went into Superpole with a new front and a new rear tyre – and it just clicked. A 1’33.4 today is a brilliant achievement compared to yesterday, and put us on the second row. I still feel that I have got a little bit left in me. That is a good sign as it was not a perfect lap but for my first race with Kawasaki Puccetti Racing it is a brilliant outcome. Where I was on Monday and Tuesday at the test I was devastated to be down the order. Yesterday, in 16th place, I was also down in the dumps. I knew I could do well today, but I did not quite expect this. An awesome job from the team.”
Gino Rea (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) was seventh in Superpole continuing his learning process on the Ninja ZX-6R at good pace. Michael Canducci (Puccetti Racing Junior Team FMI Kawasaki) was 12th after Superpole 2, with Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) and Nacho Calero (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki) right behind him in 13th and 14th positions. Lachlan Epis (Response RE Racing Kawasaki) was 21st fastest in Superpole at his home round, and Kazuki Watanabe (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven) placed 23rd.