eni FIM Superbike World Championship

Circuito de Jerez, Spain

September 19, 2015

Qualifying Results (all on Pirelli tires):

From Superpole Two:

1. Tom SYKES, UK (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:40.292

2. Jonathan REA, UK (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:40.500

3. Niccolo CANEPA, Italy (Ducati Panigale R), 1:40.508

4. Michael VD MARK, Netherlands (Honda CBR1000RR SP), 1:40.956

5. Jordi TORRES, Spain (Aprilia RSV4 RF), 1:40.974

6. Chaz DAVIES, UK (Ducati Panigale R), 1:41.155

7. Michele PIRRO, Italy (Ducati Panigale R), 1:41.185

8. Matteo BAIOCCO, Italy (Ducati Panigale R), 1:41.415

9. Alex LOWES, UK (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:41.427

10. Sylvain GUINTOLI, France (Honda CBR1000RR SP), 1:41.467

11. Leon HASLAM, UK (Aprilia RSV4 RF), 1:41.512

12. David SALOM, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), no time recorded in Superpole Two, crashed in Superpole One

From Supersport One:

13. Leon CAMIER, UK (MV Agusta F4 RR), 1:41.745

14. Leandro MERCADO, Argentina (Ducati Panigale R), 1:41.908

15. Randy DE PUNIET, France (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 1:42.486

16. Roman RAMOS, Spain (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:42.584

17. Ayrton BADOVINI, Italy (BMW S1000RR), 1:42.714

18. Christophe PONSSON, France (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:42.774

19. Gianluca VIZZIELLO, Italy (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:43.746

20. Gabor RIZMAYER, Hungary (BMW S1000RR), 1:43.826 

The Rest of the Grid:

21. Imre TOTH, Hungary (BMW S1000RR), 1:47.492

22. Alex PHILLIS, Australia (Kawasaki ZX-10R), 1:47.246

More, from a press release issued by Dorna World SBK Press Office:

Sykes claims Spanish Tissot-Superpole with new outright record

Rea to go for the title from second place on the grid as he is joined on front row by Canepa.

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) has claimed the Pirelli Spanish Round pole position, his 29th career Pole after a nail biting Tissot-Superpole at the 4.423km Jerez Circuit this afternoon. The Briton lapped in an outright circuit best of 1.40.292s, six thousandths of a second better than former teammate Loris Baz’s time of 12 months ago.

The final minutes of the second session were simply hectic, with many position changes until to the chequered flag as the top 7 were separated by less than nine tenths of a second. Joining Sykes on the front row tomorrow are series leader and team mate Jonathan Rea and Althea Racing’s Niccolò Canepa, the trio split by 0.216s.

Row 2 will be headed by Michael van der Mark, who posted a series of impressive laps to grab fourth after making his way through Superpole 1 and narrowly missing out on his first ever front row start. He will be joined by Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team).

Replacement rider at the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati SBK Team Michele Pirro qualified seventh ahead of Althea Racing rider Matteo Baiocco and Voltcom Crescent Suzuki’s Alex Lowes who completes row 3.

Row 4 will see Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) and Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) ahead of Team Pedercini’s David Salom, who after falling in SP1 was unable to take to the track for the final 15 minutes.

Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing) and Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) will line up tomorrow on the fifth row on the grid.

Tom Sykes #66 – Kawasaki Racing Team

Tissot-Superpole 1st

Twitter: @TheRealTomSykes

Facebook page: Tom-Sykes

“A few guys are very strong so it is good to be at the front for tomorrow’s two races. I like to ride out front, that is how I like to do it. I do not like anybody behind or in front of me – I just like to go and race the tarmac. We found some clear air but had a difficult time in the first run with the race tyre, and the lap time was incredibly slow. When we put the qualifying tyre into the Ninja ZX-10R for the second run it was very easy to manage. It was such an enjoyment to ride then and to get the record was just a little bit something extra for today. Overall the target was the front row and I think our race pace is also OK.”

Jonathan Rea #65 – Kawasaki Racing Team

Tissot Superpole 2nd

Twitter: @jonathanrea

Instagram: @jonathan_rea

Facebook: JonathanReaOfficial

“I am really excited because we have done a really good job with the bike throughout the free practice sessions, and not really once this weekend have we tried to push for an out-and-out lap time. The race tyre we used at the beginning of Superpole made a really good job. Then I got a little bit too excited on the qualifying lap in T2, overcooked it a little, but I am really happy with the effort I did. To be on the front row is good because I have been acclimatised to the third row recently. The front row gives me a real chance of a good start to get stuck in. Thanks to all my guys for giving me a good bike for tomorrow.”

Niccolò Canepa #59 – Althea Racing Ducati

Tissot-Superpole 3rd

Facebook: NickCanepa59

Instagram: NiccoloCanepa

“I’m really happy, especially after the Free Practice crash this morning. The fall prevented me from doing any long run and at the moment I’m feeling pain everywhere. The guys did an amazing job in rebuilding the bike twice and I was not expecting a front row start, even though I thought I could finish in the top 5. It was better than expected also because I was tailing Johnny (Rea). Now it’s time to look forward to tomorrow, we’ll see how it goes but I’m confident because I have a good pace.”

Jordi Torres #81 – Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils

Tissot-Superpole 5th

Twitter: @jorditorres81

Instagram: @jorditorres81

“This is a good weekend for us, even if I am still a bit on the edge with the front end. When I try to push hard the smallest mistake becomes fatal, but overall I have a good pace. Starting from fifth place isn’t bad. The important thing will be to stick with the best from the start and battle with them. The podium isn’t my first goal. I want to stay with the leading group flag to flag, learning from the riders in front and then the results will come automatically.”

More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:

The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team qualifies sixth (Davies) and seventh (Pirro) for the Jerez SBK races

Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), Saturday 19 September 2015 – the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team, on track at Jerez with riders Chaz Davies and Michele Pirro, is satisfied with today’s Superpole result; Davies qualifies sixth for Sunday’s races followed by Pirro, seventh.

In the third and final timed practice session, which took place on a cooler track with respect to Friday’s sessions, Davies immediately lowered his times, completing a solid race simulation consisting of 16 laps and recording a best of 1’41.704 which positioned him sixth at the end of the session. Thanks to this time, the Welshman qualified directly for the afternoon’s Superpole 2. Pirro was also able to improve, by eight tenths of a second, on his previous times. Thanks to a best lap of 1’41.665, he closed the timed practices in overall fifth place, thus easily qualifying for the second Superpole together with Davies.

Superpole 2: With the track temperature having risen to approximately 45°C, both Davies and Pirro completed two laps on the race tyre before returning to the track with the qualifying solution. Each of the Aruba Ducati riders recorded two fast laps, the first of which proved to be the quickest in both their cases. Thanks to a best of 1’41.155 for Chaz and a 1’41.185 for Michele, the pair qualify in sixth and seventh position respectively (translating to the second and third row) for tomorrow’s two 20-lap races. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team is confident ahead of the races, considering the strong pace that its riders have shown throughout the practice sessions.

Quotes after the day’s sessions:

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team #7) – 6th (1’41.155)

“I feel like to achieve a good race pace we need to sacrifice pace on the flying lap, something that was quite clear today. I did a run of about 16 laps earlier today and the bike performed fairly well, though I think there’s still room for improvement. On the Q tyre on the other hand, I don’t think I made any real mistakes but unfortunately I wasn’t able to do any more in terms of lap time. It would have been nice to have been a little further forward but, having said that, we were sixth on the grid in Malaysia and managed to put it all together, so I’m feeling optimistic and am looking forward to the races.”

Michele Pirro (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Superbike Team #55) – 7th (1’41.185)

“The Superpole didn’t go particularly well because we didn’t make the most of the qualifying tyre. Having said that, I tried to do my best and lapped with a time very similar to Chaz. I had a small problem entering Turns 8 and 9 and had to use a higher gear so I think I lost a couple of tenths there. Anyway tomorrow I hope that the races are a little more balanced and that I’m able to run closer to the front. I believe we have good race pace and think we can complete two good races.”

More, from a press release issued by Pata Honda:

Van der Mark shines in Spanish sun

Michael van der Mark will start tomorrow’s two 11th-round World Superbike championship races from the front of the second row of the grid after setting the fourth fastest time in this afternoon’s Superpole sessions at Jerez in southern Spain.

With temperatures in the low 30s, van der Mark impressively topped Superpole 1 and then, in Superpole 2, fired his Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP around the 4.423km Jerez circuit in a time of 1m40.956s, just 0.6s off the record pole position time of Tom Sykes.

Van der Mark, 22, had found a step forward in the settings on his CBR in the earlier FP4 session, in which the Dutch rider also finished fourth after improving his overall pace for tomorrow’s two 20-lap races.

Despite making progress during Friday and Saturday morning sessions, Pata Honda’s Sylvain Guintoli went the wrong way with a geometry setting on his CBR in FP4 and was unable to match his team-mate’s performance in Superpole.

The French rider, 33, who will start his 150th World Superbike encounter in race two at Jerez tomorrow, qualified in tenth place and will line up on the fourth row of the grid tomorrow.

Michael van der Mark – P4

I’m really happy because in the last couple of races we’ve had really difficult Superpoles and today I finally found the grip on the qualifying tyre, which gave me a completely different sensation. It’s probably the first time this season that it’s worked well in qualifying. I knew that as soon as I could find some grip I could go really fast and we showed that today. I worked with Jonathan [Rea] at the beginning of Superpole 2 which really helped me a lot to get up to speed and I think we helped each other a bit. Normally we struggle a little when the temperatures go up but we’ve found a set-up now which works well when the track is warmer. The CBR feels really good, everything is working well and the race pace is quite OK. We really needed a good qualifying though because we’ve had g ood race pace before but ended up starting from bad positions. The start in tomorrow’s races will be very important but it was also important to be near the front of the grid; so I have a good feeling for the races.

Sylvain Guintoli – P10

So, qualifying didn’t really go to plan and I just didn’t have a good feeling going into Superpole. I made a couple of mistakes on the race tyre which didn’t help and then I had some traction control issues on my qualifier and the lap was not clean. I couldn’t get the exits that I wanted so that was it. FP3 was quite good for us and we found some good rhythm in that session, so it’s disappointing to start from so far back on the grid.

Pieter Breddels – technical co-ordinator

Sylvain’s progress in FP3 this morning was not too bad, but in FP4 we tried a different geometry setting and we got no improvements. I think that lost us a bit of rhythm in the session and that carried on into Superpole 2. He wasn’t happy with how the bike behaved on throttle and couldn’t get in a groove. We’ll try for a smooth warm-up tomorrow and we know he has a good start. Mikey had a really good day. In that last free practice, when temperatures were up, he improved quite a bit and was one of the fastest guys on used tyres. In Superpole 1 he had good pace on the race tyre and went even faster on the qualifier. That got him ready for Superpole 2 and he got behind Johnny [Rea] and, on a race tyre, he was able to match his previous qualifier lap. So he was really up for that last qualifying lap completely on his own which put him fourth on the grid. He’s upbeat and everyone’s really motivated for two good races tomorrow.

More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:

Superpole 29 For Sykes As Rea Makes It A Kawasaki 1-2

Tom Sykes (KRT) and Jonathan Rea (KRT) headed the field after Superpole qualifying at Jerez in the FIM Superbike World Championship round, with Sykes setting a new track best of 1’40.292. Rea was just 0.208 seconds behind him and is therefore in second position on the grid for Sunday’s races.

Having both gone straight into Superpole 2 on their official Ninja ZX-10R machines, Sykes and Rea had contrasting early experiences on their first fast Superpole lap on race tyres.

Rea was quick right away and Sykes slower than he had expected to be, but in the final push for grid position. After the qualifying tyres had made an appearance Sykes swept to his 29th career pole position at pace even long term championship leader Rea could not quite match.

Rea’s overall Superpole performance was all he had hoped for in readiness to try and take the title on raceday. Recently he had not enjoyed as many front row starts as he had desired, so being ready to launch from the front row on Sunday can only build his pre-race confidence.

Both KRT riders have done long runs to evaluate their expected race-day set-ups and been happy with their race pace, in what have been good conditions from the start at a sunny Jerez de la Frontera.

Tom Sykes stated: “A few guys are very strong so it is good to be at the front for tomorrow’s two races. I like to ride out front, that is how I like to do it. I do not like anybody behind or in front of me – I just like to go and race the tarmac. We found some clear air but had a difficult time in the first run with the race tyre, and the lap time was incredibly slow. When we put the qualifying tyre into the Ninja ZX-10R for the second run it was very easy to manage. It was such an enjoyment to ride then and to get the record was just a little bit something extra for today. Overall the target was the front row and I think our race pace is also OK.”

Jonathan Rea stated: “I am really excited because we have done a really good job with the bike throughout the free practice sessions, and not really once this weekend have we tried to push for an out-and-out lap time. The race tyre we used at the beginning of Superpole made a really good job. Then I got a little bit too excited on the qualifying lap in T2, overcooked it a little, but I am really happy with the effort I did. To be on the front row is good because I have been acclimatised to the third row recently. The front row gives me a real chance of a good start to get stuck in. Thanks to all my guys for giving me a good bike for tomorrow.”

David Salom (Team Pedercini Kawasaki) placed 12th at his home round, having got out of Superpole 1. His late fall in that first SP session meant he had to miss Superpole 2 and he therefore could not improve on 12th. Roman Ramos (Team Go Eleven Kawasaki), another Spanish rider on a Kawasaki riding at home this weekend, will start 16th on the grid.

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:

APRILIA ON THE SECOND ROW WITH JORDI TORRES ON HIS HOME TRACK

FOURTH ROW FOR LEON HASLAM WHO IS DETERMINED TO REDEEM HIMSELF TOMORROW

IN STOCK 1000 SAVADORI AND HIS RSV4 RF WILL START FROM THE THIRD ROW IN THE HUNT FOR THE TITLE

Jerez, 19 September 2015 – After putting the best time of the third practice session on the sheets, Jordi Torres rode his Aprilia RSV4 RF to the second row on the grid with the fifth best time in the Jerez de la Frontera Superpole. The Spanish rider, lying fifth in the Championship standings and the best rookie of 2015, has everything in order to be one of the main protagonists in the two races tomorrow, not an easy task given the extremely narrow gaps during all the practice sessions.

On the other side of the Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils garage, Leon Haslam’s number 91 had a bit more difficulty in the decisive session. The English rider demonstrated a good pace throughout practice, even on a used tyre, doing some excellent work in view of the race. But the higher temperatures in the afternoon (45 degrees on the tarmac) created a few puzzlers for Leon, who was unable to repeat the performance from the previous qualifiers in the Superpole session. This means that he will have to make up ground in the race, after he and his mechanics analyse the best solutions to implement on his RSV4.

Jordi Torres: “This is a good weekend for us, even if I am still a bit on the edge with the front end. When I try to push hard the smallest mistake becomes fatal, but overall I have a good pace. Starting from fifth place isn’t bad. The important thing will be to stick with the best from the start and battle with them. The podium isn’t my first goal. I want to stay with the leading group flag to flag, learning from the riders in front and then the results will come automatically.”

Leon Haslam: “After FP3 I was quite pleased. I rode race length with the tyres, maintaining a good pace and putting my “ideal time” on the top of the sheets. In the afternoon on the other hand, we had a lot of difficulties with the higher temperatures. We need to think of something for tomorrow. If I can find that feeling I had in FP3 we’ll be able to do well despite the fourth row start.”

SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP

It was an exciting qualifying session for Team Nuova M2 in Superstock 1000. Lorenzo Savadori, current championship leader astride his Aprilia RSV4 RF, will start from the third row for his first assault on the title after crashing in the initial phases of the session. Savadori must finish the race on the podium to clinch the Championship with one round still left to race. Sixth place for wild-card Alessandro Andreozzi and seventh for Kevin Calia, both also astride Aprilia RSV4 RF machines.

More, from a press release issued by Voltcom Crescent Suzuki:

Spanish Superpole sees third row start for Lowes and Voltcom Crescent Suzuki

Alex Lowes will line up for tomorrow’s 20-lap races on row three at the Jerez Circuit after taking his Voltcom Crescent Suzuki to ninth in this afternoon’s World Superbike Superpole.

A strong morning had seen the British racer confidently set consistent pace aboard his Yoshimura-powered GSX-R, running in the top five at the close of practice. Heading into the mid-afternoon Superpole Lowes unfortunately suffered with a gear-shifting issue, preventing him from fully exploiting the rhythm found earlier in the weekend. His 1’41.427 best lap places him ninth in the times and rounding out the third row for Sunday’s two contests.

Randy de Puniet continued to battle with an intermittent brake problem that has been the focus of his attention for much of the past two days, while pushing to sustain the improvements seen in recent races. With the issue persisting during his qualifying session, the Frenchman’s 1’42.486 time sits him 15th, and on row five, with his Suzuki GSX-R1000 for tomorrow’s races.

While Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea looks set to fight for the 2015 Championship title this weekend, it was his teammate Tom Sykes who stole the pole position with a blistering 1’40.292, and a new lap record, as the track temperatures reached 45°C in the 31°C afternoon heat.

Race action at the Jerez Circuit is scheduled to start at 10:30 and 13:10hrs local time (09:30 and 12:10BST) tomorrow with Voltcom Crescent Suzuki’s Lowes and de Puniet eager to join the battle.

Alex Lowes:

“It’s been a good weekend and we’ve been working well throughout. We had a good practice three and four today and it was just a shame we struggled in qualifying – with just a few small problems that meant we didn’t get as much from the session as we had wanted to – but it’s tomorrow that is important. I feel like we’ve had a great weekend, some weekend’s this year we’ve pulled it out of the bag in qualifying and maybe masked a bad weekend but it’s gone the other way here, with strong practices and a struggling qualifying but hopefully that is a good omen for the race! We have some things to work through this evening but I’m looking forward to a couple of hard races tomorrow.”

Randy de Puniet:

“Today was a difficult day for me because I am still suffering problems with the brakes. The issue is inconsistent so it is difficult to manage and find the solution. I don’t really understand as for the last two weekends it was ok, with a little issue during the second race in Malaysia – but here we have just been working on this and not had any real time to focus on setting up the bike. I really hope we can fix the problem and look forward to the races tomorrow.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:

“Alex has had a very strong weekend overall so far, with good performances in both FP3 and FP4 The qualifying result is disappointing because the top-six, and the second row, was an achievable target. Unfortunately he had back luck with a gear-shifting problem in qualifying that made it difficult to ride at the absolute limits and when you’re looking to go as fast as the guys need to with the qualifying tyre, a small problem like that can easily cost half a second. Despite that, we are looking forward to two solid races tomorrow. The race-pace has been quite good and I think Alex has the opportunity to improve dramatically on his qualifying position.

“Randy has also been going pretty well this weekend with consistent pace, but the recurring theme of inconsistent brake performance has continued to haunt us and has left both rider and team scratching their heads and looking for further solutions. We will do what we can tonight to stabalise the braking performance for tomorrow and hope that Randy can give us a good run in return.”

More, from a press release issued by Althea Racing:

Jerez de la Frontera (Spain) 19 September 2015

A fantastic Superpole for Niccolò Canepa who takes the Ducati Panigale R of Team Althea to the front row, obtaining third position. The eighth fastest time for Matteo Baiocco who will therefore start from row three of the tomorrow’s grid.

Saturday’s qualifying at Jerez de la Frontera started well this morning. Both riders completed a qualifying session that ensured them of direct access to Superpole 2, thanks to the fourth fastest time set by Baiocco and the eighth fastest for Canepa. Niccolò unfortunately suffered a crash during the 30-minute free practice and while he was unhurt his bike was badly damaged. The team worked quickly and precisely in order to get the bike ready in time for the Superpole. The Genoan rider was able to make the most of the qualifying tyre and closed the session with a time of 1’40.508 that translates into third position on tomorrow’s grid.

Baiocco, who will line up on row three in eighth place, has worked effectively this weekend and has good race pace. He is confident that he will be able to complete two high-level races.

First row for Raffaele De Rosa who achieves third place in the Superstock 1000 category. During the qualifying session, riders had to deal not only with the rising temperatures but also with strong winds. Despite the slightly more difficult conditions, De Rosa closed with the third fastest time and will aim to achieve his first win of the season in tomorrow’s race.

Niccolò Canepa: “I’m really pleased with this third place, the first time I’m on the front row in Superbike. I didn’t expect to reach the top 3 but to stay in the top five, especially after the crash in the free practice. My technicians worked extremely quickly to put the bike back together so that I’d be ready to start the Superpole. For tomorrow we have good pace and I want to complete two great races.”

Matteo Baiocco: “Qualifying didn’t go to plan, especially after this morning when I was very fast, but we’ve worked to prepare for the races and we’ve definitely taken another step forward. I improved a little with the qualifying tyre, though not as much as I’d hoped. Starting eighth is not so bad though and tomorrow we’ll have to deal with the heat and the grip. I’ll need to manage the tyres well but I’m feeling confident”.