FIM Supersport World Championship Monza, Italy May 11, 2007 Free Practice One Results (with best top speeds): 1. Sebastien CHARPENTIER (Honda CBR600RR), 1:50.711, 175.8 mph 2. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Honda CBR600RR), 1:50.791, 174.6 mph 3. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Honda CBR600RR), 1:50.866, 175.8 mph 4. Fabien FORET (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:51.098, 175.2 mph 5. Broc PARKES (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:51.557, 175.2 mph 6. Barry VENEMAN (Suzuki GSX-R600), 1:51.837, 176.5 mph 7. Pere RIBA (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:51.848, 174.6 mph 8. Anthony WEST (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:51.867, 175.2 mph 9. Gianluca NANNELLI (Ducati 749R), 1:51.889, 183.3 mph 10. Yoann TIBERIO (Honda CBR600RR), 1:52.088, 175.2 mph 11. Gianluca VIZZIELLO (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:52.148, 171.2 mph 12. Matthieu LAGRIVE (Honda CBR600RR), 1:52.195, 171.2 mph 13. Massimo ROCCOLI (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:52.315, 171.5 mph 14. Giles BOCCOLINI (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:52.393, 172.7 mph 15. Lorenzo ALFONSI (Honda CBR600RR), 1:52.412, 178.3 mph 16. Craig JONES (Honda CBR600RR), 1:52.477, 170.3 mph 17. Robbin HARMS (Honda CBR600RR), 1:52.570, 174.0 mph 18. Vesa KALLIO (Suzuki GSX-R600), 1:52.672, 174.0 mph 19. Simone SANNA (Honda CBR600RR), 1:52.689, 174.0 mph 20. Javier FORES (Honda CBR600RR), 1:52.817, 170.3 mph 25. Chris PERIS (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:53.415, 170.3 mph More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: HANNspree Ten Kate Honda heads for Supersport front row HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s World Supersport riders secured a provisional front row start for round six of championship at the Autodrome Nazionale Monza in Italy today. Sébastien Charpentier completed the 45-minute first qualifying session on the 5.793km track at the top of the timesheet, while team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu secured the second fastest time. Charpentier has made a good recovery from injuries sustained earlier in the season and is fighting fit for this weekend’s event. After experiencing a few small problems in the morning free practice, the determined Frenchman proved that he is back with a vengeance by setting the fastest lap in the official qualifying. He finished with a time of 1’50.711 – just over a tenth of a second away from the best lap he set at Monza in 2006. Sofuoglu started the day on top form by setting the fastest lap in the morning free practice. He continued this strong performance by securing the best lap four times this afternoon, before his team-mate stole the top spot in the last few minutes of the session. Sofuoglu’s final time of 1’50.791 was just 0.080 seconds off Charpentier’s. The team will be making small adjustments to the both riders’ CBR600RRs overnight in order to maintain their top positions in tomorrow’s second qualifying session. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “Today has been a very good start to the weekend, although we still have a lot of work to do on the bikes. On a track like Monza the times will always be very close and we have a few small things to change on the set-up of the bike to make life easier for the riders. Hopefully we can find some improvements overnight and keep them on the front row for tomorrow.” Sébastien Charpentier: “The session this afternoon was better than this morning. Sometimes you just wake up and don’t have a good feeling and today was one of those days. This morning the feeling wasn’t good and also the bike had a few small problems. The team worked really hard before the official session and I worked harder during the session so it was better. We still have some work to do on the bike and we will change a few things for tomorrow but this is normal for the first day. I am happy because I was pretty close to my best lap from last year. Tomorrow I’ll work hard to make sure I get the best position I can for HANNspree Ten Kate Honda.” Kenan Sofuoglu: “It was a good qualifying session today. It’s always on my mind to remain in the front row. I’m already seconds faster than I was here last year so I’m really pleased with that. Tomorrow I’ll be aiming to stay in the top four and also work on my race distance because Monza is a long track. I’m happy with the bike – we don’t have too much to change overnight and in fact, we haven’t changed it too much since Assen. We have found a good base set-up now and I have high hopes for the weekend.” More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Carrachi: In Supersport Gianluca Nannelli earned a ninth position that could be better, but the twin 749R showed once more his exceptional top speed. “I’m not quite satisfied of today’s result.” has been the comment at the end of practices by Gianluca Nannelli. “I have any confidence of the front. The bike’s rear looks good, and of course the engine is pushing very fast, as always. I have to say that while I was trying the fast lap I find at Variante Ascari a group of three slower riders that less me the free way only after the Parabolica corner; at that time I was in third, fourth split time, but them, not for lack of goodwill, didn’t let me pass and so I’ve lost precious time. That’s a pity, because going on with the same pace I could be in a front position of the provisional grid, as shows also the theoretical ideal time of the session. Now is important to set better the front that I feel very light. As I told before the engine is very powerful, as well the top speed should be recorded thanks a good trail, we have to set a good handling for a better package. We’ll se tomorrow, hoping that weather conditions could be the same as today, we could reach the front row.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Steady Start for Yamaha World Supersport Team The Yamaha World Supersport Team played it cool and calm today with the focus on bedding in a new rider and finding the right race setting. They might have been playing it calm but the team still walked away with fifth and eighth qualifying places, Parkes and West respectively. Parkes had a good morning going fourth fastest in today’s free practice. He then spent the afternoon qualifying session finding the right set-up for this weekend and was in the top five for the whole 45 minute session. He ended the day in a comfortable fifth. Newcomer to the bike, the team and the championship this weekend is Anthony West. Anthony replaces Kevin Curtain here at Monza while Kevin continues his recuperation back home in Australia. Curtain had been hoping to return to the saddle at this round but has been set back due to an infection in his leg wound. West is currently riding in the 250 GP Championship. West had his first ride of the 2007 YZF-R6 today and also his first ride of the Monza circuit so the team was expecting it to take a little bit of time for him to get on the pace. But with seconds to go in this morning’s free practice the young Australian leapt into sixth place. He proceeded to make good progress in the afternoon qualifying session claiming eighth qualifying place. In the process of finding the limit West suffered a low-side crash just before the end of the qualifying session at the infamous Parabolica corner but didn’t suffer any injuries and is fired up for tomorrow. Massimo Roccoli riding for the Yamaha Team Italia squad was not able to show his full riding potential today as he struggled with front end problems during practice and qualifying. He finished in 13th today. Broc Parkes (5th – 1’51.557 – Yamaha World Supersport Team) “I missed out on using my last rear tyre because I came in too late at the end of the session, but it’s not the end of the world. Today was more about finding a good set-up for the whole bike not just about setting a good time. That will come tomorrow. The bike felt good today and I am positive of getting up there in the second qualifying session tomorrow.” Anthony West (5th – 1’51.867 – Yamaha World Supersport Team) “Having been riding a 250 two-stroke the bike felt really strange for the first few laps and I thought it was going to take longer to get used to it than it has. The R6 feels a lot easier to ride than the last time I rode a 600cc bike in 2004. It just shows how much these bikes have developed. The biggest things for me to get used are the weight and way it moves when cornering compared to a two-stroke. It is a lot more physical but I am finding my style pretty quickly. I am very happy with eighth considering it is a strange track and bike to me. I’m looking forward to tomorrow as I know I have more to give.” Massimo Roccoli (13th – 1’52.315 – Yamaha Team Italia) “I have a very fast machine and I made some good steps in the Italian national championship last weekend but I still have some problems with the front end of the bike. We will be working on fixing it overnight as I need to start on the first or second row not in thirteenth this weekend. That is my goal for tomorrow’s qualifying – first or second row.”