2012 World Superbike Finale Friday Results
Although he finished Friday’s first free practice session fourth fastest, Kawasaki Racing’s Tom Sykes piloted his ZX-10R to the quickest time in the first qualifying session for the final round of the 2012 World Superbike Championship at Magny-Cours, France.
Sykes, who is currently second in the points race, 30.5 points behind Aprilia Racing Team’s Max Biaggi, posted a quickest lap of 1:38.200. Sykes would be 0.448 of a second quicker than Althea Racing’s Carlos Checa.
Third quickest during Q1 Friday was the other man with a mathametically chance of winning the 2012 World SBK title – BMW Motorrad’s Marco Melandri. The S1000RR rider, who trails Biaggi by 38.5 points, finished 0.542 of a second behind Sykes.
The other Althea Racing Ducati rider, Davide Giugliano, finished fourth fastest. The leader of the first free practice, Honda World Superbike’s Jonathan Rea, was fifth fastest, 0.814 of a second behind Sykes.
Sixth quickest was BMW Motorrad Italia’s Michel Fabrizio, followed by Biaggi in seventh. Rounding out the top 10 Q1 times on Friday were BMW Motorrad’s Leon Haslam, Pata Racing Ducati’s Sylvain Guintoli, the final rider to post within a second of Sykes, and FIXI Crescent Suzuki’s Leon Camier.
The 21-rider grid will return to Magny-Cours Saturday morning for free practice 2 and qualifying 2 ahead of Superpole. For a preview of the 2012 WSBK finale, click here.
2012 Magny-Cours World Superbike Qualifying 1 Results:
1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’38.200
2. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1198R 1’38.648
3. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1’38.742
4. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1198R 1’38.962
5. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 1’39.014
6. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 1’39.139
7. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’39.144
8. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 1’39.149
9. Sylvain Guintoli (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1198R 1’39.186
10. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’39.285
11. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’39.382
12. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 1’39.530
13. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1198R 1’39.709
14. Maxime Berger (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1198R 1’39.842
15. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’39.945
16. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’40.084
17. John Hopkins (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’40.538
18. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 1’40.631
19. Claudio Corti (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’40.860
20. Alexander Lundh (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’41.535
21. Norino Brignola (Grillini Progea Superbike Team) BMW S1000 RR 1’42.990
