Report - First Qualifying - FG Sport

HAGA SETS THE EARLY PACE IN FIRST 2007 QUALIFYING SESSION - THREE MANUFACTURERS IN THE TOP THREE AT LOSAIL Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) proved to be the fastest rider in the first session of the weekend at Losail, after carving 0.6 seconds from the previous best SBK lap of the 5.4km circuit. A close session saw James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) ride to within 0.037 seconds of Haga, and edge out SBK 'rookie' Max Biaggi (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) to third. Biaggi was the early pacesetter, proving an instant hit when the first competitive laps were played out under the hot sun in the Qatari desert.

The overnight front row four was completed by 1996 and 2005 World Champion Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia), in his first competitive SBK ride for his new employers.

LANZI AHEAD OF BAYLISS AFTER OPENING SHOTS ARE FIRED Given his speed during testing, the biggest surprise of the day was reserved for the news that Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) was not only not the fastest rider, but also that he was also outperformed on the day by his team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi. The top two Ducati riders were fifth and sixth respectively. Former Qatar race winner Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) earned seventh fastest time, and the big seven were the only ones within a second of provisional pole. The second row was completed by multiple SBK race winner of years gone by, Ruben Xaus (Team Sterilgarda Ducati), a welcome sight in the top eight. British rider Dean Ellison (Team Pedercini 999RS) was 18th from 23 entrants.

ROLFO TOP TEN WITH NIETO FASTEST KAWASAKI RIDER Roby Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) is far enough along his Honda learning curve to be ninth fastest after the first day of qualifying, and also did well enough to ace the top Kawasaki rider on show, Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) who was tenth. Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) was only 13th but is almost sure to make improvements on day two. The private riders placed well behind the best of the officially supported machines, as Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda) and Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Germany) completed the overnight third row.

BROOKES ON THE PACE WITH MUGGERIDGE UNLUCKY Alto Evolution Honda rider Josh Brookes scored 14th best time on his CBR1000RR, but a double bike failure for his fellow Aussie and Alto Evolution rider Karl Muggeridge prevented him from setting even a single qualifying lap. The last two riders into the top 16 today were lone Yamaha YZF Team rider Shinichi Nakatomi and DFX Corse Honda rider Steve Martin. New SBK inductee Jakub Smrz (Team Caracchi Ducati SC) was a battling 17th, one place up on Ellison.

WORLD SUPERSPORT Katsuaki Fujiwara (Althea Honda) proved he was back on top form at one of his favourite circuits by taking the fastest time in the opening qualifying session. His time of 2'03.258 was less than 0.2 seconds from the previous fastest lap. The early formbook was also written by the irrepressible Gianluca Nannelli (Team Caracchi Ducati SC 749R) who was second; only 0.219 seconds from Fujiwara and his new Honda CBR600RR.

The Hannspree Ten Kate Honda pairing of Kenan Sofuoglu and Sebastien Charpentier filled the overnight front row, while the still-developing GIL Kawasaki of Fabien Foret, the 2002 Champion, scored a more than creditable fifth place in a line-up of 34 riders.

Kevin Curtain (Yamaha SSP Racing) was the R6 filling in a Kawasaki sandwich, as he edged out Pere Riba (GIL Kawasaki) for seventh, just 0.691 seconds from Fujiwara after only one day of action. Curtain's team-mate Broc Parkes was eighth, the last rider less than a second from Fujiwara.

Despite the first unofficial practice session for Supersport being twice stopped and delayed to clean up the track surface, the afternoon timed session went ahead as planned, with only one rider from the 34 possibles outside the qualifying limit.