Biaggi snares pole at Monza

Michel Fabrizio and his team worked hard today and were rewarded with a front row place on tomorrow’s grid at the Autodromo Nazionale of Monza; Michel will line up in third position, the spot that he had already provisionally secured yesterday.

This morning’s second qualifying proved to be an extremely successful session for Michel Fabrizio, on board his 1198. Despite an initially damp track, with conditions very similar to yesterday, times began to drop later in the session and, after substituting used slicks with new ones, the Italian rider was able to push hard, recording an impressive 1’43.737 on his penultimate lap to take overall first position at the end of qualifying, three tenths of a second faster than Rea (Honda) in second. By the close of the session, Noriyuki had also made progress, improving on yesterdays qualifying time by almost a second and a half, to qualify in overall twelfth position for the afternoon’s Superpole.

In the early afternoon’s final free practice session, times improved once again and Michel impressed once more, ducking under the 1’43 barrier to make two very fast laps right at the end of the session, recording the fastest overall time of this practice session at the very last minute (1’42.6). Noriyuki continued to lose valuable tenths, particularly through the first sector of track, and closed in fourteenth.

Superpole 1 – both Fabrizio and Haga made two exits during the fourteen-minute session. Michel chose not to use a qualifier in this first phase and closed in a solid eighth place, assuring himself of passage to the next phase. Noriyuki ,on the other hand, made his second exit with the qualifier and, like Michel, finished inside the top sixteen, in fourteenth position.

Superpole 2 – Noriyuki’s technicians provided him with a new qualifier for this session but unfortunately the Japanese rider did not find the grip necessary to make a fast lap and thus concluded today’s Superpole in sixteenth position, equating to the fourth row of tomorrow’s grid. Michel, also on a “Q”, had more success and recorded a 1’42.7, enough to finish in second place, and progressing comfortably to the final phase.

Superpole 3 – Michel made two fast laps, the second of which temporarily propelled him into pole position, but was subsequently beaten by Biaggi and Crutchlow in the final minute of this last phase, meaning an eventual third place finish for the Ducati Xerox rider. He will therefore line up on the front row of the grid in tomorrow’s races, in the position that he had provisionally secured already yesterday.

Michel Fabrizio
“Today’s result is the best response to the gossip that was circulating in the paddock yesterday. Within the team we are working well together, are united, and together will be protagonists once more. I’m of course very happy with today’s results. We needed to get back on track with a result like this, after three rounds in which I’ve not really been present, at least not at the front where I think the factory riders should be! I’m also pleased that, after successful tests at Misano last week, we are doing well – so far – in front of the Italian crowd. It’s the first of the “home” races and so of course Ducati and myself would love to take two great race results here.”

Noriyuki Haga
“This morning conditions were pretty much the same as yesterday and I was finding it difficult, especially through the first part of the track.Then in the Superpole I found that I had better grip on the race tyre than with the qualifier. I was lacking grip at the rear and, though I pushed as hard as I can, it was impossible to make a very fast lap. I’m fairly happy with the race set-up but it’s going to be another tough race day.”

—  Althea Ducati

Today’s sessions set tomorrow’s grid positions at Monza, the stage for this fifth round of the 2010 World Superbike Championship and the first of the three Italian events scheduled this season. On this very fast track, the 24 Superbike riders continued to battle hard and the two Althea Racing riders Carlos Checa and Shane Byrne were among the protagonists. On board their Ducati 1198 machines, both riders qualified comfortably for the Superpole.

Spanish rider Carlos Checa, fourth in the overall standings, improved on the time he set yesterday by more than three seconds to close Superpole in eleventh position, securing a place on the third row of the grid with a best time of 1’43”506. “Today went a lot better than first qualifying”, said Carlos. “We’ve made some steps forward with regard to the bike’s rideability and we were able to better understand why we were having problems through certain sections of the track. Tomorrow will be difficult and to get into the top ten will be hard but we’ll try to take home as many points as possible.”

Carlos’ team-mate Shane Byrne also made good progress today, dropping his lap time by nearly four seconds. “Shakey” finished fifteenth, with a time of 1’43”813 and will line up tomorrow on the fourth row. “To start from fifteenth will be hard but I’ll give it my all and try to make a good race”, said the English rider. “We have done some good work in the garage over these two days and tomorrow it will be important to start well and stick with the guys ahead of us.”

Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager, declared, “As I predicted, both riders improved today. Carlos wanted to wait until the last minute, for all the little problems to be resolved so that he could push to the limit and understand how to ride through the trickiest parts of the track. He has a good feeling with the bike and thanks to the team’s hard work he has the advantage of a strong set-up. Shane had a few difficulties but in the end he made good progress too and did a lot better than in yesterday’s sessions. I am confident; tomorrow we will ride a dignified race and try to limit the damage at a track that is not a real friend of ours.”

—  Yamaha Report

Yamaha riders Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland put in an impressive performance in Superpole today, with Crutchlow just missing out on pole to start from the second position on the grid for tomorrow’s two World Superbike races. The young British rider passed through each heat comfortably, fastest in the second session with an impressive 1’42.255 lap on a used race tyre. The final heat saw him miss out on pole to Max Biaggi by less than a tenth of a second.

Team mate James Toseland was also on form, clearing Superpole one in fifth and Superpole two in fourth, only three tenths off Crutchlow. The final heat saw him heading for a front row start until a small mistake dropped a few tenths off his time, meaning he will start from seventh on the second row tomorrow.

The earlier qualifying session saw the riders work through and finalise their set ups. Toseland’s heat was disrupted with a small technical problem, forcing him to return to the pits and head out on his second bike. Crutchlow finished in tenth, Toseland in 13th.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (2nd, 1’42.154)
“It was a shame to miss out on pole by less than a tenth of a second but all credit to Max for a good lap. We seemed to do a very good lap in Superpole two on a seven lap old race tyre with a 42.2, then put two qualifiers in during the last session and I didn’t feel like I had the same level of grip from them. It’s going to be tough racing tomorrow, I’m looking forward to it and I think it’ll be close. Being part of an Italian team and having our workshop literally a stone’s throw from the Lesmo corner it’s been good to deliver good results so far this weekend. They’ve put in a good effort, James has ridden to two fantastic podiums recently at Assen.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team, (7th, 1’42.789)
“We used both our qualifiers in the second Superpole heat and unfortunately didn’t have one for the last session, however I would have done a mid 42 but I made a mistake at Lesmo on my first lap, and being a race tyre I really needed to get it in on that lap so I lost a few tenths there. That would have put me on the front row, and to say you can get there on a race tyre is encouraging. We had a problem with an engine this morning in qualifying and a different gearbox in the other bike which meant we couldn’t run with the best gearing in Superpole. If it can stay dry tonight then we can try a few things in tomorrow’s warm up and I’m quietly confident we can do well in the races.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“To start our home race from the first and second row of the grid is a good result. For sure tomorrow we will enjoy two really good races here, there is a lot of fun to be had for the riders on the long straights. I’m confident that the set up is good for both riders so I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do tomorrow.”

—  BMW Report

Another good Superpole result for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport: Ruben Xaus (ESP) scored his best ever qualifying result for the team, finishing the Superpole 3 qualifying on the Monza high speed circuit in sixth. His best qualifying result so far for the team was seventh in Brno in 2009. His team mate, Troy Corser (AUS), will start Sunday’s races from 12th .

Ruben Xaus:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR
Fastest lap Qualifying Practices: 1:45.388 min / Fastest lap Free Practice: 1:43.588 min / Fastest lap Superpole 3: 1:42.725 min
“I am really happy today. I want to dedicate today’s result to my crew who always believed in me. We found out some important things about the bike’s set-up during the weekend in Assen, and at the end of that race weekend I was able to go at the same speed as the other guys. We started off the weekend here well, and we were able to get on this far. I am quite confident for tomorrow. Unfortunately on my final lap in Superpole 3, I was quite aggressive going into the chicane and touched the kerb with the engine cover. The bike kicked me off, and that was it. However, finishing sixth today with used tyres is really good.”

Troy Corser:
Bike: BMW S 1000 RR
Fastest lap Qualifying Practices: 1:44.763 min / Fastest lap Free Practice: 1:43.484 min / Fastest lap Superpole 2: 1:43.508 min
“Today’s Superpole was strange. I feel a lot more confident and comfortable with the race tyre than with the qualifying tyre. We are struggling a little bit with stopping the bike. However, I am confident we can go at a good race pace tomorrow, and also hope for a good start. From the third row it is tough to make it to the top, but I am sure I can make up a couple of positions. It will be crucial to get the first chicane after the start right. It is still quite tight, and I expect chaos there tomorrow. ”

Davide Tardozzi (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Team Manager): “Ruben did a fantastic job today. I am pretty happy about his result. Unfortunately we had some difficulties with Troy’s qualifying tyres and the bike set-up. We will now work on the set-up issues, as we believe that Troy can compete for the podium here.”

—  Suzuki Report

Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam just missed out on a front-row grid place in Superpole 3 this afternoon at the Monza World Superbike fifth round when he was baulked on his two flying laps:

The first time was by James Toseland (Yamaha) and the second was by another of his fellow countrymen – Tom Sykes (Kawasaki). But for those two instances, Haslam would’ve qualified on the front row.

His team mate Sylvain Guintoli struggled to find a good rhythm today and ended with the 14th-quickest time in Superpole. He now faces a difficult task staring tomorrow’s pair of 18 lap races from the fourth row of the grid.

Max Biaggi (Aprilia) stormed to victory in Superpole with Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) second, Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) third and Jonathan Rea (Honda) fourth.

Leon Haslam – 5th, 1:42.725: “I’m disappointed not to be on the front row but I am pretty happy with my bike and feel confident about the races tomorrow. I was on a quick lap in final Superpole, but got pushed out wide by James, so I thought I’d go for it on the second lap, but this time Tom was on my racing line and I had to go round him to get past and lost time in the process.

“It’s good that the first turn is a long way from the start and as long as I get off the line well I’ll be with the front guys for sure. The first chicane is going to be tight and I hope nobody tries to do anything stupid there on the first lap. I think that a wet race might be better for the Championship, but I guess we’d all rather prefer two dry races and a lot of close-quarter racing. We’re probably going to get that anyway!”

Sylvain Guintoli – 14th, 1:43.691: “Once again, I am having a problem finding a good rhythm and being here in Monza for the first time is no real excuse. It’s my job as a racer to learn tracks quickly and I have not succeeded as well as I wanted to. I’m disappointed not to have done better today and now my job tomorrow is going to be a lot harder as I will be starting from the fourth row of the grid. The other thing is that I didn’t manage to improve much when I was on qualifying tyres and that is something I will have to get used to and sort out.

“We not far off where we want to be, but in this Championship not far is a like a long way off! The series is so competitive that any small slip in qualifying can push you way back down the grid. I have been practicing my starts and now I need two good ones tomorrow.”

—  Ten Kate

Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow’s two fifth round World Superbike championship races from the front row of the grid after setting the fourth fastest time in today’s Superpole qualifying sessions at Monza in Italy.

After being near the top of the timing sheets in both yesterday’s and today’s practice and qualifying, the 23-year-old from Northern Ireland was unable to repeat his Assen pole position, the honour going instead to local rider Max Biaggi.

Rea’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, meanwhile continues to adapt to his CBR1000RR and improve its set-up for the historic 5.777km Monza circuit, setting the ninth fastest time today for a third row start.

This afternoon’s Superpole sessions were held in dry conditions after a wet start to the day at Monza. Further rain showers are forecast for tomorrow, when the first of the day’s two Superbike races goes at 12.00 local time, the second at 15.30.

Jonathan Rea – P4 1’42.566s
I guess it was quite good and I’m happy with the front row because I’m not really much of a qualifier – Assen must have been a one-lap wonder! As long as I get off the line well tomorrow, I’ve got some good race pace, the bike’s working good and I’m quite confident, so we’ll have to see. I’m really excited about the races and I intend to dig deep; there’ll be a load of slipstreaming going on. It’s going to be fun and games tomorrow for sure, and to be honest I wouldn’t mind being the grandstands watching!

Max Neukirchner – P9 1’43.410s
So, ninth is not so bad, but I made a little mistake on my quick lap and got in the wrong gear at the chicane, otherwise I might have been on the second row, which would have been better. But I’m really happy that we’ve been able to make more progress with the bike here this weekend. I am able to brake deeper into the corner, pick the bike up more quickly and accelerate out better. We’ve got one or two other ideas to try in warm-up tomorrow; we might go a little softer at the front and then I just need a good start. I’ve practised quite a lot this weekend already.

Ronald ten Kate – team-manager
Being on the front row was always the aim for Jonathan. He’s been quick in all sessions and in all conditions, so we are prepared for any weather tomorrow, although we all hope for sun and a dry track. Max has definitely continued his move forward and the second row would have been a good reward for all the hard work that he and his crew have put in recently. At least he can see the start lights now, which have been out of sight in previous races! We’ll make a few small changes tomorrow morning and then I would advise everyone watching to hold on to their seats!!

Kenan Sofuoglu took his second consecutive World Supersport championship pole position at Monza this afternoon after setting the fastest time in the second qualifying session for tomorrow’s fifth round race.

The Turkish ace fired his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR around the 5.777km Monza circuit in a time of 1’47.848s, just over one tenth of a second ahead of fellow Honda-mounted Eugene Laverty.

After a wet free practice this morning, the Monza circuit dried out for this afternoon’s 45-minute qualifying session, allowing Sofuoglu’s team-mate, Italian Michele Pirro, to set the fourth fastest time for another front row start to tomorrow’s 20-lap race.

Kenan Sofuoglu – P1 1’47.848s
Today I was very afraid that more rain would come and that we would not be able to improve on our poor provisional qualifying from yesterday. But I was also fast in the wet this morning, so we had two good settings for this afternoon. I took the dry one, of course, and after some more small changes, we found a better balance to the bike. The front row was my real goal today so I’m very happy to get pole position again. We have a completely different set up to the Assen race, which I do not want to repeat. That result hurt a lot, but I’m recovered from that now and ready to race again tomorrow, and deliver a result to reward my team.

Michele Pirro – P4 1’48.367s
The feeling with the bike is much better than yesterday, which was quite difficult. I’m very happy with a front row start and even happier for Kenan and the rest of the team for his pole position. We have only really had one dry session here and we changed the bike a bit today by going harder at the front and softer at the rear. We will try one or two more possible solutions in warm-up and aim to get an even better result for the team in the race tomorrow.

Ronald ten Kate – team-manager
Getting both riders on to the front row here is a great result for the whole team and was our number one priority today. This was especially true after we clearly had some issues to resolve overnight because the bike was definitely not working as well as we know it can. But the riders and the team really turned the wheel to get this good result and I think both of the guys can mix it in the slipstreaming battle tomorrow.