Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils) s’est offert la seconde pole position de sa carrière samedi au MotorLand Aragón en battant Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati SBK Team) de tout juste 0.033s.
Le Britannique, qui avait signé sa première pole à Phillip Island en 2010, lorsqu’il courait pour Suzuki, partira donc devant Davies, qui avait réalisé le doublé en Aragón en 2013.
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team), lui aussi auteur d’un doublé au MotorLand, l’an dernier, complètera la première ligne en ayant fini les qualifications à 0.199s de Haslam.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team), leader du classement général devant Haslam, mènera la deuxième ligne devant Xavi Fores, le remplaçant de Davide Giugliano chez Ducati, et Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team), qui réussissaient brillamment leur première séance Tissot-Superpole de l’année.
Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils) partira septième devant Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), huitième sur la grille après avoir dû passer par la Superpole 1, et Nico Terol (Althea Racing). Suivront en quatrième ligne Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing Team), Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World SBK Team) et David Salom (Team Pedercini Kawasaki).
Déception chez les Français puisque le Champion en titre Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) n’a même pas atteint la Superpole 2 et a fini quatorzième. Le rookie Christophe Ponsson (Grillini Team) et Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki), qui travaille avec un tout nouveau système électronique ce week-end, seront quant à eux dix-septième et dix-neuvième sur la grille de départ.
Leon Haslam (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) will start tomorrow’s opening race of the 3rd round of the Eni FIM Superbike World Championship from Pole Position. A lap time of 1.49.664s, the fastest of the weekend so far and the fastest ever for a superbike on the new MotorLand Aragon configuration, left the Englishman 0.033s ahead of his nearest rivals Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Ducati World Superbike Team) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) who will join him on the front row (+0.199s). For Haslam it’s his first Pole Position since Phillip Island in 2010 and the 2nd of his career.
This afternoon’s 15 minute battle to decide the top 12 places on the starting grid for tomorrow’s races was electric with the final grid line-up only decided in the final minute of Superpole 2, as the outright circuit best lap was bettered
Row two will see championship leader Jonathan Rea aboard his Kawasaki (+0.389), Xavi Fores (+0.785) who continues his impressive debut weekend on the second of the Aruba.it Ducati Superbike Team) and Ayrton Badovini (+1.006s).
The third row was decided in the final seconds of the session, with Jordi Torres (Aprilia Racing Team – Red Devils) taking 7th. He will start alongside Alex Lowes and Nico Terol (Althea Racing).
Leandro Mercado (Barni Racing), Michael van der Mark (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) and David Salom (Team Pedercini) complete the top 12 in a grid that sees 5 manufacturers inside a top ten .
Earlier, Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) and Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) were the two riders to progress from Superpole 1 into the final 15 minute shoot-out, as reigning Champion Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Honda World Superbike Team) and Randy de Puniet (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) missed out on one of the top two places available, the pair qualifying 14th and 19threspectively.
