Tom Sykes will start his title campaign this year from pole position after breaking the lap record to take the top spot. The Yorkshireman has topped much of pre-season testing and carries that pace through to the first Superpole session of 2016, deposing Yamaha at the top of the timesheet.

After seeing teammate Sylvain Guintoli take the top spot yesterday, Yamaha’s Alex Lowes contested the Superpole 1 session in style, registering the fastest time and ensuring he joined his teammate in Superpole 2 to fight for the top grid positions. The YZF R1 came out the blocks quickly yesterday, ending their first day back in WorldSBK fastest with 2014 WorldSBK Champion Sylvain Guintoli, who saw off stiff competition from Honda’s Michael Van Der Mark and reigning World Champion Jonathan Rea on his Kawasaki ZX-10R. Althea BMW’s Jordi Torres also saw his teammate gain entry straight into Superpole 2, with Reiterberger proving the fastest German bike on track, and took second spot in Superpole 1 to join him in the fight for the top 12 positions. Torres has been suffering with an elbow injury since a crash in the final official preseason tests.

Davide Giugliano was fastest for most of the first half of the Superpole 2 session, with the key challenge coming from Yamaha’s Guintoli once again. With 5 minutes remaining, Markus Reiterberger and Chaz Davies were the first riders to show their hand and leave the pits for the final showdown, with Davies taking the top spot on his first flier. The fast laps then came quick and fast, with Sykes and Rea bringing a later challenge for Kawasaki and the Yorkshireman breaking the lap record. His lap for pole, a 1’30.020, topped the session by 0.078 seconds above Aruba.it Ducati rider Giugliano and gave reigning Champions Kawasaki their first taste of glory in 2016. After a Friday that saw Ducati slower out the blocks than expected, the first row position for Giugliano and small margin of difference makes for fantastic reading for fans of the Italian marque, showing they pose a real threat to the title once again.

Reigning Champion Jonathan Rea will begin his title defence from the front row of the grid, ending the session only a tenth and a half down on the pole position time of teammate Sykes and ending the session just ahead of both the Yamaha riders. The Japanese manufacturer’s first qualifying session on their return to WorldSBK with the YZF R1 saw them qualify in 4^th and 5^th, with Lowes closing the gap significantly to his teammate Guintoli. Completing the second row was Friday Superstar Flying Dutchman Michael Van Der Mark, who pipped teammate and MotoGP Legend Nicky Hayden to 6^th. Hayden will consequently begin his first WorldSBK races from 7^th, ahead of reigning STK1000 Champion Lorenzo Savadori who proved the fastest Aprilia in 8^th.

Chaz Davies, who was at times frustrated yesterday with his pace, will begin the first Round of 2016 from 9^th position, with the Welshman looking to move up the field after challenging spectacularly for the victory last year at Phillip Island and coming home second in the title fight in 2015.

Fastest BMWs Markus Reiterberger and Jordi Torres were the final names in Superpole 2, with impressive rookie Reiterberger beginning his first race from 11^th and Jordi Torres closing in on his teammate, riding through the injury sustained in pre-season testing to assure himself a top 12 starting position for the weekend of racing ahead.

The lights will go out for the first WorldSBK race of the new era later today as the flag drops… and the talking stops!