The Tissot Superpole session for the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship was a dramatic and unpredictable affair at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve for the Pirelli Portuguese Round as Dirk Geiger (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) claimed a stunning pole position as he smashed the lap record. Geiger claimed his first pole position in WorldSSP300 and he will start ahead of Championship leader Alvaro Diaz (Arco Motor University Team) as he looks to wrap up the title in Race 1.

NOTHING TO SEPARATE THE TOP TWO: 0.009s in it

Geiger posted a 1’55.008s as he smashed the lap record for Portimao in WorldSSP300 to claim his maiden pole position in the Championship, becoming Germany’s first polesitter in the Championship’s history and the 23^rd different rider to claim pole position in WorldSSP300. He will start alongside Championship leader Diaz as the Spanish rider took his third front row start knowing he can wrap up the title in Race 1. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse), who had led the timesheets in the 20-minute Superpole session and also broke the lap record, will start from third after lap 0.140s slower than Geiger.

FROM ROW TWO: just missing out on a front row start

Victor Steeman (MTM Kawasaki), the only rider who can stop Diaz being crowned 2022 Champion, will line up from fourth place for both Race 1 and Race 2 after setting a 1’55.193s in Superpole, leading teammate Ruben Bijman by under a tenth of a second with Bijman lining up in fifth place. Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) will line up from the end of the second row as he claimed sixth place, only 0.249s away from pole position.

ROUNDING OUT THE TOP TEN: half-a-second between the fastest ten riders

Italian rider Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) will line up from the third row as he took seventh place, missing out on a second row start by half a tenth, while Friday’s pacesetter Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing) will start from eighth. Alex Millan (SMW Racing) took ninth place in the Superpole session, 0.404s down on Geiger’s pole position time, with Bruno Ieraci (Prodina Racing WorldSSP300) rounding out the top ten.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from Superpole

After a crash in free practice on Friday, Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki) was declared with a possible concussion, chest contusion, left collarbone fracture and left scapula fracture. In Superpole, wildcard Tomas Alonso (Quaresma Racing Team) suffered technical problems which halted his charge but he was able to take 21^st on the grid, while fellow Portuguese wildcard rider Dinis Borges (Rame Moto Racing) will line up 29^th and 31^st.

The top six following WorldSSP300 Superpole, full results here:

1. Dirk Geiger (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) 1’55.008

2. Alvaro Diaz (Arco Motor University Team) +0.009s

3. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) +0.140s

4. Victor Steeman (MTM Kawasaki) +0.185s

5. Ruben Bijman (MTM Kawasaki) +0.240s

6. Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) +0.249s

Don’t miss Race 1 from WorldSSP300 at 12:40 Local Time (GMT+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!