The FIM Sportbike World Championship closed out their first-ever day at the Misano World Circuit "Marco Simoncelli" with a hotly contested Tissot Superpole session. David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) landed his third consecutive pole position, followed by wildcard Filippo Bianchi (Team MMP Velocita), who impressed for P2 and Matteo Vannucci (Revo-M2) in P3, comprising the Pirelli Emilia-Romagna Round’s Race 1 front row.
TWO APRILIAS IN THE TOP THREE
David Salvador continues to reign supreme in WorldSPB on Friday with his third consecutive pole position thanks to his 1’42.280s lap earned late in the session. Wildcard rider Filippo Bianchi topped the morning’s Free Practice session, and stayed hot at home in the Superpole session, finishing with a 1’42.417ss time good to sit P1 for most of the session. It wasn’t all sunshine for Bianchi in the session; however, his session ended early with 12 minutes to go after he crashed on Turn 4 and fell to P2, and he was later taken to the medical centre after the session with a shoulder contusion where he was later ruled fit. Matteo Vannucci has come out swinging in his Italian manufacturer’s home round, and his 1’42.660s time made him the second of two Aprilia machines to sit on the front row.
THOMPSON TAKES A SEASON-BEST P4 GRID START
Carter Thompson (Team BrCorse) again took his Yamaha R7 up into the top ten for the third Superpole session in a row on the back of his 1’42.713s time. Despite his late T16 crash, his P4 arrives as his best Superpole result of the season so far. Bruno Ieraci (CM Triumph Factory Racing) continues to show the Triumph Daytona 660’s strength up near the front of the order, finishing as top Triumph, four hundredths behind the Australian. Jeffrey Buis (Track & Trades Wixx Racing) has earned himself a solid P6 finish for top Suzuki honours as he rode a best time atop his GSX-8R of 1’42.779s.
TORRES TUMBLES TO P8
Elia Bartolini (CM Triumph Factory Racing) will lead the third row thanks to his 1’42.854s time. Behind him, Spanish rider Antonio Torres (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) is set to start from P8 with a time a mere three hundredths slower than the Italian. British rider Fenton Seabright (PHR Performance Triumph) made it three Triumph bikes in the top ten thanks to a 1’42.912s time. Two and a half tenths behind the Brit, Pepe Osuna (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team).
The top six from the WorldSPB Tissot Superpole session, full results here!
- David Salvador (Team ProDina Kawasaki XCI) 1’42.280s
2. Filippo Bianchi (Team MMP Velocita) +0.137s
3. Matteo Vannucci (Revo-M2) +0.380s
4. Carter Thompson (Team BrCorse) +0.433s
5. Bruno Ieraci (CM Triumph Factory Racing) +0.478s
6. Jeffrey Buis (Track&Trades Wixx Racing) +0.499s
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