2015 Donington World Superbike Superpole Results: Strategy And Routines

Superpole One opened early in a typical English holiday weekend; overcast, cold and a little bit breezy.

Sylvain Guintoli set the first flying lap time, but it was Jordi Torres who slotted in at the top shortly after with a 1'28.748, a time that would survive until the qualifying tyres were fitted. Torres was the first rider out on the softer tyres, leaving a minute before everyone else, a tactic that backfired when he started his flying lap as slower riders were leaving the pits, ruining his first fast lap as he hit traffic.

As Torres finished his second lap on qualifying tyres, he was second to David Salom. When Sylvain Guintoli took the top spot with a 1'28.556 then a 1'28.552, Torres was doomed to 13th position on the grid. Guintoli and Salom would progress to Superpole Two.

In Superpole Two, Jonathan Rea was, as usual, the first out and the first to set a lap time, but five riders immediately went quicker with Alex Lowes quickest. Lowes then beat his own time again, recording a 1'27.670 on race tyres. Tom Sykes was second-quickest, over a quarter of a second back, before change for the "Qs".

Qualifying seems to have settled into a routine, with every superpole session starting on race tyres, taking a break in the middle as everyone pits in for qualifying tyres and the final fast runs. It seems that no longer does anyone take a punt on sticky tyres early on. This session would follow this now routine pattern.

Leon Haslam was the first to depose Lowes, followed by Davide Giugliano, the first rider to beat Tom Sykes's pole position time from last year, but then the Kawasakis turned up. Sykes setting the faster time, a 1'27.071, Jonathan Rea under a quarter of a second behind him. Alex Lowes nearly set a faster time, looking on the pace through the first three sectors, but he lost it all in the last sector, the area of heavy braking that would really test the engine braking weakness of his electronic package.

Tom Sykes gets another pole position with Jonathan Rea once more on the front row. Davide Giugliano in third, in spite of his usual crashes, continuing his charge to make up for missed weekends.

Qualifying Results:

Superpole One:

Superpole Two: