Submitted by Jared Earle on
World Supersport superpole started with Moto-E and World Supersport championship leader Dominique Aegerter dominating the free practice sessions, with multiple laps quicker than the rest of the grid. The Ducatis were gifted a few more horsepower in the Next Generation rules.
Race-winner Andy Verdoïa opened the session with a 1'41.822 as Raffaele De Rosa's bike was summoned off the track for a smoking engine. Glenn van Straalen and Can Oncu held the top spot briefly until Dominique Aegerter took a third of a second off the quickest time with a 1'40.242, a quicker lap than any other rider's best this weekend, albeit slower than Aegerter's lap record pace.
Jules Cluzel climbed up to the top only to be knocked off by Aegerter's 1'39.786. Another lap and another step up with a 1'39.573, putting Aegerter over half a second ahead of Nicolo Bulega and Jules Cluzel. A lap later, the absolute lap record fell to Aegerter, finding a tenth of a second in the last sector to post a 1'39.484 before he pulled in for the mid-session break.
With six minutes left, riders started rejoining the track for a last couple of attempts to improve their lot. Lorenzo Baldassarri knocked Nicolo Bulega off second place, pushing Jules Cluzel off the front row, with just under three minutes left. Yellow flags made their customary appearance in the final minutes as riders pushed too hard in a last ditch attempt to improve. Federico Caricasulo crashed after pushing into second place and Nicolo Bulega knocked him down a spot.
With under a minute left, Dominique Aegerter set a 1'39.262 and crossed the line for one last lap, secure in pole position ahead of Nicolo Bulega and Glenn van Straalen with Caricasulo pushed to seventh place by riders giving it their all on the last lap.
After the grid places were settled, Dominique Aegerter posted a 1'39.046 to take pole position by over eight tenths of a second, leading Nicolo Bulega, a lone Ducati in the front two rows, and Glenn van Straalen on the front row, ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri, Jules Cluzel and Andy Verdoïa on the all-Yamaha second row. The third row was headed by crasher Federico Caricasulo, leading Can Oncu and Niki Tuuli. Stefano Manzi was quickest Triumph in tenth place.
Results:
Pos | No. | Rider | Bike | Time | Gap | Speed |
1 | 77 | D. AEGERTER | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'39.046 | 268,7 | |
2 | 11 | N. BULEGA | Ducati Panigale V2 | 1'39.884 | 0.838 | 272,7 |
3 | 28 | G. VAN STRAALEN | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'39.952 | 0.906 | 268,7 |
4 | 7 | L. BALDASSARRI | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'40.106 | 1.060 | 275,5 |
5 | 16 | J. CLUZEL | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'40.171 | 1.125 | 274,1 |
6 | 94 | A. VERDOIA | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'40.180 | 1.134 | 270,0 |
7 | 64 | F. CARICASULO | Ducati Panigale V2 | 1'40.247 | 1.201 | 269,3 |
8 | 61 | C. ONCU | Kawasaki ZX-6R | 1'40.453 | 1.407 | 274,1 |
9 | 66 | N. TUULI | MV Agusta F3 800 RR | 1'40.490 | 1.444 | 268,7 |
10 | 62 | S. MANZI | Triumph Street Triple RS | 1'40.517 | 1.471 | 270,7 |
11 | 10 | U. ORRADRE | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'40.640 | 1.594 | 270,0 |
12 | 55 | Y. MONTELLA | Kawasaki ZX-6R | 1'40.694 | 1.648 | 272,0 |
13 | 50 | O. VOSTATEK | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'40.779 | 1.733 | 273,4 |
14 | 38 | H. SOOMER | Triumph Street Triple RS | 1'40.957 | 1.911 | 269,3 |
15 | 56 | P. SEBESTYEN | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'40.967 | 1.921 | 268,7 |
16 | 99 | A. HUERTAS | Kawasaki ZX-6R | 1'41.074 | 2.028 | 276,2 |
17 | 32 | O. BAYLISS | Ducati Panigale V2 | 1'41.132 | 2.086 | 274,8 |
18 | 25 | M. BRENNER | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'41.137 | 2.091 | 272,0 |
19 | 17 | K. SMITH | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'41.166 | 2.120 | 264,1 |
20 | 71 | T. EDWARDS | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'41.350 | 2.304 | 268,0 |
21 | 3 | R. DE ROSA | Ducati Panigale V2 | 1'41.455 | 2.409 | 263,4 |
22 | 73 | M. KOFLER | Ducati Panigale V2 | 1'41.735 | 2.689 | 273,4 |
23 | 24 | L. TACCINI | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'41.738 | 2.692 | 274,1 |
24 | 13 | L. OTTAVIANI | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'41.745 | 2.699 | 267,3 |
25 | 36 | S. KROEZE | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'41.839 | 2.793 | 267,3 |
26 | 22 | F. FULIGNI | Ducati Panigale V2 | 1'41.860 | 2.814 | 262,8 |
27 | 54 | B. SOFUOGLU | MV Agusta F3 800 RR | 1'41.875 | 2.829 | 269,3 |
28 | 9 | S. JESPERSEN | Yamaha YZF R6 | 1'41.910 | 2.864 | 273,4 |
29 | 12 | F. FULIGNI | Ducati Panigale V2 | 1'41.994 | 2.948 | 274,1 |
30 | 21 | B. CURRIE | Kawasaki ZX-6R | 1'42.162 | 3.116 | 272,0 |
31 | 6 | J. BUIS | Kawasaki ZX-6R | 1'42.980 | 3.934 | 273,4 |