Superbike – Qualifying 1 Portimao – Haslam precedes Fabrizio and Checa

Leon Haslam continues his series of positive performances and sets the best time in the first official tests of the second round of the Superbike World Championship scheduled for next Sunday on the Portuguese circuit of Portimao. The Englishman lapped below the official track record set by Michel Fabrizio in 2009 with 1'43"529. And it is the Roman who ranked behind the Suzuki rider, trailing by only 32/1000. Haslam and Fabrizio were protagonists in race 1 at Phillip Island with a sprint finish that required a photo finish!

Third time for another protagonist of the Australian race, the winner of race 2 Carlos Checa (Ducati) who preceded Max Biaggi who deservedly returned among the leaders. The Aprilia rider is currently two tenths behind the leader but will certainly try to do better tomorrow.

James Toseland was also among the best again with the Yamaha R1, heir to the 2009 world champion. The former world champion preceded his teammate Cal Crutchlow who, in turn, set Byrne (Ducati) always among the protagonists at Portimao.

Closing out the top ten are Jakub Smrz (Ducati), Leon Camier (Aprilia) and Jonathan Rea, the latter a bit in the shade with Honda. Haga is also back, today only eleventh ahead of Corser.

Chris Vermeulen (Kawasaki) completed just one lap and, after the fall at Phillip Island in which he injured his knee, will try to get on the track again tomorrow to check the possibility of taking part in the race.

As for the other Italians, Lanzi is 16th, two positions ahead of Luca Scassa on his first ever outing with the Ducati. Baiocco (Kawasaki) and Iannuzzo (Honda) close the ranking.

The times: 1. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'43.476; 2. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'43.508; 3. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'43.645; 4. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'43.688; 5. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.735; 6. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.769; 7. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'43.881; 8. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'43.932; 9. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 1000 F. 1'44.041; 10. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.042; 11. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'44.098; 12. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'44.203; 13. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.272; 14. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'44.423; 15. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'44.559; 16. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'44.851

Supersport: Laverty (Honda) also the best in Portugal ahead of Michele Pirro

The Irishman Eugene Laverty with the Honda was the best in the first official tests ahead of the Italian Michele Pirro who, for the first time, had the satisfaction of lapping faster than his teammate Kenan Sofuoglu. Chaz Davies, for his part, took the first of the Triumphs to fourth place, ahead of Joan Lascorz's Kawasaki.

In the top ten places we also find Foret's other Kawasaki and two Triumphs.

The Italians are behind with Massimo Roccoli 14th, with Danilo Dell'Omo and Paola Cazzola 17th and 18th respectively.

The times: 1. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.797; 2. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'46.027; 3. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1'46.116; 4. Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 1'46.281; 5. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'46.484; 6. Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 1'46.725; 7. Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'46.759; 8. Salom D. (ESP)Triumph Daytona 675 1'46.760

Superstock: Close to record debut for BMW at Portimao. Badovini best time

Prediction respected, at least on the first day of testing, in Superstock with the BMW S 1000 RR setting the best time at the end of the first official testing session. Ayrton Badovini, rider of the BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock team, lapped with a time very close to the track record set last year by Xavier Simeon (Ducati) in 1'46"223.

Behind the Italian - but trailing by almost seven tenths - we find another German four-cylinder driven by the Frenchman Barrier (who crashed in the final seconds) who preceded the Honda of his compatriot Berger and the Yamaha of the young Baz, also transalpine.

Fifth time for Davide Giugliano with Suzuki followed by Petrucci (Kawasaki) and Antonelli (Honda). Bussolotti (Honda), Baroni (Ducati), La Marra (Honda), Magnoni (Honda) and Beretta (BMW) also performed well, all within the top fifteen positions.

The times: 1. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1'46.566; 2. Barrier S. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 1'47.215; 3. Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'47.343; 4. Baz L. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'47.631; 5. Giugliano D. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 1'47.701; 6. Petrucci D. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'47.703; 7. Antonelli A. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'47.834; 8. Mähr R. (AUT) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'47.852

Superstock 600: Frenchman Marino excels among the youngsters

Florian Marino, a sixteen-year-old transalpine from Cannes, riding the Honda of the Ten Kate Junior team, was the best in the first round of official testing ahead of the race that will take place tomorrow, Saturday, at the end of the day of testing. Marino preceded the Norwegian Karlsen and the Belgian Duwelz.

The best of the Italians is Bernardino Lombardi (Yamaha), fourth, while Davide Fanelli with Honda is eighth.

The times: 1. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1'49.452; 2. Karlsen F. (NOR) Yamaha YZF R6 1'49.731; 3. Duwelz G. (BEL) Yamaha YZF R6 1'49.985; 4. Lombardi B. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'50.185; 5. Guarnoni J. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'50.243; 6. Lanusse R. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'50.447; 7. Calero Perez N. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R6 1'50.844; 8. Fanelli D. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'50.918

SBK Press Office