Donington WSB: Ducati one two in second qualifying

Michel Fabrizio and Noriyuki Haga on the Xerox Ducatis stormed to one two during second qualifying at Donington Park for the ninth round of the World Superbike Championship.

Fabrizio lead the start of the session with Haga picking up the pace mid way through but it wasn’t until the last two minutes that Fabrizio beat his team-mate by just 0.178secs.

Ben Spies on the Yamaha settled into third place 0.202secs off Fabrizio’s provisional pole time. Jonathan Rea on the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda made up for his tough time on track yesterday by finishing in fourth place, making him top Brit.

Rea said: “We got a bit more dry track time and we have found a way forward. I’m a lot happier but there is more to do. I just need to keep pushing as I’m losing 6/10s in the last sector.

“Yesterday we just struggled with the change over to Ohlins, it was taking more time. I’m heavily strapped up after my crash, I just touched the grass on the way up the Melbourne straight, so it was a fast one and I landed just off my tail bone, but I know I’ll be fine for the race.”

Tom Sykes, team-mate to the dominant Spies, also made a lot of progress finishing in an encouraging sixth position.

Sykes said: “That session was not so bad, we used the same tyre for the full time and I got a good feel for it, everyone else put in a new tyre. I know we can achieve the same times as the guys at the front.

“We’ve got one more session to play with and we’ve made big improvements already so we should make more in free practice ahead of qualifying. I’m really enjoying the traveling to the racing and World Superbikes in general.

“I’m annoyed that we have been struggling but we have improved the setting so we can work with that for the rest of the season.”

Airwaves Yamaha’s Leon Camier crashed at Craner Curve mid way through the session giving his team a lot of work ahead of Superpole.

Qualifying two

1. M. FABRIZIO ITA Ducati 1’30.493
2. N. HAGA JPN Ducati 1’30.671
3. B. SPIES USA Yamaha 1’30.695
4. J. REA GBR Honda 1’30.782
5. L. HASLAM GBR Honda 1’30.803
6. T. SYKES GBR Yamaha 1’30.957
7. L. LANZI ITA Ducati  1’30.961
8. G. LAVILLA ESP Ducati1’31.028
9. M. BIAGGI ITA Aprilia 1’31.243
10. S. BYRNE GBR Ducati 1’31.311
11. R. XAUS ESP BMW 1’32.352
12. J. HOPKINS USA Honda 1’31.382
13. L. CAMIER GBR Yamaha 1’31.454
14. S. NAKANO JPN Aprilia 1’31.457
15. J. ELLISON GBR Yamaha 1’31.476
16. J. SMRZ CZE Ducati 1’31.533
17. R. KIYONARI JPN Honda 1’33.629
18. Y. KAGAYAMA JPN Suzuki 1’31.637
19. T. CORSER AUS BMW 1’31.668
20. C. CHECA ESP Honda 1’31.736
21. L. SCASSA ITA Kawasaki 1’31.874
22. B. PARKES AUS Kawasaki 1’31.887
23. D. SALOM ESP Kawasaki 1’32.183
24.  M. LAGRIVE FRA Honda 1’32.243
25.  J. HACKING USA Kawasaki 1’32.245
26.  S. ANDREWS GBR Kawasaki1’32.343
27. A. POLITA ITA Suzuki 1’32.584
28. B. YOUNG USA Suzuki 1’32.735
29. D. CHECA ESP Yamaha 1’32.811
30. R. RESCH AUT Suzuki 1’33.374
31. V. IANNUZZO ITA Honda 1’33.408