Turkey WSB: Guintoli fastet on day one as injuries thin out the grid

Only 15 riders kicked off the first qualifying session after the injury list following the free practice session crashes earlier in the day contained four names – Carlos Checa, Ayrton Badovini (Both Ducati Alstare) Max Neukirchner (MR Racing Ducati) and Leon Camier.

Fastest in the first timed session was Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing), 0.559 seconds ahead of Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet) and Eugene Laverty, Guintoli’s team-mate.

Fourth was championship leader Tom Sykes (KRT) with new SBK boy – and proven GP star – Toni Elias making strong early showings for the Red Devils Roma Aprilia privateers.

With Camier in hospital and eventually diagnosed with seven fractured bones in his right foot, two of which need surgery, the Fixi Crescent Suzuki team had to rely on Jules Cluzel alone, who went sixth fastest.

Chaz Davies was seventh, Leon Haslam (Pata Honda) ninth.

Checa was diagnosed with a cracked left scaphoid bone, which already has a screw in it from a previous injury. Like Camier – and Max Neukirchner who broke two bones in his right hand in his morning crash from his Panigale – Checa will take no further part in the race weekend.

Ayrton Badovini damaged tendons in his left heel (the opposite heel from the one he broke in Australia) and although he missed the first qualifying session he will try to ride on Saturday morning in final qualifying. If Badovini misses out on any more track action there will be no Ducatis on track at all on raceday.

1. Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’56.190
2. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 1’56.749
3. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’56.949
4. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’57.170
5. Toni Elias (Red Devils Roma) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’57.206
6. Jules Cluzel (Fixi Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1’57.222
7. Chaz Davies (BMW Motorrad GoldBet SBK) BMW S1000 RR 1’57.391
8. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’57.649
9. Leon Haslam (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 1’57.699
10. Michel Fabrizio (Pata Honda World Superbike) Honda CBR1000RR 1’58.340
11. Mark Aitchison (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’58.588
12. Federico Sandi (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1’58.817
13. Vittorio Iannuzzo (Grillini Dentalmatic SBK) BMW S1000 RR 2’00.944
14. Tolga Uprak (CMS-Eypbike Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’03.008
15. Yunus Ercelik (Sampiyon 169 Team) BMW S1000 RR 2’04.231