Silverstone WSB: World Superbike returns to normal as Checa takes provisional pole

Carlos Checa closed out Friday as the fastest man at Silverstone, clocking the fastest time in the afternoon’s World Superbike qualifying session.

With less than 10 minutes gone from the session, Checa put in the quickest time of the weekend with a 2.06.4 and held that position for much of the session before putting his Althea Ducati at the top of the charts with a 2.05.477.

Supersonic Racing Ducati’s Maxime Berger finished the session in second with a 2.05.870, and would have finished atop the session had Checa not pulled the pin with just minutes remaining in the session.

Tom Sykes finished as the top Brit with a 2.05.899 aboard his Paul Bird Motorsport Kawasaki, and compatriot Leon Camier brought his Alitalia Aprilia home one place behind him in fourth with a 2.05.947.

Rounding out the top five was John Hopkins, who lies second in the British Superbike championship classification. Hopkins, who led this morning’s free practise session, could only manage a time a half-second off of Checa’s pace with a 2.05.974.

But a mix up with tyre allocation left Hopkins without the World Superbike spec front Pirelli, and was forced to use his BSB spec Pirelli, which doesn’t offer the same level of grip.

Hopkins said: “We got stuck out on the front tyre we’ve used all year, the BSB tyre, because the new tyre wasn’t around. So we had to use the old front with the new rear and the new rear produces so much grip, the front was just pushing everywhere.”
World Superbike Qualifying Practise 1 results

1. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 2’05.477
2. Maxime Berger (Supersonic Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 2’05.870
3. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike) Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’05.899
4. Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2’05.937
5. John Hopkins (Samsung Crescent Racing) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2’05.974
6. Michel Fabrizio (Team Suzuki Alstare) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2’06.023
7. Jakub Smrz (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 2’06.029
8. Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) Yamaha YZF R1 2’06.037
9. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2’06.044
10. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 2’06.116
11. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert-Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 2’06.176
12. James Toseland (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team) BMW S1000 RR 2’06.316
13. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team) BMW S1000 RR 2’06.647
14. Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) Yamaha YZF R1 2’06.697
15. Alexander Lowes (Castrol Honda) Honda CBR1000RR 2’06.740
16. Mark Aitchison (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’06.752
17. Noriyuki Haga (PATA Racing Team Aprilia) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2’06.762
18. Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 2’06.890
19. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’06.952
20. Roberto Rolfo (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’07.245
21. Fabrizio Lai (Castrol Honda) Honda CBR1000RR 2’07.661
22. Jon Kirkham (Samsung Crescent Racing) Suzuki GSX-R1000 2’07.889