Giugliano Lights Up The Times On A Qualifier

Davide Giugliano (Ducati World SBK) set a spectacular 1’40.166 lap of Jerez after fitting a qualifying rear tyre on the second day of private testing. His time was half-a-second under the track best from Superpole in 2013, as the 24-year-old Roman rider once more showed improvements in both man and Panigale machine at one of his favourite circuits.

Loris Baz (KRT) posted a 1’40.283 after using a Q tyre, bringing him to within 0.117 seconds of Giugliano. Baz’s Kawasaki team-mate, Tom Sykes, was around a tenth slower, with no functioning transponder on his machine to give a more exact measure.

Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda) was a late improver in the running order as he went fourth fastest, doing a 1’40.731. Chaz Davies also went into the 1’40s late in the session, on his official Panigale, to go fifth fastest on the day and get to within almost half a second of his team-mate.

As this was a Ducati-organised three days there was a halt to normal testing at 14.30 to allow filming to take place with Ducati MotoGP riders Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso. This started later than planned and also overran which meant that track action was extended for the day, finishing at 18.30 and not the planned 18.00.

That made for a frantic scramble to get in good lap times for most of the riders – some with qualifiers –  before the potentially changeable weather conditions on the final day can intervene.

Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing) was just over a second from Giugliano on the second day, with a 1’41.192. This made him only 0.009 seconds faster than his team-mate Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing).

For Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) being the top Suzuki rider left him in eighth, setting his fastest lap of 1’41.377 on his final lap of the day. Max Neukirchner (Ducati 3C) took his IDM Ducati to a 1’41.449 early on day two, putting a national racing cat into the regular SBK pigeons. Leon Haslam (Pata Honda) rounded out the top ten places, 1.287 seconds after working on his race set-up.

Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) placed 12th, with a lap time slower than his day one best. David Salom (KRT Evo) rode on today but struggled with pain in his right hand after his day one crash, and like Lowes was off his first day pace.

Michele Magnoni (Pata Honda), testing for the Pata Honda team, was 14th.

One more day of testing remains, with the teams hoping that the impending rains stay away.

The MotoGP duo of Crutchlow and Dovizioso should join the rest on track on the final day of testing.
 
DAY TWO TIMES
1 Davide Giugliano (Ducati World SBK Team) 1’40.166
2 Loris Baz (KRT) 1’40.283
3 Tom Sykes (KRT) 1’40.3 (no transponder)
4 Jonathan Rea (Pata Honda) 1’40.731 
5 Chaz Davies (Ducati World SBK Team) 1’40.745
6 Sylvain Guintoli (Aprilia Racing) 1’41.192
7 Marco Melandri (Aprilia Racing) 1’41.201
8 Eugene Laverty (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) 1’41.377
9 Max Neukirchner (Ducati 3C – IDM) 1’41.449
10 Leon Haslam (Pata Honda) 1’41.453
11 Xavier Fores (Ducati 3C – IDM) 1’42.083
12 Alex Lowes (Voltcom Crescent Suzuki) 1’42.123
13 David Salom (KRT Evo) 1’44.181
14 Michele Magnoni (Pata Honda) 1’45.858
 
Superpole Record  – 1’40.620 Eugene Laverty (Aprilia in 2013)
Lap Record (Race) – 1’41.691 Tom Sykes (Kawasaki in race two 2013)