First qualifying practice at a sunny Monza saw Leon Haslam take the provisional pole.
The English rider lead for most of the session until first Eugene Laverty and then Max Biaggi grabbed it away from him.
Haslam wouldn’t be denied and in a last lap lunge in the dying seconds reclaimed the top of the chart with a best lap of 1′42.
934 and pipping Biaggi by a mere 0.
019s.
The reigning World Champion will no doubt be relieved that his Aprilia even without the controversial gear driven camshaft and a certain ‘fuel pump’, the RSV4 is still the fastest bike out there (clocked at 332,5 km/h and 2km faster than last year’s record) and he’s still highly tipped to win at least one, if not both of this weekend’s races.
With Haslam taking to top spot and Biaggi directly behind him, Eugene Laverty was pushed into third and 0.
331 from the top spot.
Ayrton Badovini for BMW Italia is continuing his excellent form at Monza with his fourth place followed by Jonathan Rea and Noriyuki Haga on another Aprilia.
Marco Melandri was seventh ahead of Troy Corser, Maxime Berger, the best placed Ducati while Leon Camier had a technical problem and then a crash at turn 10 that kept him from completing more than 8 laps and he rounded out the top ten.
Points leader Carlos Checa was only a lowly fourteenth and more than a second off pace.
Following his crash in this morning’s free practice Chris Vermuelen decided to sit out QP1 after picking up three stitches to his elbow, while recovering James Toseland managed at 19th spot.
WSBK Monza – QP1 Results:01- Leon Haslam – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000RR – 1’42.
93402- Max Biaggi – Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 0.
01903- Eugene Laverty – Yamaha World Superbike Team – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 0.
33104- Ayrton Badovini – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 0.
34205- Jonathan Rea – Castrol Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 0.
38706- Noriyuki Haga – Pata Racing Team Aprilia – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 0.
59707- Marco Melandri – Yamaha World Superbike Team – Yamaha YZF R1 – + 0.
65408- Troy Corser – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000RR – + 0.
70609- Maxime Berger – Supersonic Racing Team – Ducati 1198 – + 0.
74510- Leon Camier – Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 0.
79611- Michel Fabrizio – Team Suzuki Alstare – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 0.
82812- Tom Sykes – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 0.
91613- Sylvain Guintoli – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 0.
92714- Carlos Checa – Althea Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 1.
13715- Joan Lascorz – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 1.
16116- Ruben Xaus – Castrol Honda – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 1.
29817- Jakub Smrz – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 1.
46718- Roberto Rolfo – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 1.
98819- James Toseland – BMW Motorrad Italia – BMW S1000RR – + 2.
05520- Mark Aitchison – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 2.
42221- Fabrizio Lai – Echo Sport Racing Company – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 4.
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