This morning’s World Superbike round at Monza kicked off with Leon Haslam taking the top of the timesheets in the first free practice leading a bevy of of four BMW riders in the top five positions.
The BMW factory rider posted a best lap 1’43.
042, that was just 0.
007s faster than Michel Fabrizio on the BMW Italia satellite machine, while Marco Melandri was third after dominating most of the session with his British team mate.
The always fast Tom Sykes was fourth on his Kawasaki as he managed to break the BMW domination inserting himself ahead of another BMW rider, Ayrton Badovini.
Last year’s double winner Eugene Laverty was sixth but almost nine tenths off pace, ahead of teammate Max Biaggi in eighth, while Assen Race 2 winner Jonathan Rea was sandwiched between the two Aprilia riders in seventh, but the Honda rider posted a top speed 334 km/h which just 0.
8 km/h slower that Max Biaggi’s last year’s record.
Niccolò Canepa who is nursing torn ligaments after his Assen crash, put his privateer Ducati into 9th on a track where everyone knows that the twins will suffer .
The Superbike rookie was the fastest Ducati rider in the top ten, while reigning World champion Carlos Checa could only manage an 13th spot, while last week’s Race 1 winner Sylvain Guintoli was even further down the charts in 17th.
John Hopkins was 15th in his first outing at the Temple of Speed, while debuting Kawasaki rider Sergio Gadea who is replacing injured Joan Lascorz brought up the rear in 22nd.
WSBK Monza FP1 results:01 Haslam Leon – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000 RR – 18 – 1′43.
04202 Fabrizio Michel – BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet – BMW S1000 RR – 17 – 1′43.
04903 Melandri Marco – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000 RR – 18 – 1′43.
17104 Sykes Tom – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 16 – 1′43.
37405 Badovini Ayrton – BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet – BMW S1000 RR – 19 – 1′43.
89306 Laverty Eugene – Aprilia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – 12 – 1′43.
92207 Rea Jonathan – Honda World Superbike Team – Honda CBR1000RR – 16 – 1′43.
93908 Biaggi Max – Aprilia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – 16 – 1′43.
96509 Canepa Niccolò – Red Devils Roma – Ducati 1098R – 16 – 1′44.
11910 Davies Chaz – ParkinGO MTC Racing – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – 14 – 1′44.
15111 Smrz Jakub – Liberty Racing Team Effenbert – Ducati 1098R – 18 – 1′44.
17412 Berger Maxime – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1098R – 16 – 1′44.
25813 Checa Carlos – Althea Racing – Ducati 1098R – 17 – 1′44.
44514 Giugliano Davide – Althea Racing – Ducati 1098R – 16 – 1′44.
56515 Hopkins John – Crescent Fixi Suzuki – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – 17 – 1′44.
56916 Zanetti Lorenzo – PATA Racing Team – Ducati 1098R – 15 – 1′44.
62317 Guintoli Sylvain – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1098R – 17 – 1′44.
62918 Camier Leon – Crescent Fixi Suzuki – Suzuki GSX-R1000 – 16 – 1′44.
99219 Salom David – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 17 – 1′45.
22620 Aoyama Hiroshi – Honda World Superbike Team – Honda CBR1000RR – 14 – 1′45.
77021 Mercado Leandro – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 18 – 1′46.
08822 Gadea Sergio – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 14 – 1′49.
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