Former 250GP rider Fonsi Nieto took his debut world superbike win in Qatar this afternoon, keeping countryman Ruben Xaus and Italian Max Biaggi at bay.
The Spaniard took control of the race with five laps to go, taking the top spot away from Xaus and Biaggi but the Roman Emperor heads for the next round at Phillip Island second in the championship after his podium is race one (report here).
Championship leader and race one winner Troy Bayliss was in contention for much of the race but faded to fourth with his team-mate Michel Fabrizio hunting him down on the last lap. The Yamahas of Troy Corser and Nori Haga ended the race in seventh and 13th respectively.
As the lights went out, it looked as though haga and Corser were the only two men in the race, as they pulled away from the pack. The Aussie seemed happy to tow his team-mate round, while countryman Bayliss looked to be struggling for grip in the early laps, running very wide on one occasion.
Nieto showed the power of his Alstare Suzuki when he blew past both Yamaha on the straight with 14 laps to go, but Corser came back past while Haga was shuffled back through the pack with suspected tyre problems.
Biaggi and Xaus were having a dice for third until the leggy Spaniard got the better of his team-mate and began to go after Nieto’s disappearing Suzuki. Nieto was caught and passed, but his Suzuki showed its top-end agin with three laps to go, blasting past Biaggi and Xaus in way which was slightly embarrassing.
Results:
1 11 10 F. NIETO ESP Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 18 1’59.156 306,3 1’59.921 303,7 9 25 34 3
2 2 111 R. XAUS ESP Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 18 0.301 1’59.752 301,1 1’58.689 295,4 13 20 33 4
3 3 3 M.BIAGGI ITA Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 18 1.321 1’59.511 301,1 1’58.767 293,8 20 16 36 2
4 7 21 T. BAYLISS AUS Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098 F08 18 6.452 1’59.595 304,5 1’59.224 295,4 25 13 38 1
5 10 84 M.FABRIZIO ITA Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098 F08 18 7.627 1’59.704 307,1 1’59.450 298,6 7 11 18 7
6 5 57 L. LANZI ITA R.G. Team Ducati 1098 RS 08 18 9.117 2’00.021 297,8 1’58.975 289,1 10 10 10
7 1 11 T. CORSER AUS Yamaha Motor Italia WSB YZF-R1 18 10.806 1’59.710 303,7 1’58.053 295,4 16 9 25 5
8 4 76 M.NEUKIRCHNER GER Team Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 18 11.661 2’00.464 312,5 1’58.964 302,8 11 8 19 6
9 12 96 J. SMRZ CZE Guandalini Grifo’sDucati 1098 RS 08 18 13.269 2’00.416 309,8 1’59.984 297,8 6 7 13 9
10 14 54 K. SOFUOGLU TUR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 18 14.563 2’00.425 308,0 2’00.313 298,6 4 6 10 11
11 9 7 C. CHECA ESP Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR 18 15.953 2’00.225 305,4 1’59.417 291,4 10 5 15 8
12 23 100 M.TAMADA JPN PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R 18 16.748 2’00.346 306,3 2’01.303 294,6 4 4 16
13 6 41 N.HAGA JPN Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Yamaha YZF-R1 18 18.356 1’59.430 306,3 1’59.017 298,6 2 3 5 14
14 13 36 G.LAVILLA ESP Ventaxia VK Honda Honda CBR1000RR 18 26.311 2’00.411 303,7 2’00.095 294,6 3 2 5 15
15 15 44 R. ROLFO ITA Hannspree Honda AltheaCBR1000RR 18 26.560 2’00.750 306,3 2’01.208 295,4 5 1 6 13
16 25 55 R. LACONI FRA Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R 18 26.683 2’00.926 308,9 2’01.429 294,6 1 1 17
17 16 86 A. BADOVINI ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 18 26.821 2’01.118 301,1 2’01.238 293,0
18 17 194 S. GIMBERT FRA Yamaha France Ipone GMTY 9a4maha YZF-R1 18 28.650 2’01.304 297,0 2’00.554 286,8
19 20 23 R. KIYONARI JPN Hannspree Ten Kate HondaHonda CBR1000RR 18 33.150 2’01.306 304,5 2’00.698 287,5
20 18 31 K. MUGGERIDGE AUS D.F. Racing Honda CBR1000RR 18 36.656 2’01.037 301,1 2’00.607 286,8
21 22 83 R. HOLLAND AUS D.F. Racing Honda CBR1000RR 18 42.633 2’01.288 302,8 2’00.971 289,8
22 27 88 S. AOYAMA JPN Alto Evolution Honda Superb CBR1000RR 18 55.352 2’01.704 301,1 2’02.059 298,6