Pata Honda’s Michel Fabrizio left it till his final lap to top the World Superbike free practice timesheets at a damp Magny-Cours track this morning.
The Italian is acting as a stand-in rider for the crocked Jonathan Rea, and certainly made an impact for his new team by clocking a 1’42.938, just as the chequered flag came down. Aprilia’s Sylvain Guintoli was never out of the top five quickest times at his home circuit, and did top the timesheets with two minutes remaining of the session.
The Frenchman tried a last lap attempt to reach the 1’42’s but ended the morning with a 1’43.693. GoldBet BMW’s Chaz Davies was second quickest before Fabrizio set his best lap, and pushed the Welshman down to third with his quickest time of 1’43.842.
Ducati Alstare’s Ayrton Badovini and Fixi Crescent Suzuki’s Jules Cluzel rounded off the top five fastest times. Pata Honda’s Leon Haslam proved to be a dominant force out on the French circuit, but in the final seconds slipped down from the top five on the timing screens and finished in sixth with a 1’44.063 lap, and was nearly two seconds off the pace of his stand-in team-mate.
Aprilia’s Eugene Laverty and Althea Racing’s Davide Giugliano rounded off the top ten, but Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes could only lap a time to place him thirteenth with a 1’48.393. There was only one rider who fell during the session, and that was Kawasaki’s David Salom. The World Supersport lad is riding in place of the injured Loris Baz and crashed at Lycee but was unhurt.
