MV Agusta’s PJ Jacobsen was more than half a second faster than any of his rivals in the first WorldSSP free practice session at Phillip Island and although he could not improve in the afternoon he still ended the day 0.38s ahead of second quickest rider Jules Cluzel, who recorded his best time of the day late in FP2.
Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) completed the top three on the combined timesheets, half a second adrift of Jacobsen in a session that was red flagged with just under 20 minutes remaining, after debris was strewn across the track at turn three following a heavy crash for his team-mate Lucas Mahias. The Frenchman was soon back on his feet but his Yamaha YZF-R6 suffered significant damage in the crash and he ended up fourth overall. FP1 had also seen Mahias crash at Honda corner, though in that case without major consequence.
Roberto Rolfo (Team Factory Vamag) finished fifth fastest after being given the all clear to ride on Friday morning, following a test crash at Phillip Island earlier in the week which saw him suffer a dislocated left shoulder.
Also in the top ten and going automatically into Tissot Superpole 2 on Saturday are Hikari Okubo (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda), Alex Baldolini (Race Department ATK#25) plus Bitish trio Gino Rea (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven), Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing) and Kyle Smith (GEMAR Team Lorini). They all lapped within a second of Jacobsen’s P1 time.
Stapleford was a high speed crasher in the final minutes of FP2 as he approached the Hayshed, though the Triumph man was immediately back on his feet.
Italian duo Michael Canducci (Puccetti Racing Junior Team FMI) and Christian Gamarino (BARDAHL EVAN BROS. Honda Racing) were just outside the top ten in 11th and 12th respectively and will therefore try their luck again in Tissot Superpole one on Saturday.
