Yakhnich’s Jules Cluzel topped the opening World Supersport free practice timesheets at the Malaysian circuit of Sepang, after his best lap of 2’09.423 was enough to out-pace the rest of the field this morning. Core PTR’s Rathhapark Wilairot and Kawasaki Intermoto’s Florian Marino completed the top three.
Cluzel initially topped the timing-screens with a 2’10.762, right at the start of the session and remained at the top for nearly 40 minutes. Just under the 30 minute mark CIA Insurance Honda's Jack Kennedy went up to fourth with a 2’10.659, pushing fellow Celt Coghlan down to sixth, with De Rosa sandwiched in between the pair.
But the Scot did manage to improve his time by one tenth to 2’10.738 to go fifth, but still slightly off the pace of Kennedy with 20 minutes of lappery left. Wilairot and Pata Honda’s Michael Van Der Mark were sitting in the provisional front row positions with 25 minutes remaining to the first free practice session of the day.
There was a flurry of activity in the final ten minutes of the session, and Coghlan rocketed from fifth to the quickest rider out on track after a 2’10.100, knocking Cluzel from the top spot. The Perthshire lad was able to improve on his time to by three tenths to cement his place as the fastest rider in the opening session – at what is a new track for the series.
But a mere five minutes later Wilairot went one–one hundredths of a second quicker to top the timesheets, only for Van Der Mark to do the same seconds afterwards, pulling Coghlan back down to third. Wilairot then managed to shave another three tenths off the time set by the Dutchman to regain his spot heading the pack.
By this time Cluzel had dropped to fifth, but a last lap dash just as the chequered flag appeared paid off and he jumped back to first, followed by Wilairot and Marino. Van Der Mark and Mahi Racing's Kenan Sofuoglu completed the top five. Coghlan was unable to get in one last lap to improve on his 2’09.875 time and ended the morning sixth quickest – just one tenth faster than Kawasaki Intermoto’s PJ Jacobsen.
Kennedy ended the first session 12th on the timesheets after a 2’10.659, with Com Plus Racing’s Fraser Rogers finishing the morning inside the top twenty, in 19th after a 2’13.197.
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