KRT’s Jonathan Rea will start Saturday’s Magny-Cours WorldSBK race from the head of the grid after claiming Superpole with a new circuit record this morning.
The title-challenger clinched his eighth pole of the season with his final effort, denying Toprak Razgatlioglu and Tom Sykes, who complete the front row. Kawasaki teammate Alex Lowes secured fourth with Scot Redding disappointed to finish eighth.
Razgatlioglu spoiled an all-Kawasaki party as Superpole began in France on Saturday morning. Rea leading Lucas Mahias and Lowes in the opening standings before the Yamaha man fired in his first flying lap.
Sykes was the next to strike as the BMW rider hit the top thanks to a 1’36.407 with Andrea Locatelli joining the top-five ahead of the second runs.
Leon Haslam looked strong as the Honda advanced the times, sitting fifth seven-tenths off his fellow Brit with five-minutes remaining before Lowes’ first hot-lap on qualifying rubber claimed attention. 1’36.025 put the 30-year-old on provisional pole but with the majority of the pack just heading out for their final attacks, there was more to come.
A Yamaha attack saw Locatelli and Razgatlioglu surround the Kawasaki man, the Turk claiming control with a 1’35.784 as his teammate sat third before Sykes returned, this time to second. Rea was on a charge, however, with the championship leader securing the pole and taking a circuit record to boot.
More to follow
