Jessopp sets late lap to top Macau practice
MCE British Superbike regular Martin Jessopp was a surprise P1 after this morning’s practice session for the 2015 Macau Grand Prix, after a lap late in the session demoted early leader John McGuinness to second.
McGuinness was the only man to dip into the 2:30 lap times for most of the session on his Honda Racing TT machine, with Jessopp, Michael Rutter and Austrian Horst Saiger swapping places behind him.
However, a lap in the closing stages of the session – after a self-inflicted mechanical earlier in the hour long stint – left Jessopp some 0.051 faster than McGuinness as he just dipped inside the 2:28 laps.
“I missed a gear early on in the session, stretched the chain and had to come in and sort that out. Then, as usual, it was a struggle to get a clear lap, but if you do get a clear lap you can make it fast. It’s not anyone’s fault – it’s just a really hard track to pass on.
“You forget just how hard it is around there! I say it every year at the end of the first session, but honestly, it’s bad. It’s the hottest it’s been in a few years too, and my leathers are stuck to me! Going through those walls takes some time to get your brain used to it too – there’s nothing like this place anywhere in the world.”
With Saiger leading the provisional second row in fourth, former winner Ian Hutchinson slotted in behind him in fifth alongside Peter Hickman.
Defending champion Stuart Easton, getting his first run out on the SMT Yamaha that Josh Brookes took to BSB title glory, was back in tenth, behind a trio of Johnsons, in the form of Lee Johnston in seventh, Gary Johnson in eighth and David Johnson in ninth.
The action resumes this afternoon with the first of two qualifying sessions set to get underway at 1545 local time (0745 UK time).
| POS | NO | RIDER | NAT | TEAM | TIME | LAPS | GAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 40 | Martin Jessopp | GBR | Riders Motorcycles BMW | 2:28.970 | 13 | |
| 2 | 4 | John McGuinness | GBR | Honda Racing | 2:29.021 | 10 | 0.051 |
| 3 | 7 | Michael Rutter | GBR | Penz13.com BMW Motorrad Motorsport by MGM China | 2:29.142 | 11 | 0.172 |
| 4 | 3 | Horst Saiger | AUT | Saiger-Heidger Macau Race Team | 2:29.452 | 16 | 0.482 |
| 5 | 9 | Ian Hutchinson | GBR | Paul Bird Motorsport Ltd | 2:30.434 | 14 | 1.464 |
| 6 | 60 | Peter Hickman | GBR | Briggs Equipment BMW | 2:30.911 | 15 | 1.941 |
| 7 | 13 | Lee Johnston | GBR | East Coast Construction | 2:31.448 | 11 | 2.478 |
| 8 | 5 | Gary Johnson | GBR | Penz13.com BMW Motorrad Motorsport by MGM China | 2:31.739 | 13 | 2.769 |
| 9 | 16 | David Johnson | AUS | Ice Valley by Motorsave Trade | 2:32.019 | 15 | 3.049 |
| 10 | 1 | Stuart Easton | GBR | SMT/Booth Yamaha | 2:33.116 | 13 | 4.146 |
| 11 | 22 | Conor Cummins | IOM | Honda Racing | 2:33.715 | 11 | 4.745 |
| 12 | 54 | Steve Heneghan | IRL | ReactiveParts.com | 2:34.079 | 10 | 5.109 |
| 13 | 26 | Didier Grams | GER | Saiger-Heidger Macau Race Team | 2:34.544 | 10 | 5.574 |
| 14 | 15 | Jimmy Storrar | GBR | Paul Bird Motorsport Ltd | 2:35.770 | 14 | 6.800 |
| 15 | 20 | Dan Cooper | GBR | Space Centre Racing | 2:35.902 | 12 | 6.932 |
| 16 | 24 | James McBride | GBR | Morello Racing | 2:36.391 | 12 | 7.421 |
| 17 | 39 | Allann-Jon Venter | RSA | CF Racing Team 32 | 2:37.041 | 11 | 8.071 |
| 18 | 111 | Brian McCormack | IRL | TAG Racing | 2:37.346 | 11 | 8.376 |
| 19 | 14 | Andre Pires | POR | Team SBK/IncortCar # Yamaha | 2:38.154 | 14 | 9.184 |
| 20 | 10 | Mark Miller | USA | Splitlath EBR | 2:38.159 | 5 | 9.189 |
| 21 | 11 | Paul Shoesmith | GBR | Ice Valley by Motorsave Trade | 2:39.318 | 11 | 10.348 |
| 22 | 72 | Russell Mountford | GBR | VRS Racing | 2:39.468 | 11 | 10.498 |
| 23 | 18 | Nuno Caetano | POR | FMP Team Portugal | 2:39.944 | 5 | 10.974 |
| 24 | 48 | Herve Gantner | SUI | Penz13.com BMW Motorrad | 2:40.769 | 11 | 11.799 |
| 25 | 31 | Dan Kruger | CAN | Penz13.com by Special Olympics & MGM Macau | 2:40.874 | 12 | 11.904 |
| 26 | 6 | Ivan Lintin | GBR | RC Express Racing | 2:42.430 | 12 | 13.460 |
| 27 | 88 | Brandon Cretu | USA | Bimota Factory Racing | 2:42.741 | 11 | 13.771 |
| 28 | 34 | Ben Wylie | GBR | Bimota Factory Racing | 2:43.119 | 7 | 14.149 |
| 29 | 71 | Davy Morgan | GBR | Magic Bullet Racing | 2:43.760 | 11 | 14.790 |
| 30 | 62 | Sam West | GBR | PR Racing LLOYD & JONES Kawasaki | 2:45.472 | 18 | 16.502 |
| 31 | 90 | Tom McHale | GBR | CF Racing Team 32 | 3:05.449 | 2 | 36.479 |
| 32 | 65 | Michael Sweeney | IRL | Martin Jones Racing | undefined | 0 |
