Chili on provisional pole: Hodgson seventh

A rejuvenated Pier-Francesco Chili has qualified on provisional poleafter the end of Friday’s first qualifying for Sunday’s round five of the World Superbike Championship at Oschersleben.

Chili claimed the top spot on his Ducati 998RS with a time of 1:27.503. HM Plant riders James Toseland and Chris Walker have qualified second and third, both under 1 minute 28 seconds. Frenchman Regis Laconi completes the provisional front row.

Gregorio Lavilla has put the four-cylinder Suzuki in fifth, ahead of the works-Ducati riders Ruben Xaus and Neil Hodgson. Hodgson qualified behind his Spanish teammate, but did manage to complete the most laps of any rider in the session, suggesting he might be concentrating on a race setup rather than qualifying times.

Steve Martin qualified eighth, Vittorio Iannuzzo ninth, and Juan Bautista Borja claimed 10th. Troy Corser is in 16th on the Foggy-Petronas, with James Haydon last in 23rd place, over six seconds behind pole position.

1) Chili 1:27.503. 2) Toseland 1:27.814. 3) Walker 1:27.984. 4) Laconi 1:28.004. 5) Lavilla 1:28.030. 6) Xaus 1:28.099. 7) Hodgson 1:28.213. 8) Martin 1:28.235. 9) Iannuzzo 1:28.699. 10) Borja 1:28.928. 11) Pedercini 1:28.994. 12) Borciani 1:29.179. 13) Sanchini 1:29.386. 14) Clementi 1:29.500. 15) Bussei 1:29.760. 16) Corser 1:29.778. 17) Russo 1:29.881. 18) Foti 1:30.680. 19) Tortoroglio 1:31.428. 20) Mrkyvka 1:31. 837. 21) Fuertes 1: 31.950. 22) Sundby 1:32.388. 23) Haydon 1:33.726.

Supersports:

Australian Karl Muggeridge is on provisional pole for the World Supersport race on Sunday on the Ten Kate Honda. Muggeridge is joined on the front row by team-mate Chris Vermuelen in fourth. Splitting the two Australians are two Frenchmen with ex-champion Stephane Chambon in second and Sebastien Charpentier in third.

Brit Iain MacPherson is in 15th place on the Van Zon Honda, with ex-British Superbike regular Dean Thomas in 23rd and Michael Laverty in 27th.

1) Muggeridge 1:30.250. 2) Chambon 1:30.314. 3) Charpentier 1:30.397. 4) Vermeulen 1:30.469. 5) Fujiwara 1:30.506. 6) Riba 1:30.599. 7) Vd Goorbergh 1:30.637. 8) Ulm 1:30.781. 9) Daemen 1:30.823. 10) Corradi 1:30.872. 11) Parkes 1:30.891. 12) Foret 1:30.935. 13) Nannelli 1:31.019. 14) Sanna 1:31.092. 15) MacPherson 1:31.132. 16) Kellner 1:31.133. 17) Teuchert 1:31.137. 18) Lagrive 1:31.161. 19) Vd Bosch 1:31.174. 20) Sofuoglu 1:31.189. 21) Veneman 1:31.328. 22) Cogan 1:31.830. 23) Thomas 1:31.875. 24) Kirmeir 1:32.227. 25) Vankeymeulenm 1:32.388. 26) Kaufmann 1:32.683. 27) Laverty 1:33.118. 28) Crucian 1:33.761. 29) Visscher 1:34.910.

Superstock:

Stefan Nebel leads the superstock field with a time of 1:31.188. The German heads five Italians with British rider James Ellison seventh on the HAP Racing Suzuki. Fellow Brit David Gatenby is in 31st place, also on a Suzuki.

Discuss qualifying on the World Superbikes discussion board by clicking on the link on the right. We’ll have updates from Germany throughout the weekend.