Qatar World Superbikes: Yamaha and Suzuki lead the way

Fonsi Nieto made an impressive start to life in the Alstare Suzuki team by setting the fastest lap in the opening free practice session.

Fonsi Nieto completed 19 laps with his fastest time coming on his final circulation.

Second place was Yamaha’s Troy Corser who registered just four laps early on and then elected to sit out the remainder of the session.

Corser and team-mate Noriyuki Haga completed a successful test at the track last week and have clearly got their Yamaha R1 dialled in to the fast technical layout. Haga ended up in third place with friend Yukio Kagayama, running the number 34, in fourth place.

Troy Bayliss was the top Ducati and like the two Yamaha men tested at the track last week and needed only eight laps to set a competitive time.

German Max Neukirchner made it three Suzuki’s in the top six with Carlos Checa the first of the Honda men in seventh onboard the all new CBR1000RR.

Ruben Xaus, Michel Fabrizio and Max Biaggi claimed eighth, ninth and tenth making it four Ducati 1098 F08’s in the top ten.

Former British Superbike men Gregorio Lavilla and Ryuichi Kiyonari claimed 13th and 15th places respectively.

The opening hour long qualifying session for the 2008 World Superbike season takes place at 2.15pm local time.

World Superbike free practice one:

1 10 F. NIETO ESP Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 2’00.703
2 11 T. CORSER AUS Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Yamaha YZF-R1 2’00.835
3 41 N. HAGA JPN Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Yamaha YZF-R1 2’01.389
4 34 Y. KAGAYAMA JPN Team Suzuki Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000 2’01.497
5 21 T. BAYLISS AUS Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098 F08 2’02.065
6 76 M. NEUKIRCHNER GER Team Alstare Suzuki Suzuki GSX-R1000 2’02.204
7 7 C. CHECA ESP Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 2’02.533
8 111 R. XAUS ESP Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 2’02.603
9 84 M. FABRIZIO ITA Ducati Xerox Team Ducati 1098 F08 2’02.693
10 3 M. BIAGGI ITA Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati 1098 RS 08 2’02.749
11 31 K. MUGGERIDGE AUS D.F. Racing Honda CBR1000RR 2’02.749
12 194 S. GIMBERT FRA Yamaha France Ipone GMT 94 Yamaha YZF-R1 2’02.849
13 36 G. LAVILLA ESP Ventaxia VK Honda Honda CBR1000RR 2’03.103
14 44 R. ROLFO ITA Hannspree Honda Althea Honda CBR1000RR 2’03.538
15 23 R. KIYONARI JPN Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Honda CBR1000RR 2’03.560
16 94 D. CHECA ESP Yamaha France Ipone GMT 94 Yamaha YZF-R1 2’03.795
17 55 R. LACONI FRA Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’04.375
18 54 K. SOFUOGLU TUR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Jr. Honda CBR1000RR 2’04.594
19 38 S. NAKATOMI JPN YZF Yamaha Yamaha YZF-R1 2’04.652
20 22 L. MORELLI ITA Alto Evolution Honda Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 2’05.206
21 88 S. AOYAMA JPN Alto Evolution Honda Superbike Honda CBR1000RR 2’05.276
22 86 A. BADOVINI ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’05.590
23 83 R. HOLLAND AUS D.F. Racing Honda CBR1000RR 2’06.082
24 100 M.TAMADA JPN Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’06.564
25 13 V. IANNUZZO ITA Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX-10R 2’06.815
26 96 J. SMRZ CZE Guandalini Racing by Grifo’s Ducati 1098 RS 08 2’07.578
27 77 L. NAPOLEONE FRA Grillini PBR Team Yamaha YZF-R1 2’09.691