Redding notches up maiden WorldSBK pole in Jerez
WorldSBK Jerez - Superpole Qualifying Results
Scott Redding has taken his first pole position in the WorldSBK Championship as he edged out defending champion Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes to form an all-British front row for race one in Jerez.
The former MotoGP rider has looked particularly impressive over a single lap in the run up to this weekend’s much delayed second WorldSBK round in Spain, Redding saving his best until last to turn in a 1min 38.736secs lap on the Aruba.it Ducati Panigale V4 R.
Redding’s first pole position on international soil since the 2013 Moto2 race at Indianapolis, it was just enough to deny Rea, who nonetheless looks as poised as ever from second position, a mere 0.034s shy of his burgeoning new rival.
Tom Sykes looked as though he’d extend his record-breaking tally of pole positions for a time after striking to the front in the closing stages on the BMW, but third nonetheless leaves him well placed around a track that suits the S1000RR better than most.
Having dominated free practice, Yamaha’s challenge fell somewhat short when it mattered but they will have strength in numbers at least with factory riders Michael van der Mark and Toprak Razgatlioglu, as well as Ten Kate Racing’s Loris Baz, filling the second row.
Chaz Davies enjoyed a more positive qualifying session than of late to haul himself up to seventh position, with Alvaro Bautista getting the better of Honda team-mate Leon Haslam to complete the third row.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi rounds out the top ten as the first of the true privateers, ahead of Eugene Laverty on the second of the BMWs and Sandro Cortese on the Pedercini Kawasaki.
Elsewhere, championship leader Alex Lowes finds himself with work to do after a low-speed final corner fall at the top of the session consigned him to the pit lane for an extended time. The Kawasaki rider eventually returned to track but could do no better than 14th.
Similarly, it was a disappointing return to Superpole for Marco Melandri, down in 19th on the Barni Ducati, ahead of Leandro Mercado, who suffered a fast fall at Turn 4 en route to 20th.
