Caricasulo edges out Mahias for pole position

Full World Supersport Superpole qualifying results from Magny-Cours

Federico Caricasulo has beaten GRT Yamaha team-mate Lucas Mahias to his home round pole position at Magny-Cours while World Supersport championship leader Sandro Cortese crashed out of the final minutes of Superpole 2.

Following a brief red flag stoppage to Superpole 2, triggered by Raffaele De Rosa’s crash at Turn 3, the fight for pole position heated up in the closing moments with a number of riders trading top times.

With Cortese pushing on with his Kallio Racing Yamaha he tipped off at Turn 2 which denied him a shot at pole position against his Yamaha rivals.

Caricasulo took full advantage by notching up a 1m 40.416s to push GRT Yamaha team-mate Mahias off provisional pole by 0.152s.

NRT Yamaha’s Jules Cluzel jumped up to the front row to push Cortese down to fourth place but the German rider's time enabled him to stay ahead of Bardahl Evan Bros Yamaha’s Randy Krummenacher and GMT94 Yamaha’s Corentin Perolari.

Hikari Okubo led the Puccetti Kawasaki charge in seventh place with his final lap handing him the front of row three ahead of MV Agusta duo De Rosa and Ayrton Badovini.

Superpole 1 graduate Hannes Soomer grabbed the front of row four on the Racedays Honda after Portimao rostrum finisher Kyle Smith crashed out of Superpole 2 early on for CIA Landlords Insurance Honda.

Thomas Gradinger (NRT Yamaha) completed the top 12 having seen off Peter Sebestyen (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda) at the end of Superpole 1.