Portimao - Superpole 15th
After yesterday's difficult conditions, all riders were happy to see a dry track and sunshine in this morning's timed qualifying and go for a good dry set-up. But all the good work in the session was of no use in the afternoon 16 rider Superpole shoot-out because once again the heavens opened and the 4.592 kilometre track was drenched in water.
So Superpole was declared a 'Wet Superpole', with the top sixteen riders all having a maximum of 12 laps in fifty minutes to post their fastest laps and take their grid positions. The riders who went out at the beginning managed faster laps than the riders who waited, hoping for the conditions to improve. But instead the rain fell even heavier and the deluge meant that many parts of the track had standing water. Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner 15th. If that were not bad enough all three suffered falls in the treacherous conditions, but fortunately all escaped without injury. Troy Bayliss (Ducati) took Superpole, with Cal Crutchlow (Honda) second, Jonathan Rea (Honda) third and Max Biaggi (Ducati) fourth.
Max: “In the dry this morning we found a set-up that was not so bad, but we didn't find a good front and rear tyre combination. Because this track is so new, there is not enough rubber down to give good grip and as soon as you go off-line you can get into trouble. We learned more about the feeling of the bike in the wet this afternoon, but even so I am hoping that tomorrow will be dry and we can have some good races. I am not happy with my fourth row grid position, but I will try and make two really good starts and fight for good results.”
Post new comment