Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) obliterated his own lap record to claim his fourth pole position of the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Autodrom Most. ‘El Turco’ narrowly missed out on a stunning 1’29s lap at the Autodrom Most, but he was still able to take pole position ahead of Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) by two-thirds of a second for the Czech Round.

THE FIRST RUN: Razgatlioglu smashes the lap record as Rea, van der Mark crash

Razgatlioglu was immediately breaking his own lap record as he posted a 1’30.340s, going four tenths quicker than he did in FP3 this morning. It was drama for teammate Michael van der Mark, who came down at Turn 20 while Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) crashed at Turn 16. Iannone was second after his first lap ahead of the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati due of Alvaro Bautista and Nicolo Bulega, who both set a 1’31.221s before the #11 improved to a 1’30.951s to move into P2.

LOWERING THE BENCHMARK: closing in on the 1’29s

2021 Champion Razgatlioglu was one of the first riders to head out for the second stint as he looked to extend his lead at the top, although he had a big moment at the Turn 1-2 chicane on his first flying lap. He went even faster with a 1’30.064s. He tried to improve further on his final flying lap but was unable to, but his time was still good enough for a third consecutive pole position, 0.665s clear of Iannone in second. The front row will be completed by Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) with three manufacturers in the top three positions. Razgatlioglu’s pole now means he holds the record for most BMW poles, beating Tom Sykes’ three, while it’s the first time the German manufacturer have claimed three poles in a row.

SECOND ROW START: Gardner fastest Yamaha rider

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) improved his time on his final lap but was unable to move into the top three, claiming fourth on the grid and lapping just under eight tenths slower than the #54. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was the lead Yamaha rider as he took fifth with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) completing the second row. He posted a 1’30.997s for P6, around a tenth slower than Gardner ahead.

INSIDE THE TOP TEN: Bautista seventh, Gerloff records a top-ten result

Reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed seventh to lead away the third row, 0.020s behind Petrucci and just under a tenth ahead of Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), with the American taking his best Superpole result of the season and his first inside the top ten. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) claimed ninth with a 1’31.110s, just a few hundredths behind Gerloff, while Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) bounced back from a difficult Friday to claim tenth.

REA, VAN DER MARK OUT OF THE TOP TEN: bouncing back from crashes

Both Rea and van der Mark were able to get back out following their crashes in the final few minutes. Rea claimed 15^th on the grid after he set a 1’31.467s while van der Mark was one place and around two hundredths back in 16^th.

The top six from WorldSBK Tissot Superpole, full results here:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’30.064s

2. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +0.665s

3. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.694s

4. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.793s

5. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +0.825s

6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.933s

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) made it a clean sweep of topping free practice sessions at the Autodrom Most as he claimed P1 in FP3 by a huge eight tenths over the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field, breaking into the 1’30s bracket for the first time this weekend as he went under the existing lap record. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) finished second with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) completing the top three for the Czech Round.

Razgatlioglu had been fourth after his first stint but immediately went top as his second run got underway, smashing his way into the 1’30.719s and obliterating the previous lap record by a tenth to ensure he topped all three practice sessions. He was eight tenths clear of Iannone in second, who moved into P2 on his final FP3 lap with a 1’31.509s, demoting double Champion Bautista into third after the #1 had been top until Razgatlioglu and Iannone usurped him.

It was an Aruba Ducati 3-4 in FP3 with Bautista’s teammate, Nicolo Bulega, in fourth and less than a tenth away from the #1. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) claimed fifth place after setting a 1’31.626s, with ‘Loka’ topping FP3 in the first stages of the 20-minute session, with the Italian ahead of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) who completed the top six. The #22 was just over a second away from Razgatlioglu’s incredible lap time.

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) surged up the order in the closing stages to claim seventh place ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in eighth. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) was ninth as he got out on track following on from his FP2 technical issues, while Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) completed the top ten with a 1’32.001s.

FP3 was a good session for Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) had a strong Saturday morning as he claimed 11^th place on his Yamaha R1, finishing 0.002s behind Gardner. In contrast, Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) finished the session in 19^th place.

The top six from WorldSBK FP3, full results here:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’30.719s

2. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +0.790s

3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.819s

4. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.876s

5. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +0.907s

6. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.016s

Next up, Tissot Superpole: watch it all 11:00 Local Time (UTC+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

With the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship hitting the Autodrom Most for Round 6 of the season, key personnel have been discussing several topics during the Czech Round. From the future, goals for 2024 and much more, check out all the key quotes from Friday as the spicy quotes continued to deliver…

Marco Zambenedetti (Technical Coordinator, Ducati Corse): “Alvaro is our first choice… we are working together to try and give him our best”

Discussing how Ducati are working to improve things for Bautista, and to keep him, Marco Zambenedetti said: “Alvaro is for sure our first choice, we have won a lot with him, and we are giving him the maximum support that we can. We haven’t stopped working on any area of the bike, it is a continuous improvement, but the most important thing is the dynamics of the bike, and we are working together to try and give him our best. For sure others are most competitive this year, making it more difficult but we will try until the end.”

Christian Gonschor (Technical Director, BMW Motorrad Motorsport): “We need to get the bike better into the corners and for sure out”

Explaining where BMW still need to find improvements despite their success this season, Technical Director Christian Gonschor said: “The bike will improve day by day so there will be a lot to come by the end. The main areas that need to be worked on are known, I told you at the beginning of the season that we need to get the bike better into the corners and for sure out, the rest is just a consequence which means top speed etc. If the bike is fast on the straight then the riders can pass, if they are confident on the brakes then they can pass easier, I think we will continue to improve on corner entry.”

Denis Sacchetti (Team GoEleven, Team Manager): “Every rider wants to go to a factory team… Andrea deserves an opportunity”

2025 is a big topic at the moment, with Team GoEleven’s Team Manager Denis Sacchetti discussing Andrea Iannone’s future: “What I can say is that we are talking with him about our future. Every rider wants to go in a factory team, and I think that is normal and that Andrea deserves an opportunity in a factory team but that is not by us but by Ducati and Bautista because I think until Bautista makes a decision we have to wait. Maybe he can stay with us, maybe not, we will see. There is an agreement with him about many things that I don’t want to speak about. It is normal that he would like to ride a factory bike.”

Michael Galinski (Bonovo Action BMW, Team Manager): “It is sure that we will stay in the paddock, but we are still working with the brand”

With Bonovo Action BMW pulling out, Michael Galinski has made it clear he’d like to keep the MGM team structure in the paddock and provided more info on Friday, after confirming talks with Ducati last weekend: “Not really an update but now it is sure that we will stay in the paddock, but we are still working with the brand and so on. What can I say? We are really happy about the support from BMW, we want to stay until the end as we still have six weekends to do. We will concentrate on this and at the back we will work on a new bike.”

Manuel Puccetti (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, Team Principal): “We can say that we will stay in green”

Reviewing 2024 so far and discussing the future of Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, following the news that Bimota would return in partnership with KRT, team boss Manuel Puccetti said: “Until Misano all the tests that we did in May and also the Misano round, we started inside the top 10 or close to the top 10, it was a good month for us and a good improvement. In the UK we had some problems which we couldn’t fix all weekend, we couldn’t find the same speed as Misano and I hope this weekend will be good for us, the same as Misano and before. Most is a very good track and I believe it will be very good. About the future, I think before Portimao we will see some big news. For sure we can say that we will stay in green, more and more in green and for the rest we will see. Who knows, who knows, I think everyone will see this news before Portimao.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The FIM Supersport World Championship hit the track for a thrilling Tissot Superpole session, which was topped by Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), who significantly improved on his time from Friday morning. The #55 will start from pole position after destroying the lap record, setting a magnificent 1’34.126.

FRONT ROW: The battle for pole position

The times began to heat up towards the end of Superpole, and it was a two-way fight for pole position, with the #55 ending Friday 0.155s clear of the field. Montella was ahead of title rival, Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team), who spent most of the session at the top of the timesheets, only to get pipped in the last five minutes. Meanwhile, Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing), continued a consistent start to the weekend in third position and as the top Yamaha.

IDENTICAL TIMES: Nothing separating Caricasulo and Sofuoglu

Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) will head the second row of the grid after a great session in fourth place. Meanwhile, the battle for the final spot inside the top five couldn’t get any closer, with Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) and Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) setting identical times in Superpole, with Caricasulo setting a better second-best time – clinching P5. However, it was a tough session for Sofuoglu, who suffered an early crash at Turn 18, before returning to track later on and finishing in sixth.

BEST OF THE REST: Mahias P10 after crash

Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) took seventh at the end of Friday, heading from the third row of the grid alongside Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in P8. Behind the #23 will be D34G Racing WorldSSP Team’s Tom Edwards, who had a brilliant Superpole session to finish in ninth. The #71 was ahead of Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha), who took the final spot inside the top 10. However, Mahias would also suffer a crash early in Superpole, crashing at Turn 10. 

There was also a crash later in the session for Soichiro Minamimoto (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team), falling at Turn 21 – bringing an early end to his day. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) later stopped at Turn 21 after a technical issue – finishing Superpole in 12^th place.

The top six from WorldSSP Superpole, full results here:

1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’34.126s

2. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.155s

3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.383s

4. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.585s

5. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +1.019s

6. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +1.019s

Make sure you don’t miss Race 1 for WorldSSP on Saturday at 15:15 Local Time (UTC +2) by using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 30% off!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Friday’s action at the Autodrom Most has concluded for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, with Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) having the perfect start to the weekend – topping FP1 and FP2. The #54 began his weekend in style, ending Free Practice 1, 0.286s clear of Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and the rest of the field.

Later in the day, Razgatlioglu would improve his time by a further 0.428s in Friday afternoon’s Free Practice 2 session. The Turkish star came into the weekend with added confidence after completing a hat-trick of victories at Misano and Donington Park.

Discussing a dream start to the Czech Round, Razgatlioglu said: “It is a good start again on Friday but not like Donington, it looks like we are strong. I am happy to be come back to Most, it is a very nice circuit. We are using the SC1 rear tyre, everyone is using the SC1 tyre but it was a little difficult as it is not like the SC0 grip. We made a different setup but we are very happy, and in FP1 and FP2 we tried a race simulation where the pace was strong so in general, I am happy.”

“El Turco” completed race runs throughout the day, setting over 20 laps during Free Practice 2. He would set a 1’31.519 and would consistently lap within the low 1’32 bracket throughout his long runs after he was fast throughout all sectors.

Discussing his race runs throughout the day: “I feel that every lap the bike is good and I can keep the pace like this. In the race simulation, I did a 1’31.8, this is a strong time and I just try to show everyone that I have more. In general, I am happy, the race simulation is also important as after 10 laps it is a little harder to ride because the rear tyre starts to drop and we need to change the riding style a little bit.”

It was an iconic top three at the end of proceedings, with the titanic trio returning after Razgatlioglu ended the day quickest, ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in second and Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha), finishing in third, with just 0.514s separating the top three.

Speaking about the top three at the end of Friday, Razgatlioglu now hopes for a battle between the titanic trio: “This is good, it is very important. I am also very happy for Johnny, he is improving and coming and I really missed him here and the last year or two I have always been fighting with him and also with Alvaro. I hope we are fighting together again this year as I really enjoy it like this.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) admitted that Friday at the Autodrom Most was his best Friday of the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship so far after the #1 finished in second place, behind only Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). The reigning Champion has often struggled for feeling this year but declared “the feeling is back” when speaking after Friday’s two practice sessions for the Czech Round.

The double Champion has admitted 2024 hasn’t been how he wanted due to the feeling he has on his Panigale V4 R, but he was in a jubilant mood on Friday after taking second in the combined classification. He posted a 1’31.622s to claim P2, just a tenth behind title rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). During FP2, when his best time was set, the Spaniard completed three stints. The first one was seven laps with all but the first in the 1’32s brackets. The second was also seven laps, and, again, he was consistently in the 1’32s bracket. The third featured three representative times, with his best time of the day coming on the first lap of the run.

When asked whether this was his best Friday of 2024 so far, Bautista said: “Yeah, but it’s easy to do a best Friday because we’ve struggled a lot in the season so far. Today, I’m really happy because from last weekend at Donington, we’ve made some changes to the bike. The feeling is back again. I feel good today and it’s been the day I’ve enjoyed the bike the most this season so far! It’s been a long time since I rode the bike like today. I’m really, really happy. Not for the lap time but for the feeling. I enjoyed it and I felt I could ride it like it was my bike. We made some changes to the setup of the bike, and it allowed me to force the bike more and have more feedback on the tyres and find the limit more. I started to ride as I wanted and today, I felt that I can do it.”

Friday at Most also features a return for the ‘titanic trio’ in their new colours. Razgatlioglu, Bautista and Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) finished in the top three with around half-a-second separating them when FP2 concluded. Bautista spoke about how he’d like to see a battle between the three of them, something that featured commonly in 2022 and a little bit in 2023.

On the titanic trio’s return to the top, Bautista said: “Experience is a big point, especially at this type of track in these conditions with a lot of heat! Experience helps a lot. Toprak is strong as in all races. Jonathan has been very fast here in the past; he won last year as well. I think the ‘titanic trio’ again on top on Friday is nice! For the fans, they’ve been waiting for a battle between us three. It’s difficult because Toprak is a step ahead of us but it’s nice to start the weekend like this.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) had a great Friday at the Autodrom Most, with the #65 admitting that it was his best Friday since joining Yamaha. Rea was third at the end of Friday, just 0.514s adrift from Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), who was fastest as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship roared back into life for the Czech Round.

The six-time Champion said the bike is working well at Most in a positive start to the weekend. Rea was sixth in Free Practice 1, setting 17 laps across the session – ending the session 0.518s behind Razgatlioglu. Meanwhile, in FP2, Rea would lap consistently inside the 1’32 bracket, setting his best time of the day in the latter stages of the session to finish P3. The Yamaha and Rea worked especially well in sector 2, clocking the second-best time in that sector.

When asked whether Friday at Most was his best in blue, Rea replied: “Yeah, 100%. We didn’t have any issues. I was able to go out this morning, find my feet with the Yamaha R1 here at Most. I was pleasantly impressed because the bike works quite well here. We just have a few areas to tidy up electronically to get the bike to stop the way I want. It’s a track with so much compromise. You need the bike to be agile and change direction fast, but you also need it to be able to stop really well at Turn 1 and in the last sector. “

Discussing the tyres used during Friday’s running, Rea said: “We worked positively in the garage. We understood the two rear tyres, Pirelli brought a new rear construction SC1. We backed to back them and have a clear idea of which one we like. We’ve done a lot of laps on one option, but not the other. We still have a little bit of work to do for tomorrow and still, some margin to improve the bike. A good start to the weekend, we just need to keep that ball rolling.”

The iconic titanic trio returned in Free Practice 2, as Razgatlioglu ended the session quickest ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in second, with behind Rea in third. The #65 later discussed what he is expecting from three unpredictable races this weekend at Most.

Discussing the top three and a big battle for the podium, Rea said: “I’ve had a very fast look at the analysis and Toprak’s still on another planet. I feel like we can fight for the podium but there’s a big group there of riders from second right through to eighth. It’s going to be a nice battle but there’s still room for improvement to think about battling for a race win.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was once again the rider to beat in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as the #54 just beat Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) by a tenth at the Autodrom Most. Razgatlioglu and Bautista were the only two riders inside the 1’31s bracket on the first day of the Czech Round.

RAZGATLIOGLU ON TOP: leading the away again

Razgatlioglu continued exactly how he started the weekend by posting an uncatchable lap time in FP2, posting a 1’31.519s, almost four tenths quicker than he went in the morning and once again leading BMW’s charge. Teammate Michael van der Mark was one of two more BMW riders inside the top ten as he claimed eighth, just ahead of Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) in ninth with only 0.030s separating the pair. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) improved on his final lap to move into 13^th place.

BAUTISTA’S BEST FRIDAY OF 2024? second place, just a tenth behind…

Reigning Champion Bautista claimed second place after posting a 1’31.622s with him and Razgatlioglu the only two riders in the 1’31s bracket. Teammate Nicolo Bulega (was fifth, half-a-second down on Razgatlioglu and four tenths away from the #1. Independent star Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) made it three Ducatis in the top six as he claimed sixth with a 1’32.110s, just a tenth away from Bulega ahead. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) had a difficult Friday morning with several off-track excursions, but he bounced back in the afternoon for P10, just a couple of hundredths ahead of Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) in 11^th in FP2 and 12^th overall. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) had a really challenging Friday afternoon with the #21 not setting a lap time with his bike only running on two cylinders. However, his FP1 time of 1’32.800s was good enough for 10^th in that session and 17^th overall.

STRONG FRIDAY FOR REA: third place and top Yamaha

Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) seems to have been able to continue with the momentum he built at Donington as he finished third on Friday after setting a 1’32.033s. The #65 was the lead Yamaha rider once again, with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in seventh. Gardner was one of a handful of riders unable to improve in the afternoon’s warmer conditions but his 1’32.233s from FP1 still secured a spot in the top seven. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) completed the top ten after ‘Loka’ had a crash at Turn 2 in FP2, but he was able to post a 1’32.369s to secure a top ten spot. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was 14^th, Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) was 19^th and Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) 21^st.

LOWES IN FOURTH: four manufacturers in the top four

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was the lead Kawasaki rider once again as he secured fourth place with a 1’32.052s, just a couple of hundredths away from Rea in front. The #22’s P4 means four different manufacturers secured a place in the top four. Teammate Axel Bassani was quick out of the blocks in FP1 and FP2 but fell down the order to 15^th, while Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) completed the Kawasaki runners with 18^th place.

GOOD MORNING, DIFFICULT AFTERNOON: mixed day for Honda

Honda had a good Friday morning but neither Team HRC could improve in the afternoon. Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge were, as always, closely matched with just half-a-tenth between the two Spaniards. Vierge’s day was disrupted by a technical issue in FP2. Leandro Mercado (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) was the fastest of the MIE Honda riders after setting a 1’34.344s, finishing around four tenths clear of teammate Hayden Gillim, who, on his first visit to Most, had a solid start to his debut WorldSBK weekend.

The top six from WorldSBK’s Friday action, full results here:

1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1’31.519s

2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.103s

3. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +0.514s

4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.533s

5. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.552s

6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.591s

Watch all the action from Most starting at 09:00 Local Time (UTC+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 30% off

Source: WorldSBK.com

It was a hectic Tissot Superpole session for the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship which had everything, with Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) storming to an impressive maiden pole position at the Autodrom Most. The #7 set an impressive 1’46.137, which was good enough to hold onto P1 in the latter stages of the red-flagged Superpole session.

FRONT ROW: Thompson leaps to P2

It was a frantic start to the session with lap times dropping and Veneman leading in the early stages, consistently improving throughout Superpole. Veneman had a 0.186s advantage over the field and will start alongside replacement rider, Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki), who continues to impress the field after finishing in second position. Meanwhile, rounding off the front row was Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse), who starts Race 1 as the top Yamaha after an eventful session.

SEABRIGHT IMPROVES LATE: #47 starts ahead of Iglesias

Heading the second row was Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki), continuing to look strong at Most, finishing ahead of the Fenton Seabright. The #47 was one of the few riders who improved their time on the final lap after the red flag. Joining them to round off the second row of the grid was Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki), who was less than fourth-tenth adrift from pole position.

DRAMA FOR BUIS: P10 for the #1 after a crash with Pratama

Pepe Osuna (DEZA-BOX 77 Racing Team) took seventh, heading the third row of the grid ahead of Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitiRacing), who also suffered a crash late in Superpole. The #56 was ahead of Marc Garcia (KOVE Racing Team) in ninth and Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-PALIGO Racing), who took the final spot inside the top 10 after an earlier crash on the entry to Turn 1 with Team BrCorse’s Aldi Mahendra, who starts from P12.

RED FLAG: Session restarted with two minutes to go

It was a Superpole full of drama with Bruno Ieraci (Team ProDina Kawasaki) suffering from technical issues early on, stopping at the side of the circuit with less than 20 minutes to go. Later in the session, there would be a crash at Turn 15 involving David Salvador (MS Racing), Kevin Fontainha (Yamaha AD78 FIM LA by MS Racing), Ivan Bolano (DEZA-BOX 77 Racing Team), Gaggi and Pratama – bringing out a brief red flag. The session would be restarted with over 2 minutes left on the clock.

The top six from WorldSSP300 Superpole, full results here:

1. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) 1’46.137s

2. Carter Thompson (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.186s

3. Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) +0.198s

4. Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki) +0.229s

5. Fenton Seabright (Kawasaki GP Project) +0.376s

6. Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) +0.394s

WorldSSP300 will return to track on Saturday at 12:45 Local Time (UTC+2) for Race 1, so make sure you don’t miss anything using the WorldSBK VideoPass, now with 30% off!

Source: WorldSBK.com

It was a dramatic start to the Czech Round for the FIM Supersport World Championship with two red flags interrupting the 40-minute Free Practice session. It was topped by Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) after the #55 pipped Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) to P1 with his last flying lap at the Autodrom Most, with little to separate the field after the first and only practice session.

Stefano Manzi (Pata Prometeon Ten Kate Racing) was the early pacesetter with the Italian setting a 1’35.226s just before the red flags were thrown following a crash for Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team) on the exit of Turn 21, with the Finn having a lowside crash but his bike left stranded in the middle of the circuit. With the recovery operation completed, Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was the first to match – literally – Manzi’s time as they set the same time, before Manzi went faster with a 1’35.226s.

The red flags were deployed again with 10 minutes to go when Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph) crashed at Turn 2, with the Brit taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. With the session on halt again, Debise led the way with Manzi second and Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in third. When the session got underway for the third time, Debise’s 1’35.042s was first beaten only by himself as he set a 1’34.912s before Montella’s final lap, a 1’34.882s, stole top spot at the final moments. It meant Debise finished second with Manzi in third.

Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) claimed fourth after slowly building up speed during the disrupted session, lapping around three tenths slower than his title rival. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was fifth and Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) was sixth. It meant the top six was comprised of two Ducatis, two Yamahas and two MV Agusta machines, with just under four tenths separating the first six riders.

Navarro finished the session in seventh after dropping down the order in the closing stages, with Sofuoglu just a tenth behind the #9. It was a good start to the weekend for Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing WorldSSP Team), who was immediately in the top ten as he secured ninth, with Tuuli rounding out the top ten despite only completing three laps following his early crash. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 14^th after he crashed in the opening moments at Turn 15, while Booth-Amos was 17^th in the classification.

The top six from WorldSSP Free Practice, full results here:

1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’34.882s

2. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.030s

3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.283s

4. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.294s

5. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +0.324s

6. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +0.390s

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Source: WorldSBK.com