---
title: "Davies pips Rea in Qatar FP2"
canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2016/10/28/davis-pips-rea-qatar-fp2/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Lewis Duncan"
section: "SBK"
published: "2016-10-28T19:27:12Z"
modified: "2016-10-28T19:28:26Z"
---

# Davies pips Rea in Qatar FP2

Aruba.it Ducati’s Chaz Davies ends the first day of running ahead of the final round of the 2016 World Superbike Championship at Qatar fastest from championship leader Jonathan Rea.

The Welsh rider has been in the form of his career since the summer break, winning all but one races since racing resumed in Germany back in September and doing the double for the last two events. This has put Davies just 19 points away from second-placed Tom Sykes in the standings.

The Ducati rider pipped KRT’s Jonathan Rea to top spot right at the end of the session with a 1m57.712s, Davies just a few hundredths of a second clear of Rea. The Northern Irishman had a slight off early in the session, but has had a largely uneventful day. The same cannot be said for his teammate Sykes, who suffered a technical issue half an hour into FP2.

Sykes’ day didn’t get off to the greatest of starts, the Yorkshireman struggling down in 13th. Though he did improve on his fastest lap to a 1m58.415s, that was only good enough for ninth. He’ll have to dig deep tomorrow to get on terms with Rea in Superpole.

Barni Racing’s Xavi Fores completed the top three on a 1m58.015s from Pata Yamaha’s Sylvain Guintoli. MV Agusta’s Leon Camier made huge strides in FP2 and leaped up the order to fifth on the time sheets, just four hundredths of a second ahead of compatriot Alex Lowes. Jordi Torres headed Nicky Hayden, whilst Lorenzo Savadori completed the top 10 to cap off the list of riders heading straight through to SP2.

Pedercini Kawasaki wild-card Leon Haslam makes his WorldSBK return this weekend, though it didn’t get off to the easiest of starts in FP1. An electrical problem kept him in the garage for much of the session and he was mired down in 24th. Thankfully, there were no such dramas in FP2 and the 2016 British Superbike runner-up improved by just over seven seconds on his FP1 best to go 11th quickest.

The big-name casualty in that session was Michael van der Mark, who was bungled to 12th by the time the chequered flag came out. The Honda rider was just a tenth outside of the top 10, so SP1 shouldn’t be a massive hurdle for Van der Mark.

![2016-10-28-3](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2016/10/2016-10-28-3.png)