Sheridan Morais will start on pole for the first time in his career after smashing the Lausitzring lap record in qualifying for the German World Supersport round.
Morais, along with Kallio Racing team-mate Niki Tuuli, has the new Yamaha R6 for this first time this weekend and has been on fine form with it throughout practice.
Finnish rider Tuuli did hold top spot briefly in the second Superpole session with a 1m41.601s, though was soon deposed by Lucas Mahias on the GRT Yamaha and Puccetti Kawasaki’s Kenan Sofuoglu.
On his second run, Morais shot to the top of the pile with a 1m40.400s – the fastest ever Supersport lap at the Lausitzring.
Federico Caricasulo came close to denying the South African his first pole position, but the Italian’s 1m40.505s was only good enough for second. Tuuli completed the front row.
Jules Cluzel will line up fourth on his PTR Honda from Sofuoglu and championship leader Mahais, who is just five points clear of Sofuoglu after crashing out of the last race at Misano.
Luke Stapleford brushed off a crash in this morning’s third practice to qualify a decent seventh on the Profile Racing Triumph, with Lorenzo Zanetti eighth on his return to WorldSSP as Roberto Rolfo’s replacement at Vamag MV Agusta.
Kyle Smith will start from ninth on his Lorini Honda, with Hannes Soomer comfortably the leading European Supersport series runner in 10th. Hikari Okubo and Gino Rea, who crashed at Turn 10 in the final minute of SP2, round out the top 12.
Anthony West came agonisingly close to a place in SP2, but a mistake exiting the final corner on his last flying lap meant he could only go third in the session, and thus will start 13th.
MV Agusta’s PJ Jacobsen was demoted from the top two in the dying seconds to 14th, the American’s worst qualifying result of the season. Chris Bergman, who replaces the ousted Robin Mulhauser at the PTR Honda team, will start 15th.
Alessandro Zaccone added to MV Agusta’s disappointing day, the Italian only 16th on the grid ahead of Austrian wildcard Thomas Gradinger and Michael Canducci.
Rob Hartog has left himself with work to do in Sunday’s race from 19th on the grid ahead of Nacho Calero and Britain’s Kyle Ryde.
Ryde’s compatriot Stefan Hill will start 27th after a spectacular tumble at Turn 3. Lachlan Epis was the only other faller in Superpole.
