World Superbike Championship leader Jonathan Rea took a dominant pole at a wet Magny–Cours despite suffering a fall early in Superpole 2.
The Kawasaki rider – who could become the first rider in WorldSBK history to win three title back–to–back later today – was three seconds quicker than anyone else in the wet third practice, and was pushing hard straight out of the blocks when SP2 got underway.
However, Rea was flicked from his ZX–10RR at the Estoril corner at the start of his first lap, and was forced back to pit lane for repairs.
While Rea was temporarily out of action, Ducati’s Chaz Davies traded top spot with Rea‘s KRT team–mate Tom Sykes – Davies getting the upper hand with a 1m58.936s with eight minutes to go.
With six minutes left, Rea returned to the circuit and started lighting up the timing screens on his first lap.
He went fastest with a 1m57.433s, but was not content and went for another flying lap. Once again setting the timing screens ablaze, Rea went 1.2 seconds clear of the field with a 1m56.555s for his fifth pole of 2017.
SP1 pacesetter Leandro Mercado put in a sensational final lap of 1m57.758s to put his year–old Ioda Aprilia second on the grid – his best–ever qualifying result in WorldSBK. Sykes completed the top three.
Xavi Fores took his Barni Ducati to fourth on the grid, demoting Yamaha’s Alex Lowes to fifth, while Honda’s Davide Giugliano completed the second row having come through the first Superpole session.
Davies was shuffled back to seventh by the chequered flag ahead of MV Agusta’s Leon Camier and Eugene Laverty, who fell from his Milwaukee Aprilia twice.
Michael van der Mark, Lorenzo Savadori and Marco Melandri – the latter two also suffering crashes – rounded out the top 12.
Riccardo Russo managed his best qualifying result of the year after putting his Pedercini Kawasaki 13th ahead of Ant West, who was denied promotion to SP2 when a he crashed at the Imola chicane on his final lap.
Ondrej Jezek used the poor conditions to secure his best starting position of the season in 15th, giving his Grillini team something to smile about after team–mate Ayrton Badovini was forced to pull out of with a pelvic injury sustained in a third practice crash.
Roman Ramos was unable to improve on 16th after crashing at the Estoril corner on his final lap, the Spaniard heading Alessandro Andreozzi and Honda’s Jake Gagne in his first wet WorldSBK session.
The Althea BMW team has tended to struggle in wet conditions, and both Rafaelle De Rosa and Jordi Torres suffered torrid sessions, the duo bringing up the rear of the depleted 20–rider field.
French wildcard Matthiu Lussiana was a non–started after suffering a collarbone fracture in third practice.
