Championship leader Sam Lowes (Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha) has set the pace in today’s Qualifying 1, topping the timesheets courtesy of a 1’51.104 seconds lap-time, already the new Best Lap. The young Brit was already on the lead in the closing stages, but decided to push for an even quicker time to try an break into the 1’50s bracket. Rookie Riccardo Russo (San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki) ended up with a promising second place ahead of Pata Honda World Supersport duo of Michael van der Mark and Lorenzo Zanetti, Luca Scassa (Intermoto Ponyexpres Kawasaki) and Vladimir Ivanov (DMC-Lorenzini Kawasaki).

PTR Honda Sheridan Morais was 7th, followed by Fabien Foret (Mahi Racing Team India Kawasaki), Irishman Jack Kennedy (Rivamoto Honda), Andrea Antonelli (Team Goeleven Kawasaki) and Foret’s team mate Kenan Sofuoglu. The defending Champion had a tough time in this session, compared to the 5th place he achieved in the morning Free Practice. Russian Vladimir Leonov was out of contention for almost the entire session, as he suffered a technical problem on his Yakhnich Motorsport YZF-R6 during his second lap on track, just six minutes after the start of Qualifying 1.

Times:

1. Lowes (Yamaha) 1’51.104 average 159.937 kph;
2. Russo (Kawasaki) 1’51.826;
3. Vd Mark (Honda) 1’52.083;
4. Zanetti (Honda) 1’52.259;
5. Scassa (Kawasaki) 1’52.365;
6. Ivanov (Kawasaki) 1’52.713;
7. Morais (Honda) 1’52.716;
8. Foret (Kawasaki) 1’52.777;
9. Kennedy (Honda) 1’52.785;
10. Antonelli (Kawasaki) 1’52.867; etc.

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