Bendsneyder takes pole ahead of Booth-Amos and Mahias, Oli Bayliss just misses out on second row

After a delayed start to the 40-minute long WorldSSP Superpole qualifying contest – for the uniquely Aussie hazard of wallabies roaming around the live track – Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) continued his strong form from testing and FP1 to secure a Superpole ‘win’ and earn the best starting position on the grid for the first race on Saturday.

He would suffer a big highside crash soon after, injuring a toe on his right foot. His medical condition will be reviewed again on Saturday, before warm-up.

Leader for a time Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) ended up second on the grid and 0.189 seconds behind Bendsneyder.

Booth-Amas will start from second tomorrow

The new R9 Yamaha had a strong enough debut in the hands of former WorldSSP champion Lucas Mahias (GMT94-Yamaha), in third place for a front row start to Race One on Saturday.

Recent Kawasaki rider Can Öncü (Yamaha bLU cRU Evan Bros Racing) was immediately fourth quickest in his first truly competitive WorldSSP ride on the R9, with new Ducati rider Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse Ducati) fifth quickest.

Spain’s Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Ducati) was the second best Ducati rider in qualifying, in sixth place overall.

Mahias secured third place on the grid

Local rider Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) made Friday an even more joyful start for the factory Triumph team by ending up 0.504 seconds behind Bendsneyder, in a strong seventh place. The times were very close, with 2nd to 10th covered by half a second.

2024 runner-up Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) earned a third row start in eighth place, with new Ducati rider Marcel Schrötter (WRP Racing Ducati) ninth, Recent WorldSBK rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi (GMT94-Yamaha) rounded out the top ten.

Philipp Öttl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team Ducati) did not ride due to his heavily swollen knee, while replacement rider for Glenn van Strallen (D34G WorldSSP Racing Team Ducati) Harrison Voight did not get to set a clean lap and recorded no official Superpole time.

There will be the first of two flag-to-flag 18 lap races in WorldSSP on Saturday 22 February, with a mandatory pitstop to change tyres at half race distance.

Local rider Luke Power (Motozoo ME air racing MV Agusta) was 17th on day one, from 23 competing riders.

 

Pos
Rider
Team
Time
Laps
Speed (km/h)
1
B. BENDSNEYDER
MV Agusta Reparto Corse
1’32.310
11
264.5
2
T. BOOTH-AMOS
PTR Triumph Factory Racing
1’32.499
16
270.5
3
L. MAHIAS
GMT94-YAMAHA
1’32.635
12
271.8
4
C. ONCU
Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros
1’32.644
17
278.8
5
V. DEBISE
Renzi Corse
1’32.724
19
273.9
6
J. MASIA
Orelac Racing Verdnatura
1’32.765
17
273.2
7
O. BAYLISS
PTR Triumph Factory Racing
1’32.814
17
268.4
8
S. MANZI
Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing
1’32.841
18
265.1
9
M. SCHROETTER
WRP Racing
1’32.849
15
273.9
10
M. RINALDI
GMT94-YAMAHA
1’32.889
18
268.4
11
X. CARDELUS
Orelac Racing Verdnatura
1’32.945
18
269.8
12
L. TACCINI
Ecosantagata Althea Racing
1’33.091
17
273.2
13
N. ANTONELLI
VFT Racing
1’33.201
17
270.5
14
A. MAHENDRA
Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros
1’33.224
17
267.1
15
J. ALCOBA
Kawasaki WorldSSP Team
1’33.451
17
268.4
16
O. VOSTATEK
WRP Racing
1’33.627
19
268.4
17
L. POWER
Motozoo ME air Racing
1’33.825
15
264.5
18
S. JESPERSEN
Ecosantagata Althea Racing
1’34.074
15
271.8
19
L. VENEMAN
EAB Racing Team
1’34.111
19
272.5
20
L. ARBEL
Team Flembbo-Pilote Moto
1’35.071
17
261.3
21
S. AZMAN
PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing
1’35.182
15
269.1