MotoGP front runner Franco Morbidelli (Yamaha Sepang Racing) will start the second round of the Endurance World Championship in Malaysia from pole position after setting a fastest lap of 2m04.647s in the Top Ten Trial at the Sepang circuit.
A last-minute lash by Franco Morbidelli saw the Yamaha Sepang team take pole bumping Honda Asia-Dream Racing (2m05.440s) back to second, with Aussie Josh Hook and the TSR Honda team (2m05.484s) starting from third place on the grid. Reigning Endurance World Champions SRC Kawasaki will start from fourth, followed by the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team, and Aussie Broc Parkes’ YART Yamaha squad in sixth. Randy De Puniet put the Team ERC Endurance Ducati on seventh, followed by the BMW Sepang Racing team and the Yamaha of the VRD Igol Pierret Experiences team in ninth. Wocik Racing Yamaha dropped from eight to tenth after rider Gino Rea crash while on his timed lap. Current championship leader Suzuki Endurance team will start from eleventh on the grid.
The World Endurance Championship teams will be back out on track on Saturday for warm-up, and the race will get underway on Sunday at 1 pm Malaysian time, with the race finishing under floodlights at 9 pm
Words Pete Vorst
Pics & Vid EWC
