World Superbike Magny-Cours France Friday provisional qualifying results

Lanzi surprises with fast time, Fabrizio, Biaggi follow; Tardozzi out as team manager at BMW

Lorenzo Lanzi

In a qualifying session where the top 16 riders were within 0.71 seconds, DFX Corse Ducati’s Lorenzo Lanzi continued his late season form (he finished second in the first race at Imola) by going quickest in Friday’s provisional qualifying with a lap of 1:38.856. Ducati Xerox’s Michele Fabrizio slotted in second by only 0.071 seconds, with new 2010 WSBK champion Max Biaggi right in Fabrizio’s wheeltracks by only 0.045 seconds. Luca Scassa on the Team Supersonic Ducati made it an all-Italian bike/rider front row by cutting a 1:39.000 lap.

What had the paddock even more abuzz than the qualifying session was the news that Davide Tardozzi and the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team had parted ways “by mutual consent, with immediate effect.” Although the official press release by the team stated that Tardozzi and BMW had “different ideas regarding the structure of the team”, rumors are rampant that Tardozzi will be taking the place of Yamaha Sterilgarda team manager Massimo Merrigali, who is said to be in line to step up to the Fiat Yamaha MotoGP squad (along with many others in the Yamaha Sterilgarda team) to take the place of the departing Jeremy Burgess and the rest of Valentino Rossi’s team when they leave for Ducati at season’s end.

World Superbike Magny-Cours France Friday provisional qualifying results:
1. Lorenzo Lanzi (ITA) Ducati 1:38.856
2. Michele Fabrizio (ITA) Ducati 1:38.927
3. Max Biaggi (ITA) Aprilia 1:38.972
4. Luca Scassa (ITA) Ducati 1:39.000
5. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Yamaha 1:39.058
6. Nori Haga (JPN) Ducati 1:39.091
7. Troy Corser (AUS) BMW 1:39.119
8. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati 1:39.138
9. Tom Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki 1:39.207
10. Leon Haslam (GBR) Suzuki 1:39.238