Practice Report

Giugliano and Gagne confident of more improvements after first day

Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team

Qatar Round

Losail International Circuit, Qatar

WorldSBK 2017, Round 13

The Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team has completed the opening day of action for the final event of the 2017 FIM Superbike World Championship – which is currently taking place at the Losail International Circuit. The standard bearers for the Dutch-based squad at this round Davide Giugliano and Jake Gagne were 16th and 17th, respectively, in the combined times of today’s two free practice sessions held under floodlights at the iconic circuit located on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital city Doha.

Despite being unable to move up the timesheets between the two sessions, both riders managed to significantly improve their lap-times in the latter hour of action as they worked hard with their crews to improve the feeling with their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 machine at this long, wide and beautifully flowing racetrack. Giugliano successfully tried new electronic settings, while for 24-year-old Gagne the priority was to get to grips with the new circuit – as well as to riding under artificial lighting.

In light of today’s results, Giugliano and Gagne will take to the track at 18:30 local time (GMT +3) tomorrow for Superpole 1, before lining up on the grid for the 17-lap, first race of the Qatari round which will get underway two and a half hours later (21:00).

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Davide Giugliano

Davide Giugliano 34

16th

Today was a quite productive day! We tried some new electronic settings which I never tried before and that represent – at least for me - a little but positive step forwards. I was expecting to be a little quicker, but there’s still time to do some more work tomorrow. The good things is that the bike works very well chassis-wise, although we still need to do some more work with the electronics in order to improve our pace. I think things will be better tomorrow.

Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team
Jake Gagne

Jake Gagne 45

17th

I feel I got to grips with the track pretty quickly, but it was also a matter of getting use to riding under floodlights: it was kind of strange in the first two-three laps, but soon after that it was not a problem anymore – it’s just you and the track. We made a lot of progress today, with me simply having to get used to this bike again and learning my way around the track. Towards the end of FP2 we made a couple of changes to chassis and electronics, and I feel we’re heading in the right direction. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.

Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team
Ronald ten Kate

Ronald ten Kate

Team Manager

The first session was not an easy one for Davide as things didn’t go as smooth as we’d hoped and that cost us some valuable track-time. Both crew and rider did a great job in FP2 and tried successfully some different electronic settings, so we’re confident for some more improvement tomorrow. Jake did quite well despite the lack of knowledge of the track and being his first time riding under floodlights, so all in all it was more of a productive day than what the timesheets would suggest.

Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team
Qatar Round

Losail International Circuit, Qatar

WorldSBK 2017, Round 13

Clear & Dry / 28
Thursday 2 Nov 2017, 19:21 UTC
  • Air Temp: 28°C
  • Humidity: 70%
  • Ground Temp: 27°C
# Rider Num Nationality Nat. Team Constructor Constr. Time/Gap
1 Jonathan Rea 65 GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki 1'57.666
2 Alex Lowes 22 GBR Pata Yamaha Yamaha +0.259
3 Tom Sykes 66 GBR Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki +0.299
4 Chaz Davies 7 GBR Aruba.it Racing Ducati +0.470
5 Michael van der Mark 60 NDL Pata Yamaha Yamaha +0.649
6 Xavi Fores 12 SPA BARNI Racing Team Ducati +0.877
7 Marco Melandri 33 ITA Aruba.it Racing Ducati +1.005
8 Jordi Torres 81 SPA Althea BMW Racing Team BMW +1.070
9 Eugene Laverty 50 GBR Milwaukee Aprilia Aprilia +1.091
10 Lorenzo Savadori 32 ITA Milwaukee Aprilia Aprilia +1.340
11 Sylvain Guintoli 05 FRA Puccetti Racing Kawasaki +1.387
12 Leon Camier 2 GBR MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta +1.403
13 Raffaele De Rosa 35 ITA Althea BMW Racing Team BMW +1.450
14 Román Ramos 40 SPA Team Go Eleven Kawasaki +1.856
15 Alessandro Andreozzi 121 ITA Guandalini Racing Yamaha +1.950
16 Davide Giugliano 34 ITA Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team Honda +1.973
17 Jake Gagne 45 USA Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team Honda +2.411
18 Jeremy Guarnoni 11 FRA Pedercini Racing SC-Project Kawasaki +3.004
19 Ondrej Jezek 37 CZE Grillini Racing Team Kawasaki +3.609
20 Roberto Rolfo 44 ITA Grillini SBK Team Kawasaki +4.061
Rider Standings
Sunday, 22 Oct 2017 - Open world standings grid
# Rider Num Nationality Nat. Points Pts. Team Constructor Constr.
1 Jonathan REA 65 GBR 506 Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki
2 Chaz DAVIES 7 GBR 363 Aruba.it Racing Ducati
3 Tom SYKES 66 GBR 363 Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki
4 Marco MELANDRI 33 ITA 301 Aruba.it Racing Ducati
5 Alex LOWES 22 GBR 225 Pata Yamaha Yamaha
6 Michael VAN DER MARK 60 NDL 210 Pata Yamaha Yamaha
7 Xavi FORES 12 SPA 185 BARNI Racing Team Ducati
8 Leon CAMIER 2 GBR 155 MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta
9 Jordi TORRES 81 SPA 149 Althea BMW Racing Team BMW
10 Eugene LAVERTY 50 GBR 135 Milwaukee Aprilia Aprilia
11 Leandro MERCADO 36 ARG 115 IodaRacing Team Aprilia
12 Lorenzo SAVADORI 32 ITA 113 Milwaukee Aprilia Aprilia
13 Román RAMOS 40 SPA 106 Team Go Eleven Kawasaki
14 Stefan BRADL 6 GER 67 Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team Honda
15 Randy KRUMMENACHER 15 SWI 50 Puccetti Racing Kawasaki
16 Raffaele DE ROSA 35 ITA 48 Althea BMW Racing Team BMW
17 Nicky HAYDEN 69 USA 40 Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team Honda
18 Alex DE ANGELIS 15 RSM 32 Pedercini Racing SC-Project Kawasaki
19 Markus REITERBERGER 21 GER 29 Van Zon Remeha BMW
20 Ayrton BADOVINI 86 ITA 26 Grillini Racing Team Kawasaki
21 Leon HASLAM GBR 20
22 Sylvain GUINTOLI 05 FRA 18 Puccetti Racing Kawasaki
23 Ondrej JEZEK 37 CZE 18 Grillini Racing Team Kawasaki
24 Davide GIUGLIANO 34 ITA 13 Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team Honda
25 Anthony WEST 13 AUS 13 Team Pedercini Honda
26 Riccardo RUSSO 84 ITA 13 Guandalini Racing Yamaha
27 Alessandro ANDREOZZI 121 ITA 11 Guandalini Racing Yamaha
28 Takumi TAKAHASHI 72 JPN 8 Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team Honda
29 Jake DIXON 94 GBR 7 Dynavolt Intact GP Suter
30 Jake GAGNE 45 USA 6 Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team Honda
31 Joshua BROOKES 25 AUS 4 ERMotorsport-EliteRoads.com.au Yamaha
32 Julian SIMON 60 SPA 4 Garage Plus Interwetten Kalex
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