Team Alstare Suzuki rider Xavi Simeon will start tomorrow’s third round of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup from the third row of the grid after problems today. The team changed the engine braking characteristics in order to help Xavi in a particular corner but unfortunately it caused problems in the other corners and Xavi couldn’t push as hard as he wanted. But the lap times of the top ten are very close and, if Xavi had gone just two tenths of a second quicker he would’ve ended up on the front row of the grid! Italian Claudio Corti (Yamaha) set the day’s fastest lap, with Michele Pirro (Yamaha) second, Davide Giugliano (Suzuki) third and Michele Magnoni (Yamaha) fourth.
Xavi - 10th, 1:49.648
Obviously I am disappointed to be on the third row, but the lap times are close and I could’ve just as easily ended up on the front row. Now it’s going to be a bit like Valencia, when I started low down but still managed a podium. Here though, I was hoping for a good qualifying and being able to challenge for the win, not just the podium. We altered the engine braking today, but it caused more problems then it solved, so we will go back to more or less what we had before. Today my bike didn’t feel as fast in a straight line as my rivals, but my rhythm has been smooth and I think I can do consistently good lap times.
Tomorrow I need a good start in the race so that I can be with the leaders straightaway. If I can do that, who knows what could happen? Maybe a another podium?
Final qualifying
1 Corti (I-Yamaha) 1:48.545
2 Pirro (I-Yamaha) 1:49.199
3 Giugliano (I-Suzuki) 1:49.282
4 Magnoni (I-Yamaha) 1:49.417
5 Schouten (NL-Yamaha) 1:49.492
6 Tiberio (F-Kawasaki) 1:49.512
10 Xavi Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki) 1:49.648
Circuit: 5.793 kms.
Conditions: Dry, mostly sunny 26-28C.
