In the final World Superbike event of the 2012 season at Magny Cours, France, Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes did his slim World Championship hopes no harm by smashing the lap record and storming to his ninth pole position on the year. With two races left to run on Sunday, Sykes trails Aprilia’s Max Biaggi by 30.5 points, meaning that even if the Kawasaki rider wins both races, Biaggi would only have to finish at least sixth in both races to win the title. But judging by the events at the last three circuits where the championship points lead changed hands twice, anything can happen.
Sykes’ Superpole 3 lap of 1:36.950 undercut the previous World Superbike lap record at Magny Cours by nearly a half second, and was the only time in the 1:36s in qualifying. Althea Racing Ducati’s Carlos Checa was second quickest by almost half a second, followed by Biaggi’s Aprilia teammate Eugene Laverty, and BMW Marco Melandri completing the front row. Meanwhile, Max Biaggi struggled in Superpole and missed the cut for SP3, putting him in 10th spot on the grid. However, his practice times were quick, and the Italian will surely be looking to secure his second World Superbike championship when the field lines up on Sunday.
Lone American World Superbike competitor John Hopkins was forced to withdraw from the Magny Cours round after Superpole when the hip injury he suffered back at Monza proved to still be problematic for the FIXI Crescent Suzuki rider. After resurrecting his career last year by just missing out on the British Superbike Championship, Hopkins has suffered through an injury-plagued 2012, with a partial finger amputation required due to an injury suffered during qualifying as a MotoGP wild card at Brno in 2011 before this year’s season even began. But the Monza hip injury’s effects have been lingering for some time, and many of the WSBK circuits were new to Hopkins, putting him further on the back foot. With teammate Leon Camier already re-signing with the FIXI Crescent Suzuki team, it’s beginning to look doubtful that Hopkins will be returning to the squad—and perhaps World Superbike—in 2013.
World Superbike Magny Cours Superpole final qualifying results:
1. Tom Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki 1:36.950
2. Carlos Checa (SPA) Ducati 1:37.422
3. Eugene Laverty (IRL) Aprilia 1:37.516
4. Marco Melandri (ITA) BMW 1:37.658
5. Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Ducati 1:37.901
6. Jonathan Rea (GBR) Honda 1:38.252
7. Leon Haslam (GBR) BMW 1:38.280
8. Chaz Davies (GBR) Aprilia 1:38.425
9. Leon Camier (GBR) Suzuki 1:38.072
10. Max Biaggi (ITA) Aprilia 1:38.095
11. Michel Fabrizio (ITA) BMW 1:38.318
12. Claudio Corti (ITA) Kawasaki 1:38.516
13. Loris Baz (FRA) Kawasaki 1:38.548
14. Maxime Berger (FRA) Ducati 1:38.727
15. Davide Giugliano (ITA) Ducati 1:38.807
16. Lorenzo Zanetti (ITA) Ducati 1:39.354
17. Ayrton Badovini (ITA) BMW 1:39.430
18. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Honda 1:39.750
19. John Hopkins (USA) Suzuki 1:40.538
20. Alexander Lundh (SWE) Kawasaki 1:40.882
21. Norino Brignola (ITA) BMW 1:42.461