BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) POWERS TO THE TOP ON HIS RETURN TO
WORLD SUPERBIKES
Losail (Qatar), Thursday 23 February: 2001 champion Troy
Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) made a sensational return to World
Superbikes by powering to the top of the timesheets in the
opening qualifying session of 2006 at the Losail International
Circuit in Qatar. Both the morning's free practice session
and afternoon qualifying were held in wet and rainy conditions,
but the 36 year-old Australian was in terrific form on his
Xerox Ducati 999, and he ended the session a full 1.7 seconds
ahead of second-placed Régis Laconi (Kawasaki).
"I'm not surprised to be up at the front to be honest"
declared Troy, "and I'm really pleased with the way it
went because it was the first time I've tried the Pirelli
wets and I was happy with them. The bike worked well and we're
still using the basic set-up we've had since testing started.
I expected to go a little bit faster before the end when we
had an intermediate in the rear. Maybe it would have been
OK if I had stayed out longer but I didn't give it enough
chance and put a harder rain tyre on which wasn't quite as
good as what I did two-thirds through the session. But all
in all it turned out well and I hope we're finished with the
rain for this weekend and can move on to some dry weather".
Lorenzo Lanzi, who preferred not to go out in the morning's
free practice session, was not entirely at ease in today's
wet and slippery conditions. The Italian recorded a time of
2m26.171s, which put him in a provisional 27th slot.
"I didn't want to push too hard on the first day"
declared Lorenzo, "because I'm pretty sure tomorrow it
will be dry. I know that's not much of an excuse because we're
in a world championship and so you should be present in all
conditions, but it was the first day and I didn't want to
crash or do anything silly. It was difficult out there, you
could lap quicker in the wet than on the damp track so I started
off slowly just to check the conditions. Then when I began
to push harder the track dried and it was slippery to the
point that virtually no one was able to improve in the final
part of the session. The other guys went out in the morning
session and I didn't so I wasn't quite on the pace today but
tomorrow for sure I will be present".
TIMES: 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 2m17.326s;
2. Laconi (Kawasaki) 2m19.064s; 3. Corser (Suzuki) 2m19.614s;
4. Walker (Kawasaki) 2m19.684s; 5. Gimbert (Yamaha) 2m19.687s;
6. Barros (Honda) 2m19.834s; 7. Pitt (Yamaha) 2m19.991s; 8.
Haga (Yamaha) 2m20.164s; 9. Battaini (Kawasaki) 2m20.200s;
10. Nieto (Kawasaki) 2m20.469s;
TV COVERAGE : Eurosport 2 (Pan European):
Friday 24 February - 1400 Superpole (live); Saturday 25 February
- 1000 SBK race 1 (live), 1330 SBK race 2 (live). La7 (Italy):
Saturday 25 February - 0945 SBK race 1 (live) + 1650 (delayed),
1725 SBK race 2 (delayed).
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