Catalunya WorldSBK Superpole Results: Iker Lecuona takes maiden pole

Results from Superpole, round eight of the 2022 WorldSBK Championship at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

24 Sep 2022

Iker Lecuona, Team HRC Honda WorldSBK Catalunya, Spain 2022

Iker Lecuona secured his maiden WorldSBK pole after bettering both factory Kawasaki riders Alex Lowes and Jonathan Rea.

Following a damp FP3 that was topped by Loris Baz, who recently agreed to a new WorldSBK deal with Bonovo Action BMW for 2023, very light rain was again beginning to fall at the start of Superpole.

There was drama for Michael Ruben Rinaldi before even setting a flying lap, as the Ducati rider had a big slide on the rear tyre which led to him running into the gravel and crashing at turn one.

On-track, Lecuona set a brilliant time of 1:41:330s to go quicker than Toprak Razgatlioglu, before Lowes split the pair by going second.

Lowes looked set to take over at the top after posting three red sectors on his second time attack attempt, however, the Kawasaki rider lost out in sector four as Lecuona kept hold of provisional pole by just 0.011s.

Honda’s stunning performance - Lecuona was also fastest on day-one - continued when Xavi Vierge joined Lecuona in the top four as he moved ahead of Alvaro Bautista and Rea.

2022 World Superbike Barcelona, Spain - Superpole Results
Pos	Rider	Nat	Team	Time
1	Iker Lecuona	SPA	Team HRC WorldSBK	1:40.766s
2	Alex Lowes	GBR	Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK	+0.023s
3	Jonathan Rea	GBR	Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK	+0.217s
4	Andrea Locatelli	ITA	PATA Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK	+0.225s
5	Alvaro Bautista	SPA	Aruba.It Racing Ducati	+0.382s
6	Garrett Gerloff	USA	GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team	+0.442s
7	Axel Bassani	ITA	Motocorsa Ducati	+0.828s
8	Toprak Razgatlioglu	TUR	PATA Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK	+0.872s
9	Xavi Vierge	SPA	Team HRC WorldSBK	+0.917s
10	Michael Rinaldi	ITA	Aruba.It Racing Ducati	+1.070s
11	Lucas Mahias	FRA	Puccetti Kawasaki	+1.171s
12	Philipp Oettl	GER	GoEleven Ducati	+1.262s
13	Scott Redding	GBR	BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team	+1.272s
14	Loris Baz	FRA	Bonovo Action BMW	+1.618s
15	Kohta Nozane	JPN	GRT Yamaha	+1.703s
16	Eugene Laverty	IRL	Bonovo Action BMW	+1.703s
17	Luca Bernardi	SM	Barni Spark Ducati Team	+1.707s
18	Roberto Tamburini	ITA	Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSBK Team	+1.743s
19	Michael Van Der Mark	SPA	BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team	+2.150s
20	Christophe Ponsson	FRA	Gil Motor Sport Yamaha	+2.239s
21	Oscar Gutierrez	SPA	Pedercini Kawasaki	+2.309s
22	Oliver Konig	CZE	Orelac Racing Kawasaki	+2.416s
23	Leandro Mercado	ARG	MIE Honda Racing	+3.362s

With the Q tyre fitted for the second and final run, Andrea Locatelli was the first rider to overhaul Lecuona as he set a first sub 1m 41s lap of the weekend, however, Lecuona responded immediately to regain pole.

Rea slotted in third but the six-time world champion, Bautista and Razgatlioglu had no answer for the former MotoGP rider.

Jonathan Rea, Catalunya WorldSBK, 23 September

Despite getting a good tow from team-mate Locatelli coming out of the final corner, Razgatlioglu’s best lap was only good enough for eighth.

WorldSBK Catalunya Records

Lap Record - Tom Sykes GBR BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team 1:40.408s

2021 Race Winners

Race 1 - Scott Redding GBR Aruba.it Ducati

Superpole Race - Jonathan Rea GBR Kawasaki Racing Team

Race 2 - Michael Ruben Rinaldi ITA Aruba.it Ducati

After failing to complete a lap during Friday practice, Hafizh Syahrin was ruled out prior to FP3 getting underway.

2022 WorldSBK Catalunya Weekend Schedule

Saturday

Free Practice 3 - 08:00-08:30

Superpole - 10:10-10:25

Race One 13:00

Sunday

Warm-up - 08:00-08:15

Superpole Race - 10:00

Race Two - 13:00

Catalunya WorldSBK Superpole Results: Iker Lecuona takes maiden pole

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