Image: Russell Colvin.

Freshly crowned Superbike World (WorldSBK) champion Alvaro Bautista laid down the gauntlet in superpole to secure first on the grid for this afternoon’s race one at Phillip Island, notching a 1m29.815s lap as Federico Caricasulo was fastest in a mixed World Supersport session.

Lining up alongside Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on the front row are Friday pace setter Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) and teammate Alex Lowes, both narrowly missing out on a 1m29s lap time.

Last year’s WorldSBK title-winner Razgatlioglu will start this afternoon’s outing from P4, posting a 1m30.243s lap, followed by teammate Andrea Locatelli and GYRT GRT’s Garrett Gerloff.

At the head of the third row is Phillip Oettl, ahead of Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and fill-in Tetsuta Nagashima who completed the top 10.

Image: Supplied.

Caricasulo (Althea Racing) made the most of the drying track conditions in WorldSSP to secure pole position, posting what was ultimately an identical time of 1m37.161s to second-placed Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing Ducati).

Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) completed the front row, ahead of champion Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros WorldSSP Yamaha Team). Australia’s Oli Bayliss (Barni Spark Racing Team) will start out of P4, posting a 1m38.893s lap time.

Detailed results