Michel Fabrizio took this afternoon’s provisional pole at Magny Cours edging out Jonathan Rea for first place.
Rea was followed by Noriyuki Haga and Ben Spies and all four riders were separated by less than 2 tenths of a second.
Carlos Checa was fifth, ahead of Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama, who may be headed to the British Superbike Championship next year.
Jakub Smrz and Fonsi Nieto on private Ducati’s finished eighth and ninth respectively, just ahead of Max Biaggi, who suffered a fall with his Aprilia early in the session and managed to finish in tenth place.
Leon Haslam was in 11th after being second in the first free practice, ahead of Karl Muggeridge who is subbing for Max Neukirchner in Alstare Suzuki.
Wildcard Leon Camier qualified 17th, which could put him in line for tomorrow’s Superpole.
WSBK Magny–Cours QP1 Results:1 M.
Fabrizio 1′38.
7702 J.
Rea 1′38.
8213 N.
Haga 1′38.
8774 B.
Spies 1′38.
9395 C.
Checa 1′39.
3796 T.
Corser 1′39.
4357 Y.
Kagayama 1′39.
4978 J.
Smrz 1′39.
6139 F.
Nieto 1′39.
77210 M.
Biaggi 1′39.
83411 L.
Haslam 1′39.
90012 K.
Muggeridge 1′39.
96413 B.
Parkes 1′40.
00014 D.
Salom 1′40.
01715 T.
Sykes 1′40.
04816 R.
Kiyonari 1′40.
10117 L.
Camier 1′40.
10318 S.
Byrne 1′40.
35419 R.
Xaus 1′40.
37520 D.
Checa 1′40.
55421 L.
Scassa 1′40.
82822 R.
Resch 1′41.
00723 S.
Morais 1′41.
49624 M.
Baiocco 1′41.
57325 V.
Iannuzzo 1′41.
90826 F.
Gentile 1′42.
272