WorldSBK Phillip Island: Caricasulo clinches WorldSSP pole

Althea Ducati’s Federico Caricasulo clinched the final WorldSSP pole position of 2022 after a late-session shootout at Phillip Island.

Friday hero Nicolo Bulega matched his fellow Ducati colleague with identical 1’37.161 pace in the dying seconds of Superpole to secure second, with Yari Montella completing an all-Italian front row, in third.

With the afternoon rain hitting the island earlier than expected, Supersport qualifying kicked off on a damp track. Riders tentatively headed out for their first experience of the conditions as the 20-minute session went green with GMT94 Yamaha’s Jules Cluzel preparing for the final Superpole of his decade-long career.

Dynavolt Triumph’s Hannes Soomer set the initial 1’47.819 pace with Tom Booth-Amos trailing in second on the Motozoo Kawasaki. Caricasulo advancing the target by two tenths of a second on his first flying lap before the Italian bettered by two full seconds next time around.

Cluzel was the next to challenge as the Frenchman circulated in second, Booth-Amos retaining his top three position, just under a second adrift until Montella displaced him on the Puccetti Kawasaki.

Double WorldSSP Champion Dominique Aegerter was firmly in charge at the halfway stage as the Ten Kate Yamaha secured a 1’43.216 on the evolving track before blitzing the pace by over four seconds thanks to a 1’40.484 - the effort invalidating the majority of the pack’s best laps with just five riders inside the 105%. Stefano Manzi sat second on the second Street Triple RS but 4.5s off the outright target before Cluzel split the difference with a ’43.1. Aegerter once again moving the goalposts with a 1’38.995 to leave just him and Cluzel inside the qualifying margin until Lorenzo Baldassarri joined the