Tobias Kitzbichler (ViVa by Peuker & Streeb) will start from pole position at the second race weekend of the EURO MOTO Sportbike season in Brno. The Austrian set a blistering time of 2:07.381 minutes in the first qualifying session on Saturday morning and remained at the top of the combined standings even after the second qualifying session.
A tight qualifying session unfolded at the historic Automotodrom Brno, with the top contenders bunched closely together. Jakob Rosenthaler (RT Motorsports) stepped up his pace once again in the second qualifying session, narrowing the gap to just 0.226 seconds. With a lap time of 2:07.607 minutes, the Austrian secured second place on the grid for the first race on Saturday afternoon.
Ruben Bijman (Freudenberg RORA-PALIGO Racing) rounds out the front row. Due to the still slightly damp track conditions, the Dutchman and his teammates opted not to set fast laps in the first qualifying session and instead focused all their efforts on the second qualifying session. The plan paid off. The seasoned Dutch driver with World Championship experience delivered, missing second place by just 0.396 seconds with a time of 2:08.003 minutes.
One team, second row of the grid
The second row of the grid also promises to be highly competitive. Local hero Stepan Zuda (Freudenberg RORA-PALIGO Racing) qualified in fourth place with a time of 2:08.013 minutes. The Czech driver was just a hair’s breadth slower than his teammate Bijman and is once again among the favorites in front of his home crowd. Joining him on the grid are teammate Luis Rammerstorfer and Mika Siebdrath. However, Siebdrath must serve a penalty handed down by race control on Friday. Due to speeding in the pit lane, he will be set back three grid positions for the first race and will therefore start only from ninth place. His plan to give himself some breathing room for the penalty with a top qualifying position has thus only partially worked out. Now it will be crucial to see how many positions the Saxon can make up in the first few meters of the race.
Nevertheless, Freudenberg RORA-PALIGO Racing impressively demonstrated its strength. No fewer than four of the team’s drivers finished in the top six of the qualifying standings, making a strong statement on the 5.4-kilometer Grand Prix circuit.
Starting from the third row are Tom Kuil (RT Motorsports Racing), Czech guest rider Daniel Tureček (Rohac & Fejta Motoracing Team powered by Eder Racing), and Maksymilian Palmowski (SP Race Project). Behind them, Julian van Kalkeren, Rick Kooistra (both SRTD Pearle Gebben), and Max Stauffer (Team Apreco – Yamaha) will start in positions ten through twelve.
First race livestreamed on Saturday
In the Sportbike class, the battle for the first points begins as early as Saturday afternoon. The first race of the weekend, a nine-lap event, starts at 3:45 p.m. The second race follows on Sunday at 12:20 p.m. Both races will be broadcast live on euromoto.racing/live .
EURO MOTO Sportbike, Qualifying Results
- Tobias KITZBICHLER (#38/AUT), Aprilia RS660
- Jakob ROSENTHALER (#78/AUT), Triumph Daytona 660
- Ruben BIJMAN (#17/NLD), Triumph Daytona 660
- Stepan ZUDA (#23/CZE), Triumph Daytona 660
- Luis RAMMERSTORFER (#13/AUT), Triumph Daytona 660
- Tom KUIL (#55/NLD), Triumph Daytona 660
- Daniel TUREČEK (#G24/CZE), Aprilia RS660
- Maksymilian PALMOWSKI (#95/POL), Aprilia RS660
- Mika SIEBDRATH (#98/GER), Triumph Daytona 660
- Julian VAN KALKEREN (#34/NLD), Triumph Daytona 660
- Rick KOOISTRA (#20/NLD), Triumph Daytona 660
- Max STAUFFER (#27/AUS), Yamaha YZF-R7
- Micky WINKLER (#86/GER), Aprilia RS660
- Kiyano VEIJER (#53/NLD), Triumph Daytona 660
- Karolina DANAK (#G66/POL), Yamaha YZF-R7
- Alexander WEIZEL (#22/GER), Aprilia RS660
- Ty HENRIKSEN (#46/DNK), Aprilia RS660
- Jay-Jay DEN HOED (#44/NLD), Yamaha YZF-R7
- Magnus KRISTOFFERSEN (#30/DNK), Aprilia RS660
- Lucas SØRENSEN (#18/DNK), Aprilia RS660