Kawasaki rider, Randy de Puniet, will start tomorrow’s Chinese Grand Prix from the third row of the grid after qualifying in seventh position at the Shanghai International Circuit. Improving on the ninth place grid position he achieved at the circuit last year, his best time today was 1’59.985, with an impressive top speed of 320.66 km/h.
The 26-year-old Frenchman held provisional pole for much of the session after putting in his fastest lap some 20 minutes in but, after this early use of a qualifying tyre, the other riders managed to catch up and push him back down the order. The team was hoping for a better result but Randy was unable to improve his time using his other two sets of Bridgestone qualifiers before the hour-long session was over. Adjustments to the suspension set up proved unfruitful and a return to the bike’s standard setting tomorrow should see Randy more confident.
| 
|