Chaz Davies was the man to beat on Friday at Magny-Cours, after finishing at the top of the timesheets in the earlier practice session; FP2 ended much the same way with the Brit on top once again. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider consistently put in faster and faster lap times that saw him break into the 1’37 bracket to earn a seeding in Tissot-Superpole 2 qualifying on Saturday. Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) said he has his sights set on a podium position this weekend and his FP2 performance showed promise to that as he finished the combined times in second ahead of Kawasaki Racing Team’s Tom Sykes.

The sun was shining at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours and with temperatures rising, WorldSBK riders were blessed with perfect conditions to prepare for the weekend’s races. The early laps of FP2 saw Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team’s Alex Lowes slide out on turn three, with the number 22 rider limping away on his already injured foot.

Tom Sykes’ session was riddled with bike problems, as his back wheel locked up three times during the session, forcing him into his pit every time. However that didn’t stop the Brit from momentarily setting the fastest time, as he stormed to the top of the timesheets almost instantly after the first incident, making up for the lost time spent in the garage. But the continuous technical problems ended the Kawasaki rider’s practice early, eventually relegating him to third overall.

Reigning Champion Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) finished fourth in the combined standings ahead of Alex Lowes who rejoined the session to finish in the top five. Michael van der Mark (Honda World Superbike Team) came home in sixth after sitting out of FP1 as a result of technical issues, while Barni Racing Team’s Xavi Fores ended the session in seventh.

IodaRacing Team’s Lorenzo Savadori finished eighth while France’s hopes for a victory remain alive with Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) finishing in ninth ahead of Althea BMW Racing Team's Jordi Torres in 10th who gained direct entry to the Tissot-Superpole 2 shootout tomorrow.

Kentucky Kid Nicky Hayden (Honda World Superbike Team) missed out on the top ten and will have to fight it out in Saturday’s Superpole 1 at 10:30am if he wants a chance at the top grid positions. Tissot-Superpole 2 will begin at 10:55 local time (GMT+2) ahead of Race 1.