Sylvain Guintoli was frustrated to qualify a lowly 17th for the latest round of the MCE British Superbike Championship at Croft after a crash prevented him from progressing further.

The Frenchman was the big casualty from the opening qualification phase after he suffered a fall at the Complex just minutes into the session.

Although he got back to the pit lane and out on track again aboard his spare Worx Crescent Suzuki, he didn't have enough time to get a good lap time in, Guintoli being eliminated from Q1 and being left on the fifth row of the grid,

"I am far from happy, this is not the result we were looking for and in no way does it represent the work the team has put in and the progress we've made over the past two days,” he said.

"The crash came on my second flying flap of Q1, I was still getting up to speed and not yet fully up to speed, but maybe I was braking that little bit harder, I don't know – when you lose the front it is always a very quick crash. I fell on my bad leg and I twisted my knee, but the leg is fine.

"I did get back out on the second bike but in the time we had it just didn't come together. I am very disappointed. It is tough enough not to be contending for top-five, but now I have to start far down the grid at a track where I can already tell that passing is difficult. I will try my best."