WorldSSP Australia: Mahias wins, quickly well done !
Supposed to carry out a "Flag to flag" race at Phillip Island this afternoon (tonight in France), the 2018 World Supersport riders finally competed in a sprint of nine laps. Poleman Lucas Mahias handled the situation like a champion… of the world in title !
The first World Supersport race of the 2018 season presents itself in a special way: given the tire problems encountered by the WSBK riders yesterday – by Rea and Van der Mark in the first place – it was decided that the WSSP riders will imperatively return to the pits to change tires after nine laps. The race will also be reduced to 16 laps.
"Unfortunately we had some problems with the longevity of the tires," said Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK sporting director. "Following a meeting with the teams to discuss the different options, we decided that the best way to go was the ‘flag to flag’ race, with which our rules are in line. We usually use them for climatic reasons, but now we’ll use them for other reasons, unless it’s raining ".
The order of the Supersport grid has also been redistributed by the race management: if Lucas Mahais retains his first place on the Australian grid, Cluzel, De Rosa, Cortese and Caricasulo are penalized by three places due to irresponsible driving during Superpole 2…
Sofuoglu and West are therefore installing their Kawasaki alongside our reigning world champion and his factory Yamaha. Stapelford places his Triumph in the lead of second row, ahead of Caricasulo and Krummenacher. Cluzel starts from 12th place, Di Meglio from 16th…
Departure : Lucas Mahias maintains his lead in the stretch and comes out much stronger than his rivals from the first corner! Kenan Sofuoglu, Federico Caricasulo, Luke Stapelford, Randy Krummenacher, Kyle Smith, Jules Cluzel, Ayrton Badovini, Niki Tuuli and Tom Toparis form the Top 10. Hikari Okubo falls from the second corner but can start again. Mike di Meglio completes the 1st lap in "his" 16th place.
Our champion n ° 144 takes off at the very start of the race while his Italian teammate battles with the five-time Turkish world champion! This magnificent fight benefits the Englishman Stapelford and his Triumph … Krummenacher and Cluzel also get closer to Sofuoglu, doubled by Caricasulo in the 4th lap.
Local driver Anthony West crashed and had to abandon the race. A few moments later, Canducci and Soomer fall and … despite themselves, lead to the exit of the red flags! The pilots join the pits and wait for the second start to be given.
The distance of the first Supersport race is reduced to nine laps, which is the maximum recommended number of laps with the same rear tire. The grid remains composed according to the results of the Superpole, taking into account penalties and withdrawals…
Second start: Mahias resists Sofuoglu’s very good start perfectly and plunges first into Doohan’s Corner, followed more closely this time by his enemy n ° 54. Caricasulo gets lodged in the wheel of the Kawasaki and tries to pass in front on the first pass in the straight line but has to bank under braking.
Maintained under pressure by the young Italian, the old the experienced turkish widens in the Honda hairpin! Cluzel then sixth, also misses and joins the track far behind … Di Meglio did not start so well and is fighting to climb in the points.
Caricasulo and Krummenacher find themselves on the podium just a second behind the French leader. The two men fight in the third round, ceding a little ground to Lucas … Stapelford thinks for a time that he can bring the duo back but does not succeed..
Cortese signs the fastest lap of the race on lap 5 and just joins Stapelford! Sofuoglu is a good second behind them, chased then harassed and passed by De Rosa on his official MV Agusta! Cluzel takes the lead of a huge peloton: three laps from the end – already! -, our "Julo" is 10 seconds from Mahias … but quickly climbs on a Sofuoglu visibly uncomfortable.
Mahias matches his pace on that of his pursuers, namely Krummenacher, Caricasulo and Cortese. Stapelford stands apart, as does De Rosa. While Sofuoglu sinks in the standings, Cluzel is picked up in the penultimate lap by Smith.
Solid whatever the weather conditions this weekend or the race format planned, Lucas Mahias wins "easily" at the end of this Australian sprint. Krummenacher climbs on the second step of the podium and is narrowly accompanied by Cortese who finished nine thousandths of a second ahead of Caricasulo !
Fourteen seconds behind his – our! – compatriot, Jules Cluzel takes seventh place, seven hundredths of a second ahead of Kyle Smith! Reduced by his injuries, Kenan Sofuoglu manages to save 13th place, ahead of the last group on the track, closed by Mike di Meglio.
Phillip Island 2018 WSSP Race Result
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