The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship 2023 season got underway at the TT Circuit Assen with the Pirelli Dutch Round and the racing action was as unpredictable ever. Despite all the fights and drama in both races, Czech rider Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) claimed a historic double at Assen to start his season in style, taking a maximum 50 points from the first round of the season.
Svoboda took 11th in Saturday’s Tissot Superpole session which was held in mixed conditions. The track started off damp with riders on wet-weather tyres but it soon dried up with riders switching to slick tyres halfway through the 20-minute session. Svoboda’s best time was a 1’53.588s, 2.3 seconds down on polesitter Matteo Vannucci’s (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) time.
In Race 1, Svoboda was able to fight in the lead group and was running in second place on the final lap before Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) made an error when trying to break away from the chasing group, with Svoboda taking the lead before holding on to claim his first victory in WorldSSP300. He also secured the Czech Republic’s best result in the Championship, beating Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) when he took third at the Autodrom Most in 2021.
Race 2 was another dramatic affair and the results changed after the flag due to several last-lap track limits infringements. Svoboda had initially crossed the line in third place behind Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) and Vannucci, but the pair were deemed to have exceeded track limits on the final lap. Maier was demoted one spot to second place, and Vannucci from second to third, promoting Svoboda to victory.
Reflecting on his Race 1 success, Svoboda said: “The race was difficult for me because I struggled in Superpole because it was held in mixed conditions. I wanted to be in the first group as soon as possible from the start. I made some pace and waited for the last five laps. I didn’t expect this, but it comes. I was second but Samuel Di Sora made a mistake at Turn 7, I think, and then I managed to overtake him on the back straight and then to stay in P1 and finish first. I didn’t expect this victory because my target was to finish every race in the top ten or the top five. This is special. I think it will be good to stay in the top ten or top five positions every race.”
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Source: WorldSBK.com