Tag Archives: Federico Caricasulo

Bautista in control as WSBK heads to his backyard, Aragon

2019 WSBK – Round Three – Aragon

Alvaro Bautista carries 26-point lead into Aragon

The first stop back in Europe for WorldSBK season 2019 sees the Spanish circuit of Aragon welcoming riders this weekend.

Aragon WSBK
WorldSBK heads to Aragon

MotorLand Aragón has historically aggressive asphalt, especially harsh to rear tyres, in fact, the surface together with temperatures that are not too high in April, can cause many tyre problems. In addition, the sand that is sometimes carried by the wind and deposited on the asphalt can affect grip and drifts towards the centre of the curve.

WSBK Rnd Thailand Sunday Bautista
Alvaro Bautista

The obvious favourite is a seemingly unstoppable Alvaro Bautista has recorded six wins out of six races in this beginning of the season, matching the rocket starts of Troy Bayliss in 2002 and Neil Hodgson in 2003: the latter went on to win the first nine races that year.

In Aragon Bautista will be already aiming for the second all-time string of wins, 9, recorded by Colin Edwards from Laguna Seca/2, 2002 to Imola/2, 2002, and repeated by Neil Hodgson in the aforementioned start of the 2003 season. The all-time record sequence was set by Jonathan Rea in the last 11 races of 2018.

However, funnily enough Spaniards do not have a great track record at Aragon. Carlos Checa is the only Spanish rider who achieved a pole, win or fastest lap in Aragon, he also recorded the fastest race lap in the very first race held here in 2011.

The last 12 wins in Aragon were all scored by British riders: since the first race in 2014 the winners have been Chaz Davies (7 times); Jonathan Rea (3); Tom Sykes (2). The Brits had taken over from Italy, which won the first four races at Aragon with Melandri (2) and Max Biaggi (2).

Ducati also has the first chance to reach the milestone of 350 WorldSBK wins during the Aragon race weekend.

WSBK Rnd Thailand Sunday Rea
Jonathan Rea

It feels odd to be mentioning history-making opportunities and not be referring to one of Jonathan Rea’s latest exploits with the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK, but that has been the nature so far of the 2019 season.

Jonathan Rea

“It’s been a nice break since Buriram and Motorland is a good place to get back to business. I enjoy the track layout and we made some good progress last year during winter testing. We will continue to work on making more progress during Friday’s practice sessions. The layout is nice and flowing with lots of challenges during the lap, so finding a good set up for the race is crucial. It’s an important race for my team too, as their headquarters are just a few hours away in Granollers, near Barcelona. I expect lots of support and I’m excited to give it my all.”

But as they say, opportunity knocks at every man’s door, and the Northern Irishman has built much of his success on remaining cold and calculating through the toughest of times. MotorLand Aragon is not one of the four-time champion’s favourite tracks – in fact it’s one of just two on the 2019 calendar where he hasn’t achieved a double – but his focus will stay intact; Rea will be ready to pounce should the chance arise, as will team-mate Leon Haslam, who took pole position last time out in Aragon in 2015.

Leon Haslam

“Aragon is a circuit I last raced at in 2015 but I was on pole. I managed to score a podium there, so those are not bad memories. It has not been one of my favourite circuits but the lap times have been pretty competitive. My very first test with KRT was at Aragon last year, even though we lost some track time due to the weather. But the lap times still came pretty good. I am predicting that it is going to be a tough weekend this time. Jonathan’s record around there is really competitive. Chaz Davies goes pretty well there and Alvaro Bautista is going to be the man to beat, especially with the couple of big straights that there are at this circuit. I think it is going to be a big fight to get on that podium but obviously that is always my aim. My back is better, definitely ten times better, than it was in Thailand.”

WSBK Rnd Thailand R Haslam
Leon Haslam

Finding opportunity in adversity is what separates the greats from the rest, and few have suffered more setbacks in recent months than Chaz Davies on the Ducati with Aruba.it Racing. Come Race 1 it will have been nearly a year since the Welshman’s last race win, which happened precisely at the Alcañiz circuit.

WSBK TBG WSBKPI PI Chaz Davies TBG
Chaz Davies – TBG Image

Davies has built up a treasure trove of performances in Aragon, with seven hard-fought race wins and an additional three podiums. It may arrive a bit early for the Brit in his personal adaptation to the V4 R, but expect him to make several steps forward on his own road to redemption.

WSBK Rnd Thailand R Lowes
Alex Lowes

There was a certain sense of dèja-vu in Thailand as Yamaha’s Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark crossed the line in Race 2 in third and fourth, respectively, for the third time in a row; the same applies to independent standings runaways Marco Melandri and Sandro Cortese in sixth and seventh.

WSBK Rnd Thailand Sunday VanDerMark
Michael van der Mark

All four Yamaha riders have performed impeccably since Round One – in particular the Englishman, who has brought his superb pre-season form into the new season – but how much margin for growth is there? The first European showdown of the year could be an ideal moment to make that final step towards the top of the rostrum.

Alex Lowes

“I’m Looking forward to getting back to Europe and heading to Aragon this weekend. Normally when we arrive back to start the European phase of the championship it settles down a bit, but this year we have back-to-back races in Aragon and Assen, so it’s going to be a busy start. Aragon is a track that the majority of the riders enjoy; it’s a long lap, with quite a few changes in elevation and it’s quite technical, which means a lot of work with the guys on Friday to get the bike working really well. With the WorldSSP300 guys racing for the first time in Aragon the schedule is different compared to the two flyaway races, with less time between sessions, so we need to see how that works out. Thailand was a good weekend for us, with a podium finish in all three races, and I’m looking forward to carrying that momentum into the first European race weekend in Spain.”

WSBK TBG WSBKPI PI Marco Melandri TBG
Marco Melandri – TBG Image

Another manufacturer looking for the final piece to the puzzle is BMW, although Tom Sykes and Markus Reiterberger with the BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team should find it in the form of an engine upgrade scheduled for later in the season. In the meantime, both men can look to the past to find inspiration: the former World Champion secured a dominant double here in 2014, while his partner emerged victorious last season from Spain on the road to the 2018 STK1000 title.

WSBK Rnd Thailand Sunday Sykes
Tom Sykes

Perseverance will be key for the BMW riders and much of the same can be said for the Moriwaki Althea Honda Team. Still recovering from a blameless crash in Thailand, Leon Camier will simply aiming to be on the grid in Spain. If the 32-year-old gets the go-ahead to race, expect him to keep on pushing the Fireblade to its limits, as the HRC-backed outfit continues seeking answers to find its groove in 2019.

WSBK Rnd Thailand Sunday Camier
Leon Camier

WorldSBK Championship Points Standings

Pos Driver Team Points
1. Bautista Alvaro Ducati 124
2. Rea Jonathan Kawasaki 98
3. Lowes Alex Yamaha 69
4. Van Der Mark Michael Yamaha 61
5. Melandri Marco Yamaha 54
6. Haslam Leon Kawasaki 51
7. Cortese Sandro Yamaha 40
8. Rinaldi Michael Ruben Ducati 40
9. Razgatlioglu Toprak Kawasaki 25
10. Sykes Tom BMW 19
11. Davies Chaz Ducati 18
12. Tore Jordi Kawasaki 18
13. Reirerberger Markus BMW 14
14 Laverty Eugene Ducati 12
15 Mercado  Leandro Kawasaki 11
16 Camier Leon Honda 9
17 Kiyonnari Ryuichi Honda 5
18 Delbianco Alessandro Honda 3


World Supersport

After two edge-of-your-seat races to kick off the year, MotorLand Aragon is ready to host the third race of the FIM Supersport World Championship. If the last few years are anything to go by, the Motocard Aragon Round could play a decisive role in the fate of this year’s championship race. The last four winners of the Spanish race have gone on to clinch the title later in the season – and in unfavourable news for the co-championship leaders, none of them entered Aragon at the top of the standings.

WSBK Rnd WorldSSP Krummenacher GB
Randy Krummenacher

Two men have been the outstanding stars of the early stages of the World Supersport season. Randy Krummenacher proved to be utterly dominant in the first round at Phillip Island, following that up with a conquering comeback to second position at Buriram. But Krummenacher has always finished the second round at the top of the standings – can he keep up the pace at the third time of asking, after eventually falling back in both 2016 and 2018?

WSBK Buriram Jules Cluzel
Jules Cluzel

Jules Cluzel meanwhile has enjoyed his best start to a WorldSSP season, sitting on 45 points alongside Krummenacher. The Frenchman was unshakeable in Thailand, fending off countless attacks from the riders preceding him, and seems determined to take the crown this year after last year’s dramatic finale. But MotorLand Aragon is a bit of a bogey circuit for the Frenchman, with three DNFs and a solitary podium in six races. Could Cluzel’s luck change for the better in 2019?

WSBK Rnd Phillip Island GeeBee Caricasulo
Federico Caricasulo – Image by GeeBee

The men following them in the standings will be hopeful of extending the WorldSSP Spanish streak, starting with the man sat third in the standings. After two consecutive third-place finishes, Federico Caricasulo finds himself 13 points adrift, nonetheless also consolidating his best start to a WorldSSP season. The young Italian finished runner-up in Spain in 2018 and is the only rider to have led in both races this year. Caricasulo will certainly be in contention in every session.

The home fans will also have two strong contenders to rally on. Héctor Barberà and Isaac Viñales have both finished a race in fourth position in 2019 and are guaranteed to fight for the rostrum positions at a track which both men know to perfection, albeit not on World Supersport machinery.

WSBK Test PI Day GB Mahias
Lucas Mahias – Image by GeeBee

The switch over to Kawasaki machinery may not have worked out yet for 2017 world champion Lucas Mahias, but the Frenchman will remain spirited and combative, seeking inspiration from his 2017 Aragonese win. Teammate Hikari Okubo  also with the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Team meanwhile will continue pushing the limits of his ZX-6R, after two strong performances in Australia and Thailand.

Raffaele De Rosa and MV Agusta Reparto Corse are seeking a first podium at the Spanish track, coming off a strong top-five performance in Thailand, while both CIA Landlord Insurance Honda representatives push to close the gap with their rival machinery.

The FIM European Supersport Cup riders will also make their first appearance on the calendar, with a former race winner in Kyle Smith joined by two French newcomers: Xavier Navand and Gaetan Matern.

The third round of the World Supersport season gets underway on Friday 5th with free practice, followed by the Superpole on Saturday.

World Supersport Championship Points Standings

Pos Rider Bike Points
1 Jules Cluzel Yamaha 45
2 Randy Krummenacher Yamaha 45
3 Federico Caricasulo Yamaha 32
4 Hector Barbera Yamaha 22
5 Hikari Okubo Kawasaki 20
6 Corentin Perolari Yamaha 14
7 Isaac Vinales Yamaha 13
8 Loris Cresson Yamaha 13
9 Lucas Mahias Kawasaki 12
10 Peter Sebestyen Honda 12
11 Raffaele De Rosa MV 11
12 Thomas Gradinger Yamaha 11
13 Jules Danilo Honda 7
14 Hannes Soomer Honda 6
15 Jaimie Van Sikkelerus Honda 6
16 Tom Toparis Yamaha 5
17 Rob Hartog Kawasaki 2
18 Glenn Van Straalen Kawasaki 2
19 Maria Herrera Yamaha 1
20 Ayrton Badovini Kawasaki 1

World Supersport 300

Since 2017, the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship has been a very welcome addition to the WorldSBK paddock, with 10 race winners and a further nine podium finishers in just two seasons of racing. This year over 50 men and women from 16 different countries and five continents will challenge for the WorldSSP300 crown.

A lone KTM leads a brace of Kawasaki Ninja 400s at Aragon overnight
Aragon Supersport 300 – 2018 WSBK

Reigning champion Ana Carrasco is looking to kick off her title defense in fine style at her home circuit – the Spaniard looking to make more history and become the first rider ever to win back-to-back WorldSSP300 titles, as well as looking to become the first female solo rider to do so. Carrasco has yet to achieve a podium placing at MotorLand Aragon, so whatever the result after the opening race, the championship looks set to come alive.

Tough opposition is led in the form of Marc Garcia, who returns to the 2019 line-up, looking to take back his crown he earned in 2017. Garcia failed to finish in Aragon in 2017 so will be looking to start his season strongly.

Previous race winners at MotorLand Aragon, Scott Deroue in 2017 and Koen Meuffels in 2018, will also be part of the battle again in Spain, with both showing great potential towards the close of 2018. Meuffels is hoping to give KTM a win in the class again, whilst Deroue will hope to head to the Netherlands a week later in fine form.

2018 championship runner-up Mika Perez will be hoping to improve his championship position this year and kick-start his title-tilt from MotorLand Aragon, where he has finished third for the past two seasons. South African rider Dorren Loureiro had a strong end to 2018 and has been eighth in the past two seasons at MotorLand Aragon, making him a protagonist at the sharp end.

Popular Indonesian rider Galang Hendra Pratama is leading the Yamaha charge and looking to secure a third class-victory in as many seasons. MotorLand Aragon will be a test for the 20-year-old, as he has never scored points at the venue before.

Other notable names include Borja Sanchez, who is without a win in his WorldSSP300 career but has gathered three podiums. Manuel Gonzalez also comes into the season as one of the potential front-runners, having ended his 2018 campaign with three third-places.

Riders will be split into two groups from Friday for Free Practice and Qualifying the following day, with the first-ever Last Chance Race taking place on Saturday afternoon.

Source: MCNews.com.au

Randy Krummenacher wins World Supersport at P.I.

2019 WorldSBK
Round One – Phillip Island
World Supersport Results / Race Report


WorldSBK organisers and Pirelli had made a ruling that forced World Supersport riders to pit during the 16-lap race in order to change rear tyres. This mandate was made in the aim of safety off the back of the Supersport tyres failing to be able to withstand the rigours of Phillip Island.

Jules Cluzel was the early leader before being oversome by Randy Krummenacher and Federico Caricasulo. Raffaele De Rosa set a new fastest lap of the race before a vicous high-side out of turn 11.

As the race wore on team-mates Krummenacher and Caricasulo traded places regularly. While the Italian was running the A option Pirelli front and rear the Swiss rider was on the B option. It was Krummenacher that chose to pit first, on lap eight. Caricasulo came in on the next lap which left Thomas Gradinger in the lead from Okubo. Caricasulo’s exit from the pits was delayed when the rear stand got caught up on the YZF-R6 and dragged down pit-lane, forcing him to stop near the pit exit and wait for his mechanics to run up the pit-lane and remove the stand before he could rejoin the race.

After all the riders had stopped it was Randy Krummenacher in the lead from Cluzel and Mahias while Caricasulo had been shuffled back to fourth place.

Caricasulo got back past Mahias to secure himself a spot on the podium but his quest for a win was gone as race leader Krummenacher was nine-seconds in front of him.

Pit stop rules mandated a minimum period of time to be spent in the pits, to stop crews rushing and perhaps sending their riders back out on a machine without a properly secured wheel. Officials decreed that Cluzel, Van Straalen and Mahias had all stopped for less than the mandated time and would have time penalties added to their total race time at the end of the race.

Randy Krummenacher went on to win the race from Cluzel and Caricasulo.

Wildcard entrant Tom Toparis finished a highly creditable 11th place and earned five World Supersport Championship points.

World Supersport Results
  1. Krummenacher
  2. Cluzel +6.157
  3. Caricasulo +7.338
  4. Barbera +9.918
  5. Gradinger +15.035
  6. Okubo +17.256
  7. Perolari +17.428
  8. Sebestyen +23.595
  9. Danilo +29.007
  10. Cresson +29.017
  11. Toparis +32.009
  12. Mahias +34.503
  13. Van Sikkelerus +34.933
  14. Van Straalen +44.604
  15. Badovini +46.563
  16. Herrera +51.584
  17. Calero +51.594

Source: MCNews.com.au

Cortese claims WSSP title | Mahias 2018 runner-up

Sandro Cortese claims 2018 World Supersport title

Lucas Mahias wins Qatar WSSP race for 2018 runner up

GRT Yamaha claims WSSP Teams Title


GRT Yamaha’s Lucas Mahias continued his domination in Qatar today, taking the win in difficult conditions and securing second place in the final championship standings to sign off from his 2018 campaign. Federico Caricasulo joined his teammate on the podium, after a remarkable recovery from what was a difficult weekend saw him claim a superb third place at the chequered flag, with the GRT Yamaha team claiming the Team Title.

WSBK Losail WSSP Mahias
Lucas Mahias claimed the final race win and runner up for 2018

Torrential rain at the Losail International Circuit ahead of warm up forced a delay to today’s race program, with the WorldSSP riders taking to the track for a 15-minute warm-up more than 90 minutes later than scheduled. Following the session both the riders raised concerns about the track conditions, which resulted in a delay to the race start as circuit staff worked to disperse the water running across the track at turns four, seven and 15.

WSBK Losail WSSP WorldSSP group action
Tricky conditions due to weather had the race in doubt with the title on the line

The race, shortened from 15 to 12 laps, eventually got underway at 16.45 and the lights went out and a wild opening lap began. Polesitter Lucas Mahias went horribly wide at turn 1, falling to fourth, while Corentin Perolari slotted himself between the two title contenders, Cluzel taking the lead. Cortese moved past the GM94 rider on the main straight and bridged the gap with Cluzel up to the final sector, sticking an unbelievable move through 12.

WSBK Losail WSSP Sandro Cortese Jules Cluzel Lucas Mahias
Sandro Cortese leads Jules Cluzel and Lucas Mahias

But Cluzel returned the favour through the main straight, and Perolari found his way past Cortese again. The German was determined not to fall at the final hurdle: he moved past the 20-year-old Frenchman on the main straight in lap 4 and set out to put pressure on the NRT rider; Cluzel went wide at turn 13, Cortese moved swiftly back into the lead.

A ceasefire seemed to be agreed for the next few laps, but with Mahias edging closer to the pair Cluzel came back all guns blazing in lap 9, sticking in a pass at turn 4. The slipstream through the start of lap 10 moved Cortese momentarily ahead but his French rival was back in front through 2.

WSBK Losail WSSP Lucas Mahias
Lucas Mahias

Then came the moment that, with hindsight, would decide the championship. Smelling blood and with both riders bickering at every corner, Mahias seized his opportunity and passed both riders at turn 6 and into the race lead. Cluzel left Cortese back in third, but beating his rival was no longer enough: he needed the race win to overcome the five-point gap separating them.

WSBK Losail WSSP Jules Cluzel Cortese
Jules Cluzel looked to be closing in on the title

Knowing that he now held the advantage, even in a losing situation, the German kept his cool and remained with Cluzel, fighting his way through while trying to force mistakes out of his desperate rival. And the mistake did come: Cluzel tried to put in a last lap pass over Cortese through turn 7, with the championship all but slipping through his fingers; he lost the front end, crashing out and officially handing the title to Cortese, whose incredible consistency was finally the winning factor over Cluzel’s five race wins.

WSBK Losail WSSP Sandro Cortese
Sandro Cortese kept the pressure on Cluzel in a move that paid dividends

Mahias crossed the line in first, taking his third win of the season and the runner-up spot in the standings. Cortese’s second place is enough to clinch the championship by 23 points in his rookie season.

Federico Caricasulo finished third after a fantastic climb through from seventh on the grid, with Thomas Gradinger in fourth position. Randy Krummenacher was fifth, with Perolari finally down in sixth. Héctor Barberà finished his season on a high with seventh position, ahead of Raffaele De Rosa in eighth, Hans Soomer in ninth, and Peter Sebestyen closing the top ten.

WSBK Losail WSSP Cortese
Sandro Cortese didn’t win the race but second was enough with Cluzel crashing to take the title

That’s a wrap on the 2018 World Supersport season! It’s been a long ride, full of twists and turns at every stop along the way, and we can’t wait to get going again.

Sandro Cortese – P2 – 2018 Champion

“I am so speechless! I am so happy and I can enjoy this moment. I have to say thank you to my team, they picked me up after such a difficult winter, I had no ride and they believed in me. I think we did the maximum we could this year, we gave everything all year, and the people in my team are great. And a final thank you to my family, they helped me in hard times and I cant wait to get back home!”

WSBK Losail WSSP Sandro Cortese Ilaria Casarini Pirelli
Sandro Cortese with Pirelli’s Ilaria Casarini

The success enjoyed by Mahias and Caricasulo this season was more than enough to secure GRT Yamaha the coveted team’s championship title for the second year in succession, with an advantage of 59 points over their closest rival. Yamaha also took the Manufacturer’s Title with a 162 point lead to second placed MV Agusta.

Lucas Mahias – P1

“What a crazy weekend for me; I won two races in one weekend, which I think is a first for the World Supersport Championship! Also I arrived here fifth in the championship but I head home having finished second. Pole position, a new circuit record and the race win; pretty much a perfect way to end the season, so I’m really happy. Congratulations to Sandro on winning the World Championship and commiserations to Jules, who had no option but to push for the win today if he was to claim the title. Thanks to Yamaha and to my team for helping me realise my dream during the past two years. Now it’s back home to start training over the winter, ready for next season.”

WSBK Losail WSSP WorldSSP race podium
Lucas Mahias was understandably stoked to top the season final’s podium with Cortese and Caricasulo
Federico Caricasulo – P3

“It was a difficult weekend because from the first session I was missing around one second to the frontrunners. In the race I felt much better in sector three where I’d been losing all my time previously and I was much faster as a result. My start wasn’t great and I was 11th in the first corner, but then I managed to push to get back towards the front. The three guys ahead of me towards the end had a little bit too much of a gap for me to catch them, but I’m happy to have finished the last race of the season on the podium, after what started as a very difficult weekend for me. Congratulations to Sandro on the championship and thanks to my team for their hard work and dedication this season.”

WSBK Losail WSSP GRT Yamaha
GRT Yamaha celebrate the team title
Filippo Conti – GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team Manager

“We made some promises ahead of this weekend. We said we’d win the race, and we did that. We said we’d wrap up the team’s championship and we did that too. Lucas did an incredible job this weekend and had a fantastic race this evening. He was faster than the two guys fighting for the championship from the start, but waited until he could pass cleanly before making his move for the lead, so as not to affect the outcome. That’s true sportsmanship. Federico made an incredible recovery after difficult practice and qualifying sessions. We know he always finds a little bit more in the race and he certainly did that today, fighting his way through from 11th position in the first corner to finish on the podium in third. Thank you to everyone in the team, as they have made an incredible job for the second year in succession and shown once again with the team’s championship title that we are the strongest in the WorldSSP paddock. Thank you also to Yamaha for their support and congratulations to Sandro on the championship title. Commiserations to Jules, who animated the race incredibly today, but was unfortunate to crash on the final lap. We wish him a speedy recovery. Now we look forward to the challenges the future may bring.”

WSBK Losail WSSP WSSP Podium
World Supersport Podium at Qatar – Cortese, Mahias, Caricasulo

WSBK Losail WSSP Race Result
World Supersport Race Result – Qatar 2018


Cortese’s 2018 journey to victory

Making the switch over into the FIM Supersport World Championship from prototype machines can always be a risk, but Sandro Cortese made it look effortless in 2018 to be crowned World Champion.

WSBK Losail WSSP Sandro Cortese celebrating the title
Sandro Cortese celebrates the 2018 title

Heading over the Phillip Island for his WorldSSP debut in February, Cortese was charged and ready for the fight after a difficult winter. Taking to his YZF-R6 for only the second time in the official test, he finished top four overall ahead of the start of the season. And what followed in the Yamaha Finance Australian Round was sensational from Cortese, fighting with the experienced front runners for the podium which boiled down to a breath-taking final lap as he took a podium position, and the fastest lap of the race from Federico Caricasulo. Cortese had already arrived in round one.

Heading west to Thailand for round two, this was a new track for the 28 year old so a true test of his skills with his new bike. Facing the heat as well as the circuit, he took home a fourth position finish from a fourth place grid start. MotorLand Aragon marked the start of the European season, and for Cortese this marked the start of his championship charge.

Sandro Cortese
Sandro Cortese – Aragon 2018

Coming out and dominating the field in northern Spain, he took pole position and the race win in only his third race, crossing the line 1.4s ahead of his rivals. But as the championship headed straight to TT Circuit Assen, Cortese struggled to match his pace around a track he is so familiar with. Starting from pole position, he couldn’t emulate this into a podium, after a slow start off the line meant he suffered in the 18 lap battle.

Dusting himself off heading to the historic Imola circuit, the rookie was only seven points off the top of the standings and the battle in WorldSSP was as tense as ever. A new track for the German, Imola is notoriously tight, twisty and technical and it was set to be a hard task for a newbie. But Cortese fought to secure a top four finish around a circuit which is difficult to overtake.

Sandro Cortese - Assen 2018
Sandro Cortese – Assen 2018

Sunny skies welcomed the paddock at Donington Park, with Cortese securing third on the grid as he continued to get used to the Superpole format of a 15 minute ‘dash’, he was a man determined out on track. Crossing the line 1.3s ahead of his main title rival Jules Cluzel, it was clear that when it all came together, Cortese was unstoppable. His grand performance in Great Britain meant he now led the world championship standings for the first time, with an advantage of seven points over Cluzel.

Sandro Cortese
Sandro Cortese – Donington 2018

There were now two new tracks ahead of him, putting him in a strong position to extend his championship lead. In the humid conditions at Automotodrom Brno, the German was unable to convert his pole position into a win; but secured second as he was unable to catch Cluzel to the line. In the final race before the summer break, Misano proved a tough track for Cortese and his Yamaha but he could convert a fifth on the grid to third in the race, taking home another trophy and as a result a five point championship lead into the break.

WorldSBK 2018 - Round 7 Brno - SSP - Sandro Cortese
WorldSBK 2018 – Round 7 Brno – SSP – Sandro Cortese

Returning ready to fight in Portugal, tests throughout the summer helped him to understand the rollercoaster nature of the track. But drama struck in the opening laps as a hot-headed Cortese was unable to make a move up the inside of Cluzel stick, and the pair crashed out as a result. Not giving up, the German put on a sensational fightback as he was able to get back on his bike and take a fifth position finish, salvaging 11 points and keeping a hold of his lead in the standings.

WSBK Magny Cours Cortese
Sandro Cortese – WorldSBK 2018 Magny-Cours

Another new track of Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours followed, and for Cortese it was time to start thinking of the title. Unable to catch Cluzel on his home turf, he secured a second position finish meaning he now had the first opportunity to take the title in Argentina, heading with an 11 point advantage.

WSBK Argentina Cortese
Sandro Cortese – WorldSBK 2018 Argentina

With all riders on even ground at Circuito San Juan Villicum, it was a welcomed change for the Yamaha rider. But despite putting his all into the race, he was unable to stop Cluzel and the fight went down to Qatar. All the German had to do in Qatar was finish in the top two to take the title, which was done with his usual tenacious battling out on track, to crown him 2018 FIM Supersport World Champion.

WSBK Losail WSSP Cortese
Sandro Cortese

Only the second German to ever win the WorldSSP title, the story of Cortese’s sensational season has been consistency and will go down in history as the first man to win the Moto3 and WorldSSP crown.

WSBK Losail WSSP Sandro Cortese helmet
Sandro Cortese

World Supersport 2018 Final Standings

  1. Sandro Cortese 208 Yamaha
  2. Lucas Mahias 185 Yamaha
  3. Jules Cluzel 183 Yamaha
  4. Randy Krummenacher 159 Yamaha
  5. Federico Caricasulo 143 Yamaha
  6. Raffaele De Rosa 133 MV Agusta
  7. Thomas Gradinger 86 Yamaha
  8. Kyle Smith 72 Honda
  9. Luke Stapleford 56 Yamaha
  10. Anthony West 51 Kawasaki
  11. Ayrton Badovini 49 MV Agusta
  12. Loris Cresson 40 Yamaha
  13. Hikari Okubo 39 Kawasaki
  14. Niki Tuuli 38 Honda
  15. Corentin Perolari 36 Yamaha
  16. Hannes Soomer 36 Honda
  17. Hector Barbera 27 Kawasaki
  18. Rob Hartog 27 Kawasaki
  19. Sheridan Morais 16 Kawasaki
  20. Thitipong Warokorn 11 Kawasaki
  21. …40. Tom Toparis 1 Kawasaki

Source: MCNews.com.au