PJ Jacobsen (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) looked in good shape for a big result in the opening race of the WorldSSP season at Phillip Island on Sunday having qualified on pole. However, things did not go quite to plan for the American, as the initial race saw him struggling with an electronic problem from early on, which forced him to give up the lead and fall back through the order.

The race was soon red flagged after a big crash for Robin Mulhauser (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) on lap 2 and Jacobsen was able to frantically address the issue with his mechanics and start again from pole position.

When the lights went out for the second time, the American lost a few positions and ran into the gravel at turn 10, dropping him back to 16th position.

Thus began a significant fight back which saw him register the best lap of the race (1’33.782) before finally closing in on sixth position and securing 10 points in the early championship standings.

“It’s good to come out of here with some points,” said the MV Agusta rider. “If we had an issue we will figure everything out and come back stronger in Thailand. Also after setting such a high bar in every session, P1, P1, P1 and then P6 in the race is not really ideal. But I know that I will be stronger at Thailand, I will be even more focused, more aggressive and more ready to get this first place under our belt.”