Jules Cluzel continued to home in on World Supersport championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu courtesy of his second position in Malaysia on Sunday.

With the MV Agusta Reparto Corse rider finished second at Sepang while the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing man was fourth, the championship-leading margin reduced to 13 points. After the race, Cluzel discussed the situation and his own mindset.

“I’m always negative,” the Frenchman stated bluntly, having finished second to first-time winner PJ Jacobsen. “But today I need to be positive.

“For sure, the first thing I felt when I crossed the line was disappointment. I did what I could today but it didn’t work. But my target is Kenan and I have taken seven points off him; it is more than what I was looking for, because I was looking to win with him maybe finishing second, so it’s a good weekend.”

Asked specifically about his ‘negative’ outlook, Cluzel elaborated:

“I’ve always been negative. When I was a kid I always tried too much and this is why I’m negative, always thinking about what I can improve. This weekend has not been so easy so I was a bit pessimistic, but in the end it was a very good race.”

Should Cluzel win the remaining three races in Spain, France and Qatar with Sofuoglu second each time, the former would claim the world title by two points.

“That makes me feel like there is a long way to go!” Cluzel smiles. “We still have three long races to go and PJ has come back a bit too. It won’t be easy. I didn’t win today. I was second and I could even have finished third, so I need to be really, really concentrated and that is my target for the last three races.”

World Supersport resumes with the Spanish Round at Jerez on Sunday 20 September.