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Cluzel leads French 1-2 in WorldSSP after FP1!

Friday, 5 July 2019 11:25 GMT

Both riders look set to be at the sharp end this weekend, whilst championship favourites were absent from the top spots and wildcards shone!

The opening session of the weekend for the World Supersport championship proved to be an intriguing one at Donington Park, with an array of machinery at the front of the field after FP1. Jules Cluzel (GMY94 YAMAHA was back to his best as he finished the morning on top, but it far from a full-gone conclusion with the top seven all within one second of the Frenchman’s top time.

Having been away from the very front of the WorldSSP field since Thailand, Cluzel looks set to start his fightback at Donington Park – a circuit where he has been on the podium at in five of the last six WorldSSP races he has competed in at the track. Fellow countryman Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was right in behind him and continued his good form, whilst championship leader Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) was third. Completing the top five were Ayrton Badovini (Team Pedercini Racing) in fourth and wildcard Jack Kennedy (Appleyard Macadam Integro) taking his Yamaha to fifth.

Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) was sixth at the end of play, despite the Italian crashing at Craner Curves, although escaping without too much damage. Raffaele De Rosa (MV AGUSTA Reparto Corse) was in seventh, ahead of the in-form Hannes Soomer (MPM WILSport Racedays) in eighth. Thomas Gradinger (Kallio Racing) was slightly off the boil down in ninth place, whilst completing the top ten on his first visit to Donington Park was Gradinger’s teammate Isaac Viñales.

Brad Jones (Appleyard Macadam Integro) was the best of the rest in 11th, whilst Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) could only manage 12th. Kyle Smith (Team Pedercini Racing) only got one lap in before a technical problem halted his FP1 at his home round.

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Top six after FP1, full results here!

  1. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 YAMAHA) 1’31.374
  2. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.226
  3. Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) +0.294
  4. Ayrton Badovini (Team Pedercini Racing) +0.571
  5. Jack Kennedy (Appleyard Macadam Integro) +0.618
  6. Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) +0.680