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Locatelli on top despite crash in heated WorldSSP FP1 at Jerez

Friday, 31 July 2020 10:34 GMT

    • The 2020 season has fired back up and there’s a familiar name at the top of the timesheets…

    The 2020 FIM Supersport World Championship is back on track after a lengthy pause and the action was as frantic and frenetic as ever. Despite a tumble in the searing heat, Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) was comfortably on top for the whole session, with the Italian once again showing his prowess at during Pirelli Spanish Round at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto.

    As temperatures continued to climb throughout the morning, Locatelli went to the top of the timesheets before suffering a crash at Turn 2. Tucking the front but quickly returning to the pits before getting back out on track later on. His closest rival was South African rookie Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing) who was second and on a track he knows well. Next up was 2018 Moto3™ Grand Prix winner at Jerez, Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), eager to make amends after his round one DNF. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) came home fourth, impressing on the return to a racing weekend whilst it was Oettl’s teammate, Lucas Mahias, completed the top five but over half-a-second back from Locatelli’s top time.

    It was Isaac Viñales (Kallio Racing) who completed the top half-dozen, whilst Estonian-ace Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) made it a good morning for the Finnish team. Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) shone in eighth place, although he will look to catch his teammate inside the top five as the weekend unfolds. Axel Bassani (Soradis Yamaha Motoxracing) was the lead rider in the WorldSSP Challenge and was ninth in the overall placements, whilst Japanese star Hikari Okubo (Dynavolt Honda) completed the top ten.

    Alejandro Ruiz Carranza was impressive on his debut for the Emperador Racing Team and was 11th, ahead of reigning WorldSSP300 Champion Manuel Gonzalez (ParkinGO Kawasaki Team) Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse). Christoffer Bergman (Wojick Racing Team), who comes into the meeting after breaking both of his legs, was a solid 17th.

    Top six after FP1 of WorldSSP, full results here!

    1. Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) 1’42.988
    2. Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing) +0.411
    3. Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.457
    4. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.463
    5. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.589
    6. Isaac Viñales (Kallio Racing) +0.730

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