It was a dramatic and thrilling affair in Race 1 for the FIM Supersport World Championship as Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) claimed a thrilling victory after a race-long battle with title rival Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) in a shortened, 12-lap encounter after a red flag at Donington Park for the Prosecco DOC UK Round.

HOLDING ON: Aegerter and Baldassarri battle it out

The race was red flagged after the first lap of racing following an incident for Peter Sebestyen (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) at Turn 4, with debris and his bike in the middle of the track. The incident also involved Unai Orradre (MS Racing Yamaha WorldSSP) who had nowhere to go, and clipped the back of Sebestyen’s bike, with Orradre coming off his bike at Turn 5.

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) had been fighting for the lead of the race on Lap 2 of 12 in the shortened encounter but lost the front of his Ducati machine at Turn 11 and crashed out of Race 1, allowing Baldassarri to take the lead of the race. Aegerter was able to battle his way up second place before he closed down the gap to Baldassarri and he made his move on Lap 8 at the Turn 11 Melbourne Loop and, while Aegerter was able to withstand Baldassarri’s challenge, the pair were separated by just 0.413s at the end of the 12-lap race.

It means Aegerter has claimed 25 podiums and 18 wins in his 30 WorldSSP races, with the reigning Champion just one shy of the all-time winning streak in World Supersport; previously set by Andrea Locatelli in 2020. Aegerter will have a chance to equal this in Sunday’s Race 2. Baldassarri has racked up eight podiums, and his sixth consecutive, in his rookie WorldSSP campaign and it is the sixth time Aegerter has won with Baldassarri in second place.

A PODIUM BATTLE: De Rosa claims his first rostrum visit of 2022

After showing strong pace throughout the UK Round, Italian rider Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura WorldSSP) battled his way through the field to claim his first podium in 2022 and his first for Ducati, holding off fellow Italian rider Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) by just a tenth of a second in a thrilling last-lap battle. That battle had also involved Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) but the Dutchman highsided out of Turn 10, the exit of the Foggy Esses, on the final lap of the race.

FINISHING IN THE TOP TEN: incredible fights throughout the field

Turkish star Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed fifth place after he initially getting into the lead of the race at the start before dropping back. Oncu was two seconds clear of the Dynavolt Triumph duo of Stefano Manzi and Hannes Soomer who came home in sixth and seventh respectively with Triumph scoring a strong points haul on home soil.

Andy Verdoia (GMT94 Yamaha) took his best result of the 2022 season as he finished in eighth place, ahead of wildcard Simon Jespersen (CM Racing) with the Danish rider fighting his way up from 24^th to finish ninth; his best result of his 2022 season as he makes sporadic appearances. Marcel Brenner (VFT Racing) claimed his third consecutive points finish with tenth place.

TAKING HOME POINTS: finishing in the top 15

Oli Bayliss (BARNI Spark Racing Team) finishing in 11^th place, just two tenths behind Brenner, as he continues showing strong pace in his rookie campaign. The Australian finishing around a second ahead of Mattia Casadei (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in 12^th as the Italian continues to stand in for the recovering Niki Tuuli. Leonardo Taccini (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was 13^th ahead of Kyle Smith (VFT Racing) and Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse); the Turkish rider claiming a point despite a Lap 1 incident at Turn 11. He just fended off the challenge of British rider Tom Booth-Amos (Prodina Racing WorldSSP) in 16^th on his comeback from injury.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from Race 1

Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) was 18^th despite a Lap 1 incident at Turn 11, while Isaac Vinales (D34G Racing) battled his way up from the back of the grid to 20^th place. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) retired from the race at the end of Lap 4 after he highsided on the exit of the left-hander hairpin at Turn 12, known as Goddards, with the Frenchman taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. At the medical centre, Cluzel was declared unfit with fourth and fifth metatarsal fractures on his right foot, a fracture of the calcaneus on his left foot and a left shoulder dislocation. Ben Currie (Motozoo Racing by Puccetti) retired from the race after completting 10 laps, while Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing) crashed out at Turn 4 on Lap 8. Harry Truelove (ColinAppleyard/Macadam-Yamaha) did not start Race 1.

The top six following WorldSSP Race 1, full results here:

1 Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)

2. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.413s

3. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura WorldSSP) +6.803s

4. Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +6.963s

5. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +13.442s

6. Stefano Manzi (Dynavolt Triumph) +15.706s

Fastest Lap: Lorenzo Baldassarri (Yamaha) 1’30.629s

Watch WorldSSP action on Sunday from 09:25 Local Time (GMT+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!