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Huertas leads topsy-turvy WorldSSP FP1 at Magny-Cours, Aegerter 13th

Friday, 9 September 2022 10:27 GMT

    • As the track dried following an earlier rain shower, the order shaken up after FP1

    After the lengthy summer break, the 2022 FIM Supersport World Championship roared back into life at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, welcoming the seventh round of the season. With the second half of a titanic campaign igniting, the riders and teams had tricky track conditions to deal with, following rain in WorldSBK’s FP1, leaving the track wet. However, with blissful sunshine piercing through the clouds, the track began to dry and times tumbled, leaving Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) on top at the end of the session.

    With the track conditions improving right until the chequered flag, lap times continued to get quicker and quicker as a dry line formed round most of the 4.4km circuit. In what was a topsy-turvy session with a rather unfamiliar order, it was Adrian Huertas who led the way from fellow countryman Isaac Vinales (D34G Racing), who impressed at the circuit at which he took a first-ever WorldSSP podium at in 2019, whilst Huertas was on top at a circuit he achieved a double win at in WorldSSP300 last year. Form-man right now Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) was third, ahead of Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura WorldSSP) and wildcard Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha), who was top Frenchman.

    Completing the top six with a late lap was Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team), who was marginally ahead of Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), the latter of which was on his Magny-Cours debut. Kyle Smith (VFT Racing) took eighth place at a circuit he has always gone strongly at, whilst ninth went the way of Peter Sebestyen (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team), the Hungarian getting his Pirelli French Round off to a strong start. Czech rider Ondrej Vostatek (MS Racing Yamaha WorldSSP) was strong in tenth place.

    Down field, Championship leader Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was only 13th, whilst the top Triumph was Hannes Soomer (Dynavolt Triumph) in 15th – a podium finisher at Magny-Cours back in 2020. The best MV Agusta was Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in 18th, whilst fellow countryman Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was only 23rd. There were crashes for Matthieu Gregorio (GMT94 Yamaha) and Marcel Brenner (VFT Racing), both of whom were taken to the medical centre. 2017 WorldSSP Magny-Cours race winner Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) didn’t set a representative lap time.

    Top six after WorldSSP FP1 at Magny-Cours, full results here:

    1. Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) 1’46.661s

    2. Isaac Vinales (D34G Racing) +1.448s

    3. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +1.773s

    4. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura WorldSSP) +2.184s

    5. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +2.819s

    6. Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) +3.090s

    Follow all the action across the Magny-Cours weekend LIVE and in style with the WorldSBK VideoPass!