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Perez Gonzalez pips Steeman to top spot in WorldSSP300 FP1, Diaz ninth at Portimao

Friday, 7 October 2022 09:32 GMT

    • The Spanish rider was more than a tenth clear of Victor Steeman in the opening WorldSSP300 session of the weekend

    The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship kicked off action at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve with Free Practice 1 for the Pirelli Portuguese Round, with Spanish rider Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing) topping the timesheets by just over a tenth of a second. The session had been led by Victor Steeman (MTM Kawasaki) for the most part but, in the closing stages, Perez Gonzales was able to post a time good enough for top spot.

    Perez Gonzalez posted a 1’55.197s to go fastest in the 30-minute session, 0.154s ahead of Steeman at the end of FP1. Steeman had spent most of the session at the top but was overhauled by Perez Gonzales’ late lap to finish in second place. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) was third, exactly 0.500s down on Perez Gonzales after a strong start to the day as he looks to continue his recent form and challenge for the podium. Gennai was one of two Yamaha riders to break into the top ten.

    Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) was fourth despite a crash at Turn 13 during the session, with the Spanish rider able to remount his machine and bring it back into the pit lane. Bruno Ieraci (Prodina Racing WorldSSP300) took fifth place ahead of Alex Millan (SMW Racing) who was in the top six and ensured both SMW Racing riders took places inside the top six.

    Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) was seventh despite completing fewer timed laps than other riders, with nine, ahead of Dirk Geiger (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) in eighth place. Championship leader Alvaro Diaz (Arco Motor University Team), who is able to win the title in Race 1 on Saturday, was ninth as the second Yamaha rider inside the top ten, ahead of fellow Spanish rider Yeray Saiz Marquez (Accolade Smrz Racing) completed the top ten.

    Portuguese wildcards Tomas Alonso (Quaresma Racing Team) and Dinis Borges (Rame Moto Racing) finished in 28th and 32nd in FP1, although Alonso’s session was cut short by a technical issue in the closing stages of the session.

    The top six from WorldSSP300 FP1, full results here:

    1. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing) 1’55.197s

    2. Victor Steeman (MTM Kawasaki) +0.154s

    3. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) +0.500s

    4. Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) +0.581s

    5. Bruno Ieraci (Prodina Racing WorldSSP300) +0.727s

    6. Alex Millan (SMW Racing) +0.828

    Don’t miss more action from the Portuguese Round using the WorldSBK VideoPass!