There was an incredible fight back in the FIM Supersport World Championship during the Motul Indonesian Round at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit as Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) claimed his first win of the 2023 campaign after starting from second place in Race 2. Caricasulo lead an Italian 1-2-3 in the 18-lap race to claim his first win since Portimao in 2019 as he ended a four-year wait for victories in WorldSSP.

A PODIJM LOCKOUT: Althea and Caricasulo back on top

At the start of the race, Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) were fighting for first position with the Turkish star making a move on Bulega at T1 on Lap 3. Oncu looked to break clear but he was never more than a second away from the chasing pack and, on Lap 13, Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) passed Oncu into Turn 10 move into the lead of the race.

Manzi led until the final lap of the race but Caricasulo, who also battled past Oncu and Bulega at around the halfway stage of the race, made a move on his compatriot at Turn 10 to move into the lead of the race. Caricasulo was able to hold on to claim his first win in 68 WorldSSP races, as he took his seventh WorldSSP victory and 29^th podium. Ducati claimed their third win in the 2023 season, equalling their previous best season in terms of wins which was in 2000.

Manzi was able to come home in second place for his seventh WorldSSP podium and Yamaha’s 360^th podium placement in the Championship, while Bulega was able to fight back on Oncu to return to the rostrum for his 12^th WorldSSP podium. It was also the third Italian podium lockout in WorldSSP history, with the last one coming at Portimao in the 2022 season.

CLOSELY FOUGHT: five manufacturers in the top six

Oncu took fourth place after leading throughout the first half of the race, finishing more than 1.5 second down on the podium positions at the end of the race while he was also three seconds clear of rookie Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) in fifth place. Schroetter had an early-race battle with Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) with the Finn taking sixth spot at the end of the race meaning five manufacturers were inside the top six in Race 2.

BATTLING FOR THE TOP TEN: fighting throughout the field

Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was seventh after initially fighting in the lead group before dropping down the order, with the Italian rider in two seconds down on Tuuli. He was, however, eight seconds clear of rookie Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in eighth place while another rookie, Nicholas Spinelli (VFT Racing Yamaha) took ninth. The final position in the top ten went to Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) after he fended off a late challenge from John McPhee (Vince64 by Puccetti Racing) with the British rider in 11^th place.

ROUNDING OUT THE POINTS: leaving Indonesia with points

The battles in the lower reaches of the points-paying positions raged on until the end of the race. Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing) took 12^th place while there was action behind him on track. There was a four-way scrap for 13^th place heading into Turn 16 on the final lap involving Adam Norrodin (PETRONAS MIE MS Racing HONDA Team), his teammate Tarran Mackenzie and Yamaha Thailand Racing Team duo Anupab Sarmoon and Apiwath Wongthananon.

Heading into Turn 16, the two Yamaha riders made contact when leading the two Hondas with Wongthananon crashing out of the race at Turn 16, while Sarmoon was able to continue to take the final points position. That incident was placed under investigation by the FIM WorldSBK Stewards with no action taken. Honda duo Norrodin and Mackenzie took 13^th and 14^th place following the incident.

Harry Truelove (Dynavolt Triumph) missed out on a point by just over a second behind Sarmoon while he was almost 10 seconds clear of Andrea Mantovani (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) took 17^th and replacement rider Timothy Joseph Cua Alberto (MTM Kawasaki) was 19^th and the final classified rider in Race 2. Mantovani had to serve a Long Lap Penalty in Race 2 for failing to follow the directions of the marshals in Race 1.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from Race 2

Valentin Debise’s (GMT94 Yamaha) race came to a premature end when he had a crash at Turn 3 on the opening lap of the race, while Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) crashed out a lap later at Turn 8.

The top six following WorldSSP Race 2, full results here:

1. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team)

2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.325s

3. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +1.546s

4. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +3.148s

5. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +6.199s

6. Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) +8.453s

Fastest lap: Stefano Manzi, Yamaha – 1’35.416 (New Lap Record)

Championship standings

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 77 points

2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 59

3. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) 54

4. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) 51

5. Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) 46

6. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 46

Watch more action from WorldSSP throughout 2023 using the WorldSBK VideoPass!