A wet-but-drying track in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship provided plenty of drama at the TT Circuit Assen for the Pirelli Dutch Round for the Championship’s first Tissot Superpole session of the 2023 campaign as Italian rider Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) claimed his second pole position in his career with a last-gasp lap. Vannucci was more than half-a-second clear of his rivals with the Italian one of the last riders to complete their lap as the track dried out throughout the 20-minute session.

MASTERING THE CONDITIONS: leaving it late as the track dried

Vannucci was quick at the halfway stage of the season but a switch to slick tyres halfway through the session, like the majority of the field, paid dividends. Vannucci’s time was a 1’51.220s to top the times and claim his second pole position in WorldSSP300. He was ahead of Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) in second place after he set a 1’51.804s to claim second spot and he will be hoping this start of a change of Superpole fortunes after completing several comebacks in 2022. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) took third, 0.728s down on Vannucci’s time, ahead of teammate Mattia Martella in fourth. Di Sora’s third place ensured three of the four manufacturers in 2023 will start from the front row.

A MIXED-UP GRID? Surprises throughout…

Brazilian rider Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) took fifth place after setting a 1’52.348s, finishing ahead of Troy Alberto (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) with the rider from the Philippines showing strong pace throughout the 20-minute Superpole session. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) was seventh with both KTM machines inside the top seven after being one of the first riders to come into the pits as the track tried out.

WILDCARD SURPRISE, DEBUTANTS IMPRESS: completing the top ten

Wildcard Thom Molenaar (Molenaar Racing Team) was a surprise of the session as he took eighth place following a late lap on the drying track, posting a best time of 1’53.210s to take a third-row start. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) was ninth and he was one of several riders who topped the timesheets as the track conditions improved, while debutant Clement Rouge (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) secured a maiden top-ten start following an impressive start to his WorldSSP300 career.

HOUSEKEEPING: to note from Superpole

2020 Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) was 18^th in his first Superpole session since returning to the Championship. Alessandro Zanca (Team#109 Kawasaki) was the one rider who crashed during the session when he crashed at Turn 10 with around six minutes to go. He was 28^th in the classification at the end of the 20-minute session.

The top six following WorldSSP300 Tissot Superpole, full results here:

1. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) 1’51.220s

2. Lennox Lehmann (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) +0.584s

3. Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +0.728s

4. Mattia Martella (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) +0.871s

5. Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) +1.128s

6. Troy Albero (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) +1.394s

Watch WorldSSP300 Race 1 from Assen at 12:40 Local Time (GMT+1) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!