Friday

Mahias makes progress after a tricky start in practice

Kawasaki Puccetti Racing and rider Lucas Mahias are tackling round nine of the Superbike World Championship at the Autodromo do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal. The Frenchman has never raced with a superbike at this track (he missed last year’s event due to injury) and so used the first practice session to build confident with the track and find a good setup for his Ninja. Unfortunately, a crash in the final stages prevented Mahias from improving on the time he’d set earlier on in the session (1’43”146) and saw him place nineteenth.
Lucas was back out in the afternoon for second practice and was able to improve by a good seven tenths, which meant he rounded out the day in seventeenth place overall.
Tomorrow will see Mahias compete in both Superpole and the weekend’s first race.

Autodromo do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal – Superbike World Championship
Combined free practice results: 1) Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) – 2) Rinaldi (Ducati) – 3) Gerloff (Yamaha) – 4) Rea (Kawasaki) – 5) Bautista (Ducati)……. 17) Mahias (Kawasaki)

Lucas Mahias

“The day started badly with a crash in FP1. Unfortunately, the bike was badly damaged and I couldn’t return to the track. My technicians did a great job, repairing it in time for FP2, in which I worked hard to find a good setup. I improved significantly on my earlier time but tomorrow I’ll need to do even better in Superpole to be sure of a good grid position. Thanks to my guys for all their efforts today.”

Work in progress for Oncu and Montella

The ninth round of the Supersport World Championship got underway today at the Autodromo do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal with the first free practice sessions.
The two Kawasaki Puccetti Racing riders, Turk Can Oncu and Italian Yari Montella, come to Portugal from Barcelona, a round that saw Oncu reach the podium twice, while Montella didn’t achieve the results he deserved after battling at length for the positions that count.
This morning, both took to the track in cool, sunny conditions for the first free practice. The pair worked with their respective teams to adapt their ZX-6R to the technical, winding Portuguese track. With a time of 1’44”974, the Turkish rider finished ninth, while team-mate Yari (1’45”887) unfortunately suffered a crash. Although he was unhurt in the incident, he was unable to do better than twentieth.
In FP2, Oncu (1’44”676) improved slightly to move into eighth place. Montella was able to make more progress (1’45”239), rounding out this first day in thirteenth place in the combined standings
The Kawasaki Puccetti Racing riders will return to the track tomorrow for Superpole and the first race of this ninth WorldSSP round.

Autodromo do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal – Supersport World Championship
Combined free practice results: 1) Tuuli (MV Agusta) – 2) Manzi (Triumph) 3) – Aegerter (Yamaha) – 4) De Rosa (Ducati) – 5) Baldassarri (Yamaha) …………..8) Oncu (Kawasaki) ……… 13) Montella (Kawasaki-9)

Can Oncu

“We focused a lot on setup today and in the end I’m pretty happy with the results. There are still some points that need work, but I’m not overly worried because we know what we need to do and so I’m confident ahead of tomorrow’s race. Thanks to my team for all their hard work.”

Yari Montella

“This morning I made a mistake and crashed. I’m really sorry, but these things can happen on track. This afternoon, we started from the base we identified in FP1 and improved the bike and my performance too. It’s not easy to find a setting that works in all sectors at this track, but I think we’ve found a good compromise and so I feel confident for tomorrow. I want to thank the guys as they’ve really helped me out again.”

Saturday

Mahias thirteenth in WorldSBK Race 1 at Portimao

Kawasaki Puccetti Racing have completed day two of what is the ninth Superbike World Championship at the Autodromo do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal. For Lucas Mahias, yesterday’s practice sessions were conditioned by a crash in FP1 which prevented him and his team from finding the best setup for their ZX.10R. This morning Mahias took part in the third and final practice, placing seventeenth with a time of 1’41”983.
In the late morning, Lucas was back out for Superpole, which established the starting grid for the subsequent Race 1. With a time of 1’40”811, the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider qualified in fifteenth place and so lined up on the fifth row of the grid for the first race, which ran in the early afternoon over a distance of just fourteenth laps, the race shortened after an incident in the previous WorldSSP SS300 race led to a schedule change
Having made a good start, Mahias quickly made up one position. The Frenchman remained part of the chasing group for the entire race, crossing the line thirteenth and scoring three championship points in the process.
Tomorrow Mahias will take part in the Superpole race and the weekend’s final WorldSBK race.

Autodromo do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal – Superbike World Championship
Combined free practice results: 1) Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) – 2) Locatelli (Yamaha) – 3) Rea (Kawasaki) – 4) Lowes (Kawasaki) ……. 17) Mahias (Kawasaki)

Superpole: 1) Rea (Kawasaki) – 2) Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) – 3) Lowes (Kawasaki) – 4) Bautista (Ducati) – 5) Locatelli (Yamaha) – 6) Bassani (Ducati) …… 15) Mahias (Kawasaki)

Race 1: 1) Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) – 2) Bautista (Ducati) – 3) Rea (Kawasaki) – 4) Bassani (Ducati) – 5) Lowes (Kawasaki) – 6) Locatelli (Yamaha)……. 13) Mahias (Kawasaki)

Lucas Mahias

“Superpole didn’t go as I’d hoped, and so I had to start the race from row five. I started quite well but then wasn’t able to pass the riders immediately ahead of me. Only in the final stages did I made up another position to cross the line thirteenth. I’m not pleased with my race, though it was difficult to do more starting from so far back. A big thanks to my team as they’ve worked really well as always.”

Oncu and Montella reach the points zone in Race 1 at Portimao

The Autodromo do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal hosted day two of the ninth Supersport World Championship round. On day one, Kawasaki Puccetti Racing riders Can Oncu and Yari Montella completed the first two practice sessions in eighth (1’44”676) and thirteenth (1’45”239) place.
This morning, in sunny conditions, the pair returned to the track for Superpole, which served to establish the starting grid for the weekend’s races. With a time of 1’44”029, Montella finished eleventh, while Onuc improved on his time (1’44”339) but placed fourteenth. With these results, the Italian lined up on the fourth row and the Turk from the fifth for the afternoon’s race, which was shortened from 18 to 12 laps owing to an incident during the SS300, which led to a scheduling change.
With less laps available, the race became one of the hardest fought of the season, with fifteen riders battling in the leading group and vying for the win. Both Oncu and Montella were part of this big group until a few laps from the end, when they lost ground and eventually crossed the line in ninth and thirteenth place respectively. In the championship standings, Oncu lies third with 178 points, while Montella is eighth with 106.
Both will take part in the weekend’s second WorldSSP race tomorrow.

Autodromo do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal – Supersport World Championship
Superpole: 1) Aegerter (Yamaha) – 2) Caricasulo (Ducati) – 3) Cluzel (Yamaha) – 4) Manzi (Triumph) – 5) Tuuli (MV Agusta)………..10) Montella (Kawasaki)……14) Oncu (Kawasaki)

Race 1 – 1) Manzi (Triumph) – 2) Baldassarri (Yamaha) – 3) Caricasulo (Ducati) – 4) Aegerter (Yamaha) – 5) Tuuli (MV Agusta)………9) Oncu (Kawasaki) …….13) Montella (Kawasaki)

Can Oncu

“It was a difficult race today, but let’s look positively at it because we took some good points in the championship. We have to improve tomorrow and for sure we will be back on the podium I hope. Let’s see how we do in the morning warm-up session to improve in the difficult places and then aim for the top three again”.

Yari Montella

“I started well, but then contact with another rider saw me drop back to eighteenth. I got my head down and started to make up places, working hard to close in on the leading group. Unfortunately in the final stages, I made a small mistake that caused me to lose contact with that group and I finished thirteenth. Perhaps we could have done a little better, but we’ll try again tomorrow in Race 2.”

Sunday

A crash stops Mahias in WorldSBK Race 2 at Portimao

The ninth Superbike World Championship round has now concluded at the Autodromo do Algarve circuit in Portugal. Yesterday, Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider Lucas Mahias scored fifteenth place in Superpole and started from the fifth row of the grid for the first race, ultimately crossing the line thirteenth and scoring points in the process.
This morning, in cool and sunny conditions, the Frenchman lined up for the Superpole Race, a sprint that runs over just ten laps. He didn’t make a particularly fast start and was lying eighteenth in the initial stages. Over the subsequent laps he was able to set a good pace which saw him cross the line in fourteenth place.
Race 2 took place mid-afternoon and comprised twenty laps. Mahias made a good start and this allowed him to maintain fourteenth place. Unfortunately though, during the course of lap two, the Frenchman fell victim to a crash at turn 5, which forced him to retire.
The next round of the Superbike World Championship will play out on 21-23 October at the San Juan Villicum circuit in Argentina.

Autodromo do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal – Superbike World Championship
Superpole Race: 1) Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) – 2) Bautista (Ducati) – 3) Rea (Kawasaki) – 4) Lowes (Kawasaki) – 5) Rinaldi (Ducati) – 6) Bassani (Ducati) …… 14) Mahias (Kawasaki)

Race 2: 1) Bautista (Ducati) – 2) Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) – 3) Rea (Kawasaki) – 4) Rinaldi (Ducati) – 5) Lowes (Kawasaki) – 6) Locatelli (Yamaha) ……… n.c.) Mahias (Kawasaki)

Lucas Mahias

“I’m really sorry about my crash in race 2. I’d found good pace in the Superpole race and I hoped to exploit that in the long race. Unfortunately I lost grip at the front through turn 5 and crashed. It wasn’t an easy weekend, but I hoped to end it positively; instead the crash compromised everything. Looking at the glass half full, we can say we found a good setup and so I’m optimistic as we head into the last three rounds of the season. Thanks to my team as they’ve all worked really hard.”

Oncu on the podium after a great race at Portimao

The second race making up the ninth Supersport World Championship round played out today at the Autodromo do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal. Yesterday saw Kawasaki Puccetti Racing riders Can Oncu and Yari Montella compete in Superpole and Race 1. In qualifying, Montella scored tenth place and Oncu fourteenth, which made for a fourth and fifth row start on the grid. Oncu crossed the line ninth and Montella thirteenth in the first race.
Today’s race ran over a distance of 18 laps with both Kawasaki Puccetti Racing riders making a good start and soon gaining ground on their rivals. Mid-race Oncu was up into the leading group while unfortunately Montella crashed through the last turn while trying to reach the frontrunners and was unable to continue. Can moved up into third place in the final stages, having run an intelligent race and safeguarded the tyres up until that point. The Turkish rider was able to hold this position to the line to score his fifth podium of the season, the eighth of his WorldSSP career.
In the championship standings the young Turk lies third with 194 points, while Montella is eighth with 106.
The next Supersport World Championship round will take place on 21-23 October at the San Juan Villicum circuit in Argentina.

Autodromo do Algarve – Portimao – Portugal – Supersport World Championship
Race 2 – 1) Aegerter (Yamaha) – 2) De Rosa (Ducati) – 3) Oncu (Kawasaki) – 4) Caricasulo (Ducati) – 5) Sofuoglu (MV Agusta) – 6) Cluzel (Yamaha) ……. n.c.) Montella (Kawasaki)

Can Oncu

“Yesterday we struggled so much but today we took a podium after a very tough competition. We did a very good job in the race. I was thinking about the tyre as I knew it would be important to have good grip at the end. Thanks a lot to everybody who works so hard to put us in this position. I am proud of my team and Kawasaki. Also thank you to Kenan Sofuoglu for all his support. Now I am looking forward to Argentina and the next races in the championship.”

Yari Montella

“I don’t have much to say sadly. My race didn’t last long. I started quite well but then got swallowed by the group. I tried to keep contact with the leading group but then crashed at high speed through the last turn. Luckily I’m unhurt but my race ended in the run off area. I’m really sorry for the team as they worked so hard for me. I hope to make up for it at the next round in Argentina.”