The first round of the Supersport World Championship has now concluded for Kawasaki Puccetti Racing and its riders Can Oncu and Yari MOntella at Motorland Aragon in Spain.
After finishing third and ninth in yesterday’s Superpole, Oncu and Montella scored very different results in race 1. While the Turk ran a great race to reach the third step of the rostrum, the Italian was unlucky, crashing on lap five and forced to retire.
Today’s race got underway in the late morning. Like yesterday, based on the Superpole result, Oncu got away from the front row and Montella from the third. The young Turk got away very well and moved into third position, while Montella was soon able to make up ground and position just behind his team-mate after the first corners. As the race went on, the leading trio, which comprised Can, built a significant lead, while Montella lay fifth, part of the chasing group. Just as a third-place finish looked to be a sure thing, Oncu was forced to stop at the side of the track on the very last lap due to an electrical problem. Montella, who maintained a strong pace throughout the race, only lost a few positions in the final stages, crossing the line seventh.
In the championship standings, Oncu positions seventh with 16 points, while Montella is twelfth with 9.
The next round of the Supersport World Championship will take place on 22-24 April at the Assen TT circuit in The Netherlands.
Motorland Aragon – Supersport World Championship
Race 2 – 1) Aegerter (Yamaha) – 2) Baldassarri (Yamaha) – 3) Bulega (Ducati) – 4) Van Straalen (Yamaha) – 5) Tuuli (MV Agusta) – 6) Cluzel (Yamaha) – 7) Montella (Kawasaki)…… nc) Oncu (Kawasaki)
Can Oncu
“What bad luck. I was in the leading group all race long, trying to conserve the tyres of the final laps, but at a certain point the bike switched off and I had no choice but to retire. Unbelievable, also because it wasn’t the engine, but an electrical component. While I’m disappointed about the result, our performance in the first two races has confirmed our potential. Now we’ll turn the page and focus on the next round at Assen. Thanks to the team for their great support.”
Yari Montella
“Today’s result boosts morale for the next races. After yesterday’s bad luck, today I tried not to make any mistakes and understand how to exploit the bike’s potential. I was able to maintain a strong pace, but my inexperience in terms of tyre management showed and I lost a few positions. We’ve taken a good step forward anyway and so I am optimistic as we look ahead to the Assen race in two weeks’ time. Big thanks to the team.”
