The 2022 Superbike World Championship concluded today at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in the state of Victoria in Australia. Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider Lucas Mahias finished yesterday’s Superpole in eleventh place and Race 1, which involved a tyre change due to the altered track conditions, in fourteenth position.
Today opened with the ten-lap Superpole Race. Rainfall shortly before the start of the race made tyre selection difficult. The Frenchman opted for a rain tyre at the front and an intermediate rear. Mahias got away well from row four, moving into ninth place. The rain soon stopped though and, as the track quickly began to dry, Lucas began to have grip issues that caused him to lose two places. He was nevertheless able to score a positive result, crossing the line eleventh.
The day’s second and final race ran on a dry track but under cloudy skies. Lucas held his starting position but then lost ground as he battled inside the chasing group. The Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider was moving in on his closest rivals when a crash four laps from the end resulted in a red flag, which signalled the end of the race. Mahias was lying thirteenth at that moment and so rounded out his 2022 season with an additional three championship points.
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit – Victoria – Australia
Superbike World Championship
Superpole Race: 1) Bautista (Ducati) – 2) Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) – 3) Rea (Kawasaki) – 4) Lowes (Kawasaki) – 5) Locatelli (Yamaha) – 6) Redding (BMW) …… 11) Mahias (Kawasaki)
Race 2: 1) Bautista (Ducati) – 2) Rea (Kawasaki) – 3) Lowes (Kawasaki) – 4) Razgatlioglu (Yamaha) – 5) Locatelli (Yamaha) – 6) Rinaldi (Ducati) ………. 13) Mahias (Kawasaki)
Lucas Mahias
“Today’s races were not easy, especially considering the weather and track conditions. In the sprint race, we went with a rain and an intermediate tyre, but the track then dried and I struggled with grip in the later stages. In the final race of the season, I was waiting to make a move on the last laps, but the red flag thwarted my plans. I reached the points zone again anyway, and that’s a positive. This was my last race with Manuel Puccetti’s team and I want to thank him and every member of the team with whom I’ve spent two unforgettable seasons.”
