The first round of the Supersport World Championship has got underway today at Motorland Aragon, near Alcaniz in Spain. Having completed testing at this track on Monday and Tuesday of this week, Kawasaki Puccetti Racing riders Can Oncu and Yari Montella were back out for the first free practice this morning, which ran on a dry track but in fairly cool temperatures. The Turkish rider set a time of 1’54”478 to finish fourth, while Montella placed thirteenth with a best of 1’55”128.
The second and final practice ran in the afternoon, a session during which Oncu was able to improve on his earlier time (1’54”315) and round out the day in fifth place in the combined standings. Montella also lowered his time and finished fourteenth thanks to a 1’54”891.
Tomorrow will see the two riders compete in Superpole followed by the first race of the 2022 season.
Motorland Aragon –Supersport World Championship
Combined free practice results: 1) Aegerter (Yamaha) – 2) Bulega (Ducati) – 3) Baldassarri (Yamaha) – 4) Tuuli (MV Agusta) – 5) Oncu (Kawasaki) ……. 14) Montella (Kawasaki)
Can Oncu
“We worked hard again today, continuing with the work started during winter testing. We’ve focused on our race pace, also carrying some simulations, and the results have been very positive. Our goal was to be ready for the first race, and I think we are. Now all we need do is a complete a solid qualifying session tomorrow in order to earn a good grid position. My feeling with the bike is good and I’m optimistic ahead of the first race of the season. Thanks to my team as they’ve done an amazing job as ever.”
Yari Montella
“It’s been a productive day. Together with my team, I was able to focus on preparing for the race rather than on the lap times. There are some sections of the track where I need to improve, but I’ve analysed the data together with the team and understand how and where to intervene to shave off a few tenths. I’m sure we’ll do better tomorrow and I’m confident ahead of both Superpole and the first race. A big thank you to my entire team.”
