The fourth round of the Supersport World Championship is now underway at the Misano World Circuit. This is a home round for Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, which has its base in Reggio Emilia, and is therefore the most important event of the season, during which the team is able to meet with its sponsors and race in front of its fans.
We remind you that at this Italian round, all the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing bikes are flaunting the historic ELF livery, a symbol of the ongoing relationship between Manuel Puccetti’s team and Total Italia.
This is also an important round for riders Can Oncu and Yari Montella, who are tasked with confirming the positive results demonstrated in recent races, with the aim of fighting for the win.
This morning, on a dry track but under very cloudy skies, the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing riders completed the first free practice session, in which Oncu finished a very strong third, thanks to a best time of 1’38”660. Montella closed seventh, having set a best of 1’39”125.
In the afternoon’s second free practice, which ran in warmer conditions, both Kawasaki Puccetti Racing riders suffered crashes. Although they were unhurt, the incidents hindered their progress during the session. Oncu ultimately finished seventh (1’38”618), while Montella closed in ninth place (1’38”907).
Tomorrow will see the pair compete in the Superpole, followed by the first race of this fourth WorldSSP round.
Misano World Circuit – Italy – Supersport World Championship
Combined free practice results: 1) Bulega (Ducati) – 2) Manzi (Triumph) – 3) Aegerter (Yamaha) – 4) Caricasulo (Ducati) – 5) De Rosa (Ducati) – 6) Baldassarri (Yamaha) – 7) Oncu (Kawasaki) – 8) Van Straalen (Yamaha) – 9) Montella (Kawasaki)
Can Oncu
“It was a good day despite the fact I made a few small mistakes and crashed in the final part of the second session. Generally speaking, we’ve worked well though and showed that we are competitive, so I’m sure that we can do even more tomorrow and in Sunday’s race. A big thanks to the team as they’ve worked really hard as always.”
Yari Montella
“This morning went well and I immediately found good feeling with the bike. I worked with used tyres almost the whole time, thinking ahead to the race, and I was quick. Unfortunately, I crashed in the afternoon, almost right away, and this caused us to lose a lot of time, impacting on our work programme. I was unable to improve as much as I’d hoped, but in the end we’re ninth and still have real room for improvement for the Superpole and the two races. Thanks to my technicians who repaired my bike in record time.”
