Sofuoglu en tête, Cluzel blessé et forfait / Sofuoglu on top as Cluzel crashes out of weekend

Le Français s’est fracturé le tibia gauche dans une lourde chute.

Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), le leader du Championnat du Monde Supersport, a mené les essais libres de vendredi à Jerez, où le Turc a signé le meilleur chrono le matin, en 1'43.660. À peine sorti de la pit-lane pour la seconde séance, Sofuoglu a percuté Kevin Wahr (SMS Honda) suite à ce que ce dernier lui ait fermé la porte sans avoir réalisé qu'il était juste derrière. Mécontent, Sofuoglu a pu revenir aux stands avant de repartir en piste un peu plus tard.

Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) a quant à lui chuté en fin de séance cet après-midi, dans le virage n°5, et s’est malheureusement fracturé le tibia gauche et luxé l’épaule droite. Forfait pour ce week-end, le Français ne pourra donc pas lutter pour le titre mondial.

Il avait signé le deuxième temps de la journée et fini devant Gino Rea (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda), Lucas Mahias (MG Competition) et Kyle Smith (Pata Honda World Supersport Team), qui n’avaient, comme Sofuoglu et Cluzel, pas pu améliorer leurs chronos matinaux l'après-midi.

PJ Jacobsen (CORE Motorsport Thailand), seul autre pilote encore en lice pour le titre après Cluzel et Sofuoglu, a fini sixième devant le Russe Vladimir Leonov (DMC Racing) mais aussi Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), Alex Baldolini (Race Department ATK#25) et Marco Faccani (San Carlo Puccetti Racing).

Jacobsen, Zanetti et Faccani ont été les seuls pilotes du Top 10 à améliorer leurs chronos l'après-midi.

Les pilotes du Championnat du Monde Supersport auront une dernière séance d'essais samedi matin à 10h45 avant les qualifications qui auront lieu à 15h55.

Championship leader heads Day 1 as Frenchman’s title ambitions take big blow.

Three-time World Supersport Champion Kenan Sofuoglu has topped the opening day of World Supersport action at the 4.423km Jerez circuit after two closely fought 45-minute practice sessions.

Sofuoglu, who currently leads the championship standings lapped in 1.43.660s to head the field by 0.189s, his morning time setting the day’s best time. There was drama for the championship leader in the early minutes of FP2 however, as the Turkish rider collided with Kevin Wahr (SMS Honda) after just 6 minutes, the German closing the door on his rival without realising he was there. An unhappy Sofuoglu returned to the pits before making it back out for the final 30 minutes of the afternoon session.

Title contender Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), suffered a fast crash in the final seconds of the FP2, the MV Agusta rider going down at Turn 5. After being examined by the circuit doctors it appears that his title ambitions could be over as the diagnosis of an open fracture of the left tibia and a right shoulder dislocation means he is unfit to continue this weekend.

With none of the top 5 riders able to improve this afternoon the aforementioned Cluzel - now unfortunately ruled out of contention - and Gino Rea (CIA Landlords Insurance Honda) remained in second and third overall, with the returning Lucas Mahias (MG Competition Yamaha), Kyle Smith (Pata Honda World Supersport Team) and PJ Jacobsen (CORE Motorsport Thailand) completing the top 6.

Vladimir Leonov returns to the series with DMC Racing, the Russian who has stood on the podium in the past ended the opening day seventh despite suffering a technical problem in FP2.

Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), Alex Baldolini (Race Department ATK #25) and Marco Faccani (San Carlo Puccetti Racing) completed the top ten. Interestingly Jacobsen, Zanetti and Faccani were the only riders in the top ten to improve this afternoon.

The sole qualifying session for WSS takes place tomorrow at 15:55 local time although the riders will get one final practice session at 10:45.