Cluzel Leads the Yamaha Charge to Top the Timesheet in Portimão
It was Jules Cluzel who fired the opening shots in what promises to be an intriguing battle for the 2019 Supersport World Championship title, as the GMT94 Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team rider posted the fastest time after two intensive days of testing at the Autódromo Internacional Algarve in Portimao.
Cluzel, three times a runner up in the WorldSSP Championship, was on the pace from the off aboard his GMT94 Yamaha YZF-R6, posting the fastest time on the opening day of the test, having quickly mastered the cool and blustery conditions at the Portimão circuit.
The Frenchman continued his fast and consistent form to top the timesheet with a time of 1’44.810 on the second and final day of the test, despite cool temperatures and unpredictable winds making conditions on track tricky. Cluzel, who is still recovering from an ankle injury sustained in the final race of the 2018 season in Qatar, will now head to Australia determined to stamp his authority on the championship with another strong performance in the Phillip Island test that immediately precedes the first round of the season at the same track.
Cluzel’s GMT94 teammate and fellow countryman, Corentin Perolari, was the next Yamaha on the timesheet, narrowly edging out Kallio Racing Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team rider and WorldSSP rookie, Isaac Viñales, for fifth position on the second day of the test with a time of 1’46.280.
Thomas Gradinger, making his debut aboard the Kallio Racing YZF-R6 in Portugal, ended the two-day test in a creditable eighth position, with his Belgian teammate Loris Cresson rounding out the top ten on the timesheet.
The Bardahl Evan Bros Yamaha WorldSSP Supported team riders, Federico Caricasulo and Randy Krummenacher, didn’t participate in the Portimão test, but both showed strongly during testing in Jerez earlier in January. Caricasulo topped the timesheet after two days in Jerez, while Krummenacher finished fourth, just 0.3s off the time of his teammate.
The Yamaha supported WorldSSP teams will return to action during a two-day test at Phillip Island in the week before the opening round of the 2019 season gets underway at the same circuit.
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Mahias and Okubo Make Testing Progress
Kawasaki Puccetti Racing riders Hikari Okubo and Lucas Mahias have now completed four successful days of winter testing in Europe, first at Jerez and now in Portugal, with both riders finding improvements in their settings and pace.
The Portimao tests were affected by strong winds and even a short fall of rain late in the final afternoon. With all their main development and set-up plans completed the team almost called a halt to their work with two hours to go, after the first spots of rain appeared. On a quickly drying track Mahias got back into action to double check some settings.
With a personal best lap time of 1.45.689, Mahias ended up third fastest over one single lap, with Okubo’s 1’45.915 making him fourth fastest of the ten WorldSSP riders who took to the track in Portugal.
The next test sessions for the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing WorldSSP team will be the final ones before the season starts for real at Phillip Island in Australia. The test days are scheduled for the 18th and 19th of February, with raceday on Sunday the 24th of February.
(Above) Hikari Okubu.
Hikari Okubo, stated: “I think we had a good test because I got to improve my best lap times and I understood my Kawasaki more. Our settings reached a good level and I had some more ideas about the bike. I am not in the very top lap times here so I am not so happy about that, and I need to think more and push harder in PI. But we can do this because the bike is good and my feeling with it is positive. I need one more step up, which is very important, but we can do it I think. We should be OK and I am happy to have had four days of testing.”
(Above) Lucas Mahias.
Lucas Mahias stated: “In general this test at Portimao was not so bad, but for sure I preferred the test in Jerez. We did not have such good weather today, with a lot of wind and it was not easy to understand the bike. The lap time is not so bad and the race simulation also. I am waiting for Phillip Island for more opportunities to test before the season starts.”