FIM Supersport World Championship rang in the new season with the first race event of the weekend with their opening Tissot Superpole session on Friday afternoon in Australia. A sunny afternoon at Phillip Island hosted the WorldSSP grid who sunk their teeth into the 2025 season with several key twists already in this season-opening session. Dutch rider Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) finished fastest despite not finishing the session, suffering a heavy crash with eight minutes left in the session at Turn 2. The WorldSSP season looks like it will be hard to look away from, as the Tissot Superpole session featured 14 riders within a second of the polesitter.

SUPERPOLE’S SUPER TRIO: Bendsneyder P1 despite early exit

Bendsneyder set hot lap after hot lap throughout the session after wrestling P1 away from Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing), however he suffered a crash in the long Turn 2 Southern loop, a highside sending he and his bike careening into the gravel. He was taken to the medical centre for a check-up. Before exiting, he set the fastest lap which held for the rest of the session with a time of 1’32.310s. Second-placed Booth-Amos replicated his results from Free Practice earlier in the day with a P2 finish of 1’32.499s for his first front row in WorldSSP. Making a late jump up the time sheet, 2017 WorldSSP Champion Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) staked his claim on the rostrum with a 1’32.635s time, his first podium since Round 2’s Race 2 where he also claimed third.

ONCU AND MAHIAS LATE HEROICS: The Turkish rider and French 2017 Champion punched their second-row ticket

Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Racing Team) leaped up the grid thanks to a quick lap in the dying minutes of the session, the Turkish rider claiming the first position on the second row on the back of his 1’32.644s lap. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) clung to the top three positions throughout the session however late laps from Mahias and Oncu bumped him down the timesheet to P5. Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) wasn’t quite able to replicate the magic he was producing throughout preseason testing, however a P6 finish from a time of 1’32.765s is a positive result from the Spanish WorldSSP rookie.

TOP 10 FINISHERS: Bayliss snags a row three appearance

Hometown hero Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) narrowly missed out on the second row, only 0.049s behind Masia in P6, and a time of 1’32.814s sets him up nicely at the front of Row 3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) seemed to struggle with his bike’s grip in sectors of the track, the 2024 World Supersport runner-up placed P8 with a 1’32.841s lap time. Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) was just 0.008s behind Manzi, a step behind the times he was laying down in testing and this morning’s Free Practice. His fastest lap in the session was 1’32.849s. Grabbing a late place in the top 10, Michael Rinaldi started his WorldSSP career on a good note, a time of 1’32.889s earning him P10 for tomorrow’s Race 1.

FREE PRACTICE NOTABLES: Toba crash, Farioli injured

Valentin Debise maintained his rapid pace from testing this week topping the grid again, followed in P2 Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) just 0.027s behind him. Rounding out the three fastest times in the Free Practice, Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) continued his rise in WorldSSP by claiming P3.  Filippo Farioli suffered from an engine issue in Free Practice, spewing oil on the track, and eventually precipitating a crash in Turn 9’s Lukey Heights. It was a big high side crash which he walked away from but was later diagnosed with a broken left ankle. The incident left track attendants with their hands full to fill up the spilled oil in prior corners. Achieving a P7 time on his Honda CBR600RR, Kaito Toba unfortunately say his progress dashed by a session-ending crash in Turn 11 during the Superpole session.