Montella fastest on the last day of WorldSSP pre-season testing
Yari Montella topped the times in both sessions with the fastest time of 1’31.881s set in the afternoon session, just 0.062s ahead of Federico Caricasulo.
They were the only riders to lap in the 1’31s bracket at the newly-resurfaced Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
The World Supersport Official Test at Phillip Island showcased remarkable performances. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) claimed the top spot, edging ahead of the competition by a mere 0.062s, while Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) made history with the first-ever 1’31s lap at Phillip Island, finishing just behind Montella. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) secured the third position, matching the pole lap record but trailing behind Montella by three tenths.
Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) demonstrated his speed despite a crash during the session, securing fourth place, while Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed fifth and sixth positions respectively, showcasing their competitive edge in the field.
Meanwhile, former WorldSSP Champion Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) returned with a strong performance, securing seventh place, and Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) maintained his momentum from the previous season, finishing eighth. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph) impressed with his transition to the Street Triple RS 765, securing ninth place, while Jorge Navarro rounded up the top ten, marking a promising start for the WRP-RT Motorsport team in WorldSSP. The test day witnessed intense competition and notable performances setting the stage for an exciting season ahead.
Piotr Biesiekirski (Ecosantagata Althea Racing Team) brought out the red flags when he crashed at Turn 2 with just over an hour to go in FP2, with the Polish rider taken to the medical centre. At the end of the session, he was transported to hospital by helicopter; he is conscious but suffered a head injury and concussion.
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P1 | Yari Montella | BARNI Spark Racing Team
“It was great! We enjoyed the new tarmac a lot. We worked a lot on race pace and tried to do a time attack. I’m happy because it was unexpected; I found a good feeling and good pace with the bike. There was a lot of grip; from last year’s race pace, I think I went 2s quicker than last year and it’s good tarmac for sure. Now, we need to rest because today we did a lot of laps. I saw a lot of riders faster in this test: Caricasulo, Huertas, Manzi, Schroetter, Oncu, a lot! Let’s see but I hope to stay where I am and enjoy the weekend and the start of the season. I like this circuit; we were fast last year but in Race 1, I broke my collarbone. I hope this year is better than 2023 and we’ll try to do our best!”
WorldSSP Combined Results after FP2
1. Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) 1’31.881s
2. Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) +0.062s
3. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.302s
4. Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) +0.409s
5. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) +0.444s
6. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.453s
