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Cluzel Smashes WorldSSP Lap Record on Friday at San Juan

Cluzel Smashes WorldSSP Lap Record on Friday at San Juan

Following his first victory of the 2021 FIM Supersport World Championship season at the last round, GMT94 Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team’s Julez Cluzel dominated Friday’s timings, going fastest of all by 0.795s, with ParkinGO Yamaha’s Manuel Gonzalez and Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team’s Dominique Aegerter completing the top three.

Prior to his Race 1 win at Portimão, Cluzel’s last victory came at the Argentinian venue back in 2019, and he got FP1 off to a flying start, topping the early running. However, a fall at Turn 6 forced him to sit out the remainder of the session. 

The French rider made amends in the afternoon session though, setting a number of fastest laps late on, with his 1’41.926 time a full 0.68s quicker than the all-time WorldSSP lap record. 

Gonzalez quickly got up to speed with the San Juan circuit during FP1, and led much of the latter stages of the session. The Spanish youngster eventually ended the morning 0.048s off the top in second, but was able to improve in FP2, where he came closest to Cluzel’s blistering lap and ended the day second overall.

Heading into this weekend with a chance at claiming the WorldSSP title in his rookie campaign, Aegerter was fastest of all in FP1, despite this being his first visit to the South American venue. The Swiss rider improved his time in the afternoon, which was good enough for third on combined times. 

Evan Bros Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team’s Peter Sebestyen enjoyed his best Friday to date in the WorldSSP class. The Hungarian was seventh in FP1, but made another step forward in FP2, which gave him the fourth fastest time.

Teammate and title contender Steven Odendaal could only manage eighth in the morning session, which is where he was classified at the end of the day, albeit just 0.128s from the top five places. 

Kallio Racing Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team’s Hannes Soomer was sixth fastest in FP1, ending the day 10th overall in amongst the tight midfield battle, ahead of GMT94 Yamaha’s Valentin Debise, who had gone fifth on his first session back from injury in the morning.

Vertti Takala was 13th fastest on combined times for the Kallio Racing Yamaha team, with Yamaha MS Racing’s bLU cRU youngster Unai Orradre ending the day just behind in 14th. Leonardo Taccini, filling in for Galang Hendra Pratama, who was forced to miss this round due to VISA issues, was 18th for Ten Kate Yamaha. 

For Friday’s combined times, click here.