Galang Hendra Pratama was not far away in Jerez, but it was ultimately Andy Verdoïa in Misano who was the first Yamaha R3 bLU cRU rider to get on the podium this season.
The 16-year-old Frenchman, riding for the BCD Yamaha MS Racing Team, was involved in a long six-rider battle for victory, decided only in the last corner of the very last lap. A few meters from the finish line, Andy Verdoïa manages to take the suction on his teammate Galang Hendra and finished third, taking the last step of the podium. The Indonesian driver then finished in fourth position while Kevin Sabatucci crossed the finish line in ninth position, after starting from the ninth row of the grid.
While Friday's free practice for WorldSSP300 drivers took place in warm and sunny conditions, the weather took a turn for the worse ahead of Saturday's qualifying. The Superpole for Group A took place on a more or less dry track, allowing Galang Hendra to consolidate his place on the starting grid for the main race. On the other hand, it was a completely different story for Group B, which was forced to ride on a wet track after heavy rain.
These difficult conditions did not, however, disturb Andy Verdoïa who finished second in qualifying in combined times, securing a front row start in Sunday's WorldSSP300 race. It was the same for Jacopo Facco, who also secured a comfortable place by qualifying among the top 30. However, for Sabatucci, Beatriz Neila et Finn de Bruin, they were forced to compete for the last six places on the grid during the Last Chance Race on Saturday afternoon, having missed the mark in qualifying.
Warm and sunny weather returned on Sunday. Andy Verdoïa et Galang Hendra managed to find themselves in a group of six drivers who were fighting for victory throughout the race. It was a frenetic battle that went down to the wire, with the six protagonists attempting to overtake each other in the final corner, before taking the checkered flag. It is therefore Andy Verdoïa who secured the last step of the podium, beating Galang Hendra a little.
This was the first World Championship podium for Andy Verdoïa, and only the second obtained by a French rider in the WorldSSP300 class. The first having been won by Hugo de Cancellis, a former bLU cRU rider, during the Aragon Grand Prix.
Andy Verdoïa: « What an incredible weekend! It was my first time riding in Misano. Friday, I focused on this track that I didn't know yet and I worked on my race pace. On Saturday, it rained before qualifying but that didn't bother me because I like to ride in the wet, so I achieved a front row position for the first time in the world championship. The weather was sunny and hot, it was really complicated but what a race! When the leading group made a small gap at the front, I pushed to stay in the top 3. I finished the race third and got on the WorldSSP330 podium for the first time! I'm really happy with this place and the way this race went. A big thank you to Yamaha, my team, my sponsors and my family. Now off to Donington! ».
