Supersport: Lucas Mahias almost World Champion

By finishing fifth in the penultimate race of the season at Jerez de la Frontera, Lucas Mahias extended his lead to 20 points over Kenan Sofuoglu with just one race remaining in Qatar on November 5. The Spanish event was won by Federico Caricasulo ahead of Jules Cluzel.

Mahias started from the middle of the second row of the starting grid, having set the fifth fastest time in Superpole 2 due to a fall. His teammate Federico Caricasulo started from pole position, with Jules Cluzel at his side. Mahias started with 9 points ahead of Kenan Sofuoglu (absent due to pelvic fractures), while Sheridan Morais was at 32 points and Jules Cluzel at 39.

Sheridan Morais started in the lead, then Federico Caricasulo took command ahead of Jules Cluzel. At the end of the first lap, Caricasulo led from Cluzel, Morais, Jacobsen and Mahias.

Caricasulo and Cluzel opened up a small gap in the lead alongside Jacobsen. Morais and Mahias were fighting for fourth position. Jules Cluzel took command with 17 laps remaining, ahead of Caricasulo, Jacobsen and Mahias who had joined the group of leaders.

Caricasulo overtook Cluzel and preceded Jacobsen and Mahias, while Anthony West fell back slightly on this group. Sheridan Morais had dropped to eleventh position, which was very beneficial for Mahias in the Championship.

At the halfway point, the group of leaders included Caricasulo, Cluzel, Jacobsen, Mahias and West. Anthony West, replacing Kenan Sofuoglu at Puccetti, passed Mahias for fourth place and attacked PJ Jacobsen for third.

With 6 laps remaining, Caricasulo and Cluzel in the lead had a 1.7 lead over West and Jacobsen in the fight, who preceded Mahias in fifth.

Caricasulo finally won ahead of Cluzel, West, Jacobsen, Mahias and Morais.

Jerez race ranking:

1 CARICASULO ITA GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team Yamaha YZF R6

2 CLUZEL FRA CIA Landlord Insurance Honda Honda CBR600RR 19 0.065

3 WEST AUS Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R 19 1.652

4 JACOBSEN USA MV Agusta Reparto Corsica MV Agusta F3 675 19 3.735

5 MAHIAS FRA GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team Yamaha YZF R6 19 7.248

6 MORAIS RSA Kallio Racing Yamaha YZF R6 19 11.694

7 TUULI FIN Kallio Racing Yamaha YZF R6 19 15.644

8 HARTOG NED Team Hartog – Jenik – Against Cancer Kawasaki ZX-6R ESS 19 16.380

9 REA GBR Team Kawasaki Go Eleven Kawasaki ZX-6R 19 16.970

10 GAMARINO ITA BARDAHL EVAN BROS. Honda Racing Honda CBR600RR 19 17.519

Provisional ranking of the World Championship:

Photo © Yamaha Racing