Supersport, Misano J1: Caricasulo and his Yamaha ahead of Rosa and his MV Agusta

With a total of 135 points, Randy Krummenacher (Bardahl Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) arrived in Misano with a 17-point lead over his teammate Federico Caricasulo. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) third was 41 points behind Krummenacher, and Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) at 76, just 1 point ahead of Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse).

Then came Thomas Gradinger (Kallio Racing) in sixth position ahead of Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Isaac Viñales (Kallio Racing) and Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) while Jules Danilo (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) occupied thirteenth position.

To the usual list of permanent drivers were added as wildcards Massimo Roccoli (Team Rosso Corsa), winner here in Misano in 2006, Luca Ottaviani (SGM Tecnic), Roberto Rolfo (Team Green Speed), winner of the World Cup in 'Endurance this season, as well as for the Bardahl Evan Bros. team. WorldSSP, which leads the Championship, a third bike with Mattia Casadei. Lorenzo Gabellini supported the Gomma Racing team. Filippo Fuligni (Team Rosso e Nero) – younger brother of Federico Fuligni – made his WorldSSP debut, alongside Kevin Manfredi (Team Rosso e Nero) and German Patrick Hobelsberger (Hobelsberger Racing).

Randy Krummenacher (Bardahl Evan Bros. Yamaha Supported WorldSSP) arrived confidently in the Misano paddock: “ For me it is a great advantage to have a teammate as strong as Federico Caricasulo. We are both equally fast on the track and that helps us adjust the bike setup each weekend. You also learn from a fast teammate. At Assen it was Federico who set the fastest final lap to win the race, but I think I learned more from finishing second this weekend than I had won before. Of course I want to win every race, but sometimes not winning opens your eyes to ways to improve as a driver.”

“I guess it's quite difficult for the team. On the one hand, they enjoy both winning races and being one and two in the championship standings, but on the other, it's not easy to manage two riders fighting to win the race every weekend ».

According to Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) I couldn't wait to hit the track in Misano. In the last race in Jerez we showed once again that we can compete with the leaders and we hope that this little regulatory help can help us regain some of that power that we have been missing until now. The team is working hard, I am working hard and I am sure that we will soon be able to reap the rewards of our commitment. It would be nice to be able to do it straight away in Misano, which is one of my team's two home races ».

To Jules Danilo (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) I'm delighted to be at Misano, it's another track that I know well. I think we made good progress in Jerez. Unfortunately, we didn't get the results in the end. I think the testing we did there helps in Misano. Hopefully we don't need to touch the bike too much and I have a good feeling from the start. The weather is looking good too, that’s positive. Let's hope for a good weekend and fight in the second group, that's the goal ».

For Caricasulo the first

The Italian Federico Caricasulo was the fastest in the first free practice session on his Yamaha ahead of the MV Agusta of Raffaele de Rosa and his teammate Randy Krummenacher.

The French then followed well placed, with Lucas Mahias fourth and Jules Cluzel fifth, while Corentin Perolari was eighteenth and Jules Danilo twenty-third.

Results of the first free practice session:

Reference times:

Test record: 1'37.482 by Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta) in 2015

Lap record: 1'38.193 by Sandro Cortese (Yamaha) in 2018

Gianluca Sconza, wildcard rider on Honda, started the second free session badly by falling, fortunately without seriousness. Corentin Perolari was one of the first to improve, moving to fifteenth position in 1'41.536, 1.5 behind the leader.

Half an hour from the checkered flag, Federico Caricasulo was still leading ahead of Raffaele de Rosa, Randy Krummenacher, Lucas Mahias and Jules Cluzel. The teams prepared for the race rather than the Superpole by having their drivers perform numerous consecutive laps.

The German Patrick Hobelsberger (Hobelsberger Racing), a 22-year-old carpenter entered as a wildcard, fell without seriousness. A quarter of an hour from the end, behind Mahias fourth and Cluzel fifth, Luca Ottaviani and Lorenzo Gabellini appeared in sixth and seventh positions, both on Yamaha.

There were then six Yamahas in the top 10, three Kawasakis and one MV Agusta. Most of the other competitors were still making their tire choices for the race. Only three drivers had improved compared to the morning among the first fifteen.

Many drivers attempted a fast lap at the end of the session, with the aim of going under 1'40 like Caricasulo in the morning. Randy Krummenacher progressed to 1'40.231, but retained third position. Hannes Soomer created a surprise by setting the fifth fastest time in 1'40.601 on his Honda!

Nacho Calero fell without consequence in Turn 16. Federico Caricasulo managed to improve his best time to 1'39.951.

Jules Cluzel climbed into fourth position in the final moments in 1'40.365 just ahead of Lucas Mahias. Corentin Perolari was eighteenth and Jules Danilo twentieth.

Combined results of the two free practice sessions:

Reference times:

Test record: 1'37.482 by Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta) in 2015

Lap record: 1'38.193 by Sandro Cortese (Yamaha) in 2018

Provisional ranking of the World Championship:

Video: In a restaurant near the circuit (filmed by Simon Buckmaster, team manager of Jules Danilo)

Photos © worldsbk.com / Dorna, manufacturers and teams