WSBK Supersport Doha Free practice: Jules Cluzel already faster than the lap record

The big moment has arrived and it is the final fight between Randy Krummenacher, Federico Caricasulo and Jules Cluzel. One of these three men will be crowned World Champion this Saturday and everyone has their chance, even if it won't be easy for Jules, 22 points behind the leader. But his two fanciful opponents have sometimes failed to score the slightest point – like at Magny-Cours – and everything therefore remains possible under the spotlights of Losail.

The GMT94 Yamaha presents the situation as follows: “Arriving late in the night from Monday to Tuesday, the team settled in and prepared everything necessary to welcome the drivers on Thursday. Here, the race takes place exceptionally on Saturday, causing a one-day delay throughout the week.

“On the sporting side, Jules cluzel will be keen to finish the season well. The podium is once again the objective for the native of Montluçon, just like Corentin Perolari who has a final opportunity to fulfill one of his objectives for the year.

According to Lucas Mahias, “I won twice at Losail and good things come in threes, as they say. I really like the track and the night race is always exciting. I don't have any particular goals; just working with my team to find a good setup for my bike so that I can finish the 2019 season with the best possible result. »

To Jules Danilo, “It’s already the last race of the season, it went by very quickly, I must say. I really had fun. There's a good group of guys in the team and even though the results weren't what I initially expected and even though my position in the Championship isn't very good, it was a good experience . Now I just want to finish on a track that I know very well and have done well on in the past. I know the bike performs well on this track, so I really want to be in the rhythm from the start, to be fast in every session. I've been training hard for this last race and I hope I can be consistent from Thursday evening onwards. I'm aiming for my best result of the year. »

For the first free practice session, the men to watch were, depending on their positions in the Championship, Randy Krummenacher (Bardahl Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team), Federico Caricasulo (Bardahl Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team), Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha), Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), Isaac Viñales (Kallio Racing), Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha), Thomas Gradinger (Kallio Racing), Badovini (Team Pedercini Racing), Peter Sebestyen (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) and Jules Danilo (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda).

During the first free practice session, Corentin Perolari took the lead in 2'04.784. His motivation was comforting. Then Lucas Mahias took the best time in 2'03.498. Federico Caricasulo progressed in 2'03.064.

At mid-session, behind Caricasulo and Smith, the French were present with Mahias third ahead of Perolari and Cluzel. Krummenacher was seventh. With 12 minutes to go, Mahias set the best time in 2'02.828. Then Jules Cluzel was the fastest in 2'02.623, 0.205 ahead of Mahias and 0.318 over Perolari fourth behind Smith. Jules improved further at the end of the session in 2'02.610, 0.218 ahead of Mahias, 0.331 ahead of Perolari and 2.572 ahead of Danilo in 17th.

Results of the first free practice session:

Memories, memories: Jules Cluzel’s first victory in World Supersport:

🏆It has been a long time since @JulesCluzel16 first took victory, but we remember it like yesterday! It was the Frenchman's first podium, and it came as a win! Stunning!🙌 #WorldSBK pic.twitter.com/G6hpZ0x7px

- WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) October 22, 2019

During the second session, Isaac Viñales made the first effective attack in 2'02.335. He then preceded Jules Cluzel by 0.275, Lucas Mahias by 0.371, and Corentin Perolari (fourth behind Kyle Smith) by 0.606.

Cluzel responded mid-session in 2'02.159, 0.378 ahead of Viñales. Emerging in second position was Ayrton Badovini in 2'02.264, quite discreet until then with his Kawasaki–Pedercini. Federico Caricasulo moved into second position 6 minutes from the checkered flag in 2'02.260.

Randy Krummenacher also got closer, in fifth position, just ahead of Raffaele de Rosa the Neapolitan at the MV and Lucas Mahias. Jules Cluzel made a little push 2 minutes from the end, significantly improving his best time in 2'01.518, which was faster than the lap record set in 2'01.832 by Kenan Sofuoglu on a team Kawasaki Puccetti Racing in 2017.

The gap was huge compared to his pursuers with a lead of 0.742 over Caricasulo second. Badovini then preceded Viñales, Krummenacher, de Rosa and Mahias. Jules Danilo finished the first day in 14th position.

Krummenacher had fallen without seriousness: