WSBK Supersport Doha: Lucas Mahias winner, Jules Cluzel second, Randy Krummenacher World Champion

The top three in the World Championship made up the front row of the starting grid, with Federico Caricasulo (Bardahl Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) in pole position ahead of teammate Randy Krummenacher (Bardahl Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) and Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha ). The first turn looked interesting! Following on the second row were Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in front of his teammate Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing). Jules Danilo (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) started from eleventh position.

What were the conditions for the three leaders of the Championship to be titled?

-Yes Randy Krummenacher finished first or second in the race, he won the title. Ditto by placing third or fourth, provided that Federico Caricasulo does not take the victory. If he finished the race eighth or worse, he could still be titled if Caricasulo did not do better than third.

- Federico Caricasulo was expected to score nine points more than Krummenacher. If he won the race, Caricasulo would need his teammate to finish third or further behind. If the Italian driver finished second, then Krummenacher would have to finish fifth or lower, but if Caricasulo finished third, in that case the Swiss driver would not have to do better than eighth. If, for whatever reason, the Italian were to finish outside the top 8, his title hopes would be over.

-Jules cluzel had to win. He was 22 lengths behind Krummenacher and if he managed to triumph this Saturday, he had to hope that the Swiss finished 14th or lower and that Caricasulo ranked beyond the top 4 to win the world crown.

The start time of the race was brought forward by one hour (instead of that of the SSP300) due to a sandstorm approaching the circuit. The temperature of the track was 32° and that of the asphalt 38°. Raffaele de Rosa started from the fifth row, penalized for speeding too slowly on the line during a practice session. Night had fallen when the pilots took to the track for the reconnaissance lap.

At the start – oh so important – the holeshot was taken by Jules Cluzel ahead of Corentin Perolari, Randy Krummenacher, Federico Caricasulo and Lucas Mahias. Caricasulo was overtaken by Krummenacher and Mahias. Jules Danilo was fourteenth.

Perolari second perfectly protected his leader Cluzel. Mahias moved into third position ahead of Krummenacher and Caricasulo. Was Mahias going to help Jules by blocking Krummenacher and Caricasulo, or was he going to aim for victory, like the one he won last year?

The situation became catastrophic for Caricasulo who found himself seventh, overtaken by Viñales and Smith. Viñales continued his progression by overtaking Krummenacher. Then Smith pushed the Swiss back to sixth position.

A group of 4 stood out, with Cluzel, Perolari, Mahias and Viñales. Smith was 2.1 just ahead of Caricasulo and Krummenacher. Cluzel was only virtually 6 points behind Krummenacher.

Mahias attacked to take first position, but without taking too many risks. And Perolari closed certain doors to him. Caricasulo moved up to fifth position, 1.9 behind Cluzel.

Cluzel, Perolari, Mahias and Viñales were wheel to wheel, with Caricasulo fifth at 1.9 and Krummenacher sixth at 2.5 ahead of Smith. Cluzel and Caricasulo were then second in the Championship, 7 points behind Krummenacher. Jules Danilo was fourteenth.

At mid-race, Cluzel opened up a small gap of 0.5 on Mahias who took second ahead of Perolari and Viñales. Caricasulo, fifth ahead of Krummenacher, set the fastest lap in 2'02.183.

Mahias 7 laps from the checkered flag overtook Cluzel, setting the best lap in 2'02.058. Viñales moved into third position ahead of Perolari.

The first six regrouped in 2 seconds with Mahias in front of Viñales who had just passed Cluzel, Perolari, Caricasulo and Krummenacher. Jules passed Isaac Viñales for second place.

Krummenacher, solid sixth, only had to reach the finish line to be World Champion, with at that moment a virtual 7 point lead over Caricasulo in fourth and 12 over Cluzel in second. Caricasulo and Krummenacher overtook Perolari, but Corentin dove inside Krummenacher and regained fifth position.

Mahias, Cluzel and Viñales stood out in the lead, 4.4 ahead of Caricasulo, Perolari and Krummenacher. Perolari overtook Caricasulo, who kicked him to the outside. Perolari passed again and Krummenacher and attacked Caricasulo again.

Mahias won the race magnificently on one of his favorite circuits, ahead of Cluzel, Viñales, Caricasulo, Krummenacher and Perolari. Danilo finished thirteenth.

Race results:

Final ranking of the World Championship:

Video: “The conquest of victory in the Supersport World Championship undertaken by the GMT94”

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