SSP | Pata Italian Round, Tissot-Superpole: the rain doesn't stop Mahias

Just one lap was enough for Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) to obtain pole at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, where the fifth round of the season is taking place: the reigning Champion will therefore start ahead of everyone in the race of the FIM Supersport World Championship which will start tomorrow.

The third Superpole of the season arrived just when it started raining on the circuit, after a morning of full sun: the weather therefore heavily influenced the qualifying, not allowing the drivers to lap as much as they had planned.

The first drops fell right at the end of Superpole 1, with Massimo Roccoli (GAS Racing Team) and Rob Hartog (Team Hartog – Against Cancer) having done the best in dry conditions: in the second heat those who understood that they had to push from the start he had the upper hand straight away, clocking 1'53 and 1'54, while from the fifth lap onwards no one managed to go below 1'58.701.

At Mahias we find Jules Cluzel (NRT) and Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasai Puccetti Racing) who is therefore in a good position for tomorrow's race.

Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) will start tomorrow from the second row, in fourth position, together with Hartog and Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing), while Roccoli closed the session with the seventh fastest time.
Mahias' closest rivals are behind in the standings: Sandro Cortese (Kallio Racing) will start from ninth position tomorrow, while Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) will be called upon to make another comeback, starting from eleventh position.

Below is the Supersport starting grid:
1. Lucas Mahias FRA GRT Yamaha YZF-R6 1m 53.042s
2. Jules Cluzel FRA NRT Yamaha YZF-R6 1m 54.027s
3. Kenan Sofuoglu TUR Puccetti Kawasaki ZX-6R 1m 54.671s
4. Federico Caricasulo ITA GRT Yamaha YZF-R6 1m 54.949s
5. Rob Hartog NED Team Hartog Against Cancer Kawasaki ZX-6R 1m 58.701s
6. Luke Stapleford GBR Profile Racing Triumph Daytona 675 1m 58.495s
7. Massimo Roccoli ITA GAS Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 1m 59.607s
8. Hikari Okubo JPN Puccetti Kawasaki ZX-6R 1m 59.814s
9. Sandro Cortese GER Kallio Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 2m 00.028s
10. Raffaelle De Rosa ITA MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag F4 RC 2m 00.581s
11. Randy Krummenacher SUI Bardahl Evan Bros. Yamaha YZF-R6 2m 00.768s
12. Ayrton Badovini ITA MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag F4 RC 2m 00.866s

Grid positions set by Superpole 1 results
13. Davide Stirpe ITA Extreme Racing Bardahl MV Agusta F3 675 1m 52.367s
14. Nicola Morrentino Jr. ITA Renzi Corse Kawasaki ZX-6R 1m 52.565s
15. Niki Tuuli FIN CIA Landlords Insurance Honda CBR600RR 1m 52.573s
16. Loris Cresson BEL Kallio Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 1m 52.643s
17. Anthony West AUS EAB antwest Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R 1m 52.731s
18. Eemeli Lahti FIN Sterkman Motorsport by HRP Suzuki GSX-R600 1m 52.874s
19. Thomas Gradinger AUT NRT Yamaha YZF-R6 1m 52.967s
20. Stefan Hill GBR Profile Racing Triumph Daytona 675 1m 53.196s
21. Kyle Smith GBR Gemar Team Lorini Honda CBR600RR 1m 53.286s
22. Andrew Irwin GBR CIA Landlords Insurance Honda CBR600RR 1m 53.444s
23. Alfonso Coppola ITA GRT Yamaha Junior Team YZF-R6 1m 53.559s
24. Lorenzo Gabellini ITA GAS Racing Yamaha YZF-R6 1m 53.748s
25.Wayne Tessels NED Chromeburner Wayne's Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R 1m 54.078s
26. Nacho Calero ESP Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawsaki ZX-6R 1m 54.399s
27. Michael Canducci ITA Team GoEleven Kawasaki ZX-6R 1m 54.459s
28. Peter Sebestyen HUN SSP Hungary Racing Kawasaki ZX-6R 1m 54.595s
29. Marco Malone ITA Team Greenspeed Kawasaki ZX-6R 1m 54.642s
30. Jaimie van Sikkelerus NED Gemar Team Lorini Honda CBR600RR 1m 54.790s
31. Javier Ezepuiel Iturrioz ARG Team GoEleven Kawasaki ZX-6R 1m 56.114s
32. Hannes Soomer EST Racedays Honda CBR600RR No time set