The 2021 FIM Supersport World Championship’s first Superpole session of the season got underway in cloudy conditions, where the temperatures were the coolest they had been all weekend for the class. With a number of riders in contention right from the start, it was eventually Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) who put in a stunning lap right at the end to take the first pole of the new WorldSSP season. A huge bit of history however was that for the first time in World Supersport Championship history, the top ten on the grid are all of different nationalities.

THE FRONT ROW: Different manufacturers

For the first time in over two years, Jules Cluzel put in a stunning lap with the less than two minutes to go to storm to pole position. A phenomenal lap gave him a new all-time lap record by less than a tenth, giving him a first pole since Thailand in 2019. He held off flying Finn Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti), who looked like he had pole in the bag until Cluzel’s stunning time. Having been fastest on Friday, Tuuli will go from the middle of the front row. Completing the top three was Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), with the German rider on fine form and making it three manufacturers inside the top three.

COMPLETING THE TOP 10: Yamahas everywhere

The second row is headed by South African rider Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. Yamaha WorldSSP Team), who gets his 2021 off to a solid start at MotorLand Aragon. Odendaal just managed to fend off rookie Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), with the Swiss rider looking good throughout the session and always in the mix for pole. With Aegerter fifth, the second row is completed by World Supersport returnee Federico Caricasulo (GMT94 Yamaha), with the Italian quietly going about his business to finish in sixth.

Rookie Marc Alcoba (Yamaha MS Racing) was a sensational seventh place, whilst Estonian Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing) goes from the middle of the third row. Making it another all-Yamaha row is Christoffer Bergman (Wojcik Racing Team), with the Swedish rider impressing once more in ninth. There was another rookie sensation in tenth place with Luca Bernardi (CM Racing), who put his Yamaha in tenth place on his World Supersport debut.

REMAINING HEADLINES: Turn 2 claims two stars…

It was a disaster for Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team) who was way outside the top ten, having crashed at Turn 2 with less than ten minutes. Minutes later, Raffaele De Rosa (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) did the same thing at the same corner, putting him two places ahead of Krummenacher on the grid in 13^th. Krummenacher’s 15^th place grid start is the worst for him in World Supersport. Top WorldSSP Challenge rider was Kevin Manfredi (Altogo Racing Team), in 17^th place. Great Britain’s Danny Webb (Wepol Racing Team) was 26^th on his WorldSSP return.

Top six after WorldSSP Superpole, full results here:

1. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) 1’52.937s
2. Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) +0.288s
3. Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) +0.416s
4. Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) +0.465s
5. Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.616s
6. Federico Caricasulo (GMT94 Yamaha) +0.713s

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