News

This season’s FIM Supersport World Championship grid is one of the most stacked in recent years, and with such a talent-laden roster, thin margins will continue to separate these riders as they make final preparations for Round 2. Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) and Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) find themselves in a tie for P1, while a host of other riders sit close behind, hoping to claim Portimao’s points for their own during the Pirelli Portuguese Round.

BOOTH AMOS AND MANZI SET TO GO HEAD-TO-HEAD AGAIN IN PORTIMAO: Bendsneyder looks to close the gap

WorldSSP will enter the Portimao with a tie for first place. A breakout performance from Booth-Amos saw him land P2 in Race 1, then won his first ever WorldSSP race in Race 2. Accomplishing the same podium placements however in reverse, Manzi topped the podium in Race 1 and finished in P2 behind Booth-Amos in Race 2, leaving the pair tied with 45 points. Behind Booth-Amos and Manzi, Dutch rider Bo Bendsneyder (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) sits behind them in third place, having had a consistently fast weekend in Australia in which he placed P4 in Race 1 and P3 in Race 2, and this upcoming round at Portimao will be Bendsneyder’s first race at the circuit in WorldSSP. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) was a front runner in Australia and will be hoping that continues at Portimao; a circuit he was on the rostrum at in 2022.

EVERYTHING TO PLAY FOR: six riders within eight points of P4

Ahead of Portimao, several young riders have shown they have the potential to be around the podium positions, however they will look to take another step forward in Round 2 to put themselves into the title conversation. Oli Bayliss (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) was feeling lucky in his home country in the Australian Round 1, earning a trio of P7’s, propelling him to P4 in the standings. Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki Racing Team) represented Kawasaki well Down Under and Portimao is a circuit he took third at back in his Moto3™ days. 2017 World Champion Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) didn’t finish outside the top 10 in Australia, and at Portimao testing was in WorldSSP’s top three across both days; he’s also a race winner here in WorldSSP, back in 2018, in unusual circumstances. Marcel Schroetter (WRP Racing) did not test at Portimao across the pair of testing days held March 14-15^th, however in Australia he earned a P3 podium in Race 1, followed by an unfortunate Turn 11 crash forcing a DNF and no points for the German rider. Michael Rinaldi (GMT94-YAMAHA) joined WorldSSP after 7 years in WorldSBK and he’s been on the World Superbike rostrum at the Portuguese venue, with third in 2023 in Race 2. Spanish rookie Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was on track for a very strong debut in Australia, notching back-to-back P6’s, before an unfortunate collision in Race 2 ended his weekend. Luke Power (Motozoo ME air racing) landed two solid performances in his home country of Australia last round P12 and P11 across the two days despite a crash in Turn 2 of Free Practice 1 and will look to follow that up with more points scored in Portimao.

WorldSSP CHALLENGE BEGIN THEIR CAMPAIGN: Carrasco looks to begin her WorldSSP career, QJ Motor back in action

Winner of the FIM Women’s Circuit Racing World Championship’s inaugural season, Ana Carrasco (Honda Racing World Supersport) has joined the World Supersport paddock and looks forward to her first round in the competition at Portimao. She will join French Rider Corentin Perolari atop the team’s pair of Honda CBR600RR. Eduardo Montero will feature for D34G WorldSSP Racing Team atop their Ducati Panigale V2 as a challenge rider, racing alongside van Straalen if he is declared medically fit. Joining the WorldSSP grid, Chinese manufacturer QJ Motor return for their second season, this campaign fielding a pair of riders. Finnish rider Niki Tuuli (QJ MOTOR Factory Racing) joining last year’s QJ Motor rider Raffaele De Rosa, where de Rosa finished with a pair of 23^rd and 29^th place finishes. MMB Racing will be making a one-off appearance with the WorldSSP grid at Portimao, representing the team will be Irish rider Eugene McManus, and British rider Harry Truelove. The pairing will race with the team’s set of Panigale V2s.

RIDERS LEFT UNFIT AFTER AUSTRALIA: Oettl, Caricasulo, and Debise hope to make a triumphant return to WorldSSP action

Phillip Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) is one of this season’s most anticipated riders, having made the switch from WorldSBK in the offseason. Unfortunately, his WorldSSP debut was delayed after suffering a left knee injury in Australia in Day 2 of testing ahead of the race weekend, but he’s been declared fit for Portimao. After all three suffered crashes at Phillip Island’s Turn 12, Yuki Okamoto (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing), Glenn van Straalen (D34G WorldSSP Racing Team) and Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME air racing) were ruled unfit from competing in Australia. In Portugal, Caricasulo was declared fit while Okamoto and van Straalen will be reassessed after Free Practice in Portugal. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) collided with Masia in Race 2, sending the pair sprawling into the gravel, from which Debise was later diagnosed with a broken right ankle but he’s also been declared fit for Portimao, as has Niccolo Antonelli (VFT Racing) who missed Race 2 in Australia through illness.

Catch all the upcoming action at Portimao and the rounds to come with the WorldSBK VideoPass!