Class rookie Alessandro Di Persio took a debut FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup victory in a spectacular and unpredictable Race 2 at Donington Park.
Marc Vich was penalised on the final lap to finish second, while title leader Gonzalo Sanchez completed the podium.
Conditions for the second R3 bLU cRU World Cup race were much more settled than Race 1 where a rain stoppage and tyre change were necessary. Sunday’s sunshine provided a warm and dry Donington Park circuit for the 16 young hopefuls.
The race two grid is based on the best laps from Saturday’s race, and it was therefore Di Persio who started on pole with Eduardo Burr and Sanchez alongside him. It was the Spanish series leader who shot to the front of the pack at the start of the 10-lap race, but he was unable to pull any advantage over the chasing pack. Race 1 victor Marc Vich was keen to continue his run of strong finishes and it was the Mallorcan and Di Persio who made their way to the front while a big group fought it out behind them.
With everyone on identical machinery and tyres there was little to split them, and by the halfway point of the race there were numerous riders still in contention. Sensational riding in the final laps from the likes of Sanchez, Vich, Mario Salles and Takumi Takahashi made for an exciting run to the finish line. A final push from Vich saw him cross the line in first place, but he was found to have exceeded track limits on the last lap and he was demoted to second. Italy’s Di Persio was thrilled with a debut victory after an impressive weekend on an unfamiliar circuit, while Sanchez took an important third place and useful championship points. The Japanese pairing of Takahashi and Shoma Yamane completed the Top 5.
The top two in the championship standings, Sanchez and Vich, are now separated by just 10 points.
Alessandro Di Persio: “Donington is a difficult track to learn, I tried hard from free practice onwards to study the more experienced riders and I worked with my team and the bLU cRU staff to understand the best way to ride. Yesterday I was very happy to achieve a podium here, especially with the changing conditions, but today it feels incredible to win. When I started from pole today I told myself ‘this time I’ll win’ and when I saw Marc (Vich) exceed track limits I knew I had it. A huge thanks to my family, my team and everyone at Yamaha.”
The R3 bLU cRU World Cup will return to action from September 6th – 8th in Magny-Cours, France.
For more info checkout our dedicated FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup News page superbike-news.co.uk/category/world-superbikes/r3-world-cup/
©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU World Cup
