18 laps of WorldSSP action saw the lead change hands eight times.
Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse) claimed the honours at the chequered flag by four tenths of a second having led a dozen laps.
The fight at the front saw the Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team riders Can Oncu and Alberto Surra lead the early laps before Debise hit the front for the first time on Lap 4. By that point Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) was firmly in the fight having made a lightning start from the fifth row of the grid.
In the closing laps Debise, Manzi and Oncu edged their way ahead of the rest of the lead group. The trio would share the podium having finished almost two seconds clear of Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team), Lucas Mahias (GMT94-YAMAHA) and Alberto Surra.
Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph Factory Racing) suffered a costly crash at Turn 6 in the closing stages. The British rider, third in the standings, was in a fight with Jaume Masia (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) for eighth position when he crashed and finished outside of the points.
A three place grid penalty dropped Raffaele de Rosa (QJMOTOR Factory Racing) to seventh on the starting grid. The Italian would finish ninth to claim the honours of the leading WorldSSP Challenge Rider.
Roberto Garcia (GMT94-YAMAHA) set the fastest lap and will be rewarded with pole position for Race 2 ahead of Debise and Oncu.
Championship Highlights
- With three races remaining Manzi holds a point advantage over Oncu. The Italian will clinch the title if he ends the Estoril Round with a 50 point lead.
- Masia’s eighth place finish elevates him to third in the standings. The Spaniard has a slender four point lead over Booth-Amos.
P1 – Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse)
“I’m really pleased. My first win was in Aragon and this track is completely different. It feels great to win here. I struggled a bit yesterday but we made good changes and I felt comfortable straight away in the race. When I saw the others fighting and the pace dropping, I went to the front and pushed hard until the end. I had a small gap and managed to hold it for the win.”
P2 – Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing)
“This was a really good race! Yesterday was tougher than I expected but the team worked hard overnight and we made a big step this morning. I had a good feeling and enjoyed the fight. I came here to win, not to finish second, but at this stage of the championship it’s still a good result. We’ll work tonight to try to fight for victory tomorrow and then we see how we can handle the rest.”
Race 1 Results
1. Valentin Debise (Renzi Corse)
2. Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) +0.440s
3. Can Oncu (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +0.814s
4. Philipp Oettl (Feel Racing WorldSSP Team) +2.616s
5. Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) +2.667s
6. Alberto Surra (Yamaha BLU CRU Evan Bros Team) +3.122s
For more info checkout our dedicated WorldSBK (World Superbike) News page superbike-news.co.uk/category/world-superbikes/
Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com
©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of WorldSBK.com
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