World Supersport rookie Lorenzo Baldassarri and 2021 WorldSSP Champion Dominique Aegerter took a win apiece in two stunning displays as the 2022 season commenced at MotorLand Aragón.
Taking a dramatic victory in a race-long battle on Saturday, Baldassarri was eager to repeat his success on Sunday. However, it was Swiss rival Aegerter who took the early lead, with the Italian slotting in behind. As the 15-lap race progressed, a three-way battle emerged, with each rider lapping under the existing lap record.
As the pace picked up yet again, the Yamaha duo broke away from their third-place rival, making it a two-horse race for the win. Holding position until lap five, the Evan Bros Yamaha rider darted to the front, passing the Ten Kate rider into the final corner. The lead was short-lived, however, as the 31-year-old repaid the favour at turn one.
Shadowing his Yamaha counterpart until the last lap, ‘Balda’ tried everything. Recovering from a minor error in the third sector, the Saturday victor made a move at the end of the straight. Aegerter used his experience and fought back at the final corner, claiming victory by 0.030 seconds.
It was another strong race for EAB Racing’s Glenn van Straalen, who, after a retirement for a rival ahead, lay third on the final lap. Unable to hold the final rostrum position, the Dutch rider concluded his weekend with a second fourth-place finish.
Following a turn one crash in Saturday’s race, GMT94 Yamaha’s Jules Cluzel was determined to make amends for the second encounter. After a strong start, the Frenchman fought through the field to narrowly miss out on a top five finish as he crossed the line in sixth.
Patrick Hobelsberger secured points for 13th place, while the youngest-ever World Supersport race winner, Andy Verdoia finished 16th.
Spanish rider Unai Orradre, who celebrated his 18th birthday on Saturday, secured a top-20 finish. The former WorldSSP 300 rider suffered from a technical problem in race one, but a promising race two saw him close his maiden weekend in the middle-weight class in 17th place.
Dominique Aegerter and Lorenzo Baldassarri head to Assen tied atop of the standings with 45-points.
Lorenzo Baldassarri: P1 & P2
Evan Bros Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team
“I expected to be strong after the tests, but not quite like this! I had a great feeling on my Evan Bro’s Yamaha R6 and was confident of a strong performance in Aragón. It was a great battle with Dominique today. I started well and saw that he was pushing hard and was trying to escape. We made some changes to the bike which made me more comfortable, so I was able to go with him. I was a bit ‘safer’ in the final corner after what happened on Saturday, but Dominique did a really good job to pass me on the inside. I really wanted to win, but I had a small slide out of the final corner which cost me time. Still, it’s a very good way to start the season and I’m very happy – thank you to everyone who trusted me, and I hope to keep going like this.”
Dominique Aegerter: P2 & P1
Ten Kate Yamaha WorldSSP Supported Team
“I’m very happy to be back on the podium and to claim my first victory of the season. Yesterday we were very lucky after the collision at the final corner, and today I tried to push very hard from the beginning to make a gap to the riders behind. Baldassarri was always pushing me, so I tried to focus and to not make any mistakes. I was able to have a look at where he was faster when he overtook me, but honestly, his pace wasn’t great, so I got back in front. When he came passed on the last lap I thought ‘no, not again!’ I played it right and was able to cut under him at the final corner to claim 25 points.
“I want to thank the Ten Kate Yamaha team who have done a fantastic job over the winter to give me a fantastic bike once again. I’m looking forward to Assen, a home round for the team, and I’m sure we can fight at the front there.”
Unai Orradre: P27 & P17
MS Racing Yamaha
“It was a difficult weekend. We had a technical issue which held me back on Saturday, but on Sunday we made a good step forward. I didn’t make too much progress at the start but as the race went on, I was able to improve. I set a good lap time on my final lap, which is positive. I feel much better, so race-by-race I hope to improve and get closer to the front.”
