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The official race report service of Kawasaki Racing Team.

1 Marzo 2020

Mahias Fifth After Two Part WorldSSP Opener

The first round of the 2020 FIM Supersport World Championship, at Phillip Island, was finally run under flag-to-flag rules, with Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider Lucas Mahias finishing fifth after his mandatory mid-race pit stop. New signing Philipp Öttl was to fall and no score from a strong track position in his first-ever WorldSSP race.

Mahias, the 2017 world champion, battled hard in the race from his first row starting place, and completed his pit stop without penalty. Several riders left pitlane too soon after their pit stop and suffered time penalties as a result, complicating the final analysis of the race until the official results were published.
 
Finishing some 11-seconds from the win, Mahias is fifth in the championship rankings after the first of 12 championship rounds, with a total of 11 points after day one of the new season.
 
Öttl was riding confidently behind the leading group until he slid off and got back on his bike, albeit out of the points scoring positions. He eventually retired from the race but learned valuable lessons in Australia -  in the pre-race tests and then in the run-up to the two-part 16 lap race.
 
After the Australian weekend the WorldSSP riders will head to the desert backdrop of Qatar for the next round of the championship, between 13 and 15 March.
 
Lucas Mahias, stated: “The race was not so good. I was having to open the throttle very early and that makes you slide a lot. That starts to wear out the tyre and finally creates some other issues. When we started the season I hoped that it would be a little bit better today.”
 
Philipp Öttl, stated: “In the beginning I was searching for my rhythm and in the beginning I had it. I passed Perolari and had a very good feeling to make a podium. Then I made a mistake in Turn Two and went off line. I closed the gas and I am sad that I fell off. We can make a good race in Qatar and for sure I would like to not do something like this again. I am more sorry for the team than me today as they did a fantastic job since we got here.”
 
2019 WorldSSP300 champion Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) had a strong first race in his new category, finishing eighth from 18 riders who made to the finish after a total of 16 laps.
 
Can Öncü (Turkish Puccetti Racing) was 11th and like Gonzalez, scored points at the very first time of asking.
 
                                                #NinjaSpirit