2018 WorldSSP Spain - Motorland Aragon

Mahias Ready to Return to Happy Hunting Ground in Aragon

yamaha.com

After securing a sensational double podium in Thailand, the GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team are excited to get back into action at Round 3 of the 2018 Supersport World Championship in Aragon, Spain this weekend. Reigning WorldSSP Champion and joint leader of the overall standings after the first two rounds, Lucas Mahias, is looking forward to returning to the site of his maiden WorldSSP victory last season after finishing in second at the last round in Buriram, missing out on the race win by just 0.048s in a dramatic finish. His teammate Federico Caricasulo showed great pace through the entire weekend in Thailand before recording his first podium of 2018 after finishing in third place and the Italian is hoping to carry his pace and form into the first European round of 2018.
Mahias has been in incredible form during the first two round of 2018, maintaining a 100% pole position record and storming to victory at Phillip Island before just missing out on making it two out of two race wins in Thailand. The 28-year-old French rider was involved in an incredible finish in Buriram as he tried to overtake Randy Krummenacher at the very last corner, just missing out on victory in the sprint to the line by less than five-hundredths of a second. He is excited to be getting the first leg of the European season underway at Motorland Aragon after taking his maiden WorldSSP victory at the track in 2017 with a sensational last corner move, winning by just 0.014s. The man from Mont-de-Marsan is currently level on points at the top of the championship standings with Randy Krummenacher, with both Yamaha riders having collected 45 points from the first two races, and he is keen to reclaim top spot for himself after the duo's excellent battle in Buriram.
Caricasulo has enjoyed a strong start to 2018. A fourth-placed finish at Phillip Island was followed up by a battling ride to third in Thailand to secure the maiden double WorldSSP podium for the GRT Yamaha team. The recently turned 22-year-old crashed out of last year's race at Aragon while battling for the podium but will be looking to continue his impressive 2018 momentum after training hard in-between rounds. After his impressive start to the season, Caricasulo is currently third in the Championship with 29 points, just 16 behind the leaders, and he will be looking to close that gap in Spain.
The first European round of the season sees Alfonso Coppola - last year's Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Challenge winner and runner-up in the WorldSSP300 Championship - making his debut in the European Supersport Cup with the newly-formed GRT Yamaha Official Jnr Team. The 20-year-old Italian has been working incredibly hard over the winter in preparation for making the step up to the WorldSSP Championship with Yamaha as his prize for winning the inaugural Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Challenge.
he GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team take to the track on Friday at 10:40 am for Free Practice 1, with Saturday's qualifying set to start at 2:00 pm, and Sunday's race scheduled for 11:30 am.