Testing has finished and with a new look to the grid, it is time to shape up Down Under in World Supersportā¦
Testing may not be conclusive evidence of what the order may be over the course of the season but testing at the circuit hosting the opening round may give an idea of what to expect this weekend. RookieĀ Andrea LocatelliĀ (BARDHAL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) was fastest in all sessions at the Phillip Island Official Test with 2019 ChampionĀ Randy KrummenacherĀ not far behind. Both have valued experience and look set to do battle, although plenty of others will be in their slipstream and in contention for the curtain-raising event.
KrummenacherĀ will be joined by two other riders in the MV Agusta Reparto Corse team āĀ Raffaele De RosaĀ andĀ Federico FuligniĀ as the three riders riding an MV Agusta bike as they all look for the MV Agusta F3 675 to take them to poles, podiums and wins throughout the 2020 season. He topped the testing timesheets at Jerez and has got the MV Agusta suited to his liking. Both he and machine are looking like real contenders at Phillip Island.
KrummenacherĀ is not the only Champion on the grid with 2017 ChampionĀ Lucas MahiasĀ (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) still riding in the series alongsideĀ Philipp OettlĀ on a Kawasaki ZX-6R bike throughout the 2020 season. Itās nowĀ Mahiasā second season with Kawasaki machinery following his switch from Yamaha last year.Ā OettlĀ andĀ MahiasĀ are joined on the Kawasaki ZX-6R byĀ Manuel GonzalezĀ (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) andĀ Can ĆncĆ¼Ā (Turkish Racing Team) as the four riders powered by Kawasakis on the 2020 grid. BothĀ GonzalezĀ andĀ ĆncĆ¼Ā are rookies this season, although both have performed exceptionally well at such a young age.
Honda are also represented on the grid with two bikes from the same team, withĀ Hikari OkuboĀ (Dynavolt Honda) re-joining the PTR squad, alongsideĀ Patrick Hobelsberger.Ā OkuboĀ is making a return to Honda after two years riding a Kawasaki and finishing fifth in the 2019 Supersport World Championship.Ā HobelsbergerĀ is in a full-time entry after a one-off appearance at the 2019 Riviera di Rimini Round at Misano.
Jules CluzelĀ (GMT94 Yamaha) was runner-up in this race last year as he finished just over six seconds behindĀ Krummenacher. He will be looking to go one step further in 2020 and stand on the top step of the podium at a track he has two wins at. GMT94 Yamaha have kept an unchanged line-up asĀ CluzelĀ is joined once again byĀ Corentin Perolari. Both riders have shown pace in the Phillip Island Official Test withĀ CluzelĀ andĀ PerolariĀ finishing third and fifth respectively on day two.
Spanish sensationĀ Isaac ViƱalesĀ (Kallio Racing) and teammateĀ Hannes SommerĀ are lining up together as they ride a Yamaha YZF R6 looking for success in WorldSSP.Ā ViƱalesĀ made the podium three times in his debut World Supersport season in 2019, all from outside the top five on the grid, while EstonianĀ SommerĀ is entering his third season of WorldSSP. Both are hoping the YZF-R6 will be able to take them to the podium throughout 2020, after promising testing.
Peter SebestyenĀ (OXXO Yamaha Team Toth) and fellow Team Toth Yamaha riderĀ Loris CressonĀ have both been around the WorldSSP paddock for several years, through a mix of part-season campaigns and full-time efforts. The experience they have in the paddock is important, as they look to build on their 2019 campaigns, finishing 11thĀ and 12thĀ in the standings respectively.
Steven OdendaalĀ (EAB Ten Kate Racing) is another rider who is riding a Yamaha YZF R6 in the 2020 season, with 13 out of 22 full-time entries set to ride Yamaha machinery.Ā OdendaalĀ is making the switch to WorldSSP after numerous appearances in Moto2ā¢, plus one full-time campaign in 2018 ā where he was classified 28thĀ in the standings with four points.
Galang Hendra PratamaĀ (bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS Racing) goes into the Australian Round somewhat on the backfoot after missing the Official Test at Phillip Island. The Indonesian is making his debut in WorldSSP after two full-time seasons in World Supersport 300, picking up two wins in the lightweight category, including in his second ever race as a wildcard in 2017. He is joined at bLU cRU WorldSSP by MS byĀ Andy Verdoia, who is also making the step up from WorldSSP300.Ā VerdoiaĀ finished fourth in the 2019 season and picked up two podiums during the year, finishing as the highest placed Yamaha rider.
There are another three single-bike team entries which includeĀ Jaimie van SikkelerusĀ (MPM Routz Racing Team),Ā Christoffer BergmanĀ (Wojcik Racing Team) andĀ Danny WebbĀ (WRP Wepol Racing), with all three powered by Yamaha.Ā Oliver BaylissĀ is also making a wildcard appearance at the Australian Round in the WorldSSP category. The son of three-time MOTUL FIM Superbike World Champion Troy,Ā OliverĀ finished fifth in the AustralianĀ SupersportĀ series in 2019.