Qatar WSS: Mahias wins, Cortese champion after title showdown
Sandro Co🐈rtese has been crowned the 2018 World Supersport champion after finishing second to Lucas Mahias in this evening's dramatic Qatar season finale.
Cortese, competing in his debut WSS season, was confirmed as champion when title rival Jules Cluzel crashed on the final lap while trying to pass the German♏ for second place.
Cortes𝐆e began the race with a five-point lead over Cluzel, the Frenchman chasing his first world crown and Cortese seeking to add the 600cc title to his 2012 Moto3 championship.
Sandro Cortese has been crowned the 2018 World Supersport champion after finishing second to Lucas Mahias in this evening's dramatic Qatar s꧑eason finale.
Cortese, competing🥂 in his debut WSS season, was confirmed 🐻as champion when title rival Jules Cluzel crashed on the final lap while trying to pass the German for second place.
Cortese began the race with a five-point lead over Cluzel, the🦩 Frenchman chasing his first world crown and𝔉 Cortese seeking to add the 600cc title to his 2012 Moto3 championship.
An earlier rain storm delayed both warm-up and the rac🐲e, with numerous streams of water crossing the otherwise dry track - forcing riders to lift their machines in some corners - when the race action got underway at 18:15 local time.
Cortese and Cluzel were frontrunner🗹s throughout the shortened 12-lap showdown, with pole starter Mahias fighting back to the front after running wide at turn onꦬe.
The championship duel saw numerous hard-but-fair passes, title momentum swinging firmly in Cortese's favour when Mahias took the lead with three laps🎀 to go.
Cortese could afford to finish third, behind Cluzel, if Mahias won. The Kallio Racing competitor was thus happy to se🐈e Mahi🐎as build a lead, while Cluzel became ever more agitated to get ahead of Cortese and close down Mahias.
Cluzel made frequent passes but was never able t🧔o break clear of his rival, who was back holding second place as the last lap bꦓegan.
The title fight was then decided when Cluzel 🔯made a lunge at Turn 7, but lost the front of h꧒is NRT Yamaha and fell.
Worse was to follow when Cluzel crashed again after remounting - this time a nasty highside after crossing a stream of water than left him holding his leg, meaning outgoing champion Mahias snatched secon😼d in the world championship.
Mahias' GRT Yamaha team-mate Federico Caricasulo was promoted to t🗹hird place by Cluzel's exit, with the fallen Frenchman's team-mate Thomas Gradinger inheriting fourth.
Corentin Perolari, fastest in warm-up, and Hector Barbera completed the topꦰ six.
The tricky conditions contributed in seven riders fai🦹ling to reach the finish.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years a🦩nd has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez♍’s injury issues.
