2020 Aragon World Supersport Race One Result: Can The Streak Continue?

With Andrea Locatelli having won all five races from pole position this year, setting the fastest lap on his way to the championship lead over Jules Cluzel. Would this be the weekend where Locatelli's streak comes to an end? Fifteen laps around the first of four World Supersport races at Motorland Aragon would determine if it would be the case.

The start included lots of barging to the front, with Lucas Mahias and Andrea Locatelli leading Philipp Oettl and Jules Cluzel. But Oettl fought with Locatelli and held second place from him after a few swaps back and forth. At the start of the second lap, Cluzel had both excellent drive out of the last corner and clean air in front of him, and he charged from Firth place to first, passing three bikes down the start/finish straight into turn one. Cluzel then set the fastest lap holding the lead from Locatelli, Oettl and Mahias with Isaac Viñales, Hannes Soomer and Raffaele De Rosa behind them.

On lap three, Andrea Locatelli set the fastest lap and took the lead in turn sixteen at the end of the lap, but Cluzel took it back into turn one and held it for most of the lap. Locatelli took first place from Cluzel at the end of the lap and set a new lap record of 1'54.191. Isaac Viñales lost touch with the leading riders after hitting a kerb while fighting with Lucas Mahias, a "discussion" as Philipp Oettl called it, and running off track. 

Locatelli started stretching out his lead over Cluzel who was clear of Oettl. A second or so behind third place, Lucas Mahias and Raffaele De Rosa left Corentin Perolari and Steven Odendaal to deal with Manuel Gonzales as Hannes Soomer crashed out.

Once Raffaele De Rosa passed Lucas Mahias, the top five places were settled, with the last few laps only having to determine if Isaac Viñales could recover enough to pass Steven Odendaal. 

Andrea Locatelli built his lead a couple of tenths a lap to a four second lead over Jules Cluzel who managed his second and a bit lead over Philipp Oettl lap after lap. Raffaele De Rosa a second back escaped the attention of Lucas Mahias as the battle for sixth continued.

Andrea Locatelli won the race over three seconds clear of Jules Cluzel and over five from Philipp Oettl. Raffaele De Rosa and Lucas Mahias took fourth and fifth place while Steven Odendaal stole sixth from Isaac Viñales at the flag. 

Cluzel said it is impossible to fight Locatelli with his inexplicable pace and he is happy he's the best of the rest, and Locatelli is confident heading to race two tomorrow.

Andrea Locatelli won from pole position with the fastest lap, like he has done every race this year, and extended his championship lead over Jules Cluzel to forty points over six races. Philipp Oettl's third place lifted him to fourth place in the championship, eight points behind third-placed Lucas Mahias. Streaks cannot go on for ever, but nobody seems to have told Locatelli this.

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