2020 Catalunya World Supersport Race One Result: Wait, What?

After the threat of rain, World Supersport would start on a dry track, and Andrea Locatelli could take the title with a win. 

Corentin Perolari took the lead ahead of Lucas Mahias and Andrea Locatelli, but Locatelli knocked Mahias out of the way. A few turns later, Locatelli took to the front and tried to build a gap.

At the start of the second lap, the leading three bikes charged into the first turn three abreast, and Lucas Mahias took the lead ahead of Corentin Perolari and Andrea Locatelli. Philipp Oettl took third from Locatelli a few turns later. At the start of lap three, Mahias setting the fastest lap, four riders headed into turn one together, Perolari, Locatelli, Mahias and Oettl changing places again. Locatelli took the lead at turn five.

Locatelli set the fastest lap, a 1'45.869, and held the lead for a few more laps, ahead of Lucas Mahias for eight laps, but at half race distance, the rain arrived.

The limited adhesion flags came out as Locatelli's two second lead dropped to a one second lead as riders started putting in for tyres. Lucas Mahias took the lead from Locatelli as the weather started to get worse and worse, with Kyle Smith benefitting as well, but the rain just kept getting even worse. Smith and Mahias had a conversation of gesticulation in the top two places before finally deciding to put in. Smith slowed down, chatted with Mahias about the red flag, and the pair pitted in the lap behind Locatelli did.

Andy Verdoia stayed out as everyone else pitted in, betting on a red flag as the weather kept getting worse. His gamble paid off and he rowed his bike round the river as the red flags came out with two thirds race distance completed.

As the remaining riders tried to paddle their bikes back to the pits to make their efforts count, everyone else huddle around out of the rain, trying to work out if Locatelli was the world champion or if he only had a ninety nine point lead over Mahias when the rain settled.

Andy Verdoia was declared the winner, taking his first win, with Lucas Mahias and Kyle Smith rounding out the podium. The bikes eventually were wheeled into Parc Fermé as Verdoia couldn't stop laughing at his first top ten finish being a win, as he stayed out in what he thought was fourteenth place. He gambled on the red flag, hoping he'd be rewarded for a top ten place only to find out he won. 

Once the confusion dissipated, Andrea Locatelli ended the race in fourth place, ninety two points clear of Jules Cluzel and ninety nine ahead of Lucas Mahias. The championship would wait another day. 

Verdoia still can't believe he won.

Results: