Photo: Yamaha
We know the gaps between the riders in motorcycle sports are very tight, but finishing 0.001 isn’t an ordinary case. This is the case with GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team new R6, which debuted this past weekend.
In a dramatic race taking place in Australia, the team’s racer Lucas Mahias fought a heroic battle all the way to second place on his new YZF-R6, finishing just 0.001 seconds from total victory.
“It was a very short race but a very good one,” Mahias said. "In the beginning of the week I crashed very hard in turn three so it is incredible to be on the podium today. Coming to the line for the final time I realized I could be fast out of the last corner. I would have preferred to win the race but I was just a bit short.”
He was subsequently penalized on second, but retained his runner-up status, after clashing with race winner Roberto Rolfo over the finish line. Fellow GRT Yamaha rider Federico Caricasulo was en route to a possible podium finish too but fell on the final lap and got no score.
Initially set for 18 laps, the first race of the 2017 WorldSSP was cut to 15 laps as a precaution against excessive tire wear, and, after a crash had brought out the red flag in the first attempted race, a ten lap contest was finally run.
The race was as intense as its sprint length may have indicated, and Mahias was never out of the top three places across the line. Rolfo and Lucas exited the final corner line astern and touched as they battled for the win, with Rolfo eventually going off the track.
Caricasulo, who had qualified third, led the first lap and stayed in for the win right through until the final lap. In trying to re-pass Julez Cluzel, he fell and collided with his rival’s machine on the exit of the MG corner.
The WorldSSP riders now head to Thailand and the Buriram circuit in readiness for the second round on Sunday, March 12th.
“It was a very short race but a very good one,” Mahias said. "In the beginning of the week I crashed very hard in turn three so it is incredible to be on the podium today. Coming to the line for the final time I realized I could be fast out of the last corner. I would have preferred to win the race but I was just a bit short.”
He was subsequently penalized on second, but retained his runner-up status, after clashing with race winner Roberto Rolfo over the finish line. Fellow GRT Yamaha rider Federico Caricasulo was en route to a possible podium finish too but fell on the final lap and got no score.
Initially set for 18 laps, the first race of the 2017 WorldSSP was cut to 15 laps as a precaution against excessive tire wear, and, after a crash had brought out the red flag in the first attempted race, a ten lap contest was finally run.
The race was as intense as its sprint length may have indicated, and Mahias was never out of the top three places across the line. Rolfo and Lucas exited the final corner line astern and touched as they battled for the win, with Rolfo eventually going off the track.
Caricasulo, who had qualified third, led the first lap and stayed in for the win right through until the final lap. In trying to re-pass Julez Cluzel, he fell and collided with his rival’s machine on the exit of the MG corner.
The WorldSSP riders now head to Thailand and the Buriram circuit in readiness for the second round on Sunday, March 12th.
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