WorldSSP 2022 title fight fierce between Aegerter and Baldassarri as they return to Portimao
There are only 36 points separating World Supersport championship leader Dominque Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) heading into the final European round of the 2022 Championship.
Aegerter will be looking at securing his first race win at the Portugal circuit this weekend, with his best place finish so far being a third in Race 1 in 2021. The Reigning WorldSSP Champion leads the standings with 336 points, and is currently riding with confidence having announced he will move to the WorldSBK grid with GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team in 2023.
Dominique Aegerter: “I will train hard to be in the front at Portimao to make a great race. I remember last year we had a small issue in Race 1, and in the second race we were in a big group with this battle over the slipstream. I think that this year our package is much stronger to be able to fight for the victory or the podium. We will see then!”
Former Moto2TM contender Lorenzo Baldassarri will be racing at Portimao for the first time with WorldSSP, despite having raced there in Moto2 back in 2020 with his best place finish of 17th.
Lorenzo Baldassarri: “Portimao is a nice track for me. It was a new track for MotoGPTM, and I had a great experience there. I like the track it’s kind of a rollercoaster, up and down hills, fast corners, slow corners… also very fast right corner before the straight… and the straight is also up and down. We arrive with high motivation, and I hope to arrive there with 100% physically after a difficult weekend in Barcelona, and after the crash in Superpole. I will try to recover and be ready to fight in Portimao.”
Kawasaki Pucetti Racing’s Can Oncu rounds out third place in the current Championship standings with 171 points. The Turkish rider is coming into this round with two podium finishes in Barcelona, and he is hoping to continue his podium contention form in Portugal.
After a challenging Catalunya Round, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) is now fourth in the Championship standings, one point shy of Oncu in third. The Italian Rookie will be racing for the first time at Portimao with WorldSPP, although has experience at the venue having raced there in Moto2TM in 2020 and 2021.
