2023 Donington World Supersport Race Two Result: Once Again, Lap Records Fall | MotoMatters.com

World Supersport was nineteen laps at 19ºC, taking advantage of the new surface and a bit of wind. 

Yari Montella took the lead into turn one, ahead of Nicolo Bulega and Stefano Manzi but Bulega took the lead from him at the end of the lap to lead by the start of lap two. Behind Manzi, Federico Caricasulo, Adrian Huertas, Lucas Mahias and Marcel Schroetter were close. 

Lap two, into the Melbourne Loop, Stefano Manzi stole second place from Yari Montella. Behind Montella, Caricasulo had broken free of the bikes behind him and he rounded out the leading group of four bikes.

On lap three, Nicolo Bulega beat his lap record from yesterday posting a a 1’29.292, with Manzi on his tail. Montella, Caricasulo and Huertas were over a second off the leading duo. A lap later, Bulega set a 1’29.018 as he broke free from Manzi. 

Stefano Manzi crashed at turn eleven, a low side into the Melbourne Loop hairpin, putting Bulega well over three seconds clear of second place. Manzi rejoined in tenth place and took ninth off Raffaele De Rosa to start troubling eighth placed Niki Tuuli. 

At the start of lap seven, Bulega was over four seconds clear of Yari Montella and the fight for third place behind him, led by Federico Caricasulo. A lap later, Manzi had passed the two riders in front of him, Tuuli and Tom Booth-Amos, to put himself at the front of the fight for sixth place, with Caricasulo, Huertas and Schroetter fighting for third over there seconds in front. 

Past half race distance, at the start of lap ten, Nicolo Bulega led by almost five seconds. Yari Montella was under two seconds clear of Caricasulo and Huertas with Schroetter a second further back. Two seconds behind him, Stefano Manzi got a penalty for irresponsible riding, being a bit harsh at the penultimate hairpin, and he started lap eleven in ninth place, behind Valentin Debise, thirteen seconds off the lead. Eugene McManus went off track in turn twelve and crashed into turn one after recovering. Unlike yesterday, his bike didn’t burst into flames this time. 

Once again, Stefano Manzi caught Tom Booth-Amos, making short work of Debise, De Rosa and Tuuli and at the start of lap fourteen, he was in his wake, challenging him for sixth place. At the Melbourne Loop, he took sixth place from him, slipping under neatly. Booth-Amos kept on his tail and hounded him throughout lap fifteen of nineteen, but Manzi finally broke free in the tricky last sector of the Esses, Melbourne Loop and Goddards, a fast chicane and two hairpins.

Marcel Schroetter was spat off his bike as it high sided at turn twelve, Goddards, the last corner of the track and a treacherous hairpin that has been the scene of most crashes this weekend. Schroetter was taken to the medical centre to be checked up. 

With two laps remaining, Nicolo Bulega led Yari Montella and Federico Caricasulo by over three seconds with Adrian Huertas three seconds further back and Stefano Manzi almost five seconds from Huertas with Tom Booth-Amos on his tail. 

At the start of the last lap, Yari Montella looked like he had enough of a gap to hold second place from Federico Caricasulo’s charge, and both riders looked settled in their positions with Caricasulo slowing his pace. 

Nicolo Bulega won his second race of the weekend and his sixth of the year, extending his lead to fifty five points over Stefano Manzi whose fifth place gave five points to Federico Caricasulo, thirty six points further back.

Yari Montella’s second place, his best of the year, ensured that all three podium spots were taken by Ducati’s Next Generation bike. 

Results: