Qatar WSS: Mahias wins, Cortese champion after title showdown
Sandro Cortese has been crowned the 2018 World Supersport champion after finishing second tℱo Lucas Mahias in this evening's dramatic Qa𓄧tar season finale.
Cortese, competing in his debu🔯t WSS season, was confirmed as champion when title rival Jules Cluzel crashed on the꧙ final lap while trying to pass the German for second place.
Cortese began the race with a five-point lead over Cluzel, the F𒆙renchma✃n chasing his first world crown and Cortese seeking to add the 600cc title to his 2012 Moto3 championship.
Sandro Cortese has been crowned the 2018 World Supersport champion after finishing second to Lucas Mahias in this evening's dramatic Qatar sea𓆏son finale.
Cortese, competing in his debut WSS season, was confirmed as champion when title rival Jules Cluzel crashed on 𒁏the final lap while trying to pass the German for second place.
Cortese began the race with a five-point lead over Cluzel, the Frenchman chasing his first world crown and Cort☂ese seeking to add the 600cc title to his 2012 Moto3 championship.
An earlier rain storm delayed both warm-up and the race, with numerous streams of water crossing the otherwise dry track - forcing riders to lift their 🤡machines in some corners - when the race action got underwa🌠y at 18:15 local time.
Cortese and Cluzel were fron꧋trunners throughout the shortened 12-lap showdown, w🔯ith pole starter Mahias fighting back to the front after running wide at turn one.
The championship duel saw numerous hard-but-fair passes, title momentum swingin꧅g firmly in Cortese's favour whe𝕴n Mahias took the lead with three laps to go.
Cortese could afford to finish third, behind Cluzel, if Mahias won. The Kallio Racing competitor was thus happy to see M⛄ahias build a lead, while Cluzel became ever more agitated to get ahead of Cortese and close down Mahias.
Cluzel made freque🐻nt passes but was never able to break clear of his rival, who was back holding second place as the last lap began.
The title fight was then decided when C꧙luzel made a lunge at Turn 7, but lost the fr෴ont of his NRT Yamaha and fell.
Worse was to follow when 🌟Cluzel crashed again after remounting - this time a nasty highside a🧜fter crossing a stream of water than left him holding his leg, meaning outgoing champion Mahias snatched second in the world championship.
Mahias' GꦛRT Yamaha team-mate Federico Carica✅sulo was promoted to third place by Cluzel's exit, with the fallen Frenchman's team-mate Thomas Gradinger inheriting fourth.
Corent𝓡in Perolari,🍨 fastest in warm-up, and Hector Barbera completed the top six.
The💧 tricky conditions contributed in seven riders failing to reach the finish.
Peter has been in the paddock forಞ 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and🦋 Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
