With the Championship leader not in action, things could tighten up at the top of the standings at the close of the weekend…
The 2021 FIM Supersport World Championship thunders into Spain for the third time this season as the Hyundai N Catalunya Round beckons at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. With Championship leader Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) missing the event due to his MotoE™ World Cup commitments, there’s a land of opportunity for his rivals to peg him back in the title race and get themselves back into contention. 62 points split him with second-placed Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team), so the Swiss rider will lead the standings regardless after the round, but what will the amount be?
With Aegerter’s absence, attention turns to Steven Odendaal, with the South African coming into this round after a tricky Magny-Cours, where he came from the fourth row of the grid to finish on the podium in Race 1 and sixth in Race 2. With Aegerter beaten in Race 2 at Magny-Cours – albeit not by Odendaal – it will revitalise Odendaal and the rest of the competition as the quest for World Supersport glory continues. Odendaal took a double top six result at Catalunya in 2020, but he’ll have his sights firmly set on a double win.
Third in the Championship and a further 62 points back is Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), with the German being slightly underwhelming in the last couple of events – although he was denied a podium at Magny-Cours by teammate Can Öncü; Oettl was on the podium at Catalunya in 2020, so expect a return to the fore for him. With the in-form young Italian prospect Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) out through injury, Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) completes the top five in the standings and comes into the triple headers off the back of his first win of his career in WorldSSP at Magny-Cours, as well as his second appearance in the Moto2™ World Championship. Three points behind Bernardi and 20 behind Oettl, the fight for third in the Championship is well and truly alive.
Championship Standings (after Race 2, Round 8)
1. Dominique Aegerter (SUI) Yamaha (302 points)
2. Steven Odendaal (RSA) Yamaha (240 points)
3. Philipp Oettl (GER) Kawasaki (178 points)
For more info checkout our dedicated World Supersport News page superbike-news.co.uk/world-supersport/
Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com
Follow us on social media:
Instagram: @superbikenews
Twitter: @sbknews
Facebook: @superbikenews
SBN Directory – add your motorcycle related business here
Click here for more info on Arai Helmets
Click here for more info on Xena Security
Click here for more info and to buy Biker T-Shirts
Grid Girls UKIf you would like to receive our headlines daily to your email inbox then sign up to our newsletter: Here
Subscribe to our news channels: Here
