MV Agusta hasn’t had a 1-2 finish since the 1973 Finland GP at Imatra, where Giacomo Agostini and Phil Read finished first and second in both the 350 and 500 classes. Now, though, it has happened again, with Jules Cluzel and Lorenzo Zanetti of Team Reparto Corse MV Agusta finishing 1-2 in the World Supersport 2015 season-opener at the fabulous Phillip Island circuit opener in Australia.
Second at the start, Cluzel speared Kawasaki’s Kenan Sofuoglu at the second corner and led from then until the checkered flag. Lorenzo Zanetti was third on the grid, but lost ground due to a bad start and began a furious recovery that brought him to the fourth position on lap three. Then, in the next two laps, he put Honda’s Kyle Smith and Gino Rea in his sights and passed both by lap five and went on to finish second to Cluzel. Rea and Smith finished third and fourth, respectively.
The three-cylinder MV Agusta F3s are showing all their potential now that their technical management and tuning is under the direct and exclusive control of Team Reparto Corse MV Agusta. Mercedes AMG ensures that the team has all the financial backing it needs.
Jules Cluzel, No. 16: “I knew I was fast and I pushed hard from the start to try and pull the pin with my pace. I’m pleased that I was able to repeat last year’s win and now I am thinking about winning the title.”
Lorenzo Zanetti, No. 87: “I pushed to the limit and I am very happy about the result. Going any further was out of the question because there was nothing left in the tyres. I’d like to thank the entire Racing Department. They put me on an excellent bike from every point of view.”
Giovanni Castiglioni, MV Agusta CEO: “This is a day to remember. We knew we were competitive in WSS. After all, last year Jules won with the F3 and this year he repeated the performance in an even more authoritative way, supported by a very skillful Zanetti.”
24
Comment