The prelude to the race was, as usual, the Superpole, held in dry conditions. In the twenty minutes available Odendaal and Sebestyen repeatedly tried to set fast laps, putting together 10 and 9 laps respectively, and obtaining ninth and tenth on the grid.
The South African rider got off to a good start from his own starting position, immediately moving up to sixth. With the arrival of the rain Odendaal was able to climb further, up to obtain in the tenth of the nineteen laps provided the third place. In the second half of the race Steven's performance deteriorated slightly, with Odendaal forced to give up positions, but still able to take sixth place. A positive result, by virtue of which the South African has mathematically graduated as 2021 WorldSSP vice world champion.
Sebestyen also got off to a good start, finishing seventh after just three laps. The later stages of the race, however, did not smile on the Hungarian rider, who struggled to keep up with the leading group, having to settle for tenth place overall, which represents his sixth top ten finish of the season.
After Saturday, everything is ready for day 3 in Mandalika. Tomorrow the warm up (02.25 Italian time) and Race 2, which will start at 06.30 Italian time, will be on stage.
Superpole results #INDWorldSBK
P1 - Dominique Aegerter (Yamaha) 1'36"288
P2 - Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha) +0.223
P3 - Federico Caricasulo (Yamaha) +0.262
P4 - Raffaele De Rosa (Kawasaki) +0.334
P5 - Randy Krummenacher (Yamaha) +0.362
P9 - Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team, Yamaha) +0.640
P10 - Peter Sebestyen (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team, Yamaha) +0.832
Race 1 results #INDWorldSBK
P1 - Raffaele De Rosa (Kawasaki)
P2 - Dominique Aegerter (Yamaha)
P3 - Federico Caricasulo (Yamaha)
P4 - Jules Cluzel (Yamaha)
P5 - Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha)
P6 - Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team, Yamaha)
P10 - Peter Sebestyen (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team, Yamaha)
Steven Odendaal: "It was a positive race. I started from ninth and was able to make up positions quickly, especially with the rain coming in. Unfortunately in the following laps I made a mistake and ended up on a wet patch, and from then on I wasn't able to repeat the pace of the previous laps. We certainly understood some important things ahead of tomorrow's race, in which I hope to fight for the podium".
Peter Sebestyen: "I felt very strong in the first few laps and was able to pass some riders easily. When the rain came I felt confident and fast, but then I lost my pace and couldn't adapt to the subsequent changes in conditions. It's a shame because I'm usually quick in mixed conditions, so I was hoping for a better result. Tomorrow there is one last race in which I have to give everything".
Fabio Evangelista (Team Principal): "It was definitely a special race, where it was not easy to avoid making mistakes. Steven was good at moving up the pack from the start, and only a slight drop in the second half of the race prevented him from getting on the podium. However, the mathematical achievement of second place in the standings is a great result. Peter likewise showed great speed, but was unable to show it in the second half of the race, which condemned him to tenth place. We can certainly aim to do better tomorrow, and we'll work hard to end the season on a high note".