WorldSBK race 1 postponed due to heavy rain
The MIE Racing Honda team and rider Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado completed a strong qualifying session at the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia today but were denied the chance to race, a monsoon leading to the cancellation of the afternoon’s race.
Earlier in the day, Tati continued to make progress in the final practice as he and his team prepared for the subsequent Tissot Superpole session. The Argentinian then worked hard to score a strong result during the 15-minute qualifying phase. His best time, a very fast 1’34.154 set in the final stages, saw him qualify for the first of the weekend’s races in a solid tenth position. With this encouraging time, Tati scored a spot on the fourth row of the grid
Unfortunately, the weather denied Mercado the chance of exploiting that starting position, a rainstorm arriving just as the riders took to the grid. Race Direction waited for an hour, before deciding that conditions were unsafe and cancelling today’s race action. Tomorrow will therefore see riders competing in both 21-lap Superbike races.
Private: Leandro Mercado 36
“I think it was the right decision to postpone until tomorrow because the conditions weren't right for racing with this amount of water. On the other hand, it's a shame because I had a good qualifying session, finishing in tenth place, but I’ll be able to take advantage of that tomorrow anyway. With any luck, we’ll be able to race in good conditions and enjoy some exciting competition. It will be challenging to run two long races but hopefully we can round out the season in the best possible way.”
