Xavi Cardelús Finishes 23rd in World Supersport Race 2 at Balaton Park After Tough Weekend

Andorran Supersport rider Xavi Cardelús ended a difficult weekend at Hungary's Balaton Park circuit with a 23rd-place finish in Race 2 of the World Supersport Championship's fourth round.

Riding for Cerba Yamaha Racing, Cardelús started Sunday's 18-lap race from 24th on the grid after qualifying 24th in Saturday's Superpole with a best lap of 1'43.741—about 1.5 seconds behind pole-sitter Albert Arenas. He made a strong start, gaining three positions in the early laps and briefly challenging around 19th before the midway point. However, a couple of errors cost him ground, distancing him from the group he had been fighting, and he slipped back to cross the line 23rd.

The result followed a frustrating Race 1, where Cardelús crashed out on lap 12—six laps from the finish—after starting 26th due to a three-place grid penalty for slow riding in Superpole. Despite the setback, he had gained four spots on the opening lap while aiming for a top-15 finish.

Cardelús reflected on the challenges after Race 2. "It was a hard race. I didn't get away badly, but I made a couple of errors that distanced me from the group. It's clear we have potential to do much better," he said, adding that the team must find solutions given their level.

Qualifying had also proved tough, with Cardelús reaching the top 15 early in Superpole before a mechanical issue on his final run halted further improvement. "It hasn't been easy. We arrived without prior information and that affects setup," he explained at the time.

Cardelús holds two points from Phillip Island in the standings. The series heads next to Most in the Czech Republic on May 17 weekend.