2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship
Round Nine – Magny-Cours
The French circuit of Nevers Magny-Cours will host the ninth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship this weekend. The Magny Cours WorldSBK layout is 4.411km long, features a wide variety of corners and changes of incline, plus an infamous tight final chicane that has played its part in many last-lap dramas over the years.
This event marks a pivotal moment as riders gear up for the final stretch of the Championship, setting the stage for intense clashes and decisive moves.
Despite this only being the fifth year for Bautista in World Superbike he is now only two victories away from overtaking Troy Bayliss (52 wins) in the all-time wins list to rank third. Jonathan Rea tops the win list with 119 victories while Carl Fogarty is second with 59 wins.
Four factory teams recently headed to MotorLand Aragon for two days of testing ahead of the French Round. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) set the fastest overall time, followed by Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team).
Alvaro Bautista
“The feeling with the bike (at the test) was definitely better than on the first day, also because the wind was much lower. We did a good job trying new solutions on the front end to improve the bike, especially in braking areas. We gathered some important data, even though maybe our expectations were higher, but it’s clear that the non-optimal track conditions combined with the wind didn’t allow us to express ourselves at our best. Anyway, I am very satisfied with the work we did with the team.”
Trailing 74-points behind Bautista is Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team). A tyre failure last time out at Most was costly for the Turk and he will be out to make amends on French soil this weekend.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu
“I’m very happy that we come back again to Magny-Cours! I have very good memories there, my first wins and winning a lot with Yamaha – almost three wins in 2021! After Most, the championship looks difficult now but I have just one target – I try to win all races. My dream for France this weekend is: every race keep fighting and try to win. This season is strange but every weekend together with my team we try our best, so we will see what is possible. I am waiting for all fans, this race has a nice atmosphere – I like it a lot, see you all there!”
Hot on their heels is the ever-consistent Jonathan Rea, holding 251 points. The six-time World Champion, who’s 23-race win drought ended in Most, remains a formidable contender, boasting nine wins at Magny-Cours, the most by any rider. This will be the first round that Rea contests after the news broke that Kawasaki has released him from his 2024 contract to jump ship and join Yamaha in 2024.
Rea enters the French round fresh from the news that he will compete for another manufacturer in 2024. Six times a champion with KRT, Rea and his crew are determined to finish the season with a flourish, especially after winning his first race of the current season at the previous Autodrom Most round in late July.
Jonathan Rea
“Magny Cours is a track that I really enjoy and I have had some great success at in the past. It has a mix of everything and you need a bike that stops well, accelerates well and is agile in changes of direction. We need to maximise our potential on the edge of the tyre because the long straight in Magny Cours can be quite punishing. It then presents the best overtaking area on the track, the Adelaide hairpin. After a good test at Motorland Aragon last week I feel confident we can go there and do a good job. It is the start of an important part of the year where races come in quick succession. So, let’s hope we can make a strong start to this period. The target is to be on the podium and fight for race wins.”
1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +4.007s
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +7.939s
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) is fourth in the standings but is a massive 200-points behind series leader Bautista. However, Loca is only 24-points behind third placed Jonathan Rea.
Andrea Locatelli
“After a long break we return on track and I am excited! We didn’t do any summer test before this race and for sure, Most was not the best race for us, but I have been working a lot outside the track physically and mentally to be ready again in Magny-Cours to fight for good results. I have spoken with my Crew Chief Andrew to work on our plan for the weekends for my own focus at 100%, to try to get more performance and push really hard to be fast in every session. I’m excited to be back on track, Magny-Cours is a nice track – not easy, some parts with hard braking and some parts more flowing, especially Sector 2 and Sector 3 with the fast chicane. We will see, but I think if we start the weekend in a good way, we can get some good results and if I have a good feeling with the bike and everything comes together there is still an opportunity to fight for third position in the championship – this is a good target!”
Fifth on 207-points is Axel Bassani ahead of fellow Italians Danilo Petrucci (155-points) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (147-points).
Axel Bassani
“The goals for the last part of the season are to finish in the top three at the end of the Championship. I want to win races and continue to enjoy the moment. To win, we need to wait. We are doing a really good job and we are close to the victory. We have a lot of races where I like the track and the layout. I’m trying to fight for victories, but it isn’t easy. We are close. Before the end of the season, we’ll arrive there. Magny-Cours is a really good track for us. Last year, we had two podiums. I think we can fight for the podium or for a victory, but we will see. It’s a good track for me.”
Alex Lowes is currently eighth in the championship standings with a tally of 121-points.
Alex Lowes
“I am looking forward to going to Magny Cours as it is a track that has always been good for me and the Kawasaki. We had a one day test at Motorland Aragon last week and although we were working quite a lot on 2024 items, at the end of the test we put our 2023 base setting in and made a run. It is going to be a busy four weeks with three rounds of the championship inside it, but I am definitely ready for it after the summer break. The target as always is to fight for podiums and that is what we will be trying to do by working hard from FP1 on Friday morning until the races on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. I can’t wait to get back onto the grid and into some race action. It is sad that we will see the partnership of Jonathan and KRT coming to an end when the season finishes, but I think when you look back this has been a reference partnership, certainly during my time in WorldSBK with arguably, the best-ever combination of rider and machine. We all know Jonathan’s talents, he’s a great champion. I have a great relationship with him and to share the garage with him is fantastic. I wish him all the best.”
Over at Honda Xavi Vierge won at the Suzuka for the 8 Hours on debut while Honda team-mate Iker Lecuona completed three MotoGP events at Silverstone, the Red Bull Ring and the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as he deputised for the injured Alex Rins. Both Lecuona and Vierge were present at a blustery Aragon test at the end of August. Lecuona was one of the fastest on the opening day, with Honda’s test team and rider Tetsuta Nagashima also in attendance with 2024 items. The 2022 French WorldSBK round proved complicated for both Lecuona and Vierge, who were competing at Magny-Cours for the first time and had to deal, variously, with unstable weather and crashes. Now, with more experience and important data collected during last year’s event, Team HRC is confident that it will be able to do more on French soil.
Xavi Vierge
“This is our second visit to Magny-Cours, a track that was new to me last year. From my experience last season, I can say that I like the track and we also have a lot of data now, which is particularly important in this case because the weather can be tricky and very changeable, so it’s crucial to be ready for every situation. Last year Michelin brought new tyres to this round, which means that the choice is clear as we head into the weekend this time around. So we are at something of an advantage with respect to last season and I’m really looking forward to racing there again.”
Iker Lecuona
“I cannot say I love the Magny-Cours circuit and we struggled last year, so it’s possible it will be a challenging one for us but let’s wait and see when we get there. A track is a track at the end of the day, and if we can work well right from Friday and start the weekend on the right foot, I’m sure I will enjoy it more than I did last year. I’ve had a busy time of it lately and haven’t had much time off over the summer, but we will try to use that as an advantage because the more time you spend on the bike, whether testing or racing, the more you learn and keep improving as a rider too. So I’m heading out on track with an open mind – let’s see what we can achieve.”
BMW Motorrad Motorsport, the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, with riders Scott Redding (GBR) and Michael van der Mark (NED), and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team with Loris Baz (FRA) and Garrett Gerloff (USA) used the two-day test in the north of Spain to work on improvements to the chassis and electronics. No BMW rider is currently in the championship top ten, the highest ranked M 1000 RR rider is Scott Redding in 11th with 99-points.
Marc Bongers – BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director
“We are looking forward to getting going again after the summer break. The Aragón test was productive and we made some important findings with both our teams and the four riders ahead of the final phase of the season. We now travel to Magny-Cours well prepared. The circuit is very varied and the layout is a technically demanding mix of very fast straights and tight hairpins. We have fond memories of Magny-Cours, including those from last year. Everyone is working hard to make sure that we are competitive there again this year, and that we have a say in the battle at the front of the field.”
The GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team return after a tricky summer break, when sporting director Mirko Giansanti sadly passed away. Dominique Aegerter and Remy Gardner both demonstrated their potential in the first half of the season. Aegerter has prior knowledge of it from his WorldSSP campaigns, where he collected two wins and four podiums, while Gardner enjoyed some time during the summer break at Magny-Cours to familiarise himself slightly before the WorldSBK event.
Dominique Aegerter
“We’re finally back! I know the track from my experience in WorldSSP, I enjoyed some success there. So, I like the layout overall, it contains a fast first part, then we have very hard braking areas, plus up and downs throughout the circuit. I can’t wait to be there. The summer break was long, but I trained hard to be ready for the last four rounds of the season. I’m happy to ride the bike again and see the team, the goal is to keep improving and be quick again.”
Remy Gardner
“It has been a long break, I hope I still remember how to ride a bike! Jokes aside, we’re finally ready to enjoy again our Yamaha R1 machine on a challenging track. I enjoyed some time at Magny-Cours during the Summer to take a first taste of the track and having a bit of knowledge of the layout, that’ll be helpful for sure. So, I can’t wait to be back.”
Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) returns to action this weekend after missing Most for shoulder surgery, whilst it’s a special round for the GMT94 Yamaha team and Lorenzo Baldassarri, with the French squad gunning for a strong result at home.
After Magny-Cours, the season concludes with a further three rounds at MotorLand Aragón (ESP / 22nd to 24th September), Portimão (POR / 29th September to 1st October), and Jerez de la Frontera (ESP / 27th to 29th October).
World Superbike Championship Points
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Alvaro Bautista | 427 |
| 2 | Toprak Razgatlioglu | 353 |
| 3 | Jonathan Rea | 251 |
| 4 | Andrea Locatelli | 227 |
| 5 | Axel Bassani | 207 |
| 6 | Danilo Petrucci | 155 |
| 7 | Michael Ruben Rinaldi | 147 |
| 8 | Alex Lowes | 121 |
| 9 | Dominique Aegerter | 114 |
| 10 | Xavi Vierge | 105 |
| 11 | Scott Redding | 99 |
| 12 | Remy Gardner | 98 |
| 13 | Iker Lecuona | 87 |
| 14 | Garrett Gerloff | 68 |
| 15 | Philipp Oettl | 56 |
| 16 | Loris Baz | 42 |
| 17 | Michael Van Der Mark | 23 |
| 18 | Bradley Ray | 19 |
| 19 | Tom Sykes | 11 |
| 20 | Lorenzo Baldassarri | 9 |
| 21 | Hafizh Syahrin | 8 |
| 22 | Leon Haslam | 2 |
| 23 | Tito Rabat | 1 |
| 24 | Isaac Vinales | 1 |
| 25 | Ivo Miguel Lopes | 1 |
WorldSSP
With Championship leader Nicolo Bulega confirmed as moving up to WorldSBK for 2024 and after Tarran Mackenzie took victory at Most, what other headlines feature in France?
Graduating directly into a factory Ducati WorldSBK spot for 2024, ‘Bulegas’ has been a cut above the rest and the rider to beat in WorldSSP, but it wasn’t plain sailing at Most last time out. A decision to come in and pit for wet tyres in a short shower cost him a point-scoring finish, but it wasn’t a total loss.
Main title rival Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) also pitted for wet tyres, however, he retired from the race, unable to capitalise on the Champion-elect’s difficulties. Momentum has been with Manzi however, a double win at Imola and strong pace at Most, but he faces a mammoth task to topple WorldSBK-bound Bulega. 46 points split them for now, eight races remain in the title race.
A further 48 behind but with six podiums – including five second place finishes – Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) makes it three manufacturers inside the top three in the standings. Magny-Cours will be the fourth new track for him to get to grips with, but he’s been doing a great job at new venues so far, with two podiums in the last four races at very tricky and technical tracks.
His teammate Bahattin Sofuoglu crashed in Race 2 at Most but Turkish tenacity saw him remount to take a podium, a fourth of the year. He’s fifth overall and 85 behind Schroetter, with Federico Caricasulo the meat in the sandwich. Poor results at Imola and Most have cost ‘Carica’ a title challenge, but he’s now 47 behind Schroetter in P3.
The battle for a top six place is fierce however, with 22 points covering P6 to P12. Flying Finn Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) currently occupies the place, just ahead of Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team), both of which completed testing at Aragon last week. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) flies the home flag for himself but also Christophe Guyot’s team and will pursue a first podium of 2023 on familiar soil. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura), Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) and Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) complete the top six fight; Navarro tested at Aragon with team-mate Manzi last week, whilst in the WorldSBK test, 20-year-old Huertas got a chance to prove himself on the ZX-10RR of Jonathan Rea, with praised heaped on the Madrid-born 2021 WorldSSP300 Champion.
A side-note further down the field is that after testing multiple engine configurations at the Aragon test, Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) will hope to be a regular points contender after becoming the latest WorldSSP winner last time out.
There’s plenty of housekeeping to get on with, as Nicholas Spinelli (VFT Racing Team) misses the round due to MotoE World Championship duties with the Italian being replaced by Danish hotshot Simon Jespersen.
However, the big news in terms of returns is that Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) is back in action. He took part in a test at Cremona in Italy last week, completing 82 laps and over 300km, and after a five-month absence due to nerve damage, he’s aiming to pass his mandatory Thursday medical check and get back racing.
The same can’t be said for Oli Bayliss (D34G Racing), who misses the Pirelli French Round as he remains in Australia recovering from surgery after injuries sustained following a crash at Donington Park, with Andreas Kofler – Maximilian’s brother, Bayliss’ teammate – once again stepping in.
There will be two Australians on the grid though with Tom Edwards and Luke Power contesting the WorldSSP Challenge across the European rounds.
Two wildcards will race in France, with Johan Gimbert (GMT94 Yamaha) and Matthieu Gregorio (Moto Ain) aiming for glory on home soil.
World Supersport Championship Points
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Nicolo Bulega | 308 |
| 2 | Stefano Manzi | 262 |
| 3 | Marcel Schroetter | 214 |
| 4 | Federico Caricasulo | 167 |
| 5 | Bahattin Sofuoglu | 129 |
| 6 | Niki Tuuli | 109 |
| 7 | Glenn Van Straalen | 100 |
| 8 | Valentin Debise | 98 |
| 9 | Raffaele De Rosa | 95 |
| 10 | Jorge Navarro | 94 |
| 11 | Adrian Huertas | 89 |
| 12 | Yari Montella | 87 |
| 13 | Nicholas Spinelli | 66 |
| 14 | Can Oncu | 63 |
| 15 | Tom Booth-Amos | 47 |
| 16 | John Mcphee | 46 |
| 17 | Tarran Mackenzie | 40 |
| 18 | Lucas Mahias | 37 |
| 19 | Oliver Bayliss | 26 |
| 20 | Simone Corsi | 23 |
| 21 | Anupab Sarmoon | 22 |
| 22 | Adam Norrodin | 20 |
| 23 | Andy Verdoia | 15 |
| 24 | Tom Edwards | 15 |
| 25 | Thomas Gradinger | 10 |
| 26 | Federico Fuligni | 10 |
| 27 | Filippo Fuligni | 10 |
| 28 | Andrea Mantovani | 9 |
| 29 | Harry Truelove | 5 |
| 30 | Maximilian Kofler | 4 |
| 31 | Luca Ottaviani | 4 |
| 32 | Apiwath Wongthananon | 4 |
| 33 | Alvaro Diaz | 3 |
| 34 | Andreas Kofler | 3 |
| 35 | Marco Bussolotti | 2 |
| 36 | Luke Power | 1 |
| 37 | Stefano Valtulini | 1 |
| 38 | Rhys Irwin | 1 |
| 39 | Adrian Fernandez Gonzalez | 1 |
WorldSSP300
With just a few rounds remaining in the championship, the anticipation is palpable as riders gear up to tackle the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.
The title race is currently led by the consistency of Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Kawasaki – Accolade Smrz Racing BGR). Gonzalez has amassed a total of 117 points, thanks to his solid performances across various circuits. Right on his tail is KTM rider Dirk Geiger (KTM – Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing), standing with 116 points. Geiger’s agile riding style and determination have propelled him into fierce contention for the Championship. Meanwhile, Petr Svoboda (Kawasaki – Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) is closely trailing with 113 points. Svoboda’s tenacity makes him a potent force to be reckoned with.
With Jeffrey Buis (Kawasaki – MTM Kawasaki), Matteo Vannucci (Yamaha – AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha), and Humberto Maier (Yamaha – Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America) all currently tied at 99 points in the standings, their sights are firmly set on closing the gap to the leaders as they gear up for a fierce battle in the upcoming races.
World Supersport 300 Championship Points
| Pos | Rider | Points |
| 1 | Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez | 117 |
| 2 | Dirk Geiger | 116 |
| 3 | Petr Svoboda | 113 |
| 4 | Matteo Vannucci | 99 |
| 5 | Jeffrey Buis | 99 |
| 6 | Humberto Maier | 99 |
| 7 | Mirko Gennai | 95 |
| 8 | Samuel Di Sora | 83 |
| 9 | Marco Gaggi | 62 |
| 10 | Bruno Ieraci | 57 |
| 11 | Fenton Seabright | 50 |
| 12 | Kevin Sabatucci | 43 |
| 13 | Lennox Lehmann | 41 |
| 14 | Daniel Mogeda | 40 |
| 15 | Jose Manuel Osuna Saez | 34 |
| 16 | Enzo Valentim | 34 |
| 17 | Loris Veneman | 29 |
| 18 | Julio Garcia | 27 |
| 19 | Aldi Satya Mahendra | 25 |
| 20 | Devis Bergamini | 20 |
| 21 | Galang Hendra Pratama | 19 |
| 22 | Alessandro Zanca | 18 |
| 23 | Marc Garcia | 16 |
| 24 | Ruben Bijman | 14 |
| 25 | Kevin Santos Fontainha | 13 |
| 26 | Ioannis Peristeras | 13 |
| 27 | Walid Khan | 6 |
| 28 | Maxim Repak | 6 |
| 29 | Juan Pablo Uriostegui | 5 |
| 30 | Raffaele Tragni | 3 |
| 31 | Yeray Saiz Marquez | 3 |
| 32 | Troy Alberto | 1 |
WorldSBK Magny-Cours Schedule
(AEST)
| Time | Class | Event |
| Friday | ||
| 1700 | R3 bLU cRU Cup | FP1 |
| 1745 | WorldSSP300 | FP1 |
| 1830 | WorldSBK | FP1 |
| 1925 | WorldSSP | FP1 |
| 2130 | R3 bLU cRU Cup | Superpole |
| 2215 | WorldSSP300 | FP2 |
| 2300 | WorldSBK | FP2 |
| 0000 (Sat) | WorldSSP | FP2 |
| Saturday | ||
| 1700 | WorldSBK | FP3 |
| 1745 | WorldSSP300 | Superpole |
| 1825 | WorldSSP | Superpole |
| 1910 | WorldSBK | Superpole |
| 1945 | R3 bLU cRU Cup | R1 |
| 2040 | WorldSSP300 | R1 |
| 2200 | WorldSBK | R1 |
| 2315 | WorldSSP | R1 |
| 0015 (Sun) | R3 bLU cRU Cup | R2 |
| Sunday | ||
| 1700 | WorldSBK | WUP |
| 1725 | WorldSSP | WUP |
| 1750 | WorldSSP300 | WUP |
| 1900 | WorldSBK | SP Race |
| 2030 | WorldSSP | R2 |
| 2145 | WorldSSP300 | R2 |
| 2315 | WorldSBK | R2 |
 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship Calendar | ||||
| Date | Circuit | WSBK | WSSP600 | WSSP300 |
| 8-10 Sep | Magny-Cours | X | X | X |
| 22-24 Sep | Aragón | X | X | X |
| 29-Sep-01 Oct | Algarve | X | X | X |
