WorldSBK riders reflect on Magny-Cours Race One + WorldSSP/300/R3 reports/results

WorldSBK 2024 – Round Eight
Magny-Cours – Saturday

WorldSBK riders reflect on Race One

Michael van der Mark – P1

“Honest, this feels unbelievable! It’s been a tough couple of years, but this year everything has been getting better and better. I wanted to be on the podium so to win is fantastic. We agreed with the team that as soon as it started to rain, I would come into the pits, but I was behind Alex and we stayed out for one more lap. I think I should have come in earlier because it was very, very tricky on that last lap on slicks. But that’s what flag to flag racing is all about. It was a nice race but it was tough. The conditions were awful but it’s amazing to win this race.”

Alvaro Bautista – P2

“It was a crazy race. Right after the start, as soon as I saw the first drop of rain on the fairing, I immediately returned to the pits, and my team did an amazing job getting me out of the pit lane without losing a second. It’s clear that the conditions were extreme, so I just tried to make it to the end without making any mistakes.”

Danilo Petrucci – P3

“It was a tough day because it was only my second wet race on this bike. I made things difficult for myself this morning by crashing on my second flying lap in Superpole, so I had to start tenth, and we went into the race without any solid reference points. In full wet conditions, we don’t have the right setup, so from mid-race onwards, the strategy was simply to stay upright. The track was really flooded, there were a lot of crashes, and those of us who stayed on our feet brought home another great podium.”

Andrea Iannone – P5

“Despite the bad weather I’m happy with the result, the guys did a good job dealing with some difficulties due to the weather changements, especially in a tense moment like the flag-to-flag. Today was only the second time I raced in the extreme wet with these tyres and even if the weather conditions were complicated, I’m still satisfied with the positive result and confident for tomorrow.”

Iker Lecuona – P6

“The day didn’t start well, as I struggled a lot in qualifying. I didn’t feel confident on the bike and was so slow that I didn’t even achieve a valid qualifying time. We know why though, and now we need to find a way to ensure it doesn’t happen again, though it’s true that there was a huge amount of water on track. For Race 1, the surface was still damp, so we decided to go with an intermediate front and a slick rear to give me a bit more confidence in the front. However, when the rain arrived shortly after the start of the race, I pitted because it was too risky to stay out. Back on track with rain tyres, I felt much better and much faster compared to qualifying, even with an almost dry setup. I was able to close the gap to a few riders ahead, pass them, and gradually gain positions, with only Locatelli chasing me from behind. I saw a red bike ahead and, in the rain, I thought it was Bulega, but it turned out to be Xavi. I had a couple of huge moments near the end of the race but managed to complete it. So not a bad comeback, from P19 to P6, and now we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Xavi Vierge – P7

“Of course, we’re happy with the results, both in today’s qualifying and in Race 1, but it’s a bit of a pity what happened with the penalty. Qualifying went great; I hadn’t felt so comfortable in wet conditions for a while, so being able to improve my lap time on the final lap, even as the rain intensified, was really positive. This allowed me to start from the second row. With the damp track, we opted for slick tyres and an almost full dry setup, which turned out to be the right choice, as I managed to move up to fourth in the opening laps and build a small advantage over the riders behind. But then the rain came, and one by one, we pitted to switch to rain tyres. Back on track, the feeling wasn’t the same as it was in the morning, so I just focused on managing the situation, staying on the bike, and bringing home the best result possible. I finished sixth, though I was a bit surprised to be classified seventh after the flag. Still, we need to take the positives—this was a good result for me, the team, and for Honda, with both bikes in the top seven. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.”

Andrea Locatelli – P8

“In Superpole, it was crazy! In five or six laps, only one lap counted because of the yellow flags. Nearly every lap was cancelled so it was difficult to make a good lap, but in the end, we started from P9. The conditions today were tricky because when we were on the grid, the track was close to dry. We made the choice to start with the intermediate tyres and I was pushing hard in the beginning just to try to take some steps forward, because I saw that if it did not start raining immediately, the guys who chose the slick tyre would probably have a big advantage. So, I tried to give my all – when I came to braking at Turn 5, it started raining quite fast and then I was already on the corner. It was difficult to control the situation and I lost the front. I stopped for the rain tyre and in the end, we recovered a lot of positions with good pace. Unfortunately, we lost a lot of time when I crashed because the bike did not start immediately – it was a bit unlucky but I can say that today I made a mistake because without the crash, we were on the podium. It is always easy to say this later! We just need to look forward and understand what is positive, what is negative and look forward to tomorrow.”

Alessandro Delbianco – P10

“That was hell of a first race! I have experienced everything today. Rain turned the tables and we knew it could have been a good thing for us, but honestly I would have preferred to have at least a dry Superpole to check our progress. Anyway, it was still a positive experience overall and I’m happy I was able to be back in one piece, it was a survival race and to score points and finish in Top 10 in my first race with the Yamaha R1 WorldSBK it’s good. Let’s hope for a dry day tomorrow, but we’ll be ready for any condition!”

Axel Bassani – P11

“Superpole was not bad but the feeling was not really good with the rear tyre. From the first lap of the race I lost a lot of time because of a crash right in front of me from, Jonathan Rea and Nicolo Bulega. I think I lost ten positions! I came back to the box because it started to rain and unfortunately we did not work correctly this time on the tyre change and I think we lost 30 precious seconds or so in the pits. I went back out on track and with rain tyres in the wet conditions I started to recover a lot of positions. But, then I crashed and lost another 50 seconds or so. When I got back on track my pace was really good compared to the leading riders.”

Remy Gardner – DNF

“It’s been a disappointing day, not gonna lie. Rain could have turned things around, but it wasn’t the case. I struggled in the Superpole qualifier and Race 1 didn’t tell a different story. We’ll try to check the data and make some adjustments for tomorrow, but once again weather will play a key role as happened today, so we got to be confident that everything can happen.”

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Alex Lowes – DNF

“Superpole was conducted in difficult conditions with a lot of water on the track and more aquaplaning as the session went on. I did a reasonably good lap and thought to myself that I could not go much faster without risking too much. The bike was working well and we know that in full wet conditions the Kawasaki is a really solid package and gives me good grip. I am happy with my first pole position with Kawasaki. Before the race we were looking at all the different weather forecasts and we felt like it would dry up. We went with a dry machine setting and slick tyres. I felt I was on the right tyre choice. When it started to rain, it rained quite a lot. I had the speed to win but I made a mistake. I was a little bit wider than the previous laps. The positive point was that I was one of the fastest guys even after the crash but the bike was damaged and we got the black and orange flag to stop. Otherwise, I felt I could have been fourth or fifth. The first point I want to make is to say sorry to the Kawasaki and KRT guys, and especially my crew for the work they will have to do on the bike tonight. We have been fast in all conditions but it wasn’t meant to be today. We will take the positive points and try again tomorrow.”

Jonathan Rea – DNF

“It was not the day I planned! I felt there was a good opportunity for us when we were on the grid and I was pretty clear with my slick tyre choice. Not a great start but I was making progress in Lap 1 and going into the last chicane, Bulega was a bit off line and went down so I just tried to avoid him on the switch back but I just got a wet patch or a bit off line and I was down as well. Unfortunately, my hand got stuck under the handlebar and on my thumb joint, the tarmac ground away the skin and it is really not very nice to look at. As soon as I saw it and felt the throbbing, I knew something wasn’t right and I ran directly to the Medical Centre by the last corner… Really frustrating, I was hoping to bring everyone some good news from the race today but unfortunately there is still a black cloud following us around at the moment.”

Nicolò Bulega – DNF

“We decided to start with the intermediate tyres, but the gamble turned out to be not ideal. Already at the first corners I had no feeling with the rear and crashed almost immediately. It has been a bad crash, and i feel a quite intense pain in my right shoulder. I will try anyway to race tomorrow.”

WorldSBK Race One Report

In the pouring rain at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours it was Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) who scored the win in Race 1 of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, making it another BMW success story despite the absence of his teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu. Van der Mark is a highly accomplished wet weather rider and he mastered the difficult conditions at the Motul French Round for the victory, with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) celebrating as he crossed the line second, 8.288s behind the race Dutchman, having started 17th on the grid.

More than 24 seconds after rain-master Van der Mark had taken the chequered flag Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) crossed the line in third, with only 12 riders finishing the race as the heavy rain poured down at Magny-Cours. The race had started in mixed conditions with many of the riders on slick tyres and only a few electing to start on intermediates, with the survivors all switching to full wet set-ups, the majority pitting in on laps 3 to 5 as the heavens opened and the racing surface became sodden.

Simultaneous crashes for Championship contender Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) on the chicane at the end of the first lap brought the race to an early end for both riders. Rea was transported to hospital with a fracture of the right thumb and a deep wound, whilst Bulega sustained right shoulder and collarbone contusions, with both to be assessed further before Warm Up on Sunday morning. Rea’s Pata Prometeon Yamaha team-mate Andrea Locatelli then crashed on Turn 5 of lap 3, though the Italian was able to remount and continue his race, eventually finishing in eighth.

Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) had pitted on lap 4 and then crashed from a top ten position on wet tyres on lap 9 at Turn 5, but he was able to pick his BMW M 1000 RR up to bring it home in fourth place, ahead of Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) in fifth. In the absence of standings leader Razgatlioglu it was a chance for the rest of the grid to fight for victory, following the Turkish star’s remarkable 13-race winning run coming into Round 8. Razgatlioglu watched the race in his pitbox after being ruled out of action with mild traumatic pneumothorax, after his heavy Free Practice 2 crash on Friday.

Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) finished seventh but was promoted to sixth as his colleague Xavi Vierge was given a penalty for being under the pit intervention time when he had changed tyres. Locatelli in eighth and his compatriots Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) and Alessandro Delbianco (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) completed the top ten. It was a solid performance for Delbianco as he substituted for Dominique Aegerter.

Behind 11th place finisher Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was the last rider to finish, in 12th place. On intermediate tyres Gerloff had taken the lead on lap 4 at Turn 5, only for him to crash at Turn 7 three laps later. In the wet conditions Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) crashed out of the lead on lap 11, rejoining in seventh place. Lowes then had to retire from fifth on lap 16 due to a loose fairing which was hanging off the side of his Kawasaki ZX-10RR. His brother Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) crashed out of the top ten with 4 laps to go, with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) going down seconds later.

WorldSBK Race One Results

WorldSBK Superpole Results

WorldSBK Championship Points

WorldSSP Race One

Postponed

WorldSSP Race One Results

Postponed

WorldSSP Championship Points

Postponed

WorldSSP300 Race One

A fantastic Race 1 in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship class at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours saw Unai Calatayud (ARCO SASH MotoR University Team) take the first victory of his career. It was a difficult race in mixed conditions for the WorldSSP300 riders at the Motul French Round and Calatayud kept cool to come out on top in a five rider battle on the final lap, with brothers Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) and Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitiRacing) making history for Indonesia, in second and third, as Mahendra took the championship lead.

Calatayud’s winning margin over Mahendra was finally 0.77s, but it was an exciting fight for the win on the last lap, as the Spaniard’s late manoeuvre gave him a deserved maiden victory. Mahendra and Pratama made it a double podium result for Indonesia for the first time ever, whilst it was also an all Yamaha lock-out in the top three. Also playing their parts in an enthralling race were double World Champion Jeffrey Buis (KTM Freudenberg-Paligo Racing) and Humberto Maier (MS Racing), who were ultimately fourth and fifth respectively.

Buis had held the early race lead, but dropped back mid race, storming forwards again to take the lead at the start of the final lap, before an error cost him a podium finish. Maier rode superbly from the sixth row on the grid making his way through the pack to join the action at the head of the race and with four laps to go he was controlling the race in the lead, only to miss out on a rostrum finish in the late drama.

Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo-PL Performances) finished in sixth place, 1.519s down on winner Calatayud, whilst title contender Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) was seventh. The top ten was completed by Julio Garcia (KOVE Racing Team), Matteo Vannucci (Pata Yamaha AG Motorsport Italia) and Phillip Tonn (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing)

The standings leader before the race Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) ended up in P16, after crashing on the first lap, with Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kawasaki) having to take avoiding action and Marc Garcia (KOVE Racing Team) also crashing in the incident. It was a difficult afternoon for Marc Garcia as a technical issue on the sighting lap meant he had started from the back of the grid, though he did manage to pick up two points in 14th. Amongst those who also suffered crashes in the treacherous conditions were Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) who went down on lap 2, Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki) who crashed at the end of the third lap and Gustavo Manso (AD78 FIM LA by MS Racing) who crashed out of the points at Turn 8 with 4 laps to go.

WorldSSP300 Race One Results

WorldSSP300 Championship Points

R3 World Cup Race One

Australian rookie Cameron Swain took a stunning maiden win in a rain-soaked Race 1 at Magny-Cours, dominating to win by almost four seconds. Peruvian wildcard Aymon Bocanegra took second and Japan’s Takumi Takahashi completed the podium. The championship battle levels up with misfortune for Gonzalo Sanchez.

The predicted rain at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours arrived much earlier than expected and the FIM Yamaha R3 bLU cRU riders were faced with extremely difficult conditions for their first race of the weekend. Full wet Pirelli tyres were allocated for the 10-lap contest where Alessandro Di Persio started from pole. Brazil’s Eduardo Burr took the early lead, but he was one of many riders to fall foul of the slippery track; Dawid Nowak and Pietro Anastasi also failed to complete the first lap.

Desperate to try and increase his slim championship lead of 10 points, Sanchez made some early moves in the pack, but he fell on the second lap of the race and was unable to rejoin. Meanwhile, Marc Vich decided to ride for points, finishing sixth after a battle with Nikolas Zanin. This result puts the two Spanish rivals level on points going into tomorrow’s Race 2. Di Persio finished fourth, an important result as he closes to just 24 points from the top.

Feeling comfortable on his R3 in the wet, Swain saw his opportunity to pull a gap on the pack. While many around him struggled, the 16-year-old rode flawlessly throughout the race, leading by 5.6 seconds at one point and eventually crossing the line 3.8 seconds ahead to take his maiden win. Last-minute wildcard Bocanegra impressed all onlookers with a first R3 World Cup podium in second, and Takahashi took his second rostrum of the season in third.

Cameron Swain

“The conditions were super difficult and I saw that a few people were struggling a bit, but I felt alright so I wanted to take the opportunity to lead the race. Once I hit the front I just put my head down, built up the gap and managed the race as best I could – always keeping an eye on my pitboard. It’s been a tough season for me and so many sacrifices have gone into this win, somehow that makes it feel even sweeter. It’s a crazy feeling, I can’t describe it.”

R3 World Cup Race One Results

R3 World Cup Standings