Magny-Cours WorldSBK/SSP/300/R3 Friday Times – Quotes – Notes – Images

WorldSBK 2024 – Round Eight
Magny-Cours – Friday

WorldSBK Friday Report

Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the fastest rider on Friday at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. The Dutchman posted a 1’36.010s in Free Practice 2 to claim top spot on the opening day of the Motul French Round, while team-mate Toprak Razgatlioglu was third despite a FP2 crash before he’d set a timed lap.

In contrast to FP1, Razgatlioglu was one of the last riders to hit the track in FP2, although he was on track after just a few minutes of green flag running; however, he returned to the pits after just an out lap. He was posting red sectors – the fastest of the session – on his first flying lap before he crashed at Turns 14-15, which brought out the red flags. After evaluation the Turkish star has been ruled out of the remainder of the French Round due to ‘mild traumatic pneumothorax.’

Razgatlioglu had laid down his marker in Free Practice 1 by posting the fastest time with a 1’36.347s, one of only two riders in the 1’36s bracket and more than three tenths clear of his nearest rivals. He had a delayed start to FP2 but looked rapid on his first flying lap as he set three red sectors – faster than anyone in that session – before his crash in the final sector. It was an innocuous crash, and Toprak would have ran back to the pits if it was not for a trackside barrier copping him square on in the ribs. It will be interesting to see if the way that barrier is placed is changed before riders are back on track on Saturday.

“The entire BMW Motorrad Motorsport family wishes Toprak a very speedy recovery,” said Sven Blusch, Head of BMW Motorrad Motorsport. “After his great success this is obviously a setback, but health is the most important thing. We are looking forward to having him back at the racetrack as soon as possible. An update on his recovery will follow at the given time.”

It had looked like Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) would be Razgatlioglu’s nearest challenger from the German manufacturer but van der Mark’s late lap demoted the American. However, Gerloff was still able to secure third in FP2 and fourth overall with a 1’36.390s while it was also a strong day for teammate Scott Redding. The #45 was 11th overall after setting a 1’36.984s, around a second down on van der Mark’s ‘ace.

Bulega was demoted to second on Friday as he posted a 1’36.159s in FP2, after it looked like he would claim top spot with just a few minutes remaining. He was just 0.149s away from the Dutchman ahead. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was Bulega’s closest Ducati rival as he secured sixth overall with a 1’36.609s, with ‘Petrux’ finishing directly ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) after the Spaniard had a dramatic session. He was fourth in the FP2 standings when he had a Turn 8 crash in FP2, although he was available to remount his Panigale V4 R and ride it back to the pits for his mechanics to repair. He returned to the track in the final few minutes and he secured seventh place overall, 0.609s down on his teammate.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) was 13th in the standings despite an FP2 tech issue, but he was able to get on track after the issue in the opening stages of the 45-minute session. He was half-a-tenth clear of Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) with the Brit making his return from injury, and lapping nine tenths off van der Mark’s time, while Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) was outside the top 15 on his first visit to the circuit.

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) led Kawasaki’s charge on the ZX-10RR although it was a good Friday for both the #22 and teammate Axel Bassani. Alex Lowes set a 1’36.592s to secure fifth overall, and fourth in FP2, while Bassani took ninth in the combined classification. After a struggle in FP1, the #47 crew opted for a different setup approach for FP2 which allowed him to fly up the order. The final Kawasaki rider was Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), with the Spaniard in 20th place.

Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) claimed eighth place on Friday after a tricky morning due to a technical problem, with the six-time Champion running the hardest SC0 tyre during Free Practice 2. He set a 1’36.778s, finishing two places and a tenth ahead of teammate Andrea Locatelli. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was a further two places back in 12th after posting a 1’36.994s, with his teammate Alessandro Delbianco – standing in for Dominique Aegeter following his training crash – in 21st place as he adjusts to WorldSBK-spec machinery. Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) took 18th place with Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) in 19th.

Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and teammate Xavi Vierge, as so often during their time as teammates, had little to separate them once again. Lecuona was the faster of the two in 15th place after posting a 1’37.801s, with Vierge a place and a tenth behind. Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda), returning to action following injury, was 22nd with teammate Ivo Lopes (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) in 23rd; Lopes is replacing Adam Norrodin this weekend.

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WorldSBK Friday Combined Practice Times

WorldSBK Standings

WorldSSP

The competition was red hot in Tissot Superpole session in the FIM Supersport World Championship at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours on Friday afternoon, with a new Superpole lap record from Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) giving him pole. Following an early red flag Huertas was already on lap record pace (1’39.793s) with just over 30 minutes of the restarted session remaining, before the Ducati rider then improved to 1’39.705s for P1 in the final five minutes.

With Huertas’ move to Moto2™ for 2025 now confirmed the standings leader made it a fifth pole position this season, with the second best lap time set by Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) late in the session. A light crash for Mahias at Turn 5 earlier in Superpole did not hinder his efforts severely and the French rider made it P2 with a strong 1’39.854s time. Completing the front row is Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) who also produced his best effort in the final seconds of the session, trailing pole man Huertas by 0.171s.

Italian trio Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team), Stefano Manzi (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) and Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) are all on row two, having lapped respectively 0.181s, 0.185s and 0.505s down on Huertas. Title contenders Montella and Manzi are therefore well positioned to keep the pressure on Huertas in Race 1, with Caricasulo also primed to continue his good recent top six form.

After his excellent two podium results last year at Magny-Cours Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) heads row three, in front of Tom Booth-Amos (PTR Triumph) and Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse), despite a technical issue for the German in FP. Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team) rounded out the top ten to head the fourth row.

Australians Oli Bayliss, Tom Edwards and Luke Power finished the opening day 13th, 15th and 18th respectively.

Khairul Idham Bin Pawi (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) was taken to the Medical Centre for a check-up with the session red-flagged after just over two minutes, due to an incident at Turn 1 involving the Malaysian rider. Bin Pawi will be checked again tomorrow morning before the Warm Up session after sustaining a left thigh contusion.

WorldSSP Superpole Results

WorldSSP Championship Points

WorldSSP300

The Tissot Superpole session for the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship class at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours saw title contender Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) take the pole with a stunning late dash. A best time of 1’52.513s for Mahendra was enough to secure a fourth pole in the history of the class for an Indonesian rider, with double World Champion Jeffrey Buis (KTM Freudenberg-Paligo Racing) in second place, just over one tenth of a second off P1.

Mahendra’s excellent lap will boost his title bid, whilst Buis looked strong again at a circuit where the Dutchman has previously achieved three victories. The leading pair are joined on the front row at the Motul French Round by the in-form Italian Mirko Gennai (MTM Kawasaki), on the back of his two wins at Portimao. Gennai trailed Mahendra by 0.136s making it three different manufacturers at the front of the grid.

The second row of the WorldSSP300 grid at Magny-Cours is an all-Spanish affair, with the rider in second place in the Championship Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) in fourth place, followed by KOVE Racing Team pair Marc Garcia and Julio Garcia.

There was no hat-trick of poles for Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) after his successes at Most and Portimao, with the standings leader qualifying in eighth place, behind Unai Calatayud (ARCO SASH MotoR University Team) and in front of Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Retro Traffic Kawasaki), with Pepe Osuna (DEZA-BOX 77 Racing Team) in tenth. The Superpole session was disrupted for Matteo Vannucci (Pata Yamaha AG Motorsport Italia) and Emiliano Ercolani (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSSP300 Team) when they crashed, with Vannucci taken to medical centre for a check-up.

WorldSSP300 Superpole Results

WorldSSP 300 Championship Points

R3 World Cup

Current WorldWCR championship leader

R3 World Cup Superpole

R3 World Cup Points