Alessandro Delbianco will be back on the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship grid at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours as the Italian takes the place of Dominique Aegerter at the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team. Aegerter was injured while training in Austria and was flown back to Switzerland where he underwent surgery, and, due to the rib and shoulder injuries suffered, will miss the Motul French Round. Yamaha have called upon the services of Delbianco to replace the #77 this weekend.

Delbianco last raced in WorldSBK in 2022 when he was a stand in at the TPR Team Pedercini Racing outfit, although he didn’t take a single chequered flag in the Emilia-Romagna Round, he competed in. The year before, rode for the MIE Racing Honda team at the Autodrom Most, where he again didn’t finish any race. In his first and only full season, in 2019 with the same MIE Honda outfit, he finished 18^th in the Championship with a best race result of ninth in Race 1 at Donington Park.

Since his only full-time WorldSBK campaign, Delbianco has been competing in the CIV Superbike championship in Italy. He was fifth in 2020 before improving to second in 2021 and 2022, taking his first two wins in the Superbike class in the latter year on Aprilia machinery. He switched to Yamaha for 2023 and was on the top step at Imola in Race 2, before adding two wins this season at Mugello and Misano.

Discussing his WorldSBK return, the Italian said: “I’m very grateful for this opportunity, but at the same time, I would like to wish a speedy recovery to Dominique. I’ll try to enjoy as much as I can this weekend, aware that it’ll be a great experience. I would also like to say a massive thank you to Filippo and Yamaha for thinking of me as an option for this round, I can’t wait to be on track Friday morning for the first session of free practice.”

Team Manager Filipo Conti added: “We’re very sorry for what happened to Dominique, we wish him a very speedy recovery, hoping to have him back as soon as possible in the garage. At the same time, we would like to welcome Alessandro with us. We’re happy we’ll be able to give him this opportunity and we believe he’ll be a great addition to our team, aware of his talent and his experience on the Yamaha R1 machine as he already proved in the Italian championship where he’s having a strong season there. Moreover, we’re confident we’ll be able to enjoy a solid weekend with Remy; we had a good first half of the season and we’re keen to enjoy a strong season finale and to make further progress, so we cannot wait to be back on track.”

There was also an update provided on Aegerter in the announcement. The #77 had surgery to stabilise his injuries and he has since returned home to continue his recoveries, with Aegerter set to be reassessed before the Italian Round at Cremona in a couple of weeks.

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Plans for two wildcards at the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season finale have been announced by the Yamaha-powered OMG Racing UK Team, which currently competes in the British Superbike championship. Riders Kyle Ryde and Ryan Vickers, both of whom have been in the WorldSBK paddock before, plan to be on track at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto when the 2024 season reaches its conclusion.

The team claimed the 2022 title and are in contention to win it this year with Ryde 19 points behind Tommy Bridewell in top spot heading into the series’ ‘showdown’ format, while Vickers is fifth in the standings. Ryde was a podium finisher in WorldSSP on a Yamaha R6 back in 2015 at Donington Park, while Vickers was on a Kawasaki ZX-10RR as recently as 2022, when he stepped in for Leon Haslam at TPR Team Pedercini Racing at the Autodrom Most.

The team will race on a WorldSBK-spec Yamaha R1 machines at the Spanish venue, including the Magneti Marelli electronics used by Yamaha and will work closely with Yamaha Motor Europe Motorsport Racing & Development for their wildcard appearance.

Discussing the opportunity, Ryde said: “It’s obviously really exciting to hear that the team will be going to compete in the final round of the FIM Superbike World Championship at Jerez, and it is something I’m incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to do. I love Jerez, it is such an awesome track. I did a few laps there on my R6 earlier this year, and I really like the circuit, so I’m already itching to get out on the World Superbike-spec R1. The team are working hard behind the scenes now to get it all ready, and I just can’t wait. Thank you to Alan, Paul and all my guys for giving up their time and efforts to give us the chance to ride on the world stage.”

Teammate Vickers added: “I’m really excited to have the opportunity to race at Jerez for the final round of WorldSBK. I’m eager to get out there and give it a shot with the same team and bike, just upgraded to the World Superbike-spec. I think it’ll be a good indication as to where we are as a team and how our bike is compared to the world bike. Kyle and I both feel really good on our R1 in Britain, so it’ll be interesting to see how it feels when we put the World Superbike electronics in. Jerez is one of my favourite tracks, I did a test there on a Superbike back in 2019 and I’m excited to get back there this year.”

Alan Gardner, Team Owner, stated his enthusiasm for the wildcard: “We’re excited to confirm that the OMG Yamaha Team are heading to WorldSBK later this year to compete in the final round of the Championship at Jerez. It’s a great opportunity to show what we can do compared to the other Yamaha teams and riders at a circuit both riders know well. We’re in a good place going into the final few rounds of the British Superbike championship, so we’ll be giving it our all to try and head to the world stage as BSB champions. We’d like to thank Yamaha Motor Europe who will be helping us with setting up the R1, but also to our partners for helping make it happen.”

Team Principal Paul Curran summed up by saying: “It’s great to be able to give our team the chance to compete in WorldSBK at Jerez later this year. The whole team have worked hard to be where we are heading into the final three rounds of the BSB championship, and I think we can put on a strong showing when we get to Spain in October. Jerez is up there as one of the best circuits in the world so naturally we’re hoping to put on a good performance for our fans, partners and ourselves. We have technical support from Yamaha Motor Europe who will assist with setting up the World Superbike-spec Yamaha R1, but I’m confident we’ll use the machinery to our advantage and come away with our heads held high.”

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Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) has been one of the standout performers in 2024 after an incredible and consistent run meant he was challenging for the podium in a lot of races, but a motocross crash in training left him in hospital and needing surgery. He’s now four rounds into his comeback from those injuries and it’s a topic he covers in this sit-down interview along with renewing with the Barni Ducati outfit and his goals in the final five rounds of 2024.

MOTOCROSS TRAINING CRASH AND COMEBACK: “I understood the value of small things… I missed normal life”

After a strong start to the season, Petrucci found himself in hospital after a massive training crash which led him to have surgery – read more about the crash and recovery HERE – before he pulled off a heroic comeback at Misano. Speaking during the special sit-down interview, the Italian star reflected on how the crash changed him due to Petrucci missing ‘normal life’ as he recovered from the accident.

“The accident has changed me a bit because I understood the value of life and the value of small things,” began a philosophical Petrucci. “After the accident, I couldn’t, for example, eat or shower by myself. I really missed normal life and I understood that I’m really lucky to be healthy, fit and have this kind of life. I appreciate what I have more. The team owner, Marco Barnabo, was the first person after my family to join me at the hospital and he was really sad. Then, in the same week, he was able to win his first race with this team. I sent a message to him, and I said, ‘This has been our lucky week because I’m alive and you won the first race’.”

AN EPIC MISANO RETURN: “Seeing all the people in Parc Ferme was worth the sacrifice and the pain…”

Petrucci only missed out on one round during his recovery although, at Misano, he was casting doubt on his participation from Thursday onwards. Despite the pain, Petrucci was able to claim a superhuman P6 result in Race 2 on Sunday at Misano to conclude his comeback weekend in style. He went on to claim a podium at Most in July after a hard-fought weekend as he stepped up his recovery a gear.

Discussing the Misano weekend, and the Most podium, he said: “Misano was really tough. After Free Practice on Friday, I said, ‘Look, I’ll try to do the race but I’m really not sure I’ll be able to complete it’. I found the strength from all the fans. I’ve never seen so many people cheering for me. I didn’t expect so much love. I’ve never seen it in any of my races before in WorldSBK or MotoGP™. Hundreds of people outside my box were waiting for me. On one hand, I was really happy but on the other, I got a bit of pressure because I said, ‘I can’t quit now!’. I had to do something for them. Race 2 was a nightmare with the pain but being the top Independent and seeing all the people at Parc Ferme was worth the sacrifice and the pain I felt in the previous months. The podium at Most, after the accident, is something I will always remember. It wasn’t an easy race. There was a big fight with Iannone at the end of the race. We shared the podium and that meant a lot for both of us but especially for me. For some days, I didn’t know if I was able to be fast again so it was like removing a stone from my shoulder. I feel more relaxed now.”

RE-SIGNING WITH BARNI DUCATI: “We have the potential to be even faster than the past…”

Petrucci’s plans for 2025 were revealed at the start of August just after the Portuguese Round, with the Italian signing a new contract with the Independent Ducati team to continue for a third season. The Petrucci-Barni Ducati team has so far stepped on the podium seven times and, after seven rounds in 2024, the two-time MotoGP™ race winner sits sixth in the standings with 147 points, eight behind Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) in fifth despite the #9 missing the Dutch Round.

Reflecting on his 2025 plans, Petrucci said: “I’m really happy to be in the Barni team again, for the 2025 season. Barni Spark racing was the last team I was racing with before going to MotoGP™ and more or less it’s the same team when I came back. I really love the team and the feeling we have. I think we have the potential to be even faster than the past. I can’t wait to begin another season with them.”

GOALS IN 2024: “The goal is to stand on the podium as many times as possible!”

Petrucci has scored four podiums this season, more than his 2023 total, with seven rounds completed. The 33-year-old has been consistent in 2024, finishing all but one race and, in the races he has finished, he’s been in the top ten in 16 out of 17 (his one retirement was in Race 2 at Most). With his performances so far rewarding him with rostrums, Petrucci explained his target for the final five rounds of the season.

“For the remaining races of the season, the goal is to stand on the podium as many times as possible,” he started. “I think Magny-Cours or Aragon will be two races where I can be fast. Magny-Cours is a track that I like. Aragon last year, it was a shame because I was fast but I crashed in the first lap of Superpole and started last. Despite that, in Race 1, I finished fifth. It was a missed opportunity. It’s been almost a year that I’ve been waiting for Aragon to recover from the big mistake I did!”

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One of the key puzzles in this year’s silly season has fallen into place. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) will stay with the factory Ducati team for 2025 after months of speculation about his future, with the team and rider now committing to each other for a fourth season in his second spell with the Bologna-based manufacturer in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. It completes the factory Ducati line-up for next year, with teammate Nicolo Bulega signing a two-year contract, with the Italian brand opting for continuity heading into next season.

THE STORY CONTINUES: Bautista and Ducati stay together

After a difficult start to 2024, Bautista kept discussing the feeling he had on his Panigale V4 R as he went in search of what he had in 2023. On Friday at Most, the Spaniard stated he was a lot happier with it and, on Sunday, gave the clearest hint yet that his plans were to stay. Although no announcement was forthcoming at Portimao, his plans have now been set in stone, with the 39-year-old committing to the 2025 season with the factory Ducati outfit alongside Bulega.

A SUCCESSFUL START: a stunning debut season ends without silverware

Bautista made his WorldSBK debut in 2019 with Ducati and was unbeatable at the start of the season, winning 11 consecutive races – a previous WorldSBK record until beaten this year by Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) – and looked like he would end Jonathan Rea’s winning streak. However, a disastrous second half of the season ended with Bautista finishing second behind Rea in the Championship standings and he left Ducati at the end of the season for a new adventure, joining Honda for the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

A DREAM RETURN: two titles with Ducati

After a difficult two seasons with Honda, Bautista made a stunning return to Ducati, and it paid off handsomely for both rider and manufacturer. 16 wins and 31 podiums in 36 races ensured he claimed his first title in 2022, and Ducati’s first Riders’ Championship since 2011, by beating Toprak Razgatlioglu to the crown. The defence then took place in 2023, with Bautista taking a record 27 wins that season as he won a second successive crown to retain the #1 plate. While 2024 has seen a downturn in wins and podiums, Bautista sits third in the standings after seven rounds. He’s currently on 61 wins, all with Ducati, making him the rider with the most wins for the Bologna-based manufacturer.

BAUTISTA SAYS: “Thrilled to continue… hope I can repay them by returning to having as much fun on track as we did in the last rounds”

Discussing his renewal with Ducati, Bautista said: “I am thrilled to continue another season with Ducati, with Aruba and with this beautiful team that represents a family to me. I feel physically and mentally perfect, and I am sure I can still be very competitive. Furthermore, there is an extraordinary relationship with everyone, from the mechanics to the management, to the sponsors, which is why I am even happier. I want to thank Ducati, Aruba, Stefano Cecconi, Daniele Casolari and Serafino Foti for their trust in me. I hope I can repay them by returning to having as much fun on track as we did in the last rounds.”

THE TEAM’S VIEW: “We must continue on this path to make a great season finale and close the gap that separates us from the top”

Team Principal Stefano Cecconi added: “I have said many times that our priority was to continue with Alvaro, and I couldn’t wait to be able to announce the renewal of our collaboration officially. It is a pleasure to work with him, both from a personal and professional point of view. I am convinced that by continuing to work hard together, we will be able to overcome the new challenges that the new regulations offer us. During the last few races, we have found solutions that have allowed Alvaro to rediscover the sensations that were a bit lacking at the beginning of the year. Now, we must continue on this path to make a great season finale and close the gap that separates us from the top.”

FROM DUCATI: “We will do everything we can to put Alvaro in a position to defend the world title until the end”

Providing the thoughts from Ducati, Gigi Dall’Igna, Ducati Corse General Manager said: “We are delighted to continue with Alvaro Bautista. He has given us great emotions in recent seasons, and his talent certainly remains unquestionable. The new regulations and the very high level reached by the World Superbike Championship will make 2025 challenging, but we are ready to face it together. For now, it is important to stay focused on the current season: the Championship is still long, and we will do everything we can to put Alvaro in a position to defend the world title until the end.”

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The race for the 2024 FIM Supersport World Championship title has already had plenty of surprises along the way and that is set to continue when the WorldSSP field hits the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. Round 8 of the season is the Motul French Round and with just 20 points between the top two in the standings, expect more fireworks as a frantic end of the season approaches with five rounds in seven weeks.

20 POINTS IN IT: can Montella continue to close the gap?

At Portimao, a crash for Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) in Race 2 combined with a double for Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) closed the gap to just 20 points between them; the title battle well and truly on. Neither have won at the circuit but Huertas’ team did last year with Nicolo Bulega, who led the Panigale V2 to two wins so expect both riders to be at the front again. Stefano Manzi (Pata Prometeon Ten Kate Racing) was another beneficiary of Huertas’ crash, with the Italian 41 points back. His Yamaha R6 has been a winner at Magny-Cours before thanks to double Champion Dominique Aegerter, so will Manzi be able to cut the gap further?

THE BATTLE FOR FOURTH: Debise vs Schroetter with 14 points between the two

It’s also a tight fight in the race for P4 in the standings, with Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) just leading Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse). Debise’s first World Supersport rostrums came at his home round last year and he’s been a regular podium contender in 2024 while Schroetter is on a difficult run. After four podiums in the first four races, the German hasn’t stood on the rostrum since and has often been outside the top six as he lost ground to the front runners. Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) has been on a good run since his switch to Ducati as he’s been fighting for the podium in almost every race and has been in the top five in all but two of his eight Panigale V2 outings. Two points behind Navarro is Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) who has also been in strong form lately, with four top-six finishes in a row. Perhaps, in the closing stages of the season, the battle for fourth will become a four-rider showdown.

HOPING TO TIGHTEN THEIR GRIP ON THE TOP TEN: two previous France winners in the fight

Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) sits eighth in the standings on 100 points, leading Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) by 19 points and Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team) by another 11. However, both Mahias and Tuuli have stood on the top step of the podium at Magny-Cours, in 2019 and 2020 for Mahias and 2017 for Tuuli. Will they be able to use their experience to close the gap to the Dutchman? Five points behind Tuuli is Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and he’ll hope to haul himself into the top ten. He was declared unfit at Portimao and will have to pass a pre-round medical check to race.

RIDER LINE-UP NEWS: three wildcards and several replacement riders…

Guillaume Antiga (VIAMO Racing by MTM) makes his WorldSSP return after eight years as he stands in for Marcel Brenner. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (VFT Racing Yamaha) continues to substitute for Yeray Ruiz while Alvaro Diaz makes a return to the Championship in place of Krittapat Keankum (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team). Luca de Vleeschauwer is set to make his WorldSSP debut in France as he substitutes the injured Lorenzo Baldassarri (WRP by SKM-Triumph). There are three wildcard riders in France: Alex Negrier (GMT94 Yamaha), Corentin Perolari (CBO Racing Honda France) and Enzo De La Vega (Perles de Fruits Racing Team CMS); Negrier and De La Vega will make their WorldSSP debut while Perolari returns to the Championship.

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2024 has been nothing short of sensational for BMW following the arrival of Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). ‘El Turco’ now holds the record for most consecutive wins, with 13, and has taken 15 victories this season on his way to leading the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship standings with five rounds to go. At Portimao, BMW’s Technical Director, Chris Gonschor, spoke candidly about their ‘really unreal’ season so far, evolving the M 1000 RR and riders always wanting more.

2024 SUMMED UP: “The first half was stronger than you could ever dream of… unrealistic that it can go on like this!”

Gonschor started by summing up the first seven rounds of 2024 for BMW, which turned into a record-breaking campaign with Razgatlioglu’s incredible winning streak. Reflecting on the season so far, he said: “It’s a very strong first half but, like you saw at Portimao, it’s hard to fight for Toprak so there’s still a long way to go. I’m sure the other riders are very competitive and will strike back. You saw in Race 2 at Portimao how close it can be, how it should be as it’s about racing. Toprak wants to fight; we want to have a good fight with the competitors. The first half was stronger than you could ever dream of! It’s unrealistic that it can go on like this. We will fight at Magny-Cours and all the upcoming rounds again for the maximum but it’s really unreal. No way of imagining something like this, and it would be wrong to imagine something like this. It was clear that we could have strong pace after winter testing. It was clear, even after the first test here at Portimao with him, that lap times were close to what you need to win races. Winning races was the target and also realistic. Winning 13 races in a row, 15 in total, in the middle of the season is something you can enjoy but never plan.”

MAKING A STEP FROM 2023: “We improved every single part… we had to make a big step”

The 2024 success would’ve been unimaginable to BMW after 2023, where they claimed one pole position thanks to Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) but no podiums. Explaining how the German manufacturer made such a big step, Gonschor said: “The difference is we improved every single part including, for sure, the rider. Finally, it put the puzzle perfectly aligned together. We changed the aerodynamics, the swingarm up and down to understand the bike better. The test team data, we got more homework to do over the months, so we produced parts, produced data, produced parts, we go testing but right from Misano, we had the package in line. We were under control with what we need. There is no one piece we changed. We had to change everything. If you look back to the last two or three seasons, it wasn’t as successful as we wished to be. We had to make a big step and the big step is possible if you fine tune every part.”

ALWAYS WANTING MORE: “The bike is working consistently fast, but riders are riders and they’re always complaining!”

While BMW’s step is clear to see, the riders – as every competitor on the grid will be doing – are always pushing for me, something which Gonschor believed was good for the project. He said: “Honestly, the bike is working fast consistently, but riders are riders and they’re always complaining! It’s good because they give us the homework to do, and the bike can still improve in turning. I said it in the winter, and they were working on it already because the corner entry and corner exit is always the target. It’s where you get the time or lose it. I think braking stability is quite okay but, nevertheless, you have to keep the speed until the apex and then get a good drive out. When you see Race 2 at Portimao, you could see Mickey was very strong in the last corner. With Toprak, we had some margin in the setup. We learned our lesson and our competitors were unbelievably strong in the last corner and top speed.”

OTHER BMWS FIGHTING AT THE FRONT: “We’re getting all BMWs closer to the front, and this is how it should be”

BMW have enjoyed a lot of success this season but one key aspect is that, in the first seven rounds, Razgatlioglu has been the only rider on the podium for the German brand. At Donington, Most and Portimao, Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) and Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) have been closer and this is something Gonschor is hoping to see more often. Talking about the trio, he said: “They are definitely coming. We’ve had a few P4s, P5s starting with Scott at Donington, Mickey at Most after a hard recovery from Superpole. At Portimao, Garrett had a strong Race 1 and Mickey fought until the last metres in the Superpole Race. He deserved a podium but the other riders on the podium deserved it too! It was a good fight, but you see that the BMWs are coming. We’re getting all BMWs closer to the front, and this is how it should be; just waiting for the final podium with more than one BMW.”

LOSING TWO BIKES FOR 2025: “What we lose, we’ll try to recover with the test team”

In June, Bonovo Action announced they would withdraw from WorldSBK at the end of the year although Team Manager Michael Galinski expressed his desire for the MGM structure to stay, although they wouldn’t run with BMW. This means there will be two fewer M 1000 RR machines on the grid in 2025, something Gonschor acknowledged and explained how the German manufacturer will look to overcome the loss of data from only running two bikes.

On the challenge of losing two bikes, Gonschor said: “You can’t have enough data! With the increase of the test team, kilometres because they’re unlimited, you have an opportunity to balance it out again. We’re not losing exactly the same data but, for sure, it would’ve been nice to see some more BMWs on the grid but the paddock is changing. It’s part of the game. What we lose we’ll try to recover with the test team. I’m pretty sure we can manage it. Whatever comes out with Bonovo next year, I’m glad to see them back in the paddock and looking forward to some fights.”

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The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship heads to the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours for Round 8 of the 2024 season, with plenty of records and milestones to be hit. We’ve gathered some of the key numbers ahead of the Motul French Round in one place for you to make sure you have all the info you need ahead of track action.

150 – An important milestone lies ahead for Garrett Gerloff: his next start will be his 150th in WorldSBK: he will be the second U.S. rider to reach this goal after Colin Edwards (175 starts).

71 – Toprak Razgatlioglu’s partnership with BMW is running at record pace. He has won 15 races out of 21 so far (71.4%). Among the riders who raced at least 20 times for a manufacturer, his best rival is Ben Spies with Yamaha: 14 out of 28 (50%). Doug Polen (26/54, 48.1%) and Alvaro Bautista (61/129, 47.2%) follow for Ducati.

54/59 – Current bike #54 counts 54 WorldSBK wins and while Carl Fogarty is temporarily out of reach in Magny-Cours (59 wins: 3rd all-time spot), the countdown has started!

49 – Milestones in pairs: the next race at Magny-Cours will be the 50th held here, the next podium for Ducati, the 50th at this track.

49 – With 49 races run, Magny-Cours sits in fifth place among the most visited tracks. The record belongs to Phillip Island at 70.

49 – 49 podium places for Ducati at this track, the record value for Magny-Cours. Kawasaki follows at 34 and Yamaha at 32.

28/32 – Countdown time also for BMW: 28 wins so far, four shy of 6th in the all-time list held by Suzuki.

21 – Nicolo Bulega is on a streak of 21 points finishes, all races since his debut. No other rookie had managed this feat before him.

11/20 – Bulega has passed the halfway mark towards the record of second places in a season: he counts 11 now, with his title rival Razgatlioglu holding the record at 20, set last year. The second all-time value is 16 by Jonathan Rea in 2019, the third is 12 (Scott Russell 1993; Alvaro Bautista 2022).

23 – The most successful French rider in WorldSBK history is 1990 World Champion, Raymond Roche: he won 23 races from 1989 to 1992. He won twice in France but at Le Mans, back in 1990.

20 – Great Britain is the most successful country at Magny-Cours with 20 wins. The next best country is Turkey at 8, all by Razgatlioglu.

20-38 – Magny-Cours so far has seen no fewer than 20 winners and 38 podium finishers out of 49 races. These counts didn’t improve last year, as the winners (Razgatlioglu, Bautista) and podium finishers (Bautista, Razgatlioglu, Rea, Rinaldi) had all been winners and podium finishers here before.

19-1 – Despite being the most successful manufacturer here with 19 wins, Ducati recorded only one pole, in 2003 with James Toseland – his maiden career pole.

16 – In 2019, Razgatlioglu set a new record for winning from the lowest grid spot at Magny-Cours as he won from 16^th, and he did it twice: in Race 1 and in the Tissot Superpole Race. No one has won from such a distant grid spot since.

13-16 – Razgatlioglu is on a winning streak of 13 races, a record for WorldSBK. He has the potential to make it as high as 16 in France.

12-11 – The best grid spot for winning? Seems to be 2^nd, as from here the race was won 12 times, one more than from pole position.

10 – After a run of 10 editions with only British riders topping Superpole at Magny-Cours (2010-2019), Irishman Eugene Laverty stole the top spot in Superpole in 2020. The British record run: Cal Crutchlow (2010), Jonathan Rea (2011, 2016, 2017, 2019), Tom Sykes (2012 to 2014 and 2018), Leon Haslam (2015).

10 – Kawasaki holds the pole record with ten, the last one in 2022 with Rea. That is more than three times the value of its nearest competitors, Yamaha, and Honda at 3.

9 – Rea is the most successful rider here with 9 wins, followed by Toprak Razgatlioglu at 8 and Noriyuki Haga at 5.

8 – The record run of wins for Great Britain is 8, from 2015 Race 1 to 2018 Race 2 (5 for Rea, 3 for Davies).

7 – Last year, this was the first track in which Razgatlioglu recorded a 7^th win; this year he can be the first one in which he reaches 10 (he is at 8 now).

7 – 7 different manufacturers have claimed pole at Magny-Cours. Kawasaki took 9 from 2012 onwards, but the surprise in recent years was BMW, setting pole here in 2020 (Laverty) and last year (Gerloff).

5 – In 2021, Rea claimed the Magny-Cours pole-tally record, 5, taking it from his former team-mate Tom Sykes (4). In 2022, he improved the best value to 6.

4 – Only one rider was able to climb on the podium here for 4 different manufacturers: Marco Melandri (Yamaha in 2011, BMW in 2012, Aprilia in 2014 and Ducati in 2017).

4 – Only Razgatlioglu has managed 4 straight wins in Magny-Cours (2022/SPR – 2023/SPR).

1 – The only French winner at Magny-Cours is Sylvain Guintoli (2012 Race 1 for Ducati; 2014 Race 1 for Aprilia).

0.5 – The closest Championship finish of all-time came at Magny-Cours in 2012, with Max Biaggi beating Tom Sykes to the title by just half a point.

0.000 – In 2022, a new record for the smallest gap between polesitter and 2^nd on the grid was set in Magny-Cours, as Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu recorded exactly the same time, down to the smallest possible digit. Pole position was thus decided by the second-best lap time in favour of Rea.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is back on track at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours for the Motul French Round, with a brand-new Race 2 time on Sunday. Friday’s action kicks off at 09:40 Local Time (UTC+2) with WorldSSP300 Free Practice, followed by WorldSBK FP1 at 10:20 and WorldSSP FP an hour later. In the afternoon, WorldSSP300 Tissot Superpole takes place at 14:10 with WorldSBK FP2 at 15:00 and WorldSSP Superpole at 16:00. On Saturday, the action starts with WorldSBK FP3 at 09:00 followed by Warm Up sessions for WorldSSP300 and WorldSSP. World Superbike returns to the track at 11:00 with Superpole before racing starts at 12:45 with WorldSSP300 Race 1. WorldSBK Race 1 is at 14:00 and WorldSSP Race 1 at 15:15. On Sunday, Warm Up sessions start the day from 09:00 before racing begins at 11:00 with the WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race. WorldSSP300 Race 2 is at 12:45 before a new afternoon schedule. WorldSSP Race 2 takes place at 14:00 before WorldSBK Race 2 rounds out the action at 15:30.

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Friday, 6^th September (all times are Local Time, UTC+2)

09:00-09:25 – Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Free Practice

09:40-10:05 – WorldSSP300 Free Practice

10:20-11:05 – WorldSBK Free Practice 1

11:20-12:00 – WorldSSP Free Practice

13:30-13:55 – Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Superpole

14:10-14:35 – WorldSSP300 Tissot Superpole

15:00-15:45 – WorldSBK Free Practice 2

16:00-16:40 – WorldSSP Tissot Superpole

Saturday, 7th September

09:00-09:20 – WorldSBK Free Practice 3

09:30-09:40 – WorldSSP300 Warm Up

09:50-10:00 – WorldSSP Warm Up

11:00-11:15 – WorldSBK Tissot Superpole

11:50 – Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Race 1 (9 laps)

12:45 – WorldSSP300 Race 1 (11 laps)

14:00 – WorldSBK Race 1 (21 laps)

15:15 – WorldSSP Race 1 (19 laps)

Sunday, 8^th September

09:00-09:10 – WorldSBK Warm Up

09:20-09:30 – WorldSSP300 Warm Up

09:40-09:50 – WorldSSP Warm Up

11:00 – WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race (10 laps)

11:50 – Yamaha R3 bLU cRU Race 1 (9 laps)

12:45 – WorldSSP300 Race 2 (11 laps)

14:00 – WorldSSP Race 2 (19 laps)

15:30 – WorldSBK Race 2 (21 laps)

Source: WorldSBK.com

After they acquiesced their mid-season holiday and spent time away from the track, the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship slides away to France for Round 8. 5 rounds in 7 weeks, it’ll be a supersonic end to the year but don’t go away, stand by us and enjoy every twist and turn from the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours to Jerez. Having been so successful in the past, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) won’t have time to look back in anger in France and whilst some might say it’s a done deal, the rest of the field are rolling with it, ready for a Sunday morning call to get stuck in. Definitely – perhaps not – but maybe, we’ll have a surprise this weekend. Do you know what we mean?

WILL RAZGATLIOGLU’S STREAK CONTINUE? Plenty of rivals out to stop him…

Last time out at Portimao, Razgatlioglu broke the record for most consecutive wins with 13 victories in a row, and he could extend that to as many as 16 at Magny-Cours; a circuit the M 1000 RR has gone well at in the past and the #54 loves with eight wins there already. Anyone who is winning has a metaphorical target on their back and the Turkish star’s rivals will be aiming to prevent him from winning. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) are winners at Magny-Cours in WorldSBK, the latter with nine – the most at the circuit, which Razgatlioglu can match and beat with two wins. Second in the Championship and hoping to gain points on the 2021 Champion is Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), in his first WorldSBK race in France, but he did win at the circuit in WorldSSP, while Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) has been a consistent podium challenger in recent rounds so will ‘Petrux’ be able to take another step and claim victory? Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was quick at Portimao and has four podiums at the French venue, while Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) continued his impressive campaign and will be hoping to keep his run of podiums in every round bar one going in France.

PLENTY OF RIDERS IN CONTENTION: shocks and surprises on the cards?

There’ll be several other riders hoping to be in the mix, too. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) heads into the French Round on the back of his best weekend of 2024 at Portimao and he was also on pole here last year, although unable to convert it into a podium finish. Similarly for teammate Scott Redding, he’s been a race winner and podium finisher at Magny-Cours before and will be aiming to reach those levels again. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) is another who’s been a rostrum finisher at the venue and, after three finishes outside the top ten at Portimao, will be looking to bounce back in France. Likewise, Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) will be hoping he can move forward on the ZX-10RR and fight where he has fought before, while Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) will want to continue his push to be the top Yamaha rider. At Team HRC, both Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge were out testing at Estoril straight after Portimao and will be hoping that proves valuable in the run-in, while Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) will be look to back at the sharp end; it’s his first visit to Magny-Cours in WorldSBK.

AIMING TO FINISH WELL: a turning point for some in France?

2024 has been a difficult season for Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) but he comes into Magny-Cours at a circuit he knows he’s strong at, with two second-place finishes there in the last four races (but also two retirements). Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) will race at the French circuit for the first time since 2021, when he was with Barni Ducati, and scored points in Race 1 and Race 2. A regular fixture in the top ten at Magny-Cours, Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) will be hoping he can secure a best result of the season at his team’s home round while Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) is aiming to put himself in points-scoring contention.

RIDER NEWS: Aegerter to miss French Round, Lopes replaces Norrodin

After sustaining injuries to his rib and shoulder in a training crash, Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) will miss the French Round. Ivo Lopes (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda) returns with MIE Honda for the French Round, replacing Adam Norrodin, while Tarran Mackenzie – due to be in the box next to Lopes – will have to pass a Thursday medical check; he was declared unfit at Donington Park and missed the following rounds at Most and Portimao. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) is also hoping to be on track again after missing Portimao following his crash at Most where he sustained a broken collarbone. He did, however, complete a one-day test at Estoril between the Portuguese and French Rounds.

Watch the highlights show from Portimao HERE, read the Official Programme for the French Round HERE, and watch everything from France using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 50% off!

Source: WorldSBK.com