One of Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) many specialities in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is his ability to brake late with the rear wheel off the ground on the Yamaha YZF-R1 machine. Speaking at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), who switched from Yamaha to the BMW M1000RR for this season, explained how the #54 will have to adapt when he gets on the German manufacturer’s bike in 2024.

Gerloff spent three seasons on the Yamaha machinery since his WorldSBK debut in 2020, scoring six podiums for the GRT Yamaha outfit before making the switch to the Bonovo Action BMW for this season where he has put in some impressive performances, including pole position at the Pirelli French Round; his first in WorldSBK and BMW’s first since Barcelona in 2021. On Friday, after he put in strong performances, the #31 spoke about the transition Razgatlioglu will have to make to when he gets on the M1000RR machine as Gerloff had to for this season.

The Texan-born rider went into detail about how braking on the BMW will be different compared to the Yamaha for the 2021 Champion, who’s become famous for having his rear wheel off the ground under heavy braking before making the corner even when it looks like he’s not got a chance of hitting the apex. With Gerloff, who admits there’s things from Razgatlioglu that he’s tried to emulate, also making the switch, he was able to provide some insight on the challenge the Yamaha rider will have when he joins the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team next season.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Gerloff said: “I know he’ll be able to ride it well. He does have a really particular way to ride the bike that he’s developed from the Kawasaki to the Yamaha. He’s one of the best guys so he’s somebody that I try to emulate when I ride but, for me, to try to do some of the things he does, it hasn’t been easy on the BMW to do the same. On the Yamaha, I couldn’t do exactly what he does, but I felt I was close to being able to ride on the front wheel with the rear off the ground and still stop the bike. Not in every situation but most. This bike seems like it’s a lot more difficult to ride like that. It’s a bit more nervous and it likes both wheels on the ground. It’s something him and whoever he’s working with will be able to sort out.

“There are definitely some things I’d like to change next year to help give good connection with the bike. I feel like sometimes I just want to have a great connection with the bike. Having Toprak come is going to be a big motivation for BMW. He might bring some ideas that will make them have to open their window a little bit to see what else might work. For me, it’s just hard to be consistent under braking. The Yamaha was really good about being able to lift the rear but also when it sets down, it’s smooth. The BMW likes both wheels on the ground. You start lifting the rear and touching down, it starts to kick you a little bit. The BMW is like a precision tool, which is good because you can get a lot from that, but I feel like you have to ride it not as aggressively to get the most out of it whereas something that’s a bit more of a blunt instrument, you can make it a bit more aggressively.”

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MotorLand Aragon hosts the tenth round of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, with just three rounds remaining of what has been a memorable season. This Spanish circuit has been the most used in the Iberian country in WorldSBK history and the local fans have deep roots in motorcycle racing. Records are never far away in a place that has seen it all, old and new, so let’s check out the statistical headlines ahead of the Tissot Aragon Round.

199 – Spain at Magny-Cours stopped short of 200 podiums with 199. With one more, they’ll become the fifth country to hit 200 after the UK (870), Italy (417), Australia (329) and the United States (262).

116/119 – Yamaha need three wins equal Honda in the wins chart. Yamaha has 116, Honda 119, the latter occupying the third all-time place. Ducati (411) and Kawasaki (178) are ahead.

108 – 108 races have been run on Spanish soil so far. The presence of Spain in the WorldSBK Championship began at Jerez in 1990 on the 18th of March, the opening round of the season.

107/109 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) has his sights on the 5^th all-time spot for podiums, held by Carl Fogarty at 109. He currently has 107.

51/52 –Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) has 51 wins, only one shy of the 3^rd all-time spot held by Troy Bayliss (52 wins). Ahead, only Jonathan Rea at 119 and Carl Fogarty at 59.

44/31 – In 2011, Aragon became the fifth Spanish track in WorldSBK history and the 44th overall. With 31 races since 2011, it’s hosted the most races in Spain, ahead of Valencia on 22.

26 – Kawasaki have had podiums in the last 26 races at Aragon, a streak started in 2013, Race 2.

25×2 – The last 25 races run here were won by only two manufacturers: Ducati (14 times) and Kawasaki (11). The string started in 2014: before that year, they hadn’t posted a single win at Aragon; now, they are the two most successful constructors here. This duel extends also to second places, as in the same time span, only Ducati and Kawasaki were classified in second.

24 – At 24 Aragon podiums, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) can set a new record for podiums at a given track, surpassing his tally of 25 at Assen.

23×23 – Rea climbed on the podium in all his 23 races run for Kawasaki at Aragon (since 2015). This is an absolute record streak for a given track in WorldSBK history. His nearest rival is Carl Fogarty, with 15 straight podiums at Assen (1992-1999).

14 – Ducati is the most successful manufacturer at Aragon with 14 wins to Kawasaki’s 11.

10 – The lowest starting spot for a win at Aragon is 10th: Chaz Davies in Race 2, 2017.

4 – Tom Sykes is the record holder for poles at Aragon with four. Rea follows at three.

3 – Three countries have won here: Great Britain (21 wins), Italy (5) and Spain (5, all by Bautista).

1 – Aragon gave Michael Ruben Rinaldi a first win (2020, Teruel) and a first start in 2018.

SHORTHAND NOTEBOOK

2022 race winners:

• Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki, Race 1)
• Alvaro Bautista (Ducati, Tissot Superpole Race and Race 2)

Last three pole-sitters at MotorLand Aragon:

• 2022: Toprak Razgatlioglu (Yamaha): 1’48.267
• 2021: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki): 1’48.458
• 2020 (Teruel): Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki): 1’48.767

Manufacturer podium places (and wins) from all WorldSBK races at MotorLand Aragon:

• Kawasaki: 35 (11)
• Ducati: 32 (14)
• Aprilia: 10 (2)
• Yamaha: 9 (1)
• BMW: 5 (3)
• Honda: 2

Key gaps MotorLand Aragon in 2022:

• Front row covered by: 0.209s
• 1 second in Superpole covered… the top 6: 0.731s
• Closest race gap between 1^st and 2^nd: 0.090s (Rea 1^st, Bautista 2^nd, Race 1)
• Closest race podium: 5.416s (Rea 1^st, Bautista 2^nd, Razgatlioglu 3^rd, Race 1)

Manufacturer top speeds at MotorLand Aragon, 2022:

• Ducati: Alvaro Bautista – 331.2 km/h, Race 1
• BMW: Eugene Laverty – 330.2 km/h, Race 1
• Honda: Xavi Vierge – 327.2km/h, Race 1
• Kawasaki: Jonathan Rea – 324.3 km/h, Race 1
• Yamaha: Andrea Locatelli – 322.3 km/h, Race 1

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As the conclusion of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship edges closer, and with plenty up for grabs, you can enjoy all the drama, twists, and turns for a special discounted price. With an Iberian Peninsula double header at Aragon and Portimao up next before Jerez rounds out the season, and all three Riders’ titles still to be decided, now is the perfect opportunity to subscribe to the WorldSBK VideoPass for the special price of just €9.99!

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) leads the way in WorldSBK and he could win his second title at Portimao, depending on how Aragon plays out, with Bautista looking to add his name to an exclusive list of back-to-back Champions. In WorldSSP, Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) has the chance to win his, and Ducati’s, first WorldSSP title with his first ‘match point’ at Aragon. Plus, the WorldSSP300 campaign concludes at Portimao and there’s three riders separated by just five points with two rounds to go.

Of course, away from the title battles, there is plenty still to play for up and down the grid as riders, teams, and manufacturers look to end the 2023 campaign on a high. There are three rounds left at Aragon, Portimao and Jerez between now and the end of October. Don’t miss out on any action for the incredible price of just €9.99 for the WorldSBK VideoPass and make sure you are part of what promises to be a stunning end to the 2023 season.

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Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) moved into the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship lead at the Pirelli French Round as he did the double in a weekend where some title contenders shone and some faltered in the scorching French sunshine. The Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours has often provided plenty of WorldSSP300 drama and this year was no exception with the weekend having huge ramifications in the Championship battle.

Buis claimed victory in Race 1 by almost two seconds as he timed his charge to the front perfectly and broke away from the chasing pack for his ninth win in the Championship and 17^th podium. It was a similar story on Sunday as he moved to the front with a handful of laps to go but an error dropped him down the order. Despite this, the 2020 Champion was able to battle back to the front for his first double since Aragon 2020 – where he won three of the four races at the Spanish venue that year.

Looking back on his win and weekend, Buis said: “It’s incredible to have two wins in a weekend. The last time for me was back in 2020 at Aragon! To have this feeling back again, it’s great. From the beginning, the race was a little bit different compared to Race 1 because Vannucci crashed in the first lap, and I had to avoid him. I lost about two seconds. In the next laps, I had to close the gap and I managed it. Then I stayed at the front of the group. With four laps to go, I wanted to make a gap to the other riders, but I made a mistake and ran a bit wide. I had to come back from P6 or something and I was there in one lap. Again, I stayed at the front and won the race.”

Buis’ two wins, coupled with title contenders Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) crashing in Race 2, Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing) in eighth on Sunday and Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) outside the top ten, means Buis now leads the title fight by five points ahead of Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) and 13 ahead of Geiger. 22 points had separated seven riders heading into France, but the twists at Magny-Cours mean 13 points separate the top three, and 44 the top seven.

On reclaiming the Championship lead and the final two rounds of the season, Buis added: “It’s incredible to say it again. I want to say thanks to everybody but we’re not there yet. There’s 100 points left so I’ll give everything for the last two rounds of the season at Aragon and Portimao. I like the Aragon track a lot, I’ve had a lot of podiums there, and at Portimao we’ve had some very good results. I haven’t tested there with the bike, so it’ll be a little bit more difficult, but it’ll go well.”

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Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) will take the place at the Aruba.it WorldSSP Racing Team vacated by Nicolo Bulega in the 2024 FIM Supersport World Championship as the Spaniard departs Kawasaki machinery. Huertas has been with the Japanese brand since 2021 in both WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 but will switch to the Ducati Panigale V2 for next season with incumbent Bulega moving to the factory Ducati WorldSBK team.

HUERTAS’ RAPID RISE: WorldSSP300 Champion, WorldSSP star

The Madrid-born rider made his WorldSSP300 debut in 2020 with ProGP Racing on Yamaha machinery but it was a switch to MTM Kawasaki in 2021 that proved to be his breakthrough. Eight podiums, including six wins, in 16 races propelled him to the title and he graduated to WorldSSP in 2022 with the same team, where he has impressed everyone in the paddock with his speed and consistency on the Kawasaki ZX-6R despite the Championship being new to both team and rider.

The 20-year-old finished his first season in 12^th place but was a regular fixture in the top ten in the results, only finishing seven of his 23 races outside those positions. He scored a best result of seventh in 2022. The #99 took a big step forward this season with his results despite an injury sustained in Australia, with the Spaniard narrowly missing out on a podium on three occasions by finishing fourth including at the most recent French Round. His form in WorldSSP as well as his WorldSSP300 title persuaded Kawasaki to give him a test at the recent Aragon test with the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK, where he left a positive impression.

THE SPANIARD’S DREAM: “To be the first rider to win the World Championship in all three categories!”

Despite the WorldSBK test, Huertas has opted to switch to Ducati for next season. Reflecting on the announcement, the #99 said: “I am really happy to have reached this agreement. Racing for the Aruba.it Racing team is a big privilege for me. I have a goal: to be the first rider to win the World Championship in all three categories. I have already succeeded in World Supersport 300, and I believe that the Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP team is definitely the best choice to continue believing in this goal. Becoming a Ducati rider is also a dream coming true for me. Since I was a child, I have always supported Ducati and now I will have the chance to race with the Panigale V2.”

DUCATI’S VIEW: “Adrian is unanimously considered one of the best up-and-coming riders in the WorldSBK paddock”

Team Principal Stefano Cecconi outlined his goals for the Huertas-Ducati combination, saying: “We enthusiastically welcome Adrian Huertas. We have high trust in his talent, and we are sure that he can give us great satisfaction. We appreciate the determination he showed in accepting our proposal: it confirms the quality of the project that started two years ago when we decided to embark with Feel Racing on the adventure of the World Supersport Championship. We consider the Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP team a sort of junior team through which we develop young riders who can then continue their careers in the official WorldSBK team, as it happened to Nicolo Bulega who will be on the Ducati Panigale V4 R next season. Adrian is unanimously considered one of the best up-and-coming riders in the WorldSBK paddock and we expect him to keep growing and achieve important results.”

AN EMOTIONAL FAREWELL FROM MTM: “Let’s get that podium and celebrate it together!”

After enjoying so much success with MTM Kawasaki, from his debut with the team in 2021 and helping grow the team in WorldSSP, Ludo Van Der Veken, MTM Kawasaki’s Team Manager, penned a heartfelt message to Huertas. It read: “Adrian, a lot of time has passed since we first met in 2020. I believed in you since the first time, because I’ve always seen something special in you, your motivation, your ambition, your wish to be the best in the world. And we did it, winning the 2021 World Supersport 300 Championship together and graduating to World Supersport once again together. Two years of contract, a big effort from our side, but we firmly believed in you and what we achieved so far means that we both were right. It was an incredible journey. Adrian, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

“Thank you for your motivation and your attitude, which makes you special.Thank you for bringing us home the 2021 title in World Supersport 300. Thank you for two years of WorldSSP, always growing up. Thank you for always pushing us to the limit and even over. Thank you for all the emotions and the passion we lived together. It has been so special, but now it’s time to let you go. I welcomed you to MTM as a young kid with big dreams, now I let you go as a man with big targets and that’s why it’s even more special from my side. I’m proud to have been part of your journey and I’m sure you’re going to reach any single target you have, and me and all MTM Kawasaki Team will be cheering for you in your way to reach them. Thank you for everything Adrian, it has been a pleasure. Best of luck for your 2024 season, but now let’s get that podium and just celebrate it together, one more time.”

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Home hero Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) enjoyed an unforgettable Pirelli French Round as he took his first time FIM Supersport World Championship rostrums in sensational fashion. In Race 1, he finished a comfortable third at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours before he battled Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) for victory in Race 2. While he had to settle for second, it capped off a memorable round for the 31-year-old.

The #94 had been quick all weekend and was fastest in Free Practice 1 on Friday and second in Free Practice 2 in the afternoon. The Frenchman was able to convert that into second on the grid for both races as he lapped two tenths slower than Bulega in the Tissot Superpole session. P2 was Debise’s best grid position in WorldSSP and he used this to great effect in the two races for his first podiums at World Championship level.

In Saturday’s race, Debise dropped down the order in the first laps before recovering to second after an epic fight with Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) and Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) before the Frenchman pulled away in the final few laps. It marked his best result in WorldSSP – for a day – as he claimed an emotional home podium in front of his adoring French fans. With feedback gained and the bike worked on, Debise went in search of more on Sunday.

Debise got a better start on Sunday, and he remained in the top three but initially lost ground to Championship leader Bulega. After two laps, the gap was out to six tenths, but the Frenchman put in a couple of new race lap records to close the gap on his rival although the #11 resisted his pressure. In the final few laps, Bulega extended his lead to almost two second at the end of the race to deny Debise a home victory, but P2 was still his best result in WorldSSP.

Reflecting on Race 2 and his weekend, Debise said: “It’s nice to get two podiums in a row and my first two podiums in front of the French fans. The race was better than Race 1 because it was a little bit stressful to get my first podium! I didn’t ride as I wanted. In Race 2, I made a better start. It was nice to start better and soon I was second. It was just about chasing Bulega. His pace was so fast, and I couldn’t keep up in the end, but I did my best. I now have the confidence to fight with him. It’s going to help me with the next couple of rounds.

“I was surprised when I saw my pit board because, after three or four laps, the gap was already more than one second. I thought something happened and the gap got bigger and bigger. When I got to the podium, I saw Manzi was the third guy. We made some little changes compared to Saturday with my crew and the Yamaha was working crazy today. I think, with the little something I changed with my riding, I was a little bit more consistent with the bike. We were able to have a super-fast pace. They told me I made a new lap record during the race.”

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The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is now gearing up for the final three rounds of the season after a titanic Magny-Cours hosted round nine. History was around every turn this weekend, as big names joined all-time greats, whilst records continued to be broken. Check out our stats round-up below!

870 – Jonathan Rea’s (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) podium in Race 2 was the 870^th podium place for the UK in World Superbike.

217 – Rea has 217 podiums with Kawasaki after his hat-trick of top three finishes at Magny-Cours; this is now more than double the next-best Kawasaki rider in terms of podiums, Tom Sykes with 107.

199 – With a podium in Race 2 for Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who took victory, Spain now has 199 podiums, ready to hit 200 on home turf next time out at MotorLand Aragon.

92 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) took his 92^nd podium with Yamaha. With nine races remaining, he’s only eight away from 100 before he leaves the manufacturer.

70/67/11 – Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) took the USA’s 67^th pole in WorldSBK, the 11^th different polesitter from America. He also becomes the 70^th different polesitter in WorldSBK.

51 – 51 wins for Alvaro Bautista in WorldSBK and for Ducati, one win away from Ducati’s second-most winning rider, Troy Bayliss.

40 – Estonia became the 40^th country to register points in WorldSBK, courtesy of Hannes Soomer (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team), who took 15^th at Magny-Cours in Race 2.

37 – Bautista, Razgatlioglu and Rea were on the podium together for 37^th time, a record in WorldSBK.

37 – Razgatlioglu took his 37^th win with Yamaha, ten more than the next-highest Yamaha rider, Noriyuki Haga at 27.

20 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took his 20^th podium in WorldSBK and with Ducati in Race 1 with P2. He’s now within striking distance of Marco Melandri’s 23 Ducati podiums, whilst he’s level with Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW). He’s within striking distance of the 23 achieved by Akira Yanagawa and Chris Vermeulen.

12/1 – Gerloff took his first pole position in WorldSBK, ending the USA’s 12-year wait for a pole in World Superbike; the last time was by John Hopkins at Silverstone in 2011.

4 – Toprak Razgatlioglu became the first rider to win four consecutive races at Magny-Cours in WorldSBK.

3 – Three BMWs inside the top ten on the grid after Superpole for the first time Brno 2012 – Marco Melandri started P5, Leon Haslam P7 and Michel Fabrizio in P8.

3 – The three front row starters after Superpole – Gerloff, Bautista and Rinaldi – took their first front row starts at Magny-Cours.

2 – The pole by Gerloff was the first in over two years for BMW; their last before this weekend came at Barcelona-Catalunya, achieved by Tom Sykes.

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After a lengthy mid-season break, the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship fired back into life for the Pirelli French Round, the ninth round of the season. The Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours had big news coming into the round, huge headlines during and plenty of fallout after, leaving our post-round dose of hot headlines rather epice. Check them all out below!

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “It means that the level of the riders from our generation is so high… let’s see what happens at Sepang!”

Former MotoGP™ rivals, Alvaro Bautista lauded praise on Dani Pedrosa’s double fourth place as a wildcard at Misano in MotoGP™, saying it’s now on him to showcase the same at Sepang: “I didn’t see the race! I’m happy for him because it means that the level of the riders from our generation is so high. Even with the young riders, he is pushing. Let’s see what happens at Sepang! Right now, it’s more pressure for me because I have to do what he did! I am happy because he’s a nice guy and a great rider.”

Bautista also spoke of the FIM WorldSBK Stewards’ decision to not penalise him after he took out teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi in the Superpole Race: “Sincerely, under my point of view, it was a racing incident. There wasn’t space there, as I was on the inside. I can’t go to the outside because Toprak is there and I was braking at my maximum. I couldn’t stop the bike more. Michael was in front and I couldn’t stop anymore. Race direction have their opinion; sometimes you agree and sometimes not, but in the end, in the past, I’ve had to accept their decision. They have many cameras to analyse what happened in reality. For sure, on TV, you can see one thing but, on the inside, it’s not the same thing. Watching from the front isn’t easy because you don’t know how far we are one to another. It’s not easy to decide just on that. Whatever they say, you have to accept whether you agree or not. Every incident is different, so you have to understand why it happened.”

Paul Denning (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK team principal): “We expected the regulation to be followed and it wasn’t… it’s tough because it’s subjective”

Debriefing about launching a formal appeal against the lack of penalty for Bautista in his clash with Rinaldi, Pata Yamaha team boss Paul Denning explained: “We lodged a formal appeal which is a slightly strange thing in the regulations because, for example if someone jumps the start and has a ride-through penalty, you can’t appeal, neither for a long lap penalty, as they’re judged for a matter of fact. However, if there’s not a sanction for something that a rider or team believe should be sanctioned, then you can appeal the lack of sanction. I sat down with the FIM WorldSBK appeal Stewards, they studied carefully after the race and sat in-line with the stewards that there was nothing more that Alvaro could have done.

“In our opinion, it’s a fairly simple and straightforward position that regulations need to be followed and the regulation is riding in a responsible manner and not to endanger any of your competitors. If you’re braking that late against Toprak, Michael was already wide, Alvaro was too fast and late on the brakes; he admitted that much in Parc Ferme. It wasn’t deliberate, nor maybe his fault but it was one of those things. However, if riders are going to be penalised for error A, knocking a rider down, when it was a violent impact with Michael which could’ve resulted in injury, we expected the regulation to be followed and it wasn’t. It’s tough as its subjective and not as black or white as running a turbo charger on the engine and that being illegal. We were a little bit disappointed and surprised by the final decision.”

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK): “There’s no substitute for horsepower”

Reviewing his weekend, Jonathan Rea was happy with his fight with Toprak Razgatlioglu for P2, whilst also said the work that his team are doing to try and find more performance from the ZX-10RR: “On Sunday, my pace is OK! In the last part of Race 2, I could fight with Toprak and was enjoying it. I think it shows that this weekend, we had a positive trend. I could stop the bike quite well and had good mechanical traction but I had nothing for Alvaro and Ducati. They had an incredible race. The setup is so sharp and sometimes when we’re trying to improve, we’re going round and round because we don’t really have anything new to try. There’s nothing new coming on the chassis side. We’re always trying to juggle the parts we have, even old ones we have had for many years. What do we need to be competitive? From a chassis perspective, we could look after the tyre a bit more and there’s no substitute for horsepower. At Turn 1 and 2, I could take time out of Ducati, but by the time we’re at Turn 5, I could lose two to three tenths. All that you gain, you lose it in areas that are free. We need power but then, come other problems. We need to improve for sure.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK): “I respect him… I think he’ll do a good job with Yamaha”

Speaking about his 2024 replacement during the weekend, Toprak Razgatlioglu commented on Jonathan Rea’s switch to Yamaha: “I think for him, it’s a new challenge. I respect him because it’s many years riding for Kawasaki and now is the biggest change. I think good for him because sometimes you need to change and to mix and to have a new target. After he saw me, maybe he’s thinking about a new challenge. He’s a very good rider, a WorldSBK legend and I think he’ll do a good job with Yamaha. We’ll see next year!”

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “I really love to battle with Toprak… it was a good way to say ‘thanks’ to my team, we still have chances to make good memories”

Talking about his Race 1 battle on Saturday with Razgatlioglu, Michael Ruben Rinaldi stated: “I made a good start and tried to give 120% with the tyre; I used it a lot to stay with Toprak, as he was managing it a bit. It brought us out of a three-rider group. Unfortunately, Alvaro had some issues and we had a nice, nice battle with Toprak. At the end, my tyre was dead because I didn’t manage it as well. It’s OK because it’s good for me but also a good way to say ‘thanks’ to my team, as at the end of the year, I will not be there but we still have chances to make good memories. I really love to battle with Toprak because it can be hard but inside the limit. When he overtook me, I just said ‘OK, you can do that’ as I did it; it’s not a big problem. It was a really nice battle, I have huge respect for him and he had respect for me and at the end, he had something more.”

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW): “There’s no love lost…”

Analysing his Superpole Race crash with Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Gerloff said it was a chain reaction from corners previous, before speaking of his best weekend of the year: “We were going through Turn 8 and I didn’t feel like I was wide at all; in fact, I feel like I was more inside compared to most other laps. Then, before I knew it, I was on the ground with somebody else. It happened so fast for me… we were already crashing by the time I saw who it was. It’s one of those things. I know he didn’t mean to; there’s no love lost and I shouldn’t have even been in that situation anyway as I went straight through Turn 6. Had I been on my normal line through Turns 6 and 7 and just been doing my thing, then I wouldn’t have even seen Scott, so it’s hard to blame it 100% on him. This weekend has been the best I’ve felt in a really long time and I don’t feel like I’m stretching myself, I’m just there and then I look up at the end of the session and I’m in the top two and top three. We’ve made a big step and I hope we can continue.”

Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing): “I had a s**t weekend on Friday and Saturday”

Fighting for fourth overall in the Championship, it was a weekend to forget for Axel Bassani, who suffered a massive crash on Friday which had a knock-on effect for the whole weekend: “It’s fun when you start at the front of the group and stay there! When you start at the back, it’s a lot more stressful. At Aragon, I hope to start the weekend better. I destroyed my favourite bike; I had a shit weekend on Friday and Saturday but a good weekend on Sunday. I don’t remember another weekend like this.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The Pirelli French Round provided plenty of talking points as the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship burst back into action from its mid-season break. At an unusually hot Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, there were surprises, riders for the same manufacturers colliding, more twists in the title race and much more. With the round now in the history books, it’s time to take a detailed look at some of the ups and downs from a dramatic trip to France.

GERLOFF HOOKS IT TOGETHER: fast from start to finish

In recent rounds, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) had been threatening to have a breakthrough weekend with BMW but for whatever reason, it didn’t happen. That changed at Magny-Cours – a circuit that’s been good for BMW in the past – with the #31 second in FP1, second in FP2 and second in FP3. He was able to go one better in the Tissot Superpole session as he took his first pole position, the team’s first pole and BMW’s first since Barcelona 2021. He followed that up with fourth in Race 1 and fifth in Race 2 as he enjoyed his best-ever BMW weekend and helped the German manufacturer move clear of Honda in the Manufacturers’ Championship, although perhaps it could’ve been more if not for a crash with Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in the Superpole Race.

RAZGATLIOGLU CLOSES THE GAP: two hard-fought wins adds pressure to Bautista

Magny-Cours is one of Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) favourite and most successful tracks, with the #54 making a small piece of history by becoming the first rider to win four consecutive races at the French venue (2022 Superpole Race and Race 2, 2023 Race 1 and Superpole Race). With title rival Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) enduring a difficult Race 1, the 2021 Champion closed the gap by 19 points and then by another three in the Superpole Race before the #1 responded in Race 2. The gap is now 57 points with three rounds remaining.

DUCATI’S DIFFICULT WEEKEND: mechanical problems and teammate crashes

One of the reasons for the big swing in Race 1 was Bautista having a technical issue on Lap 3, when his bike came to a stop on the exit of Turn 5. He was able to restart it and fought back for tenth place, but it was not Ducati’s only issue in France. In Race 2, teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi suffered an issue when fighting in the top-five which ended the Italian’s race. Plus, the pair collided in the Superpole Race. Razgatlioglu, Rinaldi and Bautista were fighting for the win, with the #54 ahead of the #21, when Bautista hit the back of his teammate. The reigning Champion was able to continue and finish second, with the FIM Stewards taking no further action after investigating the incident, while Rinaldi retired.

CONTRASTING FORTUNES FOR BMW: Bonovo star, factory team falter

BMW did show strong pace in France, particularly with the Independent Bonovo Action BMW team, but results at the factory team were harder to come by. Redding’s seventh in Race 1 was the factory team’s best result of the weekend, and the #45 served a total of three Long Lap Penalties on Sunday. He got one for the Gerloff collision while the FIM Stewards gave him a double Long Lap Penalty for a crash with Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) at Turn 5 in Race 2. Van der Mark, on his second round back from injury, scored no points. He was 16^th in Race 1 and 13^th in the Superpole Race before a Turn 5 spill ended his weekend a few laps earlier than anticipated.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

On his first visit to the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours since joining the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) enjoyed a strong weekend at the iconic French venue with two top-five finishes. However, this streak ended in Race 2 of the Pirelli French Round when he dropped to seventh in the latter stages and ‘Petrux’ explained what caused his dramatic fall down the order over the final two laps.

In the red-flagged race, Petrucci got off to a good start and moved up from his grid position to fourth after starting fifth. When the red flags were shown, the #9 was running fourth and his grid position for the restarted race was based on the last completed timing point for each rider. Despite his second-row starting position, the rookie got off to a terrible start and dropped outside the top ten before fighting back to ninth at the end of the first lap.

Despite falling down the order, the two-time MotoGP™ race winner fought back through the field to be in the top five by the end of Lap 12. He was closing in on compatriot Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) for fourth but on the penultimate lap fell to sixth behind Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and then seventh behind a charging Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), with his streak of top-five finishes ending.

Speaking after Race 2, Petrucci explained what caused his drop down the order: “It was good. On Saturday, we were able to score a top five. In the Superpole Race, we got another top five, which was really good because the starting position is nice for Race 2. I was able to pick up one place and I was fourth before the red flag. Unfortunately, I had a bad start, and I was P12 at the end of the first lap, but I was able to recover a lot of positions. I was still P5 and fighting with Locatelli for P4 but on the penultimate lap, I broke the gearbox sensor, and my bike doesn’t change gears anymore. It could’ve been another top five but, in the end, it was P7. It’s good but we wanted more. The pace was there to maybe fight for the podium or at least another top five.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com