Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) impressed at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours as he had his best MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship weekend since joining BMW at the start of the 2023 season. The Texan took an incredible pole position on Saturday before a fourth place in Race 1 and a fifth in Race 2 as the German manufacturer consistently fought in the top five throughout the Pirelli French Round.

Things didn’t get off to the best start on Sunday for the American in the Tissot Superpole Race. He dropped down the order as the lights went out and was fighting hard to remain in the top positions. As the field got to Turn 8, Gerloff was slightly wide and looking to come back onto the ideal line but Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was looking up the inside, but behind the #31, with the pair making contact and tumbling into the gravel. Redding was given a Long Lap Penalty for his role in their crash.

Explaining the crash from his perspective, Gerloff said: “It’s just one of those things, racing stuff. I’m frustrated with myself because I was with Jonny, we were next to each other going into Turn 6 and both leaned at the same time. It’s just one line so that on the transition, I wasn’t going to be able to make it so I decided to go straight. Went through the slip road no problem, re-joined the track and I was right behind Andrea Locatelli. We were both pretty tight I felt into Turn 8 and then I was just on the ground. It happened out of nowhere. We’re all fighting, all trying to move forward. If I’d been behind Jonny a bit more, it never would’ve happened. It’s one of those things. I can’t put all the blame on Scott, some of it was me too.”

Gerloff’s DNF from the Superpole Race impacted his grid position and he started from tenth in Race 2, although he gained a position on the grid for the restarted race after a red flag. The #31 had shown strong pace all weekend and he demonstrated this again in the 17-lap Race 2 as he battled his way up the field. He stayed in ninth for the first eight laps but soon started making progress as he passed Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) on Lap 9, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) four laps later and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) on the penultimate lap; plus benefitting from Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) technical issue.

It was the first time Gerloff scored double-digit points in a single race for BMW, and he managed it twice in both the feature-length races with fourth and fifth, with the six-time podium finisher matching BMW’s best result of the season. His total of 24 points from France makes up more than a quarter of his points haul for the season with the BMW star on 92 points. He trails Redding, the highest-placed BMW rider, in the standings by 16 points. BMW’s 27-point haul for the Manufacturers’ Championship made it their best weekend, in terms of points, since Magny-Cours 2022, when they collected 35 points.

Discussing the weekend, Gerloff said: “I’m trying my best! The whole team have been trying and pushing the best we can and to finally make some real progress… it feels so good! We’ve put so much work into it the whole time so to finally feel like we’re making real ground, and to have the first pole position for me and the team, is unbelievable. I’m super happy about that. Two top-five finishes are like… maybe I was expecting a little bit more, maybe we could’ve had a podium, but you can’t do it all at once. That’s something to look forward to in the next three rounds to see if can move forward a little bit more.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

It was a magnificent Magny-Cours weekend for Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK), as the Turkish rider was in mighty form for two wins in France. It was a brilliant Tissot Superpole Race victory and he profited from a collision between Ducati teammates Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi, taking more points out of the reigning World Champion’s Championship lead. However, Race 2 saw the Spaniard retaliate, leaving Toprak to tussle it out over P2 with arch-rival and his 2024 replacement, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK).

A Race 1 win whilst Bautista was tenth offered a 19-point slash in one swoop, and Sunday morning likewise saw him take a further three points out the #1’s lead. Then, Race 2 saw him continue to be strong, going from pole position but not getting off to the best of starts. He dropped down to third at Turn 1, as Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Jonathan Rea got ahead before a red flag on Lap 5. During the restart, Razgatlioglu – now going from third – got up to second by the end of the opening lap and battled with his 2021 title rival, whilst Bautista scampered clear in the lead. On Lap 6, Rea got back ahead of Toprak, but six laps later, the Turkish rider responded, sparking a thrilling duel between the old foes in the final four laps of the race. Eventually, Razgatlioglu put in a stunning final lap to break clear, taking P2 as Rea rounded out the podium.

Both relished the battle, getting their elbows out, with Razgatlioglu saying: “We enjoyed battling with Jonny, but I needed P2. I’m waiting for the last lap, and I tried more than 100% here. In general, it’s not a bad weekend. Rea’s a WorldSBK legend and we are fighting with him. Many years ago, I had a dream that, one day, I’m World Champion like Kenan and fighting with Jonathan Rea. My dream came true. I’m very happy. I really enjoy fighting with the legend and I hope we are fighting again at Aragon.”

Forced to settle for P3 but much closer to P2 than at most parts of 2023, Rea could be happy about rekindling his rivalry with Toprak: “Sometimes the weekends go the opposite way round for me, I start really well in Race 1 then face some difficulties. This weekend, I felt like we had a really positive trend with setup changes we made to the bike and the feeling. I felt we ended the weekend on a high. Alvaro was up the road quite a bit, but I was able to fight Toprak until the last lap here at Magny-Cours, a really good track for him. I felt like I was playing with my bike again. Riding on the limit, understanding margins and I really enjoyed that. Big kudos to the team for making positive steps throughout the weekend.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The Tissot Superpole Race for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship provided plenty of drama and nowhere more than inside the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati box. Both Alvaro Bautista and Michael Ruben Rinaldi led at points during the 10-lap race as they went in search of glory, but there would’ve been plenty of hearts in mouths inside the box on Lap 5 when the #1 hit the back of his teammate, with Rinaldi coming off his bike and retiring while Bautista continued and finished second.

The #1 surged into the lead when the lights went out but was seemingly lacking pace in the opening few laps, which allowed both teammate Rinaldi and race winner Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) to stay directly behind his Panigale V4 R. On Lap 2 at Turn 5, Razgatlioglu stormed from third to first in one fell swoop as he passed both Ducatis under braking into the Adelaide hairpin, before Rinaldi overtook his teammate at Turn 11 for second on the same lap.

On Lap 3, Rinaldi moved into the lead as he overtook the #54 at Turn 6 and he remained there for a couple of laps before the 2021 Champion made his move at Turn 5 on Lap 5. However, with Bautista following the Turkish star, the #1 was unable to stop his machine in time and ran into the back of his teammate, causing Rinaldi to crash and retire from the race. The Italian was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash and subsequently declared fit, while Bautista was able to continue.

After initially dropping down the order, Bautista recovered to take second at the flag. This gave him a good starting spot for Race 2, and he used it to propel himself into the lead before a red flag interrupted proceedings. In the restarted race, Bautista set off from first on the grid and was able to resist early pressure from rivals Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Razgatlioglu to claim his first win of the weekend.

Giving his view on the incident and apologising to his teammate, Bautista said: “We had a really good battle with Toprak and my teammate, Michael, but we had an incident at Turn 5. We arrived altogether and, with the slipstream, I couldn’t stop the bike. The slipstream absorbed me, and I tried to avoid the impact, but Toprak went inside, and Michael had to pick up the bike and, for that reason, I found him in my way. It was unintentional and I’m sorry for Michael because he was really strong, and I think he could’ve fought for the win in the Superpole Race and also in Race 2.”

The contact with Bautista compounded what’s been a difficult season for Rinaldi with the Italian experiencing difficult weekends throughout 2023; some of his own making and others not. However, the #21 had been showing strong pace throughout the French Round as he looks to secure a seat in WorldSBK next year following the news that Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it WorldSSP Team) would join Bautista in the factory Ducati team next season.

Explaining the crash from his perspective, Rinaldi said: “We showed great speed this weekend and we were fighting for the victory until the Superpole Race. What happened in the crash with Alvaro happened. I was first and then Toprak overtook me like he did on Saturday. I was doing my line and I just got hit on my back wheel and I crashed. When I was crashing, I saw that it was Alvaro so from my point of view, I did my line, and I was in front. It wasn’t my fault, and, for him, you are there battling, and mistakes can happen.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) bounced back to claim victory in Race 2 at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours as he took advantages of his rivals battling behind him in a red-flagged MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship race. The reigning Champion extended his lead by five points in the title fight ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) after the Turkish star battled hard with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) for second place.

RED FLAG HALTS PROCEEDINGS: Bautista’s lead brought back

Bautista got a stunning start as the lights went out and immediately moved into the lead but faced stiff competition from Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK). Rea went for a move at Turn 5 on the reigning Champion on the inside, but Bautista was able to pick his bike up well and reclaim the lead instantly. Rea kept the pressure on the #1 but Bautista did start edging out a gap.

However, at the start of Lap 5, the red flags were deployed following an incident involving Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) on the previous lap at Turn 5. Aegerter was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash and declared unfit with a suspected concussion. The incident was placed under investigation by the FIM Stewards and Redding given a double Long Lap Penalty. Although he took to the grid for the restart, Redding had a technical problem on Lap 10 and retired after serving his penalty. At the end of Lap 4, Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) crashed at the final chicane, and he slid across the circuit and into the grass. He was able to take his bike back to the pits. Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was unable to restart the race as he suffered a technical issue and could not bring his bike back.

FIGHTING FOR THE PODIUM: Bautista wins, Razgatlioglu and Rea go head-to-head

On the restart, Bautista moved away well from P1 and, despite challenges from Rea and Razgatlioglu, was able to hold on to the lead. Razgatlioglu moved ahead of Rea on the exit of Turn 15 to claim second but a mistake at Turn 5, where he went in too deep and had to stand the bike up, allowed Bautista to escape in front while he fended off Rea. The #65 looked to overtake his rival on Lap 3 through Turn 4 and into Turn 5 but the Yamaha star cut back, before Rea made a similar move on Lap 6 and made it stick. On Lap 12, the 2021 Champion got a run on his long-time rival and overtook him under braking into Turn 5 to move into second.

Two laps later and the two Champions were side-by-side throughout much of the lap, with Razgatlioglu holding on to second place before Rea tried another move a lap later. Once again, the #54 came out on top in that fight. As the penultimate lap started, Rea looked for second but Razgatlioglu resisted before pulling out a gap on the final lap to beat Rea by just under a second. While those two were fighting, Bautista was out in front, and his gap extended to almost ten seconds before he rolled off in the final few laps before winning by six seconds. It was Bautista’s 51^st win in WorldSBK and 81^st podium. Razgatlioglu now has 107 podiums to his name, only two fewer than Carl Fogarty, while Rea’s moved onto 259 podiums.

FIERCE BATTLE FOR FOURTH: seven seconds separating four riders

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) battled to fourth place in his 100^th race start, with the Italian finishing fourth 26 times out of those 100 races. He was half-a-second clear of Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) who capped off an excellent French Round with fifth after starting from tenth. The Texan put in several passes including on Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), also celebrating his 100^th start, at Turn 13 on Lap 13 to sixth, before they both passed Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) as he dropped to seventh in the closing stages. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had been in this battle too but a late issue forced him to retire.

NOTHING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN P8 AND P10: Gardner, Vierge and Oettl scrap

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) secured eighth place and finished just two seconds away from ‘Petrux’ ahead, but he had to fend off both Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven), with the trio separated by around four tenths. Oettl secured a top ten finish in France but finished 0.049s behind Vierge after enjoying a strong trip to Magny-Cours for the Independent Ducati rider.

IN THE POINTS: history made in WorldSBK

Spanish rider Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) was 11^th and 2.6 seconds down on Oettl as the flag fell with the #7 trying a new Honda chassis this weekend. He had a four-second margin over home hero Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) in 12^th as he finished in the points. Rookie Lorenzo Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha) gave this team something to cheer on home soil with 13^th place, coming off the back of the team’s two WorldSSP podiums at their home round. Both PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team riders scored points with Hafizh Syahrin in 14^th and Hannes Soomer four seconds behind. Soomer becomes the first Estonian rider to score WorldSBK points.

Isaac Vinales (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) narrowly missed out on a point as he finished three tenths down on Soomer, while Oliver Konig (Orelac Racing MOVISIO) was the last of the classified riders in 18^th. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) had a stunning start as the lights went out for the second time as he moved in eighth, but he crashed at Turn 13 on the opening lap; the Brit dropped to last. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) went down at Turn 5 on Lap 3 and retired from the race.

The top six from WorldSBK Race 2, full results here:

1 Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +5.893s

3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +6.779s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +10.978s

5. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +11.482s

6. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +15.258s

Fastest Lap: Alvaro Bautista (Ducati), 1’36.670s

Championship standings

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 467 points       

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 410

3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 290

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 256

5. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) 219

6. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) 180

Next up, Aragon: watch a potentially pivotal Aragon Round LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

There was a fresh twist in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship title race as Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) claimed his second victory of the Pirelli French Round as his rival, Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM – Paligo Racing), crashed on the final lap. The Dutchman moved into the Championship lead at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours with the results as he looks to make history in WorldSSP300 with 13 points now separating the top three with four races to go.

TWISTS AND TURNS: two title contenders crash

Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) had been running in the top three, but he lost the front of his Yamaha machine through the final chicane and, although he was able to remain on the bike while on track, he crashed on the grass while trying to recover and dropped to last. He was able to re-join the race. However, he opted to retire later in the race. Vannucci’s crash allowed Geiger to pulled away by more than a second but the chasing pack, led by Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) closed the gap to just half-a-second by the start of Lap 4.

Like in Race 1, a group of around nine riders created a gap to the pack behind with positions swapping all the time, with Veneman, teammate Jeffrey Buis and Geiger often leading the race throughout the 13-lap battle. With the action heating up in the scorching temperatures, there was a huge twist in the Championship fight as Geiger crashed on the final lap at Turn 5, but he was able to re-mount and claim ninth.

The German’s crash allowed Buis to pull out a gap on the chasing pack and he went on to claim victory by 0.668s ahead of a group of six riders fighting for second, with less than a second separating them. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) claimed second after fighting his way up the order with Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) in third. For Buis, he became the first rider to take double-digit wins in WotldSSP300 with 10, while it was his 18^th podium. It was Gennai’s eighth podium, putting him level with WorldSSP winner Bahattin Sofuoglu, Hugo de Cancellis and 2021 Champion Adrian Huertas. Perez Gonzalez claimed his second rostrum.

SO CLOSE YET SO FAR: seven riders separated by 1.5 seconds

Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) was fourth and missed out on a podium by just 0.226s with Veneman fifth. It had looked like the Dutchman would celebrate his 17^th birthday on the top step of the rostrum as he led in the final few laps before he fell to fifth in the pack. Italian rider Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) was sixth and just 0.160s behind Veneman with the action wild and unpredictable throughout. Jose Manuel Osuna Saez (Deza-Box 77 Racing Team) was seventh but just a tenth behind Sabatucci in front with 1.452s separating the top seven.

TITLE CHALLENGERS LOSE GROUND: will Geiger’s crash prove costly?

Fenton Seabright’s (Kawasaki GP Project) strong weekend continued as he took eighth and the fastest lap while the KTM of Geiger was ninth after re-mounting following his last-lap spill. With Geiger only ninth, he relinquished the Championship lead and dropped to third, as Buis and Perez Gonzalez moved ahead of him. 13 points separate the top three. Brazil’s Humberto Maier (Yamaha MS Racing/AD78 Latin America Team) completed the top ten, four seconds back from Geiger.

LOSING GROUND: Svoboda now 25 points back in the title fight…

Czech rider Petr Svoboda (Fusport – RT Motorsport by SKM – Kawasaki) lost more ground in the title fight as he finished in 11^th, missing out on a place in the top ten by just 0.166s. He had to fend off Ruben Bijman (Arco Motor University Team) on the last lap as a tenth separated the pair, while Galang Hendra Pratama (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) was 13^th and 0.065s down on Bijman. Marc Garcia (China Racing Team) continued to score points for Kove with 14^th while Samuel Di Sora (ProDina Kawasaki Racing) was 15^th. The Frenchman had to take a Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding in Race 1 but recovered to take a point on home soil.

HOUSEKEEPING: retirements from Race 2

Juan Pablo Uriostegui (Sublime Racing by MS Racing) crashed out on Lap 2 at Turn 13 on his own which forced the Mexican rider out of the race after a challenging first weekend with his new team. Devis Bergamini (ProGP Racing) crashed out at Turn 8 on Lap 6, just a couple of laps after he had a crash with Marco Gaggi (Team BrCorse) at Turn 5; with the incident investigated by the FIM Stewards.

The top six from WorldSSP300 Race 2, full results here:

1. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki)

2. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) +0.668s

3. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) +0.787s

4. Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) +1.013s

5. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) 1.182s

6. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo-PI Performances) +1.342

Fastest lap: Fenton Seabright, Kawasaki – 1’52.868s

1. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) 149

2. Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) 144

3. Dirk Geiger (Freudenberg KTM-Paligo Racing) 136

4. Petr Svoboda (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) 121

5. Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) 117

6. Matteo Vannucci (AG Motorsport Italia Yamaha) 108

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) extended his FIM Supersport World Championship lead to 60 points after taking a hard-fought Race 2 win at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours by resisting home hero Valentin Debise’s (GMT94 Yamaha) race-long pressure. With Bulega’s title rival, Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), third during the Pirelli French Round, the #11 heads into the upcoming Aragon Round with a clear advantage over Manzi.

BULEGA VS DEBISE… AGAIN: Championship leader resists Debise, holds on for victory

Championship leader Bulega got away well as the lights went out and initially looked to pull out a gap on his rivals, but a series of incredibly fast lap times – including two new race lap records of 1’40.533s and 1’40.520s – from Debise allowed him to hang on to the Italian’s tail. Bulega was able to stabilise the gap to around three tenths as the race reached halfway point of the race as he resisted the #94’s pressure during the first nine laps.

On Lap 12, Bulega lapped three tenths quicker than his rival to open the gap to almost seven tenths between the duo as he ended Debise’s dreams of a famous home victory. Despite Bulega creating some distance between them, the Frenchman was able to stay within a second of the Championship leader before the gap closed again. On Lap 14, the gap extended out to around nine tenths again with Bulega holding on for his 11^th win of the season and his fourth double of the season.

With the duo’s relentless pace, they had a 12-second margin ahead of Manzi as the #62 lost nine points to Bulega in the title rival. The Italian was unable to repeat his Race 1 form and close in on Bulega in the latter stages as he took third behind Debise. It was the Frenchman’s second podium after his maiden one in Race 1, while for Manzi it was his 17^th podium and his 12^th in WorldSSP.

FIGHT UNTIL THE LINE: big fight for the high-scoring places

Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) claimed fourth after a race-long battle with Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph), with the German rookie passing Tuuli on Lap 16 of 19 at Turn 5. The pair had been fighting for fifth initially, but a technical issue for Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) promoted them as he retired on Lap 12. Both Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) were involved in that battle as they finished around half-a-second down on Tuuli, with Huertas overcoming a Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding in Warm Up.

INSIDE THE TOP TEN: strong start but falling back

Italian rider Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) had a superb start to the race as he immediately moved into the top three, but the #55 often ran wide at Turn 5 which cost him time and, eventually, positions as he dropped down to eighth. He was a second clear of Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) in ninth while Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) rounded out the top ten. He was less than a second away from Navarro ahead of him.

RETURNING IN STYLE: Oncu back in the points

Wildcard Johan Gimbert ensured both GMT94 Yamaha riders took points in Race 2 as he finished in 11^th, nine seconds away from the top ten, while he was four seconds clear of Simon Jespersen (VFT Racing WEBIKE Yamaha) in 12^th. The Dane, replacing Nicholas Spinelli who is on MotoE™ duty this weekend, scored points on his return to the Championship while Glenn van Straalen (EAB Racing Team) was 13^th. Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) returned to WorldSSP and returned to the points as he claimed 14^th, with Andy Verdoia (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) the last points scorer.

HOUSEKEEPING: penalties, crashes and retirements

Anupab Sarmoon (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team) was 22^nd after being given a six-second penalty, in lieu of a double Long Lap Penalty. The Thai rider was given a Long Lap Penalty for shortcutting Turn 6 and not losing sufficient time, before he was given a second one for not taking this. However, the FIM Stewards gave him a time penalty after the race ended.

Federico Fuligni (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) retired from the race after a Lap 4 crash with Yuta Okaya (ProDina Kawasaki Racing), with the Japanese rookie able to re-join and continue Race 2. The incident was placed under investigation by the FIM Stewards with Okaya given a Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding, before the #16 was given an additional one for not taking the first. Fuligni was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the crash. Tom Booth-Amos (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) brought his bike into the pits with a technical issue just after the halfway mark of the race, while Maximilian Kofler (D34G Racing) retired a few laps later. Turkish star Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was running in the points when he crashed at Turn 13 on Lap 16 which forced him out of the race.

The top six from WorldSSP Race 2, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)

2. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) +1.991s

3. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +12.441s

4. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) +15.582s

5. Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) +17.009s

6. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Evan Bros. Yamaha WorldSSP Team) +17.401s

Fastest lap: Valentin Debise, Yamaha – 1’40.520s (New Lap Record)

Championship standings

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP team) 358 points

2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 298

3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 236

4. Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) 181

5. Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 136

6. Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) 134

Next up, Aragon! Watch every moment from MotorLand Aragon using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) will take no further part in the Pirelli French Round after being declared unfit following the Tissot Superpole Race. The British rider had been running inside the top five in the 10-lap race but brought his bike into the pits to retire shortly after the halfway stage, and the two-time MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship winner has been ruled out for the remainder of the event at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours with a left knee injury.

Lowes took eighth in Saturday’s Tissot Superpole session, lapping around six tenths slower than Garrett Gerloff’s (Bonovo Action BMW) pole position time. In Race 1, Lowes was fighting for a top-six finish but a late-race trip across the Turn 11-12 chicane dropped him down to eighth, where he finished. In Sunday Warm Up, the #22 was eighth again but, like in Race 1, he made gains in the Superpole Race to fight in the top five before retiring.

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Source: WorldSBK.com

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) made it two from two at the Circuit de Nevers Mangy-Cours in 2023 after taking victory in a dramatic Tissot Superpole Race for the Pirelli French Round. The #54 finished ahead of MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship rival Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) after the reigning Champion made contact with teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi halfway through the race, with the #1 able to continue before finishing second.

‘TITANIC TRIO’ RETURN TO THE FRONT ROW: Razgatlioglu wins, Bautista crashes with Rinaldi

Bautista got the holeshot as the race started but his lead did not last long as Razgatlioglu went from third to first in one stunning move at Turn 5 on Lap 2, passing both factory Ducati riders under braking into the Adelaide hairpin. Rinaldi then moved ahead of teammate Bautista at Turn 11 on the same lap to claim second, with Bautista seemingly struggling for pace in the early laps before he started fighting back. On Lap 3, Rinaldi moved ahead of the Yamaha star at Turn 6 and remained there until Turn 5 on Lap 5.

Razgatlioglu looked to pass Rinaldi on Lap 5 for the lead, with the reigning Champion following the #54 and made contact with teammate Rinaldi. The Italian came off his bike and retired from the race. He was taken to the medical centre for a check-up, and subsequently declared fit, while Bautista continued the race. The incident was investigated by the FIM Stewards, with no further action taken. After initially dropping down behind the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK machines of Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes, Bautista was soon back up to second after overtaking Rea, while Lowes brought his machine into the pits to retire.

The #1 put in a series of race lap records to close the gap to his title rival but the 2021 Champion claimed victory by a second to become the first rider to win four consecutive races at Magny-Cours, while Bautista took his 80^th podium. Six-time Champion Rea withstood a late charge from Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) to claim third and his 258^th podium and his 20^th at the iconic French venue.

FIGHTING ALL RACE LONG: little to separate the second row starters

Locatelli was fourth after missing out on a podium by just 0.244s while Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) continued his impressive form with fifth, six tenths behind compatriot Locatelli. The fight for sixth went down to the wire with Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) passing Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) at Turn 5 on the final lap to secure a second row start for Race 2.

AN EPIC FIGHTBACK: from 19^th to eighth for Bassani, Oettl just misses out

Baz will start Sunday afternoon’s race from seventh ahead of Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in eighth, with Aegerter, Baz and Bassani separated by around half-a-second. The #47 pulled off a memorable comeback in the Superpole Race after starting from 19^th after enduring a difficult Friday and Saturday, before ensuring he secured a position on the third row as he looks to end the French Round on a high. The fight for the final spot on the third row between Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and Phillip Oettl (Team GoEleven) went down to the wire, with Vierge just holding on ahead of the German.

HOUSEKEEPING: BMWs collide on the opening lap…

After starting from pole position, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) dropped down the order before running slightly wide, with Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) hugging the kerb. The pair made contact and went tumbling into the gravel, with the incident investigated by the FIM Stewards and the #45 handed a Long Lap Penalty. Gerloff returned to the box but retired from the race.

The top nine from the Tissot Superpole Race, full results here:

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK)

2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.970s

3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.503s

4. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +2.747s

5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +3.376s

6. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +6.406s

7. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) +6.658s

8. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +6.959s

9. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) +8.322s

Fastest Lap – Alvaro Bautista (Ducati), 1’36.084s, new lap record

Don’t miss Race 2 from the NEW time of 15:15 Local Time (GMT+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was the fastest rider in Sunday morning Warm Up for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as he fended off Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) by just 0.103s in the 15-minute session. The pair were rapid from the start as they topped the times at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours as the final day of the Pirelli French Round got underway.

Bautista and Razgatlioglu were the quickest riders throughout the session with the reigning Champion setting a 1’36.183s for his best time and his rival just 0.103s slower. The #1 completed a nine-lap stint with the #54, who was quickest at points in Warm Up, running one fewer. They were joined in the top three by Tissot Superpole Race polesitter Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) with the American star continuing his fine French form with third.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed fourth and he was around six tenths slower than his teammate with the #21 leading fellow Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) in fifth. The two Italians were separated by a tenth with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) completing the top six despite a small crash. The #65 lost the front of his ZX-10RR machine at Turn 5 around five minutes into the session, but he was able to re-mount and, after his mechanics checked the bike in the box, returned to the track.

It was another strong day for BMW as Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed seventh, around a second slower than Bautista, while Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was right behind his fellow Brit. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) made it three BMWs inside the top ten with ninth and Phillip Oettl (Team GoEleven) completed the top ten.

The top six from WorldSBK Warm Up, full results here:

1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’36.183s

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.103s

3. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.424s

4. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.599s

5. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.699s

6. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.808s

Don’t miss the Tissot Superpole Race from 11:00 Local Time (GMT+2) using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Italy’s Emiliano Ercolani became the first champion of the 2023 MOTUL FIM World Superbike season after a shocking series of twists and turns that saw him crash in both races The day’s action got underway with Race 1, where six riders were still in contention for the crown. But drama is never far away in the class for upcoming talent and a crash early in the race saw three of those contenders – Aldi Mahendra, Ercolani, and Kevin Fontainha – down and out. The red flag was shown due to the debris and a rush ensued to get the bikes repaired and the riders back on track. Despite their best efforts, Mahendra and his crew ran out of time and were unable to take the restart, ultimately costing the Indonesian rider the crown. Meanwhile, Fontainha and Ercolani were forced to start from the back of the grid.

Spain’s Marc Vich came out as the eventual winner of the exciting and unpredictable race, which included several fantastic battles for the victory. French rider Dorian Joulin thrilled his friends and family as well as the assembled crowd when he claimed a brilliant second place, and Shoma Yamane became the first Japanese rider to take a podium in the R3 bLU cRU series. Ercolani made an impressive comeback to fourth, but Vich’s calm and calculated victory moved him to 23 points from the Italian title leader.

In Race 2 there were yet more plot twists when Ercolani suffered his second crash of the day and was left waiting nervously for the race result with Vich riding in the lead group. The Mallorcan needed to win the race in order to claim the crown, and he certainly gave it everything to try and achieve that, but it simply wasn’t to be when he lost ground after running wide. Vich eventually finished sixth, meaning Ercolani could finally celebrate the title despite not finishing the race. Mahendra came back from a double long lap penalty to win the season finale ahead of Brazilian pairing Fontainha and Gustavo Manso. Mahendra and Fontainha also placed second and third in the final standings.

As the R3 bLU cRU European Champion, Ercolani will now move up to the WorldSSP300 class for next season, a perfect progression for the 19-year-old who won his place in this year’s series thanks to a victory in last year’s R3 SuperFinale.

Check out Race 1 results here and Race 2 results here.

Emiliano Ercolani, 2023 R3 bLU cRU European Champion, said: “I’m feeling very emotional and very happy, I thought the title was lost after the crashes, but thankfully my points from the previous races were enough. Thank you to all my family and team, as well as everyone who has supported me and believed in me. Last year I won the SuperFinale which gave me entry to this year’s R3 championship, and now I have become champion here and I will move to WorldSSP300 – it’s a dream come true!”

Marc Vich, Race 1 winner said: “On the first lap I was thinking to brake early because I imagined that, being the first lap, there could be an incident with everybody entering the corner close together. By using this method I managed to avoid the crash. In the restart I had a bit of an issue with the gearing and I lost contact, but on the last lap I tried to be clever because the other two riders were deep in the inside of the corner and I was thinking if I go a little bit to the outside I can pass them, and this way I was able to achieve the win.”

Aldi Satya Mahendra, Race 2 victor, added: “Despite everything I am very, very happy. I had a double long lap penalty in this race after the crash in Race 1, and I knew the title would be very hard to achieve after this. I stayed focused in Race 2 and I was trying to preserve my tyre and ride sensibly, but I felt a few problems with the front brake. I didn’t let this distract me, and I’m so happy that I got second in the championship, and very close to first, after an intense season. Thank you to everyone who has helped me.”

Source: WorldSBK.com