2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship
Round Eight Magny-Cours

On the track Toprak Razgatlioglu made a clean sweep of all three race wins at Magny-Cours for the eighth round of the World Superbike Championship with Jonathan Rea finishing second in all three bouts.

However, a protest by KRT after the end of proceedings on Sunday saw Toprak demoted to second place in the Superpole Race results. The protest alleged that Toprak exceeded track limits on the final lap and it was upheld by Stewards.

Pata Yamaha Team Manager Paul Denning was happy neither with the process or the outcome and expressed his displeasure.

Paul Denning – Pata Yamaha Team Manager

“It’s disappointing of course. This weekend we saw incredible fighting between the two Championship protagonists. For our team, the first time we’ve won all three races. For Toprak, the first time he’s won all three races. An amazing sporting spectacle and amazing respect between these two fantastic riders. And then, after the end of Race 2 where we had been on pole position because of the result of the Superpole Race, the stewards made a decision after a protest that there was a tiny infringement on the last lap from Toprak touching the green on the exit of 9 and 10.

“This was caused by a protest from Kawasaki. It’s disappointing because honestly, genuinely, it’s not something we would’ve done. When a rider has gained zero advantage and you’re talking about 5mm of the rear tyre just touching the green, something that race direction had seen themselves, checked from the live footage, decided there absolutely was not a problem because there was not any advantage and it wasn’t clear he was on the green. But after they received the protest, they had to use all the tools they have, and this includes the onboard footage from Jonathan’s bike. They were able to see that there was a small amount on the green. If this is the way Kawasaki want to play, then maybe the sporting atmosphere will change a little bit.”

Looking at the facts though it was a fairly cut and dried affair, and I am pretty sure if the shoe was on the other foot Yamaha would have taken the same course of action. However, if the officials were on the ball then a protest would not have been required, the penalty would have not been delayed and nobody would have a bad taste in their mouth.  Footage of the transgression can be seen here.

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WorldSBK Superpole Race

The ten laps of the Tissot Superpole Race began with the battle between pole man Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu for the top step of the podium, as well as the one between Andrea Locatelli and Alex Lowes for third.

Razgatlioglu set a new record on the second lap and gained the upper hand against the defending World Champion to move into the race lead. However, the latter had no intention of letting him run away at the front. Rea closed the gap that had been created, breaking the newly set race record once again on the sixth lap and looking for his chance to attack.

In the meantime, Leon Haslam, Scott Redding and Michael van der Mark engaged in a heated battle for sixth, with Redding prevailing over the Honda and BMW riders, moving into fifth place behind Andrea Locatelli.

In the final lap, Jonathan Rea pulled out all the stops and the championship leaders locked horns in a heart-stopping battle, overtaking back and forth several times, but in the end it was Razgatlioglu who came out on top, crossing the finish line first just three-tenths of a second ahead of Jonathan Rea, with a well-deserved third place going to Alex Lowes.

Subsequently, Toprak Razgatlioglu was penalised for exceeding track limits, so the win went to Jonathan Rea, with the Yamaha rider relegated to second place.

WorldSBK Superpole Race Results

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WorldSBK Race Two

Sunday afternoon’s Race Two gave Toprak Razgatlioglu his second win of the weekend to extend his Championship lead over Jonathan Rea.

The Turk got the better start from pole position and initially held the lead of the race but used a wider line through the long right-hander of Estoril, allowing Rea to sneak up the inside to take the lead. On the run down to Turn 5, Alex Lowes wanted to get involved in the lead battle but Razgatlioglu and Rea were able to keep him at arm’s length.

Scott Redding was running in third from the early stages of the race after jumping up from the second row of the grid as he claimed his first podium of the weekend after a challenging weekend for the British rider. Third place for Redding meant he lost ground in the Championship to leader Razgatlioglu, while Rea also gained on Redding in the standings.

The race-winning move came on Lap 11 after an incredible two laps of battling between Razgatlioglu and Rea with the Turkish star overtaking Rea into the Turn 5 hairpin of Adelaide on Lap 10 before the six-time Champion responded into the Imola chicane. Rea retained the lead of the race for just another lap before Razgatlioglu was able to pass Rea again into Adelaide. The pair battled it out throughout the race before Rea settled for second after making a save in the closing stages of the race.

Andrea Locatelli claimed fourth place after another strong weekend for the Italian rookie, finishing two seconds behind Redding at the end of the race. Chaz Davies claimed a top five finish for his first since Race 2 at the TT Circuit Assen, with Davies and Alvaro Bautista both putting pressure on Locatelli for fourth place.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi was seventh, around two seconds back from Bautista, with Michael van der Mark in eighth. Dutchman van der Mark had been running in the top four but a scary incident with Locatelli on the start-finish straight meant he lost time and positions and was unable to respond to get back to the front of the group. He faced let pressure from Garrett Gerloff  for eighth but held on with the American in ninth, with Tom Sykes rounding out the top ten.

Axel Bassani continued his strong form with 11th place although the Italian rider did lose time to the group ahead, with Christophe Ponsson claiming 12th place for a strong result in front of his home fans. He battled throughout the race with compatriot Lucas Mahias directly behind Ponsson.

Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane claimed his best result of the French Round with 14th place and two points, with Tito Rabat completing the points. Rabat had got ahead of the Ponsson-Mahias battle but fell back in the latter stages of the race.

Jonas Folger claimed 16th place, missing out on a point by just over a second, while Argentinean rider Leandro Mercado was two seconds back in 17th place. Loris Cresson was the last of the classified runners in 18th place.

Despite a strong start to the race, Alex Lowes crashed out of the race in the early stages of the race with an accident on the entry of the Nurburgring chicane, with Lowes retiring from the race. Leon Haslam had an accident at the same corner shortly after, forcing the Honda rider out of the race.

WorldSBK Race Two Results

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Quotes

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu

“For me an incredible weekend, because this was my dream – to make three wins together in one weekend, and I am really happy. Ok, somebody else decided we did not win the Superpole Race but for me, I won the race and I enjoy this fight a lot. We did everything we can so also big thanks to my team because they did an incredible job. Every race they improve my bike and also we are fighting every race for the win. I am not looking at the championship because I am always focused every race for win and for good points, and also this race, I try only to win. Finally again we made a great win in Race 2 and I am really happy today.”

Jonathan Rea

“It seems like we are having some issues to stop the bike as soon as the grip of the rear tyre drops. When the tyre is fresh for ten laps I feel quite confident, quite good. I knew if I was going to have a solid chance to have a race win then it would be the Superpole race. We made some big set-up changes, so massive kudos to the guys in the garage because we never give up. We just wanted to keep improving the bike. We could see in the cooler conditions I could use the SC1 tyre, but as soon as the temperature comes up it moves too much for my riding style. I need that extra stability that the 508 tyre brings. We are a so over-geared for the exit of the first gear corners and the final chicane. I was losing too many metres.”

Andrea Locatelli

“It was a fantastic race for me today, because I needed to push until the end because I have the pressure behind me. We are very fast during the weekend, I take a podium yesterday and stay every time in the top four, this is really good! Today it was not easy and it’s still my first time at this track compared to the other riders, but we work really well, don’t make a mistake and I think this is the recipe to make the good results. In Race 2, I did not see Michael after I overtake him in the last corner, I sensed something but I didn’t see when he touched me. We touch a little bit but this is the race and I am happy that everything is okay. Now we have a good level but we need to do something more to try to stay with the front group. It has been an excellent season so far, and I am now P4 in the championship which I never thought would be possible!”

Scott Redding

“I’m satisfied with this result, especially because during the weekend we were able to improve the bike, mainly in the braking phase which was the principal problem. I tried in the first part of the race to stay with Jonny and Toprak but then I preferred not to risk and bring home an important result for the team.”

Alex Lowes

“I probably should have been on the podium yesterday, crashing so close to the end, but I knew I had good pace around here so it is nice to get back on the podium in the Superpole Race. I have been struggling in the last few months with some issues. Such a shame after the Race Two crash. Disappointed on one hand as honestly it’s the best I’ve been riding all year and yet this is my worst points haul of the year. Racing is like that sometimes. I had an issue with the brake which didn’t allow me to enter T7 like I wanted and that caught me out, unfortunately. Anyway, my speed was there so now I’ll take the positive points and turn my focus to the next race which is the home race of the team at Montmelo.”

Michael Ruben Rinaldi

“All in all it wasn’t a bad weekend because we understood many things that can be useful in the next rounds. It’s clear that the result of Race-2 is not exciting; despite that, the pace was positive, on the level of Scott who finished on the podium. Obviously, we can’t be satisfied with a seventh place finish but I’ll come back home from this French Round with positive feelings”.

Michael van der Mark

“This morning’s Superpole race was alright. I had good pace and had a good feeling with the bike. I was just missing one or two tenths to stay with Scott Redding and fight for fourth place. I was confident going into the main race and had a strong start but then I started to struggle after a few laps. I had some moments with a few riders and lost a lot of time there but at the moment, the package is just not good enough to fight every corner with the other guys. In some corners we are losing too much time.”

Tom Sykes

“It was difficult today. Put me on a clear track and I can go front row, put me on a clear track again in warm up and we can be consistently in the top four. We just cannot ride with the others. Unfortunately, when I’m with the other riders it becomes a lot more stop and start and we can’t follow them when it comes to opening the gas. As soon as I got clear track my lap times came down and were not too far from the fifth position in terms of lap time, but we can’t bridge the gap at this level. There’s a lot of information to be looked at, I will see with the team where we can improve.”

Alvaro Bautista

“I’m generally happy with our weekend here at Magny-Cours. Today we made some modifications to the bike’s setup, especially the electronics, nothing huge but we saw a little improvement, which gave me more confidence. I felt a bit better with the bike and so in the Superpole race, where I normally struggle more, I was able to be competitive and make a good comeback from fourteenth on the grid in just ten laps. And my seventh-place finish allowed me to move forward two rows on the grid for race 2. In the afternoon’s higher temperatures, the track conditions were more tricky, more slippery. But the feeling was still better than it sometimes has been in similar conditions. I made a good start but then I chose the wrong line at the first braking point and lost some positions. I recovered again and was able to maintain a consistent pace, finishing sixth, which is the most I think we could do at the moment. Now we head to tracks that I really like, so we will keep working and see what we can do there!”

Leon Haslam

“My expectations after qualifying were a bit higher to be honest. We had some problems in the first two races, but in the final Superbike race I felt we made a good improvement with the bike. Unfortunately we finished the weekend with a fast crash but the changes and progression we made with the setting meant that I was more comfortable. So I’m disappointed that it ended like this, but I felt I was more comfortable than I had been all weekend, particularly in terms of front feeling and braking. So, having made that step, we can now look forward to the next round at Barcelona, a track at which we completed a very productive test a few weeks ago.”

Jonas Folger

“I struggled in the races when the tank was full, particularly on the opening laps. I was not able to hold my line in the corners, which meant I could not go on the attack. The final third of each race was better – that was the best section of the race for me. We must now find out why we have these difficulties with the full tank. I will also see what I can do differently as a rider, to ensure that I get the BMW moving better. On the whole, it was another tough weekend for us. We will now analyse everything and I will take a close look to see what I, personally, can do better. Hopefully things will go our way at the next race weekend at Barcelona.”

WorldSBK Championship Points

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WorldSSP

The final race of the Motul French Round in the FIM Supersport World Championship provided action and drama throughout the race which was Red Flagged on the opening lap, with Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) taking his first ever victory in WorldSSP, becoming the second-youngest race winner in the class, while Turkish star Can Öncü claimed his maiden podium as he finished in third place behind Championship leader Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha).

Like in Race 1 yesterday, there was an early Red Flag deployed after a crash on the opening lap involving Luca Bernardi (CM Racing), Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) at the Lycee Complex. Bernardi and Cluzel were taken to the medical centre following the crash, while Aegerter was able to take his bike back to the pits for his team to work on before the restart. Both Bernardi and Cluzel are conscious. Bernardi was diagnosed with a back injury and Cluzel with a head injury and cervical strain; both taken to Nevers Hospital for further assessments. The race after the Red Flag was shortened from 19 laps to 12.

Aegerter was able to re-join the race when the restart got underway and found himself as the de facto pole sitter with Bernardi not in the race, with the Swiss rider getting a good start to move into the head of the field. He found himself under pressure from Spanish rider Gonzalez and Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) with the Turkish star making a move at the Turn 5 Adelaide hairpin as he gained around five positions.

Aegerter soon reclaimed the lead of the race and Gonzalez followed him through on Öncü to move into second before he made a move on Lap 2 on Aegerter into the Nurburgring chicane to take first place, although Championship leader Aegerter responded into the right-hander hairpin of Adelaide a lap later. The battle raged on until the final laps with Aegerter and Gonzalez going elbow-to-elbow right until the Lycee Complex; Aegerter looking to make a move into Turn 15 but Gonzalez was able to cut back to take the lead through the chicane.

Öncü dropped back from the lead two as the race progressed into the clutches of teammate Philipp Oettl, with the pair separated by just 0.195s at the finish line as Öncü claimed his first WorldSSP podium and the first for Turkey since Kenan Sofuoglu at Qatar in 2017. Oettl came home in fourth place as he responded from a difficult Saturday.

Finnish rider Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) claimed his best result of the 2021 campaign with fifth place after starting from the front row; and his first top five since his victory at Magny-Cours in 2017. Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) claimed sixth place as he battled his way through the field after a difficult Superpole result.

Federico Caricasulo (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing) was seventh as his resurgence continued while Andy Verdoïa (GMT94 Yamaha) was eighth on his return to the Championship as the youngest ever race winner secured another top ten finish. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) claimed ninth place ahead of Hungarian rider Peter Sebestyen (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team).

Kevin Manfredi (Altogo Racing Team) was the highest placed WorldSSP Challenge competitor with 11th place, finishing two seconds clear of fellow WorldSSP Challenge competitor Stephane Frossard (Moto Team Jura Vitesse) in 12th. Swedish rider Christoffer Bergman (Wojcik Racing Team) was 13th ahead of 2019 Champion Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team) in 14th. Federico Fuligni (VFT Racing) was the last points scorer in Race 2 as he secured 15th place, resisting the challenge from teammate Marcel Brenner and Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing).

After an impressive debut in WorldSSP Race 1, Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) had a more difficult Sunday after he crashed at Turn 8 on Lap 4 of 12, dropping the Spanish rider to the back of the grid. He was able to remount his Yamaha machine and made up enough time to challenge Eduardo Montero Huerta (DK Motorsport) for 24th place. Vertti Takala (Kallio Racing) crashed in the closing stages of the races at Turn 1 on Lap 10, forcing the Finnish rider to retire.

WorldSSP Race Two Results

WorldSSP Race Two Results Restart

WorldSSP Championship Points

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WorldSSP300

The final race of the Motul French Round in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship was a typically enthralling encounter as Spanish rider Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) claimed his second victory of the weekend after a race-long battle with his rivals at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, as he beat title contender Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) by less than half a second.

Huertas and Championship contender Booth-Amos have been inseparable in the title battle and that continued on track in the 13-lap Race 2 encounter with just three tenths separating the pair at the end of the race, with Spanish rider Huertas extending his lead in the Championship standings with victory.

The pair had been battling it out in the traditional lead group but were able to hold the lead despite pressure from behind, with reigning Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) claiming third place just one tenth behind Booth-Amos, as well as finishing half-a-second clear of Dean Berta Viñales (Viñales Racing Team) in fourth.

Viñales has endured a tricky season in his first campaign in WorldSSP300 but the French Round could have provided a breakthrough for the 15-year-old Spaniard, having taken in his first point in Race 1 on Saturday he was challenging in the lead group and took the lead of the race on the penultimate lap. He fell down to fourth in the closing stages of the race, but still claimed his best result in his career.

He finished ahead of Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki) by around a tenth after a strong ride for the Japanese competitor in fifth place. Italian Gabriele Mastroluca (ProGP Racing) claimed sixth place after a strong weekend for Mastroluca, while Yeray Ruiz (Yamaha MS Racing) was seventh in his debut WorldSSP Round. Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) claimed eighth place while South African rider Dorren Loureiro (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) was ninth and Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Kawasaki) rounding out the top ten.

2018 Champion Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) was 11th after fighting her way through the field while Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) claimed 12th place. Victor Steeman (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team), the sole KTM rider in the field, was 13th with Mirko Gennai (Team BRcorse) and Marc Garcia (Prodina Team WorldSSP300) rounding out the points; Garcia back in the points on his return to the Championship.

Dutch rider Ruben Bijman (Machado CAME SBK) missed out on a points finish by just a tenth of a second as he came home in 16th place, ahead of Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) in 17th; the Italian started from the pit lane after an infringement of the engine allocation regulations. Petr Svoboda (WRP Wepol Racing) was 18th with Alessandro Zanca (Kawasaki GP Project) and teammate Alejandro Carrion completing the top 20.

Harry Khouri (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) was the first retirement of the race after he crashed on the exit of Turn 13 and was unable to re-join the race, while Margo Gaggi (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing) suffered a highside crash at Turn 3 on Lap 4. On the same lap, Dutch rider Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki) crashed at Turn 5 which forced him out of the race, while Meikon Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) pulled into the pits in the early stages with a technical issue. Hugo de Cancellis (Prodina Team WoroldSSP) was running the lead group but had to retire when he had an issue with his chain on Lap 6.

Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing) had an eventful Race 2 with the Spanish rider given a double Long Lap Penalty for irresponsible riding that led to a collision in the Warm-Up session. After taking one of the Long Lap Penalties, he was given a ride-through penalty but was forced to retire from the race after a crash at Turn 17. Vicente Perez Selfa (Machado CAME SBK) had a technical issue in the closing stages of the race, as did Ton Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing). Bahattin Sofuoglu’s (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing) race came to a premature end on Lap 12 after he made contact with the back of Booth-Amos, the incident forcing the Turkish rider out of the contest when fighting in the lead group.

WorldSSP300 Race Two Results

WorldSSP300 Championship Points

2021 WorldSBK Calendar

Source: MCNews.com.au

2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship
Round Eight Magny-Cours

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Toprak Razgatlioglu took victory with an incredible display of pace and consistency to win the opening stanza at Magny-Cours by more than four-seconds as he gained a five-point advantage over nearest rival Jonathan Rea at the Motul French Round.

Razgatlioglu got a good start and took the lead through Turn 1 but soon found himself shuffled back thanks to the run down to the Turn 5 hairpin of Adelaide. He responded when Rea took the lead and made a move on Lap 4 at Adelaide to reclaim the lead of the race before he was able to pull out enough of a gap to keep Rea at arm’s length.

Rea was able to respond as the laps progressed, closing the gap to just a couple of tenths but could not make a move stick before Razgatlioglu extended his lead out in front to more than a second ahead of Rea, holding on to secure his second victory in a row following on from his win in Race 2 at Navarra. Rea’s second place extends his winless drought to seven races since he won at Assen in Race 2. Razgatlioglu showed remarkable consistent pace throughout the 21-lap encounter, always lapping in the 1’37s bracket and he also becomes the first Yamaha rider to take 18 podiums in a single season.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) claimed his third podium in WorldSBK with third place after he got a good start to the race to move up the field from fifth place, before battling the even faster-starting Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) for fourth place; eventually passing the Italian at Turn 5 on Lap 12.

Rinaldi then gained a position on Lap 17 when Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) crashed at Turn 8 on Lap 17, forcing the British rider out of the race. It meant Locatelli was able to claim third place with Rinaldi being promoted to fourth.

Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) claimed fifth place after battling from ninth on the grid, with the Dutchman enduring a difficult morning with no running in Free Practice 3. He finished two seconds clear of Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) in sixth place as all five manufacturers were represented in the top six.

There was a stunning battle for seventh place during the race between numerous riders which came down to the final chicane. Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) came home in seventh place with rookie Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) and Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finishing eighth and ninth. Leon Haslam (Team HRC) rounded out the top ten after starting inside the top six as the British rider fell back throughout the latter stages of the race.

American star Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed 11th place, behind the incredible battle for seventh place, just two tenths away from Haslam. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) started from eighth place and was unable to fight his way through the field as he fell back down through the order to take 12th place despite a Lap 19 crash as he looked to make a move on Sykes at Turn 13; Redding making no contact with Sykes but coming off his bike before he re-joined the race. Local rider Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport – Yamaha) was 13th at his home round as he claimed more points for his campaign, finishing less than a second ahead of Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team), with Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) rounding out the points.

Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Action) had a difficult race but came home in 16th place while Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) had a battle for 17th place that went down to the line; the duo separated by just 0.082s as Nozane beat Cresson. Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was the only other retirement apart from Lowes after he crashed out Turn 13 in the early stages of the race.

World Superbikes Race Results

Rider Quotes

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – P1

“For me it was a really good race, and also thank you to my team because again they have made an incredible job this weekend as we improve my R1. Also I really like this track! Yesterday, I try a race simulation focus on just good lap time – a consistent lap time – and also in this race, after I passed Johnny, I just try consistent lap times and it was enough! I wanted to keep a good gap on the last lap so I have space for the “stoppie” across the finish, this was nice to do at last! I try also tomorrow, I hope I am fighting again for the win. The short race will not be easy for me because Johnny is very fast, but all the top riders are also fast! My dream this weekend is for three wins, not easy I know… but we will try!”

Jonathan Rea – P2

“I did not realise that I had made eight Superpoles in a row until I saw it on the TV screen. That is pretty cool. And 100 Superpoles for Kawasaki as well, which is great. It was a really good day at school for me because I learned a lot. I can give some information now to the engineers in the pitbox and hope they can do something with it. It is clear we are quite on the limit of the package and are asking a lot from the front of the bike – in terms of stability and front tyre. When I was with Toprak I felt really good in sector one, up to the braking area of Turn Five. But, changing gear from first to second on the exit of T5 I lost all the time in the lap. During the rest of the lap I felt quite good. Eventually it was time to consolidate second position because Toprak was going away.”

Andrea Locatelli – P3

“I’m really happy about today, because it is my first race here in Magny-Cours in the dry conditions and also with the Superbike! In the first part of the race, I tried to overtake Rinaldi but it was so difficult because I lose a little bit on the straight and in the corner I needed to change my “standard” braking and we compromise also on the exit of the corner. But I got in front and I try to push, and also I take my rhythm and try to close the gap to Alex. In the end, we make another podium and it’s excellent for us. I think we work very well during the weekend, we don’t make any mistake and I think we have a little bit more space to improve. I tried to push until the end today to understand the bike if we need to do this tomorrow, to push until the last lap, and the bike worked very well.”

Michael Ruben Rinaldi – P4

“It was a pretty positive race also because we are coming from a quite difficult period. We decided to work in a different way during this weekend and I think this new approach has paid off. Unfortunately, the rear grip was never the best. In the end, I wanted to fight for the podium but in the last five laps, the tire dropped a lot. We will try again tomorrow”.

Michael van der Mark – P5

“I think if you look at the result it isn’t that bad, but it’s a shame I lost so much time in this morning’s session. In the races, I had a good feeling with the bike and we wanted to try something different in FP3, but we couldn’t do so. So now in the race I am struggling a little bit and unsure whether yesterday’s setting was better or not. But anyway, I am happy with the points, and I am looking forward to tomorrow’s two races.”

Alvaro Bautista – P6

“I really enjoyed today’s race and making a comeback from fourteenth on the grid to sixth across the line. This morning I struggled to complete a good lap time in qualifying. I don’t know why but I didn’t feel I had sufficient grip in the rear tyre, so even if I pushed hard, I couldn’t be particularly fast. I was only able to improve by a couple of tenths with respect to the times I was setting with the race trye. I was confident for the race though, because I knew we had good race pace, so it was important to make a good start and try to stick with the guys ahead. And that’s exactly what we did so I’m happy, because I feel we did the best we can right now. For tomorrow it would be good to score a top-nine position in the sprint race so that we have a better start position for the second race, in which the aim is to try and improve further.”

Tom Sykes – P9

“It was another good Superpole but I am disappointed with the race today, and disappointed at not being able to race with the other bikes. Riding in the group, we struggled with the engine temperature and braking performance all through the race unfortunately. We were quicker in the turns but couldn’t get close on the straights to make a pass on the brakes. So, it was a frustrating race but we will have to have another go tomorrow.”

Leon Haslam – P10

“Qualifying went well for me today and I was also able to set a 37.0 with the same tyre combination I later raced with. Unfortunately though, right from the first lap of race 1, I had some issues in braking which forced me to just manage the situation every lap. I was at least seven tenths slower than I was in the practices, and so it felt like a very long race as a result. The fact I dropped three or four places in the final stages was my mistake, as I ran off track. So not the best result for me in the end, because after this qualifying and considering how the weekend was going, I felt we should have been able to finish top five. It could have been sixth place, if it hadn’t been for that mistake near the end.”

Scott Redding – P12

“It was a very tough race. I never had any grip both on the front and on the rear. I tried to hold on until the end even though the feeling was not the best. Then I crashed. In conditions like these, when the temperature is high but not very high, we have difficult problems to solve. Anyway, I hope to do better tomorrow in terms of results”.

Alex Lowes – DNF

“I felt good in all the sessions today. In Superpole on my second qualifying tyre I didn’t manage to improve my time and made a small mistake in Turn 15 but my first qualifying lap was still fast enough to be fourth on the grid. My start was not the best and I went back to fifth place, but I soon got back past Locatelli and Rinaldi to third. I stayed with Jonathan and Toprak a little bit but I did not have the pace mid-race. When Locatelli started catching me I tried to push again but I was on the limit of the front. It has been a while since I was on a podium so I kept pushing and unfortunately made a mistake on the front. To not finish the race is not positive but how I am riding, how I feel on the bike, is a lot more positive. To be as fast as I am feels great and we will get two more chances tomorrow.”

World Superbikes Championship Standings

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WorldSSP

The original race of 19 laps was Red Flagged on the opening lap after an incident involving Michel Fabrizio (G.A.P. MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti), with the Italian coming off his bike before his Kawasaki machine went barrel rolling on the grass. With the amount of damage to his bike, the decision was made to Red Flag the race, with Race 1 restarted after with a 12-lap distance. Fabrizio was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the incident, before being declared unfit with multiple contusions and abrasions. The restarted race also gave Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti) a second chance after his MV machine suffered a technical issue on the opening lap, but he was able to join the restarted race.

Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) was unable to keep the lead from the start as Championship leader Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) jumped the Sammarinese rider into Turn 1, with Bernardi falling to fifth before he started to fight his way back through the field. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) had a good start as well as he looked to claim a home victory, applying pressure to Aegerter in the first part of the race

Spanish rider Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team) had an eventful race as he battled for a top four finish with Championship contender Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team), with the South African rider battling back after a difficult Tissot Superpole session. Aegerter was able to go on to take his ninth victory of the season but Odendaal was able to claim second place with a Lap 11 move on Cluzel at Turn 5, with French rider Cluzel claiming his fourth podium of 2021 with third.

Gonzalez finished in fourth place as he narrowly missed out on a podium place by just 0.168s ahead of polesitter Bernardi in fifth with the pair separated by just one second. Bernardi was able to maintain a top five finish despite a challenging race, finishing ahead of Federico Caricasulo (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing).

There was a battle between the two Kawasaki Puccetti Racing teammates as Philipp Oettl and Cam Öncü fought over seventh place, with Oettl able to finish ahead of his Turkish teammate by just two tenths. Italian rider Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) was ninth while Andy Verdoïa (GMT94 Yamaha), returning to the Championship, claimed a top-ten finish with tenth.

2019 Champion Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Racing) battled back from 19th place to claim 11th place, while Kevin Manfredi (Altogo Racing Team) was 12th as the highest placed WorldSSP Challenge rider. Stephane Frossard (Moto Team Jura Vitesse) was 13th for his highest-placed finished of the 2021 season. Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) claimed 14th place as he secured points on his WorldSSP debut after moving up from WorldSSP300; both Orradre and Verdoïa have competed in WorldSSP300 and moved up from the class to success in WorldSSP, with Verdoïa the youngest ever race winner in WorldSSP after his win at the Catalunya Round in 2020. Hannes Soomer (Kallio Racing), returning to competition following injury, secured 15th place.

Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) was unable to take to the restarted race after he had an issue on the Warm-Up Lap, before his bike was collected by Vincent Falcone (TFC Racing) on the grid, with wildcard Falcone also not taking the restarted race; both riders taken to the medical centre for a check-up. Debise was diagnosed with a left wrist radius fracture and declared unfit, while Falcone was declared unfit and transported to Nevers Hospital for further assessment after being diagnosed with a cervical strain and thorax contusion. Galang Hendra Pratama (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) retired from the race after a crash on Lap 3 at Turn 13, while Tuuli retired after an incident on Lap 8 at the same corner. Vertti Takala (Kallio Racing) was another retirement in the 12-lap race, along with Peter Sebestyen (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team).

WorldSSP Race Results

WorldSSP Championship Standings

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WorldSSP300

Adrian Huertas and Tom Booth-Amos both started from the front row and immediately looked to stay in the lead group, which started to fragment as the 13-lap race. Initially at around 11 riders, it soon reduced to six before Huertas looked to have a gap on the field with around five laps to go. Booth-Amos was able to close the gap with two lap record lap times in the final few laps before challenging Huertas on the final lap; Booth-Amos managing to save a slide coming out of the final corner on the final lap but was able to hold on to second place with Huertas claiming the win. Samuel Di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) claimed a home podium with third place, missing out on second place by just two tenths despite the save from Booth-Amos.

South African rider Dorren Louriero (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) claimed fourth place after a strong performance in Race 1, finishing ahead of Daniel Mogeda (Team#109 Kawasaki) on his return to the Championship as he replaced James McManus at the team. Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) was in the top six but some four seconds back from Mogeda, while he was almost five seconds clear of Gabriele Mastroluca (ProGP Racing) in seventh.

The sole KTM rider in the field, Victor Steeman (Freudenberg KTM WorldSSP Team), claimed eighth place and another top ten finish in the 2021 campaign while Brazilian Ton Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) was ninth in the 13-lap race, with Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing) missing out on ninth place by just one tenth of a second.

Meikon Kawakami (AD78 Team Brasil by MS Racing) was two seconds away from a top ten finish as he came home in 11th place, while Dutch rider Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki) was 12th . Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) had an eventful race after starting from the middle of the pack, being forced down to 26th place in the early stages before fighting back to finishing in 13th. Ruben Bijman (Machado CAME SBK) was 14th with Dean Berta Viñales (Viñales Racing Team) claiming his first points of the season with 15th despite a double Long Lap Penalty for a jump start.

There was drama in the closing stages of the race at Turn 13 when Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) and Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing) came together and ended up in the gravel. Buis was able to recover to finish in 25th but Turkish star Sofuoglu was a retirement from the race; both riders had been fighting in the lead group throughout the race.

Hugo de Cancellis (Prodina Team WorldSSP300) was a retirement on Lap 2 of the 13-lap encounter after a technical issue through the Turn 5 Adelaide hairpin. A lap later, Alejandro Carrion (Kawasaki GP Project) and Harry Khouri (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) came together at the same corner with both riders retiring from the race. Johan Gimbert (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini) retired on Lap 6 after he crashed on his own at Turn 5. Victor Rodriguez Nuñez (Accolade Smrz Racing) was the fifth retirement when he crashed at Turn 3 on Lap 7, forcing the Spanish rider out of the race. Yeray Ruiz (Yamaha MS Racing) suffered from technical problems at Turn 5 which forced the Spanish rider out of the race, as well as Petr Svoboda (WRP Wepol Racing). Adrien Quinet (Machado CAME SBK) also retired.

On Lap 11 of 13, Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki) retired from the race after a crash at Turn 7, an incident that meant teammate Meuffels had to take a trip through the gravel. Yeray Saiz Marquez (Viñales Racing Team) retired with a technical problem in the closing stages of the race while wildcard Alexy Negrier (Alexy Moto Racing) crashed at Turn 6 right at the very end of the race.

WorldSSP300 Race Results

WorldSSP300 Championship Standings

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Motul French WorldSBK Round schedule

Source: MCNews.com.au

2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship
Round Eight Magny-Cours

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The opening day of WorldSBK action from the Motul French Round at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours saw Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) storm to the top of the standings. Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) finished the opening day second quickest and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) third. The afternoon’s session was dry, after what had been a damp FP1 in the morning.

Toprak Razgatlioglu put in a long stint on the same tyres and set 11 mid-1’37s out a 13-lap run, showing his sensational consistency as he led the way for the main portion of the season and continued to improve his pace.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu – P1

“Today in the first Free Practice, with the bad conditions it was not a really an easy start and for me it is also the first time I ride a Yamaha at this track in the dry conditions. We change some set-up for FP2 and I am feeling much better! I tried a race simulation of 15 laps – which was very, very positive. We are happy because we found a good improvement in the afternoon, the R1 is working very well here and now we are ready to race. We need to win again, and I aim to fight for the victory.”

Team-mate Andrea Locatelli was a little bit behind his teammate as he adapts to Magny-Cours on a WorldSBK bike. Tracking his teammate at various points throughout the session. Come the end of the day, it was Razgatlioglu who was fastest, whilst Locatelli ended up in 11th, as he continues to get used to the R1 around the French circuit.

Andrea Locatelli – P11

“It was a difficult first day in the end, but also I am happy – we don’t see a top position overall but we work very well. We tried to make a long run this afternoon, it is my first time here in Magny-Cours with this bike and the pace was not so bad! For sure we need to try to search for a little bit more speed, especially in sector two, but in general I am happy because it is the first time. We need to work a little bit around the bike and also I need to understand the track, but tomorrow we can improve. It’s not easy, I have never seen the track in the dry because last year in WorldSSP I only ride in the wet conditions, but we will see what is possible and for sure we will try to get the maximum.”

Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was up inside the top six as he continued to get to grips with the Magny-Cours circuit in the dry conditions for the first time in his career. Having been inside the top two positions for the last seven races, Redding is coming into the Motul French Round in fine form and was good in the mixed conditions in the morning. Redding finished the afternoon in second with teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi down in ninth, with work to do for the Italian.

Scott Redding – P2

“It was quite a weird day for me as I have never ridden on this circuit in dry conditions. For this reason, in the first part of the session, I focused mainly on finding the feeling with the circuit. Then I was able to find my pace and things went much better. We are in the right direction and I think we can improve tomorrow”.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi – P9

“In FP1 we didn’t take any risks on a track that was half dry and half wet. In the afternoon we worked a little differently compared to other races, lapping a lot and reducing the set-up work. The feeling is quite good even if obviously we need to improve. At the end of the day, we are all pretty close to each other and I think that if we work well tomorrow morning we’ll be able to make a good race“.   

The Kawasaki pairing of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and team-mate Alex Lowes were in good form as they took to the dry Magny-Cours circuit. Rea set a consistent pace and for the majority of the session, was sitting well inside the top five, whilst Lowes was also right with his teammate. The British duo worked away hard until the end of the session, before finishing third and eighth respectively, having been first and third in the morning’s damp-but-drying session. Rea’s in-touch with his Championship rival Razgatlioglu, but the Turk’s pace might well be giving him the edge over the race distance if conditions are to remain the same across Saturday and Sunday.

Jonathan Rea – P3

“I did not feel completely comfortable on the bike today. I feel consistent, just consistently slow! In that last part of braking and tipping into the corner I feel I am losing a little bit. Aside from that, some areas where we have been really strong in the past, like sector one, I have been struggling. There are a lot of bumps in Turn One and the bike is not really absorbing them so well. It is taking the edge off full commitment because the bike is moving around. It is just a case of going through what we have learned this afternoon and comparing it with what we have had in the past. We know the bike works well here and we will try to make a step for tomorrow.”

Alex Lowes – P8

“It was a good day – and my first day around Magny Cours on the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR in dry track conditions. Last year we had every session wet, which made it a strange weekend! The bike feels good and I really enjoyed it this afternoon in FP2. It was nice and consistent and we have a couple of areas we know to improve in for tomorrow. A positive first day in France for me.”

The Independent charge was led by Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) in fourth place, with the Welshman going well at a circuit he took a podium at in his most recent race at the circuit. The next Independent came from Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and the American was constantly improving his time all the way to the end of the session. The two were the only riders inside the top ten from Independent teams but Davies in particular looks strong, with the Ducati rider constantly within the top five throughout the dry FP2 session.

It was a bright start to the weekend for one side of the Honda garage as Leon Haslam (Team HRC) completed the top five, showing his strengths around the Magny-Cours circuit. However, on the other side of the garage, Alvaro Bautista was down in 12th place, with the Spaniard working away on the Honda with it being his first day of dry weather running on the bike since joining the team. The potential is there this weekend, and with dry weather scheduled for the remainder of the weekend combined with wet running at the start of the day, Team HRC could be set for a stronger weekend than in recent rounds.

Leon Haslam – P5

“We had no information for this track with the Honda, as last year it was wet, so the first dry laps we’ve completed here were this afternoon. Things weren’t so bad as far as lap times are concerned. There are still some areas in which we need to improve but the things we’ve found in testing can definitely help us make a step here. That wasn’t the case in Navarra, which probably was one of the most difficult weekend for us so far sadly, but at this circuit I think we’ve already made a step. We are trying to improve on corner entry mainly, and front feeling too. Here we have three corners where we are struggling, the stop-stop type of corner, but in the first sector, the fast flowing one, the bike is very strong. So we’ll keep working as we always do and we will see where we can go.”

Alvaro Bautista – P12

“Finally we had a dry session here at Magny Cours this afternoon, a first one for us with Honda, because last year it rained the whole time and this morning the track was wet. We did a little bit of tyre testing to get some feeling in the dry and I have to say that the new asphalt is quite good, there are not many dips, especially considering that we’re coming from Navarra. We tried to improve our grip at maximum lean angle and our traction, the two areas where we suffer the most really. In the end, we are a little behind in the classification, but the times are very close and the gap is not too great. Tomorrow we will try to improve as much as we can because even a few tenths will make the difference in terms of our position. It’s important to complete a good qualifying lap to secure a good grid position. We are usually stronger in the second half of the race so starting as far ahead as possible will be important.”

The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team enjoyed a good day’s work, as Tom Sykes took sixth place and was top BMW overall, although teammate Michael van der Mark was second in the mixed conditions in the morning session. Unfortunately for van der Mark, the Dutchman suffered a technical problem at Turn 11 during FP2, cutting his track action short. Sykes was just less than half a second from Toprak’s time, whilst van der Mark completed the top overall, edging out Locatelli by just 0.018s.

Tom Sykes – P6

“Session one was obviously not too valuable, so the plan was to get our head down for session 2 but unfortunately, we did have a little bit of an issue with the bike but luckily I was able to get back to the pits. The guys did a fantastic job of turning it around and getting me back out there, so we had to miss a little bit of our schedule out and ultimately, we did have to compromise our plan. The good thing was that we were still in the top 6, but for sure we will look to improve on this tomorrow and keep working to get into the top 5.”

Michael van der Mark – P10

“To be honest this day has not been that bad. This morning we had to wait until the track was dry and when we had a dry line, I felt fast on the bike and had a good feeling with the BMW M 1000 RR. In FP2, I started really well but struggled with stopping the bike as it felt a bit nervous, so we tried to solve that. Towards the end of the session with a fresh tyre I made a mistake when on a good lap, and then unfortunately we had a mechanical issue right at the end of the session. But overall, I am feeling good with the bike. We haven’t changed too many things, so the base of the bike feels good. We just need to make the bike a little more stable on braking.”

The best of the rest consisted of Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) who was 13th but just 1.096s from top spot and was more than a tenth clear of local hero Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 14th. Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) was 15th on his Magny-Cours debut, ahead of Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) and Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team), with the Spaniard suffering an off-track excursion. Another home-hero Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport Yamaha) was 18th, ahead of Isaac Viñales (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura), Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) – who crashed at Turn 8 – and Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing). Cresson’s previous teammate, Jayson Uribe, isn’t at Magny-Cours due to travel issues.

World Superbikes Combined Times

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WorldSSP

There was a big accident in the opening stages of the WorldSSP session with Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) and Hikari Okubo (G.A.P. MOTOZOO Racing by Puccetti) going down at Turn 3, with Okubo being taken to the medical centre for a check-up. By the end of the session, it was Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) on top of the standings, leading for most of the afternoon.

Dominique Aegerter was in fine form throughout the afternoon’s running, with the Swiss bouncing back after losing his time in the opening session of the weekend for a yellow flag infringement. Aegerter kept improving right into the closing stages and had the better of Federico Caricasulo (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing), with the Italian up in second after leading the way in FP1. Finding form at a circuit he’s more familiar with. He edged out the youngest ever WorldSSP race winner Andy Verdoïa (GMT94 Yamaha), as he flew the French flag up in third place.

Verdoïa’s teammate Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha), with the Frenchman in fourth and finding a good rhythm at his home circuit. In fifth place and making it three French riders inside the top five was Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha), with the wildcard going well and giving the home crowd to cheer about. Up in sixth place was Finnish rider Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti), as he returns to the track he won at back in the 2017 campaign, although he didn’t improve on his time.

Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was in seventh, as the German rider aims to get back to the front although he’s not found it easy on the opening day of action. Turkey’s Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the next of the Kawasaki’s in the order and eighth, just under a quarter of a tenth clear of Steven Odendaal in ninth place. Both riders set 20 laps, one more than Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in ninth, as the German rider aims to get back to the front although he’s not found it easy on the opening day of action. Luca Bernardi (CM Racing) completed the top ten as he gets up to speed with the Magny-Cours layout.

Notable names outside of the top ten include Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGO Team), who was on a good final lap before losing his time due to exceeding track limits, dropping to 12th, whilst Kevin Manfredi (Altogo Racing Team) was lead WorldSSP Challenge rider in 13th. Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team) was only 14th. Hannes Soomer’s (Kallio Racing) return saw him in 25th, whilst Unai Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing) graduates to WorldSSP for the rest of the year and his first day of action saw him in 26th.

WorldSSP Combined Times

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WorldSSP300

WorldSSP300 Championship leader Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) headed Friday’s running in both wet and dry conditions, with his time over eight-tenths clear of his nearest rivals on the dry track ahead of the Motul French Round.

Huertas was fastest in the first 30-minute session in wet but drying conditions and continued that form into the second session with a time of 1’52.859s, comfortably the fastest time of the day. The only dry running in the afternoon was interrupted by a Red Flag with just over two minutes to go when Miguel Santiago Duarte (Yamaha MS Racing) suffered a mechanical issue at Turn 8, with the session ending early.

Reigning Champion Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) was in second as he looks to close in on the Championship leader, but he was eight tenths back from Huertas. Reigning Champion Buis had a four-tenths advantage of Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) in third place, with the field closing up behind Booth-Amos; with the top three in the Championship also the top three in the standings after Friday.

Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Yamaha Motoxracing) claimed fourth place after a challenging day which included a highside crash at the final corner in this morning session, but he was able to re-mount and re-join the session. Australian Harry Khouri (Fusport – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) claimed fifth place in a strong session, only one-tenth behind Booth-Amos.

Samuel di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) was another who had a strong session with sixth place, finishing ahead of Daniel Mogeda (Team# 109 Kawasaki) who claimed seventh on his WorldSSP300 return. Inigo Iglesias (SMW Racing) secured eighth after the two 30-minute sessions with Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing) and Hugo de Cancellis (Prodina Team WorldSSP300) rounding out the top ten.

Dutchman Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki) had a crash in Free Practice 1 after a highside exiting the final chicane but was able to re-join the session and responded by taking 11th place in the combined classification. Victor Steeman (KTM Freudenberg WorldSSP Team) was 12th with Yeray Ruiz (Yamaha MS Racing) in the top 15 on his debut. Gabriele Mastroluca (ProGP Racing) was 14th with Marc Garcia (Prodina Team WorldSSP300) in 15th upon his return to the Championship.

Wildcard entrant Alexy Negrier (Alexy Moto Racing) crashed during the second practice session in the afternoon and was unable to re-join the session, with the crash occurring in the opening stages of the 30-minute outing at Turn 15. Filippo Maria Palazzi (ProGP Racing) was declared unfit after Free Practice 1 after a crash at Turn 7. Although he was able to re-join the session, he was taken to the medical centre and ruled out of the weekend with a right wrist contusion.

Sylvain Markarian (Leader Team Flembbo) also suffered from a crash in Free Practice 1, but was able to take his bike back to the pit lane and go out, while Antonio Frappola (Chiodo Moto Racing) crashed and returned to the circuit at Turn 13; Markarian claiming 30th place and Frappola 39th. Vicente Perez Selfa (Machado Came SBK) had a technical issue in FP1 but was able to claim 18th place after Friday’s running.

WorldSSP300 Combined Times

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Motul French WorldSBK Round schedule

Source: MCNews.com.au

2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship
Round Eight Magny-Cours

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This weekend the Superbike World Championship circus moves to Nevers Magny-Cours circuit for the eighth round of season 2021.

Inaugurated over 60 years ago in 1960, the Nevers Magny-Cours circuit is 4411 metres long and has nine right-handers and eight to the left, with a minimum bend radius of 5 metres and a maximum of 474.45 metres plus a finishing straight which measures 250 metres in length. The maximum slope uphill is 2.38 per cent, with a 2.68 per cent descent.

This track is characterised by sudden deceleration and re-acceleration changes, interspersed with medium length straights and plenty of altitude changes. In its default layout it also provides a hairpin (Adelaide) with one of the heaviest braking points present among the international circuits, arriving from a fast straight. The asphalt has a smooth and regular surface and therefore offers little natural grip, especially in case of low temperatures or in the wet. Moreover, in some points the riders are called to brake in the downhill sections putting the front tyre under stress.

After twenty-one races, the WorldSBK Riders Standings of the Superbike World Championship has never been so close, with Jonathan Rea, and Toprak Razgatlioglu on level points (311 points), followed by Scott Redding with 273 points.

Razgatlioglu took his first ever win at Magny-Cours back in 2014 in the STK600 class, of which he’d be Champion in 2015. Then, he took a first STK1000 podium there in 2016 with second, before in 2019, his first WorldSBK win in a final lap shoot-out with Jonathan Rea came from 16th on the grid. He doubled up in the Superpole Race but with it being wet in 2020, he’s yet to show his strengths at the track on a Yamaha.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu

“For me, France is a special place because of my first wins in 2019, but like I have said before: we focus only on the next races ahead. I am not thinking about the championship! I like the Magny-Cours circuit a lot, it has fast sections and areas for hard braking which I enjoy. My team has been working hard at every round to give me the best R1 for the races, and we have been ready to fight everywhere. It will not be easy, Jonny and Scott [Redding] are very strong, but we will see.”

However, if Toprak’s ready for the challenge then so is his title rival Jonathan Rea – he’s won eight races at Magny-Cours, all of them for Kawasaki and apart from 2016, it has been every year. Add on to that the fact he’s been on the podium in all but one race at Magny-Cours on a Kawasaki (Race 2, 2017), then you’d be hard-pushed to find someone with a better track record.

However, Rea’s coming into France on the backfoot, having relinquished his Championship lead and, in the last six races, handed 37-points to Razgatlioglu. Both enjoy the track and have already had final lap battles there before.

Jonathan Rea

“After the last few races, on new circuits for us, I am really excited to got to Magny Cours. It is a circuit where I have a lot of special memories, where we have been many times in the past, so we have a lot of data. Thankfully we had a full day of really nice weather at a Portimao test last week to keep working with the set-up of our Ninja ZX-10RR. I felt very good there and the condition fo the bike was very good. The bike set-up for Magny Cours is very similar to Portimao. It has a lot of heavy braking area but also changes of direction which really suit our bike. Now, with six rounds remaining in the championship we are past the halfway point and the next races will come along in very quick succession. The target is of course to win and to build some positive momentum into the last part of the year, which is going to be very intense. But I am excited, very motivated and can’t wait to get to France.”

Edging closer with each round is Scott Redding, as the Ducati star is now 38-points behind the top two in the title race, having been 81 back just six races ago. Redding’s been in top form lately; seven straight podiums and all of them within the top two positions. It’s a devastating run of form which neither Razgatlioglu nor Rea have matched so far this year. Redding’s in the best form of his career and with a win at Magny-Cours in 2020 to keep his title hopes alive, he’s one of the favourites.

Scott Redding

“Last year I enjoyed racing on a circuit that was new to me. It’s clear that this time I’ll have a little more experience and that could be important to get off to a good start right away. My goal is to continue on the path we have taken in the last few very positive races.”

In stark contrast, Redding’s Ducati team-mate Michael Ruben Rinaldi had a subdued weekend at Navarra where he took 15 points, but a return to the top six will be welcome at Magny-Cours, as he did in 2020.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi

“We can’t hide the fact that the last period has not been particularly positive for us. Now it’s time to turn the page. The contract signed for next season will give me great serenity to start working well with the team since FP1 on Friday.”

Toprak’s Pata Yamaha team-matre Andrea Locatelli also  hopes be back on the podium, having now established himself as a solid front-runner. He took a WorldSSP win at Magny-Cours in 2020, can he convert that into strong pace in WorldSBK though?

Andrea Locatelli

“Last year Magny-Cours was a new circuit for me in World Supersport, so I will focus on the references with the R1 WorldSBK in Free Practice in the beginning. I think we can do very well there, I like the layout and we have been strong now for the last three rounds. The goal is to get closer to the front, so I hope we can keep working and carry the momentum this weekend. For sure I would like to improve on our “standard” position of fourth, which is becoming something funny with my team! If we can work on a good set-up on Friday, I think it will be possible to push on the maximum to get some good results again.”

Rea’s Kawasaki team-mate Alex Lowes aims to fight for the podium despite a persistent injury, but he was on the podium twice at Magny-Cours for Kawasaki in 2020, so the pace is there.

Alex Lowes

“For Magny Cours I have some good memories from last year on the Kawasaki, with the podiums in rain conditions. I am hoping it is dry this time because we didn’t get any dry laps last year in Magny Cours, so I want to try the Ninja ZX-10RR around there in the dry. It is a track I have always enjoyed going to and I have always gone quite well at. I have said it for the last few races but the target is to be back, fighting for the podium. So that is the target for Magny Cours.”

It was an impressive weekend for BMW at Navarra, as they seemingly found form in the hotter conditions in comparison to where they had come from in the past couple of seasons. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) achieved his tenth front row for BMW at Navarra and capitalised on that with two top-six finishes in Race 1 and the Superpole Race, before taking fifth in Race 2. He was on the front row at Magny-Cours in 2020 as part of BMW’s first ever Superpole 1-2, when Eugene Laverty took pole.

Tom Sykes

“I am definitely looking forward to the French round of the WorldSBK at Magny-Cours. It’s a circuit which has given the BMW podium success in the past and obviously for me my target is to add to that. The aim is also to maintain our recent improvement in form that we found for example at Navarra. That is the target for the weekend. Of course, there is still work to be done with the new BMW M 1000 RR so we will try our best to find the best balance and compromise to do this inside the race weekend.”

On the other side of the BMW garage, Michael van der Mark didn’t have the same weekend as Sykes, with seventh, eighth and ninth being the Dutchman’s results at Navarra. However, six Magny-Cours podiums could propel van der Mark back to the sharp end.

Michael van der Mark

“Magny-Cours is a track which I really enjoy riding. It always suits me. It has a bit of everything; fast and flowing sectors, stop-and-go corners, so it is a bit of a mix. Regarding the set-up of the bike, you also need to find some compromise here and there because it has all these different type of corners. I really love the first sector; that is one of my favourite parts of the track, but also the last sector is always nice for some good overtaking. I am looking forward to the weekend. We have improved our BMW M 1000 RR a lot and at Navarra, we struggled more with the high temperatures and I think we will not have that at Magny-Cours, so hopefully we have a bit more stable weekend. At Navarra, we made a big step lap-time wise in qualifying. Unfortunately for me it was so tight that I was still tenth, but if you look at the lap times, I made a huge step. We improved the performance there, so that is what we really need at Magny-Cours as well.”

Over at Honda, it was another difficult round endured by Team HRC as Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam worked hard to break into the top ten once again. For Bautista, there was just one point-scoring ride across the weekend with eighth in Race 2, whilst Leon Haslam’s only points came in Race 1 with 13th. Both lie outside the top ten in the Championship but could break into it it this weekend, with Bautista level on points with previous team-mate Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven).

Alvaro Bautista

“Magny-Cours is always tricky, largely due to the weather as you never know if it’s going to be wet, mixed conditions or whatever. Last year we barely had an opportunity to ride in the dry, so we don’t have much data in those conditions. The track has a bit of everything anyway, hard braking, long turns, and many changes of direction. It’s a tricky one, but we’re keen to continue our development and are focused on rounding out the season in the best way possible. I want an enjoyable end to my season with HRC.”

Leon Haslam

“Magny-Cours has been good for me in the past. Last year I battled hard with Toprak and others for fourth place, before unfortunately suffering a highside just before the end of the race. In the wet, I’m confident that we can fight for the podium this time, while in the dry, I know we’ve made progress and hopefully it can be a kinder circuit to us than some of the others so far.”

The Independent battle is as fierce as ever and whilst Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) has taken a slight dip in form across the last two rounds, he’s comfortably clear of the next-best Independent rider Chaz Davies by 43 points.

However, closing in on Davies is young Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), who is now just five-points behind the Brit and has leap-frogged Leon Haslam in the standings.

For Gerloff, he was fast in the rain of Magny-Cours in 2020, whilst Chaz Davies took a double win back in 2016 and won again in 2017. Axel Bassani’s form is somewhat unknown in WorldSBK, but back in World Supersport, he took his best ever finish with fourth in 2016.

The rest of the Independent battle is being fought further down, with Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 14th place, but going to his home-round full of confidence after two wins in the last three races held at the track in WorldSSP.

Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) tackles Magny-Cours for the first time and is three points behind Mahias, whilst Yamaha’s Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) will also go to Magny-Cours for the first time, after what seemed like a bit of a breakthrough at Navarra.

Isaac Viñales (ORELAC Racing VerdNatura) returns to action after a positive COVID-19 test prior to Navarra, with Jonas Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing) next up, just five points back.

Jonas Folger

“Magny-Cours is a great circuit. We competed as wildcard starters in the French Championship there last year. I am happy that we did that, as it means that I am familiar with the circuit now. It is a very challenging circuit, including a real range of corners. There is a pretty long straight, some slow corners. Sometimes it flows and then you have a bit of stop-and-go – it has a bit of everything. I hope that we make a good start to the weekend, work well with the BMW from the word go and that our race results then build on recent races.”

Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport Yamaha) heads for his home round and will hope to impress, whilst Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) aims for points once more. Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and team-mate Jayson Uribe also aim for points, particularly Uribe who is yet to score.

Motul French WorldSBK Round schedule

Source: MCNews.com.au