Two riders stepped onto the top step of the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship rostrum at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, with a contrast in their win totals. For Unai Calatayud (ARCO SASH MotoR University Team), his Race 1 victory was his first in the class, but Race 2 winner Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-PALIGO Racing) recorded his 13th in WorldSSP300, extending his record as the rider with most wins after a hard-fought win during the Motul French Round.
Calatayud made his WorldSSP300 debut in 2022 and then returned in 2023 although failed to trouble the points-scoring places, securing points finishes twice – both at MotorLand Aragon – but not scoring in his other six races. Nevertheless, he secured a seat for this season and has shown a huge step forward in outright results. A podium in Race 1 at Assen was, until the French Round, the highlight when he claimed second before his first victory came at Magny-Cours in tricky conditions.
Expanding on what it means to be a race winner on the world stage, Calatayud said: “This is incredible. The race was very difficult with all the people and the track conditions. I did my best on the last lap and took my first victory in the World Championship. On the last lap, I was in third or fourth position and I was sure I could get to first. I tried and in the last sector, I passed two or three riders and did the last corners perfectly.”
Two-time Champion Buis is gunning for a record-breaking third title and victory in France helped him get back into the fight although he still has a lot of work to do, with the #1 trailing points leader Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) by 53 points with 100 remaining across the final four rounds. His victory was his second of the season, after he won the season-opening race in Barcelona back in March.
Reflecting on his return to P1, the Dutchman said: “It’s incredible to be back in top spot especially in the 100th WorldSSP300 race. It’s always special to win this. We needed this for the team and all the guys working on the KTM because they want to see the result, and also, I do. It was a very important win and also, we’re getting back in the Championship. It’s a big gap but never say never. Just focusing and pushing for Aragon. After the restart, I needed to start again from P10. In the first lap, I managed to get back into P1. I have a very good feeling with this bike and it’s a perfect way to end the weekend.”
With two thrilling races in France, the complexion of the Championship standings did change a little bit with Mahendra taking the lead. The Indonesian rider is on 164 points, giving him a 12-point lead over Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) who did not score in Race 1 at Magny-Cours and finished fourth in Race 2. Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) sits in third, on 138 points, with Buis on 111.
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Source: WorldSBK.com