Spectacular races at the WorldSBK Motul French Round; outstanding performance for the solutions brought by Pirelli

Race Sunday at the Nevers Magny-Cours circuit finished out an extremely eventful weekend and therefore brought the Motul French Round of the MOTUL FIM World Superbike Championship to a close.

In the Tissot Superpole Race, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK / Yamaha YZF R1) finished first, but after a penalty for exceeding track limits, he was relegated to the second spot of the podium. First place went to Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR) and third to his teammate, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR), for his fourth podium of the season. The Yamaha rider, however, took the win in Race 2 after a brilliant battle with Kawasaki rider Jonathan Rea, also taking the lead in the overall championship standings with a seven-point advantage. Third place went to Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing - Ducati / Ducati Panigale V4 R).

WorldSSP Race 2 was won by Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team / Yamaha YZF R6) who finished on the top step of the podium for the first time in this category, with second place going to Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6) and third to Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-6R).

The race weekend gave Pirelli engineers a chance to gather important feedback on tyre performance at the French circuit, especially in terms of the unusually high temperatures on Sunday. The Italian tyre manufacturer is extremely satisfied with the performance of the Pirelli tyres. Both in the Superbike and Supersport classes, riders raced exclusively with super soft SCX compound rear tyres, giving fans a spectacular show and setting new race records. In the premier class, the fact that most of the riders chose to race with the rear A0557 SCX development solution (option B) in all three races demonstrates that the Pirelli engineers are moving in the right direction in terms of research and development.

WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race:

The ten laps of the Tissot Superpole Race began with the battle between pole man Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK / Yamaha YZF R1) for the top step of the podium, as well as the one between Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK / Yamaha YZF R1) and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR) 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. He 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 (Team HRC / Honda CBR1000 RR-R), Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing - Ducati / Ducati Panigale V4 R) and Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team / BMW M 1000 RR) 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 Tissot Superpole Race Standings:

1. J. Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR)
2. T. Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK / Yamaha YZF R1)
3. A. Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR)
4. A. Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK / Yamaha YZF R1)
5. S. Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing - Ducati / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
6. M. van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team / BMW M 1000 RR)
7. Á. Bautista (Team HRC / Honda CBR1000 RR-R)
8. C. Davies (Team GOELEVEN / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
9. L. Haslam (Team HRC / Honda CBR1000 RR-R)
10. M. Rinaldi (ARUBA.IT Racing - Ducati / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
11. A. Bassani (Motocorsa Racing / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
12. T. Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team / BMW M 1000 RR)
13. G. Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team / Yamaha YZF R1)
14. L. Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-10RR)
15. T. Rabat (Barni Racing Team / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
16. K. Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team / Yamaha YZF R1)
17. C. Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R1)
18. J. Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing / BMW M 1000 RR)
19. L. Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing / Kawasaki ZX-10RR)
20. L. Mercado (MIE Racing HONDA Team / Honda CBR1000 RR-R)

• Rt. I. Viñales (ORELAC Racing VERDNATURA / Kawasaki ZX-10RR)

WorldSBK Race 2:

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK / Yamaha YZF R1) started well from the first spot on the grid, moving into the race lead but under pressure straight away from Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR) and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR). The latter crashed out during the second lap, ending his race early, whereas the six-time world champion managed to overtake the Turkish rider. Watching from behind the leaders was Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing - Ducati / Ducati Panigale V4 R) who exploited an outstanding pace to gradually close the gap. A few seconds behind, Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK / Yamaha YZF R1), Chaz Davies (Team GOELEVEN / Ducati Panigale V4 R) and Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team / BMW M 1000 RR) battled it out for fourth. On the eleventh lap, Razgatlioglu managed to snatch the lead back, brilliantly fending off Jonathan Rea’s constant attacks for the entire second half of the race. The Yamaha rider finished first when the chequered flag came out after a race chock full of upsets and surprises, with Jonathan Rea second and Scott Redding third.

WorldSBK Race 2 Standings:

1. T. Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK / Yamaha YZF R1)
2. J. Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR)
3. S. Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing - Ducati / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
4. A. Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK / Yamaha YZF R1)
5. C. Davies (Team GOELEVEN / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
6. Á. Bautista (Team HRC / Honda CBR1000 RR-R)
7. M. Rinaldi (ARUBA.IT Racing - Ducati / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
8. M. van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team / BMW M 1000 RR)
9. G. Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team / Yamaha YZF R1)
10. T. Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team / BMW M 1000 RR)
11. A. Bassani (Motocorsa Racing / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
12. C. Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R1)
13. L. Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-10RR)
14. K. Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team / Yamaha YZF R1)
15. T. Rabat (Barni Racing Team / Ducati Panigale V4 R)
16. J. Folger (Bonovo MGM Racing / BMW M 1000 RR)
17. L. Mercado (MIE Racing HONDA Team / Honda CBR1000 RR-R)
18. L. Cresson (TPR Team Pedercini Racing / Kawasaki ZX-10RR)

• Rt. A. Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR)
• Rt. L. Haslam (Team HRC / Honda CBR1000 RR-R)

WorldSSP Race 2:

Similar to what happened in Race 1, in WorldSSP Race 2, the red flag came out on the first lap due to an accident on turn 17 involving the riders in the lead, Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6), Luca Bernardi (CM Racing / Yamaha YZF R6) and Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6). Once track conditions had been restored, the riders lined up on the grid once again to tackle a race that was reduced to twelve laps, with the exception of Bernardi and Cluzel who were still undergoing medical assessment. At the second start, Dominique Aegerter gained the upper hand ahead of Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team / Yamaha YZF R6), Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-6R) and Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-6R). Gonzalez made constant attempts to attack the race leader, but without ever finding enough space to get past until the penultimate lap, where he managed to overtake and make it stick. The Swiss rider wasted no time responding and, after a thrilling battle down to the last turn, Manuel Gonzalez prevailed, taking home his second win of the season ahead of Aegerter, second, and Oncu, third.

WorldSBK Race 2 Standings:

1. M. Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team / Yamaha YZF R6)
2. D. Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6)
3. C. Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-6R)
4. P. Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing / Kawasaki ZX-6R)
5. N. Tuuli (MV Agusta Corse Clienti / MV Agusta F3 675)
6. S. Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team / Yamaha YZF R6)
7. F. Caricasulo (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing / Yamaha YZF R6)
8. A. Verdoia (GMT94 Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6)
9. R. De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura / Kawasaki ZX-6R)
10. P. Sebestyen (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team / Yamaha YZF R6)
11. K. Manfredi (Altogo Racing Team / Yamaha YZF R6)
12. S. Frossard (Moto Team Jura Vitesse / Yamaha YZF R6)
13. C. Bergman (Wójcik Racing Team / Yamaha YZF R6)
14. R. Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team / Yamaha YZF R6)
15. F. Fuligni (VFT Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
16. M. Brenner (VFT Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
17. H. Soomer (Kallio Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
18. D. Martinez (WRP Wepol Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
19. M. Herrera (Biblion Iberica Yamaha Motoxracing / Yamaha YZF R6)
20. H. Pratama (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6)
21. L. Montella (Chiodo Moto Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
22. D. Valle (Yamaha MS Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
23. L. Taccini (Orelac Racing VerdNatura / Kawasaki ZX-6R)
24. U. Orradre (Yamaha MS Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
25. E. Montero (DK Motorsport / Yamaha YZF R6)

• Rt. J. Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6)
• Rt. L. Bernardi (CM Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)
• Rt. V. Takala (Kallio Racing / Yamaha YZF R6)

WorldSSP300 Race 2:

The final event of the weekend was the FIM World Supersport 300 Championship race where Spaniard Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki / Kawasaki Ninja 400) took the win ahead of Tom Booth-Amos (Fusport - RT Motorsports by SKM - Kawasaki / Kawasaki Ninja 400) and Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki / Kawasaki Ninja 400).

The Pirelli solutions chosen by the riders for the Tissot Superpole Race, WorldSBK Race 2 and WorldSSP Race 2:

For the Tissot Superpole Race, all the riders on the grid chose to race with the soft standard SC1 tyre (option A) on the front, with the exception of Loris Cresson (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing / Kawasaki ZX-10RR), who preferred the A0508 SC1 development solution (option B). As for the rear, the A0557 SCX development tyre (option B) garnered favour with most of the riders on the grid.. Using the standard SCX (option A) were Chaz Davies (Team GOELEVEN / Ducati Panigale V4 R), Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team / Yamaha YZF R1), Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team / Ducati Panigale V4 R), Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R1), Kota Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team / Yamaha YZF R1) and Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing HONDA Team / Honda CBR1000RR-R).

In WorldSBK Race 2, most of the riders confirmed their choices from Race 1, with the standard SC1 (option A) on the front and the A0557 SCX development tyre (option B) at the rear as the most popular solutions on the grid. The only ones to change were Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team / Ducati Panigale V4 R) and Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing HONDA Team / Honda CBR1000RR-R) who preferred racing with the standard SCX (option A) on the rear.

Last, but not least, for Race 2 in the World Supersport category, the riders confirmed their unanimous tyre choice from the day before: all the riders on the grid mounted the standard SC1 (option A) at the front and the standard SCX (option A) for the rear.

Pirelli statistics for the WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race:

• Winner of the PIRELLI BEST LAP AWARD: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR), in 1'36.374 on the 6th lap
• Most used front solution: standard SC1 (20 out of 21 riders)
• Most used rear solution: A0557 SC1 development (15 out of 21 riders)
• Maximum race speed reached by Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike tyres: 298.3 km/h, done by Álvaro Bautista (Team HRC / Honda CBR1000 RR-R) on the 10th lap
• Number of solutions (dry, intermediate and wet) for the Superbike class: 5 front and 6 rear
• Number of tyres available for each Superbike rider: 66, including 30 front and 36 rear
• Air temperature: 24° C
• Asphalt temperature: 33° C

Pirelli statistics for WorldSBK Race 2:

• Winner of the PIRELLI BEST LAP AWARD: Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK / Kawasaki ZX-10RR) in 1'37.226 on the 7th lap
• Most used front solution: standard SC1 (17 out of 20 riders)
• Most used rear solution: A0557 SC1 development (18 out of 20 riders)
• Maximum race speed reached by Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike tyres: 295.9 km/h, done by Álvaro Bautista (Team HRC / Honda CBR1000 RR-R) on the 17th lap
• Number of solutions (dry, intermediate and wet) for the Superbike class: 5 front and 6 rear
• Number of tyres available for each Superbike rider: 66, including 30 front and 36 rear
• Air temperature: 28° C
• Asphalt temperature: 46° C

Pirelli statistics for WorldSSP Race 2:

• Winner of the PIRELLI BEST LAP AWARD: Manuel Gonzalez (Yamaha ParkinGo Team / Yamaha YZF R6), in 1'41.367 on the 8th lap
• Most used front solution: standard SC1 (28 out of 28 riders)
• Most used rear solution: Standard SCX (28 out of 28 riders)
• Maximum race speed reached by Pirelli DIABLO™ Superbike tyres: 263.4 km/h, done by Stephane Frossard (Moto Team Jura Vitesse / Yamaha YZF R6) and Andy Verdoia (GMT94 Yamaha / Yamaha YZF R6) on the 3rd lap
• Number of solutions (dry, intermediate and wet) for the Superbike class: 4 front and 4 rear
• Number of tyres available for each Supersport rider: 43, including 20 front and 23 rear
• Air temperature: 27° C
• Asphalt temperature: 38° C