Round 11 WSBK- Magny Cours

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The Althea BMW Racing Team all set for France, and SBK Round 11

The Althea BMW Racing Team travels on to France, and the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours where round 11 of the 2016 Superbike World Championship is taking place this weekend.

The Magny-Cours racetrack is located in central France in the former Burgundy region, roughly 250 km from Paris. The circuit has hosted all manner of international racing events including F.1, and has been a fixture on the World SBK calendar for many years. Considering that the racing generally takes place in the autumn, it is often characterised by unpredictable weather.

The latest round at the German Lausitzring didn?t exactly go according to plan for the Althea BMW squad, which only makes the team more motivated ahead of the upcoming French round. Jordi Torres will be looking to improve on his results of last season, having finished the 2015 races in eighth and twelfth position. Markus Reiterberger also competed in last year?s Magny-Cours event, finished with a best result of thirteenth.

Meanwhile, in the Stock1000 championship, Raffaele De Rosa will be fighting to make up the 14 points separating him from the current leader.
Jordi Torres

?We?re feeling very determined as we head to France, after the difficult race weekend at the Lausitzring. There are only three rounds to go, and it?s important to do as well as possible. Having said that, last year?s Magny-Cours weekend was not a particularly easy one, and so I hope we can work well right from Friday?s sessions, and that the weather is at least stable so that we can prepare effectively for Saturday?s and Sunday?s race.?

Markus Reiterberger
?I?m really looking forward to riding at Magny-Cours. I?m getting better after the crashes at Lausitzring and am in less pain than I was. I?ve used these days to prepare and hope not to have too many problems this weekend; I?ll definitely be trying my best even if I?m not quite at 100%. I?ve raced at the French track on a few occasions before and I like the track but hope the weather?s better than it was Germany, and that there is less work for the mechanics who really had their work cut out two weeks ago with the crashes.?

Raffaele De Rosa
?I?m pleased to be heading to the next race because I can?t wait to make up for the German round. It was such a pity because we were so fast in all of the sessions and then the race didn?t go to plan. Magny-Cours is a track that I enjoy, we can only hope that the weather behaves, an unknown at this time of year, but I?m excited to get back on the track anyway.?


Track Information:

Country: France
Name: Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
Length: 4.411 km
Pole position: right
Turns: 8 left, 9 right


SBK RECORDS: Best lap ? Sykes (Kawasaki) 1?37.932 (2013). Superpole ? Sykes (Kawasaki) 1'36.366 (2014).

2015 SBK RESULTS: Race 1 - 1. Rea (Kawasaki); 2. Sykes (Kawasaki); 3 Guintoli (Honda). Race 2 ? 1. Rea (Kawasaki); 2. Davies (Ducati); 3. Sykes (Kawasaki).



Weekend schedule (CET):

Friday
9.15 ? 10.00 ? STK1000 Free Practice
10.15 ? 11.15 ? SBK Timed Practice 1
13.30 ? 14.30 ? SBK Timed Practice 2
16.00 ? 16.45 ? STK1000 Free Practice

Saturday
08.45 ? 9.00 ? SBK Free Practice
10.30 ? 10.45 ? Superpole 1
10.55 ? 11.10 ? Superpole 2
13.00 ? Race 1
14.15 ? 14.45 ? STK1000 Qualifying

Sunday
9.25 ? 9.40 ? SBK Warm-up
9.50 ? 10.05 ? STK1000 Warm-up
13.00 ? SBK Race 2
14.20 ? STK1000 Race

 

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Kawasaki Racing Team Riders Enter Crucial Weekend 1-2 Overall

Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes look forward to the 11th round of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship at Magny Cours in France sitting first and second in the points table, with three rounds and six races still to run.

Rea has already won nine races on the all-new Ninja ZX-10R and Sykes five, in what has been a great showing for Kawasaki?s latest flagship sportsbike at the highest level of production-derived racing.

After scoring some heavily contrasting results in the more recent championship rounds Rea and Sykes will arrive in France with a points differential of 47 between them. The championship battle is, therefore, very much still alive, especially with potential of 150 points on offer for any rider who can win all six of the remaining races.

Only one other rider ? third placed Chaz Davies ? has a mathematical chance of overtaking either of the KRT duo to win the riders? title this year, but he is currently 98 points adrift of Rea and 51 points behind Sykes. If Rea leaves Magny Cours with even three points more than Davies can score, Kawasaki would be guaranteed the riders? title - for either Rea or Sykes.

Each KRT rider has previously won races for Kawasaki at the 4.411km Magny Cours circuit, with Rea scoring a double in his championship-winning year of 2015 and Sykes having taken three race victories there between 2012 and 2013, all on Ninja ZX-10R machinery.

The career statistics for both Jonathan and Tom moved on once more after the most recent round in Germany. Rea now has 38 race wins, 83 podiums, six Superpoles, 39 front row starts and 26 fastest laps to his credit in WorldSBK. Sykes, the 2013 world champion, has 31 wins, 79 podiums, 37 Superpoles, 55 front row starts and 31 fastest laps in his career to date.

Magny Cours has featured prominently in both Tom and Jonathan?s WorldSBK experiences and is a popular venue in general, with a strong base of enthusiastic local spectators. The circuit, located near the town of Nevers, has hosted 14 WorldSBK weekends in all, starting way back in 1991. It has featured on the calendar without a break since 2003 and has often been a crucial weekend in determining where championship titles will eventually end up.

Kawasaki has enjoyed a long-term lead in the Manufacturers? Championship thanks to the capabilities of the 2016 model Ninja ZX-10R. Another prospect for Kawasaki at Magny Cours is the mathematical chance to be awarded the Manufacturers? Championship trophy.

The penultimate weekend of the 13-round WorldSBK season will take place at Jerez in Spain, with racedays on 15th and 16th October. The final round will be held in Qatar, between 28th and 30th October.

Jonathan Rea, stated: ?A wet race win in Germany was a nice way to finish the weekend last time out and I have l slept really well this week. I am looking forward to Magny Cours because I have had a good history there and I enjoy riding it. It is always pretty full of French fans and, of course, it is that crucial time of the season now. We have a points advantage but not enough to be comfortable with, so we still have to go out and make big points in France. Of course, at this stage of the year I am thinking about the gap but I do not want to let it affect my riding. We can?t really manage a 47-point lead because we can see how easy it is to lose a bunch of points. But going into the weekend in France I am happy and confident on the bike and we have a lot of data for the track. We know what works there and we will start with a good base and work step-by-step through the weekend.?

Tom Sykes, stated: ?Magny Cours is a track that we have had great results at in the past but the thing is that now we can go to every track knowing we have the potential to win. Magny Cours is one venue that has stood out in the past, so we are going there to utilise the best of our potential. We have seen already this year how fast things can turn on their heads. In Germany on one day it all went for me and then on the second day it went against me. We can see how fast things can change in racing. We still have a long way to go and we are still in the running. Kawasaki riders are 1-2 in the championship so obviously we are doing something right! We have some good ideas, if the weather is wet, to change things up to give me what I need.?

 

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Home Fires Fuel Guintoli's Determination for French Success

Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK rider Sylvain Guintoli is eagerly awaiting this weekend's return to one of his favourite tracks on the 2016 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Calendar as round 11 heads to his home race in France and the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. Guintoli and teammate Alex Lowes both enjoy the passionate atmosphere of the Fassi French Round and are looking forward to strong showings on their YZF-R1s in the two races, come rain or shine.

Magny-Cours marks the end of a busy five weeks for Lowes, having participated in five consecutive race events across WorldSBK and MotoGP, the latter as he substituted for the injured Bradley Smith on the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 YZR-M1. The young Briton was unfortunately unable to compete in last weekend's Gran Premio Movistar de Arag?n race having himself sustained an injury to his left foot during Saturday's FP3. Lowes has since returned to the UK to undergo intensive physiotherapy and is determined to be fit for the two 21-lap contests at the Nevers circuit.

Guintoli's stellar showing at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz last-time-out proved the Frenchman is well and truly recovered from his early season injury and is looking forward to continuing the trend as he hunts for glory. Returning to his home round, after a mid-season private outing to assess his fitness and test his speed with his Yamaha Superbike, Guintoli is determined to put on a good show for his local support and is no stranger to the limelight here, having secured seven podiums including two victories throughout his WorldSBK career so far.

Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours sits in the heart of central France, 250kms south of Paris and 230kms north-west of Lyon. 2016 witnesses the 4,411m track's 25th anniversary as host to WorldSBK competition and the action looks set to be as exciting as ever around the 17-corner layout. One of the busier races on the calendar, the technical layout houses nine right and eight left-hand turns creating a challenging prospect for riders and teams and a thrilling spectacle for the attending audience. Add to that the ever changing weather and the weekend takes on an electrifying element of the unknown keeping the French WorldSBK races as a firm favourite for both fans and riders alike.

Practice commences for the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team at 10:15 local time on Friday 30th September, with Saturday's two Superpole sessions scheduled for 10:30 and 10:55 respectively. The opening race action gets underway at 13:00 on October 1st, with race 2 timings mirrored on Sunday 2nd.

Alex Lowes
Championship: 11th / 102 points

"Apart from the fact that I have never had a dry race here, Magny-Cours is a track that I really like. I always feel like you can go faster there but actually trying to do it is very difficult as it isn't an easy circuit at all and can be hard to find a good bike set up. The two big chicanes in the middle of the lap are the most difficult, as setting the bike to be agile and easy to manoeuvre makes it unstable in the fast first sector of the track, but it certainly suits a hard working team getting the most out of the weekend and a good set up for Sunday!

"My final race in MotoGP didn't end the way I would have liked but my physio has gone well for the past couple of days, I'm feeling ok and will be doing my best for a strong weekend on the YZF-R1."
Sylvain Guintoli
Championship: 13th / 76 points

"Magny-Cours is my home race and one I always look forward to! I've had a lot of podiums there so I'm always very excited to go back and race in front of the French public. The support over the years has been fantastic and always motivates me. The weather can be temperamental at this time of year but I love the track, wet or dry. I had a strong return to WorldSBK at Lausitz, despite the conditions, and will continue to push in front of the home support this weekend."

 

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Hayden and van der Mark hope for a happy hunting ground in France

The Honda WorldSBK Team has arrived at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in central France, where this weekend the eleventh round of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship takes place. Michael van der Mark and Nicky Hayden enter the third-last event of the season fourth and fifth in the championship standings, respectively.

The track, located 260km south of France?s capital city Paris, made its WorldSBK debut back in 1991 only to make its return twelve years later. Since 2003, the track has been a permanent fixture on the championship calendar.

Magny-Cours is the last WorldSBK track of the year where Nicky Hayden has yet to race. Last time out in Germany, the 35-year-old American collected his fourth podium of the season courtesy of a third place finish at the Lausitzring in race one. Hayden will need to work against the clock with his crew in order to learn the track and find a good set-up for his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP ? while trying to qualify directly into Saturday?s Superpole 2.

Michael van der Mark has fond memories of Magny-Cours: in 2012, the young Dutch rider came out on top after a fierce battle for the STK600 race win ? and title ? against Riccardo Russo, who tried everything he could to make sure his opponent did not get the better of him. And last year, van der Mark racked up a brace of fourth places in the two French races.

Nicky Hayden 69

I?m back to WorldSBK after my one-off ride in MotoGP. Having now raced at Aragon in both WorldSBK and MotoGP this year, I can honestly say that the difference between the two ? in terms of lap-times ? is not that big at all. Dipping back into MotoGP was definitely an interesting experience, but now it?s time to focus fully on my Championship. I?m looking forward to racing at Magny-Cours and to pick up where we left off at the Lausitzring in the dry, where I had really good pace and consistency. If it?s wet ? which the team told me quite regularly happens happens here ? it?s clear we have to revaluate the setup and maybe try something different. It?s going to be another learning experience ? this being a new track for me ? but I?ll do my best as usual.

Michael van der Mark 60

After a difficult weekend I'm looking forward to Magny-Cours. I always like to ride here and I have had some good results in the past, including a double fourth place last year as a rookie in World Superbike. Hopefully we can get back on the podium this weekend, and I feel this could be a good place to do it. Of course, the most important thing is to make sure we can keep fourth place in the championship, though. There are only three rounds left and six individual races, so each result will be crucial for our final position in the standings. I will try as hard as I can, and I'm sure the Fireblade will work really well on this track.

Pieter Breddels -Technical Manager

After his MotoGP race at Aragon, Nicky is back with us and hopefully he?ll have a smooth transition back to the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP. At Lausitzring he showed great speed in the dry and I?m confident he?ll be able to do the same at Magny-Cours, despite having never raced here. Germany was not too kind to Michael, even though he was quite competitive in practice. If race two had been dry, I?m sure he would have been up there battling for the podium and I see no reason why he cannot do it here. We are only making small updates to the bike race to race now, and we?re happy with the package we have.

 

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The French SBK weekend gets off to a good start for the Althea BMW team

The Althea BMW Racing team is on track this weekend at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in France where round 11 of the World Superbikes is taking place.

The Althea BMW riders, Jordi Torres and Markus Reiterberger, were out on track this morning, in cool but dry condtions, for the first timed practice. Making the most of the 60-minute session to adapt their BMW S 1000 RR bikes to the French track, the performance of the two riders was similar; the German closed in seventh place, with a fastest time of 1?38.957, the Spaniard finished three tenths behind his teammate, in ninth position (1?39.246).
The work continued in the afternoon. Torres was able to lower his time by a few tenths, recording a best of 1?38.686 to position tenth at the session?s end, thus qualifying directly for tomorrow?s Superpole2. Thanks to his best time set in the morning?s session, Reiti finished in eleventh place and will therefore take part in SP1.

In the STK1000 category, De Rosa worked systematically with his technicians during the day?s two sessions, closing first practice in fifth place, thanks to a fastest lap of 1?41.533. In the afternoon session, the Italian rider was able to improve on his time by a full second, closing in fifth place with a best time of 1?40.546.
Jordi Torres

?We?ve started the weekend quite well and it was sunny today which is quite surprising here! The track is quite a difficult one for the BMW with some fast changes of direction. This morning, we worked to try and eliminate some movement at the rear of the bike, as it was difficult to be precise on corner entry, while in the afternoon we had another issue, with the bike sliding on corner exit. So tomorrow we?ll need to find a compromise, a way to solve both problems that allows us to be more competitive. I?m confident we can do so.?

Markus Reiterberger

?Today was tough. This morning wasn?t so bad and we were lying seventh in the first session but then we tried to make some changes to the bike to improve some movement issues. Unfortunately, the second session was slightly hotter and it was more difficult, as I didn?t have the expected feeling. I spend a lot of time in the garage, trying to find a solution. I was hoping to qualify for SP2 of course, but unfortunately Jordi?s lap in the final seconds just pushed me out of the top ten, so I?m disappointed. I?ll be doing my best to reach SP2 anyway though, and we have some ideas as to how to move forward tomorrow.?

Raffaele De Rosa

?The practices went quite well today, aside from the final position. Our race pace was a lot better this afternoon, after we made some changes to the bike. This looks like being an interesting race as there are several riders showing good pace. We?ll see tomorrow, but I?m pleased with how today has gone and am sure we?ll improve further tomorrow.?

 

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Third And Fourth For Sykes And Rea On Day One At Magny Cours

The Magny Cours round of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship got underway on track today, with Tom Sykes eventually third fastest and Jonathan Rea fourth on their Kawasaki Racing Team Ninja ZX-10Rs.

After two dry practice sessions of an hour each Sykes proved to have few chances to improve on his already impressive morning lap time in the afternoon session, due to a technical issue with his rear brake system. Despite his reduced lap count in the second session Sykes still finished third quickest from a field of 26 riders.

Rea, working towards an ideal set-up to tackle the middle section of the 4.411km long Magny-Cours racetrack at the end of day one, is also well inside the leading mix in fourth place. Jonathan is just 0.077 seconds from Sykes on the other official Kawasaki machine, with both riders confident of finding further improvements if Saturday provides a dry track surface.

Should the second day of track action prove to be wet then Sykes and Rea have the FP3 practice session, before Superpole 2, to make preparations for the first race of the weekend. The green light is scheduled for 13.00 local French time and race duration is set to be 21-laps.

Both riders have won races at Magny-Cours in the recent past and will be looking to do the same this time round as they each aim to become world champion for the second time. Rea currently leads Sykes by 47 points as they sit 1-2 in the championship rankings.

Tom Sykes, stated: ?I had some issues with the rear brakes sticking on this afternoon and I only did a few laps because of this. I still feel we are ready for the race because we have good consistency. I never tried for one really quick lap, which is a shame because I wanted to see how the bike felt. There were some things we wanted to try, including a different tyre option, but we never got to. But the good thing is we are ready for the race if the weather stays dry. If tomorrow is wet we can start again with our set-up in FP3.?

Jonathan Rea, stated: ?It is quite close in the lap times but I am still getting comfortable on the bike. I had some rear chatter but generally the bike feels good in some sections of the track. I am losing some time in the middle of the lap, which is similar to last year. I feel quite good in the first chicane and even in the next part, but there is definitely room for improvement. I am not sure about the weather forecast for tomorrow, but it will be a shame if it is wet because everybody has done a lot of track time in the dry now. The weather will be what it will be and we will be ready.?

Behind the official Kawasaki entries, wild card rider Matthieu Lagrive (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) was 12th fastest at his local circuit, Roman Ramos (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) 16th. Gianluca Vizziello (Grillini Racing Team) placed 19th. Dominic Schmitter (Grillini Racing Kawasaki) rode his Ninja ZX-10R to 24th, with Saeed Al Sulaiti (Pedercini Racing Team) 25th.

 

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Solid sixth for van der Mark after morning drama at Magny-Cours

Michael van der Mark has claimed sixth place in the combined times of today?s two free practice sessions at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, the venue that is currently hosting the eleventh round of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship. Nicky Hayden?s progression for today ended with a thirteen position: the experienced American rider, therefore, will need to make his way through Superpole 1 tomorrow.

Van der Mark did not enjoy the best start to the day as he was forced to sit out the first free practice session due to a technical problem experienced on his very first out lap. Despite the setback, the 2014 World Supersport Champion did not let himself down and as soon as free practice two got underway, he took to the track and got up to speed. The real breakthrough came towards the end of the session when, after some changes made to the rear settings of his Fireblade, van der Mark bounced back to fifth position. He then lost one place before the chequered flag was deployed, but with no consequence as the Dutch rider had already successfully qualified to Superpole 2.

With no previous racing experience at this track, Nicky Hayden had to get a first taste of how the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP behaves around the French circuit. After finishing the opening session in tenth place, Hayden and the team had a tricky time in finding a good direction in terms of setup for the bike; the 35-year-old from Kentucky was able to improve his morning lap-time by 0.3s, but that was still not enough for him to earn a spot in the top-10.

Michael van der Mark 60-6th / 1'38.384

It was a good day overall, despite losing the whole FP1 with a technical problem that couldn?t be fixed in time. I was really disappointed, but instead of waiting I decided to take my scooter and have a look at the other riders from the other side of the fence, and I surely managed to learn something from that! This afternoon we decided to make a big change to the rear of the bike and that worked out perfectly. We made a big step forward and I was able to ride the bike the way I wanted. I was happy because we also found some consistency despite the lack of time. In the end we?re not too far behind and, of course, the most important thing is that we were able to qualify for Superpole 2.

Nicky Hayden 69-13th / 1'39.099

It hasn?t been a silky smooth Friday at all. We were not able to get up on pace like I would have have hoped: I think it could be a combination between adjusting back to my Superbike and being unable to properly getting up to speed at this track. Nonetheless, I?m still far from happy for being 1.2s off the pace in both sessions. More importantly, we really haven?t found the right direction in terms of setup. Basically the bike is moving a lot everywhere when banked over and there is a lack of grip; maybe it?s because I wasn?t able to give the team the right information, because I feel we have been skirting around the problem. We have to come up with some ideas because there?s very little time before race one.


Pieter Breddels -Technical Manager

After the technical problem he had in the morning, as soon as free practice 2 started we were forced to make some changes to the bike as Michael felt it was moving around too much. We changed the rear spring and that worked out really well. In the end we tried something with the front but that didn?t lead to any real improvement. By then, though, he was already up to speed and setting some really competitive lap times. He?s not far from the top despite the lost session and we?re confident he can further improve tomorrow. It wasn?t an easy day for Nicky: surely he had to reacquaint himself with the bike after racing in MotoGP last weekend, but like Michael he was also complaining about the bike moving around a bit too much. Unfortunately, we were unable to find a good setup for him today and we have some work to do, but we can compare his data with the one from Michael and see if we can come up with new ideas.

 

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Top-Five Come Back from Lowes for French WorldSBK

A strong opening performance for Alex Lowes placed his Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK into the top-five at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours today as the Fassi French Round began. Local hero Sylvain Guintoli also launched into his home race weekend by securing his place in Saturday's Superpole 2 with a provisional ninth on his YZF-R1.

Lowes immediately opened his FrenchWorldSBK account with a strong morning session, setting a 1'38.782 to hold a top-five time after his first hour at the Ni?vre track. Heading out to improve, the Briton unfortunately fell at turn two as the afternoon session began, halting his progress. However, never one to back down, he regrouped and returned to the action with only eight minutes of track time remaining, renewing his previous position with a 1'38.193 to claim fifth in the combined times, sending him comfortably through to tomorrow's final Superpole qualifier.

Guintoli spent Friday's two hours of practice looking to perfect his set-up on the YZF-R1 as he returned to a track he knows and favours well. Consistently improving his speed and times aboard his Pata Yamaha Superbike, the Frenchman navigated the Nevers Circuit to conclude the day with a best time of 1'38.618, sitting him in ninth place overall and guaranteeing his spot in Superpole 2.

Saturday looks set to relinquish Friday's warm and dry conditions, with heavy rain forecast as the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team returns for the final free practice at 08:45 local time. Lowes and Guintoli will then look to battle for the best grid places at 10:55 as Superpole 2 gets underway ahead of the afternoon's 21-lap race at 13:00.

Alex Lowes
5th / 1'38.193 / 28 laps

"I'm feeling okay, obviously it's never nice to ride injured as you never feel that great on the bike when you're not fit but I feel like my pace isn't too bad and we'll see what the weather brings tomorrow. It's been really nice to be back with the WorldSBK team and hopefully we can try to improve and see if we can get a couple of good results this weekend. To be honest I feel like I've been injured all year so it's not the best but the team have been doing a good job and the YZF-R1 is working well so we're not going to change too much for tomorrow, just do some more laps and see how we feel."
Sylvain Guintoli
9th / 1'38.618 / 40 laps

"I was an average day for us at Magny-Cours. We have improved the feeling from this morning to this afternoon quite a bit and managed to be consistent throughout the second free practice, but I found it hard to do a fast lap time. We are just missing the raw performance at the moment so we will have to see what the conditions are like tomorrow. Once again it looks like it will be difficult to be quite as quick as we would like in the race if it's fully dry but we will try 100% at my home race!."
Paul Denning – Team Principal
"The dry conditions today were very welcome, it's not clear what the rest of the weekend will bring but it's good to get FP1 and FP2 completed with decent track conditions. For Alex, considering the injuries to his foot, the obvious discomfort he's in and the lack of movement, FP1 was very consistent and went well but unfortunately the front-end crash we suffered at the start of FP2 made the rest of the day a lot more challenging. The boys did a brilliant job to get the bike repaired in time to make a few laps at the end of the session and Alex also repaid their efforts by responding very strongly and, despite the lack of track time, posted a superb lap time to go fifth.

For Sylvain, the day went quite smoothly with normal setting and race preparation work. I think he and his crew are disappointed that we couldn't extract more lap time with the fresh tyre and overall Sylvain is looking for more outright performance from the bike. We are very consistent at the moment but not quite as quick as we would like to be. Let's try to improve tomorrow!"

 

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Weather Plays Its Part As Sykes And Rea Go Third And Fourth

The opening race of the Magny Cours FIM Superbike World Championship weekend had begun in wet conditions but the track dried out through all 21-laps, after which Tom Sykes (KRT) had taken third place and Jonathan Rea (KRT) fourth.



Both Superpole winner Rea and second fastest qualifier Sykes started out on full wet tyre options at the start of the first race but changed them after making a pit stop as conditions improved. Sykes took on slick tyres and almost took second place as a result, on the very last lap. Rea earned fourth place on a set of intermediate tyres.

The entire race was punctuated by many riders moving rapidly back and forward through the rankings but early leader Sykes led, with confidence, for eight laps. Rea was in second place until lap eight, as a dry line appeared more emphatically with every passing lap. Realising they had to stop for tyres, the KRT riders entered pitlane together, and went out together, dropping to the lower reaches of the top ten as a short-lived consequence of their pit lane entry.

On their different tyre choices they rode at the same pace for some time but eventually Sykes passed by Rea and then made up ground and positions, running at a high pace. Tom eventually got to within touching distance of second place on the very last lap. He set the fastest lap of the race on the very last circuit, posting a 1?40.491.

Rea had played a patient game to take a fourth place finish, passing one rider on the final lap to end up just one place behind his main championship rival Sykes. Jonathan had won Superpole in wet conditions earlier in the day, his seventh Superpole success of his career but his first in 2016 on the all-new Ninja ZX-10R.

Chaz Davies won the opening Magny Cours race, with Michael van der Mark second. In the championship points, Jonathan has 406; Tom is 44 behind on 362, with Davies now 86 points behind Jonathan and in third place overall.

Race two at Magny Cours will take place on Sunday October 2nd, at 13.00. Dry weather is expected but KRT is ready to face any condition after Saturday?s ever-changing wet and dry experience.

Tom Sykes, stated: ?That was a really tricky race. Some riders went on intermediates and some on wets. I was one of those on full wets, as I wanted to be a bit safer in the early laps. Chaz went on intermediates, and it paid off for him in the end. I think we had a good race, considering we had a pit stop. After that it was definitely a good comeback through the field. The lap times were really competitive compared to the others guys. We just ran out of time, but that is racing. I am grateful to be on the podium in such tricky conditions, which could have easily gone another way. Tomorrow I hope it is fully dry and we can improve the result. In fully wet conditions we were good, also in dry conditions, so we are prepared for any of those. It is just that you can?t really make a perfect set-up for those ?in between? conditions. Tomorrow we will be prepared in any case.?

Jonathan Rea, stated: ?It was a race of strategy today and unfortunately we were not on the winning one. The bike was working OK and in the first part of the race I was patient, just marking time behind Tom. Our main opposition right now is Tom so when he was on rain tyres it made the decision of when to come into the pits much easier. I am just a little bit disappointed in myself for not being clear to ask for slick tyres at the pit stop. I did not have complete confidence and I expected the intermediate would last much longer, as the track was taking a long time to dry. When I saw that he had exited from the pit stop with slick tyres it was very difficult to find the same edge grip as the slick tyres had. All in all, I am happy, because we made some mistakes today but we finished fourth in the race and did not lose too many points. Being the championship leader we had to adopt the more conservative option today, rather than the more aggressive one.?

Behind the top two KRT machines stand-in rider for the Pedercini Racing Kawasaki squad, Matthieu Lagrive, was an impressive sixth at his home circuit, after choosing a mixture of a full wet front and intermediate rear for the whole race. Roman Ramos (GoEleven Kawasaki) placed 13th, Saeed Al Sulaiti (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) was 18th and Gianluca Vizziello (Grillini Racing Team Kawasaki) 21st. Vizziello?s team-mate Dominic Schmitter had to retire from the race.

 

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Van der Mark takes second place in thrilling race one at Magny-Cours

Michael van der Mark completed a stellar recovery in today?s 21-lap FIM Superbike World Championship race one at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours to take second place in spectacular fashion in front of the French crowd. After a promising start, his Honda WorldSBK team mate Nicky Hayden was forced into an early retirement at the end of lap 10 due to a technical problem.

The race got underway on a wet ? but drying ? track, with both Hayden and van der Mark able to get a great launch off sixth and seventh places on the grid. In the early laps, they ran as high as third and fourth, while swapping positions between themselves several times. After losing one place to Leon Camier, on lap six Hayden was the first rider to opt for a tyre change. After a couple of tentative laps, the American rider started to settle into a good rhythm and made up several places; unfortunately, by the end of the tenth lap he had to make his way back to the garage after suffering a technical problem, which put an end to a promising performance.

Van der Mark?s choice to pit at the end of lap 8 proved to be an excellent one: the 23-year-old from Rotterdam made perfect use of Pirelli?s slick tyres to storm past his rivals and, during the penultimate lap, he overtook Savadori for second place. He then managed to hold his position up to the chequered flag despite a resurgent Tom Sykes and crossed the line with a 0.347s margin over his rival.

Courtesy of his sixth podium finish of the season, van der Mark consolidates his fourth place in the championship standings.

Race two will take place tomorrow at 1pm local time (GMT +2) after the traditional 15-minute warm up scheduled at 9:25am.

Michael van der Mark 60-2nd

What a crazy race! The track started to dry before the race started and that made the tyre choice a quite difficult one. I decided to stay on wet tyres after the sighting lap because I wasn?t sure if it was dry enough for intermediates. I had a good start and battled at the front in the first laps, but after that I couldn?t get up to speed on the straights and that was quite frustrating. I decided to calm down, wait one lap and then go back to the pits for a tyre change. It proved to be the right decision and especially at the right time. In the end Chaz was the one who got it perfect and congratulations to him for the win. I?m extremely happy with my second place; it?s nice to get back on the podium and to consolidate my fourth place in the standings.

Nicky Hayden 69-DNF

he race started out really well for us, especially compared to how I felt yesterday. We got the bike working much better in the wet than at the Lausitzring. I made a good start and was feeling quite good; then the sun came out exactly on the main straight and, at that point, I knew the track was going to dry very quickly. I opted for a little bit of a different strategy and pitted quickly; on the second lap after returning to the track I was already matching my previous lap times on wet tyres as I had a good feeling. Ultimately we had a problem, I started to lose power and by then I knew my race was over. For sure we wouldn?t have beaten Chaz Davies today: he made the perfect choice and his times on intermediate tyres were really impressive, but I think we had a really good shot at the podium. Too bad I also missed the chance for some laps in the dry; that was something I really needed.


Pieter Breddels -Technical Manager

It was quite a hectic race one. After qualifying in sixth and seventh positions, we decided to use wet tyres for both riders. It wasn?t an easy choice to make because the track was indeed wet, but we had no idea how fast it was going to dry. Nicky decided to make the tyre change quite early, but it was a good call by him. Unfortunately, he could not make the most of that brave call as the bike soon had a technical issue. Michael pitted two laps later and that proved to be an even better choice, because when he went back out he was 10 seconds ahead of Nicky, while before they were locked together. After that Michael simply rode a perfect race, although Tom Sykes caught him at the end. On one side, I?m really happy for Michael, as he really deserved the podium today. On the other hand, we?re sorry for what happened to Nicky. Hopefully tomorrow will be a good day for him, too.

 

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A complicated SBK race for Althea BMW at Magny-Cours; De Rosa qualifies second for the STK1000 race

A complicated first SBK race today at the Magny-Cours racetrack in France, in which the Althea BMW Racing Team riders Jordi Torres and Markus Reiterberger crossed the line in 14th and 17th place respectively. De Rosa has qualified in second position for tomorrow?s STK1000 race.

STK1000 - qualifying: De Rosa again put in a convincing performance in today?s qualifying. Using the 30 minutes to make final changes to his BMW S 1000 RR, Raffaele improved on times throughout the course of the session. He was lying second when, five minutes from the session?s end, a red flag temporarily halted proceeding. Back on track, the final five minutes proved frenetic but De Rosa used them to good effect, closing in second place (1?40.120) and earning a front row start for tomorrow?s race.

Superpole 1: today?s SP took place on a fully wet and slippery track. Reiterberger tried to do his best in the difficult conditions, but was unable to move beyond tenth place, setting a fastest time of 1?59.800. The German will therefore line up on row seven of the grid.
Superpole 2: a difficult session also for Torres, who struggled to build confidence with the wet track. His best time, a 1?58.353 recorded in the final minutes, saw him close in twelfth position, which translates into the fourth row of the race grid.

SBK - Race 1: the race took place on a track that gradually dried out over the course of 21 laps. From twelfth on the grid, Torres was in tenth after lap one, while Reiti, from the seventh row, made up many positions at the start to position thirteenth. After five laps, the German picked up his pace, passing his team-mate on lap 8 to move into twelfth place. At that point both Althea BMW riders came into the pits to change over from rain to slick tyres. Returning to the track in 20th and 21st place, Jordi and Markus quickly made up places through the central part of the race, eventually crossing the line in 14th and 17th place respectively.
Genesio Bevilacqua-General Manager

?Definitely a difficult day, in wet conditions. The race fell well below our expectation and despite having gained some good indications during the Superpole, these didn?t translate into results in the race. I?m disappointed, because we had everything in line to do well, but allowed too much of a gap to be created. I also believe there is room for improvement in these conditions as far as the riders are concerned, because it?s important to always give it your all. With regard to Raffaele, he was able to really express his potential today and achieve second place and a front row start. Our aim is to finish ahead of the championship lead, and hope that other riders finish between the two of them.?
Jordi Torres

?We had a tough race today. During the wet Superpole we were able to understand certain aspects that proved useful for the race, seeing as that also started on a wet track. During the sighting lap we could see the track was probably going to dry out, but we decided to go out on rain tyres anyway, thinking it would be too risky to use intermediates. We did our best, and then came in to change tyres when the track had dried a little. It was just a shame that a technical problem made it difficult for me to ride. Anyway, tomorrow we hope for dry conditions so that we can make a better race.?

Markus Reitenberger

?Today was again difficult. We took a small step in FP3 but we weren?t able to go as fast as the others in the wet and only qualified 20th. I made a good start to the race and made up quite a few positions, but when the track started to dry out I had to come in and change the tyres, after which I totally lost the good feeling I?d had at the start. I?m not pleased with this and will try to work harder to find a solution that allows me to be faster.?

Raffaele De Rosa

?Today went a lot better than yesterday, particularly in terms of my confidence. We haven?t changed so much on the bike, but I feel a lot more comfortable riding it. It was only a pity that I made a mistake at the end of the session, on my penultimate lap as, if it wasn?t for that, I could have finished first. Anyway I?m pleased, we?ll line up on the front row tomorrow, and I hope to be able to make a great race.?

 

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Torres and Althea BMW seventh at Magny-Cours; podium for De Rosa, who keeps his STK1000 title hopes alive

Today?s Superbike race saw the Althea BMW Racing team playing catch-up at Magny-Cours, with riders Jordi Torres and Markus Reiterberger ultimately closing in seventh and twelfth place respectively. In the Superstock 1000 championship, Raffaele De Rosa keeps his title hopes alive, finishing today?s penultimate race of the season in third place and reducing the gap to Mercado to just seven points.

Superstock 1000 ? Race ? From second on the grid, De Rosa got away very well, maintaining his position behind Mahias. Having been passed by Razgatlioglu, the Italian pushed hard to move back into second on lap eight. Aware that he needed to score as many points as possible in order to close the gap to the championship leader, De Rosa did everything he could to fight off the Turkish rider, but, after a series of spectacular passes in the final laps, he had to settle for third place.
With only one race left to run at Jerez in two weeks? time, De Rosa is just seven points behind championship leader Mercado, meaning that there?s everything to play for on Spanish soil on 16 October.

Superbike - Race 2 ? today?s race took place in dry conditions. Torres was lapping tenth through the opening laps, while Reiti made up many positions at the start, going from 20th on the grid to thirteenth place. While Torres hunted down fellow countryman For?s, passing him mid-race thanks to a superior pace, Reiterberger also gained another position. Over the course of the next few laps, Torres reached Hayden, and then Guintoli on the last lap, to cross the line in final seventh place. Markus maintained his position through the final stages to finish twelfth.
In the general standings, Jordi Torres continues to hold seventh place with 179 points, Reiterberger lies 16th with 72 points. BMW is fourth in the manufacturer's classification with 200 points, while Althea BMW also lies fourth in the team rankings (256 points).
Jordi Torres


?Today went a lot better than yesterday. Firstly this morning?s warm-up was very important, as we wanted to find the right feeling in the dry after yesterday?s full wet conditions. We worked well and I was feeling ready for the race. In the race itself I gave 100%, and was able to maintain a fast and consistent pace for almost the full distance. It was just a pity that at the start I lost some time with Lowes, but I gradually made that back up, getting into my rhythm and doing my best. I?m pleased because I feel that the bike is finally transmitting what we?ve been looking for??

Markus Reitenberger

?Twelfth position after injury and some bad races and crashes is not too bad. I?m not really satisfied of course, but the position is not so bad. It was a long race but I tried to push as hard as I could from beginning to end. We were losing a little too much in all sections, so we need to analyse the data and work out how we can improve for next time. I know we can do better. Thanks to my team for their hard work this weekend.?

Raffaele De Rosa

?We had a great race today, with a fantastic battle with Toprak in the final phase. At one point there was contact between us but that?s racing and you sometimes have to take risks in the final laps. The important thing is that I?ve closed the gap to Mercado. Now we have to remain focused for the final race at Jerez, where I need to do all I can to avoid making mistakes and, if possible, to improve on the result we?ve scored here at Magny-Cours.?

Genesio Bevilacqua-General Manager

"Today we definitely completed two great races. In Superbike, Torres did very well in terms of the commitment shown; he squared off against strong riders with fast bikes, and this shows us that our bike is gradually improving. Jordi finished seventh, which is a great result in this context. We?ll try to do better at Jerez and in Qatar. Reiterberger, having come back from injury, has regained some confidence here in France and we hope he too can start to score the kind of results that are within his reach.
In the Stock1000 race, De Rosa did all he could, battling hard with Razgatlioglu but losing some ground as a result. Anyway, a great result that has allowed him to reduce the gap to Mercado. We?ll do all we can at Jerez to win the race and bring home the title.?

 

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Tyre Gambles sees Guintoli Ninth in Magny-Cours Race Day Roulette

Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK riders Sylvain Guintoli and Alex Lowes tackled constantly changing weather at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours today as Superpole qualifying and the first race of the Fassi French Round got underway. Guintoli rode his YZF-R1 to ninth place at the flag with Lowes narrowly behind in 11th.

Thunder storms and heavy rain overnight turned the tables at the Ni?vre circuit as the final free practice took to the track at 08:45 on Saturday morning. While the rain had abated, the surface remained wet as Guintoli steered the tricky conditions, his familiarity with the local layout aiding his progress as the Frenchman concluded the 15-minute session sixth in the times having highlighted important information for the following qualifying session. Immediately showing a commanding pace for Superpole 2 he consistently lapped at the head of the times, just narrowly missing out on a front row position to line up fourth on the grid for the ensuing race. Declared wet, but with a quickly drying track, Guintoli fell foul of a bad start to the afternoon's 21-lap battle, dropping to seventh on the opening tour. Settling in sixth at mid-race, he was running strongly on his Yamaha Superbike before he took the decision to pit. With the tyre change complete, the local rider returned to the action in 14th place and showed blistering pace in the closing laps as he made his way back through the pack. Setting a 1'41.813 on his 19th revolution he consistently challenged the front runner's pace but with the gap too much to bridge in the time remaining he crossed the line in ninth, collecting seven championship points.

Having enjoyed Friday's dry sessions, Lowes took a cautious approach to this morning's early track time, circulating at a steady pace as he acquainted himself with the wet track to conclude the final free practice in 14th and holding 11th at the close of the final Superpole shootout. Heading out with his usual determination aboard his YZF-R1 as the race began, Lowes immediately jumped two places on the opening lap before continuing his progression to seventh by lap nine. Choosing to pit for new rubber as his times fell away, the British rider returned to the track in 13th and instantly on the hunt for the top-10. Succeeding in his task just three laps later, Lowes maintained his position for the final seven laps before succumbing to 11th at the flag.

Sunday brings a brighter forecast for the final instalment of the FrenchWorldSBK weekend as Lowes and Guintoli line up at Magny-Cours for race two at 13:00 local time.

Sylvain Guintoli
Race: 9th / +49.455 / 21 laps. Championship: 13th / 83 points

"It was a disappointing race. The feeling with the drying track wasn't good and I was struggling to follow the leading pack and we also lost a lot of time in the pit-lane when changing tyres. On a positive note the pace at the end of the race was good and I managed to recover some places but not enough as I just ran out of laps. We just didn't have the pace to be fighting for the front positions today but the weather is going to change tomorrow so hopefully it will be a completely different story. We are starting from fourth which is positive so we will see what happens."
Alex Lowes
Race: 11th / +52.788 / 21 laps. Championship: 11th / 107 points

"It was a difficult day with the weather overall and with the changeable conditions in this afternoon's race. I expected to be a lot faster in the dry once we had changed the tyres but unfortunately some issues held me back and I just wasn't able to ride how I wanted to, or to achieve the pace needed. Hopefully we will improve for tomorrow and, as always, come back fighting."

 

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Van der Mark takes fifth in closing race of French Round while Hayden is ninth at the flag

The Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours today witnessed the second race of the World Superbike French Round, with Honda WorldSBK Team?s Michael van der Mark and Nicky Hayden claiming fifth and ninth places on board their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machines.

Van der Mark spent the majority of his race fighting for fourth place with Leon Camier, who overtook him on lap 12. The Dutch rider did all he could not to lose touch but, after one last effort to bridge the gap to the tall Englishman, the 2014 World Supersport Champion crossed the finish line in fifth position, a result that allows him further to consolidate his fourth place in the Championship standings.

Hayden got a good start to the race and was running fifth, but he suddenly found himself in eighth place following an overtaking manoeuvre by Leon Camier at the tricky Adelaide hairpin. After dropping down to ninth, the American rider got up to speed again and managed to recover one place. As the race entered its final stretch, the ?Kentucky Kid? could not hold his position and once again slipped back to ninth place.

The penultimate round of the 2016 FIM Superbike World Championship will be contested at ?Circuito de Jerez? in two weekends.

Michael van der Mark 60-5th

The settings we tried in warm up didn?t really work out so we used the ones from FP2, the only long session I had this weekend. My start and first lap were great; I had a consistent pace, just a little bit slower than I?d hoped. When I got in front of Camier I tried to pull away but it was not possible and, when he passed me, I simply couldn?t stay with him. In the end, fifth is not a bad result. We scored some more important points and now we have a solid fourth place in the Championship in our hands. Hopefully, in two weeks? time at Jerez we will be able to challenge for honours again.


Nicky Hayden 69-9th

It hasn?t been the smoothest of weekends for us. I got a good start but lost some places at turn four, which I wasn?t able to get back. I had a little problem with engine braking and towards the end I picked up some vibration that hurt me in the battle for sixth, but the reality is that I got behind on Friday morning; also it would have been nice to do some laps in the dry yesterday in race one, but that didn?t happen. In the end, it was a combination of things and I was never able to catch up. If I really want to find a positive, today I set my fastest laps of the weekend, but that?s clearly not enough. It?s never nice to end the weekend with this feeling, but it is what it is. Now it?s time to look forward to Jerez, a track I really like.


Pieter Breddels -Technical Manager

This morning, we tried some changes to the bike setup with Michael but ultimately we decided to go back to the settings we found on Friday afternoon. Having missed the whole free practice 1 session really took its toll today, because there was only very little we could try before the race. Michael did a very good start and rode a great race, so fifth overall is a good result, especially if we look at the standings. Nicky also had a good start but he was pushed off-line at the beginning. He rode as hard as he could, but unfortunately his feeling with the bike wasn?t perfect. Friday was not an easy day for him and with how the weather was yesterday, he didn?t have enough time in the dry to improve. Now it?s time to look forward to Jerez, a track where we have tested already and that should suit our bike very well.

 

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Podiums For KRT Riders As Rea Extends His Championship Lead

Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes (KRT) finished second and third respectively in the second 21-lap FIM Superbike World Championship race at Magny Cours, with Rea extending his championship lead over his team-mate to 48 points.

Rea has scored nine race wins on the latest Ninja ZX-10R so far this season and Sykes five, but despite being joined in a battle out front for much of the 21 lap contest - held in fully dry conditions - the late pace of Saturday race winner Chaz Davies also gave him a win on Sunday.

With both official Kawasaki Racing Team riders keen to add to their race victory tallies, especially after Sykes had been third and Rea fourth in Saturday?s opener, the front-running action was close and competitive between the riders who still occupy first and second places in the championship.

The conditions of race two could not have been more different from the wet and drying track encountered on Saturday. The dry surface allowed Sykes to post a new lap record of 1m 37.864 seconds, on lap three, as he rode away out front to try and gap the field.

The undulations and heavy braking areas of the 4.411km Magny Cours circuit provided many passing opportunities for Rea after he had caught up with Sykes, but Tom proved determined to hold onto his lead. He only surrendered it on lap 16 ? temporarily to Rea and then finally to Davies. Rea re-passed Sykes with four laps to go and set about trying to reel in Davies. Rea had lost too much ground by that stage but still scored his first podium of the weekend in second place.

The top three riders were covered by just over 2.5 seconds at the end, with Sykes half a second from Rea across the line. After race two in France Rea has now scored 84 podium places during his career and Sykes 81. In the current championship standings, Rea has 426 points, Sykes 378 and Davies 345.

The next races in the championship will take place on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th October, at Jerez in Spain. The last round will be held at the Losail Circuit in Qatar, between 28th and 30th October.

Jonathan Rea, stated: ?I tried to plan my pass on Tom because he is strong right now and he is hard to pass at the best of times. When I overtook under braking, unfortunately it let Chaz come past us. Then I had to try to pass Tom again but already the gap to Chaz was too much. Maybe I spent too much time behind Tom but he is riding so well. I am happy with my race because, today, second place was the best I could do and I am happy with the way I rode. We need to improve the bike set-up in some areas but all things considered I am happy with the result. It is a 48-point gap now and it is nice to extend the championship lead, if by one point after Lausitzring last time and by another single point here! Championships can be won by a point so every one of them is important. If we can just have a clean end to the season hopefully we can do the job.?

Tom Sykes, stated: ?When I started the race the bike felt really good and it was quite easy for me to manage 1m 37 second lap times. Unfortunately, for the first time all weekend, our pace dropped and I am confused about this. I then struggled to carry corner speed so that is something for us to look at. On Friday we were very fast and consistent but we had some issues in the second part of the race today. We were more consistent over the whole weekend this time, however, and we are making steps forward. Unfortunately it is quite late in the season now but at least we are able to fight at the front and be somewhere close for the race win.?

Behind the official KRT riders, Roman Ramos (Team GOELEVEN Kawasaki) was 13th today and stand-in rider Matthieu Lagrive (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) 15th. Gianluca Vizziello (Grillini Racing Team Kawasaki) went 17th but Saeed Al Sulaiti (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) no-scored after retiring.

 

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Guintoli Races Strongly at Home in Magny-Cours Battle

Conditions could not have been more different at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours this afternoon as Sylvain Guintoli finished his second race of the Fassi French Round in brilliant sunshine and eighth place aboard his Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK YZF-R1. Alex Lowes concluded a difficult weekend in 19th after a fall at turn 13 on lap 12.

Running a solid race, Guintoli set consistent pace as he circulated in seventh place for the 21-lap distance. Battling hard with Torres and Hayden in the final stages, the Frenchman was caught on the last lap by his Spanish challenger but held fast against the American as he crossed the line to collect eight points boosting his championship position to 12th.

Suffering a bad start, Lowes gave himself work to do from 14th as race two began but had quickly made up time and two places by the end of the opening lap. Running in the high 1'38's, the British rider was sitting in 11th from his second revolution, maintaining his position until a fall on lap 12 put paid to his efforts. Re-joining the race in 20th he again attempted to move forward, but with the gap too large to bridge, he collected a frustrating 19th place finish at the flag.

Finnish rider Niki Tuuli continued to shine in the FIM Supersport World Championship as he consolidated his debut podium from the Lausitzring with a second place at Magny-Cours. The young rookie impressed on his YZF-R6 as he stormed his way through the pack from his seventh place start. Taking the lead, from third position, on the 12th revolution, he fought hard to maintain the advantage until the final lap, losing out to the eventual winner, and local talent, Jules Cluzel.

The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team now heads to southern Spain for the championship's final European races at the Circuito de Jerez, in a fortnight's time.

Sylvain Guintoli
Race: 8th / +18.951 / 21 laps. Championship: 12th / 91 points

"Today was okay actually, I felt that I got the best from the YZF-R1, rode well and with a good rhythm. We knew from the practice that we were lacking outright pace and that was proved in the race. Obviously I'm not happy with the position but as far as riding the bike, I feel that I raced well and I'm looking forward to Jerez."
Alex Lowes
Race: 19th / +1.27.462 / 21 laps. Championship: 11th / 107 points

"A disappointing day again with a poor start which didn't help but I started picking a few people off and got into a rhythm, creeping up on the top ten and then had the crash. It was another one in which I'm not really sure why it happened to be honest, which is frustrating because I didn't feel like I had done anything wrong. In the end, it was a mistake, a crash and then the race is finished so I'm really, really disappointed. We need to turn this around because the whole year in general has been filled with lots of injury and disappointments, so together we need to somehow turn it around for the end of the year."
Paul Denning – Team Principal
"For various reasons it's been another challenging race weekend for the whole team here in Magny-Cours and we are not able to use the full potential of the YZF-R1 compared to the speed we were able to show on Friday. A positive point today was that in only his second event back from injury Sylvain rode a very solid, consistent race and was able to enjoy a good fight with strong competitors, and to feel that both he and the R1 had made progress.

"For Alex clearly today was a disappointment and it's also clear that we need to find a way to achieve the performance we need from the bike but also to give Alex more understanding and more margin at the limit and to do a better job as a team.

"The whole team's congratulations go to Lucas Mahias and the Pata Yamaha Official STK1000 Team for a dominant victory in the Superstock race, demonstrating again that the base of the YZF-R1 is so strong, and also to Niki Tuuli for an exciting second place, backing up his Lausitzring World Supersport result, on the R6."