WSBK-Magny Cours

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Yamaha WSB Riders Head to Magny Cours for the Penultimate Round of the Season

Melandri and Laverty have just completed a tough race weekend in Imola and are setting out for Magny Cours, France for the 12th and penultimate round of the 2011 World Superbike Championship this weekend. Marco Melandri fought hard at his home race in Imola to gain valuable points to keep the championship open by preventing Carlos Checa from earning the advantage he requires to claim the title. Marco Melandri remains 97 points behind Carlos Checa in the standings. The WSB Rookie will have to face the huge task of winning both races this weekend and in the case that Checa does not pocket more than 3 points, Melandri will remain a contender for the title. The Italian is heading to the French circuit this weekend determined to take the championship battle to the grand finale in Portimao. Following Eugene Laverty?s solid performance last Sunday in Imola, the Northern Irish rider now remains just 25 points from Biaggi in third place in the standings, a position he aims to reach this weekend.

The Yamaha WSB team is heading to Magny Cours confident they can be highly competitive and fighting for victory, following Cal Crutchlow?s strong race win and podium in last year?s season showdown on the French track. Eugene Laverty made his debut on a World Superbike machine last October in Magny Cours, testing the 2010 YZF-R1 and immediately gaining confidence on the powerful machine, was the fastest rider to lap the track.

Marco Melandri
Yamaha World Superbike Team
"Magny Cours is another new track for me. I didn?t have the chance to test there last year at the end of the season like quite a few other riders did, so I?m not sure what to expect. I haven?t seen much of the circuit on TV or on the internet, but I?m looking forward to discovering it. Going by last year?s results, where Cal took a race win and a second place on the podium, it looks like it could be a good track for the R1. My ambition is to be at the front, pushing for a podium and even a race win or two."

Eugene Laverty
Yamaha World Superbike Team
"I?m really looking forward to returning to Magny Cours this weekend. At the end of the 2010 season I tested the R1 and was the fastest rider on track, so I know the bike works well there. We knew Imola wasn?t a suitable style of circuit for our machine and we had a tough weekend there but managed to come away with solid race results, which I am pleased with. I?ll be aiming for better results in Magny Cours and hope for a race win or two."
Magny Cours technically speaking according to Silvano Galbusera
Marco Melandri's Crew Chief

"Marco has never ridden this Formula One style circuit before so we have no data to work from. It has some tight chicanes so we will need to set the bike up for hard braking but agile enough to take the fast corners in the tight sections. We will try out our base set up on Friday morning and see where to go from there in light of all this. Unfortunately the weather can be variable in Magny Cours and there is always a high chance of rain so we have to take this into consideration and prepare a wet set up on the second bike. Our R1 has worked well here in the last few years and hopefully will be successful again this year."
Magny Cours technically speaking according to Frankie Carchedi
Eugene Laverty's Crew Chief

"Imola was one of our toughest rounds yet, unfortunately our base set-up didn?t work and we had to use all our experience to get two more top five finishes. At Magny Cours we will go back to our normal setting, and work from there. It is the complete opposite to Imola, very flat with a smooth surface and usually has a lot of grip. Eugene was fastest at the pre-season test first time on the bike at Magny Cours, and we are confident we can be at the front in both races. We are within reach of Max in the championship standings and our goal is to finish top three"

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
"Marco and Eugene will be aiming to be back on the podium in Magny Cours, a track which Yamaha has been very competitive on in the past years. Marco needs to put the difficult weekend in Imola behind him and aim for a race win on yet another unfamiliar circuit. He has proved already this year, that learning new track layouts is not a problem. Eugene won the 2010 WSS category and has fond memories from Magny Cours. His goal is to Reach Max in third place in the Championship and I am confident he can do this on Sunday."

2011 World Superbike France
Magny Cours 27/09/2011


Circuit Length:
4411

Lap Record:
1'38.619
(Noriyuki Haga, 1/1/2009)

Fastest Lap Ever:
1'37.699
(Cal Crutchlow, 10/3/2010)

Last Years Winner:
Max Biaggi
Davies Aims for the Title in Magny Cours

The Yamaha ParkinGO team, determined to put Sunday?s disappointing race day behind them, is gearing up for the penultimate round of the 2011 World Supersport Championship which will take place in Magny Cours this weekend. Chaz Davies and Luca Scassa are setting out for the French circuit, for what can only be a more positive weekend. The Yamaha riders were delivering a textbook perfect race, occupying first and second place when both riders fell victim to a technical issue, preventing them from completing the 19 laps.

Despite the lack of points in Imola, Chaz Davies still remains title favourite, leading the championship by 35 points with 50 points still up for graps. If Foret, currently in second place in the standings, were to win next Sunday, Davies would need to secure a third place finish to claim the well-deserved championship title that he is ever more motivated and determined to snatch this weekend. Mathematically also Salom, being 48 points behind Davies, still has a chance on the title. The Yamaha ParkinGO team is confident that the French circuit at Magny Cours is well suited for the Yamaha R6, the same machine on which Crutchlow claimed the second spot on the podium in 2009.

2011 World Supersport France
Magny Cours 27/09/2011


Circuit Length:
4411

Lap Record:
1'41.407
(Cal Crutchlow, 1/1/2009)

Fastest Lap Ever:
1'40.980
(Cal Crutchlow, 10/4/2009)

 

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Magny Cours Next Target For Kawasaki?s WSBK Competitors

After some recent highs for the official Kawasaki WSBK racing project Tom Sykes and Joan Lascorz will arrive in France knowing that more strong finishes are up for grabs as the 2011 season winds down.
Magny Cours Next Target For Kawasaki?s WSBK Competitors
Sykes came within a whisker of a podium place at Imola last weekend and was also unlucky to have to pull out of race two. Lascorz also showed good pace at times in the two Imola races but his qualifying position outside the Superpole 16 ensured he would not be able to mix it with the leading riders at a circuit it was difficult to pass on.

After a win at the N?rburgring for Sykes, and with top five performances having been put in by both Tom and Joan this year, podiums are the aim in each of the 23-lap races in France on Sunday October 2.

In the championship rankings, Tom is currently 12th and Joan 13th, with only two points separating them.

Magny Cours is a very different challenge when compared to the undulating parkland layout of Imola. The French circuit, 4.411km in length, is a regular stop on the WSBK calendar but the spectators will not see Kawasaki World Superbike rider Chris Vermeulen in competition this time around. He now hopes to be fully ready to race at the final round of the year, in Portugal, on October 16.

Roberto Rolfo and Mark Aitchison (Kawasaki Pedercini Team) are also only separated from each other by a small margin in the championship rankings, with ?Roby? 18th on 39 points and rookie ?Atcho? only one place and three points behind.

Tom Sykes: ?Now we have proved we can go well in the wet and we are getting there in the dry, so I am quite happy to go forward to France and pick up where we left off - which is consistently in the top four or five. That is my aim, to be in there in all practices, Superpole and the races. Getting Superpole right at Imola certainly helped us in the races. There is a bit of a difference between Imola and Magny Cours, and there is quite a contrast between the corners in France. The middle sector is not great for a Superbike but it is not a circuit I dislike at all. I am building on our positives and looking forward to this round.?

Joan Lascorz: ?Our race pace can be good and it was again at Imola. We can look to that as a positive from last weekend. I hope for better in qualifying so that I can get away with the faster riders. I arrived back home with a desire to leave almost immediately for Magny Cours. I am now just counting the days to the next race. I hope that before the end of the season I can get one really good result. ?

 

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Castrol Honda team aims to maintain momentum in Magny-Cours

Just a few days after an emotional and unexpected victory at Imola in Italy last Sunday, the Castrol Honda team heads to Magny-Cours in France for this weekend?s (1-2 October) twelfth round of the 2011 World Superbike championship.

Jonathan Rea took victory in race one at Imola, marking not only his return to fitness after a three-month mid-season injury layoff, but also a step forward in the development of the Castrol Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade on which the team is testing a new electronics package, including ride-by-wire technology.

Concentrating the development predominantly on corner entry, Rea?s team-mate Ruben Xaus also made progress with the new package and was able to battle on competitive lap times in race two at Imola.

However, lying around 300km south of the French capital, the 4.411km Magny-Cours circuit presents the Castrol Honda team and its two riders with a new set of issues this weekend.

Jonathan Rea has tasted podium champagne at Magny-Cours in the past, finishing third in race two in his debut SBK season of 2009, but the 24-year-old from Northern Ireland was forced to miss last year?s races through a wrist injury sustained at Imola. Xaus, meanwhile, enjoyed two visits to the Magny-Cours podium, including the top step, in 2003.

Jonathan Rea

I?m really looking forward to getting back on the bike again at Magny-Cours this weekend as I?m still buzzing from the win in Imola last Sunday. It?ll be good to continue the progress that we made in Italy but we?re under no illusions about it being easy. The Magny-Cours circuit has different characteristics, surface and grip levels to Imola, so we?ll be starting from scratch again. But it would certainly be nice to get back on the podium to make up for the disappointment we had in race two last weekend. The win in Imola just underlined every thing I love about riding the bike ? especially winning on it.

Ruben Xaus

Imola was quite a difficult weekend because apart from anything, it was my first race on the bike since the crash at Brno in July. On top of that we had a new electronics package to develop and we made some progress there. We made some changes for the second race and it really made a difference to the way I could ride. I want to continue this progress this weekend at Magny-Cours but it won?t be easy because the track is different. But I will work as hard as I can with the team to get some good results.

Ronald ten Kate ? team manager

Last weekend?s results were a little unexpected but very welcome even so. This week we have to keep up the momentum but also keep a realistic view of things because it will be very hard to dial in the CBR and the new electronics package into Magny-Cours. However, the shakedown of the new system in Imola has given us all a renewed confidence and motivation and we?ll do whatever we have to in order to be competitive this weekend at Magny-Cours, where we have enjoyed some quite good results in the past.

2011 World Superbike Championship, round 12, Magny-Cours, France ? schedule (local times):

Friday 30 September
11.30 Free practice (60 min)
15.30 Qualifying practice (60 min)
Saturday 1 October
10.45 Qualifying practice (45 min)
13.45 Free practice (45 min)
15.00 Superpole 1 (14 min)
15.21 Superpole 2 (12 min)
15.40 Superpole 3 (10 min)
Sunday 2 October
09.20 Warm-up (15 min)
12.00 Race 1 (23 laps ? 101.453km)
15.30 Race 2 (23 laps ? 101.453km)

 

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WSBK season speeds on to Magny-Cours

As soon as proceedings were completed at the Superbike World Championship round at Imola, Italy, thoughts immediately turned to Magny-Cours and the penultimate round of this year?s WSBK championship, which takes place over the weekend of 1-2 October in France.

Trucks were packed up and the entire WSBK circus made its way across the Italian border to the Circuit de Nevers, situated around 250 kilometres south of Paris in the Ni?vre region. Having scored a hard-fought fifth place in race two at Imola after having crashed out while pushing hard in race one, Leon Haslam is hoping for some better luck this coming weekend at the 4.441 km circuit.

?Magny-Cours has always been a pretty good circuit for me and last year I did my very first laps on the BMW S 1000 RR there,? says Leon. ?It is always a little bit cold when we get there, but this is the same for everybody. We have two races to go, and we definitely want to get back to the podium. These last races are very important.

?Magny-Cours is a circuit that should suit the RR. You have a lot of heavy downhill braking ? from sixth-gear down to fourth-gear corners ? so again the stability of the bike is very important for this circuit, but it is also crucial to have the right set-up for the conditions. I?m looking forward to it.?

Team-mate Troy Corser is also up for the challenge of competing at the stop-start French circuit over the first weekend of October where he has enjoyed victories and pole positions before.

?Magny-Cours is quite a special circuit, with lots of hairpins and some pretty fast chicanes,? said the experienced Australian. ?The grip there is normally okay, but when we race there, it can be quite cold ? especially in the mornings ? and you have the possibility of rain, which can obviously influence the grip level. That said, I really enjoy the circuit and have had a few good results there, including some pole positions. It was also one of the first places where I actually tested the RR, so it will be nice to go back there, as I have some good memories of the place.

?Important factors at Magny-Cours are the top speed of the bike and the braking. You brake from very high speeds down to the slowest corners that we have on the WSBK calendar, such as the end of the back straight, where you brake from over 280 km/h down to under 50 km/h. This means you need good stability on the brakes and good handling, as the corners are quite tight. I think that our RR will work well there.?

With a tough weekend at Imola behind them, the team?s job is to quickly focus on round 12 of this year?s series, according to BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Bernhard Gobmeier, who said: ?After last year we feel that we have a point to prove at Magny-Cours. Our aim is to continue the good run of form from the last few rounds and really finish strong. Magny-Cours is the penultimate round of the year so we want to make sure we do a good job and finish the season on a high. The circuit should suit the characteristics of the RR and everyone is looking forward to it.?

 

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Rea sixth-fastest in tight French qualifying

Castrol Honda rider Jonathan Rea took a provisional second row slot for Sunday's two 12th round World Superbike championship races at Magny-Cours in France after setting the sixth fastest time in this afternoon's first qualifying practice session.

Fresh from his race one victory in Imola, Italy last weekend, the 24-year-old from Northern Ireland was in confident mood after this morning?s free practice, which he completed without resorting to softer race rubber.

Provisional pole position ? and just three tenths faster than Rea, as the top 15 riders were covered by less than one second ? was taken by series leader, Carlos Checa, who needs only three points from this weekend?s races to secure the 2011 World Superbike title. However, Rea?s Castrol Honda team-mate, Ruben Xaus was unable to compete in this afternoon?s session after crashing on his out lap in this morning?s free practice.

Th e Spanish rider suffered an uncomfortable muscle strain in his neck following a high-speed get-off and he was advised by circuit medical staff to sit out this afternoon. Xaus?s condition will be re-assessed before tomorrow morning?s second qualifying session.

Jonathan Rea ? P6 1m38.957s

It was quite difficult this afternoon because I was in and out of the garage quite a lot, trying to sort out little issues. We found a bit of rhythm towards the end of the session though and the bike felt OK, although we?re still struggling a little in one sector. We need to make some changes to help that and, like last year, the long left at the bottom of the hill is causing some problems. I think I?m rushing in a bit and trying to scrub off speed with too much lean angle, so we?ll look at all that tonight. We had a good session this morning on the harder race tyre and we?ve got a pretty good idea how that&rsqu o;ll end up, but temperature will be quite critical here.

Ruben Xaus

It was a very bad start to the day, just on my out lap for free practice this morning and I was coming up the hill to the fast left. When I closed the throttle, it felt like the gas didn?t shut off properly and I ran off the track, going quite fast towards the air fence. My neck is quite sore and the doctors advised me to take it easy this afternoon and not ride. I hope it is not too stiff in the morning when we will assess the situation again.

Ronald ten Kate ? team manager

Well the first thing is that we hope Ruben will be declared fit by the circuit doctors tomorrow so that we can continue the progress with him. On Jonathan?s side of the garage we still have some issues to resolve ? some relating to riding lines and some to suspension and the new ride-by-wire system. But we are not far away f rom the front so hopefully we can make some good changes for tomorrow. So far we are, once again, quite happy with the new system.

2011 World Superbike championship, round 12 ? Magny-Cours, France
First qualifying results:

1 Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati 1m38.652s
2 Eugene Laverty (IRL) Yamaha 1m38.664s
3 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Ducati 1m38.741s
4 Tom Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki 1m38.860s
5 Jakub Smrz (CZE) Ducati 1m38.942s
6 Jonathan Rea (GBR) Castrol Honda 1m38.957s

 

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Rea takes pole position in France

Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow?s 12th round World Superbike championship race at Magny-Cours in France from pole position after setting the fastest time in this afternoon?s Superpole sessions.

Indeed, the Castrol Honda rider also beat the best Superbike lap at the 4.411km circuit, knocking more than two tenths of a second off Cal Crutchlow?s previous best, which was set in 2010.

It is Rea?s second World Superbike pole position, his first being set at Assen in Holland last season, and his time of 1m37.490s came in the final Superpole session after his Castrol Honda crew found an improved balance for his Honda CBR1000RR in the earlier free practice session.

Rea?s Castrol Honda team-mate, Ruben Xaus, did not ride today after being advised by circuit medical staff to rest his neck injury sustained in his first lap crash in yesterday?s opening free practice session. The 32-year-old Spaniard i s confident of being fully fit for the final SBK round at Portimao in two weeks.

Jonathan Rea ? P1 1m37.490s

It was a strong lap but we?ve had a good base for most of the weekend and we knew we had to make an extra step to make Sunday more comfortable. The guys gave me a great bike in free practice this afternoon and transformed some things with the balance of the bike, which gave me more confidence to push. So I kind of expected to be somewhere near the front but I didn?t expect the lap time to be that fast. We had a good Superpole 1 and that freed us up with the qualifiers for Superpole 2 and 3, so everything worked out perfectly. The big step we made in free practice means I can be quite consistent on my preferred race tyre, so I?m looking forward to tomorrow now. The team did a great job today, so I?d like to thank everyone.

Ronald ten Kate ? team manager
Of course, we all know that Sunday is the most important part of the weekend but Jonathan?s pole position here is reward for all the hard work that?s been put in back at the workshop over recent weeks. Also, a big credit must go to his crew for finding a breakthrough in his set-up ? we believe the CBR is pretty much dialled in now and, as we all know, Sunday is when Jonathan wakes up with his race-face on, fully focused on what?s needed.

2011 World Superbike championship, round 12 ? Magny-Cours, France
Final qualifying results:
1 Jonathan Rea (GBR) Castrol Honda 1m37.490s
2 Eugene Laverty (IRL) Yamaha 1m37.600s
3 Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati 1m37.932s
4 Leon Camier (GBR) Aprilia 1m38.006s
5 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Ducati 1m39.094s
6 Tom Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki 1m38.094s

 

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Top Ten Qualifying Places For Sykes And Lascorz

Tom Sykes and Joan Lascorz secured sixth and tenth places respectively after Superpole qualifying at Magny-Cours and Sykes now starts Sunday?s 22-lap races from the second row; Lascorz from row three.
Top Ten Qualifying Places For Sykes And Lascorz
For Tom Magny-Cours was a little tricky in Superpole and he did not get the hoped-for perfect run on a race tyre in Superpole One, meaning he had to use one of his two qualifiers before the ideal moment. He is still in an enviable starting place and has been on good form on his Ninja ZX-10R since the opening day.

He was second in the first free practice on Friday and then fourth in the first timed qualifying session. He went ninth in the second timed session this morning, seventh in the second free practice session this afternoon and then sixth in Superpole.

Joan Lascorz concentrate hard with his pit crew in regular qualifying and was rewarded with a Superpole start, pushing hard and earning himself a space on row three as the last rider inside the top ten places.

Mark Aitchison (Kawasaki Pedercini Team) made it into Superpole and qualified 15th. His team-mate Roberto Rolfo was 18th.

Tom Sykes: ?We made quite a big change in Superpole and we have been struggling in the first sector all weekend. So we made a compromise set-up but unfortunately on race tyres in Superpole One I just didn?t quite have my head around it and I had to use a qualifying tyre. It was touch and go because I think and there were only two riders who did not use qualifying tyres then. In Superpole Two, on a Q tyre, I did a 1?37.6 lap and so in Superpole Three we had to use an old qualifying tyre. It wasn?t ideal but at one time I thought I would still be able to sneak a front row start but it wasn?t to be. Big credit to the team because we are there and thereabouts this weekend again and we have a lot of information to take into tomorrow?s races.?

Joan Lascorz: ?We made improvements in qualifying this weekend and we made it into Superpole, then progressed to Superpole Two. We could not get into the final session but we still qualified inside the top ten. For sure row three is a lot better than row five, where I was last weekend. Our times on a race set-up are also not so bad so I am hoping to be able to make two good starts and hope to run at least in the second group.?

 

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Second row start for Leon in France

After an eventful Superpole session which was once again filled with high drama and excitement, the BMW Motorrad Motorsport pairing of Leon Haslam and Troy Corser will start from 7th and 12th on the grid in tomorrow?s two 23-lap races. Both men have looked fast and full of confidence, and the results today haven?t really reflected their overall performance so far this weekend. BMW Motorrad Italia rider Ayrton Badovini struggled in the scorching conditions aboard the Italian-prepared RR and finished a respectable 16th.

With the 16 strongest riders being decided early this morning in qualifying practice, they were all ready to prove themselves on French soil as the year draws to a close and everyone looks to secure a ride for next season. Again, Max Biaggi was missing from the entry list as he continues his battle against injury, so it was left to the remaining championship contenders to try and spoil the party for Carlos Checa, who is just three points away from claiming the title this weekend. But after showing good form all weekend, both Troy and Leon were fit and ready to finish the year on a high as the penultimate Superpole session of 2011 got underway.

As SP1 began it was Leon Haslam characteristically first out of the box, but his opening laps were only good enough for 11th position at the halfway point, one place behind teammate Troy Corser. Leon subsequently returned to the garage to swap to qualifiers to ensure a place in SP2. The decision proved to be a good one as he went back out to set a time of 1.38.268 which left him in ninth. Corser also applied the same tactic as his teammate and managed to progress to 12th position and a secure a place in SP2 with a time of 1.38.496. Badovini sadly just didn?t have the pace today and ended the session at the bottom of the time sheets in 16th which will be his starting position tomorrow.

For Superpole 2 it was down to the two BMW factory riders to try and force a way into SP3 with a top eight starting position important around a track where laps times are so tight. With fresh rubber on both BMWs the time had come to show their true pace and Leon Haslam did just that, posting his fastest lap time of the weekend with a 1.37.769, placing him on provisional pole until being knocked off the top by fellow Brit Tom Sykes. Sadly, Troy struggled to match the pace of his teammate and the remainder of the field, eventually finishing in 12th with a 1.38.516, leaving the Australian with a 3rd row start for tomorrow?s two races. Leon successfully moved onto SP3 with the 3rd fastest time.

Superpole 3 and Leon was now focused on a front-row start but to do that he was going to have to match or even better his time for SP2. His first flying lap left him 7th and he soon returned to the garage to make some changes. Meanwhile Jonathan Rea was leading the way at the front, breaking the lap record with a 1.37.490 and giving him pole position for the race ahead of Laverty, Checa and Camier. A determined Leon went back out to try and better his time but sadly had to settle for 7th and a second-row start. Expect the hard-charging Brit to aim high in both races tomorrow.

Leon Haslam: ?We had a few issues in Superpole which made the bike quite difficult to ride. If we can sit down now and solve these issues before tomorrow then a podium finish is for sure what we are aiming to achieve. We have been strong so far this weekend and the times are good on race tyres, we just need to make some small improvements then we will be in a good position for the races. Right now starting positions and lap times are not what I am thinking about because we know if everything falls into place then we can be right up there.?
Troy Corser: ?It was a tough session, the qualifying tyres didn?t really improve my time, as I was able to do the same times on race tyres and that cost us in the end. It is a little frustrating because in order to qualify well you need to be going faster on the softer tyres otherwise you won?t be able to match the speed of the other guys who can. But on race tyres the bike is working really well and I am happy with the set-up so let?s see what happens tomorrow. Around here you need to get away well and run with the leaders otherwise it can become very difficult to make up the time. A lot will depend on the first lap tomorrow. We have been in the top 5 all weekend so for sure we are optimistic.?

Rainer B?umel (Head of Race Operations): ?Leon did a good job. In Superpole 3, he did not have a qualifying tyre left and he still did a good lap time. All the times are very close and already in Superpole 1 we had to send out both riders on qualifying tyres. Nearly everybody in the field did that as one tenth of a second more or less means five places higher or lower. Troy unfortunately had some issues with his tyres in Superpole 2 that led to some small mistakes. That is a shame, because otherwise he also would have made it to the next session."

 

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Impeccable Performance Secures Second Place on Tomorrows Grid for Laverty.

Eugene Laverty was on flying form today completing the second qualifying day at Magny Cours in second place, securing a front row start on the French grid for tomorrows two races. The sweltering heat and unusually high track temperature of 42? proved difficult on rubber in the afternoons superpole knockout. Laverty performed impeccably to shoot straight to the top of the time sheets in the first session on a race tyre, being bumped to fifth in the closing minutes as 14 of the 16 riders switched to qualifiers and went out to improve their times. Team-mate Melandri used both a race tyre and a qualifier to take him through to the second heat in 11th place. Both Yamaha riders comfortably qualified for the last session with Laverty in sixth place and Melandri in seventh. The third and final heat saw the Northern Irish rider clocking in an impressive 137.600, beating the previous best lap record before fellow Irishman Rea, beat him to pole by just 0.110 of a second. Melandri, having already used his sets of qualifiers was unable to secure a front row position and will start tomorrows races from eighth place on the grid.

Both Yamaha World Superbike riders successfully completed this mornings cooler qualifying practice having made further progress with the rear set up on their R1 machines. Melandri lapped the track for the first time ever yesterday, yet managed to set the fastest time in the todays session, having taken over a second off yesterdays lap time.

Eugene Laverty
Yamaha World Superbike Team , 2nd - 1'37.600
"This was the first place I tested the R1 last year and was strong immediately so I was really looking forward to coming back here again. Its always nice to go back to a track you know well and have had good results before, it helps gain confidence. I was hoping to get the pole position but Rea just beat me to it so Ill be aiming for that in Portimao, it would be nice to get aTissot watch before the end of the year. Id like to get another race win, its been a while since Monza, but Id be happy with rostrums as the last time I was up there was in Silverstone so Ill be aiming for two solid finishes on Sunday. "

Marco Melandri
Yamaha World Superbike Team , 8th - 1'38.171
"Today was both a positive and a negative qualifying day. We made good progress with our race pace this morning in the second qualifying session, but just like in the last few rounds I have struggled with the qualifying tyres. Ill be starting tomorrows two races from the second row on the grid which means it wont be easy but Im confident that we have a more competitive package than we had in Imola. Ill do my best to get off to a good start and push through the pack hoping for a podium finish."

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
"It was definitely a positive qualifying day for both riders. Eugene was impeccable in all 3 superpole sessions, saving the qualifying tyres for the second and third heats to secure his fourth 2nd place on the grid this year. In this mornings qualifying practice he demonstrated that he has a good race pace so I am confident that he will do two very strong races tomorrow. Marco made a leap in the right direction today; he improved over one second on yesterdays times, the fastest to lap the track in the second qualifying practice. He has a good race pace also and a second row start isnt dramatic. I am sure he will be competitive and fighting for a podium in both races tomorrow."

2011 World Superbike France
Magny Cours 01/10/2011
1 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 1'37.490
2 Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 1'37.600
3 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 1'37.932
4 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 1'38.006
5 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 1'38.094
6 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 1'38.094
7 Leon Haslam BMW GBR 1'38.382
8 Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 1'38.562
9 Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 1'38.137
10 Joan Lascorz Kawasaki ESP 1'38.204
11 Maxime Berger Ducati FRA 1'38.347
12 Troy Corser BMW AUS 1'38.485
13 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1'38.365
14 Michel Fabrizio Suzuki ITA 1'38.761
15 Mark Aitchison Kawasaki AUS 1'39.072


Circuit Length:
4411

Weather:
Hot and Sunny

Lap Record:
1'38.619
(Noriyuki Haga, 1/1/2009)

Fastest Lap Ever:
1'37.490
(Jonathan Rea, 10/2/2011)

Last Years Winner:
Max Biaggi

Qualifying 1 & Qualifying 2
I II
1 Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 1'39.333 1'38.171
2 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 1'38.741 1'38.293
3 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1'38.942 1'38.365
4 Ayrton Badovini BMW ITA 1'39.309 1'38.465
5 Leon Haslam BMW GBR 1'38.977 1'38.483
6 Troy Corser BMW AUS 1'39.025 1'38.485
7 Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 1'39.019 1'38.530
8 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 1'38.957 1'38.577
9 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 1'38.860 1'38.601
10 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 1'38.652 1'38.884
11 Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 1'38.664 1'38.671
12 Maxime Berger Ducati FRA 1'39.196 1'38.680
13 Michel Fabrizio Suzuki ITA 1'39.504 1'38.761
14 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 1'39.587 1'38.808
15 Joan Lascorz Kawasaki ESP 1'39.063 1'39.037
Davies all set to Battle for the Title at Magny Cours

Yamaha ParkinGO team just completed a successful second qualifying session today in hot conditions on the French track at Magny Cours and is looking confident ahead of tomorrows important race day. Luca Scassa and Chaz Davies were on top form, completing the session in second and eighth places respectively.

Luca Scassa was fast off the mark and dominated the top positions on the time sheet for the duration of the afternoons second qualifying practice. Having made some minor changes to the set-up, the Italian continued to improve on lap times and shot straight to the top. Held up by another rider in his lines, Scassas flying lap was interrupted, bumping him to second. The Italian will start tomorrows race from the front row on the grid and will be fighting for a well-deserved podium. Team-mate Chaz Davies was also on top form. Satisfied with a second row on the grid, the Welshman decided not to push too hard and made the most of the session to fine tune his R6 machine ahead of tomorrows title decider race. Davies wrapped up the session in eighth place, but confident that he has what it takes to be at the front, right off the grid.

Chaz Davies will be fighting for a race win tomorrow but with a 35 point advantage, he could consent the win to his closest adversary; Frenchman Fabien Foret and settle for third spot on the podium to still claim the 2011 WSS championship title.

Luca Scassa
Yamaha ParkinGO Team - 2nd, 1'41.395
"We made the most of the two days trying to find a good race set up and I think we are doing pretty well. We have a good race pace so I should be in a position to fight for a win, as I was doing in Imola. I didnt want to risk anything by pushing too hard in the second qualifying session, Im happy enough with the second row and Im confident I can get off to a good start. I havent prepared a race tactic, I just want to think about the race and nothing else. I still have a 35 point advantage and there are two races left, so I should be ok."

Chaz Davies
Yamaha ParkinGO Team - 8th, 1'41.952
"I am really disappointed that I didnt get the pole position today, especially seeing as I was well ahead until the very last few minutes when another rider got in my line and slowed me down. I am pretty sure I can be fighting for the race win tomorrow though, the bike is working well, we have a good race set up and all we need to do is a little fine tuning tomorrow morning. Id like to be able to celebrate a successful race day together with Chaz."

2011 World Supersport France
Magny Cours 01/10/2011


Circuit Length:
4411

Weather:
Hot and Sunny

Lap Record:
1'41.407
(Cal Crutchlow, 1/1/2009)

Fastest Lap Ever:
1'40.980
(Cal Crutchlow, 10/4/2009)

Qualifying 1 & Qualifying 2
I II
1 Broc Parkes Kawasaki AUS 1'42.060 1'41.395
2 Luca Scassa Yamaha ITA 1'42.247 1'41.397
3 Massimo Roccoli Kawasaki ITA 1'41.498 1'41.490
4 Sam Lowes Honda GBR 1'42.519 1'41.586
5 James Ellison Honda GBR 1'43.164 1'41.588
6 David Salom Kawasaki ESP 1'42.148 1'41.614
7 Fabien Foret Honda FRA 1'42.384 1'41.916
8 Chaz Davies Yamaha GBR 1'42.662 1'41.952
9 Roberto Tamburini Yamaha ITA 1'42.680 1'42.310
10 Ronan Quarmby Triumph RSA 1'43.328 1'42.419
11 Florian Marino Honda FRA 1'42.644 1'42.759
12 Alexander Lundh Honda SWE 1'44.046 1'42.724
13 Gino Rea Honda GBR 1'43.127 1'42.896
14 Vittorio Iannuzzo Kawasaki ITA 1'43.656 1'42.949
15 Miguel Praia Honda POR 1'43.973 1'42.991
18 Louis Bulle Yamaha FRA 1'44.143 1'43.240
23 Danilo Marrancone Yamaha ITA 1'45.747 1'44.158

 

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Haslam back on the podium!

BMW Motorrad Motorsport?s Leon Haslam equalled his best result on the BMW S 1000 RR today, when he was rewarded with a podium finish at Magny-Cours after a hard-fought first race. He followed this up with a fourth place in race two, rounding off an excellent weekend in France for the factory BMW team.

Having qualified seventh on the grid, Haslam made a decent start up to fifth place, but an early mistake relegated him down to ninth. His fightback saw him pass Noriyuki Haga on lap two, Jonathan Rea on lap three, Marco Melandri on lap four and then Tom Sykes several laps later.

On lap 10, Haslam caught and passed Sylvain Guintoli and then targeted Leon Camier, who he passed soon after to move into a podium position. Despite challenges from Camier, it was Melandri ? who has just signed to ride for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team for 2012 ? who was the danger man. As Haslam closed down second-placed Eugene Laverty and out-braked him on lap 20, he ran wide, which allowed Melandri to slip through into second place. Haslam then had to regroup from back in fourth place, close down Laverty again and try to pass him, which he did successfully on the penultimate lap to move back into a podium position.

The race was won by Carlos Checa, who secured the 2011 Superbike World Championship title in doing so. Haslam?s third place finish equals his best result of the season so far. Troy Corser finished race one in ninth, after starting 16th on the grid.

Race two saw a decent start by Haslam, who held his grid position, while Troy Corser made a great start from row four and was up into 10th by the end of lap one. With Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli for company, Haslam knew he had his work cut out, but he dug deep and set after the pack of six riders in front of him, bringing his two rivals along with him. As Melandri slipped past on lap four, Haslam followed him, the pair chasing down and passing Haga to move up the rankings.

When Jonathan Rea retired from second place on lap 14 with a technical problem, this promoted Haslam up to fifth. He continued his pursuit of Leon Camier, who he passed with just six laps remaining and set off after Melandri and a possible second podium finish of the day. In the end, time was against him and he finished in fourth place. A race-long battle between Troy Corser and Ayrton Badovini ended with Badovini the victor in eighth place on the BMW Motorrad Italia RR, just in front of Corser who was competing in his 375th WSBK race.

New WSBK Champion Carlos Checa ?did the double?, winning race two and celebrating his 14th race victory of the year. With Haslam and Corser both achieving good results today in Magny-Cours, their total points haul of 43 made it the most successful weekend of the year so far for BMW Motorrad Motorsport.

Leon Haslam: ?For sure we have to be happy with two strong results like we had today, but there is still room for improvement. I am happy with the weekend on a whole but we had a few issues in race two with the hotter conditions which prevented us from getting another podium finish. Still, we all understand the areas where we need to improve and we will go away from here and focus on putting everything right in time for Portimao.?

Troy Corser: ?On the whole I am little disappointed. We have been strong and consistent all weekend and I was hoping for better results in all honesty. I have been happy with the RR throughout practice and the set-up seemed good for the races, but we really struggled for grip in the latter stages of both races. Two top 10 finishes on paper is not so bad, but with the pace we have shown we all expected a little bit more. Still we have some good information to work from going into Portimao in two weeks time.?

Bernhard Gobmeier: ?Firstly, we must congratulate Carlos Checa for winning the world championship. With his commitment and his team he really deserved this success. Our positive results have been a nice reward and real payback for our hard work over the last weeks and months. The positions were justified but we are still not exactly where we want to be. Still we have proved that we can do the times to run at the front. We still have to work on some details so we can continue the consistent level of progression.?

Results

Race one: 1. Checa (ESP ? Ducati), 2. Melandri (ITA ? Yamaha), 3. Leon Haslam (GBR ? BMW Motorrad Motorsport), 9. Troy Corser (AUS ? BMW Motorrad Motorsport)

Race two: 1. Checa (ESP ? Ducati), 2. Melandri (ITA ? Yamaha, 3. Laverty (GBR ? Yamaha), 4. Leon Haslam (GBR ? BMW Motorrad Motorsport), 8. Ayrton Badovini (ITA ? BMW Motorrad Italia), 9. Troy Corser (AUS ? BMW Motorrad Motorsport)

Points: 1. Checa ? 467, 2. Melandri ? 360, 3. Laverty ? 283, 5. Haslam ? 216, 9. Badovini ? 155, 15. Corser ? 85
Rankings WSBK

 

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Castrol Honda determined to take positives from Magny-Cours

Despite starting today?s two 12th round World Superbike race at Magny-Cours in France from pole position, the day ended in disappointment for Castrol Honda rider Jonathan Rea.

The 24-year-old from Northern Ireland finished neither race, both of which were won by Spain?s Carlos Checa, whose race one victory confirmed his 2011 World Superbike riders? championship title.

In race one, Rea appeared to jump the start but, as he stopped, the lights went out and he was left down in seventh place on the opening laps. At the end of lap four, as he prepared to fight his way back to the front, Rea touched the curb at the final chicane, crashing out of contention.

He went out for race two on his spare CBR1000RR Fireblade and got the perfect start from his pole position, leading into the first turn and the subsequent seven laps. However, on lap 13, Rea?s bike slowed visibly and he retired shortly afterwards, his tea m diagnosing a faulty crank ignition sensor as the cause of his retirement.

Jonathan Rea

This is not exactly what we expected after a strong performance in Imola and we were hoping to make up for the disappointment of that second race retirement. We kind of got halfway there with the pole position yesterday, but raceday was a completely different chapter. In race one, you know, I can put my hand up and say I got completely out of rhythm after I thought I?d jumped the start. Actually, when we checked the wheel speeds, it turned out that it wasn?t a jump start ? it was just a short movement, but I got swamped in the pack. I was out of my rhythm then and ended up making a stupid mistake over a kerb. I was leading race two for a good bit and enjoying myself. Eugene [Laverty] went past and made a bit of a break but I re-grouped and then realised that Carlos [Checa] was coming. I thought I?d follow Carlos back up to E ugene and he?d pull us clear, but we had another silly little electrical malfunction. Of course it?s disappointing for both myself and the team to have two DNFs here but now we?re going to Portimao, which is a track that I really enjoy and we?ve had some success there. We won?t feel sorry for ourselves because we know we?ve got the pace to run at the front, no matter what the conditions, so we?ll got to Portugal and I?ll do my best as usual.

Ronald ten Kate ? team manager

That was a very tough race-day. In race one it all went wrong at the start when Jonathan got himself in a difficult position and he ended up crashing out while dicing to get back up to the front. Our hopes were high for the second race, which started really well with Jonathan leading. Unfortunately, the crank sensor broke, which brought the bike to a complete stop. We can understand that, after introducing the ride-by-wire system last weekend, that people might think this is linked with the electrical problems here and at Imola. I just want to confirm that that is not the case ? the new system is nothing to do with what went wrong and the two failures were one in a million chances. It?s difficult right now, so soon after the races, to be positive about the Magny-Cours weekend, but there is plenty to take away with us. Once again, we have been constantly up at the front and, more importantly, we?ve been fast in hot track conditions. No matter what, we still have a strong belief that we are in the right direction on our development path for 2012, which is already showing some success. We are now very, very focused on getting two good results in Portimao.

2011 World Superbike championship, round 12
Magny-Cours, France (4.411km), 23 laps - results, race one:
1 Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati
2 Marco Melandri (ITA) Yamaha
3 Leon Haslam (GB R) BMW
Race two:
1 Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati
2 Marco Melandri (ITA)
3 Eugene Laverty (IRL) Yamaha
Championship points after 12 of 13 rounds:
1 Checa 467, 2 Melandri 360, 3 Laverty 283, 4 Max Biaggi (ITA) Aprilia 281, 5 Haslam 216, 6 Leon Camier (GBR) Aprilia 194.

Final round: Portimao, Portugal ? 14-16 October

 

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Points For Lascorz And Sykes In France

Joan Lascorz put in two solid points scoring performances at Magny Cours and moved up the overall rankings while Tom Sykes found problems in race one and no scored in the second 23-lap race.
Points For Lascorz And Sykes In France
Lascorz was much improved in qualifying this weekend and started each race from tenth on the grid, riding well to post eighth and then a battling seventh, holding off another rider at the line. Joan is now 11th in the championship, on 142 points, with one round and two points scoring races left to go this year.

After some great rides in both qualifying and races recently Sykes had high hopes for his Magny Cours raceday. He had been sixth in qualifying, but was disappointed by the performance of his tyre in race one, and dropped from a top four position in the early laps to tenth as other riders passed him at will, and Tom did not have the available traction to fight back.

In race two he fell under braking on the opening lap, when trying to avoid another rider. Sykes is now 13th in the rankings, on 133 points.

Roberto Rolfo scored points for 13th in race one on his Pedercini Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R but he fell in race two, at turn 16. Mark Aitchison (Kawasaki Pedercini Team) had a massive high side crash in race one but fought back to ride again in race two, only to retire in the pits.

Joan Lascorz: ?I used the same tyre as in race one but the tyre was used up more in race two. It made things more difficult for me, the second race more so than the first. I moved up a bit in the championship and that was good. Overall this weekend had been less difficult than at some other circuits but the second running was definitely more difficult for me. Normally they say that the higher the temperature is the better for this tyre choice, but it did not seem like it this time.?

Tom Sykes: ?We had no grip from lap one of race one, and I was surprised that the lap time was over half a second slower than we had been doing on the same tyre all weekend. Over race distance it was horrendous. Even in the sector where I had been strongest all weekend I was about eighth or ninth. I cannot get downbeat about it and I felt I could have held my own within the top four. For half a lap in the second race the grip was fantastic. It put me to where I knew I could perform. I was happy on that side of things but when I followed Checa into turn 14 I think he decided to brake a bit harder and square the corner off, and I fell without any warning. Magny Cours is probably my worst circuit on the calendar but we were right in there in almost all the sessions, so that is a positive thing to take away, no question of that.?