Gordon Ritchie | September 11, 2022
Sunday
WorldSBK Race Two
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took advantage of the misfortunes of his rivals to score a second race win at Magny Cours in the final long race of the weekend.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) clashed as Rea came through to pass the Ducati rider in the early stages. He went in too fast, too close, and took Bautista’s elbow.
Bautista was uninjured but his race was over.
Rea was soon given a long lap penalty which dropped him to ninth. When he came back on he immediately passed Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) into the next right hander.
Up front Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) pushed hard as he passed Rea before he took his penalty. Rinaldi went into the lead after both he and Razgatlioglu passed fast privateer Axel Bassani (MotoCorsa Racing Ducati). Razgatlioglu hit the front on lap 14.
Rinaldi was finally second behind Razgatlioglu after 21 sometimes crazy laps, with Bassani holding off the consistent pressure of fourth placed Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team).
Rea got back up to fifth place, catching and passing Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) after taking his long-lap penalty.
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was seventh, just ahead of Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha) and Baz.
Iker Lecuona (HRC Honda) placed tenth.
In the championship Bautista has 332 points, Razgatlioglu is now second overall with 302 points and Rea is not third, with 285.
2022 French WorldSBK Results—Race Two
1 |
Toprak Razgatlioglu |
(Yam) |
|
2 |
M. Ruben Rinaldi |
(Duc) |
+ 2.024s |
3 |
Axel Bassani |
(Duc) |
+ 4.742s |
4 |
Alex Lowes |
(Kaw) |
+ 5.084s |
5 |
Jonathan Rea |
(Kaw) |
+ 10.679s |
WorldSSP Race Two
A tense WorldSSP Race Two saw Lorenzo Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) and Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Ducati) out front and fighting for the lead in the early laps.
Neither would win the race, even if both would finish the 19-lap race.
Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) came through the pack to a threatening fourth place and then third on lap 12. He eventually took the lead after Caricasulo had fallen during his fight with Baldassarri.
It looked like ‘Balda’ would be able to make a passing attempt on Aegerter on the very last lap, but the Italian rider fell at the apex of Turn 13, under heavy cutback braking as he tried to get on the inside of Aegerter on the exit.
The Swiss rider thus took an important win, but an even more popular second place was scored by local rider Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha).
Having overtaken Nicolo Beluga (Aruba Racing Ducati) he had earned his podium finish at that time, but the crashes from Caricasulo and Baldassarri put him up to second place in the final results.
Bulega took third place, 7.7 seconds behind Aegerter’s number 77 machine, and over three seconds behind an overjoyed Cluzel.
Valentin Debise (GMT94) was a happy fourth, with Baldassarri limiting the final points damage by finishing fifth.
Top Kawasaki rider was Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in sixth and the best three cylinder rider was Stefano Manzi (Dynavolt Triumph Street Triple RS) in seventh.
Oliver Bayliss (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) was eighth, Caricasulo salvaged ninth and Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) placed tenth.
In the championship standings Aegerter now has 286, Baldassarri 267, Bulega 168 and Öncü 135.
2022 French WorldSSP Results—Race Two
1 |
Dominique Aegerter |
(Yam) |
|
2 |
Jules Cluzel |
(Yam) |
+ 4.507s |
3 |
Nicolo Bulega |
(Duc) |
+ 7.789s |
4 |
Valentin Debise |
(Yam) |
+ 11.646s |
5 |
Lorenzo Baldassarri |
(Yam) |
+ 18.179s |
WorldSBK Superpole Race
The 25th WorldSBK career win for Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) took him one place ahead of Carlos Checa in the all-time winners list. He is now the tenth best rider in terms of race wins.
He was not out in front for the whole Superpole race, just the half that really counts, as long-time leader Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) led for the first five laps, before quickly dropping to third place.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) looked like he would be second but a ‘moment’ near the end of the ten laps saw Bautista close in and pass, holding his advantage to the end despite a late attempted pass from Rea in the Lycee section.
Both Razgatlioglu and Rea used the front and rear development tire options, including the super-soft SC1 front.
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was a strong fourth, passing early podium contender Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).
Axel Bassani (MotoCorsa Racing Ducati) was sixth, ahead of his compatriot Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).
The top seven riders finished within seven seconds of each other in the ‘sprint’ race.
A few seconds behind the leading seven, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha) was eighth, Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) ninth and factory rider Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) tenth.
Iker Lecuona (HRC Honda) was again top Honda finisher, in 11th place.
2022 French WorldSBK Results—Superpole Race
1 |
Toprak Razgatlioglu |
(Yam) |
|
2 |
Alvaro Bautista |
(Duc) |
+ 1.891s |
3 |
Jonathan Rea |
(Kaw) |
+ 2.040s |
4 |
Alex Lowes |
(Kaw) |
+ 3.983s |
5 |
Scott Redding |
(BMW) |
+ 5.019s |
Superbike
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) scored an important Race One win at Magny Cours after his two main championship rivals had individual crashes during the 21-lap race.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) crashed out of second place after getting too close to the apex of the final chicane on lap three. He got restarted, but after pitting for repairs he raced a lap down on his main competitors, scoring no points.
Later in the same lap Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) crashed out of the lead after running off track under braking, when the rear end of his machine kicked sideways and sent him of track. He gently toppled over, rejoined the race and finished inside the points, in 11th position.
Away from the woes of some of the top championship contenders Bautista was the big winner, in all ways.
Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) rode with aggression and confidence to secure second place after being the front runner for several laps.
After Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) had run wide and onto the gravel from his podium position, to finish an eventual sixth, Axel Bassani (MotoCorsa Racing Ducati) pushed on hard to make the podium finishing order Bautista, Redding, Bassani.
Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was fourth after overtaking Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha).
With Rinaldi sixth Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was seventh, leading up a small group that had Philipp Öttl (Team GoEleven Ducati) and top Honda rider on the day, Iker Lecuona (HRC Honda), in it.
After Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) had crashed out of his potential podium place the local fans still had something to celebrate when Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) finished tenth.
2022 French WorldSBK Results—Race One
1 |
Alvaro Bautista |
(Duc) |
|
2 |
Scott Redding |
(BMW) |
+ 4.079s |
3 |
Axel Bassani |
(Duc) |
+ 6.751s |
4 |
Alex Lowes |
(Kaw) |
+ 8.531s |
5 |
Garrett Gerloff |
(Yam) |
+ 9.022s |
Supersport
A red flag finish ensured that the early aggression of eventual winner Lorenzo ‘Balda’ Baldassarri (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) was repaid with an important race win, especially when the long time points leader Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was third, not second.
On the 13th lap the planned 19-lap race was red flagged when Kyle Smith (VFT Yamaha) and Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse F3 800 RR) clashed hard and the Turkish rider fell to the ground, still on his bike, banging his head for the second time in as many seconds. He was conscious and transported to hospital in nearby Nevers, with pelvis and right thigh injuries, a right elbow injury and chest injury.
In second place Glenn van Straalen (EAB Yamaha) split the two championship contenders Baldassarri and Aegerter.
Early leader (and first time Ducati Superpole winner for 20 years) Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Ducati) – was a luckless technical retiree after putting on an imposing early leading show.
Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was finally fourth, having been his usual aggressive self in the earlier laps.
Yari Montella (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) came from 14th place to fifth.
Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse F3 800 RR) took sixth place, fast Friday qualifier Valentin Debise (GMT94) seventh and rookie rider Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) eighth. The fast young Spaniard had been a front row start at Magny Cours.
Top Ducati finisher was Oli Bayliss (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) in ninth place. Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) was a top ten scorer in his second-to-last home WorldSSP Race, as he will retire at the end of 2022.
The overnight championship lead Aegerter enjoys over Baldassarri has been cut to five points, with one more Magny Cours Race to go this weekend.
2022 French WorldSSP Results—Race One
1 |
Lorenzo Baldassarri |
(Yam) |
|
2 |
Glenn van Straalen |
(Yam) |
+ 0.219s |
3 |
Dominique Aegerter |
(Yam) |
+ 0.669s |
4 |
Can Oncu |
(Kaw) |
+ 2.775s |
5 |
Yari Montella |
(Kaw) |
|
Friday
Superbike
A strange day of changeable weather welcomed the WorldSBK riders back after their long summer break. The best times were set in the first few laps of FP1 – just before the rains turned up too strongly for anyone to improve. With wet conditions again arriving at the wrong time for most riders in FP2, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) thus found himself the fastest rider, thanks to his FP1 performance and a 1’39.107 lap.
In the wet conditions in the afternoon FP2 session Jonathan Rea (KRT) was fastest, but only 19th overall as he never had any dry track to work with in FP1 or 2 – like many other WorldSBK riders.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was second fastest overall and Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) third.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was fourth quickest in FP1 but a faller in the wet conditions of FP2. The championship leader remounted and went back out in the wet conditions, relaying on his early FP1 time for his overall fourth place.
Just to complicate matters more, there was a red flag with 22 minutes to go of FP2, because of debris from a crashed bike lying on the track surface. The session was soon restarted, but still in largely wet conditions.
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was fifth on day one.
The top Independent rider was again Axel Bassani (MotoCorsa Racing Ducati) – sixth – with his fellow Ducati privateer Philipp Öttl (Team GoEleven Ducati) seventh.
A determined Xavi Vierge (HRC Honda) placed eighth.
Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was top BMW rider in ninth place and Luca Bernardi (Barni Spark Racing Ducati) rounded out the top ten places on day one.
Better weather is predicted for Saturday and Sunday, making FP3 a particularly important period for all before Superpole Qualifying takes place.
2022 French WorldSBK Results—Friday FP2 (wet)
1 |
Jonathan Rea |
(Kaw) |
1:49.379s |
2 |
Axel Bassani |
(Duc) |
+ 1.028s |
3 |
Alex Lowes |
(Kaw) |
+ 1.639s |
4 |
Alvaro Bautista |
(Duc) |
+ 1.739s |
5 |
M. Ruben Rinaldi |
(Duc) |
+ 2.014s |
WorldSSP
Local rider Valentin Debise (GMT94) proved to be the fastest rider on Friday at his home round of Magny Cours, making the most of the slowly drying track conditions in FP2.
Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Ducati) was second fastest, with championship leader and new MotoE champ Dominique Aegerter (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) third.
Fast rookie Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) was fastest of all in FP1 in fully wet conditions, and then fourth overall.
Nicolo Beluga (Aruba Racing Ducati) was not top Ducati rider today but he was still fifth quickest.
After announcing he would retirement at the end of this season, Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) was sixth on Friday at Magny Cours.
Top Triumph rider on day one was Hannes Soomer (Dynavolt Triumph Street Triple RS) in seventh place.
All the competing manufacturers were inside the top eight places when Niki Tuuli (MV Agusta Reparto Corse F3 800 RR) joined the top ten riders, ahead of Andy Verdoia (GMT94 Yamaha) and wet weather expert Kyle Smith (VFT Racing Yamaha).
Weather conditions should improve as the weekend goes on, after a difficult Friday on an ever changing track surface.
2022 French WorldSSP Results—Friday
1 |
Valentin Debise |
(Yam) |
1:41.776s |
2 |
Federico Caricasulo |
(Yam) |
+ 0.023s |
3 |
Dominique Aegerter |
(Yam) |
+ 0.139s |
4 |
Adrian Huertas |
(Kaw) |
+ 0.358s |
5 |
Nicolo Bulega |
(Duc) |
+ 0.436s |
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