After achieving pole position, the Kawasaki SRC made an excellent start with Randy de Puniet who took first place then gradually managed to widen the gap on his pursuers.
But at 15:35 p.m., Randy suddenly returned to his pit, without having been able to warn his team during the previous visit, which indicated a sudden breakdown. The ZX-10R had completed its last laps in more than 2 minutes, significantly slower than during the first loops in 1'58.
As soon as Randy was inside his pit, he informed his technical team of a sudden lack of power. The SRC technicians dismantled everything that could cause a problem, and ultimately found themselves faced with an insoluble problem. The abandonment became official at 16 p.m. Reason: broken engine.
Alan Techer's FCC TSR Honda France team then took the lead, before being taken over at 15:50 p.m. in the lead by the official Honda then driven by Grégory Leblanc. Then Alan Techer regained the advantage at the first refueling stop.
In Superstock, Yamaha Viltaïs Expérience was ahead of Team 33 Accessoires-Louit Moto and the Tati team Beaujolais Racing.
First-hour ranking:
We think he's ready! We'll catch up with @yonny68motogp after his stint! 👍🏻#111 pic.twitter.com/Gpw00rO2Qr
— HondaRacingCBR (@HondaRacingCBR) September 16, 2017
