The pivotal meeting of the French FSBK Superbike Championship began this Saturday July 27 in Pau Arnos with the qualifying sessions. This stage launches the home stretch of the season and a good place on the starting grid will give a clear advantage to the title contenders. The European Circuit of Pau Arnos and the Fédération Française de Motocyclisme welcomes the 200 best drivers in France on an oh-so spectacular track. Find out who was able to tame these 3,03 km and grab the best places on the grid.
SUPERBIKES
TIMED TESTS: FORAY BREAKS THE RECORD
The premier category drivers are starting this session off to a flying start. The big names immediately stand out and are running under 1'17 from the start. It is the reigning French Champion, Kenny FORAY (BMW Tecmas – Michelin), who puts his name first at the top of the timesheet. He achieved a 1'16”14 and thus established the new track record previously held by Mathieu GINES (Team 41 Performance – Michelin). Driver #1 then takes pole position and is ahead of Mike DI MEGLIO (Honda Team CBO Racing France – Michelin), second on the grid in 1'16”25, Alan TECHER (Honda Team CBO Racing France – Michelin) will start he 3rd with his time of 1'16”39. The second row will be made up of Hugo CLERE (TATI Team Honda – Pirelli), 4th in 1'16”49, Mathieu GINES, 5th with a time of 1'16”67, and finally Ludovic RIZZA (Yamaha – Pirelli), best challenger , with 6th place on the grid in 1'16”91.
The latter is ahead in the challenger category, Kilian AEBI (Team Suzuki LMS – Pirelli), 7th in 1'16”93, who continues his good progress. In 8th place, Jérémy GUARNONI (Team
SUPERSPORT
SUPERSPORT 600
TIMED TESTS: TRACK RECORD FOR DE LA VEGA
While Enzo DE LA VEGA (Yamaha – Pirelli) is slow to get out of his box, Corentin PEROLARI (Honda – Michelin) attracts attention. The Team CBO Honda France driver puts his name at the top of the timesheet and impresses with his ease. But on his first attempt, DE LA VEGA fell below the 1'17 mark. His lap of 1'16”807 becomes the new circuit record previously held by Valentin DEBISE, and allows him to secure pole position for the two races of the weekend. He is ahead of his best opponent, Corentin PEROLARI (Honda – Michelin), second with a time of 1'17”641. The first row is completed by Diego PONCET (Yamaha – Pirelli), very fit this weekend, who achieves a time of 1'17”95. Further on, we will find Damien MARMION (Yamaha – Pirelli), 8th on the grid with his time of 1'18”97, Alexy NEGRIER (Yamaha – Michelin), 10th in 1'19”11, and Tom WALLET (Yamaha – Pirelli), 11th in 1'19”34.
NEW GENERATION SUPERSPORT
TIMED TESTING: THE LEADER ON POLE
Provisional leader of the New Generation Supersport Championship, Matthieu GREGORIO (Ducati – Pirelli) sets the best time in 1'18”09. This time allowed him to take pole by 0'177 ahead of Hugo DE CANCELLIS (Ducati – Pirelli), in 1'18”27. Matthieu LUSSIANA (Yamaha – Michelin) takes his Yamaha #95 to 3rd place thanks to his fastest lap in 1'18”78.
GRAND PRIZE OBJECTIVE
TIMED TESTS
PRE-MOTO 3: BERGER HASN’T SAY HIS LAST WORD
At the start of the session, Florian FRANÇOIS (BEON – Pirelli), until then undisputed leader of the category, saw himself challenged by his runner-up in the fight for pole position. Indeed, Matteo BERGER (BEON – Pirelli) is particularly strong and finally takes pole with his lap in 1'22”46. He is therefore ahead of FRANÇOIS, who achieves a best lap in 1'22”83. The first row is completed by a newcomer, Ilhan CHOUAT (BEON – Pirelli), 3rd with a time of 1'23”59.
TIMED TESTS
NSF 250: BELLON KNOCKS OUT THE COMPETITION
The driver of the French speed team, Enzo BELLON (Honda – Pirelli) once again came to confront the talented drivers of the French Championship. He appears particularly fast from the start of the session. His best lap was covered in 1'21”86 and allowed him to logically take pole position, far ahead of Rémy SANJUAN (Honda – Pirelli), second with his time of 1'22”23. The poleman's teammate in the French team, Benjamin CAILLET (Honda – Pirelli) is 3rd on the starting grid thanks to his time of 1'22”31.
MOTO 4
RACE 1: LACHIEZE WINNER IN REDUCED RANGE
Following a fall causing a red flag on the first lap, only 1 drivers in the category took the start. It is Sohan LACHIEZE (BEON – Pirelli) who wins without difficulty, far ahead of Paul OLIVA (BEON – PIRELLI).
MOTO 5
RACE 1: DALARD WINNER OF A CRAZY RACE
Arthur DALARD (Erdog – Pirelli) – Teddy BERTHELOT (MIR – Pirelli) – Louis LENEVEU (MIR – Pirelli), it is the identity of the trio which leads the dance throughout the duration of the race these first laps.
This small group of drivers does not let go and jostles together until the last moments.
On the finish line, Arthur DALARD won by a very short head in front of Louis LENEVEU second after the fall of Teddy BERTHELOT in the last lap. Arthur BOIRET (TVX – Pirelli), took advantage of the events and climbed to the 3rd step of the podium.
SUPERSPORT 300
TIMED TESTS: ROSSIGNOL ON POLE IN FRONT OF JOULIN
The places on the starting grid are so important in this category where the gaps are tiny. It is machine #24 which stands out from the first minutes and performs very fast laps. This is Killian ROSSIGNOL (Kawasaki – Pirelli), in good form this weekend. He achieved his best lap in 1'24”67 and took pole position. ROSSIGNOL is ahead of provisional championship leader Dorian JOULIN (Yamaha – Pirelli), and his best lap covered in 1'25”00. The first row is completed by Arthur MASSY (Kawasaki – Pirelli) and his fastest lap in 1'25”124. On the second row, we find in order Robin SAUTEREAU (Yamaha – Pirelli), 4th in 1'25”511, Livio MIRABEL (Kawasaki – Pirelli), 5th in 1'25”571 and Gaëtan PRUNIER (Kawasaki – Pirelli) , 6th in 1'25”848.
SIDECAR
RACE 1: NEW DUO ON POLE
The #17 machine from VINET / LAFON (F600) sets off perfectly from its pole position and sets a particularly sustained pace from the first lap. He immediately broke away from their first pursuer VINET / GUILBAUD (F600), second and well behind, more than 6 seconds at the end of the second lap. In 3rd place VITTOZ / PIRAT (F600), is not able to catch up to second.
At the checkered flag, the unique duo, VINET / LAFON logically won with 24 seconds ahead of the second. It is VINET / GUILBAUD. The 3rd step of the podium is occupied by a short chassis, that of ERAGNE / CESCUTTI (F2).
In the F2, GILARD / ECORCHARD (F2) climbs to the second step and BERGEON / BERGEON (F2) to the 3rd.
ABOUT THE FRENCH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
More than 200 drivers, divided into 7 categories, giving rise to 14 races per weekend on 7 of the most beautiful circuits in France... This is what the French Superbike Championship is. An intense and unpredictable competition where the athlete and his machine defy the laws of physics at every turn, making motorcycling the most spectacular mechanical sport there is. Under the aegis of the French Motorcycling Federation, the French Superbike Championship brings together the cream of the national level, the speed elite in France.
FOLLOW THE 2024 FRENCH SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP
French Superbike Championship.fr, the website dedicated to the French Superbike Championship always offers live coverage of the weekend's news, detailed information, photos, results, videos, etc.
For this 2024 season, the FFM will broadcast each evening of the event a video of the best moments of the day on the official Facebook page French Superbike-FE Championship and the French Championship Superbike.fr website.
Other meetings will punctuate the weekend through a system specifically focused on social networks via Facebook: French Superbike Championship , Youtube : ffmFrench Superbike Championship and Instagram: @fsbk
CALENDAR 2024
July 26 – 28 – Circuit Pau Arnos (64) – MC Pau Arnos
August 23 – 25 – Circuit Carole (93) – MC Motors Events
September 27 – 29 – Circuit Paul Ricard (30) – MC of Circuit Paul Ricard
