WSBK Superbike Magny-Cours FP2: Jonathan Rea on eggshells…

The 2022 Superbike World Championship returned to school on the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours after a summer break, the 7th meeting of the 12 planned this season.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) arrives 31 points ahead of the six-time World Champion Jonathan Rhea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and 38 on the reigning World Champion Toprak Razgatlioğlu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK). Suffice it to say, nothing!

 

 

Among the factors which will undoubtedly have an influence in Nièvre, Álvaro bautista, who has never won at Magny-Cours and never been on the podium there, hopes his hand injury at Donington Park is history, while Jonathan Rhea has already scored nine victories on the French track and that Toprak Razgatlioğlu has already written some great feats of arms, including his two victories in long races last year. In these conditions, it is difficult to say who will come out on top in the championship on Sunday evening…

The stage premises, Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), occupy respectively 11th and 14th places in the general classification, while Christophe Ponsson makes his return after injury.

This morning in FP1, the 24 drivers were only able to do three laps on a dry track before the rain appeared, not allowing them to properly test the two new tires made available to them by Pirelli, a front SC1 and a rear SCX, so just for the anecdote alex lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) set the best time in 1'39.107.

George Barbier, Pirelli Motorcycle Competition Director: “ At Magny-Cours, we continue our development work, while always guaranteeing pilots the ability to choose standard solutions or those they already know very well. The new tires that we bring here are in fact the result of the feedback received in relation to previous solutions already tested in other rounds, but also other new choices. In the case of the new SCX rear option, for example, we tried to combine in a single tire characteristics that the riders had appreciated in the two solutions tested in July in Misano. The new front soft rather goes in the direction of offering an even softer tire and therefore capable of guaranteeing greater grip, to balance the softer rear options. If it doesn't rain, which is never excluded at Magny-Cours, we will be able to check the progress made. It will also be interesting to follow the performances of the wildcards from the French Championship who, on this occasion, will have the opportunity to get to know our tires better. »

21° on the ground on a wet track, but above all 21° in the air with a very strong wind, these are the conditions that the pilots will have to face for 45 minutes, and only a small handful of pilots including Loris Baz go out for a ride when the red lights go out.

 

 

Garrett gerloff (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) is however at the top of the table before Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) dethrones him in 1'56.613.

After a quarter of an hour, while the times slowly go down, Álvaro bautista imposes a 1'53.970 equaled to the nearest thousandth by Garrett gerloff !

 

 

The Ducati rider continued his effort in 1'53.455 while Lucas Mahias et Loris Baz  are then respectively 7th and 8th.

Garrett gerloff makes a mistake at turn #12 without seriousness.

Halfway through the session, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) in 1″51.658 precedes Alex Lowes, Jonathan Rea, Alvaro Bautista et Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) when the red flags are out to pick up debris left by Garrett Gerloff on the track. Soil Razgatlioğlu is only 18th, almost 5 seconds behind.

 

 

The track gradually dries out but leaves no hope of possible use of slicks. Axel Bassani however improves in 1'51.084, but, 14 minutes from the closing of the track, Jonathan Rhea imposes a 1'50.504.

 

3 minutes later Alvaro Bautista loses control of his Ducati when braking and hits the ground quite violently with his head. The Spaniard nevertheless leaves immediately.

7 minutes from the dropping of the flag, Soil Razgatlioğlu moves back to 5th position, ahead Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) which is making its return.

In the very last moments,lvaro bautista will make a new effort but will not be able to do better than progress from 6th to 4th position.

 

 

Overall slower session than this morning, and everything will probably be decided in FP3…

Results of FP2 Superbike at Magny-Cours:

Combined FP1/FP2 Superbike results at Magny-Cours:

Classification credit: WorldSBK.com