For more than 10 years we have had a special relationship with Valentine Debise on French or international circuits. It was therefore natural that we once again opened our columns to him to share his adventure in French FSBK Championship, in which the Albigensian is once again aiming for the title in Supersport 600 and Superbike 1000, but also during the two rounds that he completes this year in the Supersport World Championship with the Yamaha R6 of GMT94 equipped with Pirelli tires.
The premiere took place in Most, Czech Republic, at the end of July, and resulted in a 4th position in FP1, a 5th in FP2, a 10th in qualifying, a 4th in race 1 and an 8th in race 2 where, after a difficult start, the Albigeois drove very quickly, even setting the lap record until the last lap.
The second has just taken place at Magny-Cours where, despite a complicated qualification, the French Supersport champion demonstrated that he had the level to fight in the leading group in the World Cup.
Seen from the outside, this is a very positive assessment, but what does the person himself think?
Valentin, can you tell us about your weekend at Magny-Cours in the Supersport world championship which started with a first day with difficult track conditions, but where you had the best time in FP2?
Valentine Debise :
« Yes, the conditions were a little difficult but I made the bet to ride, especially with the rain tires when the track dried because I told myself that if we had the same conditions in the race, I would know where the tasks were located. of water, and that I had to get used to the championship rain tires (Pirelli) with which I did not have much experience. So, in FP2, since I had already driven in the morning in the rain, I decided to put on the slicks very early, and as a result I lined up the laps. I was the only one doing that, and when the track got better I stopped and put on a new tire. Everyone did the same but as I had done a lot of laps, I was comfortable and in the end I lined up a decent lap and had the best time. That was cool! »
Then, it was the Superpole which is a very intense qualifying session since it only lasts 15 minutes. And there, things are going badly since we find you 15th on the grid…
“Indeed, I had a small mechanical problem with my clutch and given the short time we had during the session it was not repairable. In fact I started with a hard worn tire, the hardest we had, and I still had a good time. So when I stopped, I told them I had a mechanical problem but I thought I could still do a decent time with a softer tire, but in fact the softer tire which had more grip on me caused more problems. So I only improved by 2/10 and found myself 15th, nine tenths off the best time: That was the punishment (laughs)! Then, we rectified the problem and in the warm up, with an old tire from 22 laps, I was driving faster than in qualifying, so even if qualifying is not my strong point, I think I could have qualified quite easily between fifth and sixth place. It's a shame (laughs) but sometimes there are mechanical problems that we can't control. »
Exactly, how did you cope with the blow of this qualification, because it still compromised your entire weekend?
« Yes, so the weekend was well underway, but afterward, it's like this: Either we give up and say it's dead, or we deal with it and do the best we can. I told myself that I was going to do the best I could and that ultimately it wasn't bad because it was going to be good training to overtake the guys as quickly as possible, which I had missed a little at Most. There, in this area, I progressed in the first race and I did even better in the second. So from a shitty situation, I got something positive out of it in terms of my driving. »
You start 15th and finish 7th in the first race. We're going to say that ultimately it's normal since you have the seventh fastest lap in the race. Seems logical, right?
« No ! I don't agree (laughs). I don't agree because what happens is that while I had the new tires, the moment when things are going fast, I found myself stuck with the guys and that doesn't make for very good lap times. fast. So a few tenths are missing. On the other hand, before the red flag, on the last four or five laps, I got back on the lead. So in fact I had the pace of the first ones. »
It’s true that at one point you had the best time in the race…
« Yes, I set the best time in the race twice, then I was stuck. We know that at Magny-Cours, with an aspi, it gets 3 or 4/10, and I found myself without an aspi. I was moving up to at least fifth place, and it ended with a red flag with seven laps to go, so I was still missing a good number of laps. »
So you're going to tell us the same thing for race 2, where you finished fourth with the fourth best time in the race...
« In race 2, on the other hand, it's true that Dominique Aegerter and Lorenzo Baldassarri really had a pace above everyone else. I don't really count Federico Caricasulo because he did a few good laps but afterward, watching the videos, you see that he was really struggling and I understood why he didn't finish. Aegerter and Baldassarri were really on top. For my part, once again, by doubling in the pack, we get confused, a guy makes a strike in front of me, another who hits me and I lose another second and a half: these are the adventures of the middle of the pack ! They try to brake very late but have no passing speed, and as a result things get bumpy. And above all, they knew that I was going to overtake them and leave, so they wanted to block me so that I didn't leave, and that's their game too. So we will say that in terms of times, I was less good compared to the first two, on the other hand I had a rhythm similar to that of Jules (Cluzel) and better than the Ducati which is third, since I gave him resumed two seconds at the end. So we'll say that the times are good, but to really win the race, I still need a little learning and to do well in qualifying. I also think that they always have something extra in the middle of the race, while I am good at the start of the race and at the end of the race: The day I race with them, I think I will understand the little something I miss to stay there. »
That is to say that there, you are telling me that it comes only from them, from their know-how and their experience, but in any case not from the motorcycles at all?
« No, because the motorcycles are all the same anyway. Afterwards, there are micro-differences in settings, or small engine differences. For example, with our bike, I have very good acceleration and it lacks a bit of top speed. But ultimately, it doesn't penalize me since the bike accelerates well, and I even manage to overtake the guys. I've seen others have better top speeds but less acceleration. »
Finishing seventh and fifth from 15th, I imagine everyone was happy with your wildcard performance?
« Yes, everyone was happy. In addition, what was great was that there were all the people involved in this wildcard operation, the FFM, Yamaha Europe and Yamaha France, the Mutuelle des motards and all the partners who participated in this wildcard. So to do the best and optimize the results, it was the minimum I could give back to them, given the efforts that everyone made so that I could race at Magny-Cours. »
This weekend was also important because you showed that the French Supersport champion undoubtedly had the level to participate in the world championship. Now what about your future?
« It's certain that I'm aiming for the Supersport world championship, so I hope that this performance will open doors for me for next season, and if possible for GMT94 which is a team that I like. I hope… »
