Emotional win for van der Mark
Tissot Superpole Highlights
The 15-minute Tissot Superpole session unfolded under constant rain, where Alex Lowes secured his first pole position for Kawasaki. His dominant performance saw him set the fastest lap, leading by an impressive 0.772 seconds.
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was among several riders who crashed in the wet conditions. Despite a fall at Turn 5, Bulega managed to post his fastest time before the incident, earning him a second-place start on the grid.
Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) qualified on the front row for the second time this season. Leading a trio of BMW M 1000 RRs in the top five, Redding was joined by Garrett Gerloff and Michael van der Mark, who both delivered strong performances for BMW.
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) struggled in the wet conditions, qualifying 17th on the grid, starting from the sixth row.
Race 1 Highlights
Michael van der Mark claimed his first victory since the 2021 Portuguese Round, starting from the second row. The Dutchman, who has battled numerous injuries in recent years, kept his composure as conditions shifted from dry to wet during the early stages of the 21-lap race.
Alvaro Bautista, starting from the sixth row, quickly moved through the field and was the first to pit for wet tires, a decisive move that secured him second place. His 20-point haul now places him 30 points behind teammate Nicolo Bulega in the standings.
Bulega, who started from the front row, was one of the few riders to opt for intermediate tires. This choice left him vulnerable in the early laps, leading to a crash at the final corner on the opening lap. Bulega sustained right shoulder and collarbone contusions and will be reassessed before Sunday’s Warm-Up.
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) rounded out the podium, climbing from tenth on the grid. Petrucci now holds fifth in the championship standings.
The race was filled with incidents, including pole-sitter Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), who crashed out of the lead on Lap 11 while battling van der Mark. Lowes will start on pole for tomorrow’s Tissot Superpole Race but had to retire from Race 1 due to damage to his bike.
Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) also crashed out of the lead on Lap 7 after starting on intermediate tires, as the deteriorating conditions proved too challenging.
Key Points:
- Pole Position: Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
- Race 1 Winner: Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
Race 1 Podium Interviews:
- P1 | Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team):
“This feels unbelievable! After a tough couple of years, things have been getting better. I aimed for the podium, so winning is fantastic. The team and I agreed to pit as soon as it rained, but I stayed out one more lap behind Alex. It was very tricky on slicks, but that’s what flag-to-flag racing is about. The conditions were awful, but it’s amazing to win this race.” - P2 | Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati):
“I didn’t feel great in the wet during Superpole and couldn’t find grip despite a full wet setup. During the race, I was the first to pit, which was the right call. My team did an incredible job, but I was riding wet conditions with a dry setup. I focused on my race and noticed the gap with the rider behind was increasing. Finishing second from 17th on the grid is a great result.” - P3 | Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team):
“It wasn’t easy as I lack experience with wet Pirelli tires. I felt confident in qualifying but crashed after 7 laps. Today, I knew I needed to stay calm. The weather was unpredictable, and we started on slicks, but it started pouring. The bike was sliding a lot, and we need a better rain setup. I tried to stay with Alvaro, but it wasn’t possible. The goal was to stay upright, and it’s always good to stand on the podium.”
WorldSBK Race 1 Results
1. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +8.288s
3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +24.285s
4. Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) +34.037s
5. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +42.108s
6. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) +50.799s
WorldSSP Race 1 delayed until Sunday morning
WorldSSP Race 1 Postponed
WorldSSP Race 1, initially scheduled for Saturday afternoon, has been postponed due to adverse weather conditions. The race was red-flagged during the Warm-Up lap after heavy rain struck the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.
The race is now rescheduled for Sunday morning at 09:45 local time (UTC+2) and will follow a quick start procedure for the 12-lap event.
WorldSSP300 Race 1
Unai Calatayud Takes First Career Victory in Challenging Magny-Cours Conditions
Unai Calatayud (ARCO SASH MotoR University Team) secured his first career win in a thrilling 11-lap race at Magny-Cours. The 20-year-old rider led a tight group of seven competitors to cross the finish line first after a race filled with action.
Championship leader Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) lost his lead in the standings after crashing at Turn 13 on the first lap. Although Veneman remounted, he finished 16th, outside the points. His teammate and front-row starter, Mirko Gennai, also crashed during the race.
Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse) now takes the lead in the championship, holding a nine-point advantage over Veneman. Inigo Iglesias (Fusport-RT Motorsport by SKM-Kawasaki) trails by one more point, with five rounds remaining in the season.
Calatayud’s impressive performance was capped off by setting the fastest lap on the final circuit, securing pole position for Race 2 on Sunday. He will be joined on the front row by Mahendra and Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo-PL Performances), who finished Race 1 in sixth place.
Key Points:
- Pole Position: Aldi Satya Mahendra (Team BrCorse)
- Race 1 Winner: Unai Calatayud (ARCO SASH MotoR University Team)
- Fastest Lap: Unai Calatayud (ARCO SASH MotoR University Team)
P1 | Unai Calatayud (ARCO SASH MotoR University Team):
“This is incredible. Despite the track conditions, it was a great race. I set my fastest lap on the final lap and claimed my first World Championship victory. At the start of the last lap, I knew I could take the lead, so I pushed and passed a few riders. We’ll try again tomorrow, and I’m confident we can do very well.”
WorldSSP300 Race 1 Results
1. Unai Calatayud (ARCO SASH MotoR University Team)
2. Aldi Mahendra (Team BrCorse) +0.770s
3. Galang Hendra Pratama (ProGP NitiRacing) +1.022s
4. Jeffrey Buis (Freudenberg KTM-PALIGO Racing) +1.192s
5. Humberto Maier (MS Racing) +1.309s
6. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo-PL Performances) +1.519s
WorldSBK action resumes on Sunday with Warm Up from 9:00 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole Race at 11:00 and Race 2 at 15:30, while WorldSSP action continues on Sunday with Race 1 from 9:45, and Race 2 at 14:00. WorldSSP300‘s Warm Up will be at 9:20 followed by Race 2 at 12:45.
Official WorldSBK Press Release
