2023 French WorldSBK Results (Updated)

Gordon Ritchie | September 10, 2023

WorldSBK Race Two

A red flagged final World SBK race of the weekend was stopped after a collision left Dominique Aegerter in a risky position on the trackside. The race was restarted, but for only 17 laps and not the planned 21.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) would end the triple race winning dreams of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) as he got himself clear of the early fights to win by almost six seconds.

Razgatlioglu was in second place but only after a highly combative fight with Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team).

The KRT rider took his third podium position of the weekend after Razgatlioglu turned up the wick – on the very bike Rea will race next year – beyond 100% on the final lap.

2023 French WorldSBK Results Bautista — **Alvaro Bautista bounced back for the race two win.**

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) finished fourth in a race that Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) would not even start, after his earlier Superpole Race issue proved to be a problem with his left knee ‘clicking.’

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) finished his weekend with a fifth place, one up on a still-battered and bruised Axel Bassani (MotoCorsa Racing Ducati).

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Ducati) missed out a last lap fight with Bassani when his quickshifter gave him trouble, leaving him seventh overall.

Remy Gardner (GRT Yamaha) regained some pace to finish eighth, with Xavi Vierge (HRC Honda) and Philipp Öttl (Team GoEleven Ducati) rounding out the top ten.

In the championship Bautista is now 57 points ahead of Razgatlioglu, with Rea third and 177 points from Bautista.

2023 French WorldSBK Results—WorldSBK Race Two

1	Alvaro Bautista	(Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2	Toprak Razgatlioglu	(Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK)	+5.893s
3	Jonathan Rea	(Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)	+6.779s
4	Andrea Locatelli	(Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK)	+10.978s
5	Garrett Gerloff	(Bonovo Action BMW)	+11.482s

WorldSSP Race Two

Despite the impressive best efforts of local rider Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) Nicolo Bulega (Aruba Racing Ducati) secured a second race win in as many days at Magny Cours, growing his championship lead in the process.

Debise was all-out to stay with Bulega and did so for much of the race, until the gap from Bulega to second placed Debise grew to an eventual 1.991 seconds at the flag.

Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) placed third – some 12.441 seconds down – meaning that the gap from Bulega to Manzi in the championship fight is now 60 points, with three rounds and six races to go.

2023 French WorldSBK Results Bulega — **Two for two for Bulega in France.**

Marcel Schrötter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was fourth in the second race and Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph) got the best of a three rider fight for fifth, holding off Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) and seventh placed Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki).

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) was eighth, Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) ninth and Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Ducati) completed the top ten at a hot and exhausting Magny Cours.

Back-to-back rounds at Aragon and Portimao are next up for all classes in the WorldSBK paddock, starting the last full weekend in September.

2023 French WorldSBK Results—WorldSSP Race Two

1	Nicolo Bulega	(Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
2	Valentin Debise	(GMT94 Yamaha)	+1.991s
3	Stefano Manzi	(Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)	+12.441s
4	Marcel Schroetter	(MV Agusta Reparto Corse)	+15.582s
5	Niki Tuuli	(PTR Triumph)	+17.009s

Superpole Race

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) was an integral part of a sometimes too combative first Sunday race at Magny Cours. He was allowed enough clean air after an incident between eventual second placed rider Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and frequent race leader Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) to be able to run clear of the rest and record his second race win of the weekend.

Rinaldi was clipped by Bautista entering the T5 hairpin, with Rinaldi falling hard and Bautista almost had to stop. He got going again, riding raggedly but taking places back with some degree of ease – even with a busted-up front fairing after his internecine collision with Rinaldi.

2023 French WorldSBK Results Razgatlioglu — **Toprak Razgatlioglu came out on top of the Superpole race.**

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) could not neep Bautista behind when he came through, making the final confirmed top three Razgatlioglu, Bautista and Rea. Jonathan’s team-mate Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) could not finish the race at all with a technical issue. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) was thus fourth, with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Ducati) fifth.

Dominique Aegerter (GRT Yamaha) placed sixth and home-town hero Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) seventh.

The still well-beaten up Axel Bassani (MotoCorsa Racing Ducati) was eighth.

Xavi Vierge (HRC Honda) placed ninth and Philipp Öttl (Team GoEleven Ducati) tenth.

Early in the race Scott Redding (ROKit BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) made an ambitious inside pass on another BMW rider, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) and they both fell. Redding took a long lap penalty as a result.

2023 French WorldSBK Results—WorldSBK Superpole Race

1	Toprak Razgatlioglu	(Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK)
2	Alvaro Bautista	(Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)	+0.970s
3	Jonathan Rea	(Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)	+2.503s
4	Andrea Locatelli	(Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK)	+2.747s
5	Danilo Petrucci	(Barni Spark Racing Team)	+3.376s

Saturday WorldSSP Race One

Pole-sitter Nicolo Bulega (Aruba Racing Ducati) won the first WorldSSP race at Magny Cours to get his long view end of season push off to an ideal re-start.

With track temperatures over 50°C Bulega led from the start, but he soon had eventual second place rider Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) chasing him.

Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) was in third place early on but would go back finish sixth, with the final podium placer being local rider for a French team, Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha), winning a one-time multiple rider fight for the final rostrum spot.

Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki) was easily best Kawasaki rider in fourth, with the same status in the Triumph camp emanating from PTR Triumph rider, Niki Tuuli. He was fifth, overhauling the fading Montella.

Marcel Schrötter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was seventh, Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Ducati) eighth, Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse F3 800 RR) ninth and Lorenzo Dello Porta (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) tenth.

In the overnight championship standings Bulega grew his advantage over Manzi to 51 points.

2023 French WorldSSP Results—Race One

1	Nicolo Bulega	(Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
2	Stefano Manzi	(Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)	+0.587s
3	Valentin Debise	(GMT94 Yamaha)	+4.898s
4	Adrian Huertas	(MTM Kawasaki)	+7.701s
5	Niki Tuuli	(PTR Triumph)	+9.969s

Saturday WorldSSP Race One

Pole-sitter Nicolo Bulega (Aruba Racing Ducati) won the first WorldSSP race at Magny Cours to get his long view end of season push off to an ideal re-start.

With track temperatures over 50°C Bulega led from the start, but he soon had eventual second place rider Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) chasing him.

Saturday WorldSSP Race One — **Nicolo Bulega got a home win for Ducati in race one.**

In the overnight championship standings Bulega grew his advantage over Manzi to 51 points.

2023 French WorldSSP Results—Race One

1	Nicolo Bulega	(Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)
2	Stefano Manzi	(Ten Kate Racing Yamaha)	+0.587s
3	Valentin Debise	(GMT94 Yamaha)	+4.898s
4	Adrian Huertas	(MTM Kawasaki)	+7.701s
5	Niki Tuuli	(PTR Triumph)	+9.969s

Saturday WorldSBK Race One

More drama and unexpected fails for some top riders turned up in time for the first race of the season restart after the long summer break.

A track technical problem prevented the first WorldSBK race of the weekend starting at the planned 2 pm kick-off time, and it finally caused an extra warm-up lap to be run – and the race itself be reduced from 21 laps to 20.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) would finish the race with a full points score, after a serious fight with long-time race leader, and eventual second placed rider, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati).

2023 French WorldSBK Race one — **Toprak Razgatlioglu had enough of a gap to pull a stoppie over the line!**

Third place went to Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) despite Rea not having the full race set-up he wanted.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) dropped out of the leading position on lap two and appeared to retire at the trackside after the Adelaide hairpin. He got going again once his bike had reset itself, right at the back, but moved through at the same pace as the leaders to finish an eventual tenth and mitigate his points loss to his closest rival Razgatlioglu.

Surprise Superpole man Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) placed fourth at the end of the race, with long time fourth place runner Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) eventually finishing eighth, due to an unspecified technical problem. Smoke could be seen emanating from his bike at times, then it would seem to stop, but in the final two laps he could no longer keep the pace and he lost three places.

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Ducati) was one of the benefit as he finished fifth, with Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team) sixth, winning a personal battle with Scott Redding (ROKit BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). Lowes, as earlier mentioned, was eighth.

Philipp Öttl (Team GoEleven Ducati) had a decent ninth place to build his confidence for Sunday.

With Bautista tenth the championship gap is now 55 points from him down to Razgatlioglu, with the Sunday Sprint and then a full distance 21 lap Race Two to come.

2023 French WorldSBK Results—Race One

1	Toprak Razgatlioglu	(Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK)
2	Michael Ruben Rinaldi	(Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)	+2.656s
3	Jonathan Rea	(Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)	+4.773s
4	Garrett Gerloff	(Bonovo Action BMW)	+6.266s
5	Danilo Petrucci	(Barni Spark Racing Team)	+8.987s

Friday WorldSBK

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) was the fastest rider on day one at Magny Cours, just a few days after the announcement that he would leave KRT at the end of the season. Another rider on the way out of his current team at the end of 2023, Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), was second quickest overall and fastest rider in the much hotter conditions of the FP2 session. Track temperatures passed over the 50°C barrier in FP2, as the air temperatures reached 34°C.

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was top Independent rider, in third place, with Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team riders Toprak Razgatlioglu and Andrea Locatelli fourth and fifth in the aggregate times.

2023 French WorldSBK Results — **Jonathan Rea topped Friday in France.**

Two incidents caused red flag stoppages to FP2. The first saw Razgatlioglu have a moment and catch the inside of the tinder dry trackside grass at Turn Three with his right leg. Dust and dirt were thrown onto the track surface.

The luckless Xavi Vierge (HRC Honda) suffered a highside as he rode over the affected area, falling fast and even having his bike roll over the top of him before he finally stopped trackside.

The session was called temporarily to clear up the track and luckily Vierge escaped with just heavy bruising and abrasions on his right hip and right forearm. His condition will be reviewed on Saturday before the third free practice session.

In the second red flag incident, Dominique Aegerter (Yamaha GYTR GRT) had a tech problem with his engine and heavy smoke could be seen billowing from his machine.

Again track action was halted until the track was given the OK once again.

Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was finally sixth fastest. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) placed seventh, Scott Redding (ROKit BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) eighth, Remy Gardner (GRT Yamaha) ninth and Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Ducati) rounded out the top ten.

2023 French WorldSBK Results—Friday

1	Jonathan Rea	(Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)	1:36.900
2	Michael Ruben Rinaldi	(Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)	+0.073s
3	Garrett Gerloff	(GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team)	+0.081s
4	Toprak Razgatlioglu	(Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK)	+0.160s
5	Andrea Locatelli	(Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK)	+0.242s

Friday WorldSSP

Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) shone as brightly as the scorching sun overhead to take the leading spot on the overnight grid at the conclusion of the opening day of WorldSSP practice at Magny Cours. Superpole qualifying will decide the final grid place on Saturday.

Behind the French rider in a French team out in front, championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba Racing Ducati) was second fastest, followed by the leading Kawasaki of Adrian Huertas (MTM Kawasaki). The top three places were filled by three different makes of machine.

2023 French WorldSBK Results Debise — **Valentin Debise made it P1 at home in WorldSSP on Friday.**

Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was fourth, with two Ducati riders – Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team Ducati) and Raffaele De Rosa (Ducati Orelac Racing VerdNatura) fifth and sixth respectively.

Jorge Navarro (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was seventh, with the first Triumph rider proving to be Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) in eighth place.

Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Ducati) and French rider Andy Verdoia (Yamaha Thailand Racing) completed the top ten places at an overheated Magny Cours.

2023 French WorldSBK Results—Friday

1	Valentin Debise	(GMT94 Yamaha)	1:41.083s
2	Adrian Huertas	(MTM Kawasaki)	+0.053s
3	Nicolo Bulega	(Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team)	+0.498s
4	Andy Verdoia	(Yamaha Thailand Racing Team)	+0.543s
5	Niki Tuuli	(PTR Triumph)	+0.651s

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