FIM Supersport 300 World Championship
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, France
September 29, 2019
Race Results (all on Pirelli tires):
- Ana Carrasco, Spain (Kaw Ninja 400), 12 laps, Total Race Time 23:02.800, Best Lap Time 1:54.297
- Manuel Gonzalez, Spain (Kaw Ninja 400), -0.233 second, 1:54.280
- Scott Deroue, Netherlands (Kaw Ninja 400), -0.430, 1:54.065
- Andy Verdoia, France (Yam YZF-R3), -0.586, 1:54.256
- Galang Hendra Pratama, Indonesia (Yam YZF-R3), -4.130 seconds, 1:54.690
- Livio Loi, Belgium (Kaw Ninja 400), -7.608, 1:54.660
- Bruno Ieraci, Italy (Kaw Ninja 400), -7.840, 1:54.852
- Jeffrey Buis, Netherlands (Kaw Ninja 400), -8.061, 1:54.967
- Victor Steeman, Netherlands (KTM RC 390 R), -10.833, 1:55.101
- Nick Kalinin, Ukraine (Kaw Ninja 400), -11.047, 1:55.497
World Championship Point Standings (after 9 of 10 races):
- Gonzalez, 148 points (clinches 2019 World Championship)
- Carrasco, 106
- Deroue, 106
- Verdoia, 89
- Steeman, 69
- Marc Garcia, 68
- Jahnig, 61
- Hendra Pratama, 55
- Hugo De Cancellis, 47
- Kalinin, 47
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
WorldSSP300: Carrasco wins as Gonzalez becomes WorldSSP300 champion!
The 2018 and 2019 champions take centre stage as victorious Carrasco hands over the crown
The Pirelli French Round saw a special moment in the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship as Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300) claimed her second victory of the season, while also handing over her crown to Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) who clinched the 2019 title with second place, succeeding Carrasco as world champion.
Chasing the victory he needed to keep his title hopes alive, Scott Deroue (Kawasaki MOTOPORT) made the perfect start to lead the opening lap although several riders were eying up the all-important slipstream which makes such a difference in WorldSSP300. Gonzalez was faced with a tricky task of picking his way through the traffic but the 17-year-old made steady progress, climbing to fourth by the end of Lap 2.
Gonzalez hit the front for the first time on Lap 4, drafting past Carrasco on the run towards the Adelaide hairpin, but with no-one able to escape the group, the championship leader soon slipped back into the pack. A leading group of four was soon established at the front though with Carrasco, Gonzalez and Deroue joined by Andy Verdoia (BCD Yamaha MS Racing) while Galang Hendra Pratama (Semakin Di Depan Biblion Motoxracing) fell back after a brief spell out front.
Mindful that third place would guarantee the championship even if Scott Deroue won, Manuel Gonzalez will have been happy to see such a small leading group and rode a mature race, keeping his title rivals in sight at all times. Deroue wasn’t giving it up without a fight though and set a New Record on the penultimate lap as he desperately tried to improve on fourth. The fight for the win was settled in Carrasco’s favour though courtesy of a last lap move on Verdoia at the 180 corner, while Gonzalez made sure of the title by outbraking the French rider, and Deroue into Turn 15 to snatch second.
As a result, Gonzalez becomes the youngest ever world champion in motorcycle road racing history, and follows in the footsteps of Carrasco and Marc Garcia (DS Junior Team) as the third WorldSSP300 champion, each hailing from Spain. Gonzalez also sets a new points record for a single season in the class with today’s result, and has the opportunity to add to that tally at the final round of the season at Losail in October.
Scott Deroue took the final podium position, and now goes to Qatar level on points with Carrasco in the battle to finish championship runner-up, while Andy Verdoia maintains an outside chance after finishing fourth. Galang Hendra Pratama finished a lonely fifth in the end while Livio Loi (2R Racing Team), winner of yesterday’s Last Chance Race, stormed through the field from 29th on the grid to take sixth.
Bruno Ieraci (Kawasaki GP Project) matched his best result of the season in seventh, the sixth different nationalities within that top seven, with Jeffrey Buis (MTM Racing Team) also claiming his best result of 2019 in eighth. Victor Steeman (Freudenberg KTM Junior Team) was ninth, continuing his consistent campaign while Nick Kalinin (Nutec – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) kept up his strong recent form by rounding out the top ten.
P1 – Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300)
“I am very happy with this victory. I think we have done a good job all weekend! It’s a shame to lose the championship here where I won it last year. But now we have to focus on the battle for the second position in the overall standings. We will try to win in Qatar and we will see. I want to congratulate Manuel because he did quite a perfect season and he deserves the title this year”.
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Gonzalez The Champion After Kawasaki Clean Sweep
Manuel Gonzalez (Kawasaki ParkinGo Team) became the youngest rider ever to win an FIM Roadracing World title after finishing second to 2018’s history maker Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec) in the 12-lap Magny Cours WorldSSP300 race. The only other potential champion pre-Magny Cours, Scott Deroue (Kawasaki Motoport), was third in a close fought race. All three top Kawasaki Ninja 400 riders covered by just 0.430 seconds at the flag.
The race was held in dry and warm conditions for the time of year and the top three riders enjoyed the fight at the penultimate round of the season. Deroue had started from pole, Carrasco from second grid spot but Gonzalez was only 14th on the grid and had to make up early ground on his rivals.
The 4.411km Magny Cours circuit features many types of corners but it is characterised strongly by braking areas, which allow many opportunities for passing – and defending – track position. Gonzalez picked off his opponents and was ninth on lap one, fourth on lap two and in a podium position as early as lap three.
Deroue and Carrasco were in the leading group throughout, with Scott setting a new class lap record of 1’54.065 on lap 11 as he tried to get into winning contention.
After winning three races in the early season Gonzalez just needed to keep pace with his two Kawasaki rivals to make his championship safe but the 17-year-old pushed to the end and scored his sixth top three finish in seven races so far.
Carrasco’s win puts her out front alone again in terms of WorldSSP300 class race wins, with five over her short but successful career in this category.
Behind the podium dramas and decisive rides Kawasaki riders dominated the top ten, with Livio Loi (2R Racing Team Kawasaki), Bruno Ieraci (Kawasaki GP Project) and Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) filling the finishing spots from sixth to eighth – and Nick Kalinin (Nutec – RT Motorsports by SKM) taking the final top ten place. Three more Kawasaki riders scored championship points of some kind today.
As the other WorldSBK classes head to Argentina next, the top WorldSSP300 riders have a final round at Losail in Qatar, with raceday on 26th October.
Manuel Gonzalez, stated: “The race was good and I knew on the last lap that the group was a four, so I only had to finish in this group. But I tried to finish on the podium because it is always nicer to finish there and see yourself up on the podium. I tried in the last corner to overtake Verdoia and Deroue and I have to be happy because I was near the top in most of the races; only one zero score in Donington. I had some wins and some podiums so I am very happy with my season.”
Ana Carrasco, stated: “I felt very strong in wet and dry conditions and I was ready for the race. I knew that I could fight for the victory but I knew it would be not easy too, because it was windier than the rest of the weekend. The bike was not working in the same way. I pushed with everything I had and I am very happy to achieve another victory this season. We are going in a good way and it was another race win for us but it was shame to lose the championship here, in a place I won it last season. But Manuel had quite a perfect season so he deserves to win the championship this year.”
Scott Deroue, stated: “To be honest I was a quite difficult race because Ana was setting such a good pace. I tried to follow but it was very hard and sometimes there was a small gap and I had to close that gap again. In the end it worked out because I was there near the end. On the straight I had to brake later before the hairpin, and with three riders in front of me it was difficult to do. I got into second place but three corners from the end I nearly lost the front. My exit was not so good so Manuel passed me on the straight but I nearly passed him back before the last corner. It did not work out but third is OK, so I am happy.”