Alvaro Bautista won FIM Superbike World Championship Race Two Sunday at Magny-Cours, in France. The defending World Champion and current point leader won the re-started 17-lap race by nearly six seconds on his Aruba.it Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R
Toprak Razgatlioglu finished second on his Pata Yamaha Prometeon YZF-R1, just ahead of Jonathan Rea and his Kawasaki Racing Team Ninja ZX-10RR.
American Garrett Gerloff finished fifth overall on his Bonovo Action BMW M 1000 RR and was the top Independent rider and the top-finishing BMW pilot.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Bautista seizes victory in Red-Flagged Race 2 at Magny-Cours
In Race 2 at Magny-Cours, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) secured victory to leave France with a 57-point advantage over Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK).
Bautista started Race 2 strong, quickly taking the lead. However, Rea and Razgatlioglu were prompt to challenge him. Rea made a move at Turn 5 but couldn’t overtake Bautista, and while the Ducati rider gradually increased his lead, the race was interrupted on Lap 5. The red flag was waved following an incident involving Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with Aegerter declared unfit for racing due to a suspected concussion. The restart saw Bautista retain his lead, while Razgatlioglu eventually secured second place after a tense battle with Rea. Bautista maintained his lead until the end, winning by a six-second margin.
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) fought his way to fourth place in his 100th race, with Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) taking fifth ahead of Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing). Among the French riders, Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) finished in 12th place, while Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) faced technical issues and could not restart the race.
Alvaro Bautista regained his form to seize his 19th win of the season in Race 2 at Magny-Cours.
P1 | Alvaro Bautista | Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
“For sure, I’m so happy to end the weekend like this, especially because I was ill on Friday and I was recovering during the weekend. Yesterday I felt better but today I felt almost 100%. In Race 2, with these conditions, it was difficult but it was similar to yesterday’s so I already knew the feeling with the bike. I tried to do a good start, and I had good feeling and pace. And after 5 laps, the race was stopped and it was difficult because in that moment I was riding really well. I tried to stay focused in the box. The second start, I felt well too and I could push from the beginning as well. At the end, I was alone but I kept pushing because I enjoyed riding like this. I’m happy overall with the weekend.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu secured a hard-fought second place, while Jonathan Rea, demonstrated his trademark consistency to claim the third position.
Andrea Locatelli celebrated his 100th race with a commendable fourth place finish.
Garrett Gerloff put on an impressive display, surging from tenth on the grid to secure fifth place.
WorldSBK Race 2 Results
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
6. Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) +15.258s
WorldSBK Championship standings
1. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 467 points
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 410 points
3. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 290 points
WorldSBK Tissot Superpole Race Results
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu | Pata Yamaha
2. Alvaro Bautista | Ducati | +0.970s
3. Jonathan Rea | Kawasaki | +2.503s
Bulega masters Magny-Cours: Race 2 showdown unfolds
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) held off a relentless challenge from Valentin Debise (GMT94 Yamaha) to secure a hard-fought victory in Race 2. Bulega’s triumph further extended his championship lead, now 60 points ahead of his closest rival, Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha), who finished in third place.
Bulega started strongly, attempting to break away from the pack, but Debise matched his pace lap after lap, staying within striking distance. The Frenchman’s relentless pursuit kept the pressure on Bulega until Lap 14 when the Italian managed to pull away slightly and clinch his 11th win of the season.
Behind them, the battle for fourth was a fierce one, with Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) edging out Niki Tuuli (PTR Triumph) in a race-long duel. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) finished just a fraction of a second behind Tuuli in sixth place.
Nicolo Bulega held his ground against Valentin Debise, securing a vital Race 2 victory and extending his championship lead.
P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team
“It was a great weekend with pole position and two victories again. It’s always something special. I want to enjoy this moment with my team. We did a great job. My feeling with the bike was very good all the weekend. I want to congratulate Debise because he was very fast. I had to push from the first corner and every lap. In the end, I won so this is important for the Championship because I take 25 points, and Manzi lost a few points. 60 points is a good advantage but I don’t want to think of the Championship now. When it’s time, we will think about it. Last year in Aragon, I had my first podium after two difficult years in Moto2TM, and then coming back on the podium was very nice. So, I have a good memory of Aragon and I’m looking forward to going there and trying to win.”
Having applied relentless pressure on Bulega throughout the race, Valentin Debise ultimately secured his second podium this weekend.
Stefano Manzi completed the podium, losing valuable points to Bulega in the championship standings.
WorldSSP Race 2 Results
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
6. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Evan Bros. Yamaha WorldSSP Team) +17.401s
WorldSSP Championship standings
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 358 points
2. Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) 298 points
3. Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) 236 points
Buis takes control leading the Championship with Magny-Cours win
In a captivating showdown at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki) surged to victory in WorldSSP300 Race 2, significantly altering the Championship landscape. The 2020 Champion secured his second win of the weekend, moving him into the lead of the fiercely contested Championship – while a last-lap crash meant that previous leader Dirk Geiger could only finish in 9th. This victory marked Buis’ historic tenth win in the WorldSSP300 category, making him the first rider to reach double-digit wins in this class.
Mirko Gennai (Team BrCorse) exhibited incredible determination and racecraft as he fought his way through the pack from fifth row on the grid, ultimately finishing in second place. Meanwhile, Jose Luis Perez Gonzalez (Accolade Smrz Racing BGR) showcased his consistent form with a well-earned third-place finish. Perez Gonzalez’s strong performance in Race 2 added valuable points to his Championship tally, keeping him firmly in the title battle. The dramatic twists and turns of the Magny-Cours race left the top three riders separated by just 13 points in the overall championship standings, setting the stage for an electrifying remainder of the season.
In the midfield, the contest for fourth, fifth, and sixth places was fierce. Daniel Mogeda (Kawasaki GP Project) showed great determination, clinching fourth place by a mere 0.226-second gap behind Perez Gonzalez. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) took fifth place, highlighting his potential as a strong contender. Kevin Sabatucci (Team Flembbo – PI Performances) completed the top six, finishing only 0.160 seconds behind Veneman in a race marked by intense on-track duels.
