News

The race for the 2024 FIM Supersport World Championship title has already had plenty of surprises along the way and that is set to continue when the WorldSSP field hits the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. Round 8 of the season is the Motul French Round and with just 20 points between the top two in the standings, expect more fireworks as a frantic end of the season approaches with five rounds in seven weeks.

20 POINTS IN IT: can Montella continue to close the gap?

At Portimao, a crash for Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) in Race 2 combined with a double for Yari Montella (Barni Spark Racing Team) closed the gap to just 20 points between them; the title battle well and truly on. Neither have won at the circuit but Huertas’ team did last year with Nicolo Bulega, who led the Panigale V2 to two wins so expect both riders to be at the front again. Stefano Manzi (Pata Prometeon Ten Kate Racing) was another beneficiary of Huertas’ crash, with the Italian 41 points back. His Yamaha R6 has been a winner at Magny-Cours before thanks to double Champion Dominique Aegerter, so will Manzi be able to cut the gap further?

THE BATTLE FOR FOURTH: Debise vs Schroetter with 14 points between the two

It’s also a tight fight in the race for P4 in the standings, with Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) just leading Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse). Debise’s first World Supersport rostrums came at his home round last year and he’s been a regular podium contender in 2024 while Schroetter is on a difficult run. After four podiums in the first four races, the German hasn’t stood on the rostrum since and has often been outside the top six as he lost ground to the front runners. Jorge Navarro (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) has been on a good run since his switch to Ducati as he’s been fighting for the podium in almost every race and has been in the top five in all but two of his eight Panigale V2 outings. Two points behind Navarro is Federico Caricasulo (Motozoo ME AIR Racing) who has also been in strong form lately, with four top-six finishes in a row. Perhaps, in the closing stages of the season, the battle for fourth will become a four-rider showdown.

HOPING TO TIGHTEN THEIR GRIP ON THE TOP TEN: two previous France winners in the fight

Glenn van Straalen (Pata Yamaha Ten Kate Racing) sits eighth in the standings on 100 points, leading Lucas Mahias (GMT94 Yamaha) by 19 points and Niki Tuuli (EAB Racing Team) by another 11. However, both Mahias and Tuuli have stood on the top step of the podium at Magny-Cours, in 2019 and 2020 for Mahias and 2017 for Tuuli. Will they be able to use their experience to close the gap to the Dutchman? Five points behind Tuuli is Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) and he’ll hope to haul himself into the top ten. He was declared unfit at Portimao and will have to pass a pre-round medical check to race.

RIDER LINE-UP NEWS: three wildcards and several replacement riders…

Guillaume Antiga (VIAMO Racing by MTM) makes his WorldSSP return after eight years as he stands in for Marcel Brenner. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (VFT Racing Yamaha) continues to substitute for Yeray Ruiz while Alvaro Diaz makes a return to the Championship in place of Krittapat Keankum (Yamaha Thailand Racing Team). Luca de Vleeschauwer is set to make his WorldSSP debut in France as he substitutes the injured Lorenzo Baldassarri (WRP by SKM-Triumph). There are three wildcard riders in France: Alexy Negrier (GMT94 Yamaha), Corentin Perolari (CBO Racing Honda France) and Enzo De La Vega (Perles de Fruits Racing Team CMS); Negrier and De La Vega will make their WorldSSP debut while Perolari returns to the Championship.

Watch every moment from France LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED using the WorldSBK VideoPass – now 50% off!