Competitive on the track and confident with his team, Garrett Gerloff became the 70th different pole-sitter in World Superbike during the Pirelli Round of France.
What a spectacular Tissot Superpole session for the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, at the Pirelli Round of France. Lap times fell and the lap record was called into question. At the end of the action, on a very warm Magny-Cours circuit, Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) took a phenomenal pole position, the first American pole in 12 years and the first pole for BMW since 2021.
THE HISTORY OF THE SUPERPOLE: a driver enters the running at the decisive moment
While Gerloff was faster than he had been at any time of the weekend at the start of the session, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) set a superb time of 1'35.970, ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team), while Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was also present at the front. After the first run, Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was also temporarily on the front row. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), whose first lap was canceled due to yellow flags due to a crash by Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), had moved up to fourth position, while his title rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) was only eighth.
THE SENSATION: Gerloff on pole at Magny-Cours
When the checkered flag came out, Gerloff's impressive lap time could not be beaten or matched, and he took his first career pole position, the first American pole in WorldSBK since John Hopkins on a Suzuki in 2011 at Silverstone. With good pace throughout the weekend, especially when temperatures rise, the Texan is in a good position to fight for the podium. Bautista finished second and his teammate Michael Ruben Rinaldi who put two Ducatis on the front row finished third.
That's fantastic from Garrett Gerloff!
His first pole in #WorldSBK #FRAWorldSBK pic.twitter.com/OauxtoV535
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) September 9, 2023
RAZGATLIOGLU P4: work to be done from the second row
At the head of the second row, Toprak Razgatlioglu will have to fight behind the Championship leader, Bautista. With a short gap to turn 1 followed by a long straight, late braking will be required to get back up. Jonathan Rea is on the second row of the Magny-Cours Superpole for the first time since 2013. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) places two BMWs in the Top 6, both Independents, taking sixth place in front of a large French audience for the 'encourage.
THIRD ROW: Locatelli in P7, three BMWs in the Top 10
HOPED RISE: Lecuona tops the bill in fifth place
Starting from the middle of the fourth row and fighting for his future in WorldSBK, Philipp Oettl (Team GoEleven) will be 11th on the grid ahead of Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who had a very calm session. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished 13th, ahead of the Honda of Iker Lecuona (Team HRC), after another difficult morning for the Japanese manufacturer. Remy Gardner, after a fall, completes the fifth row in P15.
UPDATE : Andrea Locatelli,
Top 6 of the WorldSBK Superpole, full results here:
1. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) 1’35.453s
2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.059s
3. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.367s
4. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.415s
5. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.506s
6. Loris Baz (Bonovo Action BMW) +0.551s
