World Superbike race 1 through the field for a whirl. The race occurred in wet conditions which allowed early weekend practice leader Michael van der Mark to take advantage of Toprak Razgatlioglu’s absence and secure the win. The race was in full wet conditions with only 12 rider finishing the race. Full wet tires was the correct choice for those that came in for new tires. The race was mixed condition but the wet tire had much better pace in the corners than those who opted for intermediates or slicks. On lap 4 of the race the rain started pouring which handed the advantage over to van der Mark.
Surprise Podium for Baustisa
After starting race 1 in P17 Alvaro took advantage of those who failed to respond to the changing track conditions. Bautista said, “It was a crazy race. Right after the start, as soon as I saw the first drop of rain on the fairing, I immediately returned to the pits, and my team did an amazing job getting me out of the pit lane without losing a second. It’s clear that the conditions were extreme, so I just tried to make it to the end without making any mistakes.” Bautista’s teammate Nicolo Bulega high sided on the first lap of the race.
Fellow Ducati rider Danilo Petrucci finished in P3 24 seconds behind van der Mark.
Race 1 Results from Magny Cours