BMW Motorrad Motorsport - WSBK - Magny-Cours - Races

Magny-Cours – Races.

Sunday, 07th October 2012.

 

 

 

Weather conditions: Rain in the morning, then overcast.

Temperature: Air: 17 – 20 °C, Track: 17 – 24 °C

Number of riders participating: 19 from 12 teams

Fastest lap Race 1: Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Racing Team) 1:53.143 min

Fastest lap Race 2: Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) 1:39.237 min

 

 

At the season finale of the 2012 FIM Superbike World Championship, Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport experienced an exciting race day, which at the same time was an emotional rollercoaster ride. The team challenged until the very last race of the season for both the Riders’ and the Manufacturers’ titles but was missing the necessary luck in the end. Factory rider Marco Melandri (ITA), who rode with two broken ribs, finished second in the first race. Therefore he kept his title chances alive as well as BMW’s chances of winning the Manufacters’ crown. But in the second race, a wet patch on the track, which made Marco lose control of his BMW S 1000 RR, ended all hopes. Leon Haslam (GBR), who at Magny-Cours (FRA) was competing in his last round as a BMW Motorrad factory rider, finished fifth in the first race but also crashed in the second heat.

 

In the Manufacturers’ championship, BMW claimed its best ever result by finishing second with 421 points, 23.5 points behind winner Aprilia. In the Riders’ classification Marco finished the season in third with 328.5 points, so becoming the highest placed ever BMW rider in this championship. Leon is eighth with 200 points. Max Biaggi (ITA) claimed the title 0.5 points adrift of Tom Sykes (GBR) and 29 points adrift of Marco. BMW Motorrad congratulates Biaggi and Aprilia.

 

It was raining throughout the night and the morning. Even though the rain stopped before the first race, the track was still wet and the conditions tricky. Both Marco and Leon, who were fourth and seventh respectively on the grid, started steadily into the first heat, so not to risk too much in the treacherous conditions. Marco slipped back a few positions but made his way up towards the front by overtaking competitors and benefitting from several riders’ crashes. Halfway through the race, Marco was already third, on lap 13 he improved to second. He then fought an exciting battle with Sykes and Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) for the top position. The French local hero took the lead in front of Marco and was able to build a gap during the remaining laps. Marco comfortably secured second. Leon lost a few positions when he rode off track for a short time on lap four, but regained the places afterwards and crossed the line in fifth.

 

For the second race the track had mostly dried out, but was still damp in places. Leon had a good start and improved to fourth immediately and was fighting for the podium positions on the following laps. Marco slipped back to sixth but kept up with the front runners, and was preparing to work his way back to the top. But on lap seven he lost control over his rear wheel and crashed. Shortly afterwards Leon rode off the track and rejoined in eighth, losing four positions. On lap 17 his race also was ended by a crash. The second heat was won by Sykes. Ayrton Badovini (ITA) of the BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet SBK Team finished the races in sixth and ninth, his team-mate Michel Fabrizio (ITA) was 12th in the first heat but crashed in the second one. 

BMW Motorrad Motorsports congratulates Sylvain Barrier from the BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet STK Team to his best ever success. The French BMW S 1000 RR rider was crowned 2012 champion of the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup by finishing today’s race second on the podium.

 

 

Marco Melandri:
Result Race 1: 2nd / Gap to 1st: 0:06.127 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:54.081 min
Result Race 2: DNF / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:39.430 min
“It felt good to finish a race on the podium again after the last two unfortunate race weekends. My BMW S 1000 RR was working very well. In the first couple of laps of race one I was still struggling a bit with warming up the tyre, but once the tyre was working I could go at quite a good pace. Anyhow, it was a tough race and I did not want to overpace and risk too much. Unfortunately the track dried up more and more, which did not play into my hands. When I finally passed Tom the track was not really wet anymore, and in these conditions I had no chance to follow Sylvain who really showed a strong performance today. “The track conditions were very difficult in race two. I pushed 100 per cent but I could not change direction quickly. When I crashed I must have hit a wet patch, and I lost the rear of my RR. My back and my leg are very sore now. Overall, this was a great season for us. We can be proud of what we have achieved. When we started the season we were quite far from the top guys. We closed the gap quickly and fought with them for the rest of the season. We won races, but we also had some bad luck and I made mistakes. Everything was possible this year, and we can be happy. I hope to start from that point next year. A big ‘Thank You’ to all the team in Germany and at the track.”

Leon Haslam:
Result Race 1: 5th / Gap to 1st: 0:25.149 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:54.646 min
Result Race 2: DNF / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:39.594 min
“In race one I had a few issues with the grip and the electronics, and on top of that I made a few mistakes. Finishing the race in fifth is a bit disappointing as I know a podium would have been possible. I had a good start in the second race, but struggled getting into first gear in a few corners. I also got a false neutral coming down the hill in the last stadium section. I had to release the brakes so as not to hit Eugene Laverty and ran off the track. I came back in eighth and tried to follow the group around Max Biaggi when I hit a wet patch. This put me down again. I am a bit disappointed about finishing the season this way, and I am also disappointed for my crew and the team who did an outstanding job all season long. Thanks to all of them guys. Max Biaggi again was Mister Consistent, congratulations for another World Championship. Anyhow, I feel a bit sorry for Tom who did some great racing this year. Losing the World Championship by only half a point is hard to take.”

Bernhard Gobmeier (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director):
“The final race Sunday of the 2012 season was really a day of mixed emotions for us. In race one, Marco cleverly managed the race – like he had done more than once this season. This was impressive. Leon finished the race in a solid fifth position. In the second race lady luck was not on our side once more. Both Marco and Leon crashed on wet parts of the track and could not finish the race. This result does not reflect the season for BMW Motorrad Motorsport: Until the very last race of the year we fought for the World Championship. At the start of the season one of us would have dreamt of this. We are all proud of having finished the riders’ standings in a very good third position and the constructors’ standings in a fantastic second place. These results are due to the efforts of the entire team. Everybody involved has played their part and can be proud of this outcome. That’s why I would not only like to say Thank You to just Marco and Leon, but to all the team members in Munich, Stephanskirchen and at the track. Congratulations to Tom Sykes and his team who showed an unbelievable will to win and to the 2012 World Champions Max Biaggi and Aprilia.”