The ninth round of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship returned to action at Magny-Cours in France and one rider was in mighty form. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) was P2 in both sessions and took P3 overall, as he cemented himself as the top BMW rider on the opening day. The Texan, who has always shown strength at Magny-Cours, even if results haven’t always reflected that, will look to convert it further on Saturday and Sunday as he chases his first top five of the season.
The American rider and his Bonovo Action BMW team looked good throughout the day, in the morning in the cooler temperatures, despite the #31 saying he struggled to feel good on the bike, using a second tyre to elevate himself up the order. In the much warmer afternoon session, when the track was at 52 degrees Celsius, it seemed that he had genuine pace to be where his position indicated and hopes for a good Superpole on Saturday.
Talking about his Friday pace and potential, Gerloff stated: “I’m definitely happy to be in P2 in both sessions but I struggled this morning to feel good. We went to the Aragon test and everything felt good but then we came here and I don’t know what happened. I was just struggling and even though I had a good time, I just didn’t feel good. Then, I was really happy with all the changes we made from FP1 to FP2; bang, the bike felt good immediately and I could just ride. I think in the morning, I was one of a few riders who used two tyres so that helped in the end, as in the beginning I was in P10.”
With eyes on reclaiming top BMW honours in WorldSBK, Gerloff sits 14th in the Championship but has enjoyed nine top ten finishes in his debut campaign with the German manufacturer and team. A best result of seventh has been reached in the Superpole Races at both Barcelona-Catalunya and Donington Park, with him sitting on 68 points so far. The best BMW rider right now in the standings is Scott Redding (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) with 99 and he’s 11th overall.
Continuing to forecast the weekend’s on-track action, Gerloff – who has a best result at Magny-Cours of fifth from 2022’s Race 1 – said that a strong Tissot Superpole effort will be crucial: “I’m confident and feeling good, as is the team and I think it could be a good weekend. I’ve had good sessions this year but I want to have a good Superpole and a solid race from that. Let’s see how it goes. The tyre selection is mostly clear for the moment but you never know.”
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Source: WorldSBK.com