Season Restarts At Magny Cours

Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki Racing Team will return to race action this coming weekend, September 8-10, at the Circuit de Nevers Magny Cours for round nine of the 2023 FIM Superbike World Championship.

With four rounds left on the 2023 WorldSBK calendar this weekend’s racing comes hot on the heels of a recent test at Motorland Aragon for Rea and KRT but heralds a busy end to the season after a five weekend break since the previous event at Autodrom Most in Czechia.

Rea enters the French round fresh from the news that he will compete for another manufacturer in 2024. Six times a champion with KRT, Rea and his crew are determined to finish the season with a flourish, especially after winning his first race of the current season at the previous Autodrom Most round.

Currently Rea is third in the championship with one race win and a combined total of 11 podium finishes this year.

Magny Cours is a circuit that has brought Jonathan success in the past. He has won nine races at the Nievre track and it also holds special memories as the venue where he clinched three world titles in 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Weekend Schedule: (GMT +2)

Friday:

Free Practice 1 - 10:30-11:15

Free Practice 2 - 15:00-15:45

Saturday:

Free Practice 3 - 09:00-09:30

Superpole Qualifying - 11:10-11:25

WorldSBK Race 1 - 14:00 (21 laps)

Sunday:

Warm Up: - 09:00-09:15

Tissot Superpole Race - 11:00 (10 laps)

WorldSBK Race 2 - 15:15 (21 laps)

Jonathan Rea, stated: “Magny Cours is a track that I really enjoy and I have had some great success at in the past. It has a mix of everything and you need a bike that stops well, accelerates well and is agile in changes of direction. We need to maximise our potential on the edge of the tyre because the long straight in Magny Cours can be quite punishing. It then presents the best overtaking area on the track, the Adelaide hairpin. After a good test at Motorland Aragon last week I feel confident we can go there and do a good job. It is the start of an important part of the year where races come in quick succession. So, let’s hope we can make a strong start to this period. The target is to be on the podium and fight for race wins.”