Buis claims stunning victory in difficult conditions in shortened Race 1 as he extends his Championship lead ahead of Deroue.
A shortened Race 1 for the FIM Supersport 300 World Championship did not reduce the drama at the Pirelli French Round as Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) extended his Championship lead to 21 points after a late-race overtake on his teammate Scott Deroue at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours as MTM Kawasaki secured the Teams’ Championship and Kawasaki as Manufacturers’ Champions for 2020.
The race was restarted after a Turn 1 incident on the opening lap of the original race involving Victor Rodriguez Nuñez (EAB Ten Kate Racing) at Turn 1, with the race Red Flagged so he could receive medical help; the Spanish rider taken to the medical centre for a check-up following the incident. The restarted race was reduced to six laps and the rain began to fall during the race.
Buis got a superb start for the race from fourth place and swept into the lead before Tom Booth-Amos (RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) passed him on the opening lap, with Deroue quickly up to third place from eighth on the grid. Booth-Amos and Buis had pulled out a gap to Deroue but he was able to close it in just a couple of laps.
Buis inherited the lead of the race when Booth-Amos crashed coming out of the final corner with the British rider able to get off the track without assistance. Deroue took the lead from Buis shortly after but Buis stayed with his teammate before making a crucial overtake on Deroue into Turn 13. The duo finished almost nine seconds clear of third-placed Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSSP300), with the Turkish rider claiming his fourth podium of the season.
Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) finished in fourth place with Hugo de Cancellis (Team TRASIMENO) securing a fifth-place finish. Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) was in sixth place as he held off the challenge from Samuel di Sora (Leader Team Flembbo) by just over a tenth of a second. Koen Meuffels (MTM Kawasaki MOTORPORT) finished in eighth place with Enzo De La Vega (Machado Came SBK) securing his best result of the season with ninth and Ton Kawakami (Yamaha MS Racing) completing the top ten.
Bruno Ieraci (Kawasaki GP Project) finished in 11th place, just ahead of Felipe Macan (Team Brasil AD 78) as the duo battled it out for a strong points finish. Adrian Huertas (ProGP Racing), Tom Bramich (Carl Cox-RT Motorsports by SKM-Kawasaki) and Daniel Blin (Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSSP300) completing the points.
P1 Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT):
“The rain was so heavy at the end of the race, so I needed to have a plan and at the beginning I thought I needed to stay out front. When Tom crashed, I needed to get past as he was on the track, and on the last lap I overtook Scott and finished first.”
P2 Scott Deroue (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT):
“It was quite difficult from eighth. In the first or second corner, someone crashed so there was a gap I had to close. It was really hard, but we did it. Tom crashed and I took over the lead, but then it started raining really hard. It was difficult, it was working out how fast you could go. In the last corner, it was really wet so I did not know where to brake. I braked a little bit later than the lap before, but Jeffrey overtook me. It was a good race, happy with second but not happy he finished first! We have to do something tomorrow.”
P3 Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSSP300):
“My expectation was first or second and the first part of the race was good, but after the middle I had a little bit of a gap to the riders ahead. I tried to push but with the weather conditions it was not possible to push. After, I rode a little bit to save third position and I am happy with it.”
#FRAWorldSBK WorldSSP300 at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours – Race 1
1. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT)
2. Scott Deroue (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) +0.121s
3. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSSP300) +8.537s
4. Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) +12.987s
5. Hugo de Cancellis (Team TRASIMENO) +13.574s
6. Yuta Okaya (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) +17.608s
Championship Standings after Race 1, Round 7
1. Jeffrey Buis (NED) Kawasaki (183 points)
2. Scott Deroue (NED) Kawasaki (162 points)
3. Bahattin Sofuoglu (TUR) Yamaha (127 points)
#FRAWorldSBK WorldSSP300 at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours – Superpole.
1. Tom Booth-Amos (RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) 2’05.312s
2. Marc Garcia (2R Racing) +0.082s
3. Jeffrey Buis (MTM Kawasaki MOTOPORT) +0.964s
4. Tom Edwards (Kawasaki ParkinGO Team) +1.073s
5. Bahattin Sofuoglu (Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha WorldSSP300) +1.243s
6. Kevin Sabatucci (Kawasaki GP Project) +1.777s
Podcasts Latest Episodes
Rock’N’Road a new podcast by Leona Graham
[wptb id=65242]
[wptb id=64599]
