Dorna Communications

Aprilia have won three times at Magny-Cours: with Max Biaggi in the second 2010 race and a double 1-2 in 2014, when Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli took wins. Last year the best results for Aprilia were scored by Lorenzo Savadori: 5th in Race 1 and 6th in Race 2. Aprilia started from pole here two years ago with Leon Haslam, which was their last pole to date.

BMW scored two podium finishes at Magny-Cours; Leon Haslam was third in the first 2011 Race, while Marco Melandri was the runner up the following year. Both podiums came in Race 1 when he didn't have the speed to challenge Sylvain Guintoli, who pulled away with his Ducati. Last year the best result for BMW at this track was a 7th from Jordi Torres in Race 2.

The 15 wins by Ducati represent half of the races run at Magny-Cours - the last two came with Chaz Davies last year. Ducati also leads the podiums ranking here with 34 bikes on the podium, followed by Yamaha at 14 and Kawasaki at 12. All these amazing results contrast with the fact that Ducati claimed only one pole in Magny-Cours, in 2003 with James Toseland.

Honda have won twice here, the first time in 2005 when Chris Vermeulen won from pole in Race 1, and the second time the following year when James Toseland won Race 1. Since this last win, Honda have secured a podium seven times, finishing in third no less than than five of them. Last year Michael van der Mark was second in Race 1 for Honda. Honda had their share of bad luck, as Jonathan Rea fell twice while leading in 2012 race 1, and in 2014 in race 2.

Kawasaki have won here five times from 2012 to 2015. Last year they had to surrender to Chaz Davies, in Race 1 Sykes and Rea ran 1-2 until the tire change and then had to settle for a third and fourth. In Race 2 they were also running 1-2 but Davies eventually passed both, going on to win as Rea was 2nd and Sykes 3rd. In the last five years, Kawasaki haven’t scored podiums here in only two races out of ten - the 2014 ones. This was when the best Kawasaki rider at the flag was Tom Sykes, who finished in fourth twice. In the last five qualifying sessions here, the best Kawasaki on the grid was either on pole (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016) or second (2015).

Last year Leon Camier equaled the best ever result for MV Agusta in the World Superbike Championship at this track, finishing 4th in Race 2. Another strong performance for the Italian manufacturer came the year before in Race 2, when Camier was fifth. MV Agusta scored points in all its six works entries here.

Yamaha are level with Kawasaki for wins at Magny-Cours with five each, the last one coming in 2010 from pole in Race 1 (Cal Crutchlow). Last year their best results were scored by Sylvain Guintoli, 9th in Race 1 and 8th in Race 2. Yamaha have recorded 14 podiums here, the second-best number at this track behind Ducati’s 34. The last three were scored in the 2011 races by Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri.

Did You Know?

89 – 89 French riders have entered at least one WorldSBK race weekend. 74 of them were race starters and 52 managed to score at least one championship point.

50% – Ducati have won half of the races run here: 15 out of 30.

34 – 34 podium finishes for Ducati at this track, the record value for Magny-Cours. Yamaha follows with 14 and Kawasaki with 12.

23 – The most successful French rider in WorldSBK history is 1990 World Champion, Raymond Roche: he won 23 races from 1989 to 1992.

8 – Only one race has been won here starting outside the top-6 grid spots: Haga won from eighth on the grid in the second 2004 Race. At this time the rows contained 4 bikes, so all the wins in Magny-Cours came from the first two rows of the grid.

7 – Seven different manufacturers have claimed pole here: in the last five race weekends Kawasaki started from pole here four times, missing out only in 2015 (Leon Haslam, Aprilia).

7 – In the last seven years, only British riders have started from pole in Magny-Cours: Cal Crutchlow (2010), Jonathan Rea (2011, 2016), Tom Sykes (2012 to 2014) and Leon Haslam (2015).

5 – The most successful rider here is Noriyuki Haga, with five wins from 2004 to 2009. Sykes can equal this record if he is able to secure a double victory this weekend.

5 – The record number of front row starts here is five, which was set by Jonathan Rea last year. His countrymen James Toseland and Tom Sykes follow at 4.

5 – Kawasaki are the only manufacturer who have recorded five poles here (1991, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016).

4 – We have four WorldSBK Magny-Cours winners in the current field: Tom Sykes (3), Jonathan Rea (2), Chaz Davies (2) and Marco Melandri (1).

3 – Tom Sykes holds the record for most poles at Magny-Cours: 3 to Troy Corser, James Toseland and Jonathan Rea’s 2.

2 – Only two riders among the current ones have started from pole here: Kawasaki duo of Tom Sykes (2012, 2013, 2014) and Jonathan Rea (2011, 2016).

2 – There are only two riders who have taken three straight wins at Magny Cours: Noriyuki Haga (a double in 2007 and Race 1 in 2008) and Tom Sykes (Race 2 in 2012 and a double in 2013). Chaz Davies is in the position to aim for this record as he recorded the double last year.

1 – Despite recording 15 wins at this track, a Ducati bike has started from pole only in the 2003 weekend, when James Toseland recorded his maiden WorldSBK pole.

1 – The only French winner at Magny-Cours is Sylvain Guintoli (2012 Race 1; 2014 Race 1).