The ninth round of the FIM Superbike World Championship 2023 (WorldSBK) took place at Magny-Cours, where BMW Motorrad Motorsport had a combination of pole position celebrations and mixed feelings. Garrett Gerloff, a BMW Motorrad factory rider, showcased impressive performance throughout the weekend, finishing fourth in the first race and fifth in the second main race. Scott Redding achieved his best race result with a seventh-place finish, and Loris Baz followed suit with a seventh-place finish in the Superpole race. Michael van der Mark struggled to find his rhythm, finishing 13th in both qualifying and the Superpole race.

In the Superpole on Saturday, Gerloff set a new all-time lap record and claimed his first WorldSBK pole position, marking a significant achievement for both himself and the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team. However, Redding unfortunately slid and fell, finishing in tenth place but moving up to ninth on the grid due to a penalty issued to another rider. Van der Mark concluded the Superpole in 13th position.

Despite losing a few positions at the start, Gerloff maintained a position in the top five throughout the first race, finishing in fourth place as the best rider from an Independent team. Redding finished the first race in seventh place, while Baz encountered various problems and ended up in 13th position. Van der Mark crossed the finish line in 16th place.

The Superpole race on Sunday saw a collision between Redding and Gerloff, leading to both riders going down. Gerloff retired after heading to the pits, while Redding was able to rejoin the race and finish in 20th place. Baz secured seventh place in the Superpole race, setting a good start position for the second main race. Van der Mark finished in 13th position.

In the second main race, Gerloff finished fifth, once again achieving the best result for an Independent team. The race was briefly interrupted due to an accident involving Redding and Dominique Aegerter, but after restarting, Baz crossed the finish line in twelfth place. Unfortunately, Redding retired from the race due to a technical issue, and Van der Mark also failed to finish after a crash.

The next round of the 2023 WorldSBK season will take place at MotorLand Aragón, Spain, in two weeks’ time. BMW Motorrad Motorsport, along with the four riders and both teams, had successful testing sessions at Aragón at the end of August.

BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director, Marc Bongers, expressed his delight with Gerloff’s performance and the achievements of the Bonovo action BMW Racing Team. Bongers also acknowledged the unfortunate racing incident involving Redding and Gerloff, which had a negative impact on the team’s start position for the second main race. He emphasized the potential of the BMW M 1000 RR and the need to build on it in the remaining three rounds.

Gerloff himself expressed his satisfaction with the weekend, especially achieving his first pole position and achieving two top-five finishes. He expressed optimism in using this weekend as a foundation for future races.

Redding, on the other hand, acknowledged his string of bad luck throughout the weekend, with three crashes and a series of unfortunate events. Despite the setbacks, he remained positive and focused on improving at the upcoming races in Aragón.

Baz described the weekend as tough and not meeting his expectations. He acknowledged the technical issues and set up challenges but expressed determination to improve in the remaining races.

Van der Mark admitted to struggling with finding the right feeling for the bike during the weekend. However, he remained confident in the potential of the BMW M 1000 RR and looked forward to the next round at Aragón.