Talking Points: What to expect at Magny-Cours
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is back, and with it comes the traditional Thursday debriefs. There were hot topics aplenty, discussing all the big news from the summer break, looking at the French Round and talking about the future as the grid gathered at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours.
Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha): “I’m jumping into the unknown in 2026… I was able to see those messages, it made me feel very proud”
Reflecting on his retirement announcement, Rea said: “I feel quite light; right now, it’s exciting because I’m jumping into the unknown in 2026, whatever that may be. I’m trying to focus on the last four rounds of the season. It was important to make the announcement before Magny-Cours. I want to finish this chapter strong; I want to be competitive. I probably made the decision two or three weeks before the announcement, after the last race. I think I walked out of the paddock at Balaton pretty convinced it was the correct decision. It’s the most difficult decision as a rider or athlete to make, when it’s all you’ve ever known, but for me it’s the correct decision at the correct time. I’ll miss the burning fire inside to win, the team working and many things; thousands of things that are incredible in this job. It was super nice to read all the comments. I was able to see those messages about the impact I’ve had in the sport, and it made me feel very proud.”
Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team): “After the technical meetings, I had a clear idea of my future”
Discussing his move to BMW for 2026, ‘Petrux’ stated: “I’m really happy and proud to be a factory rider. Next season will be my fourth season, and riding with a factory team has been my goal. It was not an easy decision to leave Barni. They were the team that launched my career in MotoGP, and I stayed with them after that, now in WorldSBK, so it was very tough because we accomplished so much together. We spoke with the team on the technical side, looking at the bike and how Toprak is riding it. They said they asked Toprak who’s the rider who likes to brake hard to stop the bike, and he said I was one of the possibilities. I want to say thanks for this. It was a difficult choice, but after the technical meetings, I had a clear idea of my future. Taking Toprak’s seat is really challenging! I already feel the pressure. Rea’s the greatest rider in WorldSBK. Looking at his statistics, I think he did almost half of the WorldSBK races. He’s Mr. WorldSBK. Just the numbers can speak for him, and I’m so proud to have raced with him for the last part of his career.”
Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team): “He helped me a lot, especially when I had my first test at Portimao. I’ll never forget this”
Looking ahead to his return at Magny-Cours and reacting to Rea’s retirement news, ‘El Turco’ said: “Last year here wasn’t good for me because I had a really big crash. This is my favourite track, and my target is to win three races. I’m just thinking that last year I didn’t win here, and this year I want to win three races. I took my first win in WorldSBK here in 2019; I’m always strong here. I’m happy for Petrucci because he’s a very experienced rider. This is good to improve the BMW again. When I saw Rea’s news, I was sad. I’ve ridden with him for many years. He did an incredible job and had an incredible career. Six times World Champion and all in a row, that’s incredible; it’s why I say he’s a WorldSBK legend. He helped me a lot, especially when I had my first test at Portimao. He came to my box and showed me corner by corner, and I rode with him on the track. I’ll never forget this.”
Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “In the final weeks before making my decision, I had the chance to stay… I chose Barni because it was the more exciting proposal to me”
Reflecting on his move to Barni Ducati for 2026, Bautista said: “I’m so happy and excited for this new challenge with Barni. After the whole situation with the factory team, I appreciated them showing me that they wanted me for their bike, and that’s always a nice feeling. We spoke a lot with Ducati during the negotiations, and in the end, I think we arrived at a really good compromise. I will have full factory support from Ducati with the bike, technicians, etc. I didn’t want to keep racing just to keep racing; I want to fight for wins. This is my target, so I wanted to be sure that I would have the best on the technical side. Barni was my main option, but in the final weeks before making my decision, I had the chance to stay with Aruba.it Racing – Ducati. I chose Barni because it was the more exciting proposal to me, but it was always clear to stay on a Ducati. It’s not easy to make the decision that Jonny made, but I wish him the best for the future, and it has been a pleasure to race against the best rider in the history of WorldSBK.”
Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC): “They’re very happy with me, but for some reason, they still need time. I don’t have much more time”
Speaking about having a new teammate for France and his future, Vierge said: “Two weeks ago, we were testing at Aragon, which were two productive days. It’s very good to have Sergio and, of course, I wish a speedy recovery to Iker. Straight away at Aragon, he was very fast. I’m very happy for Iker as he’s doing a good job and he got a very good opportunity for next year. I know his speed, and he’ll be one of the title contenders. Right now, I’m the best Honda rider, and the reality right now is my future is still open. I had a clause with Honda, but this has already expired. They’re very happy with me, but for some reason, they still need time. I don’t have much more time. I’m free to speak to another factory, and I hope that in the coming weeks, I will sort out my future. The first thing is a big congratulations to Rea for an amazing career. It’s been a big pleasure to share the track with him in the last few years.”
Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati): “These next races will be better for me and my bike”
Expecting a battle with Razgatlioglu in France, Bulega said: “Toprak didn’t ride here because he was injured in FP2; we know that every year he’s very strong here. For sure, I expect that to be the same, but we are strong too, so I think we will be competitive, and we will try to stay in the front. The last few races have been at tracks that are not very good for me or for my bike; slow corners are not perfect for us. Here, some corners are more open and faster, and these next races will be better for me and my bike. I’m very motivated to be fast. Jonny is incredible, even at his age. When I arrived to WorldSBK, he was still very fast. He won a lot of races; he’s the greatest of all time. I’m very happy and proud to say I was able to race against him. I wish him the best for the rest of his life.”
Sergio Garcia (Honda HRC): “I think it could be a good track for me; I rode it recently on the PlayStation on the WorldSBK game”
Previewing his first weekend in WorldSBK, Garcia said: “I’m super happy to be here in a new Championship. Everything is different for me. I’m really focused on learning everything. The test went quite well. The bike was different, but from the first moment, I was going quite well. I was happy but super tired; I came directly from Balaton Park! Understanding everything on the bike was super fun, and I was learning every lap I did. The speed was different; the bike is so fast at the end of the straight. It’s different, but I like the bike, and the team did a great job adapting the bike to me. I think it could be a good track for me; I rode it recently on the PlayStation on the WorldSBK game.”
Andrea Locatelli (Pata Maxus Yamaha): “He is an all-time legend of the sport. I can only be jealous of everything he has accomplished”
Discussing his recent form and teammate Rea’s retirement, Locatelli said: “I’m arriving with full motivation after the podium at Suzuka, I have good confidence with the bike. We’re trying to keep the focus on that and push hard this weekend. It’s been a difficult season. Sometimes, we need to be realistic and shoot to achieve top fives because the competition’s level is so high. We have found a good base setup and a good feeling, and we’re working really well. I think from here until the end of the year, we have many possibilities for podiums and maybe even another race win if the possibility arises. This is our target for now. It was big news to me when I heard that Jonathan was retiring. I still see in his eyes that he wants to win. He is an all-time legend of the sport. I can only be jealous of everything he has accomplished. To have his mentality to want to win at all times at 38 years old is something I’ve learned from him.”