Munich. The wheels are turning again in Great Britain and France: the Easter weekend saw the start of the 2018 season in the British Superbike Championship (BSB), the French Superbike Championship (FSBK) and the French European Bikes Championship (FR EU). The BMW S 1000 RR riders were able to claim wins and podium finishes. In the British Superbike Championship Superstock class (BSB STK), Keith Farmer (GBR / Tyco BMW Motorrad) reached the podium in every race. In the FSBK, reigning champion Kenny Foray (FRA / Tecmas Racing Team) kicked off the new season with two second-place finishes. Matthieu Lussiana (FRA / Team ASPI) also reached the podium. In the FR EU, Jonathan Germany (FRA / Seven Racing Team) led the BMW riders to top-three and top-five lock-outs.
British Superbike Championship at Donington Park, Great Britain.
The 2018 British Superbike Championship (BSB) season started at Donington Park (GBR) in conditions that were more reminiscent of winter with the schedule disrupted by rain and cold temperatures. The first of the two Superbike class (BSB SBK) races was brought forward from Monday to Sunday due to the poor weather forecast. The best-placed BMW rider in the first race was Peter Hickman (GBR / Smiths Racing BMW) in eighth. The top-ten also featured Michael Laverty (GBR), who has returned to the Tyco BMW Motorrad team and finished tenth. Christian Iddon (GBR / Tyco BMW Motorrad) was the highest finishing BMW rider in the second race on Easter Monday when he crossed the line in sixth position. Laverty once again finished in tenth.
Three races took place over the weekend in the Superstock class (BSB STK) – and the BMW S 1000 RR riders claimed a podium and top ten finishes in all of them.
Races one and two were combined into an “endurance race” on Sunday. In the first race, Keith Farmer (GBR / Tyco BMW Motorrad) crossed the line in third place. In part two, Farmer claimed second position on the podium and also recorded the fastest lap time. His team-mate Dan Kneen (GBR), who is using the BSB STK to prepare for the road-racing season with Tyco BMW Motorrad, ended the race in fourth. A total of six BMW racers reached the top-ten in the two parts of the “endurance race”.
Farmer finished third to claim another podium in Monday’s third Superstock race. Michael Rutter (GBR / Bathams SMT) was right behind him in fourth.
Keith Farmer: “It’s been really nice to start the season off for Tyco BMW with podium finishes here at Donington Park. I’m really getting a good feeling with the BMW S 1000 RR now, so every time we go out, we are improving and learning more.”
French Superbike Championship at Le Mans, France.
Le Mans (FRA) was the first stop for the French Superbike Championship 2018 (FSBK) at the weekend. The season began with three podium finishes for the BMW S 1000 RR. Defending champion Kenny Foray (FRA / Tecmas Racing Team) claimed second place in both races. Matthieu Lussiana (Team ASPI) also reached the podium, finishing third in the second race. In the second race, Maxime Bonnot (FRA / Tecmas Racing Team) finished in second position in the Challenger class (FSBK Ch).
Kenny Foray: “It was a good weekend, but a difficult one, as the weather was very changeable from Friday on. We did not get much track time in the dry so it was not easy to prepare for the races. I was third on the grid for both heats. In race one, I had a good start but struggled to push as I didn’t have a good feel on the bike so I finished second with quite a gap to the winner – but that was the maximum I could do. I had another good start in the second race and I was close behind the leader for almost the entire race but then I made one or two mistakes so I finished second again but I was happy because my feeling was back.”
French European Bikes Championship at Le Mans, France.
The French European Bikes Championship (FR EU), a championship exclusively for motorbikes made by European manufacturers, is hosting its races together with the FSBK in 2018. It was a brilliant start to the season for the BMW S 1000 RR riders at Le Mans (FRA). They celebrated top-three and top-five lock-outs in a strong field that featured over 40 competitors.
Jonathan Germany (FRA) from the Seven Racing Team topped the podium after winning both races. Reigning champion Florian Brunet-Lugardon (FRA / Gers Moto Vitesse Ordannaise) claimed second place in both races. In race one, Julien Brun (FRA) completed the podium in third position. Hernani Teixeira (FRA) secured the third podium spot in the second race. Léo Challamel and Alexandre Leleu (both FRA) completed the top-five lock-out in fourth and fifth respectively.
