Magny-Cours has hosted the production-derived series continuously since 2003, but the first edition took place in 1991.
However, races have also been held twice at Le Mans and once at Le Castellet. In total, 26 WorldSBK rounds have been contested in France, all on clockwise tracks.
GP data
According to Brembo technicians who work closely with 12 of the 14 WorldSBK teams, the 4.411 km Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is classified as a highly demanding track for braking systems.
On a scale from 1 to 5, it scores a difficulty index of 4, as riders use their brakes 9 times per lap for a total of 26.5 seconds. Seven braking zones are classified as Medium, one as High, and one as Light.
The most demanding braking point at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is Turn 5, known as Adelaide: Superbikes slow down from 291 km/h to 51 km/h in just 5.4 seconds, covering 233 meters.
Riders apply a force of 5.3 kg on the brake lever. Deceleration peaks at 1.5 g and Brembo brake fluid pressure hits 11.4 bar.
Toprak’s milestone
Before the summer break, the Superbike World Championship made its debut at Balaton Park Circuit.
The Superpole Race marked the 1000th race in the championship’s history and was won by Toprak Razgatlioglu on the factory BMW.
The Turkish rider had also won race number 800 on the Puccetti Racing Kawasaki and number 900 with the Yamaha Factory team. All three bikes were equipped with Brembo calipers, though braking systems have significantly evolved since 2019: the current setups feature cooling fins and anti-drag systems.
That photo finish
In 2012, Magny-Cours was the scene of one of the most thrilling season finales in WorldSBK history, even though the outcome seemed almost certain beforehand: Max Biaggi had a 30.5-point lead with only 50 points still up for grabs, as there were just two races per round at the time.
However, in Race 1 in France, the Roman rider crashed on lap 3, allowing Sykes to close the gap to 14.5 points and Marco Melandri to re-enter the title fight, trailing by 18.5 points.
Sykes won Race 2, but Biaggi's fifth-place finish was enough to secure the title by just half a point.
A legendary career
Max Biaggi won 6 World Championships. He was 250cc champion for four consecutive years, from 1994 to 1997, switching from Aprilia to Honda after his third title to clinch the fourth.
After retiring from Grand Prix racing, he managed to win two Superbike World Championships riding Aprilia machinery.
The one constant throughout was Brembo brakes, although he used axial calipers during his 250cc days.
Biaggi never won a title using carbon brakes, which are characteristic of the former 500cc class and now MotoGP. Then again, he was never known as a heavy braker, his strengths lay in precision, style, and mid-corner speed.