The opening day of WorldSBK act෴ion at Magny-Cours went very much the way of Pata Yamaha rider Toprak Razgatlioglu. 

The current championship leader was consistently quicker than anyone during the race simulations, before emphatically 🐼setting a time of 1:37.138s which was ov💙er two tenths faster than Scott Redding. 

His biggest title r🐻ival at present, Jonathan Rea was a further tenth back in third after topping a less representative FP1 session due to track action being limited because of 🦂damp conditions.

While fast in the changing conditions this morning - finished fifth, Razgatlioglu’s 15 lap race simulation this afternoon left him ‘very positi♉ve’, so much so ‘that now ꦇwe are ready to race’.  

Razgatlioglu added: "Today in the first free practice, with the bad conditions it was not a really an easy start and for me it is also the first time I ride a Yamaha at this track in the dr♋y conditions.

"We changed some set-up for FP2 and I am feeling much better! I tried a🐲 race simulation of 15 laps – which was very, very positive. 

"We are happy because we found a good improvement in the afternoonꦬ, the R1 is working very well here an🌃d now we are ready to race. We need to win again, and I aim to fight for the victory."

For Razgatlioglu’s ༺team-mate Andrea Locatelli, it was an opening day that didn’t see him light up the times as we’ve seen in recent rounds. 

However, theℱ Italian was h⭕appy with the work done on his first visit to Magny-Cours with WorldSBK machinery. 

"It was a difficult💧 first day in the end, but also I am happy - we don’t see a top position overall but we work very well," said Locatelli. 

"We tried to make a long run this afternoon, it is my first tim𓆉e here in Magny-Cours with this bike and the pace was not so bad! 

"For sure we nee♉d to try to꧅ search for a little bit more speed, especially in sector two, but in general I am happy because it is the first time.

"We need to work a little bit around the b🌟ike and also I need to understand the track, but tomorrow we can improve. 

"It’s not easy, I have never seeꦰn the track in the dry because last year in WorldSSP I only rode in the wet conditions, but we will see what is possible and for sure we will try to get the maximum."