WorldSSP race 1 cancelled due to rain at Magny-Cours

MIE News
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The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team will have to wait until Sunday to race, with Saturday’s WorldSSP race 1 at the Nevers Magny-Cours Circuit postponed due to treacherous weather conditions.

WorldSSP race 1 cancelled due to rain at Magny-Cours

Morning warm-up ran in wet conditions, with riders Kaito Toba and Khairul Idham Pawi completing just three laps each as they made some final checks with their technicians ahead of the afternoon’s 19-lap race. Post-session, Pawi received the all-clear to continue riding after his accident in Friday’s Superpole. 

Race 1 looked set to get underway at 3.15pm CET, in heavy rain and on a soaking wet track. While Toba lined up on row seven of the grid, in nineteenth position, Pawi was forced to start from the back of the grid, having been unable to set a qualifying time after crashing early on in Friday’s Superpole. Although the field took to the grid as usual, the race was red flagged before it could even begin, with Race Direction deeming the weather conditions too dangerous. The rain only continued, which meant that race 1 was ultimately postponed until tomorrow. The WorldSSP riders will therefore line up for two races on Sunday, at 9.45am and 2pm respectively, the first of which will run over a distance of just 12 laps, the second consisting of the full 19 laps. 

Kaito Toba 

It’s a bit disappointing not to be able to race today, but the conditions were quite tricky. I could barely see the riders in front of me on the warm-up lap, there was a lot of water out on track. It was the right decision to postpone, so we’ll do two races tomorrow, with the first one being only 12 laps. Let’s see how the weather looks, as there’s a good chance there’ll still be water out on track.

Khairul Idham Pawi 

I agree with the decision to postpone today’s race until tomorrow – it would have been very risky to race, and we saw how many riders already crashed out of the previous SBK race. We’ll have to see what conditions are like in the morning. It won’t be easy for me starting from the back of the grid, but I’ll do my best.

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