SMW Racing a bittersweet Magny-Cours for Iglesias and Millan
WSSP300 | Prosecco French Round | Monday 12 September 2022
The Italian-Polish team fails to achieve the desired results at the French track, but collates significant encouraging data with Iglesias and Millan
The SMW Racing team rounds out a difficult Pirelli French Round with two top ten finishes and now looks ahead with confidence to the penultimate race weekend of the season in Spain. The Italian-Polish team was unable to fully exploit its potential at Magny-Cours but proved to be one of the fastest and most competitive teams on track, thanks to its Kawasaki Ninja 400 bikes.
Inigo Iglesias set the fifth fastest time in Superpole. In race 1, #58 was one of the strongest riders on track, but a penalty put him out of the running for victory and saw him drop back to thirteenth place. Iglesias soon made up much of the lost ground, but tyre wear meant he was unable to fight for his first win of the season, the Spaniard crossing the line in fifth place. In race 2, Inigo finished tenth in what turned out to be one of the hardest fought races of the season. It was a tough weekend for Alex Millan, who was back at the French track for the first time in two years. #14 was unable to express himself on track due to a lack of feeling and a less than ideal setting, closing eighteenth in Superpole and twentieth in Saturday’s race 1. In race 2, Millan battled hard to reach the points zone as part of the chasing group, but ultimately had to settle for seventeenth place.
The next round will take place at the Circuito di Barcelona-Catalunya on 24-25 September.
Inigo Iglesias, #58
“A positive weekend, despite it all. I’m very pleased with my performance but not with the results. In race 1, we did everything perfectly, moving straight to the front. I completed my long lap and quickly closed the gap. Unfortunately though, the state of the tyres didn’t allow us to do more than fifth and fight for the win, but it was nevertheless a strong result. In race 2, I struggled more in what was a very hard-fought race. I gave it my all, even if the end results doesn’t reflect our performance. I can’t wait to get back to Spain and head out on track for my home round.”
Alex Millan, #14
“This weekend was a really difficult one, but we improved a lot with a view to Barcelona, a track that suits me better. I’m sorry I had a few problems in Superpole and couldn’t set a stronger time. Race 1 was tough, as I couldn’t be as incisive in the battles as I’d hoped to be, but in Sunday morning’s warm-up I felt I had better feeling with the bike and we improved in race 2. Unfortunately, I got blocked in in the final stages and so we didn’t reach the points zone.”
