WSBK – The grid for the World Superbike 2015 is full – WSBK 2015: a French, a Luxembourger …

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The 2015 World Superbike grid fills up

WSBK - The grid for the World Superbike 2015 is full - WSBK 2015: a French, a Luxembourger ...

Barrier confirmed at BMW Italia, Ponsson hired by Kawasaki Grillini, Salom back at Kawasaki Pedercini, Pegram and Canepa recruited by EBR Hero, Badovini by BMW JR Racing: the WSBK 2015 grid is gradually filling up. MNC takes stock.

WSBK 2015: a French, a Luxembourger…

Sylvain Barrier had whispered it to the and the information was confirmed of-fi-ly with a little delay: our double champion of Superstock 1000 (2012 and 2013) will find his team BMW Italia for a second season in World Superbike. !

"I am very happy to continue with the BMW Motorrad Italia Superbike Team"Says" Syl’20 "delighted to get another chance after seeing his top level spoiled by one and …

Unlucky, the BMW driver actually only competed in the second half of the season, "but the team has always been behind me and it helped me overcome the most difficult times", recognizes Sylvain who will again be supervised by Gerardo Acocella and his chief mechanic Rossano Innocenti.

Sylvain Barrier remains well at BMW Italia

With 40 points registered in only 11 races contested (against 24 for his opponents), the colt of double WSBK champion James Toseland himself was ranked 15th in the "Scratch" classification and 4th in the furtive "Evo" category (read). In 2015, Mister Barrier aims much higher.

"Every time we were on the track with the Evo (the S1000RR 2014 in Evo configuration, NDLR), we have always produced very good performances and with the new regulation I think we will be able to achieve good results", predicts the n ° 20 who rode this season with the n ° 52 of his mentor.

Andrea Buzzoni, CEO of BMW Motorrad Italia, insists: "we are very confident for next year, our team is made up of excellent professionals, a very talented rider and a significantly improved bike", he lists.

Very satisfied during the last tests by the electronics operating on their new Superbike in 2015, the Italian boss warns: "we can’t wait to get back on the track and race to reach the forefront of this category, which I am delighted to see find a unique format".

Remember that if Sylvain was relegated in 2014 to the background – along with David Salom and Niccolo Canepa, who fought all year for the "title" Evo – it was because of a motorcycle in particular less powerful than the "real" factory Superbikes…

From 2015, Sylvain Barrier will be able to fight with arms – a little more! – equal against the cadors of the discipline, Sylvain Guintoli, Tom Sykes, Jonathan Rea, Chaz Davies, Leon Haslam, Davide Giugliano, Alex Lowes, etc..

Like Randy de Puniet, a fourth French rider – of French origin but naturalized Luxembourg – will make his World Superbike debut next season: Christophe Ponsson, hired by the Kawasaki Grillini team (and by "surprise" a little too ) !

Unlike Loris Baz or other Sylvain Barrier, Christophe Ponsson is preparing to land in the big leagues without ever having won a title or a race, or even climbed the podium: 29th in the Superstock 600 during his debut in motorcycle competition (!) on Yamaha R6, he finished the following STK 600 season in 14th place, on ZX-6R this time, with a few tenth places as the best results.

Christophe Ponsson heads to Grillini

Still within Adrien Morillas’ team (Kawasaki MRS), the n ° 23 climbed in 2013 in the Superstock 1000 category where he collected 22 points and secured a 15th place in the general classification STK1000. Last year he had a more disjointed season on a BB3 prepared by Bimota Alstare, starting in the Spanish Superbike Championship (CEV) and finishing in the British Championship (BSB).

These are however " the two most important national championships in Europe", remarks his team for 2015! Still very young – 19 years old next Tuesday – but already very tall – 1.88 m – and solidly supported – his main sponsor is called" Fiduciaire Euro Conseil Entreprise ", a company managed by Jean-Christophe Ponsson : his dad! – Christophe did not lose his hand, quite the contrary !

As a reminder – or for info? -, the motorcycles of the British Superbike are devoid of traction control … "Another one in the rain, a bit of gas skating. Nice to learn without traction control. More finesse. # 23", Christophe posted on his Facebook page on October 23. In 2015 he will find a ZX-10R clad in electronics … Nice too, no ?!

Note on occasion that Sheridan Morais, who had signed for a second season with Kawasaki Pedercini, will ultimately not team up with Christophe Ponsson. The South African rider nevertheless found refuge in world supersport with Simon Buckmaster, the team manager of Honda CIA Landlords Insurance..

"Shez" had already ridden for the PTR structure in 2013, "but didn’t get the results we both wanted. He was injured early in the season and it took us a while to find the right balance on his bike". In 2015, Sofuoglu and Cluzel will not be the only ones aiming for the WSSP title…

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