After what has been an important development Year for Lucas Mahias and his Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team, the Frenchman was back to winning ways with a thrilling home victory at Magny-Cours. The 2017 WorldSSP champion took his first win of the 2019 season in and extraordinary sequence of events to give a massive French audience a home win.

Mahias was the man on the move early on in the race but was caught out when championship leader Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) crashed on the exit of Turn 10 on the opening lap. Mahias recovered and soon found himself in the battle for the win, as Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) also crashed from the lead.

Mahias took on Isaac Viñales (Kallio Racing), the Team Pedercini Racing Kawasaki duo of Kyle Smith and Ayrton Badovini, as well as Raffaele De Rosa (REPARTO CORSE MV Agusta) and Jules Cluzel (GMT94 YAMAHA). On the final lap, he put a pass on Viñales at Turn 13 and sent the French crowd into a frenzy, holding on to win.

Reflecting on an emotional return to the top step of the podium, Mahias said: “I am very happy for sure, this is my target. When I arrive at Magny-Cours, I focussed on winning. This weekend was not for finishing in P2 or P3, I was only pushing for the victory. If I have to take the maximum risk on the final lap, then it will be for the victory. It was a great race with lots of fighting, which was all clean.”

The win has been coming for Mahias, with three third-places leading up to his home round, before a win made it four consecutive podiums – something he last achieved in the last four races of 2018. He has never achieved five consecutive rostrums.

Turning his focus on the Motul Argentinean Round success, Mahias stated: “I think Argentina is difficult for the Kawasaki, because we have a long straight and also in Qatar too. Really, I don’t know, but I will be pushing for the maximum and now that I have won a race, it is good for the confidence. I don’t what the condition of the track will be like this year but, I’m ready!”

Find out if Mahias can make it back-to-back wins for only the second time in his career with the WorldSBK VideoPass!