The world’s best Supermoto riders battled fiercely and wrapped up an exciting opening day at the Visonta round of the discipline’s World Championship series on Saturday. At Black Star Speedway, the premier class – S1GP – saw reigning champion and four-time World Champion Marc-Reiner Schmidt take victory in the first race, while in SM Junior, local rider Dávid Bereczki secured third place in qualifying in front of his home crowd.
During the morning free practice sessions, it was the reigning champion Marc-Reiner Schmidt who set the pace in S1GP, lapping the 1.7-kilometer track on average about half a second faster than Frenchman Steve Bonnal, who ended up second. Among the Hungarian riders, Balázs Surányi posted 8th and 9th place times, while Gergely Kardos finished 16th in both sessions.
In the three-stage S1GP qualifying session held in the afternoon, Surányi narrowly missed out on advancing from Q1, finishing 10th – with only the top 9 progressing. Kardos ended up 16th in qualifying. Advancing from Q2 to the pole-deciding Superpole were Milan Sitniansky (CZE), Steve Bonnal (FRA), and Schmidt. In a surprise result, Bonnal clocked the fastest lap in Superpole, earning him pole position for the race.
In the race held in the early evening, Schmidt made an assertive and aggressive move on Bonnal right off the line, taking the lead into the first corner – and from then on, no one could come close to challenging him. Bonnal dropped back significantly, while Sitniansky came home in second and Lukas Höllbacher crossed the line in third at the end of the roughly 20-minute race. Balázs Surányi finished 10th, while Gergő Kardos received a five-place penalty due to his bike failing the noise test, leaving him classified 18th.
“This track is incredible with the sky section, the asphalt part, and the off-road sector all combined. I wouldn’t say it’s easy to ride, because it’s quite slippery in some places, but I really like it. And the atmosphere here in Hungary is amazing too – there are a lot of fans, they can get really close to us, and they’re right here with us in the paddock as well. I got a really good start in the race, then tried to push hard in the first few laps, which allowed me to build a 7–8 second gap – that was more than enough, so from there I just focused on not making any mistakes,” said Schmidt about the Visonta circuit, of which there are only two other similar tracks in all of Europe.
“I had a small issue with the bike setup during the free practices and qualifying, so this was the maximum I could achieve, and I’m happy with third place. The track is extremely fun – the asphalt is brand new and clean, the off-road section is very technical, and the sky section is simply amazing, so overall it’s a fantastic layout. Overtaking isn’t easy here, but it’s still a great track,” said Höllbacher.
In SM Junior, local favorite Dávid Bereczki kept the home crowd on their toes, as the talented young rider battled fiercely with his Ukrainian rival, Jevsevii Kovalov, in both free practice sessions, running in the lead group. He eventually secured third place in qualifying. Zétény Tóth also delivered a strong performance, finishing both free practices in fourth place and then securing the same position in qualifying.
In the European Championship battle of the S2 category, French rider Adrien Sarda topped both free practice sessions. However, during the qualifying session held after a brief rain shower, he had to settle for second on the grid behind Swiss rider Nathan Terraneo. In the afternoon race, it was Melvin Viola – who started from third position – who proved to be the fastest, finishing ahead of his compatriot Sarda and Terraneo, who dropped back after the start.
At the comprehensively upgraded Black Star Speedway, organizers welcomed spectators with a range of side programs, demonstrations, and hospitality services. Thanks to the fast-paced format and packed schedule, fans were entertained throughout the day without a dull moment.
The weekend continues on Sunday from 8:50 AM, with gates opening at 8:00. In addition to the races, the program will feature a fan meet-and-greet, a motorcycle stunt show, and a drift demonstration.
