The open practice session on Friday was held under sunny conditions and all the riders in the 3C-Racing Team wanted to put in as many laps as possible. Apart from a short practice session in Mugello beforehand, they had hardly had a chance to get a feel for the new WSBK bike. This was a major handicap because there is a considerable difference between the engines and chassis of the IDM and WSBK bikes.

The 3C-Racing Team was supported in the pits by five Ducati engineers and its IDM partners Öhlins and Pirelli. Both companies sent their technicians from the IDM series to Magny Cours to provide the best possible support for the wild card start of the IDM-winning 3C Racing Team.

Xavi Forés qualified directly for the superpole 2, whilst Max Neukirchner and Lorenzo Lanzi had to take the long route via the superpole 1. Neukirchner (12th position) lined up with Forés (11th position) on the fourth row of the starting grid. Lanzi ended up starting from 15th position.

It rained non-stop on the Sunday of the meeting and both legs turned into wet races. Forés rode brilliantly and had the chance of finishing in the top 5 in both races. However, he fell in the first race whilst lying in 6th place and unfortunately also had to drop out of the second race with a technical defect.

Neukirchner secured his best World Championship placings since 2009 with 6th and 9th positions and thus earned the 3C-Racing Team two top 10 places on its first World Championship appearance.

Lanzi lived up to his reputation as a rain specialist. In the first race at Magny Cours he crossed the finishing line immediately behind Davide Giugliano (Ducati works team) in 8th position and thus one place ahead of Neukirchner. Lanzi managed an even bigger sensation in the second race by finishing 5th, his converted IDM 3C-Racing Team machine was the best placed Ducati in this race – over 40 seconds in front of the works machine of Chaz Davies (9th position).

Team boss Karsten Jerschke: "The technical level and the riding skills in World Superbike racing are very impressive. It's exciting to have so much competition all of a sudden, the gaps between all the riders are minimal. All in all, 3C was able to keep up with the world's elite. From a standing start, the team has conjured up a bike capable of taking on the best in the world on a completely different basis to that in the IDM series. In view of the fact that the competition has had a whole year to fine-tune their machines, our result is almost sensational."

Xavi Forés and Max Neukirchner, the newly crowned champion and runner-up in the SUPERBIKE*IDM, attended the Ducati stand at the Intermot fair for two days to meet fans face-to-face. The pair then made their way straight to Magny Cours for the World Championship meeting.

At the press conference for the world premiere of the Ducati Scrambler, Claudio Domenicali (CEO Ducati) and Walter Bauer (general manager of Ducati Germany) thanked the 3C-Racing Team and its victorious riders in person for their achievements. The three titles were then celebrated in appropriate fashion.

The winning bikes of the 3C-Racing Team were on display to the general public every day at the fair with the team's partners Ducati and Öhlins. This gave visitors to the fair in Cologne the opportunity to admire the IDM Superbikes ridden by Forés and Neukirchner at close quarters.

The 3C Racing Team crew broke camp early in the evening of the last IDM meeting in Hockenheim to travel back to Mugello. Xavi Forés and Max Neukirchner will be practicing there for two days ahead of the impending World Superbike Championship together with the Ducati works team.

The 3C Racing Team web site will shortly reveal more details on the upcoming meeting in France.

The 3C Racing Team's debut season in the SUPERBIKE*IDM ended in Hockenheim. Xavi Forés (ESP), Max Neukirchner (D) and Lorenzo Lanzi (I) have raised the top class series to a new level this year. The trio won 11 of the 15 races in the season on their Ducati 1199 Panigale R machines.

The favourite for the title, Xavi Forés, twice came in second at the final meeting watched by 12,000 spectators. The crowd was able to acknowledge him as International German Superbike champion of 2014 after the first race. The Spaniard did not take any further risks on the way to his triumph.

It was still mathematically possible for his teammate Max Neukirchner from Stollberg in Saxony to steal the title from Forés. However, with 26 points in arrears behind the leader before the final meeting, his theoretical chances depended on Forés dropping out all together. Neukirchner came in third and fourth in the two races on the 3,624 metre long track in Hockenheim. He is runner-up in the Superbike class.

It could hardly have been a better end to the season for Lorenzo Lanzi, who did not join the team until mid-way through the season. He was lying in third position in the first race when his front wheel collapsed. Quickly recovering from his fall, he made amends by winning the second race, his first victory in the SUPERBIKE*IDM.

The victory celebrations were short because the 3C Racing Team crew packed up the same evening to set off again for Mugello. The riders are practising there at the moment for the impending Superbike World Championship.

Xavi Forés: "I'm just so happy to finally get my hands on the winner's trophy. I didn't really know what to expect in the SUPERBIKE*IDM at the start of the season, but after I won my first race at the Lausitzring, I then wanted the title. It means a great deal to me and I've worked very hard to achieve it."

Lorenzo Lanzi: "I hadn't expected to win at the start of the race. It was difficult to find the right line in the rain and to get past opponents. Still, I'm delighted that I made the most of the last chance on offer this year."

Karsten Jerschke, team boss: "That was a wonderful season for us in the SUPERBIKE*IDM, with the best riders, the best mechanics, the best bikes and the best organisation. We've achieved our goal of winning the championship in Germany's highest motorbike racing class. We'll carry on next year in one form or another. The decision will be taken in the next few weeks."

During a rainy practice session, Xavi Forés rode the fastest lap of 1:31.487 min on his Ducati 1199 Panigale R and thus started from pole position. He was joined on the front row of the grid by Markus Reiterberger (BMW) and Max Neukirchner. Their 3C teammate Lorenzo Lanzi (I) qualified as fifth fastest and started from row two.

Lanzi got off to a perfect start in the first race. He took the lead even before the riders entered the first bend, but was soon overtaken again by Forés. The Spaniard then opened up a gap to the chasing group with only Reiterberger able to keep up with him. The race was decided on lap 16 of 21. Whilst Forés was held up by a pack of tailenders, Reiterberger seized his chance and swept past him. Forés eventually crossed the finish line in second place, Neukirchner came in third and Lanzi ended up fourth to complete the fellowship of the Ducati trio. This result meant that the 3C Racing Team riders ensured the constructors' title for Ducati even before the second race started. They were watched by Superbike Championship project head Ernesto Marinelli, who had travelled to the Lausitzring especially for the event. After the second race, Reiterberger once again took top spot on the victory rostrum between Forés and Neukirchner, although this time the Ducati riders swapped places. The 3C Racing Team did not want to take any risks and changed tyres as the track started to dry out, so as not to endanger their impending title victory in Hockenheim.

Xavi Forés: "That was the dress rehearsal for the showdown in Hockenheim. If I'd started on intermediate tyres like Reiterberger, I may well have won today. However, our mission is to win the title and not to take any needless risks."