Jonathan Rea out of final WorldSBK race after crash with rival

The main drama of the Spanish WorldSBK Superpole Race was the contact on the opening lap between title rivals Nicolo Bulega and Toprak Razgatlioglu, but for Jonathan Rea there was a career-ending crash only moments before.

Bulega and Razgatlioglu came together at turn five on lap one. Razgatlioglu crashed as a result and didn’t finish the race, while Bulega incurred a long lap penalty but won comfortably regardless.

Only two corners before the contact between the two title protagonists, though, Jonathan Rea was caught up in a crash with Remy Gardner at turn three.

The two made contact when Gardner lost control of his Yamaha R1 over the inside kerb at turn three. Rea was collected by Gardner’s high-siding bike and tumbled into the gravel.

While Gardner was able to walk away, Rea was taken away on a stretcher.

Both went to the medical centre, where Rea was diagnosed with a right knee sprain and contusion, while Gardner suffered a right shoulder contusion.

Both were to be reviewed before Race 2 and while Gardner was passed fit to ride in the final race of the season, Jonathan Rea was declared unfit due to functional impairment that came as a consequence of his knee injury.

It means Rea will miss what was due to be the final race of his career. He will enter retirement from full-time racing in World Superbike after today’s (19 October) Race 2 at Jerez, bringing an end to a 17-season career in the premier class of the production derivative series that has seen him win six world titles and 119 races.