Rea keeps clear of Sykes ahead of World Superbike title shot

Full WorldSBK FP4 results from Magny-Cours

Jonathan Rea has tightened his grip on top spot at Magny-Cours by ending the short FP4 fastest ahead of Kawasaki team-mate Tom Sykes, as he prepares for his first opportunity to seal an historic fourth consecutive world title.

Rea keeps clear of Sykes ahead of World Superbike title shot

Full WorldSBK FP4 results from Magny-Cours

Jonathan Rea has tightened his grip on top spot at Magny-Cours by ending the short FP4 fastest ahead of Kawasaki team-mate Tom Sykes, as he prepares for his first opportunity to seal an historic fourth consecutive world title.

The Kawasaki rider saw off challenges from Barni Ducati’s Xavi Fores and Sykes during the 20-minute session to take the top time with a 1m 37.561s, just over one-tenth faster than his team-mate, to complete a clean sweep after heading up the combined practice times from Friday practice.

Rea can seal his fourth straight World Superbike crown in the same race as his 2017 triumph, race one at the French round, if he outscores Chaz Davies by nine points and concedes fewer than 12 points to Michael van der Mark.

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Davies ended FP4 down in fifth place for Aruba.it Racing Ducati behind team-mate Marco Melandri in third and Fores in fourth.

Local rider Loris Baz continued to impress with the Althea BMW in sixth place, having grabbed a Q2 spot by just 0.004s from Milwaukee Aprilia’s Eugene Laverty yesterday, with Pata Yamaha pair Alex Lowes and van der Mark following in seventh and eighth respectively at the end of FP4.

Toprak Razgatlioglu made a late charge up the times to take ninth place for Puccetti Kawasaki ahead of Leon Camier on the Red Bull Honda.

Both Milwaukee Aprilias ended the session off the pace with Laverty down in 14th – almost 1.5s slower than leader Rea – while team-mate Lorenzo Savadori crashed out of his third lap to see him stranded down in 16th.

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