Ruthless Rinaldi powers to maiden WorldSBK win, Redding crashes out
2020 WorldSBK Teruel Aragon - Race Results (1)
Michael Ruben Rinaldi has soared to his maiden WorldSBK Championship victory in formidable style with a dominant performance in race one at Motorland Aragon, while Scott Redding’s title hopes were dealt a blow by a costly crash.
Already one of the standouts of the weekend after topping all three practice sessions and securing his maiden front row start in Superpole, Rinaldi would prove unstoppable in race trim too as he destroyed the opposition to win by almost six seconds.
Riding the privateer Go Eleven Ducati, Rinaldi came into this race - his 66th in WorldSBK - yet to have stepped on the WorldSBK podium but recovered from an indifferent getaway to pick off both Redding and Jonathan Rea on the opening lap before sprinting clear.
At times lapping 0.7s faster than even Rea, no-one could hold onto the Italian as he scythed home for not only his first WorldSBK success but a first for the stalwart Go Eleven outfit after many years in the series.
Though he couldn’t do anything about Rinaldi, Rea will still come away from the race with something to be pleased about after his key title rival Redding crashed out of third position on lap seven.
The Briton was already mired in a tussle with Alvaro Bautista when he low-sided off the Ducati at Turn 4, allowing Rea’s lead overall to swell to 30 points..
Yet again having to make up ground from a mediocre starting position, Chaz Davies nonetheless salvaged third position, his cause aided when Bautista also crashed out with four laps remaining while disputing the bottom step of the podium..
Michael van der Mark produced a fine ride to recover fourth from 12th on the grid, getting the better of factory Yamaha rider Toprak Razgatlioglu on the way.
An unwell Alex Lowes was another to make up ground with a fighting ride to sixth, fending off the close attentions of Leon Haslam, Eugene Laverty - scoring his best result of the year - and Federico Caricasulo, while Tom Sykes rounded out the top ten on the second of the BMWs.
Elsewhere, Loris Baz endured a disappointing race down in 12th position, just behind Garrett Gerloff, with the 15 lead lap finishers of Xavi Fores, debutant Matteo Ferrari and Takumi Takahashi completing the points’ paying positions.
