Jonathan Rea tees himself up for sixth WorldSBK title with 99th career win
Jonathan Rea is well on course to wrap up a sixth consecutive WorldSBK Championship win in the final race of the weekend at Magny-Cours after scoring his 99th career victory in wet conditions.
With the treacherous weather of Saturday making its presence felt again on Sunday, Rea was yet again in fine form as he nosed in front to assume a lead he’d go on to maintain to the end of the chequered flag.
His fifth 10 lap Superpole Race sprint win of the year and 11th victory of the year, Rea’s success - coupled with Scott Redding’s fourth position - means he holds a 71 point lead into race two, knowing he will be crowned champion so long as he remains 62 points clear of the Ducati rider.
Moreover, a third race win of the weekend this afternoon would see Rea crown another record-breaking success with an extraordinary 100th WorldSBK win.
Following his return to the rostrum on Saturday, Alex Lowes stepped onto the podium again to follow Rea home in a Kawasaki 1-2, while Michael van der Mark made amends for his race one tumble to secure third position.
He had to work hard for it after coming under threat from Redding in the closing stages, the pair just inches apart as they rounded the penultimate corner on the final lap, with the Dutchman eventually getting the edge.
Chaz Davies completed the top five from Loris Baz and Michael Ruben Rinaldi, while Texan racer Garrett Gerloff bounced back from more than one off-track moment to score eighth position, while Toprak Razgatlioglu and Leandro Mercado completed the top ten positions.
After his bruising crash in race one, Leon Haslam was 11th at the flag from Xavi Fores, Sylvain Barrier and Alvaro Bautista, once more struggling on the Honda.
Looking for greater fortune than Saturday when they collided at the first corner and crashed out, the Superpole Race would prove no more fruitful as Eugene Laverty slipped to 15th and Tom Sykes was forced to pit.
