Rea claims fifth WorldSBK title

Kawasaki Racing Team's Jonathan Rea has claimed his fifth WorldSBK title, after securing a second and a first place at Round 11 of championship, held at Magny Cours, France.

The meeting, held over September 27-29, also saw Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) claim his maiden race win in Race 1, marking the first ever WorldSBK win by a Turkish rider. The Kawasaki ZX-10RR rider also won the Sprint event.

Starting from pole position for the first time in WorldSBK, Razgatlioglu couldn't make the same lightning start which saw him leap up the order in the two previous races. Rea edged up the inside into turn one to grab the lead but he wouldn't stay ahead for long, as Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) used the slipstream to hit the front at the Adelaide hairpin.

The moment which ultimately proved decisive in the 2019 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship came on lap two, as Razgatlioglu lost the rear of his Kawasaki on the exit of turn 13.

As the Turkish rider fought to control the slide, Alvaro Bautista was powerless to avoid the race one winner and both riders crashed out. With the words 'BAUTISTA OUT' displayed on his pit-board, Rea knew a race victory would see him make history.

Van der Mark was keen to ensure that Rea didn't have an unchallenged run to a fifth WorldSBK crown, keeping the Ulsterman at bay until the Imola chicane on lap six. The Dutchman didn't trail for long with the Yamaha proving a formidable motorcycle down the back straight towards turn five, an advantage van der Mark utilised to power past on lap eight.

As the race ticked over half distance, Rea mounted another attack on the leader with van der Mark going defensive into Adelaide. The championship leader was wise to this tactic though and drew alongside into the following Nurburgring chicane, making the move stick on lap 13. With van der Mark no longer close enough to make use of the slipstream next time around, Rea had the margin he needed to ease clear.

Despite a valiant effort from van der Mark, the advantage grew to over one second, allowing Rea to close out the final laps and claim his 12th victory of 2019. However, this one was the sweetest of all, as he completed one of the great WorldSBK comebacks. From 61 points behind, Rea now holds an unassailable 129-point advantage and a place in the history books as the first ever five-time WorldSBK champion.

Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) completed the team's first double-podium of the season with a close third, consolidating third in the championship standings, while Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing, Ducati), who was heavily delayed in the early collision between his team-mate Bautista and Razgatlioglu, recovered to finish fourth, overtaking home favourite Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing, Yamaha) on lap 14.

Despite a late challenge from the Frenchman, he was forced to settle for fifth, completing a positive weekend at his home round as the top independent rider in Race 2.

Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) closed out the final European round of his WorldSBK career with a strong charge from 15th on the grid to sixth, winning a close three-way fight on the last lap. The Italian finished just a 10th of a second clear of Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) with Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) right behind the pair in eighth.

Leon Camier (Moriwaki Althea Honda Team) capped off an impressive comeback with ninth place, finishing a second clear of Jordi Torres (Team Pedercini Racing).

Elsewhere, there were points for French wildcard Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) in 13th but disappointment for Sandro Cortese (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK), who was forced to retire midway through the race while running in the top 10.

WorldSBK Rd11 Race 2 results:
1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
2. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team)
3. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team)
4. Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati)
5. Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing – Yamaha)
6. Marco Melandri (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK)

The previous day's comeback was impressive as Razgatlioglu claimed a momentous maiden victory, but the 22-year-old made it two out of two at the Pirelli French Round, clinching a stunning Tissot Superpole Race victory after another battle with Rea.

As the lights went out, van der Mark launched into an early lead, slipping up the inside of Rea into the first corner. Haslam maintained third with Sykes climbing two places to fourth. Davies and Razgatlioglu were both big movers, improving up to eighth and 10th respectively.

The Razgatlioglu roll continued on the second lap, gaining three places in an incredible move on the brakes into the Adelaide hairpin, overhauling Davies, Lowes and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team). In the meantime, Rea had managed to wrestle control away from van der Mark, easing up the inside at the Imola chicane.

Eleven places had been gained in the first two laps, and two more would follow for Razgatlioglu on lap three, as the remarkable prowess of the Turkish rider on the brakes took him past Sykes at the Adelaide hairpin, before Haslam relinquished third three corners later. When van der Mark was overtaken at Adelaide shortly before half distance, the stage was set for a repeat of the previous day's last lap battle for the lead in Race 1.

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On lap seven, the comeback was complete with the Turkish Puccetti Racing rider storming up the inside of Rea into his favourite overtaking spot, the Adelaide hairpin. The world champion stayed in touch with Razgatlioglu, and even threatened a counter attack on the final lap, but the Ulsterman couldn't quite get his Kawasaki stopped into turn five, opening the door for Toprak to ease past on the exit and claim his second victory in a row.

The fight for the final front row spot in Race 2 went down to the last lap as well with Davies, who had earlier made light work of Haslam and Sykes, chasing down the Yamaha of van der Mark. The Dutchman held on for third in the end, with Davies heading the second row of the grid.

Tissot Superpole results:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing)
2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
3. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team)
4. Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati)
5. Alvaro Bautista (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati)
6. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team)

Despite a disappointing Tissot Superpole session, Razgatlioglu made WorldSBK history at the Pirelli French Round by becoming the first Turkish winner in the championship's history. In doing so, he also set a new record for the most positions gained to take a maiden WorldSBK victory.

After qualifying on the sixth row, Razgatlioglu had plenty of work to do but a sensational opening lap saw him soar into contention. With one position gained thanks to Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) being demoted to the back of the grid on the warm-up lap, Toprak passed eight others to end the opening lap in seventh.

Razgatlioglu's ascent up the order continued although he was fortunate to avoid an accident on lap four when Davies crashed out, making slight contact with the Turkish rider's right arm. After a late crash for van der Mark, Razgatlioglu was chasing down Rea for the victory, ultimately getting the better of the world champion with four corners remaining.

WorldSBK Rd11 Race 1 results:
1. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing)
2. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
3. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team)
4. Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing – Yamaha)
5. Alvaro Bautista (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati)
6. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team)

WorldSBK Championship standings after Rd11:
1. Jonathan Rea – Kawasaki, 544 points
2. Alvaro Bautista – Ducati, 415pts
3. Alex Lowes – Yamaha, 279pts
4. Michael van der Mark – Yamaha, 274 points
5. Toprak Razgatlioglu – Kawasaki, 260 points

Round 12 of the 2019 FIM MOTUL Superbike World Championship will be held in San Juan, Argentina, over October 11-13.