WSBK: Rea Secures Sixth Title as Razgatlioglu Wins in Estoril Race 1

Jonathan Rea wrapped up his sixth world title in the opening race at Estoril.

A fourth place finish was enough for Rea to extend his advantage to an uncatchable 72 points over Scott Redding. Chaz Davies sits third, another 39 points adrift.

The race win went to an unstoppable Toprak Razgatlioglu who stormed to victory from pole. Davies held off Garrett Gerloff for second.

Going into the race, Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) needed to win and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) to finish 14^th or lower to keep the championship fight alive. P13 was enough for Rea to secure the title under all circumstances.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) had a brilliant start from his career-first pole position and led into Turn 1. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GoEleven) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) lined up behind him while Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) dropped positions from the front row.

Crashes in qualifying for Rea and Redding meant that they started the race in 15^th and 22^nd respectively. While Redding struggled down the order, Rea was up to seventh already by the end of Lap 1.

The Kawasaki rider claimed Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) in one move on Lap 2. Rea was on the go and overtook Leon Haslam (Team HRC) at Turn 1 before sweeping past Rinaldi, who had fallen behind Gerloff, through Turns 9 and 10.

Van der Mark and Davies had found their rhythm and both passed Haslam and Rinaldi to join Rea in the hunt for the front. Razgatlioglu, however, was already 1.5 seconds ahead of the field by Lap 4.

The championship was decided on Lap 6 when Redding rolled out with a technical problem. It was not time to celebrate for Rea yet though as a chasing group of Gerloff, Rea, van der Mark and Davies had formed.

The quartet was reduced to a trio when van der Mark went down at Orelha on Lap 8 and was out of the race. Rea took charge of the group at Turn 1 when he dived down Gerloff’s inside a lap later, the American trying everything to hang on to his position but having to surrender to the Kawasaki.

With Razgatlioglu’s lead up to almost four seconds, it became clear that the chasers were only fighting over second. It was Davies who turned out to have the best pace as he pulled out of the slipstream down the start/finish straight to overtake Gerloff into Turn 1 on Lap 11 before repeating the same move on Rea a lap later.

Gerloff capitalised when Rea went slightly wide and as the pair engaged in battle, Davies started to make a break. The duo exchanged positions at Turn 1 multiple times before Gerloff managed to pull away from his opponent for good on Lap 14.

Unchallenged out front, Razgatlioglu took the chequered flag with a three second advantage for his second win of the season. Gerloff had closed back in on Davies, but the Ducati rider held firm and brought second over the line.

Rea came home in fourth and thereby wrapped up his sixth world title in as many years – a historic milestone that stands without equal.

Haslam prevailed in a close scrap for fifth and just held off Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Rinaldi. Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) had a good ride to seventh, crossing the line marginally ahead of Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).

Jonas Folger (Bonovo Action by MGM Racing) was 11^th at his second wildcard outing from Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing). The two MIE Racing Honda Team machines of Takumi Takahashi and Eric Granado rounded out the points ranks.

Sheridan Morais (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) finished 16 ahead of Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) who was involved in the fight for P5 before crashing at the Parabolica Interior on Lap 19. Loris Cresson (Outdo Kawasaki TPR) was the last rider to finish the race.

Matteo Ferrari (Barni Racing Team) and Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) joined Redding and van der Mark among the non-finishers.