WSBK: Davies Becomes Seventh 2020 Winner in Catalunya Race 2

Chaz Davies secured his first victory of the season and became the seventh winner of 2020.

The Ducati rider withstood pressure from Michael van der Mark to stretch out an advantage in the second half of the race and cross the line first. Van der Mark just held his Yamaha colleague Garrett Gerloff at bay who clinched his first WorldSBK podium in third.

Despite finishing off the rostrum, Jonathan Rea extended his championship lead over Scott Redding to 51 points. Davies sits third, 102 points adrift off the top.

Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) took the holeshot from pole and led into Turn 1 ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GoEleven), Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing Ducati). Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) had a rare poor getaway and lined up in fifth ahead of his title rival Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing Ducati).

Rea ran wide on the opening lap, leaving the door open for Redding to go through, and the reigning world champion found himself in an unfamiliarly low position.

Rinaldi took the lead from van der Mark going into Turn 1 on Lap 2 while behind them, Davies executed the same manoeuvre on Gerloff to move into third. Davies was on a mission and claimed van der Mark a few corners later before he hit the front going into Turn 1 on Lap 4.

Rea executed a move around the outside of Redding to move past his opponent on Lap 4 and though the Ducati rider tried everything to fight back, Rea remained ahead of him.

Out front, Rinaldi was determined to reclaim the lead but misjudged a move and fell behind the two Yamahas of van der Mark and Gerloff. The American had his marque colleague firmly lined up ahead of him and dived past at Turn 1 on Lap 8. Rinaldi had fallen into the clutches of Rea and had to watch the Kawasaki pass him at the same corner.

Davies had started to stretch out an advantage and, unwilling to let him get away, van der Mark retaliated on Gerloff at Repsol corner on Lap 12. Back in runner-up spot, the Dutchman reeled in Davies and dragged Gerloff with him, forming a leading trio at the front.

Van der Mark attacked Davies for the lead on Lap 11 and the pair exchanged punches, but the Ducati rider managed to stay ahead and maintain the order.

A second trio had formed behind them with Rea, Rinaldi and Redding. Rinaldi pounced on Lap 12 and swept past Rea at Turn 1. While the Ducati had the pace to pull away, Rea was left with Redding on his rear wheel.

Davies had managed to put clear air between himself and van der Mark and was holding a comfortable gap by Lap 15. Van der Mark meanwhile had his hands full with his fellow Yamaha Gerloff who had smelled blood and was keen on second place.

Rinaldi’s race was over on Lap 19 when smoke started to come out of his engine and he was forced to retire his Ducati while running in fourth. Rea inherited the position and was unchallenged as Redding had lost touch and fallen into the clutches of Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team).

Unfazed in the lead, Davies took the chequered flag with an advantage of almost two and a half seconds to secure is first win of the season. The remaining podium positions, however, were far from decided as both Yamahas were determined to take second.

Gerloff dived past van der Mark at Turn 1 on the final lap, but a scrappy line into La Caixa left the door open for van der Mark to retaliate. The Dutchman held on to the position and Gerloff had to settle for third, clinching his maiden WorldSBK podium.

Rea came home in a lonely fourth place while Redding indeed lost out to Sykes at Repsol corner on the final lap and crossed the line in sixth. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team completed a solid ride in seventh from Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Leon Haslam (Team HRC).

Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) rounded out the top 10 ahead of wildcard Jonas Folger (Bonovo Action by MGM Racing) and Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team). Lorenzo Zanetti (Motocorsa Racing) and Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Honda Team) were 13^th and 14^th respectively while Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), who rejoined the race after technical issues, took the last point on offer in 15^th.

Rinaldi was joined among the non-finishers by Valentin Debise (Outdo Kawasaki TPR), Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) and Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team). Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) did not start the race following technical issues on his Honda on the sighting lap.

The World Superbike Championship continues at Magny-Cours for the penultimate round of the season on 2nd-4th October 2020. Keep up to date with Motorsport Radio for the latest news and updates.