WSBK: Redding goes from Disaster to Delight with Teruel Superpole Race Win

Scott Redding bounced back from his Race 1 crash by winning the Superpole Race at the WorldSBK Teruel Round.

The Ducati rider prevailed in a feisty duel with Jonathan Rea and ended the reigning champion’s unbeaten run in this season’s sprint races. Michael Ruben Rinaldi completed the podium in third.

Redding reduced his championship disadvantage and now trails Rea by 27 points. Chaz Davies sits third, a further 40 points adrift of his teammate.

Following yesterday’s tyre shenanigans, all riders started the 10 lap race at MotorLand Aragon on the qualifying X compound.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) took the holeshot from pole and led into Turn 1 from Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing Ducati), Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) and Race 1 winner Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GoEleven).

The Ducatis were immediately on the go as Rinaldi swiftly moved past Razgatlioglu into third and Redding looked punchy further ahead. The Brit lost no time and made his way past Rea through Turns 14 and 15 to hit the front and record the first Superpole Race lap this season that has not been led by the reigning world champion.

Rea fought back and the pair swapped paint through Turns 4 to 6, but Redding managed to stay in front and left the Kawasaki without a chance down the back straight. Further behind Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) made Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) look stationary at top speed and swept into sixth at Turn 16, eyeing up Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Razgatlioglu as his next targets.

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Ducati) was on the move and claimed Leon Haslam (Team HRC) down the back straight with eight laps to go before sticking a swift move on Sykes to move into seventh by Lap 4.

Still substantially weakened by a gastrointestinal virus, Lowes was having another heroic ride and dived down Razgatlioglu’s inside at Turn 1 for fourth with seven laps remaining. Lowes immediately started to pull away and left the Yamaha falling into the clutches of Bautista and Davies who were both running at far superior pace.

Out front, Rea kept harassing Redding, particularly through Turns 11 to 13, but failed to execute a manoeuvre and the Ducati stayed in the lead.

Battles were getting feistier behind the leading duo as well, as Bautista continued to challenge Razgatlioglu and flew past the Yamaha down the back straight on Lap 6. Matters got worse for the Turk who was under immediate attack from Davies and though the Ducati rider failed to make a move stick at Turn 1, he claimed the position through Turns 12 and 13.

Bautista and Davies were running at great pace and had closed in on Lowes by Lap 8. The Kawasaki rider was fighting with a blunted edge and had to surrender fourth to Bautista at Turn 1 before he lost another position to Davies into Turn 8.

Redding had meanwhile started to stretch out an advantage and was running half a second ahead of Rea with three laps to go. Cool and collected, the Ducati rider extended the gap and eventually took the chequered flag first, just under a second from his opponent.

Redding bounced back from his Race 1 crash in the perfect fashion and left Rea beaten in a Superpole Race for the first time this season. Despite having to settle for runner-up spot, Rea’s championship advantage is still more than a win’s worth at 27 points and he is guaranteed to leave MotorLand Aragon as the table leader.

Yesterday’s winner Rinaldi continued his great from and rounded out the podium in a lonely third place. Bautista managed to stay ahead of Davies for fourth by two tenths while Lowes beat his illness to finish in sixth. Razgatlioglu just fought off a late charge from Haslam and crossed the line four hundredths ahead of the Honda for seventh. Sykes meanwhile secured the final point on offer in ninth.

An unhappy Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) could not exceed a tenth place finish and will have to start Race 2 way down the grid again. Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was 11^th ahead of the two GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team machines of Federico Caricasulo and Garrett Gerloff.

Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) could not replicate his encouraging Race 1 performance and crossed the line in 14^th from Maximilian Scheib (Orelac Racing Verd Natura), Xavi Rores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) and Marco Melandri (Barni Racing Team). Replacement rider Matteo Ferrari (Motocorsa Racing) finished 18^th ahead of Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) and Roman Ramos (Outdo Kawasaki TPR) who continues to stand in for the injured Sandro Cortese. Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Honda Team) was last to take the chequered flag as all riders completed the race.