WSBK: Title Party Postponed as Redding Wins Magny-Cours Race 2

Scott Redding took his fifth win of the season in commanding fashion on a damp Magny-Cours track.

The Ducati rider took the lead early in the race and did not look back from there. Behind him, Loris Baz prevailed to take second ahead of Chaz Davies.

With Jonathan Rea finishing fourth and his championship advantage over Redding being reduced to 59 points, the title will be decided in Estoril. Davies remains third, another 59 points adrift.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) took the holeshot from pole, shadowed by his teammate Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team). Behind them, Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) swiftly claimed Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GoEleven) to move up into fourth.

The positions kept swapping and changing on frantic opening laps. Redding dived past Lowes at Grande Courbe and was right on Rea’s case. Both Lowes and van der Mark meanwhile suffered heavily and fell victim to Rinaldi, Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing Ducati).

Baz was the only rider that had opted for a harder tyre and showed great rhythm from early on. The Frenchman made his way past Rinaldi on Lap 4 and had his eyes firmly set on the leading duo of Rea and Redding. Small gaps had meanwhile already formed between Davies, van der Mark and Lowes in positions five to seven.

Redding was on a mission and lunged down Rea’s inside through the 180° corner to hit the front on Lap 4. The Kawasaki looked to struggle with tyre degradation and Rea was fighting with a blunted edge. Redding kept pulling away while Rea was gradually falling into the clutches of Baz.

Davies had found good pace six laps into the race and was closing in on Rinaldi in fourth. After shadowing his fellow Ducati for a few laps and not finding an opportunity for a clean pass, he executed a move through the 180° corner on Lap 9. With clear air ahead of him, Davies’ next targets were Rea and Baz.

Rea struggled to hold Baz behind him and following an excursion at Chateaux d’Eau on Lap 10, the Frenchman was right on his rear wheel. Baz pounced at the same place a lap later and took second off the championship leader.

At this point, with Redding leading the race, a podium finish would have still been enough for Rea to wrap up the title. Davies, however, was running at superior pace and getting closer with every sector.

The Welshman had caught up with Rea by Lap 13 and executed a beautiful manoeuvre through the Nurburgring chicane a lap later. Rea tried to hang on to his opponent but almost came off his bike at Estoril, forcing him to settle and control his tyres.

Out front, Redding rode a controlled race and took the chequered flag with a comfortable margin. The Ducati rider did everything he could to keep the championship race alive, but he needed Rea to finish off the podium to stay within a mathematical chance of the title.

Rea had his sight set on the crown and reduced the gap to Baz and Davies again in the final laps. However, with his tyre wearing off, he eventually had to settle for fourth – the title left to be decided at the championship finale in Estoril. Baz secured another podium at his home round in second while Davies’ great late season form continues in third.

Van der Mark came home in fifth ahead of Rinaldi and Lowes. Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) finished eight from his marque colleague Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) while Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) rounded out the top 10.

Federico Caricasulo crossed the line in 11^th ahead of Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) and Leon Haslam (Team HRC). Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was 14^th and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) ended a difficult weekend in 15^th.

Outside the points ranks, Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Racing), Valentin Debise (Outdo Kawasaki TPR) and Takumi Takahashi (MIE Racing Honda Team) were the last riders to complete the race. Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), Xavier Pinsach (Orelac Racing Verdnatura) and Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) did not see the chequered flag.