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The battle for the Superbike World Championship promises to be exciting until the last race. Michael Ruben Rinaldi took the victory using his softer tires and sporting an overwhelming race pace that has ended up knocking down even Toprak Razgatlioglu himself, who still leads the world championship.
The Turk finished in second place, and thank you, but it is that Jonathan Rea has had extreme suffering that has only allowed him to reach sixth position. Razgatlioglu once again leads the general classification by just one point in a race marked by the hard accident of Tom Sykes.
Álvaro Bautista took the podium in the Superpole Race
In the Superpole Race the victory was taken by Jonathan Rea ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu but the big news was Álvaro Bautista's podium, the second since racing with Honda. The scare was the fall of Lucas Mahias with Chaz Davies, who has injured the Ducati and forced the red flag. A big scare.
At the start of the second race Rea lost several positions and Razgatlioglu opened a certain gap. From behind, a new fall for Alex Lowes, who was also hit at very low speed by Lachlan Epis. Razgatlioglu was already starting to shoot with Michael Ruben Rinaldi hooked behind. Scott Redding was already fifth.
Other quite ugly fall between Lucas Mahias and Tom Sykes that left the BMW pulled on the floor. Race direction decided to raise the red flag. Fortunately Sykes is conscious, but has had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. The race resumed a few minutes later with one lap less.
In the second start, Razgatlioglu returned to lead, although with Rinaldi very aggressive. The Italian was locked in a battle for second place with Rea, with Bautista as a spectator. Rinaldi was abusing his softer tires and the bestial engine of the Ducati to put first.
Rea was getting off the hook from the fight for victory and in fact he was already at the mercy of Andrea Locatelli, Álvaro Bautista and Scott Redding, who saw the opportunity to get on the podium. The suffering of the champion was extreme, since he even went off the track and was about to fall.
And at the same time, Razgatlioglu overtook Rinaldi to get firstBut the Ducati rebelled and charged again. Rinaldi was starting to open a hole, so it looked like victory was going to be his. But Rea was in sixth position totally off the hook from those in front and behind.
Victory for Michael Ruben Rinaldi ahead of a Razgatlioglu that recovers the leadership of the world by only one point. Third position for Scott Redding, who gave the Turk a scare in the last corners and deprives Bautista of the second box of the weekend, finally fourth. Rea finished sixth.
