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Scott Redding has benefited from knowing his immediate future, even if it is outside of Ducati. The British rider has swept the first race in the history of Superbikes in Navarra, overtaking Jonathan Rea in the first laps and escaping alone for a victory that re-engages him in the world championship.
Behind, Rea has at least managed to hold off a Toprak Razgatlioglu who is not comfortable in Los Arcos, but who has at least reached the podium in the absence of opposition from his teammate, Andrea Locatelli. Álvaro Bautista has fallen, Tito Rabat has been twelfth and Naomichi Uramoto almost scored with the Suzuki.
Rea extends his advantage in the world championship with Razgatlioglu
In the classification Jonathan Rea did not miss his appointment with the superpole, but the most striking thing was the eighth place of Toprak Razgatlioglu, with problems in Navarra. At the exit Scott Redding took the lead ahead of Rea, although the champion attacked before the first step through the finish line to regain the square. Razgatlioglu was fifth.
Despite a very rough exit, it was clear that it was going to cost Razgatlioglu in Los Arcos, while only Redding kept up the pace of Rea in the lead. The Yamaha couldn't keep up with the race, so Razgatlioglu was going to have to be in point-saving mode for the entire race and wait for a favor from Redding.
Behind, Leandro Mercado strike with Christophe Ponsson that ended with the two riders on the ground. Lucas Mahias also crawled on the soil of Navarra. For sheer top speed, Redding passed Rea on the same home straight, taking over the leadership of the race. They were escaped from the Yamaha.
Razgatlioglu overtook Locatelli taking advantage of a wash from the Italian, but it did not seem that the second overall would go much further. The falls continued, first that of Chaz Davies and then that of Álvaro Bautista, which left him out of the race in a weekend that was already being complicated.
Redding was opening some gap with Rea, already touching the second advantage, and also Razgatlioglu minimally cut distances with the champion, but was still far. It was more than a second and a half the advantage that Redding already had over Rea, which put him straight for the victory.
Rea was going from laundry to laundry, definitely unable to follow Redding and beginning to fear for his position with Razgatlioglu, which was approaching. The ghost of past falls haunted the champion, who was already content with a second position that was gold in the face of his battle for the title.
The Turk did not arrive, and the excitement of the race practically focused on the fight between Tito Rabat and Leon Haslam for twelfth place, because the rest of the fish was sold. Perhaps there was some uncertainty as to whether Michael van der Mark would catch up with Tom Sykes, his BMW teammate, for sixth place.
Victory for Scott Redding, the second in a row that re-engages him in the title fight world, ahead of Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu, the other two contenders. Tito Rabat finally finished twelfth and Suzuki's wild card, Naomichi Uramoto, lost the point on the last lap.
