JONATHAN Rea wins race one at Sepang as team-mate Tom Sykes loses pace to finish fifth despite leading until the closing stages.
The opening race of the Malaysian round at Sepang saw Championship leader Jonathan Rea take the win despite Kawasaki team-mate Tom Sykes leading for the majority of the race.
Sykes had a 2.6s lead after just five laps with Chaz Davies and Jonathan Rea in the chasing pack. Sykes was consistently riding in the 2:04s bracket, and was the only one to do so.
The Yorkshireman continued to pull away from the chasing pack leaving Aprilia’s Leon Haslam and Max Biaggi to battle it out for fifth.
With only four laps to go, Davies and Rea’s tyres appeared to be in better shape than Sykes’ as the gap began to reduce and suddenly Davies and Rea were passed the former Champion.
Rea took his 12th win of the year whilst Davies crossed the line in second despite swapping places three times on the final lap, twice of which were at the final corner.
Biaggi claimed his 71st podium as he took the final step of the podium. The Italian has now extended his own record of being the oldest rider to ever stand on the World Superbike podium.
Sylvain Guintoli brought home his Pata Honda in fourth – his best finish of the season so far -, whilst poleman Sykes finished in fifth.
Voltom Crescent Suzuki’s Alex Lowes finished 6th ahead of Leon Haslam. The Althea Racing pair, Matteo Baiocco and Niccolo Canepa finished in eighth and ninth with Jordi Torres rounding out the top 10.
Race one results:
1. Jonathan Rea GBR Kawasaki Racing Team
2. Chaz Davies GBR Aruba.it Racing-Ducati Superbike Team +0.121
3. Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia Racing Team +10.695
4. Sylvain Guintoli FRA PATA Honda World Superbike +15.433
5. Tom Sykes GBR Kawasaki Racing Team ZX-10R +17.983
6. Alex Lowes GBR Voltcom Crescent Suzuki +23.758
7. Leon Haslam GBR Red Devils Roma Aprilia Racing +24.854
8. Matteo Baiocco ITA Althea Racing +28.306
9. Niccolo Canepa ITA Althea Racing +31.098
10. Jordi Torres ESP Red Devils Roma Aprilia +34.105
11. David Salom ESP Team Pedercini +37.107
12. Randy De Puniet FRA Voltcom Crescent Suzuki +37.378
13. Leon Camier GBR MV Agusta +39.656
14. Roman Ramos ESP Team Go Eleven+43.451
15. Leandro Mercado ARG Barni Racing +48.476
16. Christophe Ponsson FRA Team Pedercini +1:01.166
17. Gabor Rizmayer HUN BMW Team Toth +1:24.006
18. Alex Phillis AUS Grillini Superbike Team +1:31.093
19. Imre Toth HUN BMW Team Toth +2:02.124
DNF. Gianluca Vizziello ITA Grillini Superbike Team
DNF. Michael VD Mark NED PATA Honda World Superbike
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