WorldSBK Portimao SP Race Results |First BMW win since 2012 as Rea crashes again

Michael van der Mark lands BMW's first WorldSBK win since 2012 with a measured ride in wet conditions as Jonathan Rea crashes out of contention again

Michael van der Mark - BMW WorldSBK Motorrad

Michael van der Mark has returned BMW to the head of the WorldSBK podium for the first time since 2012 after mastering tricky wet conditions at Portimao to win the Superpole Race.

After yesterday’s dramatic full-length opener, the shorter ten lap sprint provided a similarly unpredictable outcome as for the second race in succession Jonathan Rea crashed out from the lead, this time on the opening lap.

The Kawasaki man had just worked his way to the front in a bid to claw back some ground lost to his Yamaha rival, but would only get as far as Turn 13 when the ZX-10RR’s front wheel folded and thumped him down.

Nevertheless, with fewer points on offer for this race, Razgatlioglu - who isn’t renowned for his wet weather prowess - couldn’t take full advantage as he laboured to sixth at the flag, adding only four points to what is now a healthy 49-point advantage.

It also means Razgatlioglu and Rea will start within the pack in sixth and ninth respectively for this afternoon’s final encounter.

Up at the front though it will be van der Mark and BMW starting from pole position, the added reward of a steely determined ride by the Dutchman in slippery conditions to hold his nerve during the busy opening laps, van der Mark picking off early leader Scott Redding on lap four before easing home by more than five seconds.

It marks the end of a nine-year wait for BMW to return to the top of the WorldSBK podium, the last such win having come back in 2012 in Russia at the Moscow Raceway, while it is a fifth career win for van der Mark. 

Redding settled for second place, with Loris Baz scoring his second podium of the weekend in third place on the Go Eleven Ducati, the duo also earning a front row start for Race 2.

Andrea Locatelli recovered from an early wide moment that dropped him down the order to finish fourth, his cause aided by a late fall for Leon Haslam up ahead.

Alvaro Bautista completed the top five, ahead of the cautious Razgatlioglu, while Axel Bassani, Garrett Gerloff and Eugene Laverty completed the final points’ paying positions in seventh, eighth and ninth.

2021 WorldSBK Portimao | Superpole Race RESULTS

2021 WorldSBK Portimao | Superpole Race RESULTS | Round 11 / 13
PosRiderNat.WorldSBK TeamSuperbikeTiming
1Michael van der MarkNEDBMW Motorrad WorldSBKBMW M1000RR10 Laps
2Scott ReddingGBRAruba Racing DucatiDucati Panigale V4 R+5.330
3Loris BazFRATeam GoElevenDucati Panigale V4 R+7.066
4Andrea LocatelliITAPata Yamaha by BRIXXYamaha YZF-R1+9.264
5Alvaro BautistaESPTeam HRC HondaHonda CBR1000RR-R+9.753
6Toprak RazgatliogluTURPata Yamaha by BRIXXYamaha YZF-R1+16.745
7Axel BassaniITAMotocorsa RacingDucati Panigale V4 R+19.047
8Garrett GerloffUSAGRT Yamaha WorldSBKYamaha YZF-R1+19.115
9Eugene LavertyGBRBMW Motorrad WorldSBKBMW M1000RR+20.901
10Isaac VinalesESPOrelac VerdNatura RacingKawasakI ZX-10RR+28.977
11Leandro MercadoESPMIE RacingHonda CBR1000RR-R+31.057
12Samuele CavalieriESPBarni Racing TeamDucati Panigale V4 R+38.997
13Jonas FolgerGERBonovo MGM ActionBMW M1000RR+41.330
14Tito RabatESPKawasaki Puccetti RacingKawasakI ZX-10RR+51.079
15Gabriele RuiuITAB-Max Racing TeamBMW M1000RR+55.894
16Christophe PonssonFRAGil MotorsportYamaha YZF-R1+56.194
17Lachlan EpisAUSTPR Team Pedercini RacingKawasakI ZX-10RR+1m >
DNFLeon HaslamGBRTeam HRC HondaHonda CBR1000RR-R 
DNFKohta NozaneJPNGRT Yamaha WorldSBKYamaha YZF-R1 
DNFJonathan ReaGBRKawasaki Racing TeamKawasakI ZX-10RR 
DNFMichael Ruben RinaldiESPAruba Racing DucatiDucati Panigale V4 R 
DNFLoris CressonBELTPR Team Pedercini RacingKawasakI ZX-10RR 
DNSAlex LowesGBRKawasaki Racing TeamKawasakI ZX-10RR